A lot is happening in the world right now. Egypt said no more to their President, and since then, other countries such as Bahrain, Libya, Yemen, Iran, Kuwait, Algeria, and Dijbouti have actively started seeking change from their governments. Tons of stuff is happening back in the United States too. There are the Wisconsin protests rising up against the newly elected governor’s budget, the House voting to ban federal funding to Planned Parenthood, possible threats to cut funding for programs like Americorps, and of course, we’re still in a terrible economic recession.

As college students and young women, we should be aware of what’s going on around us. For example, the federal funding to Planned Parenthood could hurt women across the country and prevent us from having affordable birth control options (such as the Pill and IUDs) and annual health screenings. Sometimes sitting around doesn’t seem good enough, but people often say “I’d get involved, but I don’t know how.” Consider this your friendly college guide to activism so you can get involved:

Utilize Facebook and other social media platforms: The world of social media is meant to be an extension of your personality, so why not use it to share what you believe in? Passionate about animal rights — don’t be afraid to ‘Like’ PETA or post a video about puppy mills. Are you upset that funding was cut in your home state for education? Post an article about it on your blog — use it to start a dialogue. Tweet about what’s on your mind. Send out Facebook event invites for club meetings about campus fundraising or for the Gay/Straight alliance you just joined.

Register to vote: This is straightforward and simple. By registering to vote, even if elections are right around the corner, you are taking a proactive step to say, “Hey, I want to voice my opinion.” You can register to vote here.

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One of the most important issues we are facing today is violence against women. Based on data available, 70 percent of women experience physical or sexual violence from men in their lifetime.  This staggering  number alone stresses the importance of heightened awareness, and increased action toward ending violence against women.

It happens everywhere – at home, at school, and on the streets.  An estimated 150 million girls under 18 suffered some form of sexual violence in 2002 alone, and rape and domestic violence are a higher risk for women aged 15 to 44 worldwide than cancer, traffic accidents or malaria.  Beyond happening too often and in sickening quantities, violence against women harms family and communities, and deserves a call for action to stop it in its destructive path.

Say NO – Unite to End Violence Against Women has taken a giant leap to halt the violence.  The organization was created in November 2009 to end violence between women and girls through social mobilization.  Say NO aims to spark action amongst individuals, government, and civil society partners. These actions can vary from reaching out to speak at schools,  volunteering at local shelters, or donating to women’s violence programs.

UNiTe calls on anyone and everyone to take action, join forces, and address the global issue that is violence against women.  UNiTe believes if we stand together as a whole we are better able to speak out and make a difference. Read More »

I’ll be honest: I’m a bitch. I have no problem telling it like it is, talking about someone behind his/her back or telling secrets about people I hate. This is why people fight to stay on my good side.

Which is why people are so surprised when they find out about my passion for animals. I cry when those commercials for animal shelters come on the TV, I have to look away from movies or TV shows when an animal gets injured and I wanted to personally kill Michael Vick when it was discovered he was running that evil dog fighting ring.

It is weird, I know, but I can’t help but feel for creatures who don’t have a voice to defend themselves. Yes, even if they have the teeth or claws to do so.

Like sharks. (Yes, I am being completely serious!) Sharks are most often thought of as predators, but lately off the coast of Florida they have become victims. In the past year more and more sharks have been found murdered in the water. There is no excuse for harming another life – especially an innocent one – and it is up to us to protect every creature on this planet.

Please take a moment to sign the attached petition and protect the sharks and our planet’s wildlife.

So I know I’m not the only person who feels incredibly guilty after reading stories about abject poverty in other countries. Subsequently, I feel even worse when I put it out of my mind and get back to own, comparatively ridiculously affluent life.

So I’ve compiled a list of really great and easy ways to contribute to some incredibly worthy causes. Bonus: they’re all things you can do easily on your laptop at any time!

Free Rice: This handy little tool not only helps feed the hungry by donating rice to the United Nations World Food Program, it can also improve your vocabulary! Just answer as many vocabulary questions as you wish, and for each one you answer correctly, the advertisers on the page donate 20 grains of rice to the WFP. The questions increase in difficulty for each correct answer, and so does the amount of rice donated. It’s a win-win!

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You don’t have to be a staunch vegan, an animal activist, or even a pet owner to understand that if you don’t feed an animal, it will die.

And nothing about that can be considered anything but killing.

Which is why this disgusting story about an artist from Costa Rica who paid (yes, paid) 2 children to catch a dog so that he coud tie it up in a gallery, deny him food and water, and watch him die is so surreal. Do things like this really happen?

And what could this artist’s justification possibly be? Oh right, he couldn’t possibly have one.

Now listen, I’m no PETA member, and I was a vegetarian until I defaulted to peanut butter sandwiches everyday, became really unhealthy, and decided to go back to eating chicken, but how can a decent human being personally put another living thing through a slow and painful death and feel no remorse?

He’s an “artist” but that is absolutely no excuse. I know plenty of artists and let’s be honest, they’re usually the one’s fighting for animal rights, no?

What’s worse is that Guillermo Habacuc Vargas, the animal abuser in question, has been chosen to represent his country in the “Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008“.

What the f*ck?? Read More »