WSU Women’s Studies

       May 2008
       Volume XIV, no. 1

 

Becky Johns

 Women's Studies  Reading Group…

    We will meet at Ville Bella (37th & Harrison) on June 13 (Friday) at 1:00 p.m.  We will be discussing Cokie Roberts "Founding Mothers."

    Please join us to share your thoughts, even if you've been unable to finish reading the book!

If you have questions or comments about our meetings, please let us know (626-7632.)

 

  

Text Box:    Women's Studies  Reading Group…     We will meet at Ville Bella (37th & Harrison) on June 13 (Friday) at 1:00 p.m.  We will be discussing Cokie Roberts "Founding Mothers."     Please join us to share your thoughts, even if you've been unable to finish reading the book! If you have questions or comments about our meetings, please let us know (626-7632.)     

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Text Box: place internationally.  A film & discussion on women’s suffrage followed.        (4) Film Series.  A film series focused on International Women was featured the week of March 17 and included the following films:  “View from a Grain of Sand: three women, three wars: stories of survival from Afghanistan;” “A Conversation with Maya Lin – designer of the Vietnam Memorial;” “Daughters of Allah;” and “License to Kill (honor killings in Pakistan).”  All films were well attended with approximately 15 students and faculty in attendance at each film.      (5) Poetry Reading.  Drs. Isabel Asensio, Deborah Sheridan and Sally Shigley read a poetry selection of their choice in their own native language followed by English.  A discussion led by Maria Parrilla de Kokal followed.  This event was well attended with approximately 15 students and faculty.  Judith Pratt, from the Nursing Program, designed informative health awareness bookmarks that were distributed at each event sponsored by Women’s Studies.  Bookmark topics included: stress reduction, the benefits of exercise, vitamins and minerals, and sleep.  This casual format enabled us to provide valuable information to students easily and at low cost.  WS1500 was offered at the Davis campus and partially paid for by the Davis campus for spring 2008.  This course is now regularly offered at the Davis campus and is taught by Adrienne Gillespie, a classified employee of Weber State University who holds a Masters degree in Women’s Studies and Political Science.                            Some may see this as unnecessary or overly aggressive.  We believe there will be many who need and/or want such an effort.  Let each choose for herself.  I am excited to be co-planning with Carol Merrill our opening meeting of VOICE- an organization for and about the issues and goals of WSU women – for fall semester, 2007.  More on this will be upcoming.   Please also be planning for a Women’s Studies Retreat in May of 2008.  We hope many of you will plan to come.  Details soon.  Thanks to all of you, faculty, staff, community supporters, administrators, librarians, and WSU students, especially our WS minors for a great 2006-2007 year!  We look forward to another great school year coming up very shortly.  Please do not hesitate to contact me bjohns@weber.edu.            

 

Text Box:    We have had a very full and exciting 2007/08 school year in Women’s Studies.        Women’s Studies participated in MajorFest/Scholarship Day, helping to spread the word about our minor program and draw student interest in our courses as well as our program.        The Women’s Studies student organization, Feminist United Network (FUN) was reassembled in 2007 as part of a Senior Seminar project spearheaded by Lisa Araujo and Lé Wanda Croft, both Women’s Studies minors.  Interest in the club was high and we have a membership of approximately 24 students and community members.  A new president was elected, Jennifer Scott, a student who is active in Women’s Studies and a recipient of the Phoenix Achievement Scholarship for spring 2009.         The fall/winter social was held on December 11, 2007 and was very well attended by students, faculty and council members, approximately 20 in all.  We held the event in the Stromberg Stadium suites and it turned out to be a convenient and aesthetically pleasing location.  This was our first time having the event in the evening and in a more formal setting.  All in attendance enjoyed the event and the change in location.  We will follow this format in 2008/09 in hopes it will continue to allow Women’s Studies to celebrate its program, faculty, students and supporters and to facilitate discussion as to how to continue to promote the minor program.       The Women’s Studies Executive Council worked collectively on Love Your Body Day and Women’s History Month.  For Love Your Body Day, Women’s Studies showed a film “Slender Existence” which is a documentary following a young woman’s battle with bulimia.  We had approximately 20 students and faculty in attendance.         

