2020: Focus on Women Brings Lectures and Other Special Events to Saint Joseph’s

One hundred years ago, white women in the U.S. gained the right to vote. Fifty years ago, Saint Joseph’s welcomed its first class of female day students to campus.

In honor of both anniversaries, a group of Saint Joseph’s faculty, staff and students have organized film screenings, lectures, a book club and other events designed to celebrate and recognize women, and shine light on the continued fight for gender equality.

Forty-five members of the Saint Joseph’s community are organizing various aspects of 2020: Focus on Women, according to Kim Allen-Stuck, Ph.D., assistant vice president of student success and educational support, who is leading the effort.

“We really wanted to engage the community, beyond Women’s History month by focusing on the accomplishments of women in history, today and at SJU,” Allen-Stuck says.

Among the events planned as part of 2020: Focus on Women is the 100-Second Lecture Series. The series will feature six members of the Saint Joseph’s community – an administrator, a staff member, a faculty member, a coach, a student and an alumnae – to speak for just shy of two minutes on the topic leadership. Three of the lectures were scheduled for the current semester and three more will happen in the fall.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Cheryl McConnell, Ph.D., kicked off the series on February 13. Standing at a podium set up in the Drexel Library Atrium, McConnell talked about how society often sends the message to women that they need to change in order to fix the gender gap.

“If only we leaned in, if only we learned to negotiate, if only we learned to speak with greater authority, if only we didn’t let others talk over us, if only we asked for what we wanted, if only we took more risks – if only,” she said. “Women are not broken. We do not need to be fixed…. We are wonderful the way that we are, and it is not we who need to change, it is our society that doesn’t value our gifts.” 

Kristen Goldberg, M.S., director of the Office of Learning Resources, organized the lecture series as a unique opportunity to put a sharp focus on Women. The series was inspired by a 60-second lecture series Goldberg saw when working at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Panels and longer lectures all have a place in the larger 2020: Focus on Women event series, but what I liked about this is that it was very easy to attend, it’s not a huge time commitment,” Goldberg says.

Other events include a March 3 lecture by Sherry Antoine, a New York-based consultant and speaker who focuses on addressing gender and diversity gaps in information technology. Her talk will focus on Wikipedia representation and was organized by Rachael Sullivan, Ph.D., an assistant professor of communication and media studies.

“We’ve come to trust Wikipedia, but it’s important to question where that knowledge comes from, who’s creating it and who’s editing it,” says Sullivan, noting that women and people of color are underrepresented among Wikipedia’s editors and its content. The lecture will be followed by a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon, where attendees are invited to bring their computer and work on filling in some of the gaps by adding citations, making edits and adding quotes.

Antoine is executive director for AfroCROWD, which seeks to increase awareness of the African diaspora on Wikipedia and build a community of editors of African descent. The group has held edit-a-thons and other events every month since its founding 2015.

“Regardless of your background or where you’re from, we believe everyone has a place in the Wikimedia community and we want to ensure that when you walk through our doors … we want to make sure you feel that you have a place and that we can work with you,” Antoine said during a presentation in August 2019. “We’ve worked with galleries, libraries, archives and museums. We’ve also worked with international organizations, grassroots initiatives and we’ve had opportunities at the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations.” 

Nicole Stokes, Ph.D., associate provost for diversity, equity and inclusion, says efforts like 2020: Focus on Women and the recent Day of Dialogue are integral to overall diversity, equity and inclusion efforts on campus. 

"The goal ultimately is that we collaborate and we partner for events like this and there are definitely several participants in 2020: Focus on Women who were also contributors and presenters for the Day of Dialogue," Stokes says. 

2020: Focus on Women events include:

100-Second Lecture Series

10:55 a.m., Drexel Library Atrium, 3/19 and 4/16

Conversations with Interesting Women

4 p.m. 2/26 and 3/26, Forum Theater

The featured speaker on Feb. 26 will be Amanda Bopp, ’01, vice president of digital marketing and analytics at luxury fashion house Kate Spade. The speaker on March 26 will be Toni Pergolin, M.S. ’97, CEO of Bancroft, which offers services to adults and children with disabilities.

The Margin within the Margin: Wikipedia and Representation
11 a.m. March 3, Foley Center

The talk by consultant and speaker Sherry Antoine will be followed by a Wikipedia Edit-a-thon from 12:30-3 p.m.

Women’s Suffrage 100th Anniversary Lecture: Mana Hewitt and Katherine Sibley, Ph.D.

5-7 p.m. March 3, Merion Hall

Artist Mana Hewitt and Katherine Sibley, Ph.D., professor of history and director of the American studies program, will talk about Hewitt’s exhibition, Persistence, which features a series of commemorative medals that recognize the courage and perseverance of women who have challenged societal norms. The exhibition is on view in Merion Hall through March 20.

Film Screening: "Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority"

8 p.m. March 4 Forum Theater

Bellarmine Guild Spring Meeting featuring Mary Scullion, R.S.M., ‘76

1-3 p.m. March 19, Mandeville Hall dining hall

Between the Borders with Sr. Norma Pimentel

7 p.m., March 19, Campion Student Center, Doyle Banquet Hall North

Sr. Normal Pimentel, M.J., executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, will share her personal story, discuss the advocacy that she and her sisters are engaged in with immigrants and refugees, and her perspective about the crisis on the border and the Catholic Church’s response.

Gompers Girls Day at SJU

8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., March 26

Saint Joseph’s will be hosting 23 eighth grade girls from Samuel Gompers School, who will each be paired with a staff member, faculty member, coach, or administrator to mentor them throughout the day.

“The World Will Be Saved by Beauty and Other Lessons I Learned from My Grandmother, Dorothy Day”

7-8:30 p.m., April 7, Campion Student Center, Doyle Banquet Hall North

Dorothy Day was a prominent writer, social justice activist, and is now a candidate for sainthood. Her granddaughter, Kate Hennessy, will join us for a discussion of her book, Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty.

Movie Screening: “On the Basis of Sex”

6 p.m., April 15, Forum Theater

Take Back the Night

7-9 p.m., April 16, Chapel of St. Joseph

Annual event aimed at raising awareness of sexual and physical violence in society with several speakers and experts on the problem of violence in our culture. The event concludes with a speak-out in which survivors are encouraged to stand up and speak about their experiences