TORRANCE TELEGRAM February 2021 - Torrance Branch, American Association of University Women - AAUW Torrance (CA)
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TORRANCE TELEGRAM
February 2021
Torrance Branch, American Association of University Women
February Calendar
Wednesday, February 3, 7:00 pm • WIT Group
Tuesday, February 9, 4:00 pm • Film Group
Thursday, February 11, 6:30 pm • EPC
Saturday, February 13, 9:00 am • TTAG
Friday, February 19, 6:00 pm • Diversity Book Group
Monday, February 22, 7:00 pm - Board Meeting
Tuesday, February 23, 7:00 pm • Evening Literature Group
Friday - February 26, 7:00 pm - Social Hour with Members
Take A Break February - no Monthly Program
Save the Date - Saturday, March 13 for Human Trafficking and Child Protection Advocates
Join us for a branch meeting and chat on 9:30-9:55am with the program starting at 10:00 am
President’s Message
January was a historic month with the breaking of the Glass ceiling for women in the U.S. Kamala
Harris was sworn in as the FIRST woman (Black Asian) Vice President. My 7 year old
granddaughter, Diya who is American/Asian, made the comment, "I'm not thinking of being
President, but I know I can be." That pretty much sums up the impact on little girls and women
everywhere.
Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.com
COVID-19 vaccine is finally available for many of our members.* Unfortunately, the kinks have not
been worked out yet in getting an appointment. The first day it was open to 65+ the website went
down for hours and is still a challenge. Don't give up, be patient and be persistent to get that
appointment. Here is a direct link to the website:
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/acd/ncorona2019/vaccine/HCWSignup/
This gives us hope to be able to actually have face to face distanced meetings sometime later in
2021.
*Great news to report that at least one third (33%) of our membership have now received at least
one dose in January of the Covid-19 vaccine. This is so encouraging to think that we actually may
be able to get together later in 2021. If you have been vaccinated, please let me know so I can
add you to my spreadsheet.
— Alice Matthews
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February Birthdays:
Elle Oliver Feb 17
Margot Sullivan Feb 17
Donna Larrivee Feb 18
Jessica Hassen Feb 20
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AAUW Board of Directors Statement on Open Membership
The AAUW National Board of Directors strongly supports elimination of the degree
requirement for membership and will put the requirement up for a membership vote this spring.
This important change is a critical step in bringing AAUW’s bylaws and membership requirement
in line with our mission of advancing equity for women and girls. While AAUW is fiercely
committed to educational attainment for all women, given our commitment to inclusion, this is
simply the right thing to do.
Proposals to eliminate the degree requirement for membership have come before the
membership for vote a number of times. The Board feels very strongly that, while the degree
Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.com
requirement made perfect sense at AAUW’s inception, this requirement is now counter to our
mission and limits our ability to build the capacity needed to increase our impact as an
organization.
Now through February 5, 2021, you can provide thoughts and comments on the proposed
changes to the AAUW bylaws as well as proposed changes to the Public Policy Priorities. To learn
more about the proposed changes and submit your feedback, please visit the election page on on
the AAUW website.
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Educational Partnership Committee
By Peggy Monga, EPC Chair and Branch Coordinator
Thursday, February 11 at 6:30 pm on Zoom
We are pleased to announce that the AAUW California Board of Directors approved the 2021
Virtual Camp Program's preliminary budget and implementation plans on January 17, 2021.
In addition, the board also voted to allow 2020 selected campers to participate in the 2021 virtual
camp. We are very excited that this group will have the opportunity to attend the camps, as many
branches have been strong advocates for California Tech Trek to serve this population.
AAUW National's Tech Trek camp directives and materials were received on January 14 and are
under review for California's 2021 virtual camp requirements. The branch virtual Memo of
Understanding (MOU) is coming soon - stay tuned!
Good News: In 2020, residential camper fees were to range from $900 - $1,000 per camper. The
2021 Virtual Camp will charge approximately $400 per camper. We hope this great savings will
allow more talented middle schoolers to participate in our program.
