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2004 Symposium Keynote Address
Gloria Steinem
"An Evening with Gloria Steinem"
7:00 pm, Thursday, April 15, 2004
Goodrich Chapel
A devoted activist and writer, Gloria Steinem is undeniably one of
the most important voices of the modern feminist movement. Though she is
best known as the co-founder of Ms. magazine, Steinem’s name is
synonymous with the advancement of women’s social equality in America
and throughout the world. As Ms. magazine became a symbol of the
women’s rights movement, she established the Ms. Foundation for
Women, devoted to helping the lives of women and girls in the areas of
economic security, leadership, and health and safety. She was a convener
of the historic 1971 Women’s Political Caucus, supported the founding of
the Coalition of Labor Union Women, and is president of Voters for
Choice. In her speeches, Steinem reflects on the social movements of the
past four decades, and she addresses how we can foster a national spirit
of cooperation to continue the advancement of the rights of all
citizens, especially our children.
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"The origin of the women's movement and the civil rights
movement was telling stories and learning that others had had
similar experiences....we
realized that [many of these experiences] were the result of
[politics] and we could do something about that."
Photograph by Dave Trumpie.
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Elkin R. Isaac
Research Symposium Day 3, April 15, 2004
Steinem Keynote Caps Exceptional Week of Liberal Arts Celebration
A day devoted to
intellectual curiosity, academic excellence and the free exchange of
ideas capped Albion College's annual Elkin R. Isaac Research
Symposium, April 15, 2004.
76 students
presented their original research, scholarship and creative
activity, with topics ranging from pre-Columbian archaeology to
bioterrorism, genetic cloning and self-portraiture. More than 100
additional students were recognized by the faculty for academic
excellence during the Honors Convocation.
But it was "An
Evening with Gloria Steinem" that unified a capacity crowd in
Goodrich Chapel in a lively examination of applying knowledge and
education to activism and the greater good. With grace, humor and
perception, Steinem touched on the history of feminism from the
1970s and the contributions it's made toward increasing civil rights
in American society.
Steinem paid
greater attention to addressing the importance of feminism today, in
expanding its scope to include environmental protection, greater
political responsibility, peace -- and men's emotional rights. "The
cult of masculinity oppresses men," she stated. "It suppresses
'feminine' traits in men ... and encourages violence and [other
self-destructive behaviors]. It's literally killing good men."
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"It's not
possible to uproot the sexual caste system without uprooting
the racial caste system and all other caste systems," Steinem
told the Goodrich crowd. "But when we do, we will be
uprooting the deepest cause of violence on this earth."
Photograph by Dave Trumpie. |
Steinem encouraged
her young audience to realize their role in continuing to support
feminism and feminist causes. "If you want a satisfying future, you
have to start now," she said. "Remember, you can only live in the
present." But, she added, "If you look back 30 years and see how
far we've come, and then look that distance into the future ...
you'll get an idea of what the future can look like. There's no
turning back."
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"Speaking
at Elkin Isaac provided me a wonderful opportunity to share my
research with the rest of the campus community," says Dan
Westerhof, '04, whose thesis, "Perceptions of People who Help,"
applies psychological research to organizational challenges of
recruitment and retention of volunteers.
Photograph
by Dave Trumpie. |
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"The
Elkin Isaac Symposium is a great opportunity for students,
both presenting and attending," says Sara West, '06,
discussing research in conditioned responses in rats. "I was
proud to see the many accomplishments of Albion students!"
Photograph
by Dave Trumpie. |
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