WSU Women’s Studies

       March 2007

       Volume XIII, no. 2

 

 

Text Box: Women's Studies  Reading Group… meeting to discuss "The Inheritance of Loss" by Kiran Desai has been postponed 'til March 30th. Please join us to share your thoughts, even if you don't finish reading the book! If you have questions or comments, let us know (626-7632.)   Text Box:      Kathryn MacKay, first coordinator of the Women's Studies program, was chosen by the Utah Humanities Council to receive their 2007 Distinguished Humanities Award, the group's most prestigious   honor.      The

 

Text Box:      March is almost here and that means Women's History Month.  Some of you may wonder why we celebrate Women's History Month and why we put so much emphasis on it in Women's Studies.  From the National Women's History web site we find this description: "Each year, March is designated as National Women's History Month to ensure that the history of American women will be recognized and celebrated in schools, workplaces, and communities throughout the country.  The stories of women's historic achievements present an expanded view of the complexity and contradiction of living a full and purposeful life.  The knowledge of women's history provides a more expansive vision of what a woman can do.  This perspective can encourage girls and women to think larger and bolder and can give boys and men a fuller understanding of the female experience.     

 

Becky Johns

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

Kathryn MacKay

Coordinator’s Corner

Text Box: The theme for Women's History Month 2007 is 'Generations of Women Moving History Forward.'  This theme celebrates the wisdom and tenacity of prior and future generations of women and recognizes the power and impact of generations working together.  Moving History Forward is a process of individuals coming together for the greater good of the society and confirming the idea that individuals working together can be effective in building a better, more compassionate world."      I like the theme for this year, "Generations of Women Moving History Forward."  It gives me goose bumps.  I hope you will be able to join us for many of the exciting events we have planned for Weber State and our community (see calendar with this newsletter.)  Special thanks go to our WHM committee: Gloria Perez-Jensen, Maria Parrilla de Kokal, Adrienne Gillespie,  Michelle    More, Geri Knighton, Judith Pratt, Lisa Araujo and Tiffani Myers.  

 

 

Text Box:      In particular, I would like to invite you to hear a special speaker, Olene Walker, former Lt. Governor and Governor of the sate of Utah, who will be speaking on our campus Tuesday, March 20th, at 10:00 AM (place to be announced) just for our Women's History Month celebration.  (Thanks to Kay Swan for her suggestions and help in getting Olene to come.)  Please join us and help honor this great woman of Utah and national history.      My "Women Who Do Too Much" calendar for today says, "I would like to help women convert themselves into little powerhouses of social justice" - Ashley Judd.  We already are - it's just that some of us haven't realized it yet.  Women's Studies plays a part in helping people convert themselves into little powerhouses of social justice and that gives me goosebumps too.  I hope to see you all soon at some of our Women's History Month activities!                   

  

 

Text Box: recognized   by   the   award. This year, Kathryn serves as primary scholar for the Utah tour of the "Between Fences" exhibit, part of the Smithsonian Museum-on-Main-Street program.

 Text Box: award celebrates one person for a lifetime of commitment and achievement.  Kathryn's tireless assistance to local museums in setting up historical exhibits and to libraries across the state in facilitating book  discussions were two  of   her   activities                   CONGRATULATIONS!

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           Kat Frith, WS Graduate

 

 UTAH PEACE ALLIANCE:

 State Coordinator:  Julianne   

  Fitzgerald - 435-259-881 

 State Campaign Administrator: 

  Michelle Peterson- 435-260-8543

State Youth Coordinator:       

  Ashley Anderson - 801-652-2971

 District One (Rob Bishop;

  Northern Utah) Congressional

  District Co-

  Team Leaders:  Kat Frith - 801-

  392-3125 & Karen Brinkerhoff -   

  801-649-8077

 District Two (Jim Matheson;

   Downtown SLC etc.) CDTL:

   Hope Sunyich - 801-652-2972

 District Three (Chris Cannon;

  Utah County etc.)Temp. CDTL

  until the Real one shows up: 

  Michelle Peterson-435-260- 8543

  www.thepeacealliance.org 

From Kat Frith, for the Utah Peace Alliance

 

     Current congressional legislation (HR 808) would create a U.S. Department of Peace to address such issues as the following. U.S. youth homicide rates are more than 10 times those of other industrialized nations, and homicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10 to 24 in 2001.  Domestic violence is the single greatest cause of injury to women.  Some 31,000 gangs were operating in 1996 in 4800 U.S. cities and towns. The fastest growing enterprise in our nation is prisons. The cost of interpersonal violence in the U.S. is $300 billion a year.

     A wealth of national expertise can deal with this crucial issue. Some 300 universities offer degrees in non-violent conflict resolution and peace building, thinking not reflected in national and local policies. National violence requires a comprehensive national response.

     Internationally, the Department of Peace would be pro-peace, with war always the very last resort.  If war is unavoidable, the Department would provide conflict resolution to support troops in their efforts to protect our nation. 

     The Peace Alliance has been formed to make the Department of Peace a reality, with teams working in all 50 states to educate citizens and to lobby for HR808.  The Utah Peace Alliance delegation met with Utah's representatives to ask for their support of the legislation. We now hope to get the word out to you, the citizen.  Americans want peace in their lives and their world; the Utah Peace Alliance will encourage and support grassroots efforts to make the Department of Peace a reality. 

 

 

Suggestions/Comments Are Welcome

We value your input!
 If you have any suggestions for activities you would like to see sponsored by Women’s Studies, including films, panel discussions, etc., and/or to offer comments and/or suggestions regarding the newsletter, please contact the Women’s Studies office (626-7632.) 

 

 

                                      

                

 

                                

Text Box:   We’re on the Web! See us at: www.weber.edu/womenstudies      

 

We’re on the Web!

See us at:

www.weber.edu/womenstudies

 

 

 
 

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