Celebrated during the month of March, Women’s History Month has a significant presence on campus this year, largely through events organized by the Johns Hopkins Women’s History Month Committee.
Events throughout the month of March included a “Women’s Night In”, women appreciation days, two female doctor speakers, a screening of the feminist documentary Miss Representation, and a banquet for women in engineering.
Men were encouraged to attend all of the events except for the Women’s Night In, which was open to women only.
The theme of the month was women in science, and Dr. Janine Clayton, Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Dr. Jacqueline Campbell, Professor and Anna D. Wolfe Chair at the School of Nursing, both spoke.
The film screening of Miss Representation on Tuesday, March 12 was also a popular choice for students, with many sorority women in attendance.
The 2011 Sundance Film Festival documentary interviewed powerful women such as Condoleezza Rice and Nancy Pelosi about the representation of women in the media and the strides that still must be taken in order to provide positive role models for young women.
Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Miss Representation addresses the notion of femininity that is perpetuated in the media surrounding powerful women.
The film points out that it is this image that inhibits women from leading in high-powered roles.
“I thought that the movie presented unique ideas that led me to think differently about women’s empowerment. This was because of the point it made about women in politics and how often times the news attacks how women look rather than what has been said,” sophomore Michelle Bohrson said.
Anne-Marie Trang, a freshman majoring in Film and Media Studies, also saw the relevance of the picture.
“I wasn’t too optimistic about the movie because I’m not a huge fan of documentaries, but it was really inspiring to hear these women speak about something that really relates to me” she said.
Another favorite of the month-long event series was the second Women’s Appreciation Day, which took place yesterday in the Glass Pavilion.
Food, prizes and games offered students a break from the stress of midterm week.
