International Women’s Day in Colorado Springs
March 31, 2008 | 
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March 8th at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs was a Saturday to remember for students young and old, and in between. While hundreds of public-school students attended the regionally famous Science Olympiad spearheaded by Dean Ramaswami Dandapani and associates (see feature article in this issue), UCCS university women and their significant others gathered in the UCCS Gallery of Contemporary Art to celebrate International Women’s Day.
This was the first time in UCCS history that “IWD” has been celebrated here, to our knowledge. Margaret Mistry, faculty member in the Department of Languages and Cultures, enlisted the help of university students and professors to create a three-hour spectacular for women throughout the university and beyond.
Professor Pavel Gregorievich Kozhevnikov, adjunct professor of Russian, led the festivities with a historical overview of the day’s importance, and regaled the crowd with tidbits of past “IWD”s from his early life as well as selections from his published poems.
Guest of Honor Cindy Aubrey, News Director of KOAA 5 & 30, provided the audience with sage advice about how best to negotiate the world of broadcasting in addition to sharing significant events in her personal journey to a most prestigious position in the world of television news.
Curtis Smith took the lead as Visual and Performing Arts representative in the program, performing his musical tribute to women with electronic pieces from his recent compositions. His fans filled the Gallery of Contemporary Art with rapt attention and enthusiastic applause.
Professors M. J. Sullivan and Kristen Ortega shared their original poetic compositions as did their students, proving that the creative spirit is being nurtured in creative classrooms throughout the university.
Thanks to Daphne Medina, graduate student of history and ombudsperson for the event, no one went hungry, thirsty, or lacking culinary stimuli. This young woman’s contributions to the day were duly noted by all.
As Professor Aditi Mitra presented closing remarks to the celebration, inviting ongoing collaboration among women in whatever phase of life they may be, the audience provided all the celebrants with a rousing round of applause. Well done, AWD celebrants! We look forward to growing the celebration even more next year.
Special thanks to all our college assistants, Iñigo, Andrea, Isabel, and Kati. Heartfelt thanks to the newly inaugurated Department of WEST, Womens/Ethnic Studies, Professors Andrea Herrera, Abby Ferber, and VAPA Chair Suzanne McCauley who contributed financially to the project. Let us not forget Gallery Director, Christopher Lynn, who provided us with most energized place to celebrate. It was, as M. J. Sullivan said, “the beginning of a major collaborative energy swell.”
Brava!
- M
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