The Birth of "Phem"

Phem's origins lie within my involvement with "FIFE" while at UVA. FIFE is a feminist organization on UVA's campus that produces a bi-annual magazine addressing and promoting feminist issues, art and commentaries. After my transition to ODU, I desired a similar safe space on campus to be active in. As part of Dr. Bing's service learning project for her Language, Gender and Power class, I decided to try to launch Phem!

I went about setting Phem up originally as a way to solidify the student body and engage them in feminist oriented events, discussions, art and issues. I outlined four missions with the launching of Phem:

1) find and promote feminist art [visual, spoken, written]

2) redefine 'feminism' to help reduce stereotyping of feminists
3) find important feminist voices within the community to bolster
4) bring & create events and opportunities to the feminist
community as a way to express our activism.

I'd hoped to bring in artists who challenged perceptions and stereotypes through their art and also played an essential role in advocating self-determination in the art industry. Art has always been a powerful way to enable ‘voice’ for not just the artist, but also the viewer. Photography, painting, sculpting and drawing are all ways of demonstrating this powerful voice in an intriguing medium. Jenna Jacobs, Jasmine Swift, Francisco Palmieri, Denise Lecusay and Sierra Goggiaharrison have all helped Phem realize this goal.

Bringing in important voices within the community took many forms: poetry, essays and commentaries were at the forefront of realizing this aspect of Phem. Melissa Traister and Shamika Lawrence brought to Phem the type of integrity and dedication that inspires us all through the work within their local and even global communities.

A major goal of Phem is of course to bring and create substantial events and opportunities to the community’s attention. I've focused on highlighting movies and books that were thought provoking and reinforce feminism and equal rights. I promoted workshops that focused on body image and relationship violence, seminars and lectures that created new lenses for students and activists, and events that were part of a larger, more collective movement towards equal rights.

Now, with Phem's four month mark approaching, there has been so many other benefits and positive outcomes to starting the site. Fellow members have contributed a variety of issues and considerations within these larger themes, and collaborative efforts have bolstered Phem's progress.

Amy's discussion on conscious consumerism, sexual harassment/not rape epidemic and body image broadened Phem's scope to embody gender and class and how these issues intersect with body image, consumerism and workers rights on a global scale. Natasha's focus on feminism and linguistics and boycotting sexist language and sexism in advertising calls attention to issues of language and socialization while giving us more 'woman centered' options. Both Jennet and Teri have helped broaden Phem's focus to encompass the realities, failures and victories of gender and globalization and the effects of conscientious living as a means to help minimize these shortcomings.

I look forward to the many new and ever developing voices [Laura, Alicia, Danae, Liz, Libby] that have come to Phem and are making a positive, indelible difference towards redefining, invigorating and uplifting the feminist community.

Thank you all for your support and for adding your voice! Phem has never sounded so sweet.

In Solidarity,

Brook Buesking