2008 Woodie Awards
Contributions from women -- well known and unknown -- make Women's History Month memorable
Maria Miaoulis
Issue date: 3/6/07 Section: News
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"Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything or nothing in the world's estimation."
-Susan B. Anthony
Women's History Month celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and while people typically know the achievements of well-known people - like Susan B. Anthony or Harriet Tubman - there are those whose achievements are as remarkable, just much less known. People like Shirley Ann Jackson, the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example.
"Very few students, if any, know more than the basics," said Arlene Scala, chair of the women's studies department at William Paterson University. "Yet, when we start teaching them about lesser known females, the students are amazed that they haven't been taught [these things] before."
WPU has had a women's study program for more than 25 years and currently has 50 majors and 26 minors, said Scala.
"Women's History Month calls attention to the contributions of women from the past and from today," she said. "It reminds us that women are not adequately addressed across the curriculum."
A committee chaired by Librada Sanchez, director of the Women's Center, organized the campus events for the month-long celebration.
"The work of the Women's Center makes a huge difference in getting the message of Women's History Month across to wide audiences by stimulating and supporting the participation of a wide array of departments as well as student organizations," Sanchez said.
As for what type of response Women's History Month gets from the WPU community, Sanchez admits that participation varies.
"Diverse sectors of the campus community respond to different types of events. That's why we make efforts to offer such a variety," she said.
Jennifer Monturi, a senior communication major, said she is looking forward to the month's festivities and considers it to be an excellent opportunity to look at history differently.
-Susan B. Anthony
Women's History Month celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, and while people typically know the achievements of well-known people - like Susan B. Anthony or Harriet Tubman - there are those whose achievements are as remarkable, just much less known. People like Shirley Ann Jackson, the first African American woman to earn a Ph.D at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example.
"Very few students, if any, know more than the basics," said Arlene Scala, chair of the women's studies department at William Paterson University. "Yet, when we start teaching them about lesser known females, the students are amazed that they haven't been taught [these things] before."
WPU has had a women's study program for more than 25 years and currently has 50 majors and 26 minors, said Scala.
"Women's History Month calls attention to the contributions of women from the past and from today," she said. "It reminds us that women are not adequately addressed across the curriculum."
A committee chaired by Librada Sanchez, director of the Women's Center, organized the campus events for the month-long celebration.
"The work of the Women's Center makes a huge difference in getting the message of Women's History Month across to wide audiences by stimulating and supporting the participation of a wide array of departments as well as student organizations," Sanchez said.
As for what type of response Women's History Month gets from the WPU community, Sanchez admits that participation varies.
"Diverse sectors of the campus community respond to different types of events. That's why we make efforts to offer such a variety," she said.
Jennifer Monturi, a senior communication major, said she is looking forward to the month's festivities and considers it to be an excellent opportunity to look at history differently.
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