蓝莓视频

Around the world, March 8 marks , a global initiative celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

On Friday, March 2, the University of 蓝莓视频 celebrated its 13^th annual International Women鈥檚 Day Dinner, an event that hosted 320 guests to acknowledge the important role women have in听society. Attendees included 2018 HeForShe STEM Scholarship recipients in addition to the HeForShe听Writing Contest winners.

蓝莓视频鈥檚 Vice-President of Research, Charmaine Dean, addressed the crowd as keynote speaker and noted that, 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to recognize how far women have come in obtaining equity and stature, and to recognize there鈥檚 still a long way to go.鈥�

In the three years since 蓝莓视频 was invited to join the UN Women鈥檚 HeForShe campaign, the number of girls and women in STEM outreach experiences and activities has听increased to 35 per cent, exceeding the University鈥檚 original goal. 蓝莓视频 is on track to raise the overall female faculty representation to 30 per cent by 2020, with a current representation of 29 per cent.听

President and Vice-Chancellor Feridun Hamdullahpur announced听winners for the 2018听HeForShe writing contest听during the annual dinner.听 Selected听submissions have been听published in a special anthology presented by the Book Store and Writing Centre in support of the HeForShe 10x10x10 IMPACT framework.

For the first time, content was provided by not only 蓝莓视频 students, faculty, staff, and alumni, but also by high school students from the 蓝莓视频 Regional District School Board (WRDSB).听 In total, 97 secondary students entered the HeForShe writing contest.听听 Participants were asked to consider how gender equity fits into a larger equity story, and explore where there are overlaps and connections between gender and race, ethnicity, age, ability, class, faith and/or sexuality.

鈥淥ur commitment to gender equity is not something we take lightly,鈥� wrote President Hamdullahpur.听 鈥淭his collection of poetry, fiction and non-fiction prose from students, faculty, staff and alumni strengthens our resolve to focus on equity in general and gender equity."

Each entry was reviewed by a panel of judges from both the University and WRDSB.

Category winners included:

U蓝莓视频听Creative Non-Fiction Winner听-听Michelle Press茅听(Office of Research) - 鈥淭he Inherent Uncoolness of Girl鈥�

WRDSB Creative Non-Fiction Winner - Kaleigh Wiens* -

U蓝莓视频 Poetry Winner - Eleanor Sudak - 鈥淭oday We Say Thailand鈥�

WRDSB Poetry Winner - Lama Abdallah* - 听(See YouTube听video below.)

U蓝莓视频 Fiction Winner - Sanjay Veerasammy - Untitled

WRDSB Fiction Winner - Rose Danen* -

*high school entrant

Along with the six winning entries, 35 other pieces were also selected for inclusion in the anthology.

University judges in the creative non-fiction category included Dr. Corey Johnson (Recreation & Leisure, Faculty of Applied Health Sciences), Cheryl Maksymyk (Indigenous Student Services Co-ordinator, St. Paul鈥檚 University College), Dr. Melanie Campbell (Director (GWPI), Department of Physics and School of Optometry).

WRDSB creative non-fiction judges included James Bond, Victoria Ford, and Nick Manning.

University judges in the poetry category included听Dr. Sarah Tolmie (English Language and Literature, Faculty of Arts), Tommy Mayberry (Instructional Developer, Centre of Teaching Excellence),听 Dr. Sorouja Moll (Drama and Speech Communication, Faculty of Arts), and undergraduate student Beck Mallozzi (Glow Centre fo Sexual and Gender Diversity).

WRDSB poetry judges included Courtney Waterfall, Ted Martin, Dionne Maxwell, Kylie Penticost, and Nick Manning.

University judges in the fiction category included Dr. Marlee Spafford (Associate Dean of Science, Undergraduate Studies), undergraduate student Marisa Benjamin (Imprint), undergraduate student Emily West (Operations Co-ordinator, Games Institute), and undergraduate student Patricia Balbon (iGem).

WRDSB fiction judges included Lila Read, Stephanie Longeway, and Nick Manning.

Thank you as well to Panel Co-orindators including Clare Bermingham, Amy Greene, Valerie Walker and Dr. Nadine Fladd all from the Writing and Communication Centre.