“That’s Ridiculous!” Two New Chicago Alums Tell You All About Their Seminar Experience

My name is Zena Avilez and I attended the “Write to Change The World” OpEd Core Seminar in Chicago this past Saturday. The seven-hour, intensive workshop was graced with 20 amazing, energetic and extremely accomplished women with a variety of expertise who gathered together at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. The seminar is about thinking BIG and empowering ourselves to find our voice and make a case for the ideas and causes we believe in.

Deborah Siegel, Regional Seminar Leader, welcomes a new cohort to The OpEd Project’s Write to Change the World seminar in Chicago.

Presently, there is an imbalance in op-ed submissions, where an estimated 80-90 percent of op-ed submissions come from men. Women only represent 10-20 percent of op-ed submissions. This is a pretty significant gap! How do you close the gap and allow more smart women to submit op-eds? Well, The OpEd Project was established to scout and train under-represented experts and teach them to penetrate the world with their best ideas – regardless of whom you are or where you come from. Anyone is capable of shaping society and changing the world through a thought.  This is a tremendous initiative!

I was very excited to participate in this seminar (on a gorgeous Saturday) and learn how I can shape society and make an impact in the world.  Picture this – Zena Avilez has submitted a thought-provoking piece that was published in major news outlets – The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and USA Today.  The exciting news is this dream is all possible through working with the OpEd Project and the mentor-editors they assign to all attendees.

Zena considers a lede and newshook for her opinion piece.

The facilitators of the seminar, Michele Weldon and Deborah Siegel, were incredible and reminded us of the power that we all have within ourselves. During the seminar, the leaders told us: “Even the most powerful women I know go out of their way to say that they’re really not interested in  power. Imagine a man saying that.” This expresses the struggles that women have with power and understanding our knowledge and experience in terms of its value to others. As women we have to proclaim a social responsibility and walk with confidence and dispel the spirit of fear.

Michele Weldon, Seminar Leader, listens to Leeda and Kara as they contemplate ideas for individual op-eds.

During the workshop, all the ladies engaged in a number of activities that required us to work together and brainstorm with five questions provided to us to ponder on.  I was amazed at the ideas flowing through the room.  What was most astonishing is during the “To Be Sure” activity, where participants had to oppose a point of view, everyone had something different to add and made each idea unique or added a subtle twist to make us expand more on our point of view and stand by what we believe in and live by. The main thing I took away from this activity is that I shouldn’t give up when someone doesn’t agree with my idea. Opposing ideas expose new ideas and also expose your core of steel.

Randi and Paula engage in a high-stake scenario activity titled: To Be Sure.

After the seminar ended, I left with an arsenal of tools that I can use to write my first effective op-ed and submit it to my assigned mentor-editor when it’s ready.  I am very excited and I feel empowered to express my opinions.

The seminar was followed by a happy hour at the Elephant & Castle Restaurant nearby where all participants discussed the day’s activities and made further connections.  So, for all women (and men) who are looking to make a change, this seminar offers you two lodes of pure gold: it shows you the stuff of what you are made and it reveals how capable you are of inspiring a change to this world through your voice.

Zena Avilez

Well, you have read Zena’s version of what happened at the seminar which was a fulfilling and interesting experience and I can only add to the above by telling you what really happened….

“That’s ridiculous!” Michele says as she intrudes in on an exercise Sharmili and I are engaged in. Deborah lunges forward with a camera in our faces, and both ladies make sure I grill my partner in this exercise with a rampage of the phrase, “that’s ridiculous!”

Michele talks with Saman and Sharmili before they jump into the “That’s Ridiculous” activity.

If you ask why, it’s meant to ensure I give Sharmili (whose name means ‘shy girl’ in Hindi but is quite confident, I assure you) a taste of what will happen when she tries to express her thoughts to an audience that is bound to disagree with her at some point. The interesting thing was, I couldn’t agree more with the points she was making about sexual abuse in our society and how the media could and should play the story to avoid future incidents.

That was just one example of an exercise and the kind of ‘expert’ who showed up with a wealth of information, empathy and passion for the cause she wanted to present to the world. Not only were the women from diverse ethnicities, established career backgrounds and of all ages…our diversity in thought processes and what we wanted to write about was just as varied and compelling. We had women from a background in legal matters, non-profits, health care, media, education and career development, immigration policy making and those who cared deeply about human issues alone.

Deborah talks with OpEd participants during a team breakout session.

Anya explores arguments with another OpEd participant.

The OpEd project is an initiative that has already helped 5,000 women and underrepresented voices learn just how to get themselves heard. I am certain that with their support and setup of mentor-editors, vast network of media outlets and above all, their honest dedication to the cause of op-eds…we are going to make our voices heard far and beyond.

