VOL. VI, NO. 6 MARCH 2000

"Top O’ the Month" - as those of us with Irish roots are wont to say! My tidings of great joy are that Sandra Powell will take over in June as Coordinator of Women’s Studies at Weber State. Sandra brings abundant experience both as involved faculty member and executive council chair for Women’s Studies and as leader of many and diverse committees at Weber State.

The Women’s History Month calendar is full of activities and presentations that depend on Women’s Studies faculty, staff, and students for support, especially with bodily presence. I look forward to meeting everyone at this year’s exciting events. The calendar is close to being completed, but not in final form as I write this, so please watch for specific announcements regarding dates and times. Faculty might consider taking or assigning students to attend especially applicable forums.

This year’s Women’s History Month Social will be held March 1, 10:30 am to 1:30 pm in the Diversity Center. Food, entertainment, and information on pertinent women’s topics will be available. Community groups and campus clubs that concern themselves with women’s issues will have tables outside the Diversity Center in the Union Building lounge. Also, we are hoping to have native Indonesian dancers entertain. At the least, we’ll be running a video as in years past. On March 2, Dr. Walter Hill will speak on ‘Opportunities for Women’ at 1:00 pm in Stewart Library Special Collections. Drs. Joan Thompson and Molly Smith will present a Sport’s Night for Women on March 3, Swenson Gym.

The following Wednesday, March 8, a panel discussion featuring international women and differently-abled women will be followed by a "March for Justice for Women" that will proceed from the Moench statue to the bell tower where there will be a short program. The panel convenes at 11:00 am and the march will begin at noon. Classified staff members especially are encouraged to march along with faculty and students. On Thursday, March 9, Hill Air Force Base Outreach Groups will offer a women-centered presentation.

After Spring Break, the month-long celebration will continue with further Women on Wednesdays presentations, a video discussion led by our own Professors Priti Kumar and Linda Oda (11:30 am, March 21 and 29), presentations by Drs. Jean White (March 28) and Maeve Leakey (Convocations, March 30), and an awards banquet for Outstanding Young Women at Weber State (March 31.) Look for posters with specific information on these happenings as well as about the Northern Utah Women’s Conference being held at the Ogden Marriott Hotel on March 25th.

On course offerings: In Fall, 2000, Professors Becky Johns and Marjukka Ollilainen will teach Introduction to Women’s Studies on MWF at 9:00 am. Research Methodologies will be offered by Dr. Eva Szalay, MW at 11:00 am. Directed Readings, Internship, and Senior Seminar are available as needed. Drs. John Lamborn and Kathryn MacKay will teach Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Studies, Thurs., 5:30 pm.

Sex Roles and the Law, Spanish Women Writers through the Centuries, Literature of Places and Cultures: Women Writers of the Middle East, Psychology of Women and Gender, and Perspectives on Women’s Literature: Asian Women Writers: China, Japan, and India will be cross-listed. A new, recently-approved course, Language and Power, will be offered by Drs. Thomas Mathews and Eva Szalay; this course will carry a WS as well as a Foreign Language number.

In Spring, Drs. Eva Szalay and Wangari wa Nyatetu-Waigwa will offer Feminist Theories, MWF at noon. Directed Readings, Internships, and Senior Seminar will be offered as needed. At least seven cross-listed courses are also planned.

I remind students that registering early (and with conviction) will help ensure that the courses you need to complete a Women’s Studies minor will be available when you want them.

It’s a pleasure this month to introduce a new member of the Women’s Studies faculty who will be teaching Introduction to Women’s Studies (with Becky Johns) in the Autumn semester and a new cross-listed Sociology course (Women, Work and Organizations in America, with Huiying Wei-Arthus) in Spring next year. Dr. Marjukka Ollilainen joined the Weber State faculty last July as an Assistant Professor of Sociology, launching what she describes as her second career. Born in Helsinki, Finland, she holds a Master of Social Sciences (MSS) degree from the University of Tampere and worked as a journalist and radio broadcaster for a while, with a focus on finding answers to questions of social (especially gender) inequality. Dissatisfied with the progress of that quest, she decided to return to graduate school and the US, where she had first come in 1979 as a high school exchange student, with repeated subsequent trips to visit friends. Armed with experience studying international women’s issues and third world development for her MS in Political Science from Virginia Tech, she moved to Sociology to explore women in the workplace and in organizations for her PhD research at the same institution. She had just received her degree prior to joining our faculty. Her Spring ‘01 class with Huiying will allow her to apply her area of research expertise in the classroom; the two have received funding for course development from the Diversity Committee. While at Virginia Tech, she taught Women’s Studies courses in gender relations, communication, and women in work, as well as their introductory Women’s Studies course.

Marjukka has presented her research at many conferences from local to international levels and she has published several journal articles and book reviews, with more in the works. She received multiple grants in support of her research during her graduate studies. She has served her discipline as a manuscript reviewer, conference organizer and panelist/discussant at professional meetings, as well as delivering guest lectures, training and other seminar presentations at Virginia Tech. Her service commitment also led to participation in several community projects.

Finding herself enjoying her teaching position at Weber State, Marjukka admits that "it doesn’t hurt that we have great skiing so close." In addition, she’s also found time to take in some offerings of the Sundance Film Festival and hopes to see even more movies next year.

The Women’s Studies program is delighted to welcome Marjukka as an active participant, particularly given the accumulated interest and experience she brings with her. We look forward to a long and (we hope, mutually) fruitful interaction!

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Remember the Women’s Realities lectures, sponsored by FUN and held at the YCC, 2261 Adams Ave., Ogden, every third Wednesday. For more information, contact FUN30@yahoo.com or stop by the Women’s Studies office.

1 March - Womens’ History Month Social; Diversity Ctr., UB, 10 am-1:30 pm.

- Women’s Realities, Young and Single Mothers in Utah, YCC, 7 pm

2 March - Opportunities for Women, Dr. Walter Hill, Library Special Collections, 1 pm.

8 March -"March for Justice for Women" from Moench statue, noon

- Exec. Coun. Mtg, SS115, 12:20 pm.

22 March - Women’s Realities, Does Feminist Theory Apply to Women’s Daily Lives?, YCC, 7 pm.

30 March - Convocations with Maeva Leakey, UB Ballroom, 10 am.