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wellesleyunderground · 4 years

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Wellesley Underground’s Holiday Guide to Wellesley-Owned Businesses: November 2019

The Good Supply / Image Credit: The Good Supply

Looking for your holiday gifts? Check out Wellesley Underground’s crowd-sourced list of Wellesley-owned businesses (updated for 2019)! Compiled by Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10, WU Managing Editor.

Pinterest Board of the Shops (incomplete)

Jewelry

Alumnati Jewelry by Stephanie Christie ‘00: Handmade Wellesley lamppost earrings

Ecru Collection by Kara Templeton '12: Jewelry, home decor, and stationery

Kindred Spirit Studios by Michelle Davis Petelinz '78: Jewelry, home decor

Lauren Wimmer Jewelry by Lauren Wimmer ‘98: Jewelry

Mala Shah Design by Mala Shah ‘98: Metalworks and Reiki-infused jewelry

Ready-Made by Jenn Meng ‘13: Materials-focused jewelry brand offering minimal, everyday pieces that are affordable, hypoallergenic, super strong, and tarnish-free.

Porcelain and Stone by Kimberly Huestis '05: Nautically inspired jewelry

Space Mermaid by Stephanie Carbone '93: Sky and sea inspired jewelry

Urban Witchcraft by Elena Gauvin ‘13: hand fabricated sterling silver gemstone jewelry with a gothic feel

Wellesley Voices For Disability: Wellesley earring and necklace set, scarf and hat set, fountain pen, bookmark, keyboard covers and more.

Art & Crafts

A Riot of Color by Susan Eiseman Levitin '85: Hand-dyed yarns

Achiaa Paper and Pen by Rebecca Amponsah ‘08: Handmade paper goods and lettering

Alyssa Sketch’d by Alyssa Torres ‘09: Original illustrations/art and jewelry

Art Without A Frame by Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10: Original illustrations/art from the Dragon Fruit Project, an oral history project of queer and trans Asian Pacific Islanders

Cardiology Cards by Tamar Zmora ‘11: Break up Cards

ChemKnits Creations by Rebecca Brown ‘06: Hand dyed yarns

Connie-Chen.com by Connie Chen ‘17: Calligraphy commissions, prints, bookish apparel, oblique holders, penmanship lessons

DisaporicArts by Jenny Jean ‘13: Modern digital art prints

Fran Decker by Fran Decker '80: Original paintings, prints, tiles and notecards

Genevieve Calligraphy by Genevieve Goldleaf ‘12: Botanical illustrations and custom calligraphy

The Grey Fox Studio by Katherine Grey '08: Printmaking, drawing & painting

KT Obermanns by KT Obermanns '07: Illustrations, portraits, pinups, and caricature

Leslie Ordal Fibre Arts by Leslie Ordal ‘04: Handspun yarns, handwoven scarves, and other fibre arts. Lessons and workshops in the Toronto, Ontario, area.

Map Attic by Alex Azzi ‘15: Block-printed holiday cards, resin jewelry, vintage map crafts, ceramics, and abstract fluid paintings.

Misc Midwest by Marie Clymer Sarnacki '13: Wooden coasters and fridge magnets with a Wellesley design

Miyun Makes by Gena Hong ‘12: handmade pottery inspired by Korean traditions.

Monica Starr Creations by Monica Starr Feldman ‘14: Leather luggage tags, metal flower bouquets, embossed stationary, scarves, mason jar cozies, metal & wood working

My Big Pink Crafty Box by Sophia Giordano '09: Feminist crafts

Pick Two Pottery by Dana Lamb ‘99: Pottery

Singing Whale Stained Glass by Amy Putnam ‘90: Handmade stained glass art and shattered glass pins, plus chainmaille bracelets and earrings, including Wellesley inspired pieces.

Stephanie Hessler by Stephanie Hessler ‘84: Wellesley inspired prints, apparel, homewares

Tiny Small Joys by Alyssa Kayser-Hirsh '14: handmade books, calendars, notebooks, and planners

Wear I’ve Been by Samaa Ahmed ‘13: Art designs on throw pillows, prints, mugs, tote bags and more.

Kacie Lyn Martinez by Kacie Lyn Martinez ‘09: fiber artist who weaves tapestries and other fiber art

Photography

Az Bulutlu by Eylul Dogruel ‘07: Skyscapes, travel and abstract photography, prints and merchandise.

JezRebelle by Jess Planos '10: Wellesley photos on prints, apparel, homewares

Meera Graham Photography by Meera Mohan ‘09: Nature Prints for Sale, Headshots & Candid Portraiture

Vero Kherian Photography by Veronique (Chau) Kherian ‘05: Professional Portraits and Headshot Photography in the SF Bay area

Health & Skincare

Beautycounter by Jen Askin Pollock ‘99: Safer, high-performing products for the whole family

Box Naturals by Irene Kim ‘99: Luxe towelettes with organic essential oils

Cocofloss by Chrystle Cu '05: Flavored dental floss

EmmGerri by Karen and Kristi Jordan: Skincare lotion

Eu’Genia Shea by Naa-Sakle Akuete ‘08: Shea butter

Just Botanicals by Sonya Funaro ‘00: Handcraft organic, ethically-sourced skincare

Hubba Hubba by Megan (MJ) Pullins `94: The oldest alternative adult store in New England, stocking everything from corsets, club clothes, lingerie, and all sorts of sex toys.

Lioness by Liz Klinger: Smart vibrator

Maum Goods Co. by Helen (Tak) Kingery ‘01: Handmade essential oil products for wellness and balance

TATCHA Beauty by Victoria Tsai ‘00: Japanese based skincare products

Fashion and Apparel

A Gifted Baby by Amelia Gray ‘03: Online boutique for babies and little people focussing on small and emerging designers, ethical production practices and women-owned labels. Alums are friends and family, use code “weloveyou20much” for the 20% f&f discount:).

Baby Blast Off by Emily Bennett: Baby clothes

Catie’s Natives by Jennifer Roesch ‘92: Shirts, hoodies, and accessories that show city pride. Developed and designed by Jennifer’s 10 year old daughter. Featured in Time Out NY. 10% of profits support Hartley House which provides social services to residents of Hell’s Kitchen, NY.

Charlotte and Asher by Laura Hahn ‘06: Fashionable diaper bags

Cliobags by Alejandra Zambrano: Handmade bags

Emma Finney by Kristin Bunce ‘00: Bags and clutches

Orange Soda Baby by Dorothy Hsiung '05: Whimsical children's clothing

The Outrage by Claire Schlemme ‘06: Feminist clothing and accessories with a portion of profits to women’s empowerment orgs.

Satya Twena by Satya Twena ‘05: Hats and millinery

Stoptiques by Olga Vidisheva '07: Apparel and accessories

Wellesley Class of 1990: Purple W capes! Made of durable material - great for wearing as a cape, using a picnic blanket, keeping your car seat clean, etc.

Wellesley Class of 2003: Wellesley lamp post shirts, baby apparel, and accessories

Wellesley Class of 2007: Wellesley apron (“We can stand the heat!”), baby and kids apparel

Wellesley Club of Columbus, OH: Wellesley insignia whistle

Swells Swag by Sarie Hale-Alper ‘04: Wellesley-themed designs on a variety of apparel and accessories.

Food & Care Packages

ChocolatesU by Amy Camargo ‘94: Chocolates

Ice Cream Jubilee by Victoria Lai ‘01: 6 ice cream pints, shipped nationwide

Montecarlos Estate by Carlota Batres ‘09: Coffee

Off The Beaten Path Food Tours by Lizzie Bell '03: Food tours in MA

Sky Vineyards by Skyla Olds ‘99: Wines

Sunny Exchange by Connie Su ‘09 and Jennifer Lim ‘06: Care packages

Takeout Kit by Rachael Blanchard Lake '07: Shelf-stable meal kit

Tranquil Tuesdays by Charlene Wang '03: Tea and teaware

Toys

My Muse Dolls by Torlisa Jeffery ‘06: Customizable dolls

Animal Care

Newbury Paws by Andrea Fowler '07: Harnesses for large dogs

Wellesley DC Club: Wellesley pet bowls

Domesticat: Rocío Garza Tisdell ‘07: modern-design cat furniture and accessories

Books & Zines

DefinitiveLeigh by Leigh Morrison '15: Feminist zines

Children’s photo books by Cristi Carlstead ‘01: Colors, alphabet and numbers from various countries around the world Romance Novels by Kate Broad ‘06, writing as Rebecca Brooks: sexy contemporary feminist romance

Jambo Book Club by Mijha Butcher Godfrey ‘98: Receive two-three age-appropriate children’s books each month that feature a child of color as the star. Jambo books show children of color in situations where children’s literature rarely places them - making friends, raising pets, loving grandparents and fighting dragons. The books arrive with a personalized letter in boxes beautifully decorated with art that celebrates the joy of childhood. We serve children aged 0-13.

