Megan Jane Thomas

Non-Working/Non-Exiistant Machines

HHH Building - West Bank. There are machines in the women's bathrooms on the first and ground floor but they are busted up and not operational.

Working Machines

I don't have any right now. Please post locations you are aware of with working machines

Operation OB (Again)

So, when I was an Undergraduate the last project I had with University Young Women was what we called "Operation OB". It was a project to identify where there were and were not operation tampon/napkin dispensers on campus. It was one of the most bizarrely successful campaigns. I swear we had whole offices of women sending information into us. Keep in mind this was just before email came onto campus and this information was called, mailed and walked into the office!

So, why am I writing about this? Well, it appears that there really has been no improvement on campus in the availability of working "feminine hygiene" machines on campus. Sure, you can find free condoms fairly easily but not tampons! (and if you use the former you will need the latter!).

So, I thought I would try to find a purpose for this blog and invite women across campus to use this as a forum to post information about where there are and are not working tampon/napkin machines on campus.

Since this is my forst real effort at drawing traffic into this site I will need to kind-of make the "rules" up as we go. The first one, I suppose, is that I expect civility and good manners in your postings. I will start blog entries labeld "Working Machines" and "Non-Working/Non-Existant Machines" where people can enter the locations.

Thanks and I can't wait to see how this works!!

I Need Employment!!

Friday was my last day with Greater Twin Cities United Way (the position was a temporary one for the Fall) and that means I am wonderfully unemployed again. So, if anyone knows of anything that might fit my qualifications I would appreciate a heads up. I am posting the latest version of my resume here, feel free to pass it about if you want.

In terms of what I am looking for .... something in non-profit management would be my first choice but I am open to any bright ideas. If you read my resume and know of something that would be a great fit with my skills let me know. The resume is pretty broad.

I would like something that has some flexibility at least through May of 2006, enough to allow me to attend the one daytime class I am registered for. Keep in mind that the class is "Financial Management of Nonprofits" and I would hopefully be applying the things I learn in the class to any position I may be in.

And I am also open to doing the tax thing again too.

Download file

A Ramble about Finals and Computers

So, I may be somewhat goofy right now. I am trying my damndest to understand Microeconomics and it ain't working. But, my mind has just been distracted in a major way by the fact that I checked my email and have yet another freaking "your IP was Logged" email with a file attached. In other words, someone affiliated with HHH whose computer is infected with a virus has not yet figured out how to get it off and it continues to spam us with the freaking virus.

Now mind you this is merely an annoyance to me for two reasons: 1) I am not so stupid as to open, and; 2) I have a Mac computer. I looked on the Symantec website and I couldn't event find a recent virus alert for Macs on it.

Anyway, will someone please explain to me how someone who is apparently bright enough to be affiliated with this great school cannot figure out how to download the freaking free anti-virus software through the U, install it and get rid this freaking virus?!?!

Enough ranting for now .... back to pretending I am even going to come remotely close to passing this class.

Great Resource for Event Planning

If you go to http://www.diversitycouncil.org/PDF_files/2005_Calendar.pdf
you can download a great calendar that lists almost all holidays and other significant multi-cultural dates. This can be a great help in making sure you don't accidentally schedule something on a major holiday.

The parent web site for this calendar,http://www.diversitycouncil.org/ is also a great resource for folks. They have a lot of great resources plus they are based in our own Rochester, Minnesota!

I have emailed them to ask when their 2006 calendar will be available and will pass on the information as soon as it's available!.

AA grant information

OK Folks ...

since you elected me I have not been lounging about. I spoke with our new Chair, Brian Melendez, and he assured me that we hace AT LEAST $10,000 for grants and we can get started on that process.

So, I am uploading copies of DRAFTS of a grant form and policy. Please review them and post comments.

DRAFT Grant Form Download file

DRAFT Grant Policy Download file

Conference Call Tomorrow (5/10)

Please join me on a statewide confrence call . Learn more about
how we can improve the DFL's Affirmative Action Office and my
plan for change.

May 10th 7:00 pm
Dial in Number 1-800-8681123
Access Code 609 718 27

Figured out the problem

It appears I uploaded the PPT Temp file rather than the main document. Here is the right file:
Download file

Powerpoint File

Since it appears that the file is not working we are going to have to find another way to access it online.

