Women’s Studies Update
Women’s Studies Update
VOLUME X, NUMBER 4 DECEMBER 2003

COORDINATOR’S CORNER

As the holiday season draws near, we are reminded of the people who have supported us along the way. Certainly Women's Studies would not be in existence if not for the persistence of some powerful visionaries for the past 10 years. This same group of women, with support from some men, has gotten us to where we are and still continue to nurture us along the way. Thank you WS past coordinators, secretaries, executive council members, and general supporters.
November concluded our Female-directed Film Series (co-sponsored with Services for Women Students and Services for Multicultural Students.) Although we had a small gathering for these films, the discussions were rich and insightful.
Planning for Women's History Month is underway. Judy Elsley has agreed to spearhead work on our patchwork wall hanging which will commemorate the lives of women of significance to us from the individual to the societal level. Sally Shigley is organizing a poetry contest, which will begin in February and roll over into March, as well as our "cookbook gathering" – an opportunity to honor those significant women in our lives by collecting recipes and sharing stories and the food that results from those recipes. Stay tuned for more updates on our webpage and in upcoming newsletters.
January 9 –10, 2004, Women's Studies will hold a retreat at Wolf Creek Lodge in Eden. This is intended as an opportunity for members of the Executive Council and a few other interested faculty to gather and discuss issues of importance to our program. Because space is limited, please check availability with Laura, who will keep a tally of those planning to attend. Keep in mind that this is the Friday before classes begin. We will convene in the lodge at 11:00 a.m. Friday and hope to be finished by Saturday at 3:00 p.m. We really need support from beginning to end of the retreat. Good food, great company, much work, and so much fun await us as we examine the Women's Studies program and decide future plans, so come join us. Please let Laura know (626-7632) as soon as possible if you are planning to come.
We are sorry to report that Sue Harley will be replaced as the College of Science representative on the Women's Studies Executive Council. She has been of great help to the program in many capacities, and we are very grateful to her for fitting us into her (always) busy schedule of service commitments. Michelle More of the Chemistry Department will replace Sue, and we extend a very hearty welcome to Michelle!

PROFILING ….

This month, we are happy to introduce Donna Hunter as a soon-to-be faculty member for the Women’s Studies Program; she will teach Introduction to Women’s Studies in summer, 2004, and we have already enjoyed her company at many Women’s Studies events.
Donna holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Liberal Arts from Ambassador College in Pasadena, CA, as well as a Master of Arts in Counseling Services from Rider University in Lawrenceville, NJ. She has pursued additional doctoral level psychology classes in 2001-2002 at the University of Utah.
A member of the Weber State Community since 1998, Donna has been a counselor for Services for Women Students and, most recently, WSU’s Counseling and Psychological Services. Since her arrival here, she has served as an instructor for the First Year Experience program, as well as delivering guest lectures for WSU courses in Psychology of Diversity and Women’s Health Issues. She has also been a guest lecturer for a Stevens Henager College course on Managing Difficult Conversations. A licensed professional counselor for the state of Utah, Donna also holds national certification as a counselor and special certification as a rape and sexual assault counselor for the YWCA. She is a member of the Board of Trustees for The Amani (Peace) Endowment for Education in Kenya (an organization founded by our own Wangari wa Nyatetu-Waigwa.) Prior to coming to WSU, she had counseling experience as a graduate intern at Rider University and "The Starting Point" in Westmont, NJ.
Donna’s service commitments include serving as advisor for the WSU Student Government Association and as a member of the WSU Diversity Standing Committee and Affirmative Action Committee, as well as several search and conference committees. She had similar committee involvement as a graduate student at Rider University, also helping to organize and participating in professional meetings. Donna’s professional presentations have been delivered to local groups, such as the Ogden office of the United States Forest Service and Clearfield Job Corps, as well as at the 2000 meeting of the Association of Women in Psychology. She coordinated National Organization for Women President Patricia Ireland’s visit to campus as part of WSU’s Women’s History Month activities.
Donna is originally from New Jersey, moving to Southern California for undergraduate school and then back to New Jersey again before finding her way once again out West to accept her position here. She "enjoys photography, cooking, international issues and hiking and finds that email is wonderful for keeping in contact with (her) two nieces and four nephews."
We have enjoyed our association with Donna in an informal capacity, and we look forward to having her as a member of the teaching faculty. We hope that relationship will continue beyond the summer.
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Keep in mind that the next newsletter will be a combined January/February issue, to appear around the end of January.

CALENDAR

1 Dec. - Women's Studies Salad and Sweets Holiday Gathering,11:30 AM - 1:00 PM,
SS 376A
- WORLD AIDS DAY

5 Dec. – Fall Semester Classes end.

12 Dec. – Winter Commencement exercises, 1 PM, Dee Events Center.

Happy Holidays!