Hey y’all!
(Members of the VOX executive board tabling at the Student Organizations Expo)
We’re VOX, Tulane’s Voices for Planned Parenthood! As a pro-choice organization, we advocate for reproductive rights, comprehensive sexual education, and women’s health overall. While we are a Newcomb affiliated organization on campus, VOX is a national organization with collegiate chapters throughout the country. Each chapter plays a special role in their respective environments by engaging people in the discourse surrounding reproductive rights.
Although we have only been at Tulane since 2011, we have become a noticeable presence on campus. Our membership has grown exponentially in the past year and turnout at meetings has never been better. We love working with people inside and outside of Tulane, and encourage members to bring their knowledge about Planned Parenthood’s services to the greater New Orleans community. One thing we have done in the past and would like more people to engage in is canvassing, actually going into neighborhoods around the city and talking to people about reproductive rights. It’s always fascinating to talk to people about such important issues, even when their views may be different than ours.
Besides canvassing, we’ve participated in several events with members throughout the semester, including Take Back the Night and the NO/AIDS walk in Audubon Park. We also have held events of our own, like a screening of the movie Juno, presentations from other reproductive justice groups in New Orleans, and coverage of the 2012 Presidential Election and how it affects our interests.
If you think you’ve seen a lot of us this semester, you’re right. One of the most rewarding things we do as an organization is tabling. We do this on campus to promote awareness about legislation concerning reproductive rights. Earlier in the fall, we set up a table in the LBC where people could write letters to Texas Governor Rick Perry, and we got over 50 signatures against his restrictive health plan. It’s amazing how much people are willing to help a good cause – even if it means being loud and baiting them with candy and condoms!
We are an ambitious group of girls and although we all have busy schedules, we are aiming to make next semester even better! After attending the Planned Parenthood New Orleans luncheon in early January, we are having author Wendy Kline come talk to VOXers about her book Bodies of Knowledge: Sexuality, Reproduction, and Women’s Health in the Second Wave. We also plan to co-program with many other groups next semester. We hope that you can join us if you are on Tulane’s campus.
Girl power,
VOX Tulane