Delta College events aim to raise awareness of Women’s History Month
San Joaquin Delta College will be hosting a variety of events for Women’s History Month this March.
One of the events is the play reading of Stirrups, which occurs on March 14 at 12:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Stirrups will be free to view in the Tillie Lewis Theatre.
Stirrups is written by Stacy Powells-Lyster, directed by Val Acoba and produced by Paula Sheil.
The play reading is also sponsored by the Culture Awareness Program.
Sheil said Stirrups is a “cross between Vagina Monologues and Some Time Next Year.”
Stirrups is a comedy about a 15-year old girl who is forced to go to the gynecologist by her mother.
It is called Stirrups due to the chair women sit on when they go to the gynecologist.
For the first 20 minutes before the play reading a panel of professionals will talk about women’s reproductive health issues. Once finished, the play reading will begin.
There will be displays set up in the lobby by student nurses to discuss women’s reproductive health.
Another event being hosted is the book signing of A Lady’s Place, a 140-page novel written by Mary Jo Gohlke and being published by the Tuleburg Press, a non-profit organization founded by Sheil.
A Lady’s Place will be Tuleburg Press’s third book to have published. The book will come out on March 23.
The signing of the new book will take place on March 29 in the bookstore from 1-3 p.m.
The signing is open to the public and is free.
The signing acts as an opportunity to meet the author.
A Lady’s Place is about the Philomathean Club in Stockton and its more than 100-year old roots.
Sheil said the club was a women’s only club that started in the late 1890s by the “very wealthy elite of Stockton” whom were white, due to the time period.
The club acted as a study group where its selected members would meet to learn and share what they learned.
The club is a historic piece of Stockton and is in the National Historic Registry.
At one point there were over 500 members and many on a waiting list. Today there are only 50 native members in the club.
Another event taking place is Sex Signals, a sexual assault prevention program hosted by Catharsis Productions and sponsored by the Office of Student Equity and Diversity.
Sex Signals will take place in the Tillie Lewis Theatre at 12:30 p.m. on March 30. The event is free and open to the public.
Lynn Hawley, the chair of the committee that set up the events, said the previous time this production has been put up there was a “full house.”
There are only 300 seats available.
The performance consists of interactions between men and woman, using humor and audience input in order to raise awareness to encourage conversation on the topics of sexual assault, racial discrimination, harassment and violence.
On March 8, International Women’s Day, a Planned Parenthood Generation Action came to campus to educate about reproductive issues and sexual health.
Hawley also mentioned a “picture taking contest” that ends on March 31.
Classes that take photos wearing a Women’s History Month button may be able to win a pizza party.
For more information on participation in Women’s History month you can visit the Delta College website, Deltacollege.edu and visit San Joaquin Delta College’s Facebook page.