Jan. 18, 2010

Sandra Harding to visit Morningside College as part of women’s studies series

Dr. Sandra Harding, an internationally renowned scholar, will discuss how science issues are different for women around the world, and what concerns their issues raise about sciences in the modern West, during a lecture at Morningside College at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 3, in the UPS Auditorium in Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Ave.

“Modern Western sciences are immensely powerful all over the world,” said Harding, who is renowned for her research on women’s knowledge around the globe. “We want our sciences to improve life for people, so we need more accurate understandings of what their effects have been in the past and what they could be in the future.”

Also while at Morningside College, Harding will lead a workshop and present a program as part of the Friday is Writing Day series. All of these events are free and open to the public.

Harding is visiting Morningside College as part of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series, an effort to bring a leading women’s studies scholar to campus every semester for three years.

"Dr. Harding is a shining example of an international, interdisciplinary scholar,” said Dr. Marty Knepper, professor and chair of English at Morningside and coordinator of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series.  “We are honored to have a women's studies speaker of her stature in Siouxland as part of the Terry series."

A professor of women’s studies and education at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Harding has taught at the University of Delaware and at universities in the Netherlands, Costa Rica, Switzerland and Thailand. She has served as director of the women’s studies programs at UCLA and the University of Delaware, and was co-editor of Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, one of the leading international women’s studies journals.

Harding has served as a consultant for several United Nations organizations, including the Pan American Health Organization; the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO); the U.N. Development Fund for Women; and the U.N. Commission on Science and Technology for Development.

She is the author or editor of 15 books and special journal issues, including “The Science Question in Feminism,” “Feminism and Methodology: Social Science Issues” and “Is Science Multicultural? Postcolonialisms, Feminisms, and Epistemologies.” She has a doctorate in philosophy from New York University.

Harding will discuss her work as a writer during a brown-bag lunch presentation at noon Feb. 3 in the Roadman Formal Lounge, 3600 Peters Ave.

She will present a workshop called “Our Knowledge and Theirs: What Can We Learn from Other Cultures’ Knowledge Systems?” from 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 3 in the Yockey Family Community Room of the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Ave. The workshop will examine the interactions of different knowledge systems – for example, how Western pharmaceutical companies use the knowledge of indigenous peoples – and the moral, political and legal issues that arise. To register for the free workshop, contact Marcie Ponder at ponder@morningside.edu.

This women’s studies series is named for Dr. R. Franklin Terry, who joined the Morningside faculty in 1967 and served the college for 25 years. As a professor of religious studies and later as academic dean, Terry championed the liberal arts and social justice. For these qualities and his significant support of feminism on campus and in the community, Morningside honors Terry with this women’s studies series.

Harding’s visit is sponsored by the former Siouxland Center for Women, the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series Fund; and Morningside College.

Sept. 21, 2009

Award-winning playwright to visit Morningside as part of women’s studies series

An award-winning playwright who has examined a variety of world events – even working with Mother Teresa – will give a lecture, lead a workshop and discuss her writing at Morningside College Oct. 6-11 as part of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series and the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows program.

Lavonne Mueller’s plays have been performed across the country and abroad. She has won fellowships and grants from the Guggenheim and Rockefeller foundations, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Education Association and Asian Cultural Council. She was recently a Fulbright Fellow to Jordan.

Mueller will present a lecture, “Do Women Write Differently Than Men? Searching for Mr. Bovary," at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in the UPS Auditorium in Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Ave.

“Why is it that all great portraits of women have been written by men?” Mueller asked. “Where are the great portraits of men written by women? I have written a play featuring all men, and critics were not only surprised but wondered how I did it. Can men write about men and women, but women can only write about women? I will explore this and other issues.”

Mueller also will conduct a “Creativity Across the Curriculum” workshop from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, in the Yockey Family Community Room of the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Ave.

Then she will discuss her writing, as well as her work with Mother Teresa, during a brown-bag lunch meeting at noon Friday, Oct. 9, in the Roadman Formal Lounge, 3600 Peters Ave. Mueller traveled to Calcutta in 1993 and washed babies as part of Mother Teresa’s mission to help the “poorest of the poor.”

All of these events are free and open to the public. Those who plan to attend the “Creativity Across the Curriculum” workshop are asked to register by contacting Marcie Ponder at ponder@morningside.edu.