General Home:

Domesticat by Rocío Garza Tisdell ‘07: posters, more products in development

TAIT Design Co. by Audrey Elkus ‘18: Toys + Homewares designed and assembled in Detroit and 100% made in USA. Minimalist, mid-century modern, built to last and make great gifts. Thanks for checking us out : )!

Professional Services

Abilities Dance: Boston-based physically-integrated dance company. Able to perform at holiday parties, fundraisers, and all types of events. Always willing to negotiate rates for W alums.

Grace Astrology by Elisabeth Grace ‘83: Professionally certified astrologer; life strategist. Astrology is a powerful tool for understanding why you are the way you are; what you need in order to feel fulfilled and why things happen when they do. Improve your timing and your relationships. Based in New York -- available for parties, fundraisers, speaking/teaching engagements.

Leslie Ordal: Writing and editing, with a specialty in medicine and science but other fields also welcome. Ad copy, journal manuscripts, etc.--my clients have ranged from Big Pharma to artisans to graduate students. Discount on my usual rate for W alums! Makefast Workshop (Maura Atwater ‘08): Prototyping consultancy; hardware, software, and musical instrument design.

#wellesley underground #hoi-fei mok #wellesley owned businesses #wellesley entrepreneurs #wellesley entrepreneur series

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wellesleyunderground · 5 years

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WU chats with Wellesley College Food Service Union about current negotiations

Wellesley College is currently in negotiation with the food service workers union and are asking them to give up some significant issues as outlined below.

They are proposing 15% pay cuts to new employees in dining.

This is the lowest paid, most diverse, and most female group in the Union.

These pay cuts would mean new employees coming would earn less in inflation-adjusted dollars than new employees in the early 90's.

These cuts would mean that a lot of new employees will not be earning a living wage (as a base wage) if they have kids or other dependents.

There are proposed cuts to leadership positions within the Union and lower rates for new people who move into these positions and the wage freeze to current employees.

These are positions that people spend years working toward. The cuts would put Lead Custodian and Head Groundskeeper below early 90's levels when adjusted for inflation.

There are proposed reductions in what counts as overtime.

They would like that any paid time off not be counted toward overtime. If you call out sick or at a funeral, and come in and work 16 hours the next day you will not get overtime. This includes vacation, personal time and Jury duty.

WU Managing Editor Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10 spoke with union representative Gloria Figueroa about the contract negotiation.

WU: Thank you for speaking with us. What has your experience been like working at the College? What has your experience been like as a member of the Independent Service and Maintenance Union of America (IMSEUA)?

Working at the College is a rewarding experience in which I get to form close bonds with students, faculty, and other staff. But recently the College has not been treating me and my coworkers as well as they used to. The Union has been a great support network that has fought for union employees such as me and allowed me and others to build a decent life.

WU: Overall how has the College treated you in the past? Has this changed in recent years, in your view?

In the past, the College has treated its unionized blue collar workers with fairness and respect. In recent negotiations, the College has tried to undo its fair treatment of unionized employees. The College's focus is more and more on what they can force unionized employees to accept, not what will provide them with a good middle-class life. As a result, they're trying to slash wages and benefits to below what they were 30 years ago.

WU: What were the justifications that the College gave for these proposed changes to the contract?

The College claim their reasons for seeking to slash wages and overtime are issues of "fairness." They claim dining services employees earn too much because other workers in the often low paid and exploited dining services industry earn less. They claim lead positions earn too much because others in the union earn less, without offering to give those other union employees higher wages. They claim that vacation, sick time, bereavement, and other paid time off besides holiday pay must not count to be fair to academic employees, who are non-unionized and don't receive this benefit - when the College is free to supply this benefit to academic employees whenever it chooses. But regardless of what they say, it's clear that the College is trying to save money on the backs of its most vulnerable workers.

WU: If the proposed changes go through, what would be some of the impacts on workers?

New workers will come in at permanently lower pay. More of them will have to work second jobs just to get by and more of them will struggle to support themselves and their families. Long-term union employees will no longer be able to aspire to well-paid leadership positions in their field. Finally, the College will be able to force employees who take earned vacation, sick time, bereavement pay, and other paid time off besides holiday pay to work double shifts or extra shifts on their day off without paying them overtime.

WU: A few years ago Wellesley College was also in union negotiations with the greenhouse workers, which has led to the loss of union jobs. Has the difficulties of that negotiation process influenced your negotiations at all?

The Greenhouse situation hasn't had a direct impact on the substance of the negotiations. But it has damaged the trust the Union has in the College. The College's mid-contract move to eliminate the majority of employees in the Greenhouses was shocking. And the College's constant small transfers of the remaining union work in the greenhouse to non-union members just increases that distrust.

WU: What would you like to see the most out of this negotiation process?

A fair contract that does not cut Union wages, but allows the Union to share in the College's prosperity as the College's tuition, fundraising, and endowment keep rising. The money Wellesley takes from its students and alumnae should not only flow to the top of the College.

WU: What brings you the most joy at your role?

Interacting and developing relationships with the students! After being here for 20+ years, I can't even count how many friends I have made. Almost like a proud mother, I love seeing students who come in as shy first years blossom into strong, confident seniors! I cheer them on at graduation and cry knowing that they are moving on in life and I will not be a part of their life every day. I can't begin to tell you the amount of pride I have in seeing alums that I have grown to love and admire succeed in life and crow to my coworkers every day about how well they are doing. On Reunion weekend, I literally cry tears of joy in seeing students that I haven't seen in 10 years come home!

WU: What can the wider Wellesley community (students, faculty, alums) do to support you and the union?

Every bit of support from the wider Wellesley community helps. The voices of Wellesley students, faculty, and alumni bear more weight with the Wellesley administration than that of blue collar workers. We saw this with the unbelievable job the students, aided by Wellesley Underground in fighting the layoffs at the Greenhouse. Clear, concerted communications with the College about your concerns about their treatment of their workers are critical. Demonstrations and leaflets in support of the Union would be great. Letting the College know that the amounts people plan to give to the College will be hurt by their treatment of their workers would also be very helpful.

Direct comments to Wellesley College can be sent to Piper Orton, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Treasurer, at [email protected].

Update: Supporters of union workers can sign this petition to Wellesley https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/wellesley-alums-pledge?source=c.em.mt&r_by=21959017

#wellesley underground #wellesley college #union negotiations #labor rights #workers rights #food service workers #fair wages #fair jobs #hoi-fei mok #Gloria Figueroa

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wellesleyunderground · 5 years

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Chatting union organizing with Hailey Huget ‘10, Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees (GAGE)

Hailey Huget ’10 is a PhD Candidate in Philosophy at Georgetown University who, for the past several years, has been working to organize a labor union of her peers. In November 2018, 84% of graduate employees at Georgetown voted in favor of unionizing (with 555 voting ‘yes’ and 108 ‘no’). Now their union, Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees (GAGE), is bargaining their first contract with Georgetown.

Photo: the day we won our election. This is the group that delivered our letter declaring our 'intent to bargain' a first contract to the President of Georgetown.

Interview questions by Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10 (@alifeofgreen), WU Managing Editor

WU: Thanks for joining us, Hailey! Congratulations on winning the recognition for your union at Georgetown University. Let’s start at the beginning, why is it important for people to unionize?

HH: There are so many reasons it is important to unionize, but the most important boils down to principle: you deserve a voice in your working conditions. Bosses wield an enormous and disproportionate amount of power over their employees, so forming a union is one way to tip the balance of power back toward workers. Doing so can have all kinds of great benefits for employees, like higher pay, better benefits, access to neutral grievance and reporting procedures to address harassment and discrimination, among many others.

WU: You mentioned that when the Georgetown Alliance of Graduate Employees (GAGE) first started a few years ago that you never imagined winning union election a in this political climate against unions. How were you able to build pressure for a win? What conditions at Georgetown were you looking to change?

