Where Are All the Women On Our Money?

Image Courtesy of Women on 20s

Hello all! I recently came across a pretty interesting cause that I’d love to bring to your attention.

Do me a favor and take out your wallet. Look at the bills inside of it. Do you notice a trend? Well if you don’t, I’ll help you out. All the people featured on those crisp bills are men. While Ben and Abe may have been influential in the shaping of our country, it’s pretty unfair not to acknowledge some of the fabulous women who did the same.

That’s exactly what the group I stumbled upon aims to do – give women the acknowledgement they deserve. Women on 20s is a grassroots organization with the goal of getting a woman’s portrait on paper money. The campaign engages people from all walks of life to address gender equality and honor the women who helped shape this country. They are looking to boot Andrew Jackson from the $20 bill, and replace him with a woman.

Why Andrew Jackson you ask? Well, if you’re needing a history refresher, I’ve got your back. While our seventh president may have founded the modern Democratic Party, he also assisted in the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The act led to the Trail of Tears that resulted in the death of thousands of Native Americans due to exposure, disease, and starvation during their mass relocation westward. Not cool, Andrew, not cool. I'd say it is about time for a fresh face on our $20 bill.

Okay, so you’re probably curious about how this is going to work. Well, Women on 20s is making it possible for the entire country to engage in the process by allowing online voting to choose the woman to replace Andrew Jackson. Once the winner is declared, they will present President Obama with a petition for the change. After that, all the President has to do is ask the Secretary of the Treasury to make it happen. Pretty simple, right? The group envisions the new bill to be released in 2020, celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the passage of the 19^th amendment, which gave women the right to vote. Yay women!

Now that you have all the information, you’re probably wondering how you can get involved. It’s really quite simple. Visit www.womenon20s.org, and vote for your favorite candidate. The fab four finalists are Eleanor Roosevelt, Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks, and Wilma Mankiller – all fantastic women who have had a positive impact on our country. The site even has biographical information on each woman to help you make your decision. I hope you feel inspired to get involved, promote gender equality and honor some pretty influential women. Happy voting!

Have a wonderful day. Enjoy the fabulous weather. Vote to get a woman on our currency! As for me, I hear a strong cup of coffee calling my name.

So You're Stuck At Home For Spring Break...

Image by: Sidney Kohnke

While your friends are posting pictures of themselves living it up in PCB or enjoying the culture of some European country, you’re sitting on your parents’ couch binge watching Friends and ignoring the homework you should probably be doing. Here a few ways to make your stay-cation one that isn’t as mundane as it once seemed.

1.    Explore your own city

Before you roll your eyes at this idea, think about it. You really haven’t spent that much time in your hometown if you’ve been away at school. Even if you live at home and commute, when was the last time you’ve really checked out some of the things to do in your town? Go for a bike ride in a neighborhood you haven’t seen before, explore some of the small local shops, or just spend a day stopping at your favorite places in town.

2.   Take a day trip

For whatever reason, you weren’t able to make it to the beach, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a trip at all. Grab a friend, your GPS and some road jams, and take a day trip to a nearby city or tourist town (I took a day trip to downtown Milwaukee – definitely just as Instagram-worthy as a trip to Myrtle Beach in my opinion).

3.   See a movie

If you’re going to watch movies all day, why not do it in one of the dream loungers at the movie theater? Plus, there are some pretty great movies in theaters right now. Let me just remind you that Insurgent just recently came out…

4.   Get in some quality family bonding time

Take advantage of the time you have at home. Your family most likely misses you more than you know, so carve out some time for them too. Take your grandparents out to lunch, spend time with your siblings, sit down to watch an episode of The Middle with your parents.

5.   R-E-L-A-X

Okay, let’s face it, your spring break 2k15 (and mine) is inevitably not going to be like the spring break scene out of 22 Jump Street. Instead of wallowing on that fact, use this week to do the things you never get to do during a normal school week. Read a book (and by that I mean a book you actually enjoy and not your textbook). If you’re into art, take some time to sketch or paint. You haven’t seen Harry Potter in awhile? Get comfortable, grab some popcorn and Mike and Ikes, and watch the series. It’s called spring “break” for a reason people… take a break!

No matter how you spend your spring break, make sure to make the most of it; it’s one of our last weeks of relaxation before exam time hits us.

UPDATE: As I’m sure you probably noticed, Caffeine & College is slightly (and when I say slightly, I mean drastically) different than the last time you visited. When I launched the blog last month, I wasn’t happy with the design at all, but I was extremely eager to get some of my work published. After the initial post was up, I decided to figure out how to make the blog something that didn’t look like a fifth-grader who had read a Blog Design For Dummies book had created it. In between biting my nails while watching the Wisconsin men’s basketball team kill it in the NCAA tournament and sleeping into the late afternoon, I have spent my spring break learning a few basic Photoshop and HTML/CSS skills to make the blog something I’m truly proud of. A HUGE thanks to everyone who has supported me so far – you guys rock! As always, thanks for popping by the page. Until next time.

Have a fabulous day. Take a risk. Make sure to cheer on the Badgers as they take on Kentucky! As for me, I hear a strong cup of coffee calling my name.