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Show DANIELLE MABEYTHE SIGNPOST SOME MEMBERS OF THE Women's Studies program faculty and students stand outside the administration bldg. for a group photo in celebration of the programs first year Sign Off is dedicating its pages looking at the past year in review and a fast forward preview of significances in the upcoming year INSIDE THIS EDITION Pages 2, 3 & 5 A review of world events that shaped the year 1992-93 Page 4.... ...... ..Academic Vice president Dave Hall talks about WSU accomplishmentsPage 8............. A wrap-up of Wildcat football Page 9..... Male and Female athlete of year Page 11 ...Soccer seasons sent shivers up many a WSU opponents spine THIS EDITION IS THE SECOND OF THREE IN A SERIES. LOOK FOR THE FINAL SIGN OFF ISSUES NEXTWEDNESDAY. The first WSU student with a Women's Studies minor to graduate this year 5- The women's studies program, now with about 20 people enrolled, has taken on its first year here at Weber State University with success. The first student with a women's studies minor will graduate in June. Pam Harrison calls herself a catalyst of sorts who gave the women's studies program its final boost. She graduated in 1990 in social work. While taking social work courses, she also was taking many women's studies courses, even though there was no minor in the studies. "I began knocking on doors, asking to get a women's studies minor I kept asking, 'why can't we get all this together,'" Harrison said. She kept talking to professors and other faculty members who continued to tell her such a minor wasn't feasible because there was no recognized women's studies scholarship. "Dr. Daily Oliver finally said, 'Yes, we can do that, but only under the guise of an ethnic studies BIS' I wasn't happy with that because it was disguised," she said. Soon after the discussion with Oliver, Dr. Gene Sessions introduced Harrison to Kathryn MacKay. Together, thet wo began to mobilize a campus-wide effort to put together a distinctive women's studies program. "This could have not beendone with- out the support of many people, including faculty, administration and students," said MacKay, associate professor of history and coordinator of the WSU women's studies program. MacKay said the two women were committed to two major issues in developing the program. "It had to be academically rigorous within the classes and the program. ..it also had to have a secure place within the institution witha sustaining budget," MacKay said. The program reports to Dean Richard Sadler under the School of Arts and Sciences. There is also an advisory committee that links the program with the other campus departments. "We really see ourselves as a major academic offering and as a campus resource for information," MacKay said. In the spring of 1989 the first campus-wide meeting took place to explore the kind of need the campus had for such a program. "About 35 people showed up and we felt that we had hit upon something," Harrison said. Harrison said that it took two full years to get the minor off the ground, and in May of last year the program received the final word from the board of regents. 'The women's studies program helps me to understand peoples from many different soci eties," said Lisa Hancock, a student at WSU majoring in English and minoring in women's studies. "Some people have the idea that the purpose of women's studies is to crucify the male gender, but I don't know of anybody who has that intention. " Michael Hunsaker, another student involved in the women's studies program, said, "I think that in a puristic society men aren't the only ones that make great contributions to history ...being a white male I never looked at things in a different direction until I took these classes." Faculty involved in the women's studies program come from various departments across campus. They include Nancy Haanstad and Peter Venezze in political science; Barbara West, Priti Kumar, Judy Elsley and Sally Shingley, in English; Pam Burton in nursing; Lyall Crawford in communications; Tony Spanos in foreign languages; Gloria Wurst in Zoology and others. "I feel like I'm going out on a limb because women's studies isn't considered a viable thing yet in education.. .eventually I think it will be taught throughout the public schools," said Kelly Custcn, a bach-elorof integrated studies major with education and women's studies as part of her emphases. According to Ruth Hoover, women's studies classes were the first classes in which she felt completely comfortable, secure and totally supported by colleagues. For more information call626-7464. |