THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE The Alphadel WOMEN’S STUDIES phian PROGRAM Spring 2013 Volume 14, Issue 1 30th Anniversary of the Women’s Studies Program at Alfred University On March 21, 2013, a panel of Women’s members were women, compared to 40% today. accomplished something vitally important for Studies faculty presented a Bergren Forum in In Lou’s tribute to “Doc Walker”, he stressed the women’s studies community, for she not celebration of both Women’s History Month her “legendary” teaching excellence, her love of only raised the level of awareness across campus and the 30th anniversary of Women’s Studies teaching, and deep caring for the students. He about our program, but she also used the news- at Alfred University. Cecilia Beach, Professor mentioned that Gail’s legacy carries on through letter as a forum to teach about Alfred’s history.” of French and current co-director of Women’s the Gail Walker Memorial Book Fund and Kerry Kautzman, Associate Professor of Spanish Studies, began by welcoming the audience and finished with a quote. When asked if she was and current co-director Women’s Studies, reminding those attending about Alfred’s rich a feminist, Gail replied “Am I a feminist? Of talked about the development of The Alphadel- history of gender equality going back to the course. A feminist works toward equal rights phian from an independent project by a single very beginnings of the Alfred Select School in for all people. How could a person choose to be student to a credit-bearing course in the fall of 1836 when women made up a majority of the anything else?” 2004. For Melissa Ryan, who taught the course first matriculating class. The Alfred Academy Cecilia then returned to the podium to from 2007-10, “[t]he Alphadelphian is feminist hired its first female faculty members in 1843, discuss the history of the Women’s Studies theory in practice.” and three years later Abigail Allen founded the Roundtable, which started as an informal Sat- Karen Porter returned to discuss the Eliza- Alphadelphian Society, Alfred’s first women’s urday morning event under Susan Mayberry’s beth Hallenbeck Riley and Charles P. Riley student organization and one of the earli- tenure as director of the program. When Vicki Lectureship in Women’s Studies which was est women’s literary societies in the country. Eaklor became director in 1991, she inaugurated made possible by a gift from the “Riley Sisters”: Abigail Allen, who is considered a “founding the first more formal Women’s Studies Round- Pamela Riley Osborn (AU class of ‘62), Patricia mother” of Alfred University, dedicated her life’s table with a presentation entitled “Feminism, A. Riley (‘65) and Melissa Riley in memory of work to advancing the cause of coeducation and Women’s Studies, and Political Correctness.” their parents. Both Elizabeth (‘36) and Charles encouraging women to pursue higher education. The Roundtables have included presentations (‘35) were active alumni of the University. Cecilia thanked Laurie McFadden, librarian, by faculty and staff as well as students. For at Elizabeth was a local activist with interests university archivist and ex-officio member of least 15 years, the final WMST Roundtable in the economic and political issues affecting the Women’s Studies Executive Committee, for of the year has showcased the independent women of her day. Karen concluded, “We are helping to find pictures and information about research projects of the graduating Women’s honored and thrilled to be able to continue this the history of the program. Studies minors. Cecilia also acknowledged San- lecture series. [...] the series provides timely, She then introduced Lou Lichtman, Profes- dra Singer who organized the Women’s Studies provocative, and feminist-inspired talks with sor of Psychology and this year’s recipient of Roundtables for many years. broad appeal (no pun intended!) for our campus the Abigail Allen Award (see p. 6 of this issue), Karen Porter, Professor of Sociology and Di- community.” who discussed the beginnings of the Women’s rector of Womens’ Studies from 1995-1999, then Karen then discussed the creation of the Abi- Studies program at AU and its first director spoke about the beginnings of The Alphadel- gail Allen Awards in 1999. According to Karen, Dr. Gail Walker. Lou pointed out that in the phian, the Women’s Studies newsletter, which the idea for the awards came from Pamela Lakin 1980s, when the program was founded thanks was conceived and brought to life by Megan (now Pamela Armstrong), Associate Librar- to the efforts of a committee that he chaired as Allen, class of ’98 and recipient of the Abigail Al- ian Emerita, who suggested that the Women’s Assistant Dean of CLAS, only 10% of faculty len Award in 1999. According