WORCESTER, Mass. – Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will observe Women's History Month in March to highlight the contributions made by women and to encourage young women to continue to make history.
To celebrate the observance's theme of "strength," the university will host film nights, speakers, discussions, and an awards ceremony. Featured speaker Sarah Weddington, will describe her path to leadership, including her experiences as the first woman from Austin-Travis County elected to the Texas Legislature, the first woman general counsel for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a White House assistant to President Jimmy Carter, and the attorney who argued Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court (her first contested case).
Women's History Week was launched in 1978. In 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to a month. "At WPI, where approximately 25 percent of the student population is female, women play a major role on campus," says Shelley Nicholson, WPI's director of women's programs. "My hope is that both men and women in the WPI community will walk away from these events with a sense of empowerment as we continue to make WPI a welcoming and supportive environment for women."
Women’s History Month Events at WPI
Wednesday, March 14, noon to 1 p.m.: Women's Lunch Series – "Women’s Rights," Campus Center, Hagglund Room, sponsored by the Office of Women's Programs.
Sunday, March 18, noon to 6 p.m.: RESPECT: A Musical Journey of Women at the Stewart Street Playhouse in Boston. Tickets, $25, available in the Office of Women's Programs; transportation included. Sponsored by the Office of Women's Programs and the Office of the Housing & Residential Experience Center.
Tuesday, March 20, 6 p.m.: Sarah Weddington, "Living the Leadership Life." Campus Center, Odeum A & B. Sponsored by the Office of Women's Programs, The Leading Edge Series, and the PanHellenic Council.
Tuesday, March 27, 5 p.m.: Leora Tanenbaum, author of Catfight: Rivalries Among Women: From Diets to Dating, From the Boardroom to the Delivery Room, about the ways in which women often try to sabotage one another. Campus Center, Odeum A & B. Sponsored by the Office of Women's Programs.
Wednesday, March 28, 2-7 p.m.: City of Worcester Advisory Committee of the Status of Women, 30th Anniversary Celebration and Symposium, at Tuckerman Hall. The committee's function is to formulate, encourage, promote, and monitor programs and policies related to the status of women in Worcester.
Thursday, March 29, 4-6 p.m.: WPI Women of Strength Reception, Women of Strength Awards. The award, sponsored by the Office of Women's Programs and Pratt & Whitney, recognizes female students, staff, and faculty who demonstrate strength of character, community spirit, and leadership, serve as role models, and are committed to improving the quality of life for women at WPI. The ceremony will be held in Higgins House.
Women's History Month and International Student Council Movie Nights
(Sponsored by the Office of Women's Programs and International Student Council; all films shown in Olin Hall Room 107)
Tuesday, March 13, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.: "Real Women Have Curves."
Thursday March 15, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.: "Volver."
Friday, March 16, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.: "Like Water for Chocolate."
Tuesday, March 20, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.: "Rabbit-Proof Fence."
Thursday, March 22, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.: "Water."
Friday, March 23, 6:30 and 9:30 p.m.: "Not Without My Daughter."
