A&M International Events Mar. 19 -22 Celebrate Women's History Month

The Women's Studies Minor Program at Texas A&M International University in conjunction with Las Mujeres, a Laredo women's organization, will sponsor a series of events March 19 - 22 to celebrate Women's History Month.

The celebration will begin with the first annual women's and gender issue Poster Demonstration on Thursday, March 19, from 6 - 8 p.m. at the University in the Great Room of the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library (room 319). The kickoff event will also include an announcement of the expansion of the Women's Studies Minor Program to "Women's and Gender Studies." Admission to this event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served and music will be provided by Tone Stucco.

The celebration will continue with the traditional "Brindis a la Mujer" to be held at the University's Great Room on Friday, March 20 from 7 - 9 p.m. Admission is $10 and proceeds will support the University's Luz Maria Davila Scholarship Fund. The Brindis, a toast on behalf of women in the United States and Mexico, will be offered by two women, one representing the US, and one representing Mexico. Noted newspaper columnist and Mexican novelist Guadalupe Loaeza, author of Manual de la gente bien: Volumen 1, will represent Mexico for the Brindis.

The 1998 Primavera Conference, cosponsored by the Women's Studies Minor Program at A&M International and Las Mujeres, will be held at the University in Pellegrino Hall on Saturday, March 21 from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. Conference fees, including luncheon, are $10 for students and those on a fixed income and $20 for all others.

The conference, themed "Women as Bridges Across Time and Countries," will feature a variety of panels examining the role of women as historians, writers, artists, and community activists. Among the featured presenters are Guadalupe Loaeza, Mary Sue Galindo, Enriqueta Vasquez, and Linda Cuellar. Keynote luncheon speaker will be respected Chicana writer Roberta Fernandez, author of Intaglio: A Novel of Six Stories.

The final event of the celebration will be a "Tardeada" at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 22 at the Casa de la Cultura in Nuevo Laredo. The Tardeada will feature literary readings and a presentation of books.

For more information on the 1998 Primavera Conference or other events celebrating Women's History Month, please call A&M International Professor of English Dr. Norma E. Cantu at 326-2529 or Assistant Professor of English. Dr. Jeraldine R. Kraver at 326-2630. University office hours are from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.

Information may also be secured via email at necantu@tamiu.edu or jkraver@tamiu.edu

Journalists who need additional information or help with media requests and interviews should contact the Office of Public Affairs and Information Services at pais@tamiu.edu