MARCH EVENTS CELEBRATE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
(KINGSVILLE, February 26, 1997) -- Texas A&M University-Kingsville will celebrate the contributions of women during Women's History Month with performances, lectures and a masquerade ball.
Opening ceremonies for the month-long celebration will kick off with entertainment by recording artist Christine Albert who drew critical acclaim for her ability to bring together music of Texas and Europe. Her performance reflects the influence of her Austin singer-songwriter contemporaries and features the outstanding musicianship of renowned mandolinist Paul Glasse and guitar Mitch Watkins. The ceremonies will be held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, in Ballroom A of the Student Union Building and admission is open to the public at no charge.
A masquerade ball, where guests are invited to dress as their favorite female historical figures or as their alter ego, will be held at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5, in Ballroom A of the Student Union Building. Admission is $5 and is open to the general public. All proceeds from the event will be used to establish a women's study scholarship.
A concert by La Rondalla Femenil Municipal de Matamoros, Tamaulipas will showcase a 12-member, all-female singing group under the director of Professor Ricardo Alejandro of Matamoros. The recording group will sing traditional Mexican music and lively renditions while playing guitars and light percussion instruments. The show starts at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 6, in Jones Auditorium. Admission is free.
Music written by women composers will be performed by women faculty and students from the Department of Music at A&M-Kingsville. The performances will begin at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 19, in the Recital Hall of Bellamah Music Building and a reception will follow in the Bailey Art Gallery.
Dr. Julia Blackwelder of the A&M-Kingsville History Department will give the keynote address at a research symposium to be held at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 20, in Room 219AB of the Student Union Building. Blackwelder will speak on the importance of studying women in history and focus on her research. Selected university women students will display their research work in poster form.
The closing banquet and ceremony will feature keynote speaker Lt. Col. Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, who has dedicated a lifetime to volunteering and assisting the disadvantaged. Born in a family of ten children and reared in a Laredo barrio, Kickbusch became successful in spite of poverty, humiliation and illiteracy. The retired lieutenant colonel has been recognized at the national level for her selfless devotion and dedication to improving the lives of children who have low self-esteem, identity crisis, poverty, gang involvement and poor education. The banquet will be held at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25, in Room 219 ABC of the Student Union Building. Admission is $5.
A&M-Kingsville sponsors for the month's activities are the Office of the President, Office of Student Activities, Department of Music, and Office of Student Affairs and Special Services. Additional sponsors are the Texas A&M University-Kingsville French Club, Texas A&M University-Kingsville ROTC, and the Women Student Programming Committee.
The Women's Center is designed to serve women students, faculty and staff through outreach services, and women's studies and research. Women's history, women mentoring women, minority issues and gender equity in the workplace are some of the issues the center addresses. The center was established in 1994 and is under the direction of Dr. Gilda Lopez.
For more information call the A&M-Kingsville Women's Center at (512) 593-2166.
-TAMUK-
- Mary Daniel