Women's History Month Calendar: March 8-25

Women's History Month offers a wide variety of events this year, featuring writers, dancers, films - even an open-mic night - and much more.

Participants can hear Leslea Newman, award-winning author of the controversial 1990 book "Heather Has Two Mommies," take in the 1982 German film "Sheer Madness," which maps the destructive side of heterosexual politics, and learn about scientific pioneer Madame Curie.

The following events are scheduled through March 25:

-March 8 - An informal reception in observance of International Women's Day, noon to 1 p.m., Chesapeake Room, Webb Center.

-March 9 - Womengineers Day, a daylong presentation offering information, support systems, networking opportunities, scholarship and financial aid information, and general information on issues facing women in engineering, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Webb Center. Astronaut Susan Still-Kilrain will give the keynote address at noon.

-March 11 - "The Legal Profession as Problem Solvers and Peacemakers," a President's Lecture Series address by former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, 8 p.m., North Cafeteria, Webb Center (see page 1).

-March 18 - "Creative Journaling," 3-4:30 p.m., Newport News Room, Webb Center; led by Debbie Miller, a graduate student, from the Office of Multicultural Student Services.

-March 19 - "Global Dances," 12:30-1:30 p.m., 156 Diehn Center. Dance Theatre students, faculty and guest artists will perform original dances, including the group's competitive piece, "Global Dances," choreographed by Beverly Duane of Second Wind Dance company and directed by Marilyn Marloff of the dance program.

-March 19 - "Sheer Madness," for the film series "New German Film: Beyond Fascism," 4:20 p.m., 107 Diehn Center (see page 2).

-March 19 - "Heather's Mommy Speaks Out: Homophobia, Censorship and Family Values!", 7 p.m., North Cafeteria, Webb Center. Leslea Newman, award-winning author of the controversial 1990 book "Heather Has Two Mommies," will lecture and present a slide show and video. A book-signing with the author will follow the presentation.

-March 20 - "Sheer Madness: Gender, Power and the Avant-Garde Film," noon to 1 p.m., Cape Charles Room, Webb Center. Heidi Schlipphacke, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures, will discuss representation of gender and sexuality in avant-garde films by women directors featured in the film series "New German Film: Beyond Fascism" - Margarete von Trotta's "Sheer Madness" and Vali Export's "Menschenfrauen." Clips from each of the movies will be included in this presentation.

-March 21 - "Beauty" (the Women's Studies Junior Faculty Lecture), 12:30-1:30 p.m., Burgess Room, Batten Arts and Letters Building. Sangita Gopal, assistant professor of English, will explore the notion of female beauty as an organizing principle in political struggle and ask if beauty provides the grounds for a new kind of politics through the examination of South Asian contemporary fiction.

-March 21 - "Etymology: Open Mic Night," 8-10 p.m., 100 Kaufman Hall. Come share your talents and express your appreciation of women through poetry, song or other performance (sponsored by Minds About Progress).

-March 22 - "From Priestess to Poet: Celebrating Filipina Writers in the Diaspora," 3-4 p.m., Isle of Wight Room, Webb Center. Luisa Igloria, visiting associate professor of English, will focus her remarks and readings on the term "babaylan," which in Filipino literature and culture refers to the figure of the pre-colonial priestess-poet-healer-epic chanter-warrior and repository of collective memory. Readings will celebrate the uniqueness and strength of the "babaylan" as embodied in the voices of contemporary Filipina writers, and include original works by Igloria.

-March 25 - "Madame Curie: A Scientific Pioneer," noon to 1 p.m., Chesapeake Room, Webb Center. Chemistry students Erin Gilmore and Kristine Ortwine will lead a presentation on Curie's life and her contributions to the physical sciences, particularly chemistry.

For more information call 683-4109.