SUNY New Paltz Hosts Women’s History Month events

NEW PALTZ — A variety of events — including lectures, music and a performance-mix — to celebrate Women’s History Month will take place at the State University of New York at New Paltz during the month of March.

The first program, on Thursday, March 11, will feature a video and commentary by Laura Kaplan, author of The Story of Jane: The Legendary Feminist Abortion Service. (Pantheon Press, 1995). This video presentation, titled “The Story of ‘Jane’, A Feminist Underground Abortion Service,” focuses on a group of women with no prior medical training who performed more than 11,000 abortions in the early 1970s. The event will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Lecture Center 108. American Sign Language interpreters will be present.

The next evening, Friday, March 12, will feature a performance by singer, songwriter Alix Dobkin. Dobkin, who has been called “the mother of lesbian music,” has recorded seven CDs. She will discuss her role as “minstrel figure” for the lesbian movement, using storytelling and song to recall lesbian history. Her free concert will begin at 8 p.m. in Parker Theater.

A Women’s Studies Colloquium will be held on Tuesday, March 23. Alexandra Lord, visiting assistant professor in the history department, will present a talk titled, “Stripping Down to the Skeleton: Culture and the Female Body in 18th Century Britain and America.” The presentation will explore how, in the 18th century, men-midwives’ desire to elevate their profession to a science led them to create a new paradigm — one which reduced the female body to a series of scientific laws. Lord’s talk will be held in the Honors Center located in College Hall H, at 5 p.m. There is no charge for this presentation.

Susan Gronewold, a faculty member in the history department at Marist College, will lecture on “Encountering Hope: Women’s Stories from a Mission in China” on Wednesday, March 24. Her presentation will focus on the interaction between Christian missionaries and Chinese prostitutes in the 20th century. It will take place in the Honors Center, College Hall H at 5 p.m.

In addition, the Women’s Studies Program along with the Theater Arts Department, the Honors Program, the Anthropology Club, the Art Lecture Series, and the Student Association will host the performance piece, “Cut-n-Paste,” written and performed by Kate Bornstein. Bornstein, a transgendered playwright and performance artist, is the author of two books, including Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women, and the Rest of Us. “Cut-n-Paste” is an entertaining mix of dramatic monologues, slam poetry and interactive lecture that takes its audience on an exploratory journey of gender roles, sexuality and the societal perspectives that shape individuals. This event is free and will be held on Friday, March 19 at 8 p.m. in McKenna Theater.

With the exception of the March 19 performance, all events are sponsored by the Women’s Studies Program and the History Department. The March 12 event is co-sponsored by Social Change for Women and the Student Association; the March 24 program is co- sponsored by the History Club and the Student Association. The March 11 program is funded by The College at New Paltz Foundation. All events are free and open to the public.

For more information about any of these events, call 845-257-2975 or look on the Women’s Studies home page at http://www.newpaltz.edu/wmnstudies.