Women's Studies News & Events
Events | News | Campus Calendar
Please Join Us for these Fall 2010 Events
Check Meredith ENEWS for FMLA Meetings
If you are interested in courses or planning a program of study with a focus on Women and Gender contact Dr. Sherry Shapiro, shapiros@meredith.edu, 919-760-2857. You may have an option to design a contract major or minor in this area of study.
Please Join Us for these Spring 2010 Events
Sixth Annual Zine Project, April 19-22
Look for this fun project the Cate Center!
Vagina Monologues, February 28 and March 1
8:00 pm, Studio Theater in Jones Hall
Mock Panel at InterAct's Family Safety and Empowerment Center, February 15
6:30 pm, InterAct, 1012 Oberlin Road, Raleigh, NC
Come see fellow Women's Studies student Amanda Eubanks and her fellow representatives presented a mock panel for the upcoming Beijing +15 Conference in New York in March.
Please Join Us for these Fall 2009 Events
Gloria Steinem, Q&A Forum/Mix & Mingle, November 7
1:00 pm, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh
Come hear one of America’s leading feminist icons for a lecture and Q & A.
Sponsored by NARAL Pro-Choice NC and NARAL Pro-Choice NC Foundation, Steinem is the creator of Ms. Magazine and is widely known for her role in the second wave of Feminism. Get your tickets today! For more information, please visit http://www.prochoicenc.org/assets/files/steinemflyer.pdf
"Pray the Devil Back to Hell," September 21
6:00 pm, Jones Auditorium
This award-winning film tells the remarkable story of the courageous Liberian women who came together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their shattered country. This event counts as a convocation credit.
Please Join Us for these Spring 2009 Events
Vagina Monologues, Feb. 19 & 20 – 8 pm
Feminist Theory Conference at Duke, March 20 & 21
This free conference offers you options for four convocation-credit speakers and free meals. Registration is required://www.duke.edu/womstud/theory2009.html. Please contact Dr. Suarez for carpooling information.
Rosemary Radford Ruether, Theologian and Ecofemenist, March 24
Lecture, 4 pm Jones Chapel; Reception w/book signing, 5:15pm Chapel commons room; Dinner, 6:15 pm, Dogwood (Belk) invited guests, which includes all WST Advisory Board members, all WST faculty, and all WST students.
Fifth Annual Zine Project, April 20-22.
Please Join Us for these Fall 2008 Events
Women’s Studies Majors/Minors Meeting, September 10
10:00-10:50 Royal Bean - Munchies
Women’s Studies Faculty Meeting, September 15
10:00-10:50, Martin Hall 111 – Coffee Break
Engaging Students Through Feminist Pedagogy Workshop, October 28
3:30-5:00 Martin Hall 144 – Tea
Presented by Dr. Anna Oerther – Co-Director of Women’s Studies Guilford College
“16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence”, November 14
Cate Center – Kresge Auditorium, 10:00-11:00
followed by a brown bag lunch discussion in Belk Dining Oak Room 11:30-1:00
President of UNIFEM USA, Carol Poteat Buchanan leads a discussion on activities that address the many human rights challenges facing women around the globe and how women have taken the lead in defending human rights.
NC Women Politicians Join Running in High Heels Video Discussion
The Women's Studies Program as well as the Departments of History and Politics Sociology and Social Work cosponsored an event March 31, 2008, that focused on women in political office. The program consisted of showing the independent film, Running in High Heels, followed by a discussion with NC State Senator Ellie Kinnaird (center, dark suit) and NC State Representative Deborah Ross (left, white turtle neck). Both women talked about their own paths into politics and encouraged the present students to get involved in local political campaigns.
Participate in the Annual Faces of Feminism and Zine Project
The Women's Studies department at Meredith College is holding its second annual Faces of Feminism project as well as its fourth annual ZINE Project.
The Faces of Feminism is a fun event in which Meredith students take pictures of friends, family, strangers on the street, with the common belief that women's equality is important. These pictures are then posted on a huge board so that everyone can see that a "feminist" isn't exactly what they'd think!
For the fourth year in a row, the Women's Studies program at Meredith is sponsoring the Meredith College ZINE project. A zine is a self-published pamphlet or booklet containing personal thoughts/opinions/gripes/joys. It is unedited and uncensored. Meredith students have participated in making their own zine for the past two years and are once again invited to do so from April 21-24 between 10am and 4pm in the Cate Center lobby. Women's Studies will provide all the materials and will have previous zines on hand.