HH: The close to 1,000 graduate student-employees that GAGE now represents have a huge range of conditions that they are looking to change, but some of the highest-priority issues (based on a recent survey of GAGE members) include higher pay; more comprehensive healthcare, including dental, mental health, and vision care; and better protections against harassment and discrimination. These priorities weren’t really a surprise to me, insofar as they align with issues that grads brought up in the many conversations we had with them about unionizing. For example, I would have guessed that pay improvements would be among the top issues to emerge from the survey that we did, as by some estimates, we don’t get paid a living wage for the cost of living in DC. I also wasn’t surprised about mental healthcare being a priority either, as graduate students are disproportionately likely to struggle with mental-health issues and the resources we have to address this at Georgetown are inadequate.

We built pressure for a win by, primarily, building our base of support among graduate employees and by putting their needs first in our messaging. One tactic that was really effective was the ‘one-on-one conversation,’ which is just as it sounds—just sitting down with another grad to ask them questions and figure out what they’d like to change, if anything, about their experience at Georgetown. In doing this, it’s crucial not to assume that you already know what they care about or ‘fish’ for specific issues; you have to listen, letting them do most of the talking. Once you’ve listened to someone and figured out what their authentic issues and concerns are—maybe they struggle to pay their rent, maybe they were sexually harassed, maybe they were unable to take disability or medical leave without losing their health insurance, etc.—you as the organizer can help them connect the dots to show how forming a union would help them address their specific issues. This tactic helped us build a strong base of support going into our election, where 84% of grads who cast votes voted in favor of unionization.

WU: What role does the National Labor Relations Board play in union creation? Did they pose a challenge to your organizing and if so, what was your strategy for circumventing them?

HH: The NLRB is the federal agency that is supposed to enforce your rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA); they typically oversee union elections, for example. They also issue interpretations of the NLRA where there are contested issues or where the law is underdetermined. This is important for understanding our campaign at Georgetown because in 2016, the NLRB issued a ruling that held that graduate & undergraduate employees at private universities are workers and thus have rights to unionize. (More specifically, the ruling held that you can be a student of a private university and an employee of a private university at the same time; that having a ‘student’ role doesn’t preclude you also having an ‘employee’ role.)

Unfortunately, the NLRB is staffed by political appointees, so the 2016 ruling that declared us ‘workers’ with rights to unionize happened because Obama’s appointees sat on the board. Now, Trump’s appointees sit on the board. Because they are anti-labor, there is a strong possibility that they would, if given the opportunity, reverse the 2016 ruling that gave grad workers the right to form unions at private universities.

This is why we were so keen on circumventing the NLRB in forming our union. We did that by pressuring Georgetown to agree to a private election agreement, where our election would occur outside of the auspices of the NLRB. The reason we advocated for a private election is that if we went the NLRB route, Georgetown could legally challenge the outcome of the election on the grounds that they don't think we are workers. This could result in not only the results of our election being overturned, but in Georgetown being the school that challenged the 2016 NRLB decision and took away union rights for grads all over the country. Our private election blocked that possibility and guaranteed that Georgetown would not only respect the outcome of the election but that the 2016 ruling would be protected.

WU: When GAGE first approached the Georgetown president with the request to unionize graduate students, there was pushback from the university. What was that experience like to negotiate with them?

HH: Georgetown’s first reaction in response to learning of our union campaign was pretty extreme: they declared that graduate employees didn’t count as employees at all, because the work we perform for Georgetown is primarily for our educational benefit. All graduate employees knew this was total BS, as did many other members of the Georgetown community who signed our petitions, attended our rallies, wrote letters of support, etc. After all, many grads at Georgetown—like me—teach undergraduate courses as the sole instructor of record. In other words, I perform the same job that tenured faculty do. Undergrads also pay the same amount in tuition for a class taught by a graduate instructor as they do for a class taught by a tenured faculty member. So it’s bizarre to claim that graduate employees’ work isn’t ‘work’ solely on the grounds that we are also students working toward graduate degrees.

One reason there was sustained pressure on the Georgetown administration from the broader community was because Georgetown prides itself on being a pro-labor university. Their pro-labor stance is rooted in Georgetown’s Jesuit affiliation and specific Catholic teachings emphasizing the dignity of labor. Grads, and many other members of our community, felt the administration’s response to our campaign was hypocritical. We were able to use that sentiment to put pressure on the university. Eventually enough important people and constituencies within the university came around to supporting us that the Georgetown administration caved and agreed to let us vote on whether or not we wanted to unionize—and, even better, to respect the outcome of that vote. This meant that, if we won the election, they agreed to recognize our union and sit down to bargain a contract for graduate employees. (And now that we have won, they are making good on that commitment and have been meeting with our Bargaining Team to negotiate a contract.)

WU: Was there a catalyst moment that caused a change in the university to allow the union vote after the initial refusal of support?

HH: I’d say rather than one moment that caused them to shift their opinion, it was more of a sustained pressure campaign that spanned several months. After Georgetown initially came out strongly against even our right to vote for or against union representation, we began a pressure campaign that sought to shame Georgetown for hypocritically abandoning its Jesuit values. Once it became clear to higher-ups at Georgetown that we had community support on our side, that we were prepared to drag their pro-labor ‘brand’ through the mud in the media, and that we were planning to picket outside of venues where they were hoping to raise money from alumni, they started gradually backing down and softening their position.

WU: Union membership in the US finally saw an increase in 2017, after a long decline (as illustrated in a comic by the Nib). Young people under 35 are particularly joining unions more than other age groups. What do you think has contributed to that? Do you see other academic institutions following suit after Georgetown?

HH: The question of why young people are joining unions more than other groups is a great question—and I’m sure it has a long historical and sociological answer that I’m not equipped to give. My vague sense, however, is that it is related to the reasons why ever-increasing numbers of young people are adopting more and more left-wing political views, including critiques of capitalism. The economic system that saddles many of us with enormous student loan debt and then requires us to compete with huge numbers of other candidates for low-paying, precarious, or unfulfilling jobs is clearly making us miserable and also making us feel like we have no control over how our lives go. There is also a sense, I think, in which young people feel alienated and isolated from one another, as economic pressure forces us more and more to see our peers as competitors for scarce jobs. One way to fight this lack of control is to reclaim power in your workplace and ensure that you have a voice in your working conditions. Unions are also a great way to break out of feeling alienated from your peers and help you start to conceptualize your well-being as fundamentally bound up with the welfare of others.

I hope that other graduate employees follow us in organizing unions at their institutions, just as we followed in the footsteps of some pioneering campaigns that came before us (such as Yale, Columbia, NYU, University of Michigan, etc). I hope that, in particular, graduate employees at Catholic and Jesuit universities will be able to point to our campaign to pressure their own institutions to honor religious commitments to the dignity of labor.

WU: Do you have any advice for workers out there looking to unionize?

HH: There are differences in job sectors, employment contexts, etc. that make it the case that the strategies and tactics that we employed to win at Georgetown won’t necessarily succeed everywhere. But there is one general thing that I can say. It is a good default position to expect your bosses—no matter how friendly or beneficent they are or have been in the past---to react badly to your unionizing efforts. If they don’t resort to breaking the law, they will almost certainly do other things to disingenuously smear your efforts. They may say manipulative things like, ‘we are a family,’ ‘my door is always open for addressing concerns,’ or even, ‘you’re too privileged for a union.’ All of these are well-worn talking points that bosses use to try to make you lose confidence in your conviction that you need a union. It’s important to be able to recognize these as boilerplate anti-union propaganda and also to prepare prospective union members for hearing this kind of pushback.

#wellesley underground #hailey huget #hoi-fei mok #class of 2010 #union organizing #unions #graduate employees #georgetown university #inclusion series

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wellesleyunderground · 6 years

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Climate Justice Resources by Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10 (@alifeofgreen)

The latest reports on climate change are hopefully awakening generations of people across the world to the urgency of action needed to make a just transition away from fossil fuels, capitalism, and a culture of extraction to a regenerative society and economy. Managing Editor of WU, Hoi-Fei Mok '10 works on climate justice and policy at ICLEI USA by day and community organizing by night, and we asked them to put together a list of resources on this topic for our readers.

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It can be difficult reading the climate report that came out last week. Knowing that humanity only has 12 years before CO2 emissions builds to levels that cause more catastrophic climate damage is enough to get anyone into a tailspin. Take the time you need to grieve, but also know that the way forward is also very clear. We need collective political action.

It is pivotal now more than ever to be grounded in a climate justice framework and uplift the communities most impacted - people of color, indigenous communities, low income people, the homeless, the disabled, queers. Climate change is part of the larger set of systemic oppressions facing us and requires an entirely new way of living, from how we engage with each other to how we use resources. It means dismantling capitalism, white supremacy, colonialism, and patriarchy. It means listening to indigenous leadership and other grassroots groups, and initiating a just transition to a regenerative society rather than an extractive one.

