On the evening of Monday, November 18, students from the Race and Gender class hosted a panel for women to speak on their experiences in STEM and recreational sports at EMU. This event was promoted by the University Women’s Empowerment Network (UWEN). Four women spoke on the panel: Abigail Forrest, Naomi Kratzer, Tara Kishbaugh, and Mana Acosta. Malia Bauman facilitated, asking a series of questions for the panelists. Around 25 students attended and received one Engage point, the majority of these being undergraduate women.
Forrest started the conversation by bringing up an important point, saying, “It’s hard to talk about gender without talking about race.” The panel consisted mainly of white women – a fact Forrest was able to identify, recognizing the privilege they hold. Forrest then touched on people often assuming she is a nursing major (indicating a stereotype that women are often nurses), though she is actually on the pre-med track. Over time, she has observed attitudes in male professors changing for the good, including attempts at treating the female students better.
Kishbaugh, a chemistry professor, expanded on her experiences in undergrad and graduate school and reflected on the changes that have been made since then. Having had many more years of experience than the others, Kishbaugh brought in a different perspective. She spoke of times during her schooling of isolation and little to no social network of other women. She also brought up her experience with being a mother in the STEM field. Over time, she was able to see positive shifts towards equality and inclusivity. One important example was the introduction of maternity leave.
Acosta, one of the few women in the male-dominated engineering program, spoke of feeling like she is behind her peers. In speaking of her experiences, she recalled the repetitive feeling of having to prove herself to her male counterparts. Acosta reported the amount of support she needs in order to fully participate in classes. She also offered some insights on recreational sports at EMU along with Kratzer.
Kratzer is a captain on the recreational Ultimate Frisbee team. She shared her perspective on the struggles women may face on co-ed sports teams. Her perspective gave a lens into the struggles that co-ed sports teams experience. One rule that has cropped up recently with recreational sports is that there must be at least two members of the opposite gender on each team. Although this is an attempt to promote inclusion, women are often invited out of obligation. A main issue during Ultimate Frisbee is the isolation that women experience, in that they are scarcely thrown the frisbee. When these issues are raised and discussion occurs, it appears that no changes happen, and these behaviors continue.
After they answered the prepared questions, the panel opened up for questions from the audience. Kratzer was asked about how women’s experiences in rec sports might be different from those in coed varsity sports. She remarked that having a coach and resources to make changes is vital. This way, players would not have to be responsible for calling out their own peers.
Another question was pitched by professor Deanna Durham, who is the head of the social work department as well as the professor of Race and Gender. She asked what large-scale change would look like and how it may happen. Kishbaugh answered first, saying that most people on an individual level are afraid to change by themselves. However, it seems that a collective movement would be more efficient at restructuring the systems we have today. Acosta chimed in to share some of her experiences working on bridge-building engineering projects, specifically on one this past summer in Eswatini. She explained that in these male-dominated settings, positive reinforcement had been incredibly important to draw men’s attention towards women’s ideas.
After the formal conclusion of the panel, some students stuck around to talk more with the panelists and share common experiences. Although the Race and Gender students had hoped that the general turnout would show more of an equal balance between genders in attendance, this event seemed to be well received. The area buzzed with conversation for a bit before everyone dispersed. Special thanks to Malia Bauman, Daisy Buller, Emma Ruth Hua, Jenna Oostland, Anisa Sharhabeel, and Brooke Snyder for organizing this event!