 

Text Box: Adrienne Gillespie lead the open forum discussion following the film.       A number of activities were held during Women’s History Month.  Women’s Studies collaborated with Services for Women’s Studies and held a combined “Open House” for Women’s History Month.  This was very effective as Services for Women Students has a central location and we were able to split the cost of food which helped both departments.  There were approximately 120 students, faculty and staff who stopped by for the Open House.     Women’s Studies supported and advertised in support of other activities across campus during Women’s History Month.  Several events were directly sponsored by Women’s Studies including:     (1) Female Athlete Celebration.  This event included approximately 40 Jr. High School female athletes who were invited for a tour of the Swenson Gym, followed by free admission to watch the WSU Women’s Basketball game vs. Sacramento State University and then a post-game “meet and greet” with WSU players.  The Jr. High School students had a great experience and were able to be introduced to the Women’s Studies Program at WSU as well as the athletic department.     (2) Quilt Display & Tour which was a showcase of Dr. Judy Elsley’s quilting techniques and history.  This event drew a diverse audience of approximately 25 individuals and was very well received.      (3) Bread & Roses March.  As a tribute to International Women’s Day, students and faculty lead by Dr. Sandra Powell marched silently from the Moench Statue to the Shepherd Union Building to raise awareness about the various atrocities that are taking    

 

 
     

 

                                        

Text Box:  EXECUTIVE COUNCIL & FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS Faculty Accomplishments  Becky Johns, Chair, Women’s Studies     Dr. Johns served on the following committees in the 2007/08 school year:      National:  Book Reviewer, Religious Communication Association National Book Award; Paper Reader, Religious Communication Association National Conference; and Section Leader, Religious Communication Association National Conference, and Communication Studies.     University:  Chair, WSU Faculty Senate General Education Improvement and Assessment Committee; Member, Utah State General Education Taskforce.     Department:  Member, WSU Communication Department Curriculum Committee; Member, WSU Communication Department policies and Procedures Committee Member; WSU Communication Department, EPIC (Evaluation of Peer Instruction Committee) Revision Committee; Chair, WSU Communication Department Assessment; Co-chair, WSU Communication Department Master’s of Professional  Communication Committee; Faculty Advisor, WSU Communication Department Interpersonal and Family Communication Concentration; Member, Women’s Studies Program Executive Committee Dr.  Johns also serves as a Faculty Advisory Board Member, of the  University of Utah Obert C. and Grace A. Tanner Humanities Center; as an advisor for WSUSA Feminists United (FUN) and  WSUSA Student Voice for Reproductive Choice (VOX).   Eva Szalay, Foreign Language & Women’s Studies Faculty and Executive Council Member     Eva Szalay is a member of the International Society for Teacher Education Conference Planning and the Curriculum Committee Chair during Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 for the Foreign Language Department.  In this capacity, Dr. Szalay oversees and responds to all departmental, college and university inquiries re: significant changes to the Foreign Language Department curriculum initiative.  In addition, as.  Chair, Dr. Szalay lead the proposed changes in proposal format through from the dept. level to the College, University, Faculty Senate, Board of Trustees Levels of Review.     Dr. Szalay is also the College Curriculum Committee, Foreign Language Department Representative which entails reviewing all incoming curriculum proposals as set forth by the individual departments within the College of Humanities.     Finally, Dr. Szalay is the German Study Abroad / Exchange Program Administrator for the WSU - University of Bayreuth Exchange Program, which sends WSU students to Germany every summer semester for intensive study at the University of Bayreuth.  This position entails the administration of the program including all facets from initiating students to program requirements, guiding students in course choices, informing students re: all rules and regulations governing the exchange and serving as liaison for the exchange for all aspects, from start to finish. The program enables all participants to earn 12 credits of course work while in Germany and the work the students submit is reviewed and assessed. Responsibilities also include generating information about the exchange and locating qualified applicants for the program.  María Parrilla de Kokal, Psychology & Women’s Studies Faculty and Executive Council Member     María Parrilla de Kokal taught several Women’s Studies co-listed courses i.e., Psychology of Women and Psychology of Diversity which are now web-enhanced.  She also continues to serve on the Women’s Studies Executive Council, OWCAP, Weber Human Services, WSU Diversity Committee, Annual WSU Diversity Conference, and various department committees.       

  

 

 

 

 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL & FACULTY SPOTLIGHTS (cont.)

