Women's and Gender Studies

Films for reproductive justice

2007-01-08T21:47:00.000-05:00

Monday, January 22, The Abortion Diaries with director/producer Penny Lane, Circular Church, 7 pm. Reception with refreshments following the screening.

Wednesday, February 7, The Last Abortion Clinic (a PBS Frontline documentary), with presentation following by Lindsay Siler (PPHS Public Affairs Department) on Planned Parenthood's Prevention First Initiative, Historic Charleston Foundation, 7 pm

Wednesday, February 21, Vera Drake, Physicians Auditorium, 7 pm

Cosponsored by Friends of Planned Parenthood of the Lowcountry, Planned Parenthood Young Advocates, the Women's and Gender Studies Program, and CofC VOX.

Women, Grace, and Spirituality in Three Food Films

2007-01-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston campus | Monday, February 26, 7:00 p.m. | Stern Center Theater, room 206 | Free and open to the public

Maggie McFadden is professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Appalachian State University. Her publications include Feminist Politics, Activism, and Vision: Local and Global Challenges, and Golden Cables of Sympathy: The Transatlantic Sources of Nineteenth Century Feminism.

I Am Beautiful

2007-01-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston campus | Thursday, January 18, 7:15 p.m. | Arnold Hall in the Jewish Studies Building | Free and open to the public

Woody Winfree's mission is simple: to create a world in which every woman and girl can proudly proclaim, "I Am Beautiful!"

How do we redefine feminine beauty to make it more inclusive? How do we combat the damaging media messages and distorted cultural ideals about women and beauty? How do we show our daughters, sisters, friends, mothers and grandmothers the power in naming their own beauty?

Self-acceptance is the first step.
That is what the I Am Beautiful Project is all about: self-esteem through
self-discovery.

Late night breakfast

2006-11-08T13:43:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston campus | Monday, Dec. 4, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. | Arnold Hall in the Jewish Studies Building | For CofC students

Join CofC President Conrad Festa, HSS Dean Cynthia Lowenthal, and LCWA Dean Sam Hines for pancakes. Take a break from studying and have breakfast!

Sponsored by the Jewish Student Union.

Southern Humor, Women, and Journalism

2006-10-27T15:03:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston campus | Monday, November 13, 6:30 p.m. | Addlestone Library room 227 | Free and open to the public

Syndicated columnist Celia Rivenbark will discuss her award-winning--and hysterically funny--work.

Sponsored by the CofC College Bookstore. Cosponsored by WGS.

The Mommy Wars, Opting Out, and To Hell With All That: The Public Controversies Surrounding Motherhood

2006-10-27T08:38:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston campus | Wednesday, Nov. 15, at noon | Arnold Hall in the Jewish Studies Building | free and open to the public

Claire Curtis (Political Science, CofC), Conseula Francis (English, CofC), Eliza McGraw (author of Two Covenants: Representations of Southern Jewishness; Washington, DC)

Motherhood is a hot topic these days, with regular missives from the mainstream media creating new controversies around old questions (should mothers work outside the home? is motherhood a valid career choice? which mothers should feel guiltiest?). Panelists will offer feminist perspectives on the public debates surrounding motherhood today. Feel free to bring your lunch.

Never Go Back

2006-10-27T08:35:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston campus | Thursday, Nov. 9, at 7:00 p.m. | Arnold Hall in the Jewish Studies Building | free and open to the public

The Never Go Back campaign is a nationwide initiative, sponsored by the Feminist Majority Foundation, to raise awareness among young people about the threats to abortion access and birth control. Since January 2006, over 600 new pieces of anti-choice legislation have been introduced in states across the nation. View the film Never Go Back: The Threat to Legal Abortion and discuss the importance of reproductive justice.

Sponsored by students in Introduction to Women's and Gender Studies.

Three Rabbi Panel: Women and Judaism

2006-10-27T08:32:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston campus | Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. | Stern Center Ballroom | free and open to the public

RABBI ANTHONY HOLZ (KKBE, REFORM); RABBI ARI SYTNER (BSBI, ORTHODOX); RABBI ALAN COHEN (CONGREGATION BETH SHALOM, OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS, CONSERVATIVE)

Each semester, the Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston hosts a conversational forum led by the rabbis of our three local congregations. Now in its eleventh year, the panel is one of the proudest accomplishments of Jewish Studies as it shows both the diverse views within Judaism, while at the same time demonstrating the unity of the Charleston community and the importance of dialogue.

