By ALYSSA SCHUYLER, Lions’ Pride Staff Writer
In celebration of Women’s History Month, three classes were assigned to research women’s contributions to society, and then students put this information on posters for all to see and learn from. Students from Art Appreciation, Botany Lab, and Organic Chemistry 2 were assigned to find either a woman in art or a woman in science to focus on. The result of the assignment was the boardrooms being full of posters created by students, and others eager to learn all about the influential women and concepts that affect women today. Dr. Anthony, who teaches Organic Chemistry 2, and Dr. Bergen-Losee, who teaches Botany Lab, assigned students to research women in the scientific world. Dr. Campion teaches Art Appreciation, and she assigned students to research women in the arts.
The posters showed how in-depth and focused students were on the assignment and the amount of effort put into the posters was evident. The posters were also extremely eye-catching. Each poster offered something different and caught the essence of the poster’s topic.
Among the numerous influential women featured was Rachel Louise Carson who was an ecologist. Elizabeth Blackwell was the first female American doctor. Virginia Apgar created the standardized method to evaluate a newborn’s transition to life outside of the womb. Marie Curie won two Nobel Prizes. One prize was won in 1903, and the second in 1935 for her contributions to radioactivity. Also, Mae C. Jemison was the first female African American astronaut. Camilla d’Errico was also featured because of her life as a graphic artist. A quote from d’Errico on a poster said, “It’s about expressing what they feel and feeling what they express.”
Another poster covered women in the military. On this poster, there was a timeline that highlighted important dates for women in the military. A few dates were included such as when in 1901, the Army Nurses Corps was established. In 1908, the Navy Nurses Corps was established. In 1961, the first woman Marine was promoted to Sergeant Major. In 2008, the first woman was promoted to Four-Star General. This poster also showed 21st-century issues that affect women in the military. The issues are that people think women will let their emotions get the best of them, that women will have no time for family and be gone for a long time, that women are not as physically able as men in the military, and that they will deal with harassment and sexual assault during career advancements.
Another poster dealing with women’s issues was about prostitution in America. The poster says that prostitution violates the right to liberty and security and the prohibition of slavery. Also, an important woman’s issue poster was domestic violence. The poster highlighted a few disturbing statistics about this topic. It showed that 74 percent of Americans personally know someone who has suffered from domestic violence. Also, 30 percent of Americans know a woman who has been abused in the last year.
This event was a great addition to everything the campus is doing to celebrate Women’s History Month. Students and teachers alike enjoyed learning about all the influential women and even enjoyed learning about people who are lesser-known while furthering their knowledge on issues that affect women.
