Several students and faculty members from Tech joined hundreds of other people from all over the United States at the "Women and Power Conference," held February 21 - 22 at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro. The conference featured the latest books available about women's studies and feminist films.

Susan Hilderbrand, a senior English major, said, "What I liked best about theconference was how I was able to make contacts with people from oth er schools. Finding a large group of people who are sincerely interested in women'sstudies was exhilarating and affirming."

The keynote speaker was Carol Gilligan, professor of education at HarvardUniversity and author of In A Different Voice. In her address, Gilligandiscussed the different ways a patriarchal society encourages a disassociationfrom one's true being. Gilligan earnestly called for women to work togetherto find their own distinct voices.

"Gilligan's keynote address particularly pulled together a number of issues ofextreme importance in women's studies discourse, issues which need to bearticulated," Hilderbrand said.

Other speakers at the conference were Misha Nogha, Linda Badley, ClaudiaBarnett, Debra Gallegos, Yolanda Ortega-Eriksen, and Rebecca Salinas. Panelsessions covered topics including women and crime; women and politics; womenand law; women's literature; and art, music, health, and life transitions.

Heather Bailey, a junior psychology major, said, "The focus of the conferencewas not just about where women are, but where we should go; how we shouldn'tstay static."

The TTU Commission on the Status of Women paid for any interested Tech studentto attend the conference.

- Renee Jolly

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The Women's Center
Tennessee Technological University
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Last updated March 24, 1998.

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