club NEWS – AAUW
The Manhattan Branch of the American Association of University Women met November 12 at the First Congregational Church. President Nancy Bolsen called the meeting to order and asked program chair Tresa Landis to introduce the speaker.
Tresa said it was her pleasure to introduce Jean Lee, who has been a member of the League of Women voters for nearly 25 years. She welcomed Jean also as a new member of AAUW. Jean has bachelor and master’s level degrees from Iowa State University in Home Economics Education and a master’s degree in dietetics, restaurant and institutional management from KSU. She taught home economics for five years and worked as a dietitian and Food Service Manager at U.C. Berkeley for 17 years. She also offered a cooking school in Manhattan for ten years known as The Cook’s Workshop.
Jean said her membership in the League of Women Voters goes back into the late 1960’s. She has worked mostly on issues of clean air and water for Kansas and the United States. Presently she and Enell Foerster are co-presidents of the local League. The League is dedicated to promoting informed and active citizen participation in government and to promoting government that is open and responsive to citizens. League members study issues, reach consensus and speak to the issues on a non-partisan basis.
She noted Kansas became the seventh state to give women the right to vote—eight years before ratification of the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave women nationwide that right.
In looking at the recent election in Riley County she said the final election results would not be available until the official canvas is published on November 15. However we do know the voter turnout was 59.31%. In comparison, Riley County had a voter turnout of 73.49% in 2008. Some reasons given for the lower turnout might relate to uncontested races, the feeling that your vote doesn’t count in Kansas, and fewer polarizing issues. Whether or not the new ID requirements had an affect remains unknown since there were no exit polls taken in Riley County. The number of provisional ballots cast will be known on November 15. That number in Kansas has not been published but she read that Wichita had 6,400 provisional ballots cast.
Nancy Bolsen said on Tuesday, November 6, the KSU-AAUW Partnership Committee met with representatives of the K-State Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering (KAWSE). As a result of that meeting on November 15 the branch will cohost with KAWSE the AAUW webcast, Graduating to a Pay Gap. The webcast will appear in Paslay Auditorium at Rathbone Hall 1073 from 2:30 to 4:30 that afternoon. The AAUW presentation highlights the results of the just completed report on the gender pay gap.
Plans are being made to host an outreach to K-State next fall with AAUW’s $tart $mart: Teaching Women to Negotiate for Salary and Benefits program. An email blast has been sent to KSU faculty, department heads, staff and Women of K-State informing them about AAUW’s fellowships and grants as well as deadlines for submissions.
Barbara Gatewood called attention to major revisions on the Manhattan branch website and thanked members who have been active in recruiting new members.
Tresa Landis announced the next meeting will be held on December 10 at Meadowlark in the Manhattan Room. The Harmonious Synergy Quartet will perform holiday music in four-part harmony. The women’s award winning group is from Wamego.
Membership in AAUW is open to anyone holding an associate or equivalent (RN), baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Student Affiliation is open to anyone who does not already hold an undergraduate degree and is enrolled in a two or four year regionally accredited educational institution. Students enrolled at K-State may receive a free e-Student affiliation. For more information, go to http//manhattan-ks.aauw.net, email manhattanksaauw@gmail.com or contact Barbara Gatewood at 539-8804.