GUESS WHAT: A hippo can open its mouth wide enough to fit a 4 foot tall child inside.

• THE METROPOLITAN • OCTOBER 1, 2009 • NEWS • A9

Event helps women to take initiative

Latina conference
provides forum
for cultural issues
By April Zemyan
azemyan@mscd.edu

Auraria welcomed women of all

ages and backgrounds to learn how
to make a difference and take action
in the community Sept. 26.
The fifth annual “Serious Wom-
en, Serious Issues, Serious Action
Conference” took place in the Tivoli.
The event focused on the importance
of being informed along with learn-
ing skills to make the right decisions.
“The main goal is that women
learn skills and take action,” Pro-
gram Director for Latina Initiative
Maria De Cambra said.
The conference was organized
by the Latina Initiative and 9to5, a
National Association of Working
Women.
The Latina Initiative started in
2002 and focuses on civic engage-
ment in the Latina community.
The theme of this year’s conference
“Women Making Change: Try it, Do
it, Love it!” was aimed toward en-
couraging women to involve local Marilyn Hernandez-Stopp, far right, laughs during a free Latin dancing session Sept. 26 taught by Tim Edgar, far left, during the “Seri-
officials in issues that are important ous Women, Serious Issues, Serious Action Conference” hosted by Latina Initiative in the Tivoli at Auraria Campus.
to them. Photo by Leah Millis • lmillis@mscd.edu
“Voting is the pathway of civic involved in other organizations that swered questions from the audience. ington D.C. ences.
engagement,” De Cambra said. help deal with the issues in the Latina Topics of discussion included “If that gets passed it will help Although the conference was
The Latina Initiative empha- population. education, immigration, health care employees like me fight and retali- aimed and sponsored by Latina
sizes that the involvement between Mora-Chavez said she is on the reform, criminal justice as well as the ate,” Brown said. groups, all women were encouraged
elections is key to making the right board for a youth group called Chic economy. Women asked questions The Employee Free Choice Act to attend.
choice in the election. Chicana Inc., which has helped more concerning disability discrimination was introduced in 2009 and discuss- The event for next year is be-
“I think Latina women need to than 900 high school kids graduate, as well as discrimination in the work es union labor laws. The conference ing planned, but there are no exact
be more involved in what concerns and prepare for college. place. also featured workshops for women dates. De Cambra said the event has
them and how we can educate our- Chic Chicana Inc. was also a Jennifer Brown said she became to learn how to express themselves always and hopes to continue to be
selves,” conference attendee Maria sponsor of the event. a 9to5 member after she had a hor- and take action. held at the Tivoli.
Mora-Chavez said. Ninety-eight women traveled rific experience with an employer. De Cambra said she thought “I think of all the years this year
The organization, 9to5, works from Durango, Greeley, Pueblo and She said she realized there the workshops were very success- was my favorite just to see so many
in partner with the Latina Initiative Colorado Springs to attend the event. weren’t enough rights in the work ful, particularly the one addressing women coming together and be pas-
to advocate for women’s rights in It began with a board of panel- place for employees. Brown said just blogging. The workshop focused on sionate,” De Cambra said.
the workplace. Many of the women ists from various organizations who two weeks ago she lobbied for the how to use social networking tools
who attended the conference are also touched on current issues and an- Employee Free Choice Act in Wash- to express and pinpoint certain audi-

Voter registration gears up for odd-year election

VOTING from A3
“I’m not too into politics,” Read
said. “I don’t know. I hear about poli-
tics. My mom is really into. I think
that’s probably why I am not into it,
because my mom is.”
Read said she is satisfied with the
current political situation.
“I think things are getting better.
I think the election either way, things
would have gotten better.”
And this year, low interest in the
election would not just be a student
phenomenon. Voter turnout in odd-
year elections has never broken 50
percent according to statistics pub-
lished on the Colorado Secretary of
State web site.
While the increased youth turn-
out of the last decade culminating
in 2008’s record numbers show
growing participation among young
voters — the 2009 election won’t in-
fluence the White House or seats in
Congress and gets less media cover-
age than the Presidential and mid-
term elections.
Denver voters this year will de-
cide on four school board seats, and
one ballot issue.
DuRay’s reply: that doesn’t make
the election any less important.
“The place where young people
can have the biggest impact is in lo-
cal politics, even just the city and
county-level stuff,” DuRay said.
New Era Colorado worked year
round to keep students engaged. In
October they plan to hold events to
inform students about the mail-in
only ballot. Leading up to spring they
focused on working with the State
legislature. In April the primaries for
next year’s mid-term elections begin.
“Our goal is to bring the youth
vote out and create a force to be reck-
on with,” DuRay said. “We have no
off-season.”
CCD student Gus Geuder didn’t
need convincing.
“Everybody should vote,” Geuder
said. Having recently moved to Den-
ver, he used the opportunity of the
registration drive to update his vot-
ing address.
Geuder, who voted for the first
time in the 2008 presidential elec-
tion, said while he wasn’t particu-
larly passionate about the issues on
this year’s ballot, voting for him was
never a question.
“I feel like if you don’t vote you’re From left, Morgan Chidsey, Raina Burton, and Tenley Whitrock
not really entitled to an opinion. You register to vote during a free voter registration barbecue at Cam-
can’t say one way or the other, if you pus Village Sept. 29.Photo by Ryan Martin • martirya@mscd.edu
don’t cast a vote,” he said.