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Martin Altstaedten/KANSAI
A woman's work
Lexie Engleman, Lawrence Fire Department captain, started her career 13 years ago. She said many people assumed at first that she was a dispatcher and were surprised to learn that she went into burning buildings for a living.
These days, a growing number of women are working in traditionally
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male-dominated fields.
By Cathleen Slecha
Kansan staff writer
Gone are the days when a working woman was, by definition, a teacher, a waitress or a nurse.
Today, a growing number of women are bridging the gender gap by working in traditionally male-dominated fields, such as firefighting, the armed forces and road construction.
Many of those women have refused to let gender become an obstacle to success.
"I guess I never really thought of being female as an issue when I decided to join the Army," said Deborah Daulton, Salina sophomore and KU Army ROTC combat medic specialist. "I think too many women second guess themselves because of their sex. Also, I was always my father's tomboy. I went hunting and fishing with him, I was into sports. It never entered my mind that my gender would keep me from doing anything."
But Daulton's gender is an issue in another important part of her life: beauty pageants.
Daulton attended Emporia State University her freshman year, and reigned as Miss Emporia in 1992. She transferred to the University of Kansas during her sophomore year and was Miss Lawrence USA in 1993.
"The pageants I've been a part of focus on beautiful people with beautiful minds," Daulton said. "I'm very proud to be able to compete in both areas. When I was a little girl, my father would tell my sister and that we could be anything we wanted to be. I just took that to heart and chose
my own path."
Daulton said her father, who also was involved in the armed forces, had been supportive of her. However, some men feel threatened by her career choice.
"Ive told some guys that I'm in the armed forces, and they'll say, Gosh, that's kind of intimidating. But I don't see why."
What's wrong with wanting to make yourself a better, stronger, more intelligent person?"
Deborah Daulton
Salina sophomore
Captain Lexie Engleman of the Lawrence Fire Department said that she experienced the same attitude when she told people that she fought fires for a living.
"People have this image of women firefighters as big, burly women," Engleman said. "Well, I'm 5-feet-7, 120 pounds. When I tell people that I work for the fire department, they say, 'You mean, you're a dispatcher?' And I say 'No. I go into burning buildings, and I fight fires.'
Fighting fires hasn't always been Engleman's occupation. In fact, it wasn't even her job of choice. At first, Engleman wanted a career in a more traditionally female occupation.
"I needed a job," she said. "I taught school, I went back to school and received my master's degree, and
when I went back out for a teaching job, they told me I was overqualified. I saw in the newspaper that they needed firefighters, and I thought that might be OK for a while. I had no intentions of staving there."
That was 13 years ago.
Now Engle-
man is a captain
and makes more
money than she
would if she
were still teaching. But the money isn't what kept Engleman fighting fires.
"When I fought my first fire, it was the most rewarding thing I had ever done," she said. "I'm actually saving people's lives and property. Firefighters are just respected for that, whether they're men or women."
In the past, jobs like Engleman's were not available to women. For example, highway construction crews have long been predominately male.
Today, the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services have combined resources to recruit and train women for nontraditional highway construction jobs.
The three-day training workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
March 23 to 25 at the Lawrence SRS
building, 1901 Delaware St.
Donna Whiteman, secretary of SRS, said it was important for women interested in highway construction to gain knowledge of the industry.
"This program will provide an avenue for getting women into good paying jobs that, for many, were not available in the past," she said. "We hope to break down one of the barriers many women have come up against for years."
For more information on the Women in Highway Construction orientation, contact Penny Martin, 832-3860, or Bob Steiger, 843-7681.
Ballard said awareness of women's abilities would pave the way for future generations.
"It used to be that medicine and law were areas that were considered non-traditionally women's occupations," Ballard said. "But I don't think you could get away with saying that now. I think that the women's movement made men and women and society more aware of the underutilization of women."
"If women are limited in their options, a lot of potential can go untapped," she said. "Women need to have representation. They need to see role models and take pride in themselves. If a woman limits her abilities, she limits her contributions that she can make to society."