The following is a small selection of resources on climate justice, places to plug in, and organizations to support. Local campaigns and projects are key, and I encourage you to look up local efforts on affordable housing, anti-displacement/gentrification, immigration justice, racial justice, and others. Climate change intersects with many other movements, from immigration and prison abolition to reproductive justice, and it is essential to recognize those intersections and make sure we are working holistically.

Want to dig in deeper? Have other resources/campaigns to suggest? Hit me up at @alifeofgreen on Twitter or email us at [email protected] and we can chat more.

Readings

Just Transition Zine by Movement Generation

If you’re suffering from climate grief, you’re not alone at Grist

The Dangerous Erasure of Queer and Trans People of Color from the Climate Movement at Blue Stocking Mag

The overhaul needed to get the global economy off coal, oil, and gas at The Hill

The problem with the “personal responsibility” model of climate change

What must we do to live? At the Trouble

Five principles of a socialist climate politics at the Trouble

Community Driven Climate Resilience Planning Framework at the National Association of Climate Resilience Planners

Multimedia Resources

Watch “How We Live: A Journey Towards Just Transition” (7 min)

Watch “Another Gulf is Possible” (4 min video)

How to Survive the End of the World - podcast by activists and sisters adrienne maree brown and Autumn Brown on “learning from the apocalypse with grace, rigor and curiosity”

The California Allegory climate justice art poster and other artwork by the Beehive Design Collective

Projects/Campaigns to Support

L'eau Est La Vie - No Bayou Bridge - stopping the Bayou Bridge Pipeline, which is the southernmost portion of the same network of pipes as the Dakota Access Pipeline

Puerto Rico hurricane relief - Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico has worked since 1985 for improved education, housing and economic development in communities across the island. In the aftermath of hurricanes, the org is now also focused on recovery efforts and currently has a campaign for sustainable water/solar infrastructure.

Organizations to Support

Movement Generation climate justice thought leader based in the Bay Area

SustainUS youth led climate advocacy

Grassroots Global Justice Alliance national alliance of US-based grassroots organizing (GRO) groups organizing to build an agenda for power for working and poor people and communities of color.

Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) organization of grassroots Indigenous peoples and individuals to address environmental and economic justice issues

Climate Justice Alliance national alliance of grassroots groups and communities working towards a just transition

GRID Alternatives non profit providing no-cost solar installations for low income / communities

Grist environmental journalism and news

Contact me for more Bay Area specific orgs!

Voting

350.org is organizing texting campaigns for strong climate candidates for Nov 2018

Sunrise Movement youth led movement to support the election of climate progressives to office

Movement Voter Project platform connecting donors/funders to progressive candidates/campaigns

Black Futures Lab black organizers working to build political power of black communities through surveying what issues need focusing on and then doing something about it

#wellesley underground #hoi-fei mok #climate justice #just transition #inclusion series #wellesley in politics series #wellesley in stem series

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wellesleyunderground · 6 years

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W in Art: Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10 (@alifeofgreen)

Cover Image by Lydia Yamaguchi

Hoi-Fei Mok is our fearless leader here at WU but they are also an artist, activist and environmental scientist. Based in the Bay Area, Fei recently completed a fellowship with the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts as part of the cohort addressing the question “What does EQUITY look like?” We recently sat down to talk about the arts, sciences, and the YBCA fellowship experience.

What is your “origin story”? How did you fall in love with the arts? (and sciences?)

I’ve been a creative person since I was young - drawing, painting, playing the violin. I never expected to take it far because I was always told it wouldn’t make a good career. At Wellesley, I became super focused on my schoolwork and pretty much stopped anything creative except orchestra. Even then, it felt like doing things out of habit rather than for the joy of it. After graduating, I really wanted to go back to art. I picked up the guitar and bought some paints, but wasn’t confident in how to jump back in. A writer friend of mine told me to just do it, sketch something out even if it doesn’t look good, and made me set a goal to have two pieces ready in time for his book reading in a few month’s time. That really helped me get back into the groove of things. Slowly I got away from the thinking that art had to look portfolio ready or that my music had to be perfect, and I started doing it for my own self-care and joy. Eventually as I got more radical and involved in activism, my art also became a medium to talk about social justice and I joined community art projects.

My route to science came about through my environmentalism. I majored in biochemistry thinking I was going to go to veterinary school (to save the animals!), but I realized in hindsight (the summer before senior year, hah) that this came about from my interest in conservation and the environment. I ended up doing some ecological research after graduation and ended up getting my PhD in environmental science, focusing on wastewater reuse for agricultural irrigation. And now I work in climate change policy. Looking back, science set a good foundation for understanding the environment and climate change, but I wouldn’t say I fell in love with science so much as realized that I was good with data. I am hugely passionate about addressing climate change and while it is very useful to have a science background, climate change is not just a technical problem, it requires a strong social, political, and economic understanding as well. So I’m still in the process of learning all of that.

How has your background in science influenced your art, and vice versa?

I haven’t gotten as much crossover as I would like (or generally enough time/capacity for doing art)! There have been a few climate related pieces that I’ve done, like this recent street art installation about bee colony collapse and the seed connection in my art fellowship project below. I love the pieces that incorporate climate data directly, like Jill Pelto’s paintings, Natalie Miebach’s musical sculptures, or this string quartet of rising temperatures, and all of the light installations by Luzinterruptus are brilliant for bringing in so many environmental themes, upcycling, and public education. I’m really interested in exploring installations more, so as soon as I get the right opportunity, that’ll be the next thing I’m working on.

What is the story of this fellowship? (selection/application)

The Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is a unique art institution in San Francisco. They work from the premise that art and culture drive social change, so many of their projects have a social justice bent. Their Fellows program came out of their annual YBCA 100 Summit in 2015. During this summit, people crowdsourced hundreds of different questions that drive and inspire community transformation. These questions were distilled down to three themes: 1) can we design freedom?, 2) what does equity look like?, and 3) why citizenship? Then three cohorts of 30 people - artists, activists, policymakers, writers, educators, and more - were selected by essay to “engage in a yearlong process of inquiry, dialogue, and project generation”. I applied for the equity cohort and (much to my surprise) was accepted.

Can you give us a brief overview of the final project that you ultimately presented?

We had a couple of group collaborations. Our cohort came up with an equity statement which came out of this beautiful collective exercise of brainstorming what equity looks like to each of us. Malcolm Gin analyzed the most frequent words and Martin K. White pulled them together into a free flowing poem. It may not make a ton of sense to the layperson reading it, but the collective process that created the piece represents to me one of the truest forms of equity and inclusion, and reminds me that the process is as important as the outcome itself.

We also wrote up a framework for creating equitable community art projects, which was shared on WU a few months ago. We created the guide for those looking to do community art projects to help them design equitable and inclusive projects that don’t take advantage of the communities they’re working in or help to gentrify the neighborhood. As artists are often the first wave of gentrifiers in a neighborhood, we felt very strongly that we needed to help other artists understand how they can work with the community and raise up local voices, rather than come in to take up more space.

In addition to these group projects, we each had individual projects we were working on. My project partner, Shalini Agrawal, and I were inspired by the People’s Kitchen Collective as well as an existing collaboration YBCA had with the local elementary school, Bessie Carmichael. Our final project, Food Equity and Cultural Memory: A Public Feast, was done in collaboration with rising first graders from Bessie Carmichael and artist E. Oscar Maynard. During the past school year, the students collected oral and cultural histories of family recipes that resulted in the recipe cards by Oscar. Using the recipes as a point of inspiration, we designed a public meal for attendees of YBCA Public Square. In feeding the public, this project highlights the issue of food access and insecurity in the neighborhood as well as the available cultural resources and memory in the form of recipes passed down from generations. By providing seeds to the feast participants, we reconnected the ideas of growing and cooking one’s own food to resilience, the earth, and self-sustainability. The students were centered as featured artists and like the seeds, they are the rising stewards of resilience for the community.

The projects were all presented at an one day public square exhibition at the YBCA. My first time presenting work at a high profile art museum, so pretty cool!

The theme of this year’s fellowship was addressing equity. How did you approach this theme? (on your own and collaboratively?)

The topic of equity is really wide. We could start by talking about what it DOESN’T look like (racism, poverty, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, Islamphobia, misogyny etc) and that in itself is already a complex topic because of all the intersections. But finding examples of what equity DOES look like is much harder, especially in thinking about how to bring it to fruition. We spent several sessions workshopping some ideas on this and I don’t think we came close to even scratching the surface on the question.