Upcoming Brown Bag Research Session
Please join us for a
Women’s Studies Research Presentation
Do Religious Beliefs Affect How Much Women Earn?
Monday, April 7 1:00 – 1:50 pm Harris 110
Dr. Anne York will present research on the effect of religion on the earnings of married couples. This research takes advantage of a nationally representative dataset, the National Survey of Families and Households, to examine whether conservative religious views affect the distribution of earnings between husbands and wives.
This presentation will be of particular interest to students who want to gain an understanding of how to conduct research in a social science.
Running in High Heels Video + Discussion
Please join us for a movie viewing + conversation on Monday, March 31 at 6:30 pm in Ledford 101.
Wrapped around a story of one young woman’s comically inept run for State Senate in New York, ‘Running in High Heels’ explores the intertwining of sex, money and politics in the lives of everyday women and reveals the difference between what women say they want and what they act on. When it comes to the conflict of femininity and ambition, find out how far women can go if they’re ‘Running in High Heels’. The 50 minute film will be followed by a discussion with NC Representative Deborah Ross and State Senator Ellie Kinnaird.
This event qualifies as a cultural event/convocation for general education and is jointly sponsored by Women's Studies, Sociology and Social Work and History and Politics with a grant from Diversity Council.
Dr. Susan Shaw Spends the Week at Meredith
by Susan M. Shaw, Ph. D.
Dr. Susan Shaw is the Director of Women Studies. She came to OSU in 1996, having taught religion for eight years and served one year as the director of an HIV respite care program. She has a bachelors degree in English from Berry College in Rome, Georgia, her hometown, a masters and Ph.D. in religious education from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and an MAIS in Women Studies and English from OSU.
Susan's first inkling of the need for feminism came when she enrolled in first grade in 1966 and was told she could not play football because she was a girl. By the early 1970's, as she listened to Helen Reddy's "I am Woman" playing on the school bus radio, her little fist was raised in sisterhood and solidarity. When Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in The Battle of the Sexes, the budding feminist knew something of more import than a tennis match had occurred. Susan's feminist leanings were solidified in seminary when male students suggested women couldn't be ordained ministers. Susan discovered Women Studies in her sixth year of teaching religion in private liberal arts colleges and soon thereafter found a new home and better fit in OSU's Women Studies Program.
She teaches Systems of Oppression in Women's Lives, Women & Sexuality, Feminist Theology & Spirituality, and Hate, Resistance, & Reconciliation. In the summers, she teaches a variety of courses on pop culture topics such as the movies, humor, sports, and football. She also teaches both introductory courses online, as well as a course on women in the movies.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi Visits Meredith!
by Melyssa Allen, Assistant Director of Meredith Marketing and Communications
Meredith College welcomed Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California), the United States’ first female Speaker of the House, on Friday, Nov. 2, 2007.
Pelosi, the first woman in American history to lead a major party in the U.S. Congress, delivered a public address as part of Meredith’s Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Presidential Lecture Series. The series’ theme for 2007-08 is “Ethical Leadership.”
“The biggest ethical issue facing our country is the war in Iraq,” Pelosi said. “We are working in Congress trying to bring a redeployment of our troops out of Iraq in a way that is honorable and that is soon.”
Pelosi spoke of meeting young people during her travels abroad and around the U.S., saying that “the impatience of youth” gives her hope for the future.
Since 1987, Pelosi has represented California's Eighth District in the House of Representatives. On January 4, 2007, Pelosi was elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
As the 110th Congress nears its one year anniversary, Pelosi’s remarks focused on congressional action in the areas of education, innovation and energy security that she said was of special importance to young Americans. These included the largest college aid expansion since the GI Bill in 1944, which Pelosi said cut in half the student loan interest rate and broadened Pell Grants, and the first increase to the minimum wage in a decade.
The Speaker of the House also took questions from the audience. The questions were presented by Meredith Professor of Political Science Clyde Frazier, and three Meredith students. The questions were selected from those submitted by Meredith students and the audience.
Many of the audience members had submitted questions about why Congress had not cut off funding for the war in Iraq as a way to end the war.
“Our troops have performed honorably. We owe them better than to have a policy of war without end,” Pelosi said. “I’m as disappointed as anyone that we have not been able to [end the war]…we will not rest until we bring this war to an honorable end.”
Pelosi was also asked what her “breaking of the marble ceiling” to serve as Speaker of the House meant for other women.
