The president of the Ohio National Organization for Women (NOW) is coming to the Sept. 15 meeting of the Oberlin NOW chapter.
President Jackie Hillyer was invited by the chapter to address Oberlin students and local citizens about issues related to NOW. Hillyer is a veteran lobbyist and a spokesman for the statewide NOW organization on the national level. "She plans chiefly to familiarize people with NOW's agenda," said Ovidia Guaderrama, co-founder of the Oberlin chapter. "But also to address the concerns of local women in regard to the attack." Guaderrama referred to the September 6 assault of an 18 year-old female first-year student.
NOW, an activist organization founded during the Women's Movement of the late 1960's, promotes women's rights on a number of issues. Some of their chief activities include promoting a woman's right to choose abortion, lobbying Congress and businesses for protection and advancing working women. The group also counsels and educates people in regard to assault and rape.
According to the President of the Oberlin NOW chapter, Dr. Marilyn Valentino, the group puts pressure not only on Congress and major corporations, but also on schools, police departments or anybody who deals with women.
"We are a monitoring group. We write letters of acknowledgment and praise to people or organizations who treat women positively and letters of criticism to those that don't."
Valentino said NOW helps women to realize their potential. "People need to understand that this organization is for women, not of women," said Valentino.
About 200 alumni will be on campus this weekend for the annual meeting of the alumni council.
Midge Brittingham, director of the alumni association, said participants in the meeting include past class presidents, class fund-raisers, regional coordinators and members of various alumni committees. The alumni will include representatives from classes '23 to '98.
One new feature of this year's meeting is the alumni-student exchange, co-sponsored by the Office of Career Services. The exchange will include panel discussions about various post-college issues like international and career opportunities. It also includes mock interviews for seniors who sign up, and casual networking time for students and alumni.
"It will be a good time for students to meet people in various careers," Brittingham said. "Students should feel free to talk to any alumni."
Other events included in the weekend are an update on the Capital Campaign, a session with Athletic Director Mike Muska and another one with members of Residential Life and Services staff.
A former Oberlin College student was found on the ground beaten and intoxicated early Sunday morning.
Witnesses noticed a young male lying in front of C&J's Pizza on South Main Street and thought he may have been a guest at a party earlier that evening.
The witnesses then lifted the male from the front of C&J's Pizza and brought him to the front porch of the house. It was there that they noticed blood on his face. The witnesses notified Oberlin Police Department at 3:11 a.m. and the victim was transported to Allen Memorial Hospital where he received treatment.
A second witness later came forward and admitted to seeing several men beating on a person during a late night walk down S. Main Street.
Matters are currently under investigation by the Oberlin Police department.
Copyright © 1998, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 127, Number 2, September 11, 1998
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