This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
Four Lafayette students will present their research Saturday at the 12th annual Undergraduate Conference in Women’s Studies hosted by Cedar Crest College.
The group is among 16 students from institutions in the Lehigh Valley Association of Independent Colleges (LVAIC) selected by professors to present academic papers and original creative works. Topics include themes related to women’s health, women as artists, social class and justice, and women and the marketplace.
Lafayette is one of only two schools sending four presenters:
Nangula Shejavali ’06 (Windhoek, Namibia), a double major in international affairs and Africana studies, “The Role of Class in the Formation of Power Dynamics between Women: A Critical Analysis of Federico Garcia Lorca’s La Casa de Bernalda Alba”;
Briana Niblick ’06 (Hatboro, Pa.), a double major in civil engineering and German, “Feminist Spoken Word: Tales of Gender and Justice”;
Kirby Waldinger ’07(Newtown, Pa.), a double major in Spanish and English, “When Is Enough Really Enough? A Look at the Role of Women as Consumers in Today’s Society”;
Tacie Steidel ’06 (Allentown, Pa.), an American studies major, “The Evolution, Existence and Influence of Girl Culture among Small-, Private-College Women.”
“Because women’s studies is interdisciplinary, the conference provides an usually rich opportunity for exchanging viewpoints and perspectives,” says Carolynn Van Dyke, March Professor of English. “It also allows students to pursue issues of personal interest within an academic setting.”
Van Dyke has mentored Waldinger, who will use her expertise in rhetorical and textual analysis to analyze consumer culture.
“Her project brings a feminist perspective to marketing studies of consumer behavior, analyzing decisions that range from supermarket shopping to life choices,” says Van Dyke. “An earlier version of her project was a great hit during the Introduction to Women’s Studies course that Kirby took with me.
“In the same conference session, Tacie Steidel will discuss ‘girl culture’ in small colleges. I’m pleased that four of our students are among the 16 whose presentations were accepted during a highly competitive submissions process.”