“It gave people the belief that anything could happen for women now in our country, not just in politics but in people’s personal lives,” Pelosi said.
“Breaking that ceiling signaled change because of the culmination of what women had been doing over time…generations of work got us to this point. Now we want women to take advantage of that.”
Pelosi also offered a piece of advice for the Meredith students and other young women in the audience.
“It is important for all young women who aspire to success in whatever field to…know your power, follow your dreams, have confidence in your education, have a plan and other people will follow you.”
Women's Studies Majors Robin Gary (far left) and Jessi Agee (far right) were privileged to speak with
Speaker Pelosi (center) at a small group gathering before her speech.
The Face of Feminism
Feminism is a word that has far reaching implications and affects many different women throughout the world. It has been used as a term of empowerment but also a term of degradation. The Women's Studies department and FMLA feel that it is time to reclaim the word feminism as well as the many different women this incredible idea represents. In order to achieve this goal, majors and minors from the Women's Studies department and FMLA members will be walking around campus over the next few weeks taking photos of the many faces of feminism. These symbolic representations of equality and dedication to women's lives will be posted April 23rd through the 25th in the Cate Center for everyone to see the tremendous impact of the diversity of feminism. Please feel free to e-mail your own pictures to wst.meredith@gmail.com or slide your pictures underneath Martin 138 to be included in the project.
The Zine Project
For the third year in a row, and hoping to make it a tradition, the Women's Studies program at Meredith is sponsoring the Meredith College Zine project. A zine is a self-published pamphlet or booklet containing personal thoughts/opinions/gripes/joys. It is unedited and uncensored. Meredith students have participated in making their own zine for the past two years and are once again invited to do so from April 23-25 between 10am and 4pm in the Cate Center lobby. Women's Studies will provide all the materials and will have the previous years zines on hand.
A Brown Bag Lunch Sponsored by the Women's Studies Program
You are invited to a brown bag lunch sponsored by the Women's Studies program
Wednesday, April 4th 12-1pm
Wyatt Room (beneath BDH)
Dr. Cynthia Edwards, Professor of Psychology will present her research:
"A Longitudinal Study of the Predictors and Correlates of Social Network Affiliation, Leadership Status and Retention among Meredith College Students" which she describes as follows:
The Longitudinal Leadership Survey is a four year longitudinal study following Meredith College students from orientation through graduation. This collaborative student-faculty project examines the social network dynamics of Meredith students in relation to personality variables, campus engagement, retention/graduation rate, and the development of leadership. Student projects have included retrospective analyses of high school involvement and credentials as predictors of college leadership status, campus engagement and retention;; predictors of roommate satisfaction; analyses of independent vs. interdependent personality types in relation to leadership and social network standing; and longitudinal analyses of leadership status and self perception. The data has been presented at six national conferences over the past four years, as well as multiple local and regional conferences. Come help me make sense out of the varied strands of this research as my students and I prepare for publication.
Please join us for what is sure to be an informative discussion!
Questions? Contact Carrie Cokely at cokelyc@meredith.edu.
Women at Work
Women at Work is a production of staged readings of ten-minute plays written and performed by Meredith College students. Come enjoy one of the FREE performances on Thursday (3/29/07) or Friday (3/30/07) at 8:00 P.M. in the Carswell Auditorium.
Women's Rights Advocate and Health Activist Coming to Meredith!
Judy Norsigian, health activist and executive director of "Our Bodies, Ourselves" will be coming to Meredith College on Wednesday, March 14th, 2007, at 7:00 p.m. in Jones Auditorium to give a lecture entitled, "Women's Health and the Media: Sorting Fact from Fiction." There will be a reception following her lecture on the Johnson Rotunda.
This event is presented by Women's Studies and supported by the Gullick Lectures and the Center for Women in Science. Judy Norsigian is a co-founder of the BWHBC and co-author of all editions of Our Bodies, Ourselves. Norsigian is a graduate of Radcliffe College and an internationally renowned speaker and writer on a wide range of women’s health concerns. She has appeared on numerous television and radio programs including Oprah, Donahue, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.
Don't miss a great chance to meet a wonderful activist and strong advocate of women's rights. Norsigian will also be talking to Dr. Janet Nelson's class (PHI/REL 344 - Biomedical Ethics) on Thursday, March 15th, at 11:00 on "Egg Donation and Research Cloning: Special Risks to Women's Health" (Location TBA) and there will also be a brown-bag lunch on Thursday, March 15th from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. for students, faculty, and staff (Dogwood Room underneath BDH).
