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Women's Month

Women's Month, which takes place every March, is a series of events that celebrates women's rights, women's issues and history, women leaders, and all things that affect and inspire women. Women's Month is made possible through the collaboration of the Institute for Women's Leadership and the Saint Ben's Senate. The schedule of events for Women's Month 2012 will be available in October 2011.  Please see below for information on last year's Women's Month. 

 

Women's Month 2011

Engage, Empower, Explore: The Adventure Is Yours

The Institute for Women's Leadership is proud to announce Women's Month 2011. This Women's Month, we want you to challenge yourself! Get out of your comfort zone and dare to learn something new. Whether you join Kit Deslauriers on a journey up the seven highest summits of the world, dispel long-standing stereotypes about race and sexuality, or move your body during our free yoga sessions with CSB alumnae, be adventurous. Engage your mind, empower your body, and explore your soul: The adventure is yours!

 

Week One
March 1st-4th: Engage Your Mind

Tuesday, March 1st: Release Your Mind: Practicing the Benefits of Yoga, Alum Hall, 6:45pm and 8:00pm
Does your mind need to take a break? Whether you are a yoga fanatic, curious about trying a new workout, or just want to take some time off for the night, join us for an hour of yoga. Two FREE sessions will be held in Alum Hall from 6:30-7:30 pm and 7:45-8:45 pm for CSB women. Door prizes will be available! The night will be filled with relaxation, good friends, and a chance for you to challenge yourself to broaden your horizons- or to simply bask in the stress-release benefits of yoga. This event is co-sponsored by Health Advocates.

Wednesday, March 2nd: Airing Out the Closet, Gorecki 204A, 7pm-8pm
On Wednesday, March 2nd, we are airing out the closet and dispelling common stereotypes about lesbians and bisexuals! Go out of your comfort zone and break stereotypes in this engaging event. Join us as we listen to a panel of female students and faculty talk about their challenging and empowering journey of when they discovered their sexuality. Enjoy great dialogue and desserts while learning more about what it's like to be gay or bisexual at CSB/SJU. This event is in collaboration with PRiSM.

Thursday, March 3rd: Let's Talk About Race, Gorecki 120, 7pm-8pm
Discover new perspectives with other students while discussing how the intersection of race and gender plays a role in our day-to-day lives. Maybe you think race isn't an issue at CSB/SJU, or perhaps you have a lot to say about how it has affected interactions on our two campuses--all opinions are welcome at this informal, intellectual discussion! Come for personal and large group conversation, and let your voice be heard.

Friday, March 4th: Friday Forum, Gorecki 204B, 4:15pm-5:15pm
Take a journey to the Caribbean with us during this Friday Forum. CSB student Danae O'Brien will discuss the research she completed during the summer of 2010 for her Independent Learning Project (ILP). Danae will discuss the cultural influences of politics on Caribbean women, discovering what their perception is and how this influences their decision whether or not to become involved. Follow the adventure to the Caribbean, and learn something new! 

Saturday, March 5th: Bennie Bowl, HCC Fieldhouse, 4pm
Tackle gender stereotypes! Who says football is a man's sport? Register your team of CSB women for the Bennie Bowl, a flag football tournament held right here at CSB. So try something new, have some fun, and challenge yourself physically! Players from the Minnesota Vixen, Minnesota's very own women's tackle football team, will be there to lend support and cheer you on!

 

Week Two
March 7th-11th: Empower Your Body

Tuesday, March 8th: Where the Water Meets the Sky documentary, Gorecki 204B, 7:30pm
Challenges come in all forms, all across the world. Where the Water Meets the Sky, an award-winning documentary written by Jordan Roberts (March of the Penguins) and narrated by Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman, chronicles the true story of 23 women in a remote region of northern Zambia who learn to make a film as a way of speaking out about the challenges in their lives. The group chooses to tell the story of Penelope, an 18-year-old orphan, who was forced to drop out of school and provide for herself and her siblings after her parents' death. What begins as a filmmaking workshop becomes a journey of empowerment for all the participants.This event is in collaboration with the GWST department.

Tuesday, March 8th: Natural Beauty Day
Defy societal standards of beauty and show CSB/SJU how you lead in your personal life. Get your free Natural Beauty Day t-shirt from the Institute for Women's Leadership on March 7th and then wear it March 8th while challenging yourself to go make-up and hairstyling free. Be sure to stop by the IWL table in Gorecki for a free muffin to celebrate muffin tops and to write your Bennie friends a post-card telling them why you think they're naturally beautiful!
*Please note: T-shirts are limited to one per person and will be given away at 7am on March 7th in he IWL- first-come, first-served.

 

Week Three
March 21st-25th: Explore Your Soul

Monday, March 21st: Keynote Speaker: Kit Deslauriers, Upper Gorecki, 7pm

Ever had a dream you weren't expected to achieve? Listen to the story of a woman whose goal was to climb and ski seven of the greatest summits of the world. Kit Deslauriers an accomplished skier, mountaineer, and rock climber will be sharing her experience during Women's Month to empower others to set goals for themselves and to make these goals happen. Don't miss out on this thrilling and intuitive presentation; you could be the next to climb a mountain!

Wednesday, March 23rd: Women of Wisdom Panel, Upper Gorecki, 7pm-8pm
Maybe you've always known about the sisters at the monastery, or maybe you don't know much about them at all! In this panel, Sister Lois Wedl, Sister Mara Faulkner, Sister Ann Marie Biermaier, and Sister Trish Dick will join us in an inspiring conversation of challenges, adventure, and risk-taking. Take time to hear from these women who have experienced what we're going through, learn about monastic life, and see what advice they have to offer!

Sunday, March 27th: Fleece Tie-Blanket Making, Alum Hall, 3pm-5pm
This Women's Month, you've participated in discussions, dispelled stereotypes, and perhaps you've even went on adventures of your own. Still feel like something is missing? Volunteer with the IWL and AKS! Help us make fleece tie-blankets for the women and children at Anna Marie's Women's Shelter in St. Cloud so that on cold nights they have something warm to snuggle up with! This event is a great way do something good for the community, meet other Bennies, and wrap-up Women's Month. This event is co-sponsored by AKS Service Sorority.

Monday, March 28th: Lunch with a Leader, IWL, 11:30am-12:30pm
What is it like for the only Latina woman on the St. Paul police force? Watch for emails to join us for lunch on March 25th to find out! Our inspiring guest, Pam Barragan, is a sergeant in the St. Paul police force and the vice president of the National Latino Peace Officers Association. Engage in discussion with Pam as she talks about the many challenges she's overcome on the job and how stereotypes of her ethnicity impact her work.

 

 

 

Events and Programs are planned throughout the academic year. If you would like to volunteer for a project or be involved in any Women's Month events, please contact the Program Coordinators, at iwl@csbsju.edu.