Today, the front page of the Wall Street Journal includes an article on Bartitsu, which is described as “an obscure Victorian system of gentlemanly self-defense practiced by Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective.”

What are the weapons of choice? Walking sticks, top hats, snuffboxes, handkerchiefs or “any item a gentleman would have at his disposal.” There are Bartitsu courses, including one for women, “Kicking Ass in a Corset: Bartitsu for Ladies.” Apparently, the New York Bartitsu Club has over 200 members.

In light of our Gentlemen’s Showcase, I was intrigued. Read more here.

Currently we have a wonderful young women named Nicole interning for NeW, and we’d like you to get to know her better!

How did you hear about NeW?

I was milling around the exhibit room at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) this year and saw the NeW booth. I was drawn in by the focus on the involvement of conservative women in college and it intrigued me because I had not heard of any conservative women’s groups on college campuses. I was talking with two volunteers at the booth and as they were telling me about NeW, I found out that Karin Agness first started the organization at the University of Virginia, where I will be attending college the next four years. All of the sudden Karin walked up, I introduced myself, and we exchanged emails.

Why were you first interested in interning for NeW?

I absolutely love politics. So, for my high school senior project, I thought it would be fun and interesting to intern with a conservative political organization where I could possibly utilize my political writing skills. So, I contacted Karin and she and Sarah set me up with a lot of interesting, fun tasks.

What do you hope to gain from your internship?

I really want to help get the conservative women’s message out. I want to form a strong allegiance with NeW and help it prosper in the future. I also want to further my knowledge on conservative political issues, improve my blogging skills, and learn how to work for a grassroots organization.

Why do you think NeW is important?

I really think NeW is important for conservative women, like myself. We go though school learning about the hardships of being a woman, studying about the ERA and the feminist movement, talking about women’s rights, but it all is from a liberal perspective. In school, girls are primarily getting one side of the story. The literature we are given to read is limited to a liberal perspective. I think NeW is important because it helps young, conservative women find literature on the issues in order to support their thoughts and ideas. It also provides an environment for college students to discuss important women’s issues and conservative principles in general.

Next week we start reading Liberty is No War on Women by Carrie Lukas and Sabrina Schaeffer. We hope you will read along with us, and add your comments and thoughts each week.

To follow along, we are posting the weekly reading schedule (though if you read ahead, we won’t blame you!):

• May 29 – Introduction (9-12)
• June 5 – Part 1: Women in the Workforce (15-25)
• June 12 – Part 1: Female Education and American Women’s Health (25-31)
• June 19 – Part 2: Government Intervention in the Workplace (35-50)
• June 26 – Part 2: Health Care/Obamacare (51-57)
• July 3 – Part 2: Government Overspending (57-67)
• July 10 – Part 2: Taxes (67-71)
• July 17 – Part 2: Education System, Schools, and Head Start (71-75)
• July 24 – Part 2: Title IX and Government Takeover of Everything (75-82)
• July 31 – Conclusion; Solutions and Policies (83-97)

Happy Reading!

We’re excited about our Eighth Annual National Conference, which will be held on Thursday, June 27 and Friday, June 28 in Washington, DC. Will you be there?

On Thursday evening we will kick off the conference with a networking event for young professionals. The event will be held from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Heritage Foundation.

The National Conference continues on Friday, June 28 from 10am to 4pm at the Heritage Foundation. The keynote address will be given by Dr. Christina Hoff Sommers, author of Who Stole Feminism? and The War Against Boys. The event will include student speakers, an alumnae panel and a leadership training.

Fill out this form to register for one or both events by Friday, June 21, 2013. If you have any questions, please contact Sarah Davis at sarah@enlightenedwomen.org. Please feel free to invite friends and colleagues who would be interested in learning more about NeW.

We look forward to seeing you at this exciting and educational event!

We’ve been very proud of our seniors this graduation season, but we are also proud of our young women who have graduated and are taking what they learned in NeW out into the world. Today, we would like to highlight Ashley Crouch.

Where and when were you involved with NeW on Campus?

I first learned about NeW when I was a junior at the University of Dallas in 2008, when I heard Karin Agness speak at a Leadership Forum. Her vision to promote strong, intelligent, articulate women who were educated on the principles behind their political beliefs was so attractive. In contrast to popular radical feminist ideology that encourages women to disregard their femininity in order to be successful, I wanted the opportunity to work closely with strong, intelligent women, who maintained their core sense of feminine identity, while staying committed to their desire to play an active role in society and in a family. It is possible to be strong and successful women, not in spite of our femininity, but because of it. We need more of those role models.

What drew you to NeW originally?

