Past Events

Colt Lecture Series: Linda Beail: Framing Sarah Palin: Pit Bulls, Puritans, and Politics, November 15, 2012, Colt Forum, 3:30 PM

Sarah Palin’s 2008 vice presidential candidacy garnered tremendous levels of interest, polarizing the American public—both Democrats and Republicans alike. While many have wondered who she "really" is, trying to cut through the persona she projects and the one projected by the media, Beail and Longworth analyze why she touches such a nerve with the American electorate. Why does she ignite such passionate loyalty--and such loathing? How did her candidacy mobilize new parts of the electorate?

 Using the notion of "framing" as a way of understanding political perception, the authors analyze the narratives told by and about Sarah Palin in the 2008 election – from beauty queen, maverick, faithful fundamentalist and post-feminist role model to pit bull hockey mom, frontier woman, and political outsider. They discuss where those frames are rooted historically in popular and political culture, why they were selected, and the ways that the frames resonated with the electorate.

 Framing Sarah Palin addresses the question of what the choice and perception of these frames tells us about the state of American politics, and about the status of American women in politics in particular. What do the debates engendered by these images of Palin say about the current roles and power available to women in American society? What are the implications of her experience for future candidates, particularly women candidates, in American politics?

No RSVP necessary. Coffee and desserts will be provided.

Miss Representation: A Film Forum, Colt Forum, October 25, 2012, 7 PM

Like drawing back a curtain to let bright light stream in, Miss Representation (90 min; TV-14 DL) uncovers a glaring reality we live with every day but fail to see. Written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom, the film exposes how mainstream media contribute to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. The film challenges the media’s limited and often disparaging portrayals of women and girls, which make it difficult for women to achieve leadership positions and for the average woman to feel powerful herself.

In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, and not in her capacity as a leader. While women have made great strides in leadership over the past few decades, the United States is still 90th in the world for women in national legislatures, women hold only 3% of clout positions in mainstream media, and 65% of women and girls have disordered eating behaviors.

Stories from teenage girls and provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics, like Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Margaret Cho, Rosario Dawson and Gloria Steinem build momentum as Miss Representation accumulates startling facts and statistics that will leave the audience shaken and armed with a new perspective.

No RSVP required.  

Good People: A Play at the Old Globe Theatre, October 11, 2012, 8 PM

Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire's (Rabbit Hole) Tony-nominated hit Broadway play GOOD PEOPLE comes to The Old Globe! Margie doesn't expect much from her hand-to-mouth existence in South Boston, where a few lucky rounds of bingo can mean the rent is finally paid on time. But after losing her job at the local dollar store, she reaches out for help to an old high school flame who made it out of the neighborhood. GOOD PEOPLE explores whether we can all have the American Dream in this funny and insightful new play. 

RSVP Required! To RSVP and purchase your Good People ticket, please contact Linda Beail atLindaBeail@pointloma.edu or Lydia Heberling at LydiaHeberling@pointloma.edu by Friday, September 28th. Tickets are $20 each and include bus transportation from PLNU to The Old Globe. 

Women's Studies Meet and Greet Luncheon, September 26, 2012, Smee 100

If you have any interest in learning more about the Center for Women's Studies, or are interested in pursuing a minor in Women's Studies, or even if you have a general interest in the topic, please join us for lunch on Wednesday, September 26th to learn more about the various ways in which pursuing these interests can shape your academic life, and ultimately your future. For details, or more information, contact Linda Beail at LindaBeail@pointloma.edu.

To RSVP for this event please email LindaBeail@pointloma.edu. 

"Olive Winchester: A Gentlewoman and a Scholar" by Rebecca Laird, September 20, 2012, Colt Forum, 3:30 PM

Olive M. Winchester (1879-1947) was a pioneer in theological education and ministry, an inveterate traveler, a generous heiress to a rifle fortune and an intrepid entrepreneur. With an education that spanned from Radcliffe Ladies College to the University of Glasgow to Drew University, and a teaching career at Pasadena College, she claims a charismatic and impressive resume. But who was she as a person? What were her scholarly interests? Who were her mentors? How do her students remember her? How did her inherited money help and hinder her work? What did she do when she wasn't earning degrees or giving lectures? Join Dr. Rebecca Laird as she shares her research on the life of Olive Winchester on September 20th at 3:30 PM in the Colt Forum. 

No RSVP necessary for this event. Coffee and desserts will be served. 

Lauren Winner, April 2, 2012, Crill Auditorium

   We welcomed Lauren Winner back to the PLNU campus this spring. Lauren gave a talk titled: "Dislocation as Grounding of Faith", and spoke about her new book, Still, out spring of 2012. 

Rachel Held Evans, February 27, 2012, 3:30 PM in Colt Forum 

Rachel Held Evans is an award-winning author and popular blogger from Dayton, Tennessee—home of the famous Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. Rachel’s first book, Evolving in Monkey Town (Zondervan, 2010), explores the relationship between faith and doubt and recounts the challenges of asking tough questions about Christianity in the context of the Bible Belt. In October, Rachel finished a yearlong experiment in “biblical womanhood” in which she attempted to follow all of the Bible’s instructions for women as literally as possible. That experiment will be documented in a book published by Thomas Nelson in 2012. 

The Center for Women's Studies is pleased to host Rachel on February 27th at 3:30 PM in Colt Forum as she discusses her yearlong experiment in "biblical womanhood." Join us as she relates her experiences and answers questions. No tickets or registration necessary. Seating is first come, first served. 

Women's History Lecture, March 20, 2012, 3:30 PM in Colt Forum

The 2012 annual Women's History Lecture, co-sponsored by the Center for Women's Studies and the History and Political Science Dept., featured guest speaker Dr. Margaret Bendroth.  Dr. Bendroth has served as Executive Director for the Congregational Library since August 2004. She received her B.A. from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in history from the Johns Hopkins University. She is the author of several books, includingFundamentalism and Gender, 1875 to the Present (Yale 1993) and Fundamentalists and the City: Conflict and Division in Boston's Churches, 1885 to 1950 (Oxford 2005), and has edited several other volumes, including Women and Twentieth-Century Protestantism (Illinois 2002). Her most recent book, A School of the Church: Andover Newton Across Two Centuries (Eerdmans 2008), was written to mark the school's bicentennial year.Dr. Bendroth will be giving a talk titled, "American Evangelicals and Gender: How Are We Doing So Far?"