This semester, the three rabbis will discuss Jewish views about women. Many of the key issues that have confronted Judaism in the past fifty years--the status of the
agunah, mixed seating, the ordination of women rabbis, even same-sex marriages--revolve around the place of women. The divergent views that have emerged will be represented by the rabbis.

Co-sponsored by the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program, JSU/Hillel, and the Women's and Gender Studies Program.

Fundraising events

2006-10-17T12:24:00.000-05:00

Women's and Gender Studies students are sponsoring the following events as fundraisers for the Women's and Gender Studies Program:

Best Sex Ever 101: A Panel on Safe, Healthy Sexuality

College of Charleston campus | Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 8:00 p.m. | Location TBA | $5 admission

Three panelists, including sex therapists and sex educators, will offer information about how to have a safe, healthy sex life. The $5 admission fee gives you one ticket for a raffle of Pleasure Party paraphernalia.

Feminist Date Auction

Yo Burrito on Wentworth Ave. | Thursday, Nov. 2, at 7:00 p.m. | free and open to the public (but bring money to bid on a date!)

Come bid on a date with a feminist! Men and women will be offering a night out on the town for a good cause. Each "date" comes with a gift certificate for dinner at a local restaurant. Meet someone new or bid on a friend!

Busting Out

2006-10-10T13:26:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston campus | Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 7:00 p.m. | Education Center 116 | free and open to the public

"A Film That Will Challenge How You Think About Breasts"

Deals with training bras, breast cancer, breastfeeding, augmentation, men's obsession and anything and everything else pertaining to breasts and the stereotypes surrounding them.

Film is 57 minutes long.

For more information, please visit: http://www.stiritup.com or http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/bust.html or call 442-5522.

Sponsored by Women & Gender Studies, Sociology & Anthropology, and Counseling & Substance Abuse Services.

Seminars: Feminist Responses to Motherhood

2006-09-20T08:30:00.000-05:00

This semester WGS will be sponsoring two interdisciplinary faculty seminars related to motherhood. These informal gatherings are meant to highlight current feminist research and facilitate interdisciplinary conversation.

"The Modern-Day Medea": Motherhood and Politics in the Case of Susan Smith
Thursday, Sept. 28, 3:15 p.m., Arnold Hall
Keira Williams, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Georgia and WGS instructor at CofC, is researching the Susan Smith case for her dissertation, "'In a Lake of Fire': Cultural Constructions of Susan Smith." Smith, the Union, SC, woman who killed her two children in 1994, is now serving a life sentence in prison in SC. Williams is the only person to have been granted interview access to Smith.

The Mommy Wars, Opting Out, and To Hell with All That: The Public Controversies Surrounding Motherhood
Wednesday, Nov. 15, 12:00 p.m., Arnold Hall
Motherhood is a hot topic these days, with regular missives from the mainstream media creating new controversies around old questions (should mothers work outside the home? which mothers should feel guiltiest?). A panel of faculty members will offer feminist perspectives on the public discourse surrounding motherhood today.

BitchFest: Why Responding to Pop Culture Is Important to Feminism

2006-09-03T16:50:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston campus | September 18, 2006, 7:00 p.m. | Avery Center, 125 Bull Street | free and open to the public

Lisa Jervis and Andi Zeisler are founders of the magazine Bitch: A Feminist Response to Pop Culture and of the forthcoming book Bitchfest: Ten Years of Cultural Criticism from the Pages of Bitch Magazine. Bitch is a widely-read young feminist magazine that uses incisive critical thinking and humor to address the sexism in mainstream media, music, and literature. Its edgy title is intentional: Jervis and Zeisler explain that they are reclaiming a word that is used to denigrate and silence outspoken, assertive women. In this lecture, Jervis and Zeisler will share their insights into pop culture from ten years on the front lines as feminist critics.

Cosponsored by the Office of the Provost, the Communication Department, CofC NOW, and the Department of English.

