Women
Women's History Month Linked by Leadership
Amy Turnbull,
Lawrence junior
- Center for Community Outreach project coordinator
- Social welfare senator
- A founder of the Feminist Collective Force
These are only a few of the many female student leaders on campus. But their experiences accomplishments and challenges are important lessons to us all.
- Volunteer for Women's Transitional Care Services
Turnbull is active both on campus and in the Lawrence community. However, she is modest about being called a leader.
"I don't see myself as any different than anyone else." Turnbull said. "Anyone can become committed to an issue and take action to make a difference. I really feel like what gives me strength and hope is the people I work with."
"I'm concerned about bringing issues of social justice to the forefront in the University community, and I do that by being involved in different organizations and groups that promote education and action on issues such as poverty, health, violence and education."
She said that she envisioned herself helping people for the rest of her life and that she was different from leaders who worked primarily to advance to bigger and better positions.
"I don't appreciate that kind of leadership," Turnbull said. "Basically, I believe that it's the leaders' responsibility to help bring in other people and work collectively through their leadership."
Stevie Case.
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• University Senate Executive Committee vice chairwoman
• Association of University Residence Halls president
• Residential student senator
Case said she was concerned about how linear tuition would affect students next semester. She has proposed that Student Senate write a letter to the Board of Regents expressing its frustration that students weren't included in the discussions concerning linear tuition last spring.
Case is one of few students who has direct contact with faculty members and administrators in policy-making positions. Her position in SenEx enables her to convey student views in a meaningful forum. SenEx has wrestled with many issues this semester, including the question of releasing faculty evaluations to the student body.
"Students haven't gotten any way to that at all." Ciscardo.
As president of the Association of University Residence Halls, Case said her primary concern was improving the parking situation for students who live on Dale Hill.
Case said she wasn't always aware that she was considered a woman in court at the University of Texas. "I don't see it as an uphill battle." Case said, "I've always been an aggressive person, and because of what I haven't encountered many miscreants, Witness can answer if you stand up and make people take
Kim Cocks.
Lee's Summit, Mo., senior
Student body president
Nonvoting member of Senate
Executive Committee
As student body president, Cocks has access to Chancellor Robert Hemenway and other KU administrators on a regular basis. She also has substantial power in lobbying Student Senate.
"The power lies in the fact that your voice can be heard," Cockis said. "I don't think I'm constantly aware that I have power, but I am consistently aware of my responsibility to students."
Cocks said she was dealing with several issues at the Senate and administrative levels.
She is making efforts to inform the Board of Regents that students may not want to pay for a proposed technology fee to increase the number of computers on campus.
Because Cocks is graduating this semester and a new student body president soon will be elected, she said she wanted to make sure that the issues Senate had been working on this year wouldn't be forgotten next year.
Although Cocks is the first female student body president in 11 years, she said she never felt that being a woman hampered her chances in the race. She said she thought that the University welcomed female leaders.
"We are lucky for the environment we have here," she said.
Story by Nicole Kennedy Photos by Matt Flickner
Reagan Cowan
Scottsdale, Ariz., sophomore
• A founder of the Feminist
Collective Force
- Volunteer at the subtitle Care,
a restaurant-style soup
kitchen for Lawrence homeless
- A planner 1or the womyn Take Back the Night March
- Aplanner for the Womyn
Cowan's power lies in her dedication to helping others and promoting action on women's issues.
As one of several founders of the Feminist Collective Force, Cowan plays a big role in helping coordinate marches and engineer lobbying efforts on campus and within the community.
She is preparing for a cultural night Thursday to celebrate Women's History Month.
"It's a gathering of women artists in the Lawrence community," Cowan said.
Cowan said she was comfortable in her role as a female leader on campus and prided herself on working to break down the gender roles that society had established for women. However, she said she wanted people to pay attention to her work, not her sex.
The evening will include ethnic food, storytellers, improvisational acts and music.
"I want people to look at me for what I do," Cowan said.
Ashley Miller.
Ashley Miller.
Wichita senior
• Editor of the University Daily Kansan
The Kansan editor was the only student mentioned in the survey, which was distributed to faculty and staff members who had been at the University for many years.
A 1994 survey of faculty and staff with longevity, conducted by The University Daily Kansan, found that the editor of the student newspaper was one of 10 most powerful people on campus.
Page 8A March20,1996
Miller said she thought that was true but that she didn't consciously try to bring certain issues to the spotlight or set agendas.
The survey indicated that the editor was considered powerful because he or she had the power to set agendas on campus.
Miller is the editor this semester.
She said she didn't really focus on herself as a female leader.
"I've never once thought that anything I did was because I was a female," Miller said. "It was like, 'You're not a girl, you're a person, and you do whatever you want.'"
She said highlighting student leaders was a positive thing, regardless of gender.
"People who are leaders deserve the recognition, and if they happen to be women, then they happen to be women," Miller said.
Jessica Keith.
Keith serves as a link between African-American students on campus and the University administration.
Kansas City, Kan., junior
• Black Student Union president
• Fine Arts student senator
• Inspirational Gospel Voices choir director
Black Student Union members were proactive in the initial development of the Office of Minority Affairs.
Now Keith is trying to raise financial support for the office because it has taken on many new responsibilities since its inception.
"The responsibility of the office has grown, but the money has not increased." Keith said.
She also is working to improve the retention rate of African-American students on campus.
Keith said she often was reminded that she was a woman in power, not just a person in power.
If a man gives his opinion, it tends to be taken more seriously than when a woman gives her opinion, she said.
However, that hasn't stopped her from expressing her opinions. She said she worked to make people aware of the issues facing African-American students on campus.
"Sometimes I have problems," Keith said.
"I kind of see myself as the spokesperson for (the Black Student Union), but I also have to be a role model," Keith said.
- Graduate Affairs Committee chairwoman
Bachlsenou graduate student
Chairwoman of Graduate
She is active in promoting awareness of women in business, and she sponsored a Senate bill to finance Women's History Month.
"I think there's a tendency to view women differently as leaders that's historically driven," Spetcher said. "The movement is clearly away from that, and I think recognizing outstanding women's leadership is a good idea."
- Graduate assistant at the Emily Taylor Women's Resource Center
I do that primarily with the Chancellor for
the Board of Regents, the administration,
the Legislature and the faculty.* Spelcher said.
Swimmer's power lies in her lobbing
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Speicher said she was working to help decide what was considered full-time.
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plastic leadinm style.
Speaker and Women敢于 have a distinct leadership style.
"Women are compassionate leaders," Speaker said. "We have a lot of human qualities in bring to the leadership circle."
She said the University was very progressive in its treatment of female leaders.
"There are women on this campus clearly in leadership roles," Speaker said. "I thank the University of Kansas has a lot to be proud of in terms of female leaders."
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