OCW President’s Welcome

Welcome to the Organization of Campus Women!

As the new president-elect for this coming school year 2012-13, let me tell you how honored I am to be co-leading this group of women doing fantastic things on campus and in the community. I say “co-leading” because of the helping hands of other members who automatically step-up to provide guidance, answers and advice to newbies like me and to anyone who asks. Thank you!

As a member of OCW and now president, I get to greet and wave to so many more people--in the library or walking across campus or even biking around town. How great is that? As individuals we do our part to help ourselves, so that we can help others, which turns into group movements to help a whole bunch of people. No matter how small our acts are, I truly believe that if the sincere intention to do good is the locomotive, then that act—heavy weight grizzly bear big or pee-wee pocket sized lady bug--has an effect on others and makes a world a better place, even for a moment.

Of course the OCW is in the whopper business of helping others. We collected granola bars this summer for kid’s lunches in a community-wide effort to combat the undeniable poverty of La Crosse. In September, members participated in the 2012 walk for awareness of breast cancer—Steppin’ Out in Pink with Gundersen Lutheran. It’s the only walk I’ve done where those miles just seem to get shorter as the walk progresses! As if to say, courage! The first step is always the hardest!

The plans for 2012-13 are up and running too. We’ll be hosting a coffee clutch on Friday October 12 in the Hall of Nations in Centennial Hall from 10:00-11:30 am. Come and enjoy some coffee, eat a sweet, meet and greet other members—new and rookies! Spread the word too to anyone woman employee or graduate student on campus. Membership generation is important for any sustainable organization, and we’ve been around since 1971!

Other events will happen this year as in the past—the cookie bake-off that was so popular last year that helps the annual scholarship award given by OCW, the book club, the holiday social, the food drive in January and the Symposium in the spring—it’s all happening folks!

Another semester rolls out. We keep up with our professional duties and the wild cards that are dealt to us, and yet must find balance in the work-community-personal triangle of our lives. Without the support, relief and comfort that every individual act provides, then those pesky questions and second-guessing might buzz around our ears. But let’s remember that we are all in this together and that together we make ourselves collectively stronger. Thank you all again for your time and energy that make the OCW such a grand group!

All my best for another constructive and wholesome year,



Teri Talpe
OCW President 2012-2013
ttaple@uwlax.edu

Schedule of Monthly Meetings:

All meetings in Centennial Hall 2200 unless otherwise noted
  • Wednesday, December 12: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Wednesday, February 13: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Wednesday, March 13: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Wednesday, April 3: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Centennial Hall 3200)
  • Wednesday, May 8: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Spring Symposium -- April 10 at 11:30am. See the flyer for more details.