March is Women's History Month.
But 2,000 years ago, the Romans named this month after Mars,
their god of war, because this was the first month that
weather permitted military campaigning! Although we
won't see much military action here in
Tennessee, we will see and smell riots of daffodils and redbud
trees blooming throughout the month.
You may be surprised to
discover that four U.S. Presidents were born this
month: James Madison (known as the "Father of the
Constitution"), our own Andrew Jackson ("Old Hickory"), John
Tyler, and Grover Cleveland. Famous historical events
from March include the notorious "ides of March" (the
middle, or 15th of the month) when Julius Ceasar was
assassinated in 44 BC, the celebration of Texas'
independence from Mexico in 1836, the first trans-Atlantic
radio broadcast in 1925, and the founding of the United
States Military Academy in 1802. Some very well known
people born this month also had disabilities. For
example, the famous Renaissance painter and sculptor,
Michelangelo, born on March 6th, had obsessive compulsive
disorder. Albert Einstein, born on March 14th and one
of the most important scientific minds of the last century,
had dyslexia and possibly OCD. Harry
Belafonte, the famous American musician, actor, and social
activist dubbed the "King of Calypso" and born on March 1st, has dyslexia. And Bruce Willis, the famous "Die
Hard" actor born on March 19th, had a speech disorder in his
youth.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all
men and women are created equal."
-- Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Declaration of
Sentiments, Seneca Falls, New York, 1848
"Somewhere out in this audience may even be someone
who will one day follow in my foot-steps, and preside
over the White House as the President's spouse. I
wish him well!"
-- Barbara Bush, Wellesley College
Commencement, 1990
Did you know that in 1893 New
Zealand became the first country in the world to allow women
to vote? American women did not gain the right to vote
until 1920, and not until the 1960's and 70's could a woman
expect to receive equal pay for the same job as that of her
male co-workers, or apply for the same jobs as men.
Clearly, women's rights have come a long way, but work still
needs to be done. According to the latest reports from
the Institute for Women's Policy Research, Tennessee is the
9th worst state in the union for women's employment based on
salary, wage gap, and women's participation in managerial
positions. However, some experts at Catalyst, a
non-profit women's research organization, see an ever-increasing
trend of women participating equally in the work-force
throughout the nation, and they estimate that forty years
from now the playing field will be level and the glass
ceiling will be non-existent.
Unfortunately, women in other countries throughout
the world do not enjoy many of the rights and benefits that
women have here in America. Women in some African nations
are regularly ritually mutilated and sold into slavery to
their country-men. Women in Saudi Arabia are not
allowed to testify in court, and victims of sexual assault
are punished on the grounds that they should not have been
alone with an unrelated male. Women in Afghanistan are
assassinated for working outside the home. Women in
Iran are barred from attending men's sporting events.
Things like these make us thankful to live in America!
But how well do you know about women's contributions in
America? Take our quiz below and find out! Answers are
at the bottom of the newsletter.
1. Who was the first African-American woman elected
to Congress in 1969?
A. Barbara Jordan, B. Shirley Chisholm,
C. Eleanor Holmes
2. In 2007, who became the first woman Speaker of
the House of Representatives?
A. Barbara Boxer, B. Hillary Clinton,
C. Nancy Pelosi
3. Who was the first American woman to establish a
major religion?
A. Mary Baker Eddy, B. Mother Bernardina
Matthews, C. Oveta Culpl Hobby
4. Which of these women aviators disappeared while
attempting to fly around the world?
A. Amelia Earnhart, B. Anne Morrow
Lindbergh, C. Beryl Markham
5. Who was the first woman Associate Justice of the
US Supreme Court?
A. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, B. Sandra Day
O'Connor, C. Eleanor Roosevelt
6. What prestigious university named its first
woman president in 2007? A. Harvard University,
B. Yale University, C. Princeton
University
7. Who was the first American woman in space?
A. Mae Jemison, B. Sally Ride, C.
Eileen Collins
8. Who was the first woman in the United States to
receive a medical degree in 1849? A. Margaret
Chase Smith, B. Clara Barton, C.
Elizabeth Blackwell
Go Back to the Top
If you plan on visiting
Nashville, visit the
Access Nashville Online - Home Page first! This
wonderful service provides information about transportation
within the city for people with disabilities and gives you
an accessibility rating for restaurants located all over
Nashville. The ratings were compiled from reviews by
citizens of Nashville who have disabilities. Under the
criteria used by the reviewers, restaurants can receive a
"Wow", "Good" or "Limited" rating. So before you make
reservations for that special date or St. Patrick's Day
party, check this site and see how others like you rated the
restaurant.
Go Back to the Top
Hopefully you got a chance
to catch a few of the World Special Olympics events that
took place last month! Although everyone heard about
the Olympics in China this summer, the World Winter Special
Olympics for this year were actually hosted here in the
United States, in Idaho. From February 9th to the
13th, five delegates from Tennessee participated in the 2009
Winter Special Olympics, competing in the speed skating and
alpine skiing races held in Idaho. Our delegates (Haikeem
Ragsdale, Brandon Timmerman, Michele Moseley, Michelle
Greenway, and Kenion Carlisle) all did extremely well,
taking gold, silver, and bronze medals in most events.
Clarksville's own delegate, Michele Moseley, came in third
place in every one of her speed-skating events!
Michele works at Applebee's here in Clarksville, so if you
see her be sure to congratulate her for her hard work.
For more information about the Tennessee Special Olympics delegation visit,
http://www.specialolympicstn.org/index.php , and for
information about the World games in Idaho visit
http://www.specialolympics.org/wwg09_features.aspx .