Young women face such a unique cultural climate that’s so different from previous generations. It’s often so confusing to know where to turn for guidance about how to navigate all the questions of our lives or how to play a vibrant role in society. Even our mothers – who may have attended college to get an M.R.S. degree – sometimes seem out of touch with the emerging adult phenomenon and delayed marriage experience which is the reality for so many women. I’ve always been interested in these topics, so when my friend, Trish, suggested we start NeW together, I was on board.

Getting involved with NeW offers a chance to really think about what role we want to play in society as women, and whether we want to integrate our desires for marriage and family, or delay them in pursuit of a career. Danielle Crittenden’s book, “What Our Mothers Never Told Us” was an eye-opener for me and really got me thinking about these choices. When it comes to making big decisions in life, sometimes we might want to swim against the tide – and we need friends and a support system to help steer us along.

What was your favorite thing about being involved with NeW?

I loved being a part of NeW, because it allowed me the opportunity to dive into intricate social and political questions, and speak candidly with other women who wanted to be actively engaged in society, playing a part in making the world a better place. We need strong women who are effective and articulate leaders in the promotion of their ideas. The women who were a part of the club were passionate, ambitious, and intelligent, but also feminine. Their example reminded me of the type of woman I would want to be. And they continue to be friends, even after graduation!

What have you done since graduation?

I have been working to launch Verily Magazine, based out of Manhattan. Verily is like the fashion magazine I always wanted and didn’t know existed. It is a new fashion and lifestyle magazine that celebrates the best of who you are. We feature fashion that is worthy of the woman, relationship articles that go beyond sex tips, and strong cultural and lifestyle journalism. It has been an amazing journey of learning how to go beyond my comfort zone – and the result is our gorgeous print June/July issue coming out this month! People can subscribe or buy a print copy by visiting www.shop.verilymag.com.

What piece of advice would you give to current NeW Women?

Surround yourself with the type of women that you would like to become; those who inspire you whether through their sharp minds or love for beauty, for example. Strive for excellence and be open to possibilities beyond what you ever imagined for yourself. And do not be afraid to tackle tough questions and seek answers that will continue to shape you into the person you were designed to be. The world needs your voice, your ideas, and your enthusiasm!

Wow, you’re doing such great things!  Thanks for checking in, Ashley!

Each semester and summer, NeW likes to host reviews and discussions about the books our chapters read in our Online Book Club. In the past we’ve done Manning Up, Who Stole Feminism, A Return to Modesty, and most recently Taking Sex Differences Seriously.

I am pleased to announce that our Online Book Club returns in 2 weeks, where we will start to discuss Liberty is No War on Women by Carrie Lukas and Sabrina Schaeffer. Written to battle the claims during the last election season that conservative groups were waging a war on women, Lukas and Schaeffer completely deconstruct this notion, and present how limited government can and does benefit all.

We will announce the reading schedule next week, and start reading the book together on May 29. Before then, listen to an interview with Sabrina Schaeffer NeW conducted last year after the release of her book.

Order your copy today, and we look forward to this summer’s discussion!

Carrie Lukas, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Women, Sex, and Feminism, has a good piece out today in the Huffington Post on the “Lean In” debate. Rather than focusing on women leaning into work, she argues that government should lean out, which would help women succeed. She writes:

 So what really stands in the way of women achieving that holy grail of work-family balance? Ill-conceived government policies shoulder part of the blame. Government imposes a wide-variety of regulations and policies that limit the employment opportunities available for women. Most of these are done in the name of protecting workers, but they can backfire by making it more difficult and expensive for businesses to offer jobs, particularly flexible work arrangements. The good news is that, unlike so many of the other factors that complicated this issue, these policies can change.

You can read the rest of the piece here.

As you hear about the Lean In debate in the news, this piece is a reminder that we should also be rethinking the role of government and the unintended consequences of government policies.

I have returned from a trip to New York City last week for the Forbes Women’s Summit: Power Redefined. This inaugural Women’s Summit brought together women across generations and was described as follows:

The Forbes Women’s Summit is a transformational and multigenerational meeting of 200 powerful minds: CEOs, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, innovators, disruptors, educators, heads of foundations and NGOs, artists, and politicians.

Attendance is by invitation only. Everyone in the room will be an active participant. We’ll make no distinction between ‘speaker’ and ‘attendee’ – all participants are invited specifically because they have something to add to this high-level peer-to-peer discourse, and everyone will be participating in the dialogue and innovative actions.

I was intrigued by the idea and so I attended. I had wonderful conversations with corporate executives, a college president and fashion entrepreneurs. There were some truly amazing women in the room. To get a taste of the Summit, you can check out the agenda.

Thanks to Forbes and specifically, Moira Forbes, for bringing us together.

This semester, UVA at NeW President Marjorie Baker interned for NeW. We were glad to have her on board! Before finishing up for the semester, Marjorie answered a few questions for us about why she is involved with NeW.

