What’s onour minds?

Greetings!

What’s on our minds

There are many things grabbing at our attention these days, not all of them pleasant. The ongoing genocide in Gaza and the many calls for a ceasefire that echo across the world still occupy the minds and hearts of many of our faculty, staff, and students. That was made evident at the recent tatreez event with Arab and Palestinian women and nonbinary students led by UIC Law School alum Myasar Ihmud. Our students are deeply concerned about their safety on campus; many feel like they are under surveillance and have few places where they feel safe and protected on campus. This should concern all of us who are dedicated to student wellbeing and success.

Alabama’s ruling about frozen embryos and the death of transgender teen Nex Benedict in Oklahoma also remind us that there are many fronts on which battles for justice are being waged. Universities have an important role to play in terms of deepening the conversations so that our students have an opportunity to engage with the issues in a meaningful way. What are the conversations that we need to have? What is the best way for those conversations to happen? In class? On the quad? At a public program? Through our websites and social media? There are discussions underway about what is the most appropriate way for faculty, staff, and students to express their views and take a stand on issues at UIC. I hope these discussions will sufficiently engage all the constituencies to be affected by the policies, especially students and faculty, and reflect the essence of who we are as a campus.

Women’s History Month

March is typically a busier month than usual for us, and this one is no exception.

WLRC is happy to present an exciting roster of events for you to check out. Most are available in hybrid format. See the events calendar for more details.

I want to highlight a couple of programs that are coming up.

This week, we begin our celebration of International Women’s Day with the Australian Consulate-General and Gender & Women’s Studies Program. There will be a lunch and conversation with Australian women in technology, diplomacy, entrepreneurship, and performing arts. Please drop by the Innovation Center, 1240 W. Harrison (next door to us) at noon – 1:30 PM to hear these dynamic women speakers and meet some new people.

We encourage student-led programs at the center. Each semester, we give our student workers and interns space to learn how to develop a program from idea to event. This is part of their leadership development; they learn a lot from working closely with staff to bring their ideas to fruition. Regardless of their major and discipline, we see it as important for students to use their time with us to acquire tangible skills and figure out how to see their vision through.

Next week, we have a double-header:

On Wednesday, March 13, Noe, who is in Theatre, will lead The Artist Room, a conversation and artmaking activity for women and nonbinary students in the arts. Please support this event by sharing the information with your students, especially those who you know have an art practice, whether or not they have a CADA major.

On Friday, March 15, Jennifer and Ashley, two of our DCEP interns, will be hosting It Takes a Village, a lunch for student-parents at UIC. All student-parents are welcome to attend. This is an event for people to get to know each other and to build community. There will be great food, games, and prizes. Please let the UIC student-parents in your lives know that this is happening and encourage them to attend.

We are also pleased to cosponsor and host a discussion of women in planning as part of the Urban Planning and Policy department’s 50th Anniversary celebrations. The event will take place on Tuesday, March 12, and is co-organized with Dr. Keisha Farmer-Smith. It promises to be a rich conversation from diverse perspectives.

After Spring Break (March 18-22), we return to a full week of exciting programming that centers queer women. Mark your calendar for a panel on lesbian community organizing in Chicago (March 26, 3-5 pm) and the Chicago Monuments Project (March 28, noon – 2 pm).

I hope to see you at one of our events in the coming days and weeks.

Until then, take care of yourself and each other,
Natalie Bennett