Mueller has written many plays and also some books and poems. Her play “Letters to a Daughter from Prison” about the letters Jawaharlal Nehru wrote to his daughter while imprisoned for participation in India’s independence movement, was produced at the First International Festival of the Arts in New York City and went on tour in India. Her play “Hotel Splendid” about the comfort women of World War II received an award for outstanding drama opposing war and injustice; it is currently being performed in Seoul, Korea, and Argentina.

Mueller will be the fifth visitor to Morningside College as part of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty

Development Series, an effort to bring a leading women’s studies scholar to campus every semester for three years.

Mueller’s visit is sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellows program of the Council of Independent Colleges; the former Siouxland Center for Women, the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series Fund; and Morningside College.

This women’s studies series is named for Dr. R. Franklin Terry, who joined the Morningside faculty in 1967 and served the college for 25 years. As a professor of religious studies and later as academic dean, Terry championed the liberal arts and social justice. For these qualities and his significant support of feminism on campus and in the community, Morningside honors Terry with this women’s studies series.

Jan. 9, 2009

Andrea O’Reilly will visit Morningside as part of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture Series

Dr. Andrea O’Reilly, a scholar internationally renowned for her research on mothering, will challenge traditional expectations of what it means to be a good mother when she gives a lecture at Morningside College at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 3, in the UPS Auditorium of Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Ave. A book signing will follow the lecture.

O’Reilly also will be on campus on Wednesday, Feb. 4, to conduct a workshop and to discuss her writing at a brown-bag lunch meeting. All of these events are free and open to the public.

An associate professor in the School of Women’s Studies at York University in Toronto, Ontario, O’Reilly’s research challenges the traditional concepts of the mothering role. She says motherhood hasn’t always been done intensively and in isolation, and she says this approach isn’t best for the mother or the child.

O’Reilly is founder and director of the first feminist research association on mothering, which has 550-plus members from more than two dozen countries. She is also founder and editor-in-chief of the first scholarly journal on motherhood, which is distributed worldwide, and founder of the only press that exclusively publishes research on motherhood.

She is the author of two books on motherhood, including “Rocking the Cradle: Thoughts On Motherhood, Feminism and the Possibility of Empowered Mothering.” She is also editor or co-editor of 12 books on mothering, including “Redefining Motherhood: Changing Identities and Patterns,” “Mother Outlaws: Theories and Practices of Empowered Mothering,” and “Feminist Mothering.”

O’Reilly will talk about her work as a writer during a brown-bag lunch meeting at noon Feb. 4 in the Roadman Formal Lounge, 3600 Peters Ave. She will read from one of her books and talk about how she uses interviews and her own experiences to include personal stories about mothering in her academic writing. There also will be time to talk with her about her lecture the previous night.

Then between 3 and 5 p.m. on Feb. 4, O’Reilly will conduct a workshop in the Yockey Family Community Room in the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Ave. The workshop will explore how interviewing can be used as a strategy to enhance understanding of the human experience. A highlight of this participatory workshop will be interviewing student mothers from Morningside, Western Iowa Tech Community College and Briar Cliff University. Any interested members of the Siouxland community are invited to attend this free workshop. To register, contact Marcie Ponder at ponder@morningside.edu.

O’Reilly will be the fourth speaker at Morningside College as part of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series, an effort to bring a leading women’s studies scholar to campus every semester for three years.

 “We are thrilled to have Dr. Andrea O’Reilly as our fourth Terry women’s studies speaker,” said Dr. Marty Knepper, professor and chair of English at Morningside and coordinator of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series. “She has done amazing work to research mothers’ actual experiences in our culture to separate myths from reality.”

The women’s studies series is named for Dr. R. Franklin Terry, who joined the Morningside faculty in 1967 and served the college for 25 years. As a professor of religious studies and later as academic dean, Terry championed the liberal arts and social justice. For these qualities and his significant support of feminism on campus and in the community, Morningside honors Terry with this women’s studies series.

O’Reilly’s visit is sponsored by Terry’s family and the following Morningside groups: the academic affairs office, the Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS), the Friday is Writing Day series and the psychology department. The series is planned in partnership with Briar Cliff and Western Iowa Tech.

