Last Saturday, Sam Bond’s Garage, located in the vibrant, eclectic and ever evolving Whiteaker neighborhood and Blair Historic District In Eugene, hosted a night of diverse musical entertainment. Sam Bond’s – a local favorite – provides a warm, laid back atmosphere to sit back, relax and enjoy some great music. Loyal fans and Sam Bond’s regulars came to support both the musicians and the bands. The great musical talent combined with the warm, local feel of Sam Bonds made Saturday night a night to remember! Keep your eyes peeled for more Grrrlz Rock events! Check out this short video from Saturday night!

By: Claire Kapp and Sarah Helfgott

“You girls are whores!” The words echo in my ears, but I ignore them. A few of my friends yell “ass holes” and “douche bags” at the men who insulted us, but that is the extent of our fighting back. Sure enough, we fuel a name calling battle. “You’re a bitch!” one of the men exclaims. We walk away quickly, leaving the men to yell at other random girls leaving the bar. I quickly forget about the situation.

My friend Danielle, however, doesn’t forget as easily. “They called us whores!” she says in outrage. Clearly, she thinks the situation was more dangerous than we’d realized. “That was so disrespectful and none of us did anything about it! Why?” She demands. I can’t look her in the eyes, but I respond to her question. “There was nothing we could have done!” At this point, I’m getting irritated. Does she think that us little sorority girls could have beat those guys up or something? Doubtful.

Fast forward to a month later. It’s November 22 and my friend Claire (who was with me the night the men called us “whores”) and I attend a SASS Woman’s Self-Defense Workshop put on by Grrrlz Rock. We went into the event assuming we would learn basic physical self-defense maneuvers that would magically help us protect ourselves from rapists and murders.

Women tend to assume that defending themselves from sexual situations has to be done with force, but often force is unnecessary. We learned in the class that strong words are sometimes as powerful as physical defenses.

When using words, our teacher Elly Maloney taught us to formulate “I statements” as opposed to simply insulting our attacker. These “I statements” can start with “I feel…” or “I think…” or “I need…” They set boundaries and force your attacker to listen to you. No one responds well to being blatantly insulted.

Ok, we all know that words don’t always work. Sometimes you’re only option is to use your body as a weapon. In this situation, we learned it is important to aim for the three primary targets of the human body: throat, eyes and knees. These three spots cause more than just pain. They can actually disable the attacker. If you really want to be scary-movie status, you can even gauge out their eyes.

While using your body as a weapon, you’ll find that your palm, elbow and foot are the easiest body parts to use.

So ladies, when you find yourselves in a situation similar to what we found ourselves in with our friend Danielle (and you will), remember to use those “I statements” instead of insulting your attacker. Otherwise, you might find yourself in an insult war, or possibly something even more dangerous.

Although force probably wasn’t necessary the other night when we were leaving the bar and those men yelled at us, our friend Danielle was right, we could have been more constructive with our words

I speak for both Claire and myself when I say that we left the workshop feeling both empowered and strong. There is always SOMETHING you can do. As women, we don’t have to sit back and allow men to make us feel uncomfortable.

To learn more about SASS you can call their business line at 541-484-9791 and for self-defense programs specifically, their extension is 319. We recommend all women take at least one self-defense workshop at some point to gain a more complete understanding of how they can protect themselves in sexual assault situations.

Feminist Quotes For Thought – Or A Chuckle

Since Grrrlz Rock is all about female empowerment, I thought it was only appropriate to post quotes on feminism. The following quotes were compiled by The Quote Garden. Enjoy.

