Shenandoah University will mark Women’s History Month in March with a series of events celebrating women’s leadership and empowerment. Presented by the Gender & Women’s Studies and Film Studies programs, and with a theme of “Persistence Shapes the Future,” Women’s History Month events will run from Tuesday, March 13, through Friday, March 30. Most events are free and open to the public, and all are welcome to attend.
“This year, we expanded Women’s History Month to include a variety of topics that engage faculty and students from disciplines across the university,” said Petra M. Schweitzer, Ph.D., professor of comparative literature and program coordinator for gender and women’s studies. “This month-long series allows us to examine and trace the historical and current movements that celebrate the achievements of women.”
This year’s lineup of topics and events includes:
Tuesday, March 13 @ 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
Film screening of the Documentary “STEP” (2017) – Director Amanda Lipitz’s “STEP” documents the experiences of three young high-school step dance team members who attend the Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women. The documentary is set within the background of inner city Baltimore. Laurie M. Taylor, visiting assistant professor of dance at Shenandoah Conservatory, will engage the audience in a discussion after the screening. Event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Petra Schweitzer at [email protected]
Thursday, March 15 @ 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
“Confronting Gender Stereotypes Through an Intersectional Lens” – Compounding identity markers such as race, class, age, religion, sexuality and disability have affected how individuals confront gender stereotypes, particularly on college campuses. Join the panel discussion with Casey Eriksen, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of Hispanic studies; DeLyn Celec, worship arts coordinator-campus minister; Sarah Celec, safety & programs coordinator; and Meredith Minister, Ph.D., assistant professor of religion. Petra M. Schweitzer, Ph.D., professor of comparative literature, program coordinator for gender and women’s studies, will serve as moderator. Event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Schweitzer at [email protected].
Monday, March 19 @ 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
The Battle for Gender Equality: A Panel Discussion on Women’s Participation in Athletics – Bridget Lyons, Ph.D., director of intercollegiate athletics, joins Diane Kearns, member of the university’s board of trustees, athletics coaches and student-athletes in a panel discussion of gender equality in collegiate athletics. Admission is free and open to the public. Event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Jessica Peacock at [email protected] or Jessica Kutz at [email protected].
Tuesday, March 20 @ 7 p.m. to 9 p.m
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
Film Screening of “Battle of the Sexes” (2017) – The 1973 tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs became the most watched televised sports event of all time. Trapped in the media glare, King and Riggs were on opposite sides of a binary argument, but off-court each fought more personal and complex battles. Gina Daddario, Ph.D., chair and professor of mass communication and director of film studies, will lead a Q & A discussion. Event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Petra M. Schweitzer at [email protected].
Wednesday, March 21 @ 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
Girls Education & Gender Equality – Margaret Reiyia Kosha, family gender and education coordinator from the Nashulai Maasai Conservancy, a community-run wildlife conservancy in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya, will join a panel discussion via Livestream. Kosha is an advocate against female genital mutilation and early forced marriages in regions where where cultural issues violate the lives of young girls. She will discuss her role in empowering and educating girls in the community.
Girls Education & Gender Equality: A Panel Discussion – Shenandoah University’s women’s soccer team traveled with women from the Shenandoah FC Elite U14 soccer team in June 2017, along with Shenandoah University Women’s Soccer Head Coach Liz Pike and President Tracy Fitzsimmons, Ph.D., for an empowerment trip to Jacmel, Haiti. In January 2018, Coach Pike and two women’s soccer players returned for another girls’ empowerment trip, but this time they were joined by soccer and lacrosse players, as well as women’s lacrosse coaches Lindsey Lutz and Maddie Taghon. Moderator Andrea Smith, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Languages & Cultures, will lead a discussion related to experiences of educating and empowering girls through sports. Event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Andrea Smith at [email protected].
Thursday, March 22 @ 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
Women’s History Month Open Mic Night – Join Gender and Women’s Studies program representatives and the Mosaic Center for Diversity for a student-led Open Mic Night, where individuals express their worth through song, poetry, art, acting and more. Michelle Brown, Ph.D., Shenandoah University fellow for academic excellence, and Maggie McCampbell Lien, director of inclusion and diversity, will bring special messages. People of all races, genders and identities are welcome to take part in this event. Sign up using the Open Mic Sign Up Form to perform. FREE refreshments will be provided. Event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact The Mosaic Center for Diversity at [email protected].
