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Show Features WEDNESDAY MARCH 7 2012 The women who inspire Weber Women's studies professors reflect on their heroines By Jerrica Archibald features editor I The Signpost Many women throughout history have inspired, fought for and blazed trails for others. These women have been writers, professionals, artists, advocates, mothers and voices for those who couldn't be heard. March is Women's History Month, and the Weber State University women's studies department members have answered the question "What woman inspires you?" Adrienne Gillespie, WSU Diversity and Unity Center coordinator and women's studies professor, said Sojourner Truth is one woman who has affected her life. Truth, a slave-turned-abolitionist in the 1800s, fought for the rights of women and African Americans. "I have always been very mindful of the people that I encounter in my journey," Gillespie said. "For me, the woman who has probably made the most significant mark outside of my family is Sojourner Truth." Gillespie said she believes that Truth set herself apart by being a multidimensional woman and showing she was more than met the eye. "When I think about her because of her famous speech 'Ain't I a Woman?' and having to help people understand that I have multiple identities - I am a female, I am a black woman, I am a daughter, a sister, a friend, an advocate, a crafter - all of these things are the parts that make up me and helping people understand that it's very hard for you to box me in, I won't stay in your box for very long - that's the kind of woman that she was. Every time you thought you knew who she was, you realized there was more to the picture." Vel S. Casler, sales and service technology chair and one of the men involved with the women's studies department, said his freshman English professor Edith Borden at Wutherford Junior College in Texas made an impact on him. "She was phenomenal," Casler said. "She taught me the proper use of grammatical sentence structure and the grammatical use of the English language. A lot of people were not using it correctly. They still are not. What I learned from her has been able to help me throughout my career. She made a very positive impression on me. I never forgot her." GRAPHIC BY JAKE MCINTOSH Kathy Herndon, an English professor, chose author Simin Deneshvar, who was the first Iranian woman to be published. Along with being published in 1969, Deneshvar was also a professor of art history. "Apart from my mother and my husband's mother, I was trying to think of someone that really inspired me that wasn't quite as predictable as that," Herndon said. "I've actually chosen an Iranian author and her name is Simin Daneshvar. I discovered her when I disSee Women page 8 PHOTO BY AIMEE SMITH I THE SIGNPOST Dream Weber provides tuition funds Program offers funding for lowincome students PHOTO BY AIMEE SMITH I THE SIGNPOST Candidate posters from student elections. Students have different views about how important their votes are. By Tucker Garrett correspondent I The Signpost Weber State University's grounds are covered with campaign signs. Handbills with candidates' faces are posted on walls, sticking out of students' pockets and given away with candy. Some WSU students said they feel that voting for their student representatives is paramount to the school's future, while others have not yet been swept with political fervor. According to Anna Adamson, a microbiology student and the elections chair, voting for student representatives has a national average of about 5 percent. She said WSU falls into that same average. Adamson's job is to make sure candidates are following the campaign guidelines. She and her committee have made computers available so students can vote immediately. She said voting for student representatives is important because the candidates win based on student votes. She also said this matters because the student representatives are here to serve students. "They're located in the union building," Adamson said. "If you have a problem, you can go to any of them, and they're going to work to make it better, or at least to get you an explanation of why they can't THE SIGNPOST Women's studies professors Adrienne Gillespie and Maria Parrilla de Kokal discuss their personal heroines throughout history. The student's voice Students share their views on campus elections I change it." Adamson said voting numbers are higher so far this year than in the past. Ashley Brimhall, a student currently working on her generals, said she wasn't interested in the campaigns because she's not into politics and voting, even though she knows she should be. Brimhall said she figures other people are going to vote. Hali Platt is another WSU student who said she shared the same view. "I kinda figure that everybody else will take care of it," Platt said. "But I don't know, I kinda feel like it's important. I voted." Platt said that even though she feels like other students will take care of the election, she feels like her voting has contributed to making a change. See Election page 8 find out if I got accepted or not, and the moment I got accepted, I was so ecstatic." Recipients of Dream Weber can get tuition paid for 150 hours or eight semesters. Those who receive the aid are allowed to reBy James Silsby apply each year until they finish features reporter I The Signpost their undergraduate degrees. To receive funding, a person The Dream Weber program gives hope to potential students must be a legal Utah resident, in poor financial standings to ob- enroll at Weber State University, complete the Free tain a college degree. Application for The program covers Federal Student tuition for students Aid, then comand potential students plete a scholarship whose annual houseapplication. There a hold income is less are alternative than $27,000. Fundfull Pell Grant ways to get funds ing for the program for tuition for comes from financial are, you those who do not aid money and from know, really meet these condidonors. The recipients tions. receive full tuition receiving "I think it's a coverage. nice program," "When I was in high good benefit said financial aid school, I hated high from that." and scholarship school," said Belia Aldirector Jed Spenvarado, a recipient of cer. "Those stuthe program, on the - Jed Spencer dents that don't Dream Weber webScholarship get a full Pell Grant page. "I had bad exdirector are, you know, reperiences with teachally receiving good ers. I didn't really care benefit from that." about my education. My parents Once enrolled, Dream Weber really didn't care about my education. I didn't have the grades, recipients must maintain at least we didn't have the money, and I a 2.0 grade point average and be figured I will never go to college. enrolled full-time. One way community memIt's just not going to happen for me. And when I applied for We- bers are hearing about Dream ber, I was anxiously waiting to See Dream page 8 "Those students that don't get |