“Women have been taught that, for us, the earth is flat, and that if we venture out, we will fall off the edge.” – Author Unknown

“The emotional, sexual, and psychological stereotyping of females begins when the doctor says, ‘It’s a girl.’” – Shirley Chisholm

“Women belong in the house … and the Senate.” – Author Unknown

“I think it’s about time we voted for senators with breasts.  After all, we’ve been voting for boobs long enough.” – Clarie Sargent, former Arizona senatorial candidate

“I wish someone would’ve told me that, just because I’m a girl, I don’t have to get married.” – Marlo Thomas

“I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” – Madonna Ciccone

“You don’t have to be anti-man to be pro-woman.” – Jane Galvin Lewis

“Being a lady is an attitude.” – Chuck Woolery, Love Connection

“I think, therefore I’m single.” – Lizz Winstead

“A woman is like a tea bag.  It’s only when she’s in hot water that you realize how strong she is.” – Attributed to both Eleanor Roosevelt and Carl Sandburg

“I am woman!  I am invincible!  I am pooped!” – Author Unknown

- Nathan Ichtertz

I was a Spice Girl for Halloween this year.
No shame in it- I rocked my Sporty Spice alter ego for the majority of the frigid night of Halloween festivities around the U of O campus area, high-kicking in my sports bra, spandex, sky high pony tail, “GIRL POWER” tattoo (thanks to an artist friend and black sharpie) and sneakers. My roommates and I each took on a Spice Girl and ran around being spectacularly obnoxious to anyone passing by and singing “Spice up your life!”
It was awesome.
Until a Quailman and his posse shouted to me across the street to stop being a strumpet (nicer word choice than one he actually used) and that the Spice Girls were not a real symbol of girl power whatsoever and they were all old now anyhow. They then proceeded to move down the street making obscene gestures and hollering insults.
After the initial hot-blooded reaction of retorting how Quailman shouldn’t be yelling at the Spice Girls because Quailman was supposed to fight evil with patience, intelligence, speed and the “Quail Eye,” (none of which virtues were conveyed) we girls brushed off the incident like a grain of salt and ended up having a wonderful night.
Upon reflecting on the evening, my roommates and I had a conversation on what was considered “girl power” and whether or not the Spice Girls possessed this value or not. True, they did popularize the phrase as a quintessence of the 90s, but there has to be more of an active element within those words for it to be meaningful.
What we ended up agreeing on was that the Spice Girls did affect women in many senses, because sometimes all it takes is one word or phrase to trigger a strength of feeling within. The fact that the Spice Girls brought about a cultural phenomenon of “girl power” and how popular it became is a result of women embracing this idea of empowerment. This might be a credible reason why the group was so popular, despite their mediocre singing and dancing skills. The Spice Girls distinctly embraced girl power as their strength. One interpretation of girl power, in my personal eyes, is to know what you want and know how to get it- a ubiquitous idea that can be applied to any age. What if it’s all about doing high-kicks on stage? Do it!
The Spice Girls did, dare I say it, send a ripple of feminism in the hearts of both men and women with a swift platform-heeled kick.
In support of Sarah’s earlier post: My name is Megumi, and I too, am a feminist!

Tuesday night, November 17^th, Grrrlz Rock kicked off its first ever Family Potluck and Karaoke Extravaganza! True Grrrlz Rock fans showed up at the Sheldon Community Center for an evening of food, singing, dancing and great conversation. Women of all ages, including a rockin’ chick around the age of six, took turns participating in the karaoke and got to show off their talent!

This was our first time attending a Grrrlz Rock event and it truly rocked with friendly people and fun music. It was wonderful seeing friends and strangers gather and connect over a passion for music, community, and of course, Grrrlz Rock. Cindy Ingram, Grrrlz Rock founder, was there to meet and greet familiar and new faces and enthusiastically displayed her love for the festival and excitement for all the involvement and support from the community.

The potluck proved to be a success for its first time on the Grrrlz Rock agenda and we can’t wait to attend the next event! Check out an interview we had with Cindy and see some karaoke in the videos below!

By Ashlea Holcomb and Drew Metzger

“Straightlaced” brings gender and sexuality issues to the surface

As part of Trans Awareness Week in Eugene, Grrrlz Rock hosted a viewing of the documentary “Straightlaced” on Wednesday at the University of Oregon.