More information about O’Reilly is available by going online to www.yorku.ca/arm/andreaoreilly.html.

Oct. 6, 2008

Cynthia Enloe will visit Morningside as part of women’s studies lecture series

Dr. Cynthia Enloe, an internationally-renowned women’s studies scholar, will examine the war in Iraq as it relates to “ordinary women” during a lecture at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, in the UPS Auditorium in Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Ave.

Enloe will be the third speaker at Morningside College as part of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series, an effort to bring a leading women’s studies scholar to campus every semester for three years.

A research professor in women’s studies and international development at Clark University in Worcester, Mass., Enloe is recognized internationally for her books, articles and public lectures on gender, politics and economics in the national and international arenas. She has been a guest speaker at institutions such as Cambridge University in England and Harvard University in Massachusetts, and she has appeared on National Public Radio and the BBC.

Some of her books include “Globalization and Militarism: Feminists Make the Link;” “The Curious Feminist: Searching for Women in The New Age of Empire;” “Bananas, Beaches and Bases;” “Does Khaki Become You? The Militarization of Women’s Lives;” and “The Comparative Politics of Pollution.”

Enloe said her lecture at Morningside College will look at the Iraq war as it relates to “ordinary women” in the United States and Iraq – how their governments rely upon them to help wage the war – even if they are not in the military – and how they cope with the stresses of wartime.

“Most of what we learn about the Iraq war is really about the senior policymakers or candidates and not really about how ordinary people cope with war,” she said. “When we do look at that, the focus is often on men and boys and not very often on women. Then if we do pay attention to women, it is just to American women, which is important, but not by itself.”

Enloe will be available to sign books immediately following the lecture. In addition to the lecture, Enloe will be participating in a couple of other events on campus earlier in the day on Oct. 29.

The public is invited to a Friday is Writing Day presentation at noon in the Roadman Formal Lounge, 3600 Peters Ave., where Enloe will read from her book “Globalization and Militarism: Feminists Make the Link.” She will talk about how she engages readers with a sneaker metaphor to explain the links between globalization and militarism. There will be informal conversation after her presentation.

Then between 3 and 5 p.m., there will be a faculty workshop in the Yockey Family Community Room in the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Ave., where Enloe will work with attendees to address factors that make it difficult to raise feminist questions in the classroom, at work and in the public arena. Faculty members from Briar Cliff University and Western Iowa Tech Community College, high school teachers and any interested members of the Siouxland community are invited to attend. To register for the free workshop, contact Marcie Ponder at ponder@morningside.edu.

“The women’s studies committee is thrilled to have Cynthia Enloe speak at Morningside,” said Dr. Marty Knepper, professor and chair of English at Morningside and coordinator of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series. “One of the leading international studies scholars in the world, Dr. Enloe’s ideas challenge all of us to apply ‘feminist curiosity’ toward events in our world to determine their impact on women, men and children everywhere.”

This women’s studies series is named for Dr. R. Franklin Terry, who joined the Morningside faculty in 1967 and served the college for 25 years. As a professor of religious studies and later as academic dean, Terry championed the liberal arts and social justice. For these qualities and his significant support of feminism on campus and in the community, Morningside honors Terry with this women’s studies series.

Enloe’s visit is sponsored by the former Siouxland Center for Women, the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series Fund, Morningside’s academic affairs office and its Academic and Cultural Arts Series.

Feb. 8, 2008

Rangira Béa Gallimore to visit Morningside as part of women’s studies series

Dr. Rangira Béa Gallimore, an academic and activist who lost many of her family members during the mid-1990s genocide in Rwanda, will speak at Morningside College at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in the UPS Auditorium in Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Ave.

To prepare for her visit, Morningside College will show “Mother Courage: Thriving Survivors” at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the UPS Auditorium. This documentary, created by Léo Kalinda, shares stories of Rwandan women who did survive the horror of genocide.

Gallimore, an associate professor of romance languages and literature at the University of Missouri-Columbia, lost her mother, three brothers and one sister in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, where nearly a million people were killed in a little over three months. Since then, she has dedicated herself to speaking out – and helping others speak out – about unspeakable human suffering.

