1999 UMM Women's Conference>

Strong Bodies, Strong Minds:
Strengthening Women Through Awareness

The 1999 University of Minnesota, Morris Women's Conference
Saturday, May 22

The 1999 UMM Women's Conference is an opportunity for women and men of all ages to learn about issues that are important in the lives of women today. Key-note addresses and workshops will broach four areas of health: physical, emotional, mental,and spiritual.

Our two key-note presenters are Carmen Kennedy and the Girls Editorial Board from New Moon Magazine.

Carmen Kennedy is a 1999 graduate of the university of Wisconsin, LaCrosse. She has traveled to Minnesota, Wisconsin and Colorado lecturing at youth camps and conferences dedicated to young girls and women of color. In 1998, Carmen was honored as LaCrosse's "Local Hero" and met President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. In 1997 the YWCA honored her with the "Young Woman of Tomorrow Award." Carmen will speak on women's self-esteem and "sisterhood."

The Girls Editorial Board will present on how kids and adults can "Share the Power." Members of the Board, ranging in ages from 8 to 18, have spoken at many international, national, and regional conferences. In 1993 the Girls were named "Feminists of the Year" by the Feminist Majority Foundation. New Moon Magazine is published by and for girls ages 8 to 18 out of Duluth, MN. The magazine is nationally accredited by both teachers and parents for its excellence.

At the conference, participants will have the opportunity to participate in three of five different workshops. An explanation of each workshop and also the facilitators' bio is listed below:

"Women's Self-Defense: The Key to Self Discovery" Dr. Tom Washington developed his self-defense program in 1970, the same year he helped coach the first women's basketball and track teams at Hamline University. Since that time, he has reached over 10,000 individuals in both the U.S. and Mexico. He has worked in detention centers, in battered women's shelters, and with single mothers. Tom will speak on spiritual health as being counter-active against violence.
"Women in the Workplace: Can We Have It All?" Kitty McGrath is the former director of Career and Placement Services at the University of Notre Dame. Kitty will address issues of balancing career and family, finding "family friendly" employers, and combating the "glass ceiling."
"Confidence In Our Bodies: Improving Our Body Image" Sarah Bell works as an assistant counselor for UMM Student Counseling. She is also the Health and Wellness Education Coordinator for the Student Counseling Office. Liz Fox is a member of UMM's Peer Health Educators. There are many messages in the media and in other parts of popular culture which can contribute negatively to an individual's body image. Feeling poorly about one's body can threaten mental, emotional, and physical health. This program will examine some of the messages about women's and men's bodies often seen in the media. It will also include some discussion and suggestions about how to combat the messages and improve body image.
"Cancer: Prevalence, Screening, and Prevention" June Zimmerman, Certified Family Nurse and Practitioner, graduated from Augustana College, SD, in 1978 with a BA in nursing. She graduated from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, Family Nurse Practitioner Program with a Masters of Science. June has worked as a registered nurse for 17 years and has practiced as a nurse practitioner at Prairie Medical Associates in Morris for the past two years. She is board certified in family practice through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. As an advanced practice nurse, June provides nursing and medical services to individuals, families and groups. Her emphasis is on health promotion and disease prevention, as well as diagnosis and management of acute and chronic diseases. Dr. Mitchell B. Goldstein completed medical school at the University of Minnesota. He held part of his general surgical residency at the University of Minnesota, and completed it in Bakersfield, CA. He has practiced in Morris for two years at Prairie Medical Associates. He is a member of the American Medical Association and is board certified by the American Board of Surgery. Their workshop will focus on breast, skin, testicular, ovarian, endometrial, colon, and cervical cancers.
"Is it 'girl news'?" Karen Louise Boothe is a senior government reporter for Minnesota Public Radio. She's survived the broadcast news industry for 17 years and has covered city, state and national politics. She has garnered more than a dozen region and national awards for her work. Her jobs over the years have included news anchoring, producing the regional "All Things Considered" program on MPR, as well as international affairs reporting from such places as the Middle East, North Africa, and Europe, including a report from Yugoslavia before the war began this year. She has also reported on the sex tourism industry in Thailand and the fight against AIDS in that country. She holds an undergraduate degree in Journalism, an MA in International Affairs. Karen is also the National President of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists' Association based in Washington, DC. Karen will investigate how the media covers women and public policy.

The conference will end with a performance by folk-singer Arone Dyer. She is 19 years old and played at Lilth Fair in Minnesota in 1998.

Take a look at the Conference schedule

Conference Registration

The 1999 Women's Conference events are sponsored by the Women's Resource Center, the Commission on Women, and the Women of Color Association.

Strong Bodies, Strong Minds: Strengthening Women Through Awareness

The 1999 University of Minnesota, Morris Women's Conference Saturday, May 22

Strong Bodies, Strong Minds:
Strengthening Women Through Awareness

The 1999 University of Minnesota, Morris Women's Conference
Saturday, May 22