One of the interesting points we brought up was whether equity is some horizon that we never actually reach because true equity is impossible and we spend our entire lives working towards it and maybe that’s the point that we’re struggling in process all the time. Darkness, pain, and trouble was one of the recurring themes in our discussion and needing to move through it to self heal and realize the love.

We spoke a lot about the public square and the intention behind it. Many of us thought that an one-day event wouldn’t be enough to really achieve everything we wanted (change the way community arts is done, catalyze some of the momentum from the post-election political revitalization), but we recognized it as the beginning rather than the end-all. That being said though, we wanted it to be as equitable and inclusive as possible, which included making it accessible to people who wouldn’t normally feel invited/comfortable to art museums. One of the things we fought for and won was provision of a higher number of complimentary tickets and promotion of YBCA’s pay-what-you-can membership offering. My project partner and I intentionally set our project outside so that we could reach people who weren’t otherwise going to go inside the museum. One of my highlights was in fact talking with an Iranian elder who wandered over from the Yerba Buena Gardens and sharing some fava bean salad with him, which made him remember Tehran.

What was your creative process for this project? How long did it take and how much of the work was done either solely/with the project team vs input from others (not actually working on the project) along the way?

The fellowship was structured initially for monthly meetings over the course of a year. YBCA organized guest lecturers to showcase different examples of what equity could look like and facilitated some discussion during the meetings. But we didn’t get many opportunities in the beginning to talk with each other about what we thought equity looked like. A few of us started organizing outside meetings a few months in to get to know each other and attend community events to get ideas. But before that could take off, the aftermath of the national elections hit and we were all in a stupor over the holidays. And then finally, six months after we started, after we had a second round of cis white dudes presenting to us (a cohort on equity of all things), we put our foot down and decided to self organize.

It was really, really hard trying to restart in the middle of the year. Not only were we trying to get to know each other, we were also trying to schedule outside meetings for 30 people, hold each other accountable, figure out what exactly we were doing as a group and as individuals, figuring out project finances, and talk about this giant topic of equity. Needless to say, it was really exhausting and frustrating, particularly when the brunt of the labor of organizing/attending the extra meetings and herding all of us cats was done by the women/genderqueer folx in the group. And then after we had group meetings, we had project meetings with our project partners. Unfortunately, talking about logistics and organizing took up about 80% of our time and energy, with so little leftover to actually dive into the content.

But when we did get to connect, it was beautiful and illuminating. We had grand ideas for what the public square should be like and we knew we didn’t want it to look like a disjointed science fair with projects all over the place. We came up with the equity statement to help tie everything together and several of our projects were created with similar themes (games/play, benches as a metaphor for equity, etc). For my own project, I had approached my project partner Shalini with an idea early on in December and we kept up conversations about it, but didn’t get around to settling on a solid project until April. Meeting and working with Shalini was definitely one of the highlights of my fellowship experience. Shalini is the director of the California College of the Art’s Center for Art and Public Life and is super experienced guiding projects through, so it was really awesome to learn from her, especially the brainstorming process, which I always struggle with. It was also my first time doing production for an event like the public square, as much of my previous art is visual, so the process was quite different from what I was used to. And despite the high level of stress/frustration, it was also a good learning experience.

Looking back, is there anything that you wish you had/the team had done differently?

Some reflections from our fellowship are written up here by Katherin Canton and Trisha Barua here but “moving at the speed of trust” sums it up pretty well. Because we didn’t get the time in the beginning to build relationships with each other and talk with each other, it was so much harder when we had to self organize because we couldn’t fall back on our relationships to hold each other accountable (and show up to meetings or even fill out the doodle poll to have said meeting). One of my biggest takeaways was that in any project, you have to get a solid working relationship before you can move forward.

Now that the fellowship is over, I feel like we’ve gotten to a space with each other where we’re much more comfortable supporting each other’s projects and making time to meet. We’re organizing monthly potlucks to maintain connections and maybe find projects to continue collaborating with each other. It’s a super rad group of people so I’m hopeful we find other places to work with each other.

Just for fun…

What are your favorite comfort foods+drinks?

Milk tea, Hong Kong style pineapple buns, and egg tarts.

What do you do for self-care?

My art is my self care and my activism. I think art is a way to connect to people and change culture. When I have enough time and space, I’ll do art that talks about stories from the queer and trans Asian Pacific Islander community or the prison industrial complex. But other times, I’ll paint rabbits going on journeys because the world needs more light and joy too.

That and I read a lot. And do triathlons.

#W in Art #Wellesley Underground #Wellesley #Art #interview #equity #intersectional #social activism #wellesley in art series #wellesley in art #hoi-fei mok #class of 2010

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wellesleyunderground · 7 years

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WU Reviews: Reading is Resistance by Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10 (@alifeofgreen)

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A FAQ video created by some of the readathon readers

Last month, I did a readathon with some friends. It was an experiment to change the conversation. The current political climate has been paralyzing, and we often felt helpless to make any meaningful change. It was not where we want to be. I want to be someone who actively deepens my knowledge and widens my circle of concern. I want to be able to act from a place of compassion and imagination. I want to understand why certain policies create fear in some communities and not in others.

So, my friends came up with the idea to do a readathon - a way to deepen our own knowledge and understanding while helping organizations that are doing the on-ground work. We asked sponsors to fundraise money per page or book that we read and funds would be donated to organizations doing work on the causes we were reading about. In exchange, we wrote reflections or shared notes from the books we read, which allowed for the sponsors to learn about the issues as well as gain awareness of some dope organizations doing good work. Having the sponsors kept us all accountable to our goals and to being more critical in our reflection of the reading.

I read A Short History of Islam and I Speak For Myself: American Women on Being Muslim as a response to the needs I saw around me. In a time when Muslims are being labeled as radical terrorists and targeted by immigration bans, it was important to me as a non-Muslim to educate myself about the rich history of Islam so that I can better respond to people who are promoting stereotypes and falsehoods about this religion. Furthermore, it is important to lift up the stories and perspectives of my siblings and community.

Here are some excerpts from my reflections on A Short History of Islam:

Giving and fasting as one of the five pillars to remind oneself of poverty and how the poor cannot eat or drink whenever they choose: this was the first time I've read about fasting in this framework. This ritual of fasting and the act of giving a regular proportion of income to the poor is a form of addressing class privilege, which I can appreciate a lot more now as an adult thinking about (class) privilege than I did as a middle schooler first learning about Islam and the five pillars.

Unity of community as a sacred value: the ummah (community) characterized by compassion and egalitarianism is a central part of Islam and true Muslims (defined in the book as those who kept to the five pillars and lived out the values of justice and compassion) pursued the development of a thriving ummah (seen as a divine sign of God's will).

These social justice values and sense of community are seen as essential components of true Islam; for true Muslims, faith was worthless unless combined with political activism that helped them to build this just and decent society. This particularly resonated with me as community building is a huge part of my own life aspirations and I find it compelling to tie together with a spiritual aspect.

The importance of ritual (in all various forms) in reminding people and centering the sacred / preparing them for the religious experience. I had attended a reportback from Standing Rock back in December and one thing that really stuck with me was the call from the indigenous leaders to re-center the sacred in everyday life in order to remember what is truly important. Rituals are a vital way for people to practice that sacredness. This line in the book captures that: "All the Shariah rules about eating, sleeping, washing, hygiene, and prayer were given a devotional and ethical interpretation, so that they were no longer simply external directives, but enabled Muslims to cultivate that perpetual consciousness of the divine that is advocated by the Qu'ran."

Despite my initial hesitance around fundraising, I was blown away by the generosity and abundance in my community. In total, I raised close to $500 for Muslim Advocates in Oakland, one of the main legal advocacy and educational groups working on civil rights and justice on behalf of American Muslims. They are among the groups fighting against the Muslim ban among other legal cases and do solid work empowering Muslim communities and educating people on their legal rights. Also, bonus: the executive director is a Wellesley alum, Farhana Khera.

Overall, it was a rich community building experience and a great way for me to deepen my understanding while sharing that knowledge with my networks. Reading is a small but concrete way to resist the many things coming our way. Fundraising can raise many complicated feelings, but even small donations added together can make a big impact, and for those who are overcapacity in doing projects, it can be another way to help out a cause. I highly recommend this readathon process!