In 2004, Gallimore founded the Step Up! American Association for Rwandan Women. This organization helps women find jobs, food and school supplies; it also works to meet their mental health needs as a result of the genocide. With Dr. Barbara Bauer, a Step Up! psychologist, Gallimore has interviewed many survivors, and she is now analyzing their stories in an upcoming book.

"Dr. Gallimore has collected and studied testimonies of women and children who struggle to recount the horrors of mass killing, rape and neighbor turning against neighbor,” said Dr. Marty Knepper, professor and chair of English at Morningside and coordinator of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series. “Her activism inside and outside academia makes her an inspiring role model of ethical leadership."

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, the day after Gallimore’s lecture at Morningside College, the public is invited to have an informal conversation with her about her upcoming book. This will take place at noon in the Hickman Dining Room of the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Ave.

Also on Feb. 27, Gallimore will lead a workshop at Morningside College where she will ask participants to think about how they can teach about such challenging topics as rape, incest, genocide and war, making the reality of the horrors vivid but also responding creatively and positively as human beings. Faculty members from Briar Cliff University and Western Iowa Tech Community College, high school teachers and any interested members of the Siouxland community are invited to attend. To register for the free workshop, contact Marcie Ponder at ponder@morningside.edu.

Gallimore will be the second speaker at Morningside College as part of the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture and Faculty Development Series, an effort to bring a renowned women’s studies scholar to campus every semester for three years. The first lecture was given by Dr. Jane Caputi, a women’s studies scholar at Florida Atlantic University who is recognized nationally for her interpretations of popular culture, mythology, gender and violence.

This new women’s studies series is named for Dr. R. Franklin Terry, who joined the Morningside faculty in 1967 and served the college for 25 years. As a professor of religious studies and later as academic dean, Terry championed the liberal arts and social justice. For these qualities and his significant support of feminism on campus and in the community, Morningside honors Terry with this women’s studies series.

Gallimore’s visit is sponsored by the academic affairs office at Morningside College, the former Siouxland Center for Women, the Terry family, a three-campus women’s studies committee and Inquirers Adult Sunday School Class and the Church and Society Mission Group at Grace United Methodist Church.

Oct. 24, 2007

Jane Caputi to visit Morningside as part of a new women’s studies lecture series

Dr. Jane Caputi, a nationally-known women’s studies scholar, will show and discuss her film, “The Pornography of Everyday Life,” at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, in the UPS Auditorium of the Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Ave.

Her visit will kick off the Dr. R. Franklin Terry Women’s Studies Lecture Series, a new effort by Morningside College to bring a renowned women’s studies scholar to campus every semester for the next three years.

Caputi, a women’s studies professor at Florida Atlantic University, is recognized nationally for her interpretations of popular culture, mythology, gender, and violence. Her film, “The Pornography of Everyday Life,” incorporates more than 200 images from advertising, news media, ancient myth, contemporary art, and pornography to examine attitudes toward gender, power, nature, and the sacred feminine. (NOTE: Film contains strong language and sexual content.)

During her lecture, Caputi will challenge everyday assumptions. She will argue that sexism is connected to racism, militarism, and destruction of the environment because all of these things are about controlling other people or things, rather than viewing them as equals. She said she will provide enough information through ideas and imagery that everyone will be able to participate in a discussion of her arguments.

“Sometimes people agree with me, and sometimes they want to challenge me. I find it’s different every time,” Caputi said. “I just hope they’ll be stimulated and interested. I don’t every expect anyone to absolutely agree with me.”

The day after her lecture, Caputi will lead a faculty workshop at Morningside College based on an article she wrote about the movie “Shrek,” which, among other things, examines how Shrek’s greenness points symbolically to some of the film’s themes celebrating the happy body, nature, and the Earth. Faculty members from Briar Cliff University and Western Iowa Tech Community College have been invited to attend.

Caputi said she is excited to interact with faculty members in Sioux City and get feedback from them regarding concepts she is exploring for her new book. She said she will credit anyone whose ideas contribute to her work.

“Creating in community, that’s my idea of fun,” she said.

The new women’s studies lecture series is named for Dr. R. Franklin Terry, who joined the Morningside faculty in 1967 and served the college for 25 years. As a professor of religious studies and later as academic dean, Terry championed the liberal arts and social justice. For these qualities and his significant support of feminism on campus and in the community, Morningside honors Terry with this women’s studies series.

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