Plan B Party

2006-09-03T16:45:00.000-05:00

Yo Burrito | September 13, 2006, 4-7 p.m. | open to the public

With the recent news of the FDA's approval of over-the-counter status of Plan B (emergency contraception), many of us in WGS felt a need for celebration! In honor of the recognition of health over politics, WGS minor Margaret Pilarski has put together an informal gathering for any and all on Wednesday, September 13th, from 4-7 at Yo Burrito on Wentworth St. There will be healthy mexican munchies and happy hour specials. It's a drop-in style event and we'd love to see (and meet!) you all. Please feel free to bring other guests!

*Yo Burrito Drink Specials!*
$1.50 Dos Equis Drafts
$2 Corona and Corona Lights
$3 Margarita
$5 Double Margarita

Women's Equality Day event

2006-08-05T21:41:00.000-05:00

Maybank Hall, rm 100, CofC campus | August 28, 2006, 7:00 p.m. | free and open to the public

Women have made great gains in the fight for equality, but there is still a fundamental perception that women and girls are not equal to men and boys. The movie "Women's Rights" introduces you to strong women who overcame violence, exploitation and discrimination and took action. After the film, panelists Jennet Robinson Alterman, Constance Anastopoulo, Laura Lageman, Dot Scott, and Janet Segal will discuss women's rights locally and nationally. Voter registration materials will be available. Sponsored by CofC WGS, Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Inc, the Charleston NAACP, and the Lowcountry Women Vote Coalition.

Past Events: Girls! Girls! Girls!

2006-07-07T14:05:00.000-05:00

Redux Contemporary Art Center (136 St. Philips St) | August 25, 2006, 7:00 p.m. | $5 admission

Fundraiser art event to benefit the Charleston Magdalene House. Complimentary wine and food. The Charleston Magdalene House will provide two years of free housing, counseling, job training and other important services to women in the Charleston area who have histories of prostitution and drug abuse. This event is organized by the Dinner Partiers of Charleston, a group of young women who are committed to social justice and the advancement of women locally and globally.

Field trip to see Toni Morrison

2006-04-19T13:02:00.000-05:00

Charlotte, NC | April 19, 2006 | $32.75

Join Women's and Gender Studies students and faculty on a bus trip to Charlotte, NC, to see Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison speak. Must have a reserved spot to attend.

"Can I Be a Feminist and... (shave, be religious, get married, be prolife)?" A public lecture by Amy Richards and Jennifer Baumgardner

2006-03-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

Alumni Hall , College of Charleston | March 14, 2006 | 7:00 p.m.| Free and open to the public

Cosponsored by New Morning Foundation, VOX, CofC NOW, the English Department, Amnesty International, and the Cougar Activities Board

Vagina Monologues 2006

2006-02-23T16:29:00.000-05:00

Stern Center Ballroom , College of Charleston | February 23-24, 2006 | 7:00 p.m.| $12 students, $20 community

Directed by Susan Kattwinkel, with student performers and special guests Jennet Robinson Alterman and Elmira Raven. All proceeds go to the Center for Women and My Sister's House.

V-Day week at CofC

2006-02-20T16:48:00.000-05:00

College of Charleston | Feb. 20-24, 2006 | Free and open to the public

These events, planned in conjunction with the campus performance of The Vagina Monologues, are meant to raise awareness about violence against women and demand that it end.

* The Clothesline Project, Monday and Tuesday February 20-21. Interactive art project for students and faculty in honor of abused women. Cougar Plaza.
* "These Hands Won't Hurt," interactive male anti-abuse campaign Monday through Wednesday, February 20-22. Expression of solidarity with the female anti-violence campaign. Cougar Plaza.
* "Virgin Territories: Virginity and Virginity Loss in Contemporary America (and the College of Charleston)," a brown-bag lunch with Laura Carpenter, assistant professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University and author of Virginity Lost. Feb. 24, noon. Third Floor conference room of the Jewish Studies Building.