LaSandra tells Claudia that her argument is “ridiculous”! These two participants had fun exploring arguments for their invidual opinion pieces.

Not many, would dare to call us “ridiculous” because we were also taught how to be “full of ourselves.” Of course, I’m not giving away all these secrets. I will leave it up to you to find out how to be full of yourself on your own.

Take a seminar, see what’s it about and carry on the conversation…

Saman Sheikh

Epic OpEd seminar in Chicago ends with laughter and jazz hands!

Snapshots from last week’s NYC Core Seminar! Blog post to come.

Seminar leaders Martha Southgate and Katherine Lanpher in action.

 

Newly minted OEP alums.

-Anna Meixler

Stories on Feminism

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, feminism is “the theory
of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.” But the
definition of feminism varies vastly and holds different weights and
forms in the lives of individuals. The theory that sexes ought to be
treated as equal seems neither objectionable nor radical, and yet
many, even self-proclaimed feminists, have struggled with labeling
themselves as such and translating that label into meaningful,
progressive action.

The simple concept that men and women are and should be treated as
equal members of society has found much opposition, and has become the
complex and controversial cornerstone of social movements,
organizations, policy, and employment disputes. Feminists all describe
and act upon their feminism uniquely, and many have had feminist
coming-of-selves that have redefined their outlooks on life and
allowed them to embrace their own brands of feminism. Many can look
back upon specific moments of feminist recognition or challenges that
forced them to embrace feminist perspectives.

I did, and it was within the past few years. What’s perhaps more
interesting is that feminists love to hear other feminists speak about
their feminism, since it differs so widely and from person to person.
My friend wrote about her feminist coming-of-age in an application to
Northwestern University, and promptly received an acceptance letter to
their undergraduate institution. OEP seminar and fellowship leader
Courtney Martin spoke about it in her awesome TED talk, exploring how
her feminism differs from her mother’s and from that of men and women
in past generations. Check it out. Then share- comment about your
feminist coming-of-self, or why you don’t identify as such- and what
that means in your life.
-Anna Meixler

A blossoming voice from the OEP alums

This week we would like to highlight one of our most successful OEP alums, the lovely Marielle Anzelone.

Marielle is an urban conservation biologist, policy analyst, designer and Op-ed Contributor to The New York Times. She is also Founder and Executive Director of NYC Wildflower Week, an organization that connects New Yorkers to nature in the Big Apple. In her work, Marielle preserves and restores native biodiversity in the city and region as an essential foundation of our sustainable future.

Marielle attended her first OEP seminar back in the summer of 2010. Since then, she has become one of the most prominent public voices  on urban ecology in the city, with two fourteen-week columns in the New York Times, tracking seasonal changes in New York in autumn and spring. 

I spoke with Marielle over the phone about her experience with the OEP:

When did you first get involved with the OpEd Project?

“Two years ago in June I went to a day-long public seminar led by Katherine Lanpher. I immediately thought to myself: “she’s speaking my language.” Katherine spoke about the importance of owning the work we do and putting it out in the world for others. For me, as well as the twenty other women in the room, this was a very illuminating, almost shocking experience. At the time, I was at a juncture in my career and wasn’t fully satisfied with what I was doing. Having launched my organization, NYC Wildflower Week, I was taking stock of what I was already doing and looking to expand and move forward.

In a thousand years, I would’ve never sent my work to the New York Times without the encouragements of Katherine Lanpher and Katie Orenstein. Katherine went above and beyond what she needed to do to foster a burgeoning relationship between me and the New York Times editor. When I went back and forth, up and down with my first op-ed, she stayed right there with me. Although I myself did the writing and the work, I would’ve never thought to even knock on that door if it hadn’t been for the OEP.”

How did the OEP make you re-evaluate your knowledge and its relevance to the public?

“The OpEd Project showed me that there had been this underlying interest I had that I hadn’t had an opportunity to explore. I had written pieces about plants before, but they weren’t opinion-driven. Doing the seminars changed the way I saw the work I was doing and caused me to re-evaluate where I wanted to take it next. Instead of continuing to do some of the same things I had been doing, I geared my work towards something different after my first op-art, When New York City Bloomed was published in March of 2011. I became more actively engaged in publicizing my knowledge and my work.

The OEP changed the way that I voiced my opinion. It made me realize that the work I had done and the issues I was concerned with were important to the public and should be given air time, that they were not represented anywhere else. After publishing When New York City Bloomed, I came up with the idea for the series autumn. The Times loved the idea and I was given my own fourteen week column. Spring followed soon after.”

