STUDENT AIRFARE DISCOUNTS!
*5°“ $ 10»«
7\mttUe mmlUa**/ &e4ct$
EUGENE TOUR& TRAVEL *
2001 Franklin Blvd. • 485-4131
UNIQUE C AMDS, l Al ! NDARS, Af <.ll IS
HOOKS. JAPI S Ki VII)! O R| N1AI S
M< >NI»AY
Mill I
amt » ;« * M H MM
SAH *U»AY 10 10 6 00
*» n • I i<| ( f’ARKr* .
Gender: Education the key to avoiding sexism
■ Continued from Page 1
woman talk." she said
Another type of Sexism that
women involved in science face
starts at childhood, when chil
dren learn certain roles are
open to women and men. Page
said
"Society has been telling us
for how many years that science
is really a male pursuit." she
said “It's almost like women
have to l»e better in s< ience in
some respects beutuse of stereo
type* ''
Page said job stereotypes can
affix t women when they enter
science classes "This isn't uni
versal. but women graduate stu
dents are more likely to think
they don't know something
when they actually do.'*
The role of a mentor
Page said because children
often don’t realize that women
can lie scientists, she takes the
opportunity to at t ns a mentor
very seriously "I'm much more
const ious of the role-model role
now than 1 ever was '
She said she a< is ns a mentor
to the graduate and undergrad
uate students who help tier |mt
form research on super
conductors and building materi
als (.race Neff, a graduate teach
ing fellow currently working
with Page on the molecular
research, said Page makes a
great role model
"She’s got a family, and she's
a woman in science and it's
hard," Neff said, "I think she's a
fantastic role model for women.
Women’s Center honors 14
women killed in massacre
By Kristin Bailey
This week the Women's
Center is remembering 14
women killed six years ago in
the Montreal Msssjk re
The Women's Center
newsletter. The Sir^n.
explains the tragedy that led
to this tribute. On December
<1. 19RD. Mart Lepine walked
Into a classroom at the Uni
versity of Montreal, told all
the men to leave and ordered
the 10 women left to line up
against the wall
As he drew his semi-auto
matic rifle, he called the
women standing before him
"feminists ' He then opened
Rre. killing six The rampage
continued in three other kx a
tmns, on three different floors
of the university In his wake,
the 25-year-old men shot n
people, leaving 14 women
dead
Every year since, tht? Uni
versity's Women's Center has
sponsored events to remem
ber that day.
The memorial will contin
ue today in the Willamette
Atrium from 11-2 p m The
Women's Center invites peo
ple to attend and loam about
the tragedy.
The Women's Center is
also honoring women cur
rently pursuing scientific
degrees. People attending the
Montreal tribute can also
loam about the scientific con
tributions women have made
while there.
I wish !‘d met somebody like
her sooner."
Page said she also makes pre
sentations at elementary schools
to show students that women
are currently engaged in the sci
ences
She said she was reminded of
how important these kinds of pre
sentations are after a recent vis
it to a second-grade tdass "One
of the girls went home and told
her father. ‘You know, women
can tie scientists too ' So already
SM ART GIFTS
MULTIMEDIA CD-ROMs
BRING
YOUR
BRAIN
Cool Tools to-create, stimulate,
orchestrate and motivate.
Fiction and Non-Fiction.
Facts and Fun. On subjects
ranging from movies, art,
and poetry to photography,
baseball, and nature.
For both Windows and
Macintosh.
Check out our large selection
of innovative titles, available for
the gift-giving season.
Holiday ideas from the
MICROCOMPUTER
SUPPORT CENTER
202 Computing Center • Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
at that ago kids have an idea that
women aren't in science."
Sexism on campus
These childhood ideas carry
into the University too. Page
said Sin* said she has heard col
leagues make sexist comments
in front of graduate students
While Page tries to educate
her colleagues about sexism, she
said she does not believe that
sexism has directly impacted
her career. ”1 feel fortunate
because the people who are in
my field are fairly supportive,”
she said. "In school l never foil
directly affected by sexism even
though 1 knew it existed. And at
that point it wasn't uncommon
to be the only woman in a class
room,"
Neff said some of her graduate
chemistry classes have an aver
age of four or five women to a
class of 20 people. She said she
believes male-female ratios in
science classrooms are chang
ing
Page said she thinks programs
like affirmative action have
helped women and minorities
enter into more professions in
the science world.
“I don't think women would
i»e where they are today; I don't
think minorities would be
where they are today without
affirmative action because tin*
male system shut them out
entirely and it opened the door,”
Page said.
A future in science
both Neff and Page said it is
possible for women interested in
science to have rewarding
careers. "Women shouldn't be
afraid to tie in science," Neff
said "If you want la have a fam
ily and have a career, it’s not
impossible.”
"I think tiie best thing is to
talk to someone who is doing it
to discuss how to incorporate
science into a real life or to con
vince themselves that it is feasi
ble.” Page said.
Maggie Morris, assistant
provost for research and gradu
ate education, said there are var
ious fellowships and
scholarships available to both
men and women involved in the
sciences.
Morris said the purpose of
offering fellowships is to help
women who have made a com
mitment to science "Our goal is
to get some women in the
pipeline.”