We will accept everything! (Well, not quite everything… see below.)

Last year our theme was “Redefining Feminism” which is pretty vague. This year’s theme is…. NO THEME. Because I cannot think of a good one. Our spring conference will be about “bridging the gap” so take that as you will. But for the zine itself, you decide what to send and I’ll figure out a theme (maybe) later.

Visual Art (make sure it looks good in black & white)
photography, paintings, illustrations, sculptures, collages, or “talking back” to sexist, racist, ableist, transphobic, homophobic, or generally crappy advertising or media through visual forms.

Fiction or Creative Non-Fiction
Up to 2,000 words. Shorter pieces are encouraged (and frankly have a better chance of being printed) since printing is expensive.

Poetry
No more than 3 pages, double spaced. We’re always looking for more poetry, so please send it our way!!

Book Reviews
Found a super cool book you think we should all read? Maybe it’s a not so great book no one should waste their time reading. Send us your reviews. 50 word max.

Interviews
Query if you have an interview you think we might like.

Surprise us!
If we can scan it and photocopy it, it has a chance of getting into the zine!

What Won’t Get In
MRA rants. And other generally clueless stuff.

Previously published work is fine. Just let us know where it was published so we can let readers know where else to find you.

Send all submissions to fword@loop.colum.edu with the header: Zine Submission (Type of Art). Include your name as you wish it to appear in the zine and if you wish to be contacted by phone, your phone number (if not, your e-mail works). Work should be attached. PDF, JPEG, DOC, DOCX (is there a difference between those last two?) or any other file type people generally already have on their computers.

Hope to hear from you soon!

THE F WORD

We discussed possible changes to the format of meetings for next semester.

- “Stand up, step back.” If you’re not the most extroverted person (I know the feeling), this activity gives you the chance to share your thoughts with the group.

- We want to move toward becoming a collective, so each week a volunteer will be able to lead a guided discussion on whatever is important to them.

- We want to have casual brown bag Friday lunches, monthly or bi-monthly. Maddie proposed making these lunches casual Q&A’s. If anyone is unsure about what we do with F Word, what feminism is, how they can get involved, or even is just unclear on what a word means or what a theory is, Fridays will be a time for us to work through the questions together.

The board was a little swamped with work and classes this semester, but next semester we’re getting back on the event planning bandwagon.

-Annual Spring Conference (yaaaayy!). This year’s theme is “bridging the gap.” We want to bring together college feminist groups from around the Midwest as well as high school students from the Chicago(land) area.

-SAFER will be growing and branching off on its own this semester.

- We would like to put on a stage production. For Colored Girls is in the running, but rights are tricky and cost money (though we can work this out), so please weigh in with your own suggestions. (We will not be doing Vagina Monologues this semester as many of us are decidedly over Eve Ensler.)

- More craft days. Zine making, button making, screen printing, etc.

We’ll keep you updated on next semester’s meeting day and time. But for now, we wish you luck in surviving finals.

Happy holidays.

When: 4:00 PM, Wednesday, September 12th
Where: 916 S. Wabash Ave., 4th floor

-The F Word

It was so nice to meet all of you at Columbia College Chicago’s Convocation today! We hope to see you again at our weekly meetings (Wednesday at 4— starting at September 12th) and events throughout the year.

We hope you’re all having a wonderful start to your time at Columbia.

-The F Word

Redefining Feminism: “F” What You’ve Heard is a two-day conference hosted by Columbia College Chicago’s feminist student organization, F Word.

The goal is this conference is to bring together marginalized voices through art and conversation. We hope spread awareness about topics that are not often discussed and to bring together different voices of those who are affected by the injustices caused by our white patriarchal society. Recurring themes include but are not limited to: rape culture, white privilege, cissexism, body positivity and self-image, and sex positivity and sex education.

F Word wants to open discussion surrounding a variety of topics that many, if not all, attendees will be able to contribute to in some way.

There may be some topics that could triggering to some, so please let us know whenever if you or anyone you know will need to leave the environment. F Word hopes to provide a safe space for attendees, and if that is not achieved in some way, please let us know what we could to do assure that.

Anything that is said and done by anyone who is not a F Word board member is not a reflection of our organization or Columbia College.

Here is the schedule as of March 26 (subject to change until the week of the conference):

FRIDAY, APRIL 13TH

3:00 PM - Opening introduction

4:00 PM – Rape Culture Workshop
(Discussion of rape culture in our society, and fostering awareness about how certain judgements and comments contribute to rape culture.)

5:00 PM - Women Artists for Social Awareness Panel
(Photographers, writers, and performers who use their talent to promote awareness, especially when it comes to the ways women and women’s issues are represented in the media/our society. )

6:15 PM – Body Positivity Workshop
(A discussion while being part of prominent subcultures, and how society has contributed to the way we see ourselves. The goal: leave this workshop a little more comfortable in your beautiful skin.)

7:30 PM - Reception (ongoing until 9:30)

8:00 PM- The Vagina Monologues
(Chosen Monologues from Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues.)

8:30p - Open Readings
(Zine contributors read first, but bring your work! We want to hear from you. Two pages, double spaced, maximum. Featuring Nami Mun, author of Miles From Nowhere)

9:30p - End of reception / closing comments


SATURDAY, APRIL 14TH

11:00 - opening / photo exhibit open

11:30 - Women Educators and Other Professionals panel
(Professors and other professionals come together to discuss working in their fields as women.)

12:30 - Meet & Greet

1:00p – Sex Positivity / Sex Education Workshop
(Discussing sex positivity as a new aspect of feminism. Also, a lesson of sex education from Dr. Foss, Biology of Aids professor at Columbia.)

1:45 – New Voices of Feminism: Women of Color
(Women of color in feminism discuss intersectionality and having unheard voices in mainstream feminism / in our society.)

2:30 – New Voices of Feminism: Queer and Trans People
(This discussion will be have a focus on how to use feminist communities as a safe space, and how being a feminist has benefited people who do not fit the typical middle-class, heterosexual white female category. Topics will include heterosexism and cissexism in feminism and in our society as a whole.)

3:30 – Closing Comments / ReDefined readings
(CCC Theater Collective will be reading from recent work!)

All events will be held in 600 S. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605

MAKE SURE TO RSVP ON FACEBOOK AND INVITE YOUR FRIENDS! (http://www.facebook.com/events/414629708551239/)