More Good News: 2020 girls can be included. Although there is no mention of a “parent
contribution,” I feel strongly we should collect even for a virtual camp. There are still expenses for
the committee involved in our processes which we should be able to recoup.
Thank you to Michele Freck who handles Tech Trek finances for the branch and all the new
requirements for Virtual Camp for 2021. There is a separate account for Virtual Camp and our
donations have to be transferred to be used for summer 2021. Michele communicates with
Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.com
donors, receives any new contributions and forwards them to State with the appropriate
(seemingly ever-changing) forms.
State has begun the project of defining Tech Trek of the Future. This is from the latest
communication: “Our work begins immediately with the formation of the team which will include
camp representatives, AAUW California leaders and AAUW National participants. Over the next
four to six months, using input from these stakeholders, the group will create a preliminary
strategic plan that identifies at least four top priority areas of focus… The task force will be led by
AAUW California Director and current Communications Chair, Tracey Clark, an experienced project
manager.”
Our February meeting is scheduled for 6:30 pm, Thursday, February 11 on Zoom. If we need an
interim meeting before this, I will email you all!
— Peggy Monga, EPC Chair and Branch Coordinator
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TTAG - Tech Trek Camp Needs Volunteers
by Gloria Liu, TTAG Co-Coordinator
1. Volunteers NEEDED for Tech Trek Camps
Members and former campers 15 years or older, or who have a work permit, are greatly needed
as volunteers for various jobs to help at camp.
AAUW members need to volunteer. Each camp NEEDS about 146 volunteers per camp (per
week). You can volunteer for multiple weeks. The positions are as follows:
a. Build Coach - 5 day commitment per camp- $250 Stipend
b. Social Coach - 5 day commitment camp - $200 Stipend
c. Moderators who facilitate chat/discussion sessions (can be younger than 15). They will
introduce the speaker and handle the comments.
d. Former campers will evaluate and select speakers and workshop presenters.
On January 16, 2021, Dr. Mary Isaacs (Dr. Mimi) was a guest speaker for the South Bay Tech Trek
Alumni Group (TTAG). She is now State Virtual Camp Director of all the Tech Trek camps for
California for 2021. In 2020, she was the camp director for the San Diego Virtual camp. She needs
help running the camps. She is looking for youth and adult volunteers.
Three one-week camps will each host approximately 300 campers from across California. The
dates are Monday-Friday for: June 21-25, July 12-16, July 26-30. You can volunteer for more than
one week. The beauty of this virtual camp is that you can sleep in your own bed every night and
not drive anywhere. Each coach and camper will receive a robotics kit. The campers will build the
robotics project during camp, to be held on Zoom.
Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.com
The application for volunteering is at Camp Coach and Moderator Application Link
If you have any questions about volunteering for the Virtual Camp:
Contact Dr. Mimi - 2021ttvirtualcamp@aauw-ca.org
Access information on the state website: https://www.aauw-ca.org/virtualtechtrek.
2. STEM panel - NEED contacts/ leads from branch members
TTAG is starting to plan for a “Women in STEM” panel on Zoom. Do you know any women in
positions stereotypically held by men? Examples include airplane pilot, auto mechanic,
electrician. Preferred would be younger women. Diversity would be a plus. Suggestions for
Women in STEM: Contact Alice aliceaauw@gmail.com or Gloria glsb7891@gmail.com.
Next TTAG meeting: Saturday, February 13 @9:00am. All interested are welcome to attend.
Contact Alice Matthews or Gloria Liu for the Zoom link.
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Public Policy
By Michele Croci
We continue our series on AAUW’s Public Policy Strategic Priorities with the economic strategic
area. Many thanks to Ginny Hatfield for contributing this article on the Gender Pay Gap.
2069? 2369? 2451? WHEN WILL THE GENDER PAY GAP BE CLOSED?