 

 

Text Box: Executive Council Accomplishments Kay Rawson Swan, Women’s Studies Executive Council Member    Kay Rawson Swan, our community representative, served as a Delegate at the United Nations 52nd Commission for the Status of Women.  Ms. Swan represented a NGO, International Federation of Home Economists and was among women from 192 countries all working for better quality of life for women.  Ms. Swan describes her experience as “phenomenal” and listening to the women’s stories and heart aches as well as understanding their problems is her formula as a beginning towards achieving peace in the world. “The first NGO delegate I met, was a Kurdish woman, Soraya Fallah: raised in Iran; put in prison while pregnant; tortured until she lost her baby; then managed to escape with her husband into Russia, other countries, and finally USA. She diligently got hundreds of signatures for a statement pleading for human rights of women in the Middle East to present to the CSW. When she got to her hotel she could not find the many pages of signatures. She returned to the Church Center where we had met and went thru the garbage which had been placed on the street. By 3:00 a.m. she had found all her papers to present for the International Women's Day celebration. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, at the International Women's Day Celebration promised to double his request for funding for women's programs. Guest speaker, Mickie Siebert, the first woman in the New York Stock Exchange Pit, gave women guidelines how to make a good living and not get discouraged. She thanked the United Nations for not hiring her when she came as a young person looking for a job. Avon Corporation Ambassador, Reese Witherspoon, spoke as a member of Avon's board of directors. Avon awarded 1 million dollars to the United Nations Development Fund for Women. After starring in the movie, "The Interpreter", Nicole Kidman has given visibility for women's concerns and was also in attendance. Sachs Goldman gave 100,000 six-month entrepreneurial training internships to enable women around the world to set up successful businesses. When I asked my friend from the Philippines what we were accomplishing she said, "Kay, because of our efforts last year at CSW, our Sisters in Saudi Arabia can now drive themselves to their children's schools, go shopping, and to a restaurant without a man chauffeuring." The United Nations is a powerful tool for Peace in the World and we should be willing to work through the difficult tasks of peace making instead of making War.”    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Executive Council – Thank You!

    Thank you to our dedicated Executive Council members for their continued support and contributions which help make Women’s Studies such a fantastic program at Weber State University.  The 2007/08 Executive Council members include:  Melina Alexander, Vel Casler, Forrest Crawford, Adrienne Gillespie, Kim Hyatt, Becky Johns, Ruby Licona, Carol Merrill, Leah Murray, María Parrilla de Kokal, Sandra Powell, Judith Pratt, Kay Rawson Swan (community representative), Richard Sadler, John Sillito and Eva Szalay.

  Women’s Studies Graduates 07/08

 Text Box:    Women’s Studies had 5 minor students graduate from Weber State University in 2007/08:  Lisa Araujo who majored in Psychology; Lé Wanda Croft who majored in Psychology, Nicholas Dragon who majored in Communications/Public Relations and Ryan Cheek who majored in Sociology.  One BIS student graduated in spring 2008, Chelsea Wheeler who had an emphasis in English, Family Studies and Women’s Studies.     On May 6, 2008, several members of the executive council, faulty and supporters of Women’s Studies attended a dinner in honor of the five graduates.       

 

 

 

  

  

 

 

 

Text Box: Upcoming Events:  Women’s Studies retreat, October 2008 (details to follow) Text Box: Find out more about Women’s Studies, take a Women’s Studies course this Fall: CORE: Intro to WS WS 1500 CRN21310 (Ogden) WS 1500 CRN22578 (Davis) Researh Methodology WS 4050 CRN21311 Researh Project WS 4060 CRN21313 Directed Readings 1 credit – CRN 21315 2 credit – CRN 21317 3 credit – CRN 21319 Topics in WS-Mothers &  Daughters WS 4900 CRN23535 CROSS-LISTED: Ethnicity & Older Women GERT 3320 CRN23676 The Novels of Jane Austen ENGL 4710 CRN23819 Psych of Women & Gender PSY 2370 CRN21594 See Class Schedule for full course details.

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: Weber State University Women’s Studies Program 1217 University Circle Ogden, UT  84408-1217 Phone: (801) 626-7632 – Fax: (801) 626-7130   E-mail womenstudies@weber.edu   Affiliations:   National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) The Southwest Institute for Research on Women (SIROW)    

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 We’re on the Web!

See us at:  www.weber.edu/womenstudies