Alumnae Newsletter
Spring 2022
Spring Cleaning Tips pg. 5
Fertility v. Infertility pg. 7
LLEAD Turns 10! pg. 11
Lambda Poet's Corner pg. 16
Contents Nurture Yourself Spring Cleaning Tips Fertility/Infertility Gardening Tips
4 5 7 9
LLEAD Turns 10! Top LGBTQ Readings Lambda Poet's Corner Congrats Class of 2022! Credits
11 15 16 20 23
Page 2
Grow through what you go through. Page 3
Nurture Yourself BY: STEPHANIE GUTIERREZ-MUNGUIA ALPHA DELTA ALUMNAE CHAPTER FA16
There’s something about the springtime that brings new beginnings or awakenings. With days being longer and nights shorter, we feel the need to get more things done. However, it’s easy to get lost in all the buzz in our lives, and we forget the one person who needs nurturing through all of it, ourselves. Practicing self-care isn’t a walk in the park. Life is very busy for many of us, and me-time is usually the last on our list of priorities. Here are some tips that can help you become more self-aware and how to start caring for yourself.
PRIORITIZE SLEEP Sleep is a very important factor when it comes to keeping our stress levels in check. It can affect how we feel both physically and emotionally. Tip: Make sure your bedroom becomes your safe haven. It should be free of distractions (i.e., electronics) so you can at least get good REM sleep.
DO WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY AND RELAXED There is no one way to approach your self-care routine. Self-care can range from eating an indulgent dessert, to checking in with a therapist, to simply going for a solo walk around your neighborhood.
CARE FOR YOUR GUT Some may not realize that what they eat is causing a major impact on their health and well-being. The types of foods that you eat can affect the bacteria that already live in your stomach, resulting in either positive or negative effects. Eating the right foods can lead to feeling better and providing other health benefits.
SAY N-O AND SAY Y-E-S TO SELF-CARE At times, we feel obligated to say "yes" when someone asks for our energy and time. However, if you’re already feeling stressed or down, learn how to politely say "no" and care for yourself first. Saying yes constantly can lead to feelings of burnout and anxiety.
TAKE A BREAK Working non-stop causes stress on your mind and body. If you’re fortunate enough to have vacation hours, take all of them. If you don’t have that option, then do a weekend staycation or mini road trip. If that’s not an option, then just stay in on a weekend and do absolutely nothing. Page 4 Sources: PsychologyToday.com, EverdayHealth.com
8 TIPS FOR DECLUTTERING YOUR PHYSICAL SPACE
Make a schedule or checklist.
Whether it's your home, your work office, or even your car, here are some tips for decluttering your space!
Aroma therapy-use a scent you enjoy while cleaning.
Work from top to bottom.
Make a game out of it! Create a chore wheel to make it fun or a reward system to incentivize yourself!
Throw away expired food, cosmetics, and any other perishable products.
If you haven't worn it in the last year, donate it!
Don't forget, your walls and windows need love too!
Make it a party! Invite a friend over —one that will keep you motivated and accountable but will also make it fun!
Page 5
9 TIPS FOR DECLUTTERING YOUR INNER SPACE Digital Detox
Start Journaling thoughts, lists, questions, curiosities, reflection, gratitude, etc.
Drop ONE bad habit
Build positive, supportive relationships
Tackle projects one at a time (biggest to smallest or smallest to biggest)
Begin healing unresolved trauma and make gratitude a priority
Re-evaluate the foods you're feeding your brain, body, and soul
Revamp your exercising to something realistic, gradual, and FUN! Find fitness activities you ENJOY!
Reject negative thoughts and replace them with something positive immediately
Set different budgets for different parts of your life!
Page 6
Fertility By: Bianka Herrera Alpha Epsilon Alumnae Chapter FA16
Fertility is the biological capacity to conceive a child.
