WRC celebrates women's right to vote

By Erica Miller, On-Line Forty-Niner

Thursday, August 27, 1998

Yesterday's picnic sponsored by the Women's Resource Center not only brought out students looking for an excuse to enjoy the warm afternoon sun, it also gave them a chance to discuss the significance of voting in their lives.

About 25 people took part in the picnic commemorating the 78th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote.

This is the third semester that the WRC has organized a picnic around an issue concerning women.

In 1971, U.S. Congress gave national recognition to the fight for suffrage and declared Aug. 26 Women's Equality Day.

"This is a way for us to keep an open dialogue," said Marcela Chavez, director of the WRC. "We are extending our arms to the campus and trying to educate people. The picnics facilitate that process."

After a brief rundown of the events immediately preceding the passing of the amendment, Lynne Coenen, assistant director of the WRC, began a discussion on the significance of voting for women and some experiences each had gone through.

"I voted in every election but one. Both of my grandmothers were suffragists and one of them was also a union organizer," Coenen said.

Being so close to political activism can have an affect on the way a person views the electoral process.

Art major Angela Tribulato worked as an election officer, checking in voters and counting ballots.

"It was hard work. We need to appreciate the people behind those desks," Tribulato said.

The discussion quickly turned to some specific issues still plaguing women and others in the voting process.

"What I am interested in is what happens when we don't vote," said Olivia Olea, a special projects staff member with Salsa Films.

Olea recalled an election where only seven votes were needed to make the difference between victory or defeat.

"It can change the whole picture when we don't vote," Olea said.

Another issue discussed was the difficulty in deciphering what politicians mean.

"When I see things on television I look at the fine print to see who is paying for the ad," said Lethia Cobbs, an English major.

Pamela Ashe, a psychologist at Counseling and Psychological Services, discussed the manipulation engineered by organizations attempting to mislead voters.

"There was the group that called themselves the California Civil Rights Initiative, even though their plan was to abolish affirmative action." Ashe said. "Many people have been duped to believe what they're voting for is equalizing."

Obtaining the information and educating oneself was another objective that Olea presented as a necessary tool for women to arm themselves.

"As a voter I am on the periphery and I try to find out about the issues from those who are closer to the source," Olea said. "Reading things like the newspaper and hearing issues from the media can be distorted."

Beyond the convolution of voting issues, the women discussed voters who come into the electoral process at a disadvantage.

"My concern is that lawmakers and people who can vote bring out sentiments against people who do not have power. The disempowered are the most effected by the people in power," Chavez said.