Rebecca Conklin

My name is Rebecca Conklin. I attend Lees-McRae College where I am a junior studying sociology, psychology, and religious studies. I am twenty years old, but have been a feminist for nearly six years. At Lees-McRae I am the campus organizer for our NOW CAN. I officially started the group at the beginning of this year, although I have been doing feminist motivated work through our Amnesty International Campus Chapter, which I started my freshman year. Simply, I am passionate about getting other people around me passionate. There are so many things going on around us that we simply turn off because they are too hard to think about, much less deal with. I take this fact and spin it on its head. I take current issues that depress and overwhelm try to turn them into campus activities that create excitement and bonds within our small community.

There are many reasons for my interest in the Young Feminist Task Force. First, I myself am a young feminist. It would be an amazing opportunity to network with other young feminists and create a national group of young and energetic women dedicated to the continuance of the excitement that feminist activity creates. In addition, it would be great to work with seasoned feminists who can offer a great deal of wisdom concerning the history of feminism and organizing techniques that have worked in the past. Second, it is my goal to pursue my doctorate directly after graduating from Lees-McRae so that I may be a professor of sociology specializing in feminist theory and gender relations. With my experience on the Young Feminist Task Force, I will have the knowledge necessary to motivate more college age women and men to join in the excitement and fulfillment that can be found in feminist work and studies. Third, I am applying for an internship position at the NOW headquarters in Washington, D.C. this summer. By working at the headquarters and working on the task force, I will be able to get the most out of my experience at NOW. More importantly, I will be able to give more of my time, energy, and ideas to the organization.

I believe that motivating young women and men for feminist activity and study is very important. Much of the passion that was present in the days of Susan B. Anthony, Jane Addams and our other founding mothers has somehow disappeared in the hearts of most women on college campuses around the US. The blood, sweat, and tears that fueled the movement at its birth have evaporated and we are still living the mystique, the mystique that Betty Friedan so fervently attacked. By discussing with a large group the needs of young feminists and how to most accurately portray these needs in the politics of NOW, I believe that I will more firmly understand my role as a NOW organizer as well as help solidify the inclusion of the voices of young women and men activists within the larger voice of NOW.

As a personal note, I have a fantastic history with feminism and NOW in particular. My mother was member in her college years, and I still wear some of her original shirts from the 70s. My mother has been a great influence on my life, and helped me to define myself, rather than telling me who and what to be. She has shown me that I am much more than the sum of my physical parts and that my mind is my greatest gift. It would be an honor for me to be more actively involved in the workings of NOW. I hope that this is the beginning of a long and full history with NOW, one that will surely influence my life and help me to continue to define myself as a woman and as a feminist.

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