"You may be the first to do many things, but make sure Volume XxVII, Issue 2 you’re not the last." — Kamala Harris, quoting her mother Spring 2021 Letter from the Saying Goodbye to Project AWAKEN Co-Editors Tennessee helped educate the stu- Just as we evolved to Tech’s campus is dent body about power- meet the challenges of losing a valuable based violence and ways COVID-19, society is con- resource. Current- students can get involved stantly evolving to meet ly, students can to make a difference. the needs of humankind. utilize Project With the loss of Pro- Our Spring 2021 edition of AWAKEN, an amazing federally ject AWAKEN, many offices and cam- Attune highlights societal funded grant program that addresses pus groups will continue offering pro- evolution over the years power-based violence on campus. grams and services that align with and areas where change is Power-based violence includes sexual AWAKEN’s mission. On campus, the needed today. Try MAD- assault, domestic violence, dating vio- Women’s Center will continue several AM Vice President and An lence and stalking. AWAKEN works of AWAKEN’s educational programs Equal Playing Field highlight to eliminate power-based violence, and PEP will continue its important the advancements society train bystanders to intervene, improve work under a new faculty advisor, Ni- made towards equal repre- professional responses to survivors cole Cook. Survivors can go to the sentation in government and empower survivors. The Wom- Counseling Center, the Title IX Coor- and athletics. It’s “Dr.” Jill en’s Center interviewed Project Coor- dinator, the University Police and the Biden features the first lady dinator Jac Ewasyshyn and Assistant upcoming grant funded ASPIRE and how her determination Project Coordinator Erin Murray, SANE (Sexual Assault Nurse Examin- to live her own life is help- who shared information about ers) program at Health Services that ing shift gender expecta- AWAKEN’s accomplishments and will be made up of Victim Advocates tions in the White House. where students can go for help now trained to work with survivors and Similarly, “These Gender that AWAKEN’s time on Tech’s RNs who have been specially trained to Norms Got Hands!” show- campus has reached its end. care for sexual assault patients. The cases how digital media AWAKEN has accomplished much Women’s Center can help direct stu- offers a platform to fight in its four years at Tech, including dents to resources that will fit their gender norms and biases. initiating the Peer Empowerment needs; for more help, reach out to the Directly relevant to our Program (PEP; see page 3), forming a Women’s Center (see back page for campus community, Saying Coordinated Community Response more campus and community re- Goodbye to Project AWAK- Team (CCRT), creating the Don’t sources and contact information). EN, Tech’s Peer Empower- Cancel That Class program, designing When asked what final words they ment Program and Breastfeed- a Power-Based Violence course that would like to share with students, ing Spaces discuss resources reached 2,500 new students in fall Ewasyshyn and Murray wanted to re- available on campus and those our campus still 2020 alone and planning several mind survivors that “You are not needs. awareness-raising events throughout alone, it was not your fault, we believe the semester. Project AWAKEN has Change is an ongoing you, there is no shame in reaching out process that we have the held several events open to all stu- for help [and] help is available to sup- dents on campus and in the wider power to influence. Wheth- port you in your healing process.” Cookeville community. “This er you revolutionize a na- [academic] year alone, we have Even though Project AWAKEN is no tional position like Dr. ER ANDplanned THE COMMISSION and sponsored ON THE nationallySTATUS OF WOMEN: longerATTUNED around, TO TODAY’S we canWOMEN continue to Biden or write a letter sup- known experts to speak about self- make progress on our campus. To the porting something you care and healthy masculinity, partici- general student population, Ewasyshyn believe in, we are all capa- pated in campus wide events such as and Murray wanted students to know, ble of making a difference One Billion Rising, planned work- “You all can make a difference on cam- in our own lives and our shops on meditation, the intersection pus and in your communities by taking communities. For infor- of gun violence and domestic vio- a stand against power-based violence, mation on how to make a lence, moderated a Criminal Minds by being an active bystander and by difference on campus, expert panel discussion and coordi- taking care of each other. If you see check out the “Give Help” nated trainings for campus police and something, say something! You have area mental health providers.” section on the back page of the power to make a difference.” Attune. Through this diverse collection