By Ginny Hatfield, AAUW California Public Policy Committee
How long will it take? What can we do to make it happen sooner rather than later? These are
questions that AAUW has been grappling with for decades. As we mark Equal Pay Day on March
31, perhaps there is hope that we can make progress in decreasing the gender pay gap in 2021,
given a new administration that is committed to social justice and leveling the growing disparity
between the haves and have nots. We also now have women in the highest echelons of national
leadership and, as we all know, when women are in charge, things get done!
According to the 2020 update to AAUW’s The Simple Truth, it will take white women until the year
2069 to achieve parity with men based on the projected earnings ratio compiled between
1988-2019. For women of color the numbers are even worse. Black women will have to wait until
the year 2369 – 350 years – as their earnings ratio has only advanced a mere 7% from 1988-2019.
And Latinas find themselves in the worst scenario as their earnings ratio has only increased 4%,
from 51% to 55%, during this period of time, projecting their year of parity to 2451! (AAUW, The Simple
Truth 2020 update)
The reasons for these disparities in the gender wage gap are known – and understanding what’s
causing the problem is the first step to meeting it head on. Members are urged to read the
summary of The Simple Truth update on our National website which lays out the problem, its
causes and solutions. https://www.aauw.org/app/uploads/2020/10/SimpleTruth_1.8.pdf
Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.com
AAUW is leading the charge to effectuate change and you are part of the solution with the work
your branches undertake on behalf of women and girls. The more we educate ourselves and
others about the scope of this gender wage gap with programs like Start Smart, Work Smart,
NCCWSL, etc., the more we chip away at the disparity. What is your branch doing to make a
difference in the Gender Pay Gap? Let us know what creative ideas you have come up with to
spread the word in these days of social distancing and we’ll share them on the web. (Send ideas to
publicpolicy@aauw-ca.org.)
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Did you know that January is the 100th Anniversary of… Robots?
On Jan. 25, 1921, Karel Čapek’s play “R.U.R.,” short for “Rossum’s Universal Robots,”premiered in
Prague. It was a sensation. Within two years it had been translated into 30 languages, including
English, to which it introduced the word “robot.” Čapek’s vision of unwilling slaves of humanity
destined to rise up and destroy their makers has shaped our view of both automation and
ourselves ever since.
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Film Group
Tuesday, February 9 at 4:00 pm on Zoom
Karen Peters is the leader for the February film discussion.
This month’s films each feature a different approach to non-white people. Both have been
deemed 'culturally significant' by the Library of Congress.
Little Big Man is a 1970 American Western film directed by Arthur Penn and based on the 1964
novel Little Big Man by Thomas Berger. While broadly categorized as a western or an epic, the film
encompasses several literary/film genres, including comedy, drama and adventure. It is about a
white male child raised by the Cheyenne nation during the 19th century. The film is largely
concerned with contrasting the lives of American pioneers and Native Americans throughout the
progression of the boy's life. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Chief Dan George, Faye Dunaway, Martin
Balsam, Jeff Corey and Richard Mulligan.
It is a revisionist Western: Native Americans are depicted sympathetically and the United States
Cavalry are depicted as villains. The revision uses elements of satire and tragedy to examine
prejudice and injustice. Little Big Man is an anti-establishment film of the period, indirectly
protesting America's involvement in the Vietnam War by portraying the United States Armed
Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.com
Forces negatively.
In 2014, Little Big Man was deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the
Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
West Side Story is a 1961 American musical romantic drama film directed by Robert Wise and
Jerome Robbins. With a screenplay by Ernest Lehman, the film is an adaptation of the 1957
Broadway musical of the same name which in turn was inspired by Shakespeare's play Romeo and
Juliet. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris and
was photographed by Daniel L. Fapp in Super Panavision 70.
The film has been deemed "culturally significant" by the United States Library of Congress and
was selected for the National Film Registry in 1997. A new film adaptation of the same name by
Steven Spielberg is set to be released on December 10, 2021 starring Ansel Elgort and Rachel
Zegler.
Note: On February 12 @7:00pm PST, West Side Story will be broadcast on Turner Classic Movies
(cable channel) which can be recorded and watched at your convenience. See
https://www.tcm.com/schedule/ for more information.