We typically do not think about fertility until we attempt to conceive. If you’re trying to get pregnant, understanding fertility is important. First and foremost, you can only get pregnant around the time in your menstrual cycle when you ovulate, which is known as your fertility window. Peak fertility occurs the day before and the day of ovulation. Your partner’s fertility also plays a part in reproduction which may mean adapting to lifestyle changes: no smoking, taking recreational drugs, or consuming more than 10-14 drinks a week.
Maintaining a healthy weight could help with infertility. According to the CDC, approximately 12% of women aged 15 to 44 have difficulty getting pregnant or carrying a pregnancy to term. The most common overall cause of female infertility is the failure to ovulate, which occurs in 40% of women with infertility issues. Not ovulating can mean experiencing ovarian or gynecological conditions, such as primary ovarian insufficiency (POI) or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), diminished eggs in the ovarian reserve, or thyroid issues, to name a few. Page 7
Infertility What are the Signs of a Fertility Problem? You are age 35 or older and have been trying to get pregnant for at least six months. You're younger than 35 and have had unprotected sexual intercourse for one year without trying to get pregnant. You have had two or more pregnancy losses.
The most common symptoms of a fertility problem are irregular menstrual cycles, unusually light or heavy bleeding, bad menstrual cramps, pelvic pain, or pain during sexual intercourse.
Infertility is a disease of the male or female reproductive system defined by the failure to achieve a pregnancy after 12 months or more of regular unprotected sexual intercourse. Fertility is the biological capacity to conceive a child, which may not come easily to everyone. Everyone should make strides to improve fertility and reduce the risk of infertility. Try eating foods rich in antioxidants, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and getting enough sleep. If you're thinking about becoming pregnant, consult your health care provider to identify ways to improve your fertility. People of all genders can experience infertility and require resources and treatments. It is imperative to stay informed on how the Supreme Court's recent decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, 410 US 113 (1973) impacts your state’s legislation regarding access to fertility treatments. Check your state guidelines as laws that may affect you are changing quickly. If you are interested in learning more about policy aspects of this topic, email pei@lambdalady.org. Act today, our voices must be heard. Resources: https://www.verywellfamily.com/fertility-4014725 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/getting-pregnant/in-depth/female-fertility/art-20045887 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/16-fertility-tips-to-get-pregnant https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/infertility/conditioninfo/causes/causes-female https://www.webmd.com/baby/ss/slideshow-understanding-fertility-ovulation https://www.apa.org/pi/women/committee/infertility-bipoc
Page 8
Gardening Tips 1
Choose a plant that is right for you. Select a plant you are drawn to. What will you like to look at daily? What colors do you like? What will bring life to a room?
2
3
4
5
Start small. Consider one variety at a time and become an expert in its care.
Learn your plant's needs. Understand when it needs to be watered, what type of lighting it needs, and when to fertilize.
Use proper drainage. Make sure your pots have holes at the bottom. If they sit within a decorative pot, make sure to drain. Never let plants sit in standing water; roots will rot.
Watch your plant grow. Name your plant. Talk to your plant. Soon you'll be an expert on a plants care and want to grow another variety. Have fun! Resources for Gardening (indoor & outdoor) www.indoorgardening.com www.bhg.com
Page 9
Gardening Tools 01 garden soil
03
plant
02
Gloves
06
04
watering can
05
hand trowel Page 10
fertilizer
LLEAD TURNS
Page 11
Lambda Ladies as Empowered Advocates for Diversity (LLEAD) is a certification program that was developed to further enhance our members' leadership skills related to cultural sensitivity, diversity, and inclusion. The five-month program provides training and discussion on important topics, including Power & Privilege, Social Change, Intersectionality, and Inherent Bias.
Page 12
Here are some lovely members who have shared their experiences with LLEAD, including two of the 14 LLEAD Cohort 9, who have recently successfully completed the LLEAD Certification program this past May!
