COORDINATOR’S CORNER

Women’s Studies students and faculty are preparing to travel to Albuquerque in June for the National Women’s Studies Association conference. We look forward to sharing what we’ve learned in the Fall.

This summer Professor Priti Kumar will be "holding down the (Women’s Studies’) fort," so to speak and will be in charge of Directed Readings. We are designing a contract for Readings’ credit modeled after that used by the English Department. Linda Shoemake and Dr. Diane Krantz will be on campus periodically throughout the summer, giving Priti support and making arrangements for Autumn Women’s Studies courses and activities.

The year has been marked by a number of achievements for Women’s Studies. The Fall Video Series and Spring reading of the Sheldon Letters drew a small number of enthusiastic supporters. Many of the activities for Women’s History Month were well attended, including the convocation with Patricia Ireland. The picnic and the retreat are always enjoyable; look for the continuing opportunities next year. Two students representing Information Dissemination organized the Women’s Realities series heard by a diverse and lively audience this past semester. We thank Heather Harris and Jason Hurd for their hard work and we encourage you to attend the series again in the Fall. The sessions, which dealt with various issues that affect women in our community, were presented by experts from both Weber State and women’s agencies in Utah.

Fall core courses include WS 2050, Introduction to Women’s Studies, our general education course taught by Drs. Brenda Marsteller-Kowalewski and Thom Kuehls and WS4050, Research Methodologies taught by Dr. Eva Szalay. Minors, please note: if you are planning on graduating in Women’s Studies before December of 2000, you need to take WS4050 in the Fall of 1999. Our elective offerings for Fall include Professor Kumar’s course on Literature and Middle Eastern Women Writers and Dr. Gloria Wurst’s and Dr. Michael Wutz’s Gender in Science and Literature. As should be evident from the titles, the courses are diverse in both subject matter and focus of concern.

In August, we’ll put out a campus-wide call for applications for the 2000-2003 Women’s Studies director. We already have several people who have expressed interest, so we feel certain that Women’s Studies will be in very competent hands as we move into the new millenium..

This abbreviated last issue of the 1998/99 year will forego the FACULTY PROFILE and CALENDAR in their usual formats. Instead, the following paragraphs highlight some upcoming activities/items of potential interest to our readers.

On 16 May, The Utah AIDS Foundation is sponsoring a candlelight memorial/mobilization at 8 PM at the County Building, 25^th and Washington in downtown Ogden. For info., contact Kat Frith.

"The Changing Face of Hate" - A National Symposium, will be held in Ogden at the Eccles Conference Center on 18-19 May. The symposium is being sponsored by Weber State, in cooperation with several other state and national groups. For more information, call 801-626-7420.

Utah G/L/B/T Pride Day will be held 12-13 June. For more information, call the Pride Line at 801- 461-5002.

There is a new transition house for women in Ogden who are in early recovery from substance dependence. The house is in need of a variety of household items from small kitchen utensils to large pieces of furniture. If you can donate anything to the cause, please contact Kat Frith.

The Consortium of Utah Women in Higher Education will hold its Spring Conference on Friday, 21 May, at the Aarchway Inn in Moab. Keynote speaker Naomi Silverstone will present "Bringing Your Authentic Self to the Workplace: Listening to the Quiet Voice Within." For more information, contact Sue Guenter-Schlesinger at 435-797-1266 or

That’s all, folks; see you next year!