This lecture will qualify as a convocation / cultural event in general education.
This outstanding event will be open to the public so bring your family and friends!
Please click here for a flyer (.PDF format, full color) to post to help us reach others who may be interested in this event!
Meredith College Will Host the Annual Sally Ride Science Festival
With the approval of the Senior Management Team, the School of Natural & Mathematical Sciences accepted an invitation to host the Sally Ride Science Festival on Saturday, March 17, 2007.
This is an exciting opportunity for Meredith College as we are joining a list of prestigious host institutions and agencies. We are equally enthusiastic about participating in this unique community outreach and recruiting opportunity.
The festival features:
- An inspiring talk by astronaut Janice Vossa.
- Workshops for girls (and boys) carefully designed primarily for 5th to 8th graders.
- Workshops for parents and teachers on ways to support girls' interests in science and mathematics.
- A street fair with hands-on activities, booths, food, and music.
Here's a link to the Sally Ride Science Festival web site. Please check it out. The web site can give you an idea of the prominence of this event.
http://www.sallyridefestivals.com/07raleigh0317/index.shtml
Please feel free to share with us your comments, questions, or suggestions. We look forward to hearing from you about this exciting opportunity.
Audition for The Vagina Monologues!
The audition for The Vagina Monologues is 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on February 4th, 2007, in the Studio Theater. Performances are at 8 p.m. on February 28th and March 1st in the Studio. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. All proceeds go to support a good cause.
Rehearsal dates for Monologues are:
Sunday, February 25th at 6:30 p.m.
Monday, February 26th at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, February 27th at 9:15 p.m.
Celebrate your right to vote!
Join Meredith's FMLA and local women's groups on Tuesday, Aug. 29 to celebrate Women's Equality Day! The event is being held in honor of the struggle to gain the right to vote. The events start at 5:30 p.m. for a Voter Registration Fair, followed by a speaker at 6:45, and a showing of the film Iron Jawed Angels, starring Hilary Swank. $2 for students. Events are being held at Colony Theaters, 5438 Six Forks Road. Questions or need a ride? Contact Tiffany at StokesTi@meredith.edu.
Majors & Minors Meeting: August 30, 10 – 10:50 a.m., Brueggers Bagels on Wade Ave.
For more campus events visit the Meredith College online calendar.
Got a Question About Women's Studies?
If you're a prospective student, an enrolling student, or even an alumna of Meredith College and have a question about any aspect of Meredith's Women's Studies program, don't hesitate to ask!
You may reach us by phone during office hours or leave a voicemail.
Phone: (919) 760-8838
Women's Studies Office and Office Hours
The Women's Studies department office is located at Martin 138 and the office hours are as follows:
T TH 1:30-4:30
W 11:00-1:00
Dr. Sherry Shapiro (program director) will be in the office on Wednesday 10:00-11:00. Susan Humphrey (program assistant) will be in the office MW 11:00-1:00.
Women's Studies Major Amanda Eubanks to Present at National Conference
Posted: February 23, 2010
Amanda Eubanks has been selected to present at the Beijing + 15 conference on the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). The CEDAW event will be held in New York City, March 1-8.
Eubanks will be presenting a 15-minute presentation with the first panel ever from North Carolina, on the effectiveness of InterAct of Wake County. Since InterAct is the only domestic violence center of its kind in the country, and potentially the world, her presentation will be outlining the importance of building strong community ties to eradicate domestic violence. As InterAct’s Family Safety and Empowerment Center demonstrates an unwavering dedication to ending the cycle of violence through collaborating with other community organizations. Overall, the presentation will demonstrate how committed InterAct and the State of North Carolina are to the advancement of women; through education, empowerment, and support programs, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault are able to take control over their lives.
According to Eubanks, the purpose of the event is to promote the ratification of the United Nations CEDAW treaty, which was written in 1978, signed by the United States in 1980 and implemented in 1981. The United States is one of six nations that have not ratified the treaty. Most other industrialized nations have done so.
“The United States acts as the beacon of freedom and equality for the world, yet Senates past have refused to ratify a treaty that obviously signifies gender equality,” stated Eubanks. Under the current administration and congressional majority, there is hope that CEDAW will finally be ratified to mark one of the most important conventions, the 2010 Conference in New York City entitled Beijing +15, as President Obama has named CEDAW one of three treaties of top priority for ratification.
