All Ways A Feminist Is Open to All Genders

By: Salvatore Cento

Both men and women can participate in female empowerment. (Credit: theodysseyonline.com)

Rebecca Ritz, a student activist in her senior year at CSI, as well as a former activist in the Women’s Center, is reviving a 30-year old publication with hopes of encouraging a fresh, new message about feminism.

In conjunction with Lori Lambertson, another fellow student, who obtained a scholarship from the Woman’s Center for being a single mother, both are inspired and motivated to expand on ideas of feminism with a second iteration of the formerly named feminist-centric journal, “All Ways A Woman.”

While Ritz made it known that neither her nor Lambertson never disliked the prior name of the publication, the words ultimately sent a specific message across that doesn’t necessarily resonate with our modern audience.

For instance, the pair believe that the current generation is filled with feminists that come from all backgrounds.

“The old title put more emphasis on it being a woman’s only publication, and this is a feminist publication. Feminists come in all genders.” Ritz says.

First being released to students here at CSI in the late eighties by a group of like-minded feminists, Ritz said that her partner, Lambertson was contacted by Robert King Kee of the Student Publication Office that a feminist based printing was once again warranted by a collective group of students.

“This is so important for both of us,” Ritz notes.

“We both have great visions for this project and I think that there’s so many amazing perspectives that students have. I believe that this is something that needs to be put to the forefront.”

The second coming of the yet to be titled journal will be “gender inclusive”, according to Ritz, “Male feminists offer a great perspective, even those who are just being introduced into the movement.”

The flyers posted around CSI campus call all feminists to the front line, but various other groups and perspectives are also very much needed.

“We actually have someone coming from the Licensed Mental Health Counseling Center, who’s going to offer a psychological perspective and talk about feminism within the field of parenting, which I didn’t even think about” Ritz explains,

“Other than that, Lori and I are looking for people from different social backgrounds, one of them being the LGBTQ+ community, of course.”

The first edition will be a much broader view on the current topics that circulate around and touch upon everything within the feminist motion.

But as time progresses and more printings are released, the pair hope for the upcoming issues to become theme based.

“We have so many possible avenues to go down; from origins on how people found their way here, to domestic violence, sexuality, gender identity, even men in feminism and men’s issues as well,” Ritz says.

Even though a release date could either be the end of this semester or the beginning of next, because of a missed deadline with the school board, the two founders have found a creative way to work around that when it comes to getting the journal into people’s hands.

As it shows that they are leaving old names behind, Ritz and Lambertson don’t mind looking at their predecessors way of promoting the work.

“We’re going to do the marketing, DIY style by handing them out to students walking around campus, just like they did in the nineties.”

In describing the possible future, as well as the possible slogan that will unite all of the writers and illustrators that encompass the evolved, second form of “All Ways A Woman”, Ritz had this to say: “This is who we are, these are the students on your campus. Let’s show you the variety of all the amazing people we have.”