1970-1979

The Dickinson Women’s Newsletter is a monthly issued pamphlet, published by The Advisory and Planning Committee on Women’s Programs at Dickinson College.  The January, ‘74 issue, documents an invaluable  trip that 40 female students took to Washington D.C. where they gained insight to the current job market, the “how-to’s” of finding a job, and specifically the opportunities for women in the Washington metropolitan area.  The dynamic staff at W.O.W.

Tara McCallum, in hopes of aiding in the movement towards creating black awareness on Dickinson's campus, contributed to the monthly publication, The Black Perspective, published by the Congress of African Students.  Her work appears in the April edition of the Perspective. McCallum has several creative poems published, all harkening back to the struggles of black individuals.

The Prime Minister of the Congress of African Students, Robin Wilson,  wrote a formal letter to the President of Phi Kappa Sigma, Steve Persichetti, voicing concern, or outrage rather, at a poster advertising a Phi Kap event with “racist and stereotypic overtones.”  Writing on the behalf of the entire Congress, Wilson spoke out against the “insensitivity and degrading” nature of the poster in hopes of increasing sensitivity and consciousness of Black awareness within the Dickinson College community.

In her "Women as Leaders" survey response, a female Dickinsonian remembers how the Dickinson experience was for her. Being only one of two African American women on the campus, she felt that her social life was restricted. She remembered the two other African American students on campus, Judy Rogers and Skip (Everett) Hewlett.

In the minutes recording for the first meeting of the Congress of African Students of Dickinson, an account of issues addressed during the meeting and introduction for new members is given.  During this meeting , which was the group’s first of the fall semester, each of the ministers on the board of the congress introduced themselves to new members and gave brief descriptions of their given ministries.  Of the seven ministers, five were black, female women.  Robin Wilson served as Prime Minister, Brenda Gordy as Minister of Culture and Education, Michelle Arter as Minister of Action, Patien

A female Dickinson graduate comments in the "Women as Leaders" survey about the academic caliber of the students at Dickinson. She had always felt that the women in her classes and the classes around hers, "were superior to the men in talent." However, the "men dominated the visible offices easily" and they outnumbered the women, such as in her graduating class there were 65-70 women out of 200 or more students. The college did attract a "high calibre of women" but she never had an overwhelmingly high regard for the "academic prowess of the men."

 A poem by poet Sonia Sanchez was published in the newsletter, NIA.  The piece's straightforward language and tone stirs the audience and calls attention to the black perspective.

According to the Dickinson Woman's Newsletter in the fall of 1973 a viewing of "Lady Beware" was scheduled for female students. The viewing of this film was intended to educate women on rape, the ways to prevent and avoid danger, and finally techniques on self-defense.

According to the 1973 Woman's Newsletter, Dr. Barbara Varchol presented and discussed her work with students. Dr. Varchol's work focused on the areas of human sexuality, development of sexual identities, and "the ease or hang-ups persons between the ages 18-22 yrs of age encounter in communicating with people of the same and opposite sex and how it relates to the times we live in." The event was scheduled for September 25, 1973 in the HUB Social Hall.

In 1973, the Dickinson Woman's Newsletter reports that the film "Growing up Female: As Six Become One" was shown to the entire student body. The film focuses on "the way in which women are socialized bu showing the lives of six women of different ages and backgrounds." The film was shown Spetember 5, 1973 at the HUB social hall.