Eubanks’ presentation is made possible by a fellowship she received through WomenNC, a non-profit organization formed to seek CEDAW ratification, to educate and inform North Carolinians on women related International issues and to empower women in becoming more active in societal issues which directly impact their health, welfare, and quality of life.
In preparation for the CEDAW event, Eubanks and her fellow representatives presented a mock panel on February 15th at InterAct’s Family Safety and Empowerment Center. Eubanks hopes to influence individuals to eradicate discrimination and supporting an organizational cause, such as InterAct, which continues to flourish and advance women in both Wake County and the world.
Eubanks is a senior here at Meredith College, double majoring in Women’s Studies and International Studies.
Two Women's Studies Students Meet Gloria Steinem
Molly Link ('10) and Melissa Staley ('08) attended the NARAL Pro-Choice NC and NARAL Pro-Choice NC Foundation's Question and Answer Forum/Mix & Mingle with one of the most influential feminist icons in America, Gloria Steinem. This event was held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Raleigh on November 7, 2009. Steinem travels throughout the world as a feminist activist, organizer, writer, and lecturer. She has authored numerous books and articles, including Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem, Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions, Moving Beyond Words, and Marilyn: Norma Jean, on the life of Marilyn Monroe. She is revered for her efforts in establishing the New York Magazine, and Ms. Magazine where she continues to serve as consulting editor.
During the Question and Answer component, Steinem discussed changes between the second wave of feminism and today's third wave. Link and Staley were several of the last people who were able to meet Steinem. They received autographed posters to commemorate this event.
"As young feminists we felt privileged to meet with one of the leading feminists during the second wave," stated Link in a recent interview.
Link is a senior majoring in Social Work and International Relations, with minors in Sociology and Women's Studies. Staley is a 2008 Graduate of Meredith College and served as President of Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) while as a student.
A New Alpha Iota Chapter Begins at Meredith College
Named for the goddesses Inanna, Ishtar, and Isis, this is an egalitarian national society of scholars dedicated to the ideals of excellence in Women's Studies and scholarship. This organization promotes an interest in Women's Studies, research of social problems affecting women, and other social and intellectual activities that lead to improvements in the condition of life for all people. Membership is open to majors and minors in Women's Studies who have at least 6 hours in approved Women's Studies courses and at least a 3.5 in the major or minor. Additionally any student at Meredith College who possesses a strong interest in Women's Studies, has taken at least 6 hours in Women's Studies courses, including WST 200, has an overall GPA of 3.0, and who has achieved third semester standing is also eligible for membership in this society.
New inductions are held every spring. Please contact Dr. Alicia Johnson at johnsona@meredith.edu if interested.
Student's Abstract Accepted for an Oral Presentation at NCUR 21
Reported on 01/29/07
An abstract, entitled "Women in Armed Conflict: Colombian Women and Their Search for Peace," written by senior Tiffany Stokes has been chosen for oral presentation at the 21st National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR 21) at Dominican University of California on April 12 - 14, 2007.
Meredith College and the Women's Studies Program are both very proud to have such a talented woman and wish Tiffany the best of luck in her presentation!
Student Prepares to Advocate for Women in Washington, D.C.
By Betsy Rhame, 01
Last spring junior Tiffany Stokes saw a need on Meredith's campus and began to fill it.
"I was disappointed that we didn't focus on our issues that really fight for women's causes," she explained.
Through the Feminist Majority Foundation, a national organization, Stokes organized a local chapter on campus, called the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA). Over the past year about 60 students have participated in its activities and events.
"The campus programs are really important to educate men and women on college campuses," Stokes said.
Lauren Thie, a junior, first met Stokes at an FMLA interest meeting.
"I wanted to be aligned with a group who supported women, especially one who was led by someone with such obvious enthusiasm for the cause," Thie said.
Stokes' involvement in the organization is tied directly to her two majors, women's studies and Spanish. Stokes wants to go to graduate school for public policy and later advocate for women's health issues in developing Latin American countries.
According to Thie, "bringing options and equality to women" is important to Stokes.
"That is the sort of achievement for which Tiffany strives," Thie said.
This summer she will get a taste of some of this through her internship with the Feminist Majority Foundations national office in Washington, D.C. One of her primary duties will be making the organization's web site more accessible to high school and college students. She will get to attend political hearings and learn about lobbying.
"I'll really get into the political scene in D.C., which will be fun," Stokes said.
Stokes is excited about her work with this national organization.
She said, "I think they're doing a lot of really good things and I wanted to be a part of that."