of —Rachel Pearson events and programs, AWAKEN has —Rachel Pearson THE TTU WOMEN’S CENT and Lena Albro Page 2 ATTUNE However, employers are not required both employees and visitors of “federal facili- to compensate for the break time dedi- ties around the nation.” These laws protect Breastfeeding Spaces cated to expressing breast milk under the rights of parents to breastfeed in public Many parents choose to breastfeed the ACA. In Tennessee, state code spaces. their child, but without proper accommo- specifies that all breaks for expressing Unfortunately, college campuses fall dations and protections, breastfeeding can breast milk must be unpaid and that, “the through the cracks of these current breast- be deceivingly difficult to maintain. To- break time shall, if possible, run concur- feeding laws. While employees must have day, many laws exist that address employ- rently with any break time already provided access to lactation spaces on campus due to ee and public breastfeeding. However, to the employee,” according to the Nation- the ACA, colleges are not legally required to some groups of parents are over- provide these accommodations for students. I looked in current breastfeeding ac- interviewed Tech’s SGA College of Business commodations because college cam- Senator Kelly Bell who has advocated for a puses are not directly addressed. A bill dedicating lactation spaces for students on push for more dedicated lactation spaces on college campuses is a neces- campus. Bell came to realize the need when a sity so that students have access to student approached her asking for directions safe, clean and private spaces to ex- to a restroom stall with an outlet for her to press milk. plug in her pump. Shocked to realize she Several laws address employees’ could not identify any such location, Bell rights to parental leave and private talked with the library, discovering there was lactation spaces. According to The one “random stall with an outlet” students Family Medical Leave Act, the maxi- tend to use for pumping but very few dedicat- mum time permitted for parental leave ed lactation spaces exist for students. She is 12 weeks for most people. This al Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). says, “students are in a sort of limbo,” ex- timeframe does not allow many breast- However, just as important is the feder- plaining that although public colleges are feeding employees to remain home during al requirement of accommodations for largely funded by taxpayer money like federal the entirety of their desired breastfeeding breastfeeding beyond employment. Ac- facilities, Tech is not defined as a federal facil- period. Fortunately, the Affordable Care cording to the NCSL, 31 states, including ity and therefore is not required by FMBA to Act (ACA) requires employers to provide Tennessee, currently exempt breastfeeding “reasonable break time for an employee from the criminal offense of public inde- provide a student-accessible lactation spaces. to express breast milk… for 1 year after cency. As not all states exempt breastfeed- Expounding upon why she believes this legis- the child’s birth,” and, “a place other than ing from this crime, public and accessible lation is necessary, she states, “There is no a bathroom, that is shielded from view spaces to breastfeed privately are needed. school without the students; they are the and free from intrusion from coworkers The Friendly Airports for Mothers (FAM) backbone of it all.” As Bell’s senior senate and the public.” Prior to the ACA, the Act, signed in 2018, requires “airports…to term came to an end, I was motivated to run Civil Rights Act of 1964 was amended by provide a clean, private, non-bathroom and was elected in her place with the inten- the Pregnancy Discrimination Act in 1978 space in each terminal for the expression of tion of spearheading this legislation myself. “to prohibit sex discrimination on the breast milk.” Meanwhile, the Fairness for All parents deserve spaces to breastfeed, in- basis of pregnancy, childbirth and related Breastfeeding Mothers Act (FBMA) of cluding on college campuses. While a few medical conditions.” Based on this law, 2019, “requires that certain public buildings lactation spaces exist on campus (see back), the US Court of Appeals in 2013 “held that contain a public restroom also provide more are needed. To support the develop- a lactation room, other than a bathroom, that firing a woman because she is lactat- ment of this bill and help to get it passed, ing or expressing milk is unlawful sex that is hygienic and available for use by a email your SGA representatives and myself. discrimination,” according to the USBC. member of the public.” This act covers —Amber Lovell Write a Letter of Support to Help Bring Back Project AWAKEN Letters of support will be used to help garner administrative support and funding to maintain AWAKEN once grant funding ends.