The Brown & White

In celebration of Women's History Month, the Women's Center offered students a series of programs, discussions, and speakers to direct the university's attention to national and local female accomplishments, as well as the issues women face on Lehigh's campus.

Healthy Body Image Week began Monday and the events are sponsored by the Women's Center and the Body Empowerment Alliance. The purpose of the week is to let students openly discuss body image issues, so they can learn to love their bodies, said Michelle Issadore, assistant director of the Women's Center.

"It's important to talk about things that are difficult, and body image is something that isn't an issue with only females," Issadore said.

"Even if people who have body image issues aren't coming to the events," she said, "the fact that our campus is recognizing these problems and having events relating to those problems lets those people know that we realize this is an issue. We're trying to bring light to the situation."

Other programs have included a lecture by Kathy Fields, from the Flint Field Farm Educational Center, who spoke about sustainable agriculture and a performance by Salt Lines, a quartet of spoken word artists that challenge gender inequality. The latter event was co-sponsored by the Women's Center, LGBTQA and the office of multicultural affairs.

The first-ever Women's Recognition Reception was held Thursday, March 19, and honored women and men in the Lehigh community who have made a significant impact on campus.

"You don't have to be a 'superwoman' to be recognized," Issadore said. "We just want to give credit for what people in our community are doing and what they are doing well."

Shelly Harris, '09, an intern at the Women's Center, received the Patti T. Ota award.

"It was a wonderful feeling to be honored not only for my work," Harris said in an e-mail, "but also in the name of such an inspiring woman who was at Lehigh when it was a place that was even more unwelcoming than it is now."

Harris will be one of the first two Lehigh students to graduate with a major in Women's Studies.

Gabriella Casanas, '12, said the Women's Recognition Reception was very inspiring, but there is still work to be done.

"The way I see it, we're just not at that point yet where women feel completely comfortable on campus," she said.

Casanas, who is a member of Break the Silence, said the Women's Center is a place where she does feel at ease.

"It's a safe haven for me. It's the only place at Lehigh where I can say whatever I want and have it be accepted," Casanas said.

But you don't need to be a woman to be able to participate in programs offered by the Women's Center.

Rita Jones, director of the Women's Center, said she thinks there is an interesting cross-section of people at the Women's Center's events, but she said its programs are not targeted at only women.

"Some people think that if you are involved with the Women's Center or go to our events, then you must have an 'F' (for feminist) branded somewhere on your body," Jones said.

"Of course that's not the case and it is hard for perceptions to go away," she said. "But we are looking to challenge the status quo. Lehigh is made up of a lot of pockets of people and we cannot let these pockets be isolated or self-contained."

Issadore agreed with Jones, pointing out that nearly half of Break the Silence members are male and that several men were honored at the Women's Recognition Reception.

As a male member of Break the Silence, Gordon Diggs, '12, said he hasn't felt any negativity regarding his involvement.

"I think there definitely is a stigma, but I made a conscious decision to go against it and be involved," he said. "I don't think it's a big deal. Neither do my friends."

Issadore said she thinks both men and women can learn a great deal from Women's Center events like these.

"We've never had someone leave an event with nothing, or say 'I'm sorry I came,'" Issadore said. "Our programs are engaging, challenging, and appealing to students."