Date: March 10, 2005
Contact: Michael Hopkins
Phone: (708) 534-7090
Fax: (708) 534-8399
Email: m-hopkins@govst.edu
For Immediate Release
University Park, March 10, 2005 – Governors State University will host the Second Annual “Sharing History and Experiences,” SHE, Women’s Conference on Saturday, March 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Sherman Hall on the university’s main campus, 1 University Parkway, University Park.
The conference is in celebration of Women's History Month.
Loretta Jones, one of the conference organizers, said, “The 2005 SHE Conference was formulated to be accessible, affordable, and appealing to all women.”
Jones added, “The conference will cover a range of topics that are important to women including diversity, fear, aspirations, passion, and purpose.”
The SHE Conference will feature several prominent speakers. The afternoon keynote speaker will be Diane Conway. Conway is the author of “What Would You Do If You Had No Fear? Living Your Dreams While Quakin’ in Your Boots.”
Jones said Conway’s presentation will show participants how to discover what it is they truly desire, as well as how to recognize unconscious patterns of behavior that sabotage their efforts to realize those desires.
Illinois 38th District Representative Robin Kelly will be the lunchtime speaker.
The conference will also feature several breakout sessions that participants can choose from, including “Creative Mosaics,” presented by GSU professor Beth Parin; “Educating the Hispanics: Access and Opportunities for Latinas in the 21st Century,” presented by Drs. Adriela Fernandez and Maristella Zell, also GSU professors; “Dare to Be Smart,” presented by Elizabeth Kay; and “Qigong for Relaxation and Health,” presented by Victoria Koestler, M.A., M.T.
The conference’s capstone speaker will be Zelda Robinson, who will present “Living with Purpose and Passion.”
“Robinson says if you’re not excited about getting up each morning, then it’s time to rethink why you’re here,” Jones said. “That reflects, in part, the purpose of the conference. It’s an opportunity for women to reassess and recharge.”
Jones added that the conference is ultimately designed to allow participants an opportunity to “Share History and Experiences” with one another through celebration and affirmation.
The Second Annual Women’s SHE Conference is sponsored by Governors State University and Student Life’s Women’s History Month Committee.
“We’re inviting women of all ages to participate,” Jones said. “It will be an illuminating event for all women, whether they’ve attended several conferences or if this is their first.”
The Second Annual Women’s SHE Conference is open to the public. Registration is $35 per person. Registration is limited to 150 participants. Women can locate registration forms and additional information at www.govst.edu/she. For more information, call Dr. Lorraine Sibbet at 708-534-4555 or Gabrielle Sutton at 708-534-4554.