How have your op-eds impacted your career?

“Before working with the OEP, I was not sure how to expand and move forward in my work. My op-eds served as the seeds out of which new opportunities germinated. As an Op-Ed Contributor for the Times, I am treated differently. My op-eds have given me leverage to do more and go further. Writing for the Times has also just been fun and wonderful. All my editors love my work and are really good to me.  In short, my op-eds changed the way I view my own work, validating my own strongly held feelings that I’m “on the right path”, so to speak.”

Congratulations Marielle! Your public voice has blossomed beautifully! We are so heartened here at the OpEd Project by your wonderful progress, and look forward to seeing your work expand in even bigger ways.

Look out for Marielle’s upcoming op-ed, to be published in the New York Times on the first Friday of August.

-Xueli Wang, PVF intern

OEP Fellow Meg Urry Eulogizes Late Astronaut Sally Ride

In her incredible CNN article, professor of physics and astronomy Meg Urry reflects on Sally Ride’s 1983 journey to space on the STS-7. To be the first American woman in space is a huge accomplishment, and must have brought great honor to Ride while continually inspiring young women, particularly those working in scientific fields. Urry’s article exposes, however, that this 1983 trip was likely surrounded with great frustration and sexism; I imagine that the years leading up to the journey were not wholly positive ones for Sally Ride. The flight was twenty years overdue, a full two decades after an American man was sent to space. Despite the abundance of qualified, eager women and advanced technologies, the male-dominated space industry failed for far too long to launch women to space.

Urry writes about Ride’s later endeavor, Sally Ride Science, which runs camps and festivals to foster scientific literacy in middle school girls and sharpen skills in science teachers. Ride’s educational programming for girls is particularly significant to Urry, who was inspired by her great successes in the male-dominated world of physics, in which Urry recalls feeling like an outsider.

It’s widely known that Sally Ride was the first American woman in space, but not all know that she was involved with the camera on NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellite that now orbits the moon (the first NASA flight project dedicated wholly to education). It’s known that Ride spent 343 hours in space, but many don’t know about her relentless efforts to expand female opportunities in the world of science, while making our culture more accepting of and enthusiastic for female scientists. Read the words of OEP participant and scientist Meg Urry, and feel the impact that Sally Ride had on talented female scientists, itching for progress in a field where progress has, unfortunately, been slow.

-Anna Meixler

Growing Pains: Silicon Valley’s Push for “Diversity”

“NewME Community will serve as a meeting place for local minority entrepreneurs to gather, learn, network, and share with each other for the greater good of the community.” - NewMe Community’s mission statement

“New Media Entrepreneurship” – no, I’d not heard of it either until reading NPR’s article
detailing the purpose – and some of the people – of a new Silicon Valley-centered initiative to “add more diversity” to the entrepreneurial start-up scene there. This, according to “boot camp” sponsor NewMe, comes as a response to the continued lack of “women and people of color” participating in the community of young, motivated, tech-y entrepreneurs making their mark in Silicon Valley and far beyond.

The gist: an overwhelming majority of the entrepreneurs that build their start-up empires in Silicon Valley are young, white, “nerdy” guys (more than 90% male/caucasian, to give more shape and weight to it). So what’s at stake? How and why should initiatives like NewMe’s be implemented and taken seriously?

Contemporary culture seems a world densely populated by and simply overflowing with ideas — those seeds of innovation and progress that so often defy and completely reconfigure pre-existing modes of thinking, being, and doing. The issue at hand is expressly n0t a lack of ideas but, rather, just which of those ideas are bolstered, and how, and why. Answering this requires critical attention and a willingness to accept the issue’s complexity. In other words, it isn’t only traditional stereotyping of men as business-savvy; it isn’t just social mores that have discouraged minority groups from participating in higher education; and it surely isn’t purely about money, or knowing people, or socio-economic status. It’s all of this and more.

Without rambling on much further it’s most important to declare the importance of providing encouragement and opportunities for all individuals, especially those who’ve been previously marginalized or underrepresented, to stake their claim (in this instance) in such a fertile and dynamic economic industry.