Go Back to the Top
Mar 5 Comedian:
Tissa Hami performs at the MUC Ballroom BC at 5:30pm
Mar 9-14 Spring Break!
Mar 17 Tacky Prom
Night: "Revenge of the Nerds" at MUC Ballroom at 7pm
Mar 19 APSU "Idol"
tryouts, 3-5pm at Einsteins Coffee Shop
Mar 23-27 Art
Exhibit in the Library: "The Veil"
Mar 25 Free Movie:
"Wanted", 7pm at MUC303; and Art Exhibit in the Plaza: "The Veil" from
11am-2pm, co-sponsored by the Women's Studies Department
Mar 26 Dinner &
a Movie: "Persepois" at 6:30pm in MUC305, co-sponsored
by ISO
Mar 31 APSU Idol from
4-6pm at Einstein's Coffee Shop, MUC; and deadline for Imagine Cup Round
1, the LeRoy Parks Civitan Scholarship, and the Cameron Ford Watts
Scholarship
Go Back to the Top
Robert Frost, four time Pulitzer Prize
winning American poet, was born this month on the 26th of March.
Here is a poem that some believe describes missed
opportunities in life. As the middle of the semester
and the end of the school year loom closer, it's easy to become discouraged and weighed down
by all of our responsibilities- this poem helps remind us to
'keep the door open' and take advantage of opportunities
when they come our way.
It went many years,
But at last came a knock,
And I thought of the door
With no lock to lock.
I blew out the light,
I tip-toed the floor,
And raised both hands
In prayer to the door.
But the knock came again.
My window was wide;
I climbed on the sill
And descended outside.
Back over the sill
I bade a 'Come in'
To whatever the knock
At the door may have been.
So at a knock
I emptied my cage
To hide in the world
And alter with age.
Go Back to the Top
LeRoy Parks Civitan Scholarship
Established in 2002, the recipient of
this scholarship must be registered in the Office of
Disability Services and have a minimum GPA of 2.5.
Applications will be reviewed by a committee from the
Clarksville Downtown Civitan Club. Initial awards will
be $800 annually and there is an endowment started by
Civitan to fund the scholarship. Civitan’s major focus
is to assist individuals with disabilities. For further
information contact the Office of Disability Services, (931)
221-6230 voice/(931) 221-6278 TTY, APSU Box 4578, or check
http://www.apsu.edu/disability/Scholarships.aspx. Deadline for this scholarship is 31 March 2009.
The Cameron Ford Watts
Scholarship
Established by the family of Cameron
Ford Watts, who passed away in 1993, this endowed
scholarship provides a $1,000 annual award to a student
registered with the Office of Disability Services. Gifts
from numerous family members and friends created this
endowment which is the first scholarship at Austin Peay
designated specifically for a student with a disability. For
further information and/or a scholarship application, please
contact the Office of Disability Services, (931) 221-6230
voice/(931) 221-6278 TTY, APSU Box 4578 and check
http://www.apsu.edu/disability/Scholarships.aspx. Deadline is 30 March 2009.
Go Back to the Top
Would you like to win $5,000 or $3,000
dollars? If you have an idea about how to make
technology more accessible for people who are aging or who
have disabilities, this competition is for you! But
the deadline for Round 1 is almost here! If you want
to participate, first register at
www.imaginecup.com,
and then turn in your initial submission by 31 March
. You can register individually or with
some friends to make a team. In order to qualify for
the first round of the contest, you must submit a 500 word
summary of your proposed solution and an electronic image
demonstrating your idea (via PowerPoint, Microsoft
Expression, or a JPEG/GIF). If your idea makes it to
the second round, you also have to submit a prototype of
your proposed solution!
These are the dates for the
competition:
|
ROUND
|
START DATE
(all times 12:01AM GMT)
|
END DATE
(all times 11:59PM GMT)
|
|
1
|
January 15, 2009
|
March 31, 2009
|
|
2
|
April 15, 2009
|
June 15, 2009
|
f
Visit the
Imagine Cup Accessibility Award Website for more rules
and information.
Go Back to the Top
We want YOU! If you have a piece
of artwork, comments about a previous newsletter article, a
photograph, a poem, a story about how you overcame a
challenge, a favorite recipe, a tech. tip, or an
announcement that you would like to publish in
the Advocate, please send it via email to ODSTESTS@apsu.edu
with the subject line "Advocate submission", or drop your
submission off at the ODS front desk. Don't forget to
include your name, contact information, and any special
instructions. And please make sure your submission is
typed and legible.
Go Back to the Top
All APSU Students including ODS
registered students have access to the Assistive Technology
located in the the library (first floor-- JAWS and Kurzweil
3000) and ODS Access lab (second floor JAWS, Kurzweil
3000/1000, ZoomText, CCTV and Dragon Naturally Speaking) and
MUC114 ODS AT Lab (Closed Caption Television (up x60
enlargement), Zoom Text Magnifier, JAWS Screen Reader,
and Kurzweil 3000/1000). Further description of ODS
Assistive Technology is available through the
Services for Access and
Assistive Technology link on the
ODS web.
For an orientation explaining the assistive
technology ODS provides, please come to an open AT
orientation— for dates and times go to the link
Announcements and Events on the ODS web site.
Go Back to the Top
The Office of Disability Services (ODS)
primary mission is to ensure equal access for students with
disabilities to all curricular and co-curricular
opportunities offered by Austin Peay State University. ODS
is also committed to provide leadership to the campus
community to ensure compliance with legal requirements for
equal access.
Women's History Quiz answer key:
B, C, A (Church of Christ, Scientist), A, B, A, B, C
Go Back to the Top