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Evening Literature Group
Meeting on Tuesday, February 23 at 7:00 pm on Zoom
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabelle Allende
This epic novel spanning decades and crossing continents follows two young people as they flee
the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a place to call home. A masterful work of
historical fiction about hope, exile, and belonging.
Contact Betsy Adams for Zoom link; or Lisa Blank for general information.
Coming in March: Deacon King Kong, by James McBride
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Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.com
Diversity Book Group
Meeting on Friday, February 19 at 6:00 pm on Zoom
When All is Said by Anne Griffin
If you had to pick five people to sum up your life, who would they be? If you were to raise a glass
to each of them, what would you say? And what would you learn about yourself, when all is said?
At the bar of a grand hotel in a small Irish town sits 84-year-old Maurice Hannigan. He's alone, as
usual - though tonight is anything but. Pull up a stool and charge your glass because Maurice is
finally ready to tell his story. Over the course of this evening, he will raise five toasts to the five
people who have meant the most to him. Through these stories - of unspoken joy and regret, a
secret tragedy kept hidden, a fierce love that never found its voice - the life of one man will be
poignantly laid bare. Beautifully heart-warming and powerfully felt, the voice of Maurice
Hannigan will stay with you long after all is said and done.
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Cheers to the New Year!
2021 is a year of the Ox, starting on February 12, 2021 and lasting until January 30, 2022. It will be
a Metal Ox year. Recent Ox years include: 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997 and 2009.
Toast the Inauguration with this Biden-Inspired Cocktail
[reprinted from Los Angeles Magazine] An alcohol-free version, for non-drinkers like Joe
Biden–and a boozy one, too.
https://www.lamag.com/digestblog/biden-inauguration-cocktail-recipe/
46th President Inauguration Cocktail
1 oz. Spiritless Kentucky 74 (or Bourbon)
1/4 oz. Lyre’s Orange Sec (or Orange Curaçao)
Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.comScoop vanilla ice cream
1 oz. Thomson and Scott “Noughty” Alcohol-Free Sparkling Chardonnay (or Blanc de Blanc
Sparkling Wine)
Cinnamon
Shake without ice and pour into a cup. Top with bubbly. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
“Change is possible. For that, I am grateful and ready to get to work. “ - Kamala Harris
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Torrance Telegram Update
By Cami Hamilton
I have really enjoyed the opportunity to create a monthly newsletter for branch members! When
you consider the investment of designing a print layout for a newsletter that is seen by 95% of our
members online — you will understand why I am moving the Telegram to an online newsletter.
The Word version will make the collaborative editing and distribution much easier for the busy
schedules of our leaders. I welcome volunteers who would like to take over the ongoing design of
a print layout Telegram, a style which has distinguished our branch periodically. It’s not possible
for me to contribute the print layout any longer.
Keep submitting your articles and feedback to heycamster66@gmail.com and thank you for
making news worth noticing in creating educational opportunities and bridging pay inequities.
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Let’s Get Trivial (January’s Program)
What does “EMPOWER” in the EMPOWER Act (HR 152) stand for?
On average women in America earn what percentage of what men earn?
Women working in STEM occupations make what percentage more than women in non-STEM
occupations (according to the U.S. Department of Commerce)?
Who is credited for launching the STEM-centered approach to education in 2001?
What day is National STEM/STEAM Day observed?
March 31 is recognized as “Equal” what Day?
This Dean of the College of Women at the University of Chicago in 1881 met with Ellen Swallows
Richards and 15 other women to discuss the need for opportunities and access. Who was she?
How many AAUW branches are there in the U.S.?
Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.comWho is the AAUW CA State President?
According to the AAUW listing, is the California State University Dominguez Hills a “University
Member” of AAUW?
In 1946, AAUW was granted permanent observer status with which organization?
[Fun times at our Monthly Social Hour Bringing in the New Year - saying Goodbye to 2020!]
Torrance branch • http://torrance-ca.aauw.net • aauwtorrance@gmail.comYou can also read
