Meet Rebecca

Hi everyone, my name is Rebecca Malone, and I am thrilled to return as Communications Director of NeW at AU! Originally from Wilmington, Delaware, I am a rising senior in the SIS Global Scholars Three-Year Program, and I am majoring in International Studies with a thematic concentration in U.S. Foreign Policy and National Security, a regional concentration in Europe, as well as a minor in Political Science and a French Language Translation Certificate. I am very happy to be a part of such a strong group of conservative women, and I can’t wait to see what the 2016-2017 academic year will bring!

My academic interests are homeland security, intelligence, and counterterrorism. Last summer, I studied abroad at Pembroke College, University of Cambridge, in the United Kingdom where I took classes in Western National Security and Peace Building, as well as completed an independent research supervision. Additionally, in the past, I have interned with U.S. Senator Tom Carper and the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security.

This summer I will be living in DC, interning with the Department of Defense, and figuring out my post-grad plans for when I graduate in December. When I am not working this summer I intend to make progress on my reading list, explore the city, visit some new museums (my favorites include the National Gallery of Art, Hirshhorn, Renwick, and National Portrait Galleries) and learn how to cook in my new apartment!

Happy Summer, and I look forward to working with NeW at AU once again!

Check out some pictures of Rebecca:

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Getting Through the Weekend Before Midterms as Told by Leslie Knope

by Paige Lisicki, Recruitment Coordinator

It’s that time again; the last weekend before midterms.  You’ve put off studying until this weekend like the rest of us, and now you’re panicking because you are absolutely NOT prepared.  

But don’t worry! Here are some tips you can take this weekend to get you in tip-top shape for midterms next week:

1. Leave your dorm room. Seriously. If you’re in your room, you are likely to take a nap or watch Netflix. And no, you will not have to analyze Parks and Rec for your Comparative Politics midterm.  So go somewhere quiet, like SIS, off campus, or floors 2 and 3 of Club Lib. But if you decide to go to the 3rd floor of the library, be prepared to roll out at 7pm when the frat boys roll in.

2. Remind yourself that you know the information. If you don’t believe, you won’t achieve.  Simple as that.  But if you don’t know the information, own up to it and then work hard to understand it.  

3. Turn off your phone. It’s a huge distraction! But it’s okay to text your roommate/best friend and ask them to inspire you and tell you “You can do it!”

4. Now it’s time to start studying! Brainstorm ideas – create an outline – rewrite your class notes – create a lot of flashcards.

5. As you’re studying, remember it’s all about you and the best way for YOU to study. Just because someone studies well one way doesn’t mean you should study that way too. So do what’s best for you!

6. At some point, you will begin to crash.

7.  We’ve all been there, but instead of sleeping during your study time, instead get up and dance around. Because endorphins stimulate your brain and that’s key in studying.

8.  Study, study, study. That’s what this weekend is for!

9.  But when it comes down to it, remember to sleep. Especially the night before your exam.  You’ll thank me later.

But then remember that Spring Break is next weekend, so all you have to do is get through this weekend and this week! You got this!!

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Conservative Response to Karl Rove Backlash

The Network of enlightened Women at American University (NeW at AU) and American University College Republicans (AUCRs) seek to promote a constructive community of conservatives at AU that speak freely and openly about their beliefs in a welcoming environment to empower each other to pursue goals and dreams.

The rhetoric that recently emerged regarding our event to host Karl Rove with the Kennedy Political Union (KPU) sparked a whole series of angry responses by people who disagree with him, claiming that his presence, “discredit(s) valid political intellectualism.” Regardless of one’s opinions regarding Rove, who is seen as favorable and unfavorable across all political ideologies, he is still considered one of the most influential political strategists of our time.

We very proud to bring different conservative speakers to create a message that encourages free speech, intellectual diversity, and civil discourse among all AU students. A person must hear from all sides of the issues in order to form a proficient argument.

We do not choose the path of conservatism because it is "convenient." To dissent from pressure to conform to a certain ideology is difficult and why we exist as organizations. We uplift each other and debate in an environment where we do not insult each other's intelligence or undermine each other's abilities. We are bringing in Rove in February to speak from a different position than what is usually torted on college campuses. There is nothing wrong with hearing a different point of view, and we hope that all critics and supporters will join us to create a constructive discussion about political strategy.

Sincerely,
Krista Chavez and Stuart Algood
Presidents of NeW at AU and AU College Republicans, respectively

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Happy NeW Year: Becoming a Better Leader in 2016

By: Rebecca Malone

Happy NeW Year, ladies! Welcome back to campus and another exciting semester with Network of Enlightened Women at American University.

Just as the new year is a time for setting resolutions, this spring, NeW at AU is all about self-development! Our meetings and events will all focus on becoming better women overall. Network of Enlightened Women seeks to foster the education and leadership skills of conservative women. This includes becoming better friends, better students, better professionals, and, most importantly, better leaders in our communities.

To kick off our semester, we asked some of our members to describe their idea of a strong leader.  A leader has many strong traits; however, our ladies at NeW at AU describe leaders as…

1. Having Strong beliefs and Perseverance : It is no surprise that us women here at NeW have strong beliefs and we’re not afraid to share them!  Many of our members agreed that a strong leader must be confident in their beliefs and passionate about creating meaning change based upon what they believe is right.

