The Macoskey Center and the Women/PRIDE Centers collaborated to host their second Women in the Environment event of the semester on Nov. 11.
Corie Eckman, the sustainability education graduate assistant for the Macoskey Center, and Kendra Claypool, the graduate assistant for the Women/PRIDE Centers, both worked together to facilitate this event.
The short film shown was “Woman Builds Tiny Earthen Home,” showcasing a woman in Wales who built her small home from the nature around her. She touches on the few failures she has had, the struggles along the way, her connection with spirituality and her drive to have something she built fully on her own. This film embodies the message of the “Women in the Environment” series.
The group present for this event was small, but that did not put a damper on conversation. Topics ranged from the benefits of lacking technology, the reflection of differing values, and how the film overall makes us think about how we could change our habits to help conserve the earth. Eckman provided some friendly advice for those who wish to take steps to being more eco-friendly, such as how students are able to rent out their own garden space at the Macoskey Center starting during the spring.
This multi-part conversation started somewhere between three or four years ago, according to both Eckman and Claypool. The professor above Eckman, Becky Thomas, an associate professor of parks, conservation and recreational therapy, was a part of the President’s Commission for Women where she teamed up to create the “Women in the Environment” conversation. Ever since then, graduate students from both the Macoskey and Women/PRIDE centers have kept the conversation going.
It is clear that these two are passionate about keeping this message alive.
“We see women being marginalized in environmental fields, it goes across all fields, but this is where our conversation started,” Eckman said. “We hope to show people the importance of this by showing films where women are the main leader in these environments.”
Claypool feels similarly.
“This isn’t just a conversation for women to have, men need to be included in it too,” Claypool said. “The issues that women face while working need to be seen by all sides.”
Students who are interested in hearing these conversations can prepare for two more events next semester. Students should check CORE for more information.