The sort of progressive workshops offered by start-ups like NewMe and, of course, by initiatives like The OpEd Project, are boons for the diversification in many fields, including (but not limited to) journalism and entrepreneurship. Here’s a list of a few more organizations doing simliar work to deconstruct the barriers to equal-opportunity-and-access:

1. Black Girls Code – programs for young girls of color who are interested in technology (the maths and sciences)
2. Girls Who Code – same vein as above but, excitingly, founded by OpEd alum Kristen Titus!
3. UNITY – a collective and extensive resource for Journalists of Color
4. National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC) – an advocate for minority groups in the private equity industry
5. 500 Startups – also based in the Silicon Valley, this organization works to foster/fund a diverse and “vibrant community” of start-ups
6. 100 Urban Entrepreneurs – nonprofit focusing on start-ups originating in urban communities by “supporting minority entrepreneurship at its earliest stages”

- J. J. Morr

OEP Alum Dr. Qanta Ahmed: “It’s really a very exciting time to be a writer.”

On Friday evening I spoke to Dr. Qanta Ahmed, author, journalist, sleep disorder specialist at Winthrop University Hospital, and Associate Professor of Medicine at the State University of New York (Stony Brook). Qanta has published countless op-eds in various media outlets about sleep disorders and medical conditions, and Islamism, politics, and terrorism. You can read some of her varied work on her Huffington Post column, at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/qanta-ahmed/. Dr. Ahmed recently testified to the Homeland Security Committee about terrorism and Islamism, and, in true OEP fashion, quickly published an op-ed about the experience.

Dr. Ahmed told me about the ways in which op-ed writing enriches her life. I’m inspired not only by her scientific writings but also by her political advocacy, her courage as a Muslim American to tackle serious national security issues on public platforms, and the ways in which her words and writing are bound to influence policies that affect millions.

Photo by Jack Alterman
Jack Alterman Studios, 2008 Charleston SC

In March 2011, I participated in a four-week course with The OpEd Project, after having written numerous articles and a book. Upon starting the course, I didn’t know how it would be useful to me, but the OEP classes very quickly gave me the skills to focus my writing and find new hooks to use for publishing articles. Through the course I learned how to approach editors and turn rejections into publications.

I learned from Katherine Lanpher that as long as I believe in an article and don’t worry about the response it’ll elicit, I will find a place to publish it. I’ve gained a very thick skin and much more confidence from The OpEd Project. I’ve been writing consistently about radical Islam and terrorism and am being considered to speak at an international summit on terrorism because of this writing. None of that would have happened without the focus I gained from the OEP. I’m planning my next book, with a forward-thinking energy generated by my recent writing, submitting, and publishing.

With the help of Katherine Lanpher, Katie Orenstein, and my mentor, Annie Murphy Paul, I began to work with the Christian Science Monitor, The New York Post, and The New York Daily News. I’m now a regular contributor at The New York Post. The political writing I’ve been doing motivated me to testify to the US Congress. By working with the OEP, I became an established op-ed writer, and was therefore on the radar of the Homeland Security Committee. Congressman Peter King knew of the articles I had written and my record of public speaking, so I was considered and chosen to testify. Now, my written word is part of the public record and influences policy-makers.

Testifying to Congress entails submitting written and oral testimonials and participating in subsequent dialogues. One can be questioned about his/her viewpoint after the public hearing has ended; I still interact with the Homeland Security Committee. With impact comes significant responsibility, and in exercising my voice publicly I’ve learned to be accountable for what I say.

You may open an enormous door if you work with the OEP. I represent a voice that wants more ownership in our culture and I know how to begin influencing the public. My purpose is more than publishing articles; I want to influence the most important leaders, those who change foreign policy and look at mechanisms of counter-terrorism. I also want every opinion piece I publish to translate to an alternate form of media, like a television special, a lecture, or a radio segment. There are so many platforms from which to broadcast. It’s really a very exciting time to be a writer.

Dr. Ahmed’s work illustrates the OEP’s goal for all diverse, knowledgeable voices. Her op-eds improved her work environment, and act as powerful springboards. Her writing has lead to opportunities to express her views on different media platforms, and requests to write for various news outlets. Dr. Ahmed’s writing enables her to change the world; her publishings have established her credibility and allowed her to testify to policy-makers at the highest level. That level of influence through writing is something to which I aspire. Thank you, Dr. Ahmed, for your hard work and its reverberating impacts.

-Anna Meixler

What’s missing on the 2012 campaign trial? OEP Alums weigh in

Suffering in Africa isn’t a typical debate topic in American politics, but alum Sarah Pollak urged President Obama to support the opposition to the regime of Omar al-Bashir in her recent article. Pollak quotes Obama, pulling from morally charged speeches that proclaim America will support all who stand up against tyranny for freedom. Pollak lays out the obvious moral obligation to extend support to the Sudanese, citing the millions of deaths ushered in by decades of civil war and conflict with the Janjaweed militias.

