Endowment Guide

'The Yellow Wallpaper' opens Women's History Month

Date 3/3/2005 12:00 AM | Topic: Arts & Culture

"Women Empowered" is the theme of the 2005 Women's History Month at Luther.

The national theme for this celebration of women's issues and progress is "Women Change America."

Throughout the month, the women's studies department, along with students and other interested faculty, have put together a schedule of events covering many aspects of women's history.

The Yellow Wallpaper

The celebration kicked off with a performance of "The Yellow Wallpaper" last Sunday.

The short story turned play was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, who kept a journal of her despair as a housewife and eventually used her experiences as basis for a short story.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" follows a housewife who is suffering from a disorder similar to post-partum depression as she spends her days alone in the yellow-wallpapered nursery.

As the story progresses, she periodically refers to her previous experiences writing and actively participating in the community.

Now she spends hours analyzing the yellow wallpaper and dissecting its patterns and hidden images.

"The Yellow Wallpaper" was performed by Michele LaRue, a New York City based performer.

This was not LaRue's first visit to Luther.

Five years ago, LaRue visited as a friend of former Religion Professor Simon Hanson and was pleased to return to Iowa for "The Yellow Wallpaper" tour.

LaRue also performed "Someone Must Wash the Dishes: An Anti-Suffrage Monologue" and "Eve's Diary," a dramatization of Mark Twain's popular short stories for two women's studies classes at Luther last Monday and Tuesday.

Throughout March, LaRue will perform at the University of Northern Iowa and Coe College.

LaRue performs with New Jersey's The East Lynne Company, which specializes in American plays of the late 18th and 19th centuries.

Women's History Month

There will be a variety of events and lectures during March to stimulate interest and awareness of women's issues.

Kim Powell, director of women's studies and associate professor of communication, headed the preparation for the upcoming events.

Powell said her main goal for the month is to create "awareness and education on women's issues that haven't made it into mainstream academia yet."

The brown bag lectures will "focus on the variety of area's women have contributed to," said Powell, and will touch on areas such as science and theatre.

Lea Pickard, assistant professor of anthropology and women's studies, helped plan the chapel talks for the month.

"The neatest thing [about the month] is the huge range of events we have scheduled," said Pickard.

On Tuesday, the official kickoff for the month took place. This included an official welcome ceremony for Wanda Deifelt, the newest women's studies faculty member.

Christie Neuger gave the traditional Sihler Lecture on Tuesday also. This lecture is funded by the Sihler Endowment Fund.

On Wednesday, a panel of men discussed feminism in a brown bag lecture called, "Hey Man, Are You a Feminist?"

Events for Women's History Month will continue throughout March and into April.

Included in the schedule is a class on body movements and the messages they send, which will be facilitated by Shannon Bierly, assistant professor of theatre/dance on March 30.

Powell is excited about this workshop.

"I think people haven't traditionally looked at movement issues as being gender issues," Powell said.

Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew Shepard, will also give a lecture on March 29.

Twenty-one year old Matthew Shepard was tortured, beaten and ultimately murdered in 1998 because he was gay.

The events for this month were funded by the women's studies department and the Sihler Endowment Fund.

History

Women's History Month began as Women's History Week in 1978. At this time, March 8 was chosen as International Women's Day and was the focal point of the week.

In 1987, the National Women's History Project petitioned Congress to expand the celebration to the entire month of March.

Each year, schools and workplaces have become more and more involved in the activities of this month.

The quest of women's suffrage continues to be recognized throughout the world and this month helps to bring the pursuit together.

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Melissa Serres

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