How did you first get involved with LLEAD? I've always had a passion for social and restorative justice, especially from the lens of someone who has worked in K-12 and Higher Education. As someone who has both participated in and facilitated discussion circles, I've found them to be especially helpful in building community while educating each other. Members encouraged me to apply for the program after I moved to Oregon and expressed wanting to connect more over those topics; the rest was history! What has made you stay with the program? Every week we met, I looked forward to both hearing participants' perspectives on the discussion topics and an update on their lives outside of LLEAD. Work surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is inherently personal, and I felt like this cohort really leaned into the chance to be vulnerable and personal with their engagement. I looked forward to hearing about everyone's families, jobs, and life updates; I think this made us feel more comfortable delving into deeper topics together.
What are some challenges that you faced while being in the program (i.e. time management, etc.)?
What have you learned from being a part of the LLEAD program? I learned that we are never above revisiting foundational aspects of equity and social justice education. It's easy for those of us who have done this work to perceive ourselves as more "advanced" than we are; I thought I had a strong grasp on topics such as inherent bias or intersectionality, but I learned even more by discussing these topics and how to put them into practice with the cohort. Through this, LLEAD taught me just how important it is to see inclusion not as a singular endpoint, but as a daily practice to work on consistently.
I'm happy to say I faced very few external challenges! Scheduling is super important to me, so I was upfront about my availability from the start. Avalon, our facilitator, was very communicative about the commitment and made it easier for me to manage my time. I would say my challenges came from embracing my growth during the process - i.e., challenging my own inherent biases, seeing beyond my own experiences, and choosing a capstone project topic that was true to myself instead of what I perceived to be the "right" answer. Being a part of LLEAD actually fostered a safe environment for me to face these mental challenges by creating a supportive network to bounce thoughts off of and connect with.
Page 13
How did you first get involved with LLEAD? I got involved with LLEAD when I applied to participate in Cohort 9 after seeing the email and was accepted in November 2021. What has made you stay with the program? I feel the programming and content of LLEAD was skillfully and cohesively developed to tackle the important topics that address diversity and inclusion that are important to me, which I am super passionate about.
What are some challenges that you faced while being in the program (i.e. time management, etc.)? Often times, when we had breakout sessions to discuss the topic at hand, we would run out of time, and it would sometimes be unfortunate since you wanted to finish hearing what a member was explaining in their own words. We heard some very deep and enlightening input from each other, which built very strong connections, so I would recommend longer sessions with topics requiring breakout sessions.
What have you learned from being a part of the LLEAD program? I've learned even further how passionate I am about advocating for diversity and inclusion, especially in the workplace. I was able to connect a lot of what I learned on the Diversity and Cultural Inclusion council that I am on at my employer, and it has made me consider changing careers into Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. [Also,] I'll be honest when I first saw that there was a project presentation at the end [of the program], I was nervous, even though professionally I've done presentations many times. This was on a whole other level to me though, because it was so intimate and personal. The topics often could be triggering, but we developed a feeling of being in a safe space, so it became easier over time. Once the topics and framework of what the presentation should be were discussed closer to the time, I felt more open and vulnerable, so I decided to take the creative route and do a poem vs. a PowerPoint presentation. Taking a risk and being raw and vulnerable made me realize how brave I can be and how my experiences can help others, and I shouldn't hide or feel any shame behind them. Page 14
LTA READS
*
ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE by George M. Johnson BAD FEMINIST by Roxane Gay CANTORAS by Carolina De Robertis FINE: A COMIC ABOUT GENDER by Rhea Ewing ONE LAST STOP by Casey McQuiston ORDINARY GIRLS by Jaquira Diaz
SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid THROWN IN THE THROAT by Benjamin Garcia WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HERE: A QUEER MUSLIM MEMOIR by Samra Habib