If you’re interested in doing your own readathon, check out the resources here! There are templates for the initial email out to your networks explaining the concept and making the ask, as well as lists of organizations and books to check out.

Resources, email templates, and fundraising help created by Carol and Sarah!

#wellesley underground #hoi-fei mok #class of 2010 #reading is resistance #resistance #readathon #islam #islamophobia #muslim advocates #inclusion series #wu review

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wellesleyunderground · 6 years

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Conversation with the Wellesley College Botanic Gardens Union Workers

Wellesley College approached the service employee union in October stating their intention to eliminate the three Botanic garden union jobs and replace them with three nonunion jobs, one with the requirement of a bachelor’s degree and two with master’s degrees.

The college and union had been negotiating over positions at the greenhouse, but as of the beginning of November, the union ended negotiations because the college had yet to explain who would do the work the union employees do (mowing, watering, weeding, pruning, insect control etc).

Wellesley Underground’s Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10 and Shelly Anand ‘08 spoke with the three union workers Tony Antonucci, Tricia Diggins, and David Sommers, who may be facing job losses. Read below for the interview.

WU: You all have been with the college for over 30 years (thus having about 90s years of experience together). What has your experience been like working at the College? What has your experience been like as a member of the union?

TD I have found many things to love about the college; the students, the landscape, the security of being in a union. Sometimes though being at odds with management can be demoralizing. The union always wants to see opportunities for advancement for our members but the college is likely to hire from outside or give the opportunity to a less senior union job applicant. However, knowing you are given rights in the CBA (collective bargaining agreement or contract) is empowering.

DS I’ve enjoyed working here. I like the greenhouse and the beauty of the college and New England. I’ve met a lot of great people here. As far as being in the union - I like knowing everyone and waving to everyone on the road. The common history we all share, since so many of us have been here for a while, makes us feel like a community.

TA Very good experience, felt secure in my position at the college providing services for students and classes. Also have felt very good about being in the union. For my entire time at Wellesley, I have felt part of the Biological Sciences department and a union member. Only now do I feel separated.

WU: What is the process for joining the union at Wellesley? What benefits do employees get for joining and why do some choose not to join? What does your collective bargaining agreement look like?

TD An employee hired into a union job on campus is signed up by the union after 30 days in the job. Our union is the Independent Service and Maintenance Union of America (IMSEUA), an independent union only at Wellesley. Campus police also has its own union. Employees get many benefits from a union. Many rights and benefits are spelled out in the CBA and if the rules are followed, everyone feels treated fairly because the rules are the rules. Of course no system works perfectly, but there is recourse through the grievance process to try to fix a situation if the union feels the CBA has been violated. Our CBA covers the service and maintenance workers on campus, so if you are in one of the jobs covered in the agreement, you are in the union, thus no one chooses not to be in the union. The CBA is a document that is negotiated with the college about every two to four years. Many parts stay the same, some get tweaked and occasionally big things change like a couple of contracts ago when we gave up our defined benefit pension for incoming union members.

WU: What are some important facts to know about the history of the union at Wellesley College?

TD Perhaps the biggest fact is that a union was voted in by employees in the 1940’s because supervisory employees were arbitrarily firing service employees they didn’t like. At this time we are lucky to have institutional memory in the union that goes decades back. That allows us to remember battles we fought in the past but that need to be fought again and again, like the seniority principle which should help employees with more years of service get better opportunities but which rarely happens anymore.

TA The union has historically provided the maintenance work on campus and allowed for upward movement between departments.

WU: Overall, in the past, how has the college treated you?

DS I think I’ve been treated pretty well in the past. Some perks have been cut back on but overall I’ve felt pretty secure.

TD The college has treated me well with pay, benefits and opportunities to serve the college community and union. Eighteen years ago, I was caught up in a seniority battle for a higher union position I wanted that they gave to a man with much less seniority. I ultimately lost in arbitration but I’m grateful for the union’s help and disappointed in the college for not giving a motivated woman a chance to advance. I lost the case because I hadn’t plowed snow before.

TA In the past the college treated me very well.

WU: How has the working relationship between the College and the union changed, in your view, over the years?

DS There used to be more people in the union that we all knew, people who had come up through ranks, from food service and custodial and into the higher paid skilled trade jobs.

TD I think it has been fairly stable. Some years are good, sometimes new people come in and a lot of changes happen. It’s up and down.

TA The college has become more business-like with less community in the last few years.

WU: What is the negotiating process like at the college?

TD The union forms a negotiating committee with union members representing different areas, like food service, custodial and the trades. And they meet with the College’s management team. Each side had their lawyers who do most of the talking.

WU: When a layoff occurs, a union employee may bump another union employee from another job if they are qualified. What is the typical process for bumping rights?

TD The College needs to prepare a seniority list of all the people in the union and what jobs they hold (though in the past names were left out) with their shift hours and any other pertinent information. The most senior person being laid off bumps into a job they are qualified for (sometimes qualifications are questioned, which complicates things but we’ll assume that part goes smoothly.) The person bumped from their job looks for a new one from the list (or they would have a choice to take severance pay.) It’s possible that someone would have no place to bump and they would have to take severance pay, but if a union job opens up within a year and that person has the seniority and qualifications, they can come back to work.

WU: When were you first told that your jobs at the greenhouse were in jeopardy?

DS I was told in the beginning of October that my job would be eliminated.

TD I was told in late September that the management wanted to take the botanic gardens jobs from the union and David and Tony would be laid off.

TA In the beginning of October, Dave and I were told we could move into another department because of our seniority and our jobs would be replaced by non-union jobs requiring higher degrees.

WU: What was the negotiating process like around your ability to keep your job?

DS I felt totally unsure about where I was going or what was going to happen to me.

TD It was apparent that the new direction for the Botanic gardens staffing was toward professional jobs, but there was no explanation of how the greenhouse union work would get done with no union workers.

TA The message I got was I would stay until my replacement was hired and then I could bump into another union job.

WU: What justification did the college give for the additional degree requirements for the jobs?

DS The college said they need specialists in warm temperate flora, which will be the basis of “Global Flora.”

TD The explanation was that a much stronger science background would be necessary for pest control and understanding plant interactions.

TA The new ‘Global Flora’ would be more educational and all decisions on caring for the plants would be made through data collection from monitoring systems. The routine daily care of plants would change and not as much work would be required. We have been struggling with a deteriorating greenhouse structure and poor water quality that have made growing plants challenging, so we were looking forward to caring for plants in a new greenhouse. The new degree requirements were upsetting.

WU: What brings you the most joy about working at the greenhouse?

DS The greenhouse is the best place to work during New England Winters. I enjoy meeting the many visitors to our greenhouse. Growing plants from seed is very enjoyable for me, I’ve grown some of our bigger specimens from seed.

TA Seeing the plants thrive and the having other plant people appreciate the work required to keep them thriving.

WU: The Botanic Gardens are an important space on campus for educating students about plant life and ecology as well as providing a natural refuge and inspiration. There have been a number of events and projects in this space, such as the student design of the edible ecosystem garden. What events or projects have you helped with and what have you enjoyed the most?

DS I really like the mystical tree tours out in the arboretum. The light shows have been great. I also like planting trees in the arboretum and seeing them grow through the years. I really like seed growing too though that’s not a particular event.

TD I really liked the light show this year because we got to grow plants associated with two art works, the unicorn tapestries and Botticelli's Primavera. We got to order seeds of a bunch of European plants we never would have grown. Some worked out great, others not so much, but it was a great learning experience.

TA I really enjoyed the light shows and working on New England Spring Flower Shows as well as learning and implementing our Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM) and soil food web programs. I also like the way the outdoor gardens are being managed more ecologically.

WU: What can the Wellesley College Community of students, faculty, staff, and alumnae do to help and support you?

TD The petition SLAP started on Change.org has been great. We’ve loved reading the comments from everyone, especially students and alum we’ve worked with. SLAP has more actions planned. We started to get some conciliatory comments today from the college about rethinking the union jobs but nothing official to report. I think the actions the college community have been taking to express their disapproval of this reorganization are making a difference.

TA In the long run, I think it would be helpful to have more people involved, maybe on a committee, to look at the maintenance needs and future projects within the botanic gardens.