to Karen, “Megan Studies Program institute an annual award Continued on page 7 Riley Lecture 2013: Women, Power and Politics in the 21st Century BY KELLY N. McNAMARA On March 4th, Dr. Liz Abzug, Abzug began her lecture by noting that March is Women’s History Alfred University’s 2013 Riley Month, saying it should be a time to celebrate the known accomplish- Lecturer, took audience members ments of women and those that remain unnoted. She explained that on an uplifting journey through her mother believed that slowly people could make feminism an im- the fight and plight of women’s portant aspect of their life and turn Women’s History Month into an rights in the past 60 years. The entire century. “My mom said ‘first they give us a month, next a year, seats in the Knight Club were then a decade. If we behave then maybe we will get a whole century!’” filled as Abzug gave her talk titled Abzug also discussed the impactful moments of her mother’s career. “Women, Power and Politics in Bella Abzug, known for her large, decorative hats, was the first Jewish the 21st Century.” Abzug praised woman in congress, the first woman to run for Mayor of New York the achievements of women and and she filed for the impeachment of Nixon during her second month urged the audience to make it a in congress. While Abzug described some of her mother’s actions as priority to resolve the prevalent “ballsy,” she also shared her mother’s response to comments about her issues women still face. Abzug, hats, “’Why do you focus on the hats? It’s what is under the hat that the daughter of former Congress counts!” woman Bella Abzug, focused Her mother always felt that taking risks was the way to make a dif- her lecture on the knowledge she ference. Abzug said it was so exciting when her mother was in office, gained from her mother, recent because of all of the social movements occurring. She talked about achievements in the women’s rights movements and areas within our how her life became highly scrutinized once her mother got into society that she believed must be changed. However, she didn’t actively show her support just because Bella was Continued on page 7 The Alphadelphian THE ALPHADELPHIAN Layout & Design Cecilia Beach, Michele Gaffney, Kerry Kautzman, Hannah Ponte & Michelle Taylor Writers and Contributors Lucile Barton Stillman, Cecilia Beach, Kevin Carr, Vicki Eaklor, Stefanie Landman, Laurie McFadden, Kelly NcNamara, Julia Overton-Healy, Erin Paterson, Hannah Ponte, Gabriella Santander Technical assistance Craig Arno & Meghanne Freivald Copy editing Vicky Westacott In This Issue... 30th Anniversary of the Women’s Studies Program at Alfred University . 1 Riley Lecture 2013: Women, Power and Politics in the 21st Century by Kelly McNamara . 1 A Message from the Directors of WMST . 2 Oppression by Gabriella Santander . 3 Senior Spotlights … . 4-5 A Feminist Reading of Emilia in Shakespeare’s Othello by Hannah Ponte . 5 Riley Lecture 2012: Arab Spring Signals Winter for Women by Kelly McNamara … . 6 Abigail Allen Award: 2013 Faculty Recipient Announced . 6 A Question of Principle -A 1914 Commencement Speech on Feminism by Laurie McFadden . 8-9 Faculty Profiles . 10-12 How Quaker Women Defied Gender Norms During the 17th Century: Marriage and Inheritance by Erin Paterson . 13 The Kids Are All Right is Not All Right by Vicki L. Eaklor . 14-15 And She’s Known A Lot by Hannah Ponte . 15 Women In Society by Gabriella Santander . 16 Advocacy for Women at AU Mural by Kevin Carr and Ali Garcia . 16-17 Retrieving Woman by Julia Berbling . 17 An Update From Students Advocating Gender Equality by Stefanie Landman . 17 Women’s Leadership Academy Capstone Projects 2011-13 . 18 A Message from the Directors of WMST We are proud to be a part of Alfred’s feminist tradition and to contributions with us. celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Women’s Studies Program at AU Many thanks again this year to the Women’s Studies executive this year. In March, we honored both our anniversary and Women’s committee members who have worked steadily on curriculum and History Month by presenting a Bergren Forum bringing together some programming decisions. We look forward to the next 30 years of of our program’s founders and current leaders. Preparing the Bergren Women’s Studies at Alfred! enriched our understanding of Alfred’s commitment to gender equal- ity and early acceptance of the ideals of feminism as attested to by the 1914 commencement speech by alumna Lucile Stillman, which he have reprinted in this edition of the Alphadelphian. This year we experimented with a different leadership model adding one transitional year of co-directorship. As co-directors, we worked side by side with shared responsibility, mutual mentoring and creative collaboration.