Why Just March?!

Your mom. Susan B. Anthony. Geraldine Ferraro. Michelle Obama. Sarah Palin. Love or hate them, these women have all made significant contributions to the definition of womanhood as we know it today. Whether they are fighting for a woman's right to vote, the first woman running as a vice presidential candidate, or a mother raising three kids and working a full-time or part-time job apart from that - the role of women in modern society is one that is not static and it is often criticized and scrutinized.

With March as Women's History Month, efforts of the college to promote diversified womanhood are more easily seen. With the implementation of a women's and gender studies minor, the college has made great strides to acknowledge this area of study as legitimate and worthy. It is also possible for a student to create their own major in order to better study women and gender. A group whose mission goes hand-in-hand with WAGS is the Women's Center, housed in the basement of Sensenbrenner Hall, the all-female dorm.

After attending the "Body Beautiful" program sponsored jointly by the Women's Center and the staff at Sensenbrenner Hall, the mission of the Center became clearer to me. The "Body Beautiful" program featured Dr. Heidi Bemowski, staff psychologist from the Counseling and Testing Center. The presentation focused on body image and the messages portrayed by the media and our individual upbringing. The program provided a safe environment to talk openly about body image issues, in a both personal and general sense.

The Women's Center "gives women opportunities - and a voice where they wouldn't have one before," according to Margaret Deneen '10, the student director of the center. Deneen considers the most powerful aspect of womanhood to be the ability to choose. A woman is able to decide whether or not to pursue motherhood or a career-oriented lifestyle - or a combination of the two. Deneen insists that there is no ideal woman. Also discussed was the idea of feminism and the stereotypes and inclinations that accompany the word. Many people may not understand that there are several different versions of feminism.

"There are all different kinds of feminism - I believe that all persons are of equal worth," according to Deneen.

The Women's Center staff and Deneen, who is a Spanish major and a women's and gender studies minor, have several events planned for the month. On International Women's Day, the Center and Beyond Borders paired up to give women all over campus a flower. Also on the docket for the month is a program focusing on women in Islam with Assistant Professor of Religious Studies Betsy Bauman and the monthly Herstory event, featuring new Assistant Professor of Teacher Education Tynisha Meidl.

Also part of a monthly series is the Women's Enrichment luncheon, which focuses on special topics of interest. The speakers usually hail from our own campus, and past speakers include Professor of English Edward Risden, President Thomas Kunkel, and this month - Professor of Religious Studies Paul Wadell. Wadell will speak on "The Good Things Friends Do For Us" at the Women's Enrichment Series this week.

The programs, events, and centers on campus that promote womanhood will sustain far into the future. With the commitment to core values of feminism at hand - including equal rights for all people - and dedicated, passionate people such as Deneen, appreciation for women and the strides made to advance women's rights will be celebrated far outside of the month of March.