Women’s History Month Student Showcase at USU

The Center for Women and Gender will be celebrating Women’s History Month 2011 with a Student Showcase at Utah State University, paying tribute to the women who have taken action to help create a better world.

USU students have submitted academic works relating to the national Women’s History Month theme “Our History is Our Strength”. All works will be displayed at a Student Showcase on April 5 in the Merrill-Cazier Library 101 from 4 to 7 p.m. The public and USU community are welcome to attend.

Ann Austin, director of the Center for Women and Gender, said, “Realizing the importance of women’s work and how it shaped history is something we hope this showcase will accomplish, as well as help students see how their own contributions will shape women’s futures.”

Works are being judged by professors of USU based on relation to the theme, quality and creativity. Winners will be announced by April 1. There will be a $150 cash award for the top submissions, one from each category: visual arts, written works, performance arts, social science and technology. A People’s Choice Award will be given for one work, as voted on by the public. To vote, view the works and fill out the survey at http://www.usu.edu/womenandgender.

Submissions are by or about women, and focus on a personal level, and not on iconic women from history, such as Amelia Earhart. Works submitted range from choreography to a website.

Austin said the purpose of the work is to tell a story of the subject’s history and how those experiences strengthen the fabric of our collective history, and thus our future.

Diane Stuart, program coordinator for the Center, said, “The importance of these young women being recognized shouldn’t be overlooked. We hope that not only the community, but the students themselves, see how wonderful they are.”

For information on the Women’s History Month Student Showcase 2011, visit http://www.usu.edu/womenandgender/ or call Melissa Keller, 435-797-9222.