“A strong leader is confident in their beliefs and is willing to act on them.” –Emily Curtis, Freshman

“Leadership is sticking to and taking action on beliefs that you are passionate about, no matter how unpopular they are.” –Annamarie Rienzi, Sophomore

“I believe a strong leader is someone who strongly stands up for what they believe despite what people say. The strongest leaders that I've met truly believe in their causes and invest in others who agree.” –Becca Gonzales, Junior

“A leader is someone who stands up for one's beliefs while listening and comprehending to the diverse opinions of others, maintains positive perseverance in the face of opposition, and holds a healthy balance between fortitude and humility.” –Krista Chavez, Sophomore

2. Being Supportive and Serving Others: A strong leader builds others up because a successful team depends on the skills and opinions of all members involved. Without encouraging and supporting others, a leader cannot inspire and promote change in her community.

“A leader is someone who stands for what they believe in and supports others.” –Cassandra Pena, Sophomore

“Leadership is serving others, being a voice for the voiceless, and understanding the needs of others.” –Alex Torres, Sophomore

"Strong leadership stems from mutual trust between a leader and her team. Trust is earned by managing expectations through honest and open communications while providing unwavering support." -Kali Linette, Senior

3. Having Goals and a plan: Part of being a leader is being able to initiate projects and accomplish both short-term and long-term goals! Planning requires both innate and learned skills such as time management, organization, and initiative. Without these skills a leader cannot spark change in her community.

“At the core, the definition of a strong leader could be a myriad of things and ultimately depends on what we determine as "strong." However, for me a strong leader is anyone who has clear, equal and attainable goals in mind with a plan to achieve such in a just way fair to everyone while still being open to others' ideas regardless if they support or oppose the leader's.” - Elizabeth Ogunsuyi, Freshman

“I think a strong leader is someone who has the initiative to help others and complete goals.  They make tough decisions and take responsibility.” – Paige Lisicki, Freshman

What traits do YOU believe are necessary for a strong leader to have? Comment and share this article, and support your peers on the road to self-development.

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“The Force Awakens” for the Modern Female Heroine

By Krista Chavez

Warning: SPOILERS INCLUDED!

Photo via fashiongonerogue.com

With all the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens excitement, I thought I would give a highlight to the film’s portrayal of women. Director J.J. Abrams chose to designate a woman as the new lead character as series continues.

Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, is a tough, lone-scavenger on the planet Jakku. Daily, she seeks out scraps to sell for any food possible to gather. Rey fights for survival because she has been on her own and taking care of herself since she was a young girl. These instincts allow her to become a strong, independent, and empowered woman.

Photo via collider.com

1. Self-reliance

Since she is used to being on her own, Rey is okay relying on herself to accomplish tasks. Although she does receive help from a support system throughout the film, Rey does not need to be continuously saved or supervised.

Photo via altfg.com

2. Resolute thinking

Rey knows what is most important to her family. She constantly feels as though she must run back to Jakku in case her family returns to rescue her. Although she chooses to follow her path to the force, she remembers that resolute and driven thinking she developed when working to survive at home. 

Photo via Yahoo

3. Belief in oneself

When Rey faces Kylo Ren, she never trained with a lightsaber nor been exposed to combat fighting with such a talented adversary. However, she uses the power of the force that lives within herself in order to escape and return to the Resistance headquarters. Since Rey does not doubt herself and her own strength, she is able to fight off Kylo Ren despite the odds stacked against her.

As a lover of the classic 6 Star Wars films and a lover of women’s empowerment, it was fantastic watching a new heroine rise to the silver screen not only for her beauty (we all know she is absolutely gorgeous) but rather her intelligence, independence, and skill. I am excited to see where the continuation of the series takes us as Abrams develops Rey’s character.

Photo via dailymail.co.uk

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6 Ways Holiday Music Can Get You Through Finals Week

By Krista Chavez, President

As finals week looms, we are all stressing, drinking an unhealthy amount of caffeine, and not sleeping enough. Our brains are on information-overload, and our bodies are suffering from the chocolate we are consuming to drown our woes.

    There is, however, one light at the end of the tunnel that we all can keep in the back of our minds: Winter Break. The promise of a home-cooked meal, friends, and family is there, and we can make it by listening to holiday music.

    Why this music? Well, I devised 6 major reasons why holiday music can get us through finals:

1. Remind yourself there is the promise of a better future

While finals week sucks, holiday music reminds us that there is something better at the end. “A Holly, Jolly Christmas” promises “the best time of the year,” or “Feliz Navidad” inspires us to be kind and caring while dancing around and wishing people a Merry Christmas from the bottom of our hearts.

2. Sulk to a relaxing nap-time tune

Need something to calm you for that 30 minute nap between papers? Tune into a soft, soothing sound like “Silent Night” or “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” These tones will give you a temporary peace while resting before your next mental breakdown.

3. Take a Fun Dance Break

Get up and move your feet with a second of exercise and stress relief with Michael Buble’s upbeat “Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” or Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You.” During this song, I like to get up, sing, and dance around the room for 4 minutes to help with restlessness.

4. Utilize it as a "classic" way to study

There are tons of traditional holiday songs that do not have lyrics that can help with  studying like Tchaikovsky’s “Waltz of the Flowers” from “The Nutcracker” and John Rutter’s  “Sleigh Ride.” My personal favorite would be Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker album, for it got me  through my Economics final paper with an A.   

5. Getting in a few giggles between tears

Crying from the paper that you don’t think you can mentally handle doing anymore? Put  on any version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and just listen to the lyrics. The desperation of the  male lead trying to convince the woman to stay is bound to give you a few laughs. Another  fantastic giggle song would be, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”   

6. Use it as a Reminder of Your Blessings

Even though it may not feel like it at the moment while your hands are cramping from  writing all your notes out, we are truly blessed to be receiving an education. There are too many  children around the world (and in America, for that matter) who do not have the same  opportunities as us. Listening to songs like, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” and  “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays,” will reiterate how fortunate we are to be in this  position.    

Remember: Finals only last for one week, and then you can go home and have cookies.

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