Women's History Month to celebrate more than history

Events planned for Women’s History Month at HWC will focus on examining the role of women in modern society, their academic and social accomplishments and issues regarding sex and gender in America.
The month’s name is not necessarily an indication of its purpose, according to Amanda Loos, Women’s Studies Committee member.

“It’s not always focused on history. In fact, it’s sort of evolved to really just be a month of celebrating women’s contributions in the arts and in society,” Loos said.

Women’s History Month has been celebrated at HWC for 20 years and the Women’s Studies Committee has organized the events since its inception in 1990.

Women’s History Month began as an extension of the committee’s mission statement.

“We want to provoke dialogue and challenge people to think about sex and gender and to combat marginalization based on sex and gender,” Loos said.

Safety is an integral part of social awareness, according to Michal Eskayo, Women’s Studies Committee member and co-chair of the English language learners-world languages department.

Eskayo is coordinating the Annual Self Defense Seminar, sponsored by Thousand Waves Martial Arts and Self Defense Center.

The seminar was created four years ago to raise awareness regarding violence and safety. The subject matter will not only encompass physical self-defense skills, but also teach students how to prevent violent encounters.

“It’ll focus a lot on verbal skills. A lot of potentially dangerous situations can be avoided by speaking up,” Eskayo said.
Though the seminar will be co-ed, Eskayo believes that the content of the tutorial will be of most benefit to young women. “Domestic violence is the number one cause of death among women in this country between the ages of 18 and 25,” she said.

The seminar will be held March 9 at 3 p.m. in Room 1001-1002.

David Richardson, member of the Women’s Studies Committee and assistant professor of humanities will be screening Jean Kilbourne’s “Still Killing Us Softly 3,” a film that examines the representation of women in advertising and popular culture, March 10 at 10 a.m. in Room 1003.

“There will be a 30-minute screening, followed by a discussion about women and the media,” Richardson said.
Though some events will focus on awareness, other events are designed to celebrate the achievements of women in the arts.

The Vagina Monologues, presented as a part of professor Marcy Rae Henry’s Humanities 208 class, will feature monologues written and performed by students.

Pride Alliance will host a version of the performance, titled “Trans Monologues,” which will feature pieces written by transgendered women.

Both performances will be held on March 13.

The committee expects high attendance for the Monologues.

“Last year we had a huge turn out. We had hundreds of people and it was a packed performance,” Loos said.
Loos will be hosting a discussion on Katherine Bigalow’s Oscar-nominated film, “The Hurt Locker” March 8 at 7 p.m. in Room 323.

“Though this movie might make her the first female director to win an Oscar, the discussion will focus more on Katherine’s previous accomplishments,” Loos said.

These events are the start of a year-round examination of the modern woman’s place in society, according to Loretta Visomirskis, chair of the Women’s Studies Committee.

“In previous years, all events would surround this one month. In the future we’ll be trying to structure events to celebrate throughout the semester as well,” Visomirskis said.

She hopes to have a calendar with each semester’s events soon.

The committee will still use Women’s History Month as a venue for discussion and involvement regarding women’s issues.

“As usual, the events are intended to serve as gathering places for people to address challenging issues,” Loos said. “It’s a time to encourage participation and get together.”

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