Hello Hello WSACers and fellow supporters! Here are the notes from our latest meeting.

• Feministing went very well! Good attendence! Good food! Ran out of vegetarian/vegan options too early. Order MORE vegetarian and cheese, also label the food accordingly. Consider doing the preliminary presentation in a more informal setting. Many last minute things we weren’t ready for, including unprepared introductions, getting water for speakers, and having posters and tabling supplied. Solution: Appoint “runners” at big events to cover these things. Need to stay within food budget!!! Feministing Members told us to submit to the Community Board Blog on their website.
• Global Women Film Series: Finding Dawn. We should make this a monthly event to more adequately promote! Handbills, classroom announcements, invite people who haven’t come to these events. Walk around 2nd floor right before the event.
• Genderheads discussion tomorrow @noon in the WSAC room! Talk about Domestic Violence in Queer Contexts, and what someone can do to be supportive. Free Pizza.
• Shannon Blowtorch/Hip Hop Conference update. We agreed to sponsor Shannon Blowtorch for Friday at the Weisman, and unwilling to pay $45 extra because of the scheduling miscommunications that have happened. That $45 would not have been in the Weisman contract for Friday. Will pay $250 to Shannon.
• LGBTQ Health Fair (March 31st 11:30-4:00) Put on by the Rainbow Health Initiative. Events will be held QSCC, Rm 326, and WSAC. Our room will be used for tables, POSSIBLE Smitten Kitten promotion (MIA will contact them!), and Family Tree Clinic sex education session. Should be casual, with free, healthy food. No need for monetary support; just a space. Name would go on poster.
• Anti-War Committee: request to use our space on 4/5 at noon. See proposal form. Teach-in with a presentation, speakers, and discussion. No financial support needed. They just need the room. Will be speaking about the effect on women in Afghanistan, and how women here can participate in and build a movement to bring war to an end. AGREED.
• BMW proposal- Kim. BMW Gala in the Mississippi Room Friday April 2nd. 5:30 . Table at the event? BMW wants to educate the community of all aspects of being a black woman in today’s society. Theme: Skirts, Suits, and Stilettos. Audience: Collegiate, Graduate, and Professional Women. Asking for money for food. $200 agreed upon!
• TBTN planning meetings to be every Sunday at 7pm until the event on April 23rd at 6pm. Betsy will be the WSAC rep! Upcoming meeting at McAlister Student Center
• Tubman shelter benefit show (cosponsored by WSAC): Nathan & Grace agree that it’s too late to plan for spring. Talking about a much smaller event, possibly at the Whole, in the fall. Would really like at least one more cosponsor. Radio K would be ideal. Need to email marketing@radiok.org. Grace will slowly work on this. Solidify all of this over the summer!
• Meghann and Alice: Mental Health Advocacy Day: Scheduled for April 27th, but might be moved to April 26th. Will include a display called “Send Silence Packing” to raise awareness of suicide among college students. Flash Mob Event with t-shirts with “Mental Health Advocate Because _______________.” Based on Bring Change to Mind Campaign (http://www.bringchange2mind.org/). Meeting Wednesday March 23rd 6 pm on the 2nd floor of Coffman.
o we can plan to co-sponsor with $150 min, volunteer group, or a rep at the planning meetings. Maybe WSAC table: depression, suicide, rape, PTSD issues related to GLBTQ community. Create sign-in sheet for Genderheads event to promote this as a follow-up.
o (MORE INFO BELOW)

Mental Health Advocacy day

Here are 2 upcoming events sponsored or co-hosted by Active Minds, Mindfulness, Social Justice Leadership Retreat student groups among others to raise awareness about mental health issues. If you are interested in info about how to be a co-sponsor, let me know.
Please hold the dates and share this information:
1) On Thursday March 25th 5:00 in 103 Appleby, Active Minds hosts a panel of of U of M graduates, including _Purge_ author Nicole Johns, entitled *Mental Health Perspectives: college and beyond.* Participants will talk about their perspectives as students as well as in their current life. Food will be provided.
2) On Tuesday April 27th--Mental Health Advocacy Day. More information to follow flash-mob event anticipated likely around noon in front of Coffman. Active Minds national traveling display of 1100 backpacks signifying the number of students affected yearly on college campuses by suicide, "Send Silence Packing" also anticipated. Free t-shirts to be available.

Restructuring meeting report back:
• Budgetrix: Aidan. Alternate: Grace
• Entertainment person: Meghann!
• Foodie: Betsy.
• Minute-taker: Sophie.
• Interwebspert: Molly.
• Publicity back up: Andrea
Goal: reach out to other cultural groups on our floor!
Make a binder with possible co-sponsoring groups. Make it changeable, flexible.
Make a job description and send to lynch245@umn.edu
• Stick around for Jessie and Betsy’s report back from the conference with many letters. (tabled for next week.)
• Today at 4pm in WSAC: meet with Silent But Deadly Productions to discuss producing Sex Ed for Everyone. WOOOOOOO!

Announcements for interesting stuff coming up:
Take a Stand: Civil Disobedience Training (sponsored by the Anti-War Committee)
Saturday, March 27 @ 3:00 pm May Day Books, 301 Cedar Ave. S. (below Midwest Mountaineering), Minneapolis
This month marks the 7th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, while the 9 year war on the people of Afghanistan is escalating. If you would like to raise the level of protest against these unjust wars, this meeting is for you. Bring your questions, concerns, ideas, and friends to a workshop on civil disobedience and direct action. The Anti-War Committee has initiated day of action in late April. Come learn how you or your group can take part.