by Kristin Distel
At Homecoming 2018, the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program welcomed home several of the program’s alumni as part of the fourth annual Reunion and Roundtables event.
Reunion and Roundtables is, WGSS director Dr. Cindy Anderson states, the “brainchild of Dr. Julie White” and made possible by the efforts of the WGSS faculty, particularly Dr. Patty Stokes and Dr. Kim Little.
“The highlight of fall semester for me is seeing alumni—these wonderful generations of students—and learning about the great things you’re doing. We’re celebrating not only your talents and education but also your commitment to gender justice,” Stokes remarked.
The event featured a keynote address, three discussion panels, and a reception, where alumni, current students, faculty, and friends of the WGSS program networked and shared ideas.
Remarkable Array of Expertise
The keynote address was delivered by Ashley Senary Dahlberg (’07) , an attorney who graduated from OHIO’s Honors Tutorial College with a combined B.A. and M.A. in Political Science, in addition to a certificate in Women’s Studies. She titled her keynote, “The Matriarchy is Coming: On Mothering and Big Law.”
The first panel of the day, titled “Reproductive Justice,” focused on a discussion of prenatal care, abortion access, and freedom from sterilization. The panel featured alumni Anushka Gole, Alyssa Ensminger, and Jessica Ensley.
The day’s second panel, titled “Working for Transnational Gender Justice,” featured three OHIO alumni: Bobby Walker, Dr. Pronoy Rai, and Dr. Catherine Cutcher.
The final panel, “Me Too—Moment or Movement: Women in Law Reflect,” featured four OHIO alumni: Madison Koenig, Caroline Nagy, Anika Holland, and Liz Herron.
Carrying OHIO’s Lessons with Them
In remarking on the overall lessons and information imparted throughout the discussion panels, Ensminger summed up the shift toward positive change.
“Mothers, as well people who are surviving atrocities like human trafficking and sexual violence, are laying the groundwork for change and justice, and we need to follow their lead,” she suggested.
Additionally, Herron encapsulated the sentiment that so many panelists mentioned during their talks.
“The most useful lesson I learned at OHIO is to constantly think about where I am and what I am doing, and what that might mean for someone else,” she stated. “We need to think about how we might affect others.”
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