“It is, in fact, an expression of disdain and bigotry. If such a statement were quoted in a text about the future Palestinian state, it would be condemned as racist.”

Over the year, I have tried to show that feminism is not only relevant, but vital. I’ve also told you about the Women’s Centre’s activities. It was a busy year: Fem Fest, an international conference on reproductive justice, The Vagina Monologues, and Capoeira, to name a few projects the Board of Directors has organized. We’ve also seen women’s rights being threatened on all levels. The U.S. passed historic health care reform legislation, but it does not allow the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in the cases of rape, incest, or if the mother’s life was in danger. In Canada, abortion access is limited, especially in rural areas. On many campuses, anti-choice groups are seeking society ratification. In some cases, they are successful, which creates a hostile campus environment for women, or anyone who believes in women’s rights. The Centre addressed these issues with a production of the play Jane: Abortion and the Underground, which is about the lengths women had to go to in the 60s and 70s to obtain abortions, and also spotlighted the work of current reproductive justice activists with the Trust Women Conference that SMU hosted in January. Throughout the year, we also celebrated women. In October, during Women’s History Month, I wrote about amazing women like my favorite famous feminist, Angela Davis. The Centre celebrated female artists with Fem Fest, and we celebrated our bodies through Capoeira and The Vagina Monologues.

One of Canada's most respected science journalists, Jay Ingram, the host of the Daily Planet, came to the Saint Mary’s university a few weeks ago to host a lecture for SMU’s Sustainability Week. Ingram’s discussion dealt with climate change, global warming, and introduced students to possible solutions to help the environment.