But what made her article powerful was not only the moral lens through which she wrote. Pollak made a persuasive argument for Obama’s need to extend support to Sudan by writing about the aid he provided to Libyan rebels and the economic frustrations in Sudan that have spurred violent riots.

Rather than writing vaguely that Obama must hold true to the American ideal of helping all who are oppressed, Pollak suggests concretely that Obama should promise aid and offer encouragement, should the rebels succeed in overthrowing Bashir, to avoid backing a losing protest. Pollak references successful Sudanese revolutions, and also argues that Obama must support Sudanese rebels in the interest of American national security.

Having read and heard countless moral arguments about America’s need to support the Sudanese, Pollak’s article stands out as one that pairs ethics with logistics, values with political policy.

Alums Scott Warren, Iris Chen, and Eric Schwarz also highlighted an issue absent from political discourse: civics education. While both Obama and Romney speak at length about plans to improve America’s public schools, they fail to comment on the lack of civics learning. Warren, Chen and Schwarz cite scary statistics: only 1/3 of Americans can name the three branches of government, and the US ranks 120^th out of 169 democracies in voter turnout.

There are scores of problems in American education, but the article asserts that a narrow focus on standardized test scores and math and literary competency has lead to even more neglect of civics education. While the state of education jeopardizes US economic growth, global influence, and safety, the lack of civic literacy and engagement threatens the American democratic system. These OEP alums put it simply: “we cannot have “government by the people” if the people do not know how to govern.”

I found great value in this article, which was similar to Pollak’s. Though the subjects varied, the arguments are strong. Warren, Chen and Schwarz balance the American value of engaged, informed citizens with clear-cut solutions. They propose integrated educational programs through which students exercise their reading and math skills while taking civic action: speaking publicly, reading policy papers, and analyzing surveys of community problems.

Congrats, Sarah, Scott, Iris, and Eric, on your compelling op-eds! Thank you for highlighting issues of great national consequence.

-Anna Meixler

The OpEd Project Kicks Up the Heat in DC on July 14, 2012

Anthea and Stacey

Claudia and Emilia

Peck Gee and Stephanie

The newest members of our alum community — welcome!

Making Our Knowledge(s) Matter

“I begin with a few general and perhaps untenable statements…” (William Carlos Williams, from The Embodiment of Knowledge, found on Invisible Stories)

Courtney brought this op-ed piece in today’s online version of Scientific American to my attention this afternoon, offering it as an answer to my pondering aloud about what I should write for this entry. After she forwarded the link to me I read through it once, and then once more – and at the end I found I was left with a question that I still cannot answer: “What do I know, and why does it matter?”

Add to this question so many others, like “how do I measure what I know?” and “who knows better or more than I do?” and “why shouldn’t I share my knowledge with others?” Considered in the context of Wikipedia and, further, in regards to the production and management of publicly-accessible Web content, these questions prove particularly important and complex. One should even ask how knowledge, expertise, and worthwhile information should themselves be defined. Perhaps these categorical difficulties have also led to the steady (and shocking) decline of individuals promoted to “admin status” on Wikipedia, along with what author Andrew Lih refers to as a “vetting process [that] is akin to putting someone through the Supreme Court,” a figurative and real-time “hazing ritual” that becomes more exclusive by the minute.

The ethical implications of such exclusivity are wide-spanning and are discussed candidly in Hilda Bastian’s op-ed and in Robinson Meyer’s Atlantic article (both linked above):

• approximately 30% of Wikipedia’s readership consists of women; and women comprise only 10% of the online encyclopedia’s editorial staff
• 2012 has been the worst year for adding new administrators at only 1 or 2 per month (this process peaked in 2007, an average of 50 new administrators were added per month)
• the number of people source-editing Wikipedia has also downturned; from averaging upwards of 50,000 site edits a month in April of 2007 to roughly 30,000 edits, as of April 2012
• there are continuing debates about controversies surrounding article deletion, various biases (gender, knowledge), and still of Wikipedia’s “legitimacy” as a source of veritable information
• and so on…

Many things to be concerned about. Of course, it’s not all bad – higher standards, when kept in check, must eventually improve the quality of the information available to the public; and all of us have used resources like Wikipedia at least once if not five or, let’s be honest, a thousand times. The aforementioned issues just simply must be addressed in order for true, egalitarian growth to occur.

There are efforts being made to curb such backsliding (The Ada Initiative and Wikipedia Teahouse present two such movements in a productive direction). Everything seems to point to an increased public involvement – and, yes, persistence in asking the questions that plague us so – in the cultivation and preservation of knowledge as a means for a cure to our current e-info woes. Here’s one of our answers: insert ourselves into the process. Know more by doing more.

– J. J. Morr