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Bios of the Botanic garden union workers

Tony Antonucci

Tony has been employed at Wellesley College for 35 years, starting in the greenhouses as an assistant horticulturist. On his first day on the job, the college started dismantling the old greenhouses and the old superstructure was saved and renovated. From 1983 - 2000, he assisted in maintaining the greenhouse collection. He was promoted to the current position of senior greenhouse horticulturist, the position in charge of greenhouses, in 2000 upon the retirement of Del Nickerson who had worked in the greenhouses since 1965. He also had the privilege of knowing Harriet Creighton, botany professor and a major figure in the history of the Botanic Gardens and Joe Jennings, the head of the greenhouse before Del, which gives Tony an incredible amount of institutional memory. Tony has been great in working with work study students in the greenhouse and teaching them many aspects of running a greenhouse. Del and Tony started the Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM).

As of this writing, Tony will be laid off in June 2018 or sooner if his replacement is hired.

David Sommers

David is an assistant horticulturist in the greenhouses. He worked in food service and custodial before starting in the greenhouses in 2000. David has many stories about students he knew from his days in the kitchens and is always hoping to see alums he remembers at reunion. He loves to help students with their houseplants as well as share his observations and knowledge of the plants in the greenhouses and the animals and landscapes of Wellesley. He is known for his excellent photography and his pictures have appeared on the Wellesley website and Alumnae magazine.

David was expecting to be laid off on December 1st of this year but the college has not told him what his severance pay or bumping rights will be.

Tricia Diggins

Tricia has been at Wellesley College for 31 years. She spent four years at a night job at Schneider center food service and working in energy conservation before being lucky enough to get into the horticulturist job in the arboretum and botanic gardens. Wellesley allowed Tricia to attend many gardening classes and symposia through which she made up for my lack of formal horticulture education. She was promoted to Senior Gardens horticulturist around 2006 thanks to a reorganization of jobs by Kristina Jones, director of the Botanic gardens. She is very actively involved with IMSEUA, the service employee union on campus, throughout her years at Wellesley.

Tricia was offered one of the manager jobs in the new proposed job restructure but since her job is mostly landscape chores like mowing, trimming, weeding etc. and because the college didn’t tell her who would do that work, Tricia had said no. At this time throughout negotiations the college has not said she would be laid off.

#wellesley underground #wellesley botanic gardens #labor unions #wellesley college #Tricia Diggins #David Sommers #Tony Antonucci #inclusion series

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wellesleyunderground · 7 years

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Wellesley Entrepreneurs & Self Care: Theresa Piasta ’06, Iraq War Veteran and Founder of Puppy Mama

Photo credit: Amber Mae Bailey Photography

Theresa Piasta is the Founder & CEO of Puppy Mama, Inc., a tech start-up and lifestyle brand helping to enhance the lives of women dog moms and their pups around the world. The Puppy Mama app helps dog parents connect with one another, effortlessly schedule fun meet-ups, share their stories and rate businesses according to a 5-paw rating to help create a more pup-friendly world.

Before founding Puppy Mama, Inc., Theresa Piasta was a Vice President at JPMorgan - spending six total years in the Investment Bank and Sales & Trading businesses at two Wall Street banks. Prior to that she served as an Army Captain in a Field Artillery Brigade. During her 14-month Iraq deployment in 2008, Theresa led a large team to defend thousands of soldiers and contractors residing on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Delta near the Iranian border. She was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for her service.

Theresa attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business Ignite program in 2016 and received a B.A. in Economics from Wellesley College in 2006. She also studied military science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as a ROTC scholarship recipient and was a collegiate soccer player for two seasons during her time at Wellesley College.

As more stories about speaking out against sexual harassment in the workplace emerge, it becomes more important to think also about the healing process and self care. Theresa speaks with WU on her self care journey, her work with Puppy Mama, and speaking out against sexual harassment. Interview by Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10, WU Managing Editor.

WU: Thanks for taking the time to chat, Theresa! You started active duty with the US Army after graduating Wellesley. What inspired you to join the military?

Military service has always been a big part of my family. My then eighteen-year-old grandfather was one of the about thousands of young trainees rushed to Europe during the Battle of the Bulge and then fought during the invasion of Germany to end WWII, my father is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army, and two of my brothers are Army veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan respectively, as well. After 9/11, I joined the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and started active duty after graduating from Wellesley.

WU: After four years in the army and a 14-month deployment in Iraq, you spent six years on Wall Street in the sales and trading divisions of Bank of America and J.P. Morgan. These were really high stress situations! When did you start noticing the impact on your wellness?

When I left the service, I started to experience significant stomach pain, as well as the onset of migraines while working on the trading floor. I felt like I had two full-time jobs, my role at the firm, and the 24-7 job to cope with the pain. Doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me and I was often times misdiagnosed. All the while, my health continued to decline.

When I finally transferred within JPMorgan to move back home to California three years ago, the pain in my stomach somehow shifted to relentless throbbing and stabbing knives sensations in my brain. Working at a big screen every day did not help. As I kept doing what I had always done - ‘fight through it’ - the stabbing sensations eventually spread all over my upper back, shoulders and neck, and my immune system started showing signs of immense fatigue.

For years, I hunted to find a cure, but continuously learned that there wasn’t one. After numerous medications and therapies did not work, my doctors strongly encouraged that I reinvent my life and leave my banking job. One of my neurologists even said to me two summers ago, “a career in front of a computer screen is not in your future.” As much as I told myself that they were wrong, it became very evident that my body’s defenses were shutting down due to years of fighting immense pain.

Last winter was it. Although I had received the flu shot, I still caught the flu four times. After the third flu, I went to the doctor and he wasn’t surprised. He told me that after a nervous system collapse, the immune system is likely to fall next. He was right - my body was starting to shut down and it was exhausted from years of suffering.

Despite fearing that my career was over, I finally took my many doctors’ advice. I left banking to make my health my top priority. I knew that I didn’t have any other option.

WU: Tell us about finding your dog, Waffles.

After numerous years struggling to overcome the painful illness incurred during my military service, I met Waffles, an angel puppy who helped me survive the most difficult year of my life. Despite all of the obstacles I have had to overcome throughout the years, battling PTSD was my Everest.

My Waffles, a 13-pound ball of furry puppy happiness, was there every moment to help me get through significant pain. She comforted me when I needed it most, and never failed to put a smile on my face. Her love is contagious - she spreads laughter and happiness to anyone she meets. She reminds me every day to embrace life and search for love and joy.

This unconditional love and companionship gifted to me from my angel became not only a powerful form of healing, but also became my connection back to community. While with Waffles, every interaction we have together with other people is positive and joyful.

Canine therapy is powerful and during our recently published video interview Power of Canine Therapy - Robin Apple, Ph.D., Clinical and Consulting Psychology, Robin Apple Ph.D. further highlighted that “community is essential.” I’ve witnessed just that over the years and I strongly believe that the harsh words and lack of support from others during and after my service, further deteriorated my health.

Fortunately, through my new role as a dog mom, I was welcomed into the very positive dog parent community, a community that is as passionate about their loving pups as I am. Through the thousands of discussions I've had with other dog parents, I’ve learned that canine therapy is very helpful for many illnesses — not just PTSD.

Photo credit: Amber Mae Bailey Photography

WU: You got the opportunity to share your personal PTSD healing journey with the Woman Warrior Project and are advocating ending sexual harassment in the workplace. What motivates you to be open and vulnerable about these topics?

During my search to find relief from the suffering associated with PTSD, I learned that sexual harassment and bullying can deteriorate health and limit women’s capability to achieve their full potential.

I have experienced sexual harassment in the Army, Wall Street and in the tech industry. And, I unfortunately have discovered that many women choose to remain silent for various reasons, including but not limited to fear of retaliation and abiding by clauses in their settlement agreements.

Women need help - especially our female veterans. Recent data was released highlighting that “female veterans have a suicide rate between two and five times higher than women who never served” (Source).

My goal is to educate and encourage equal rights in the workplace – treating everyone with respect and dignity.

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WU: Last year, you were accepted into the Stanford Graduate School of Business Ignite program and developed an idea for a tech start-up and lifestyle brand that celebrates the healing power of canine support and companionship. Enter Puppy Mama, Inc. How has the response been to this new social media community for dog lovers?

I’ve learned firsthand how powerful canine therapy can be. Since the VA didn’t (and still doesn’t) offer canine therapy to veterans suffering with PTSD, I wanted to gather the stories of others who were willing to share.

I asked for three sentences, and women shared such personal experiences - over 300 stories of how dogs have helped comfort them through cancer, depression, sexual assault, a difficult divorce, illness, infertility, suicidal thoughts or the loss of a loved one. These stories span six continents, and many women shared their story for the first time via our community.

I am very proud of the Puppy Mama Community for opening up so courageously. This special community has proven that canine therapy should be taken seriously as a therapy for a variety of illnesses and that women are stronger when we support one another.

