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Ladies, gone are the days of calling our dads and brothers when we have a flat tire. It is time to take responsibility for our cars and gain some knowledge that will leave us feeling confident, no matter how long the drive.
The Women’s Resource Center and Sugar Free Feminism are inviting local female auto mechanic Sydney LaSasso to teach some preventative maintenance that every driver should know. She will be teaching how to change a tire, check the oil and make sure our cars are running safely.
This car care workshop will take place at 5 p.m. on Thursday, great products from companies like GreaseMonkeyDirect.com will be available. We will meet in the Women’s Resource Center in UMC 416 and then head to the parking lot to get some grease on our hands.
Car care and car reg check is among the many new responsibilities that came with being on our own at college. However, unlike paying bills or grocery shopping, this is a topic that a lot of students know almost nothing about.
“In high school, I called my dad, and if he wasn’t available I called my best friend,” said Jillian Baumer, a 19-year-old sophomore advertising major.
Not surprisingly, Baumer’s best friend is a guy.
Women don’t tend to hold practical knowledge of how to maintain their cars because automobile knowledge and maintenance is gendered as a masculine topic.
“I know the process [of changing a tire] but I can’t do it by myself because I’m not strong enough,” Baumer said. “I can’t loosen the bolts.”
Chelsea Mullen is a 20-year-old junior triple majoring in anthropology, psychology and women’s studies. She works as the volunteer coordinator at the Women’s Resource Center, and her knowledge of women’s issues and education helps describe why girls seem to be so left behind on the topic of cars.
“It’s not something our society has conceptualized in gender roles,” Mullen said. “Girls are taught more about cooking, craft and things in the domestic sphere, while cars in general are viewed as male dominated even though we all drive, which is so silly.”
Most people drive and have our own cars. It does not make sense that many women are not aware of how to properly take care of them.
Not knowing the proper response of what to do when your “check engine” light flashes has economic consequences. Mechanics, who are usually men, are able to tell us what is wrong and we have no choice but to believe them.
“It makes it easy for a mechanic to sell us things we may not want or even need,” Mullen said.
It is time to get car smart.
LaSasso will answer any questions, even if you already know how to change your tire and check your oil, learn how to maintain the battery and carburetor well. Don’t leave until you feel confident about how your car works.
“We can’t just be reliant on other people all the time,” Mullen said. “We need to be autonomous.”
This includes being independent in all areas of life. From making our own decisions about our bodies to taking care of our cars, the WRC has events and resources that give women the skills to survive in a society that retains its patriarchal roots.
Morgan Aguilar is a volunteer at the Women’s Resource Center, and is pursuing a minor in women’s studies.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Morgan Aguilar at Morgan.aguilar@colorado.edu.
