Gender Studies Symposium

For over 30 years, one of the highlights of the spring semester has been the annual Gender Studies Symposium. Organized by a committee of students, with support from faculty and staff, the Gender Studies Symposium brings together representatives from academia, activism, and the arts for three days of workshops, roundtable discussions, lectures, film screenings, readings, performances, academic panels, and other intellectual and creative explorations of local, national and global gender issues.

Students are involved in every aspect of the symposium—choosing a theme, inviting speakers, organizing panels, curating the art exhibit, publicizing events, and even presenting their own work. Lewis & Clark College undergraduates speak on panels with community activists and established scholars (including L&C faculty), and student art is featured in the symposium art show alongside the work of professional artists.

Over the years the Gender Studies Symposium has attracted many distinguished speakers. To name just a few, we have heard from authors Sherman Alexie and Dorothy Allison, artists Mary Ellen Mark and the Guerrilla Girls, poets Nikki Giovanni and Andrea Gibson, scholars Anne Fausto-Sterling and Michael Kimmel, and activists Leslie Feinberg and Angela Davis. For the complete list, take a look at the archive of past programs.