Monday, March 26 @ 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
Redefining Power: Female Entrepreneurship – Join a moderated panel discussion with Montressa L. Washington, Ph.D., assistant professor of management at the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business and co-director of Shenandoah University’s Institute for Entrepreneurship. Dr. Washington will moderate a panel of local, regional and national female entrepreneurs to provide insights on the challenges and rewards of starting, managing and growing a business. Panelists will address questions such as “What, if any, gender issues are apparent when seeking funding?” “How have you rebounded from any gender-discrimination problems prevalent in the business environment?” and “How do you define success in women’s entrepreneurship?” Event is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Montressa Washington at [email protected].
Tuesday, March 27 @ 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
“Hits & Misses: The Extraordinary Work and Life of Emily Dickinson in “A Quiet Passion” – Terence Davies’ 2016 film, “A Quiet Passion,” received rave reviews for its portrayal of one of America’s most important poets. Join this panel discussion on the merits and flaws of using biography to explain such an innovative artist’s work, featuring Elizabeth Cross, Ph.D., poet, senior fellow at George Mason University’s Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, and an education consultant, who designs creative writing programs for the National Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Museum, and Sarah Canfield Fuller, Ph.D., assistant professor of English and chair of the English Department at Shenandoah. Event is free and open to the public. For information, contact Sarah Canfield at [email protected].
* The invitation for the guest speaker is funded by the Willa Cather Endowment.
Tuesday, March 27 @ 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
Film Screening of “A Quiet Passion” (2016) – This biographical film, directed and written by Terence Davies about the life of U.S. poet Emily Dickinson, will be followed by a brief, post-screening reflection with Sarah Canfield Fuller, Ph.D., assistant professor of English and chair of the English Department at Shenandoah. Event is free and open to the public. For information, contact Sarah Canfield at [email protected].
March 28 @ 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
African American Women Healing the Nation During and After the Civil War – Author Heather Butts, J.D., M.P.H., M.A., from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, will share highlights of the little-known contributions of African-American women doctors and medical practitioners in the Washington, D.C., area during the Civil War. Author of “African American Medicine in Washington, D.C.” and the forthcoming “Healing Civil War Veterans in New York and Washington, D.C.,” Dr. Butts will sign copies of her book “African American Medicine in Washington, D.C.” Come meet the author after her lecture. Event is free and open to the public. For information, contact Christin Taylor at [email protected] or Jonathan Noyalas at [email protected].
* The invitation for the guest speaker is funded by the Willa Cather Endowment.
Thursday, March 29 @ 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
“Women Writing Women” – Kelley Crowley, associate professor of mass communication and writer of both fiction and nonfiction leads an exploratory workshop that draws inspiration from some of the great female writers like Virginia Woolf, Ursula K. Le Guin and Willa Cather. Participants will learn what women need to do to prepare to write, how to cultivate best writing practices, and how to apply those practices to writing about the important women in their lives. Handouts will be provided and suggestions for markets to submit writing will be discussed. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Kelley Crowley at [email protected].
Thursday, March 30 @ 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Halpin-Harrison Hall, Stimpson Auditorium
10th Annual Business Symposium, “Looking Back & Moving Forward” – Event features keynote speaker Randi Zuckerberg, New York Times best-selling author, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media and creator of Sue’s Tech Kitchen, as she looks at the social media landscape through the lens of women in business. This daylong event features breakout sessions focused on core business basics and future-focused topics to help people navigate the rapidly changing digital landscape. There’s also an alternative live streaming of Zuckerberg’s keynote address from 9:15 a.m. to 10:30 a.m at K2M in Leesburg. Cost is $95/person for full-day session in Winchester or $35 for live streaming keynote address and Q&A session in Leesburg. To register, go to su.edu/businesssymposium or for more information, contact Kerri Mariano at [email protected].
All Women’s History Month events, except the business symposium, are sponsored by Shenandoah’s Gender & Women’s Studies and Public Health programs as well as the departments of English, Sociology, Languages & Cultural Studies, Mass Communication, and the Mosaic Center for Diversity, the McCormick Civil War Institute and the Willa Cather Endowment. The Business Symposium is hosted by the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business. For additional information regarding programming, please contact Dr. Petra M. Schweitzer, program coordinator of gender & women’s studies, at [email protected].
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