WU: What have been some of the most compelling stories shared on Puppy Mama thus far?

Published Short Videos:

Power of Canine Therapy - Robin Apple, Ph.D., Clinical and Consulting Psychology

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Y Combinator Partners Levy and Mañalac discuss the various benefits dogs bring to families and workplaces

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Puppy Mama Stories

How canine therapy helped a 2-tour woman combat veteran beat PTSD

Crohn's Disease and Depression Survivor

Gift from a mother while she was dying from cancer

College Student: Extreme Depression Survivor

Coping with illness

WU: How is the experience of founding your own tech organization?

I absolutely love it! The best job in the world as it blends the various skills I honed in the Army and on Wall Street.

I also am ecstatic to finally follow my passions and build a business promoting women. I spent the first 22 years of my life surrounded by women (highly supportive Mother and Grandmothers, three sisters, soccer, all-women catholic high school, Wellesley). The next decade was the polar opposite; after graduating Wellesley, I spent four years in the active duty Army and six years on Wall Street - surrounded by men.

Three years ago, I finally moved back to the Bay Area and discovered that Silicon Valley also had mostly men running the tech industry. I saw an opportunity to focus on women and something that many of us passionately love - our pups (60% of women between ages 18 - 44 years old in the USA have dogs - Source).

WU: You also got the opportunity to work with some Wellesley students as interns recently, what was that experience like?

Professionally developing talent is one of my passions; therefore, I wanted to find Wellesley students who were interested in getting involved with the Silicon Valley excitement. Once I found the ladies, I was not surprised how excited, talented, intellectually curious and dedicated they were. It was evident that they enjoyed learning about the app and community development experience.

Unfortunately, however, I hit too many road blocks trying to find them; these roadblocks include but are not limited to unkind messages from some alums in Wellesley Facebook groups and an immediate denial from the college’s Handshake intern program without an email explaining why. No other network that I belong to had treated my budding company this way.

There is significant opportunity in “the Valley” for smart, crafty and thoughtful women to be impactful entrepreneurs. And, I believe that Wellesley women would make great CEOs, including the outstanding Wellesley ladies who worked with me this past year. Creating more opportunities like the internship program I led last summer, would help increase students’ confidence that they can build a career in technology, too.

Not to mention - supportive networks and mentors are key for an entrepreneur’s success, especially for female technology founders. And, “most venture capitalists and entrepreneurs are men, with female entrepreneurs receiving $1.5 billion in funding last year versus $58.2 billion for men” - NYTimes.

When women drive 70-80% of consumer spending (source: Forbes), <2.6% funding rate per year is a problem. Needless to say, there is a substantial need right now for women to sponsor other women - providing a significant opportunity for Wellesley women to positively impact the female entrepreneurial community.

WU: What’s in store for you and Puppy Mama in the coming future?

I am really excited about Puppy Mama’s future. We have many more app features that we plan on building, and we are about to launch our online E-Commerce global store.

Building a business linked with passion has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I encourage other Wellesley sisters to do the same.

Photo credit: Samba to the Sea

#wellesley underground #wellesley entrepreneurs #self care series #theresa piasta #class of 2006 #puppy mama #ptsd recovery #self care #dogs #canine therapy

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wellesleyunderground · 7 years

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Wellesley Entrepreneurs: Emily Bennett, Founder of Baby Blastoff

Emily Bennett is the owner and designer at Baby Blastoff! Find her on Instagram and Facebook. Emily studied art while at Wellesley and finished her B.A. at Whitman College in 2003. She went on complete a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education at the University of New Mexico and taught Kinder, 1st and 2nd grade for five years before taking time with the birth of her son. She always loved textiles and was a knitting fanatic before launching Baby Blastoff! Her business is the melding of her passions: her love of small children and her love of textiles and design. Emily’s favorite thing about Baby Blastoff! is the chance it gives her to engage her brain in a diverse set of challenges from efficient manufacturing practices, to sales techniques, to managing employees. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with her husband, son and daughter.

Interview conducted by Hoi-Fei Mok ‘10, WU Managing Editor

WU: Thanks for taking the time to chat, Emily! Tell us about your baby clothing business, Baby Blastoff! What inspired you to start this?

When we were pregnant, my husband and I decided not to find out the if our baby was a boy or girl, and looking around for gender neutral options clothing, toy, bedding and gift options, we came up short. This was when I started to tune into the gender stereotype messaging so common on children’s clothing. I didn’t like that baby clothing was already covered with messages like “All shopped out!” or “Mr. Tough Guy.” I couldn’t believe that we promote these stereotypes at such a young age. I was inspired to create an alternative that would provide both some hip gender-neutral options and also images that challenge gender role norms.

WU: What are some of the products that you specialize in? Any favorites?

I make and sell mostly baby onesies. I’m proud to say that all of our bodysuits are now manufactured right here in Albuquerque New Mexico, where I live. This year we launched with 15 different colors and 38 unique graphics. My favorites this year are the bike and the bowl of noodles. I’m also super happy about the sparkly dinosaurs on pink, lavender, and purple.

WU: What is your creative process for making these clothes?

My mission is to create baby clothes that are either gender neutral or challenge gender stereotypes. I spend a lot of time thinking about the imagery that appears on children’s clothing. Creating designs that are truly free of gender messaging but also exciting and unique, well, it’s tough. I am constantly on the look-out for inspiration in this category. What images, every day items, or ideas can really sit in-between the girl section and the boy section? The salt and pepper shakers are one example in this category. Another is the apple core and banana peel.

Usually I’m thinking about a grouping of images for a long time before I start drawing. Right now I’m thinking about an outdoors theme for fall. I like to let my mind work on it for up to several months before I begin to collect images to help support the drawings. I come up with my best ideas, like everyone else, in the shower or while driving. Once I get started, I try to work on a few images at once so they will have the same feel and character. Many hours are spent on the computer drawing and redrawing, coming to terms with the failure of favorite ideas, and having new ideas emerge. Once I have a set of images, I get feedback from a variety of trusted people near me. Then there’s more weeding and cutting and revision ensues. In the end, a group of images remain that then go to the screen printers to be made into screens and ready to print.

WU: How has making clothes changed your perspective on the textile industry?

The current trend of fast fashion has corroded our sense of what textiles are worth in the US. Through Baby Blastoff! I have learned so much about what it takes to manufacture garments, and I know for certain now that if a pair of pants costs $10 then both the earth and human lives are suffering to make it happen. Clothing is primarily made by hand. Yes, there is specialty machinery that makes production sewing easier, but still those machines are operated by skilled people. In recent times garment manufacturing has rushed to whatever location has the cheapest source of labor because it apparel manufacturing is so labor intensive. This is how we ended up with factories in Bangladesh collapsing on top of garment industry workers. Sometimes people balk at the price point of “Made in the USA” textiles, and this is what I want people to know-- when you support “Made in the USA” brands, you are buying safer working conditions, minimum wage at least for workers, you are buying meaningful and productive work for people in the US, and you are keeping alive the knowledge and skills in an industry that has all but left North America.

WU: Are there any moments at Wellesley that still stick with you or influence your work now?

Yes! I was a member of Shakes, and in the spring (my sophomore year) we produced “The Winter’s Tale”. One extremely intrepid member decided to sew new period costumes for the show. I mean an entire set of new costumes. I was so impressed! I knew sewing was a thing prior to that, but I didn’t really know. I was inspired to learn, and after that I spent a lot of time in the dorm teaching myself home sewing. My love of textiles dates before that time, but the idea that I myself to could make things was in part inspired there.

WU: What has been the most challenging experience for you in your work and beyond thus far?

The most challenging thing is to simply keep going and not give up, to count the successes and not compare to others.

WU: Holding down a business can be tough! What do you do for your self care?

We live in an area where people keep horses, goats, peacocks, guinea hens and other livestock. I enjoy going for long walks past the animals and along the irrigation canal to clear out all the thoughts and stress.

WU: Do you have any goals for the coming year?

This year my goal is to fine-tune the new products that we just launched and then add t-shirts for older kids this fall.

My long term dream right now is to open a workshop/retail space so I can bring as much production as possible in-house, and have an outlet for my products and sell other kid-empowering brands as well.

Check out Baby Blastoff! here!

Etsy

Website

Instagram

Facebook

All photo credit to Baby Blastoff!

#wellesley underground #wellesley entrepreneurs #wellesley entrepreneurs series #emily bennett #baby clothes #fashion #gender neutral #gender #textiles

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