Barbara Ballard, director of the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center, said that women had broken many stereotypical barriers in the work force but that progress still needed to be made.
theater
Mozart's opera done in jeans and T-shirts
Brian Vandervliet / KANSAN
Mary Jane Posegate, St. Louis graduate student, and Andy Stuckey, Lawrence graduate student, practice for "Don Glovanni," which opens Wednesday at the Lied Center.
Students familiar with opera's traditionally elaborate costumes will have the chance to see an opera performed in blue jeans when they attend The University of Kansas Opera's season finale of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's "Don Giovanni."
By Kevin Hoffmann Kansan staff writer
Director John Stephens, professor of voice, said the KU Opera's production included alterations that would make relating to "Don Giovanni" easier for a contemporary audience.
The production opens tonight at the Lied Center.
Stephens said the KU Opera's production also would use an English translation of Lorenzo da Ponte's traditional Italian libretto.
Stephens said "Don Giovanni" illustrated how humans were held accountable for their actions. The opera portrays the central character, Giovanni, as he attempts to elude justice. The opera also addresses the effects he has on those around him
One alteration was to set the opera in a contemporary city with everyday costumes.
"The people playing the young kids who go to a party are dressed in leans and T-shirts," he said.
"Some of the cast finds themselves attracted to him while others despmise him," he said.
Brian Priestman, conductor of the University Symphony Orchestra, will conduct the 75-piece symphony orchestra as it performs Mozart's music.
Mark Ferrell, associate professor of voice, said performing Mozart was challenging.
Don Giovanni
The University of Kansas Opera presents "Don Giovanni" at 7:30 p.m. tonight and tomorrow night at the Lied Center. Tickets are $6 for the general public, $3 for students, $5 for senior citizens and are available at the Murphy Hall and Lied Center box offices. Student tickets are available through the SUA office in the Kansas Union.
"His music has many solo lines, so everybody's part is equally important," he said. "You can't hide behind anyone else with this."
"It's wonderful for the students because she is a professional." Stephens said. "She provides a positive effect on the rest of the cast because they are seeing how a professional performs."
Stephens said the production benefited from having Wendy Zaro-Fisher, assistant professor of voice, perform the principle role of Donna Ann=
Zaro-Fisher, a graduate of the University of Southern California, said performing in "Don Giovanni" was a unique experience for her because many of the cast members were her students.
"It was strange," she said. "At one point I looked down and had one of my students on one side and another on the other side."
Stephens said students who had never been to an opera should take advantage of the chance to see "Don Glovanni"
"Opera is different from TV or the movies," Stephens said. "This is a chance to see one of the monuments of Western culture."
PAGE 9
MARCH 16,1994
People and places at the University of Kansas.
calendar
EXHIBITIONS AND LECTURES
Opening exhibition- Ante America (Regarding America), March 20-May 15 at Spencer Museum of Art.
Program - Diet Is a Four Letter Word, 7 tonight at the Pine Room in the Kansas Union.
Exhibition - Sacred and Profane: Two Books in Black and White, ends March 20 at Spencer Museum of Art.
Theatre Sessions for Kids - "School's Out, Theatre's in for Kids," sponsored by Lawrence Community Theatre, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 21-25 at Lawrence Community Theatre, 1501 New Hampshire St. $70 entire week. Enrollment limited.
Opera-"Don Glovanni" by Mozart, 7:30 tonight, tomorrow at the Lied Center. $6 public, $3 students and $5 senior citizens.
PERFORMANCES
Doctoral Recital-Iam Coleman, composition, 7:30 tonight at Swarthout Recital Hall.
University of Kansas
- Student Recital- Sean Chisham, tuba, 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Swarthout Recital Hall.
Benefit Performance - The Renegade Theatre Company presents East Side Comedy Shop to benefit Shelley Miller, 8 p.m. tomorrow at The Renegade Theatre, 518 E. 8th St. $5 public.
Lawrence Community Theatre - "The Roar of the GREasepaint, The Smell of the Crowd," 8 p.m. tomorrow, Friday Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Lawrence Community Theatre, 1501 New Hampshire St. $11, $9 public, $10, $8 students and senior citizens.
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