Turning a light on women's suffrage Turning a light on women's suffrage (October 01, 2004)

Los Altos High School club hosting event on Oct. 2

By Julie O'Shea

With just a month to go before the November election, the Los Altos High School chapter of Girls For A Change will meet Oct. 2 to shine the spotlight on women's suffrage.

The special event, co-sponsored by the Los Altos History Museum, will feature a screening of an HBO film about the historic women's movement. L.A. Chung, a columnist with the San Jose Mercury News, will be the keynote speaker.

The evening, which will take place in the high school's theater at 201 Almond Ave. in Los Altos, will run from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and is free to the public.

"This is definitely not just a school event. It's a whole community event," said Amy Tong, a senior at Los Altos High and a member of Girls For A Change, a countywide organization dedicated to helping girls make a difference in their communities.

Although Tong won't turn 18 until January, she is already well versed on the political issues surrounding this presidential election and hopes events like this Saturday's will encourage more teens to take notice and get involved in local government. After all, in just a few years or less, these students will be heading to the polls to cast their vote.

"It's not the norm for us (teens) to worry about things like this," Tong said.

Sarah Shakour, 17, another Los Altos senior who is co-president of Girls For A Change, has already taken an active stance on politics, having attended the Democratic National Convention in July.

"It's time to get to the issues," she said of this year's race. "It's important to care."

Last year, Girls For A Change hosted a speakers series, featuring prominent women leaders, including Congresswomen Anna Eshoo. This year, organizers say they hope to reach out to girls and teens in a different way.

Judy Prothro, a counselor at Los Altos High who is helping to organize this weekend's event, said historically many voters between 18 and 24 never make it to the polls. These statistics were not available from the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters nor from the League of Women Voters of California.

"This is a powerful tool, the power to vote," Prothro said, adding that she hopes the featured movie, starring Hilary Swank, Frances O'Connor, Julia Ormond and Anjelica Huston, will be eye-opening.

I think the movie is so powerful. It is the perfect kind of tie-in to what we did last year," Prothro said. "We are still battling; as women we are still battling [for equality]."

The film, spanning the years 1912 to 1920, chronicles the story of Alice Paul and Lucy Burns, key leaders in the suffrage movement. Prothro warns that this movie contains mature topics, and seating is based on availability. She is expecting a big turnout, possible as many as 250 people. To secure a seat, Prothro suggested arriving early.

Tying into this event, the Los Altos History Museum is displaying an exhibit entitled "Votes for Women: Unfinished Business," through Nov. 21. The museum is located at 51 S. San Antonio Road in Los Altos.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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