The Pollitzer Sisters: Charleston's Iron Jawed Angels

2005-08-25T13:03:00.000-05:00

Recital Hall, Simons Fine Arts Center, College of Charleston
Thursday, August 25 | 7:00 p.m. | FREE

This reading was conceived and adapted from the letters and papers of the Pollitzer sisters by Carole Bennett, directed by Sheri Grace Wenger and features veteran actors Anne H. Fox, Hope Gazes Grayson, Robin Shuler and Steve Lepre.

* Sponsored by the College of Charleston Women's and Gender Studies Program and the Charleston Center for Women
* Cosponsored by the College of Charleston History Department and Jewish Studies Program.
* A Special Event to Celebrate Women’s Equality Day

Mrs. Stanton and Susan: The lives of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony

2005-03-31T14:24:00.000-05:00

Thursday, March 31, 2005, 7 pm | Physicians Auditorium | College of Charleston | free and open to the public

A One-Woman Performance Presented by The Medical University of South Carolina along with The College of Charleston Women's Studies Program,Department of English, and Department of Political Science.

Actor and writer Miriam Reed stars in a two-part play which recreates, in their own words, the lives of key 19th century suffragists Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

Miriam Reed holds a Ph.D from the University of California, Los Angeles, and is the author of Margaret Sanger: Her Life in her Words. An accomplished actor, she has taught English composition and rhetoric and oral presentation skills and travels with her one-woman performances, which also include pieces about Margaret Sanger, Louisa May Alcott, and Oscar Wilde.

Southern Ladies, New Women: Black and White Club Women in Turn-of-the-Century South Carolina

2005-03-23T14:22:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, March 23, 2005, at 7 pm | Alumni Hall (2nd floor, Randolph Hall) | College of Charleston |free and open to the public

Presented by The College of Charleston Women's Studies Program.

A public talk by Professor Joan Marie Johnson, author of Southern Ladies, New Women: Race, Region, and Clubwomen in South Carolina, 1890-1930.

The Pollitzer Sisters: Charleston's Iron Jawed Angels, A Dramatic Reading

2005-03-21T14:19:00.000-05:00

Monday, March 21, 2005, 7 pm | Black Box Theatre, Simons Fine Arts Center | 54 St. Phillip Street, College of Charleston | Free and open to the public

Presented by The Medical University of South Carolina,The College of Charleston Women's Studies Program,and The Charleston Center for Women.

Anita, Carrie, and Mabel Pollitzer were native Charlestonians who changed the course of history for women both in our community and the country. Learn all about their groundbreaking accomplishments and hear their words as they describe what drove them to work tirelessly for the disenfranchised.

Exhibit: The Art of Diversity Among Women

2005-03-03T14:15:00.000-05:00

On exhibit from Thursday, March 3 - Friday, April 1 at the MUSC Harper Student Center Gallery, 45 Courtenay Drive. For more information call (843) 792-2146.

Presented by The Medical University of South Carolina,The College of Charleston Women's Studies Program,and The Charleston Center for Women.

Opening Reception: Thursday, March 3
5:00-7:00 pm, FREE

Featuring many of Charleston's finest artists, including:

* Susan Romaine
* Betty Anglin Smith
* Shannon Smith
* Jennifer Smith Rogers
* Sally Cade
* Hilarie Lambert
* Carol McGill
* Beth McLean
* Ann Lee Merrill
* Leslie Pratt-Thomas
* Claire Farrell
* Sue Stewart
* Susie Callahan
* Lese Corrigan
* Carol Simmons
* Anne Darby Parker
* Dorothy Wright
* Linda Fantuzzo
* Margaret Peterson
* Elayna Shakur
* Beki Crowell
* Rhett Thurman
* Eva Carter
* Mary White
* Karen Hagan
* Sally Smith
* Kat Hastie

The Vagina Monologues 2005

2005-02-10T14:05:00.000-05:00

Thursday, Feb. 10, 8:00 pm | Saturday, Feb. 12, 8:00 pm | Sunday, Feb. 13, 3:00 pm Physicians Auditorium, College of Charleston |Tickets $10

Presented by the College of Charleston. Tickets available at the door and in advance at:

* Manifest Discs and Tapes (Orleans Road in West Ashley)
* Cat's Music (Folly Road and Wando Crossing in Mt. Pleasant)
* Port City Java (both downtown locations)