The film is about a diverse group of teens who open up on issues such as sexuality, gender and body image and offer their candid, eye-opening perspectives. “Straightlaced” features teens who self-identify as straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

Edgar, a 20-year-old gay college student, told me that as a Latino living in Eugene, a city with a fairly small Latino population, that he feels that many people still aren’t always welcoming or well-informed about gays and lesbians and he hopes that films such as “Straightlaced” help to raise awareness and create acceptance of LGBT people on a larger scale.

“I’m proud of who I am and I want other people to feel the same,” he said.

“Straightlaced” is a must see for anyone interested in learning more about society’s constraints on teenage men and women and the battles they face in being accepted both sexually and gender-wise.

Weekend GrrrlzRock Event:

Imagine a casual environment and cozy ambience complemented with an eclectic mix of local bands in the heart of downtown Eugene. Last weekend’s event at Cozmic Pizza was exactly of this nature plus tasty food ranging from the traditional cheese and marinara pizza to a build-your-own calzone. It was getting to be late afternoon (great job Ducks vs. Arizona), but loyal fans came to support both the musicians and the band. The support was ample, the crowd was appreciative, and both the stomach and need for music were satisfied. Although I was only able to stay for one performance, my first experience at the Grrrlz Rock benefit…rocked! Keep your eyes out for more of these live events that are a benefit to both the band and the cause! Check out this short video!

Aqua NIA Jam

If you love swimming, rocking out to amazing music, working up a sweat and having a phenomenal time, then Grrrlz Rock’s Aqua Nia Dance Jam is for you!

The fitness technique of Nia is a combination of a variety of dance forms, martial arts and yoga and is created for people of all ages and abilities. Nia provides an empowering experience that refreshes the soul and expands one’s connection with her or his own mind and body — all while letting loose and having a good time with old and new friends. Awaken your inner dance goddess — the workout is hot, wet and fiery: Completely out of this world.

What better way to push aside the stress of the week than a huge dance party in a comfortably heated pool? It just doesn’t get any better than this. DJ FastLayne will be spinning tracks poolside and getting the party started with her funky Indie music style, while local NIA instructor, Katie Strong, will lead the celebration with the nine exhilarating, sensual movement forms of Classic NIA.

The party takes place Friday, Nov. 20, from 8-10 p.m. at the Tamarack Wellness Center and only costs $9 for this epic, invigorating event (for those with VIP passes, the cost is $4.50). The doors are open to anyone over 18 years of age, but make sure to arrive early due to limited space!

If you want to be part of an extraordinary event that is creating some serious buzz, come ready to get wet and literally dance the night away to the exotic movement of Aqua Nia.

“I’m not a feminist but… (Insert feminist idea here)”

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard men and women preface feminist ideas with “I’m not a feminist but…”

In such a time of progress and forward thinking, why are so many people still scared of the word “feminist”?

Like most of my generation of female college students, I’ve been taught from a very young age that being a woman isn’t going to stop me from succeeding. I can do anything a man can do. Some things I can even do better.

However, although most of the women I know agree with my previous statements, they still shutter at the word. Why?

Being a feminist doesn’t mean I’m going to spend every moment of every day complaining that women are treated unfairly. Being a feminist doesn’t mean I’m a man hater who takes every opportunity to insult the male gender. Being a feminist doesn’t mean I burn my bras or neglect personal hygiene. Being a feminist doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy getting dressed up or feeling pretty. Being a feminist doesn’t mean I’m a “bitch” or a “loud-mouthed woman” or “unladylike.”

Being a feminist simply means that I believe women deserve equal respect as men, equal opportunities as men, and equal appreciation as men. I’ll stand up for what I believe in and it’s as simple as that.

It’s silly that women work so hard in school and at their jobs but are still unable to recognize the feminist role they’re playing. Recognize it and embrace it ladies!

My name is Sarah Helfgott. I am a student. I am a sorority girl. I am a journalist. I am a clothing fanatic. I am a humanist. I am a cat lover.  I am a woman. AND I AM A FEMINIST!