In the meantime people can email me and I'll send a copy direct to you via email. that did work for another person.

Prisoners = Republican Power?

Download file

As I noted before, I am currently a student at the HHH School at the U of MN. I have spent the last twelve hours preparing for a presentation in my "Racial Discrimination and Public Policy" class.

Perhaps it is the punchiness from lack of sleep but I thought I would post my Powerpoint presentation here.

My presentation is about how the US Census method of counting people in prisons as residents of the area where the prison is may be torqueing the political system and resulting in the disenfranchisement of not only those prisoners but also their familes and neighbors.

What you may find partcurally interesting is towards the end of the presentation. There seems to be a bit of a corralary between Minnesota's rising prison population (10.3% alone in 2003) and the rise of the Republican power in the State House.

Megan

Directory of Nonprofits of Color

Here is another link to an excellent resource for Affirmative Action Officers and anyone else interested ...

The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs publishs this Directory of Nonprofit Organizations of Color

There is a searchable online version and you can also order a hard copy version of it. If memory serves me right the hard copy has sheets in the back formated for mailing labels.

In the past I brought several copies of this directory with me to a Central Committee Meeting and I will investigate to see if I can bring some to the Meeting on May 21st. I will update you here on the progress of that.

Interesting Link

Something that might be interesting for folks to check out and discuss ....

The Recovering Racist Network

It is a bit out of date but offers a bit of a different perspective on things.

I am running for Affirmative Action Officer

I have filled many roles in the DFL but the most pertinent to this
position would be that I was the Affirmative Action Officer for three
years, 1996 to 1999. During those years we did some exciting things and
I would like to get those back on track plus engage in some new
initiatives. For example:

* Restart the Affirmative Action Small Grants Program. Under this
program local DFL units and other sections of the DFL were, and will be,
able to submit an application detailing a program that would reach out
to bring in members of under represented communities. When we first
offered this program the proposals that came in were amazing! There is a
lot of talent, initiative and creativity in the DFL! Obviously we were
not able to fund every proposal but we funded as many as we could. In
fact we funded more programs in Greater Minnesota than in Metro areas.

* Establish and maintain a steady resource stream for DFL Affirmative
Action Officers at all levels as well as any interested DFL activist.
This means not only having regular meetings of the Affirmative Action
Commission but also regular trainings as well as web based information
and other resources.

A note on the trainings .... they should be focused on developing skills
and resources ... not be those annoying events where a bunch of metro
people arrive to tell Greater Minnesota how to do their job. Just as any
training we do needs to be culturally appropiate they also need to be
geographically appropiate.

* Assert the importance of affirmative action and diversity in the DFL
hiring process. As Affirmative Action Officer I served on all hiring
committee and would expect to in the future. Additionally, it is
important that the Affirmative Action Officer assist the DFL Staff
getting hiring information out in the community in a manner that will
ensure a diverse hiring pool.

These three areas are basic. They are the minimum that should be
expected of an Affirmative Aciton Officer. But, in addition to these I
want to be part of making the DFL a leader in the quest for social
justice in Minnesota. I do beleive that we can serve as the model of
diversity and celebration that we wnat to see in the world.

The first step to that end is by declaring that the DFL is a "safe
space". Traditionally that has meant that it is a place where diverse
people can feel safe to be who they are and active e.g. I do not feel
threatened in the DFL because I am a lesbian. But, I want this idea of
"safe space" to also mean that the DFL is a safe place for us to discuss
some of the hard issues around race, sexual orientation, gender,
disability and so on. I believe that we are good hearted people who have
a sincere desire to make this a better world. We must be able to ask
questions and discuss difficult things free of judgement and hostility.
In fact it is the only way we will make any true progress.

It is my hope that you will elect me to serve as a leader of these
efforts. I beleive that I have demonstrated my ability to accomplish
these things and I know that if we can pull together we can make a huge
impact in terms of not only winning elections but also in making the
world a more just, equitable and safe place.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Email is
best at mthomas@hhh.umn.edu. If you have instant messaging capability I
can be reached at izizizmegan (AIM).

My hopes ..

I am setting up this blog in the hope that I will be able to use it as part of my campaign for Affirmative Action Officer and, if elected, as a resource and place for DFLer's to discuss and act around issues of affirmative action, diversity and general politics.