Marjorie (right) with NeW at UVA member Wendy

What did you learn while interning for NeW?

 NeW taught me a great deal. First it taught me the value social media, such as facebook, twitter, and the NeW blog. NeW has utilized these resources to help promote itself, and it has reaped great dividends. NeW has been able to gain a wide following of people beyond the college level.

What types of projects did you work on?

There was a weekly blog post assignment, plus any other type of weekly project. In the Spring, NeW’s big project is to make the Gentleman’s Showcase a success.

What was your favorite project? Please describe.

  I enjoyed the blogging. I enjoyed being able to write about issues that were important to me, and to be able to share them with others.

How do you plan on staying involved with NeW now that your internship is over?

I hope to be a member of the NeW chapter at the University of Virginia, and I hope continue to submit blog posts.

What was your favorite part of your NeW internship?

As corny as it sounds, I enjoyed being able to contribute to NeW’s mission!

What did you learn from your NeW internship?

I learned a lot about social networking and outreach. NeW has been able to spread to so many other universities through the outreach it has done with conservative women at many different schools.

How do you think NeW is making a difference?

NeW is able to show the true meaning of conservative feminism to university women. It is able to serve as a true network for conservative women.

Thank you for all of your work this semester, Marjorie!

Last month, the current and future leaders of the NeW chapter as well as the 2013 Gentleman of the Year Alfonse Muglia were interviewed on the radio about NeW, their work on campus and the Gentlemen’s Showcase. You can listen to their interview here:

NeW Cornell Interview.

Thanks for being such great representatives of NeW!

As we near the end of the school year, we would like to take a moment to celebrate some of the seniors we have graduating and to thank them for their hard work for NeW. Today’s Spotlight is on Natalie Spindle, Vice President of the NeW chapter at Florida State University.

How did you get involved with NeW?

I became involved with NeW through my friend Shannon McGuire. I had a sociology class with her during my freshman year at Florida State University. She asked if I would be interested in learning about a women’s club at FSU, so I went to see what it was about.

What is one thing you gained from NeW?

NeW helped me to become comfortable with discussing my values and beliefs. I was able to actually consider where I stand on certain issues which is something I never would have thought about without the discussions we had in NeW. I was nice to learn about the many values shared by other women going to my university.

How Did NeW shape your college experience?

I feel that NeW helped me to learn that there are so many facets to women’s issues. I am glad that I learned that radical feminism is not the only way to seek women’s rights. I was happy to learn that there was more than one way to think about feminism.

What is your favorite part of NeW? Your favorite memory?

I think my best memories from NeW come from my time at the Washington D.C. convention. I was able to listen to valuable speakers and meet so many strong minded college women. It was exciting to hear how active the other chapters at universities are. I enjoyed networking with peers and learning more about the NeW leaders.

What will you miss most about NeW?

I think that I will miss having a comfortable place to discuss important issues. It is difficult to feel like you are in an atmosphere where people will not argue with you and put you down for saying what is on your mind but NeW was the opposite. I felt that although I did not always agree with everything, women would still listen to me and respect my thoughts.

What is one piece of advice you would pass on to NeW ladies following you?

I think that women with conservative and moderate values at FSU are afraid to be identified or they know that their experiences in class have not been positive and therefore they stop speaking out. I hope that they will gain their voice back and be able to create a more positive light for feminists.

What are your plans after graduation?

After graduation I will be moving to Wyoming to work at Grand Teton National Park for the season. I am not sure what I plan to do after the season is over.

Thanks for being a part of NeW, Natalie!

As we near the end of the school year, we would like to take a moment to celebrate some of the seniors we have graduating and to thank them for their hard work for NeW. Today’s Spotlight is on Katy Doran, member of NeW at the University of Florida.

How did you get involved with NeW?

Rachel Kopec used to plug for NeW at my Cru Bible study. I went and was interested, but classes and other commitments always hindered me from going. Senior year, I decided to join and am going to help lead it in Gainesville this summer!

What is one thing you gained from NeW?

I definitely learned better how to discuss issues with women my age, and NeW helped me get an internship this fall!

What is your favorite part of NeW? Your favorite memory?

I’ve only really done a few things with NeW, so I’d have to say attending CPAC with the organization was a great experience.

What will you miss most about NeW?

 I think the availability of so many people my age (college in general) to discuss ideas and dive into how today’s policies apply to us as students.

What is one piece of advice you would pass on to NeW ladies following you?

 Make a commitment to meet, and don’t limit yourself to women’s issues!

What are your plans after graduation?

Interning in DC for the fall and spring, then attending law school, Lord willing.

Thanks for being a part of NeW, Katy!