Support Diverse Bookstores https://diversebooks.org/diverse-owned-bookstores-you-can-support-right-now/ https://blog.libro.fm/queer-lgbtq-owned-bookstores/
* Special thanks to Alpha Alpha Gamma Chapter for providing book selections
Page 15
Lambda Poet's Corner The Brightest Sunflower You’re the tallest sunflower in a field soaking up the sun, shining brightly standing majestically, Your strong, beautiful aroma spreading joy to all around you. Your soft warmth, soothing and reassuring all the other fleurs. You are the brightest sunflower. Guadalupe Hinojo Alpha Phi Alumnae Chapter FA17
Page 16
about the poet
Guadalupe Hinojo Alpha Phi Alumnae Chapter FA17 I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. I went to The University of Texas at Austin for my undergraduate career where I received a Bachelor of Arts in History and Anthropology. I came back to my hometown and eventually ended up working in public libraries. While working full time, I decided to pursue a Master of Science in Library Science so I could advance my career in the public library. When I came back to school, I learned about LTA and decided I wanted to join. It has been the best decision of my 20s. I have held leadership positions through my alumnae chapter and Texas Area One. I’ve been blessed to spend time with strong, hardworking, and wise women in the sorority. After acquiring my Masters degree, I was promoted twice, and I am now a branch manager of the White Rock Hills Branch Library. Throughout my career at the Dallas Public Library, I have met many wonderful people that are now good friends. I wrote this poem for one of those people. Unfortunately, she is currently in hospice care. My friend is a joyous soul to be around, and her favorite flower is the sunflower. I wrote it to celebrate the positive impact that she has had on the world by just being herself. This piece has helped me deal with the grief and loss of someone I care about. Page 17
Lambda Poet's Corner
girls like me. Girls like me Are so hard to come by Are so hard to love Are so hard not to love Because girls like me Know how to love Know how we want to be loved Know how to love ourselves Girls like me are strong But we cry all the time We challenge the world And challenge ourselves And help each other grow And help ourselves grow Girls like me Smile when we frown Swim when we drown Will never back down We're proud to be brown Girls like me Are radically adept Phenomenally prepped To be the very best Marina Corona Epsilon Delta Chapter SP18
Girls like me Like girls who like girls And guys who like girls And the they and zies Who love themselves and the world And teach us to love ourselves and the world Girls like me Are completely unstoppable Never know impossible We're extraordinarily remarkable Girls like me Exist and resist Girls like me Co-exist and persist Girls like me Are far and few Girls like me Are classic and new Girls like me... Know there are no girls like me... Because I am the only me Page 18
about the poet
Marina Corona Epsilon Delta Chapter SP18
I am born and raised in Chicago and just received my Masters of Education from DePaul University, the same place I received my bachelor’s. My dream is to be self-employed or to work for change within higher education. I love to travel and meet new people, have new experiences and create new memories. I love to write, I’ve always loved to write. I use it as a form of expression. Whether it’s self-expression, expressing my love for others, or simply writing what I feel when I can’t scream at the sky, I use my words to portray my soul.
Page 19
Congratulations! CLASS OF
2022 Be bold, be courageous and always be your best. If you go, go with all of your heart and if opportunity doesn't come knocking,
build your own door. With Unity, Love & Respect, National Alumnae Affairs Committee
Page 20
Alumnae Website LOG INTO CAMPUSGROUPS AND VISIT THIS LINK:
https://bit.ly/LTAalumnae
Page 21
BECOME A LIFETIME ACTIVE MEMBER!!!
Have you been a member for 10 years or more?
If you're not an active member, click the link below to learn how to become active! HTTPS://BIT.LY/LTAALUMNAE CLICK ON RESOURCES LIFETIME ACTIVE MEMBERS
Are you in good standing?
Lifetime Active Membership pays for itself in 6 years!
Don't worry about paying for membership every semester. Invest in YOUR Lifetime Active Membership today! Page 22
Looking for Member Businesses?
Check out the listings here.
Do you have any feedback or inquiries? Email the NAAC Communications Subcommittee at daa.assistant1@lambdalady.org
Special thank you to the Newsletter Team of the National Alumnae Affairs Committee: Stephanie Gutierrez-Munguia Alpha Delta Alumnae Chapter, FA16
Bianka Herrera Alpha Epsilon Alumnae Chapter, FA16
THANK YOU! Thank you for reading our Alumnae
Marina Corona
Newsletter and to all Alumnae
Epsilon Delta Chapter, SP18
Members who participated and
Yessenia Garcia-Lebron Lambda Chapter, FA93
shared their thoughts and knowledge for this edition!
Page 23