By Nedal Ahmed
Student Correspondent

Collin College will "celebrate the various stages and milestones throughout the lives of women" as students and faculty host a literature reading. 
 
The Communications and Humanities Division, along with Sigma Chi Eta national communication honor society and the Women’s Alliance, are sponsoring "The Phenomenon of Woman," at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 13, in the Black Box Theatre. The event is free.

"The Phenomenon of Woman" will feature contemporary works dealing with contemporary issues with a focus on self-esteem, violence, aging, generational cycles and a variety of other themes in dramatic, emotional and humorous pieces by authors such as Maya Angelou, Delia Efron, Erma Bombeck, Geralyn Lucas and Vicky DeCoster. It will be performed as a “Reader’s Theater,” a speech format that brings to life narration from literature.
 
The intent is to raise awareness about current issues facing women as well as the Women's Alliance, an organization founded in 2003 by 12 faculty members to provide scholarships to returning female students.
 
"We [the founders] wanted to help women who are struggling to return to school. Often single, divorced or widowed moms are faced with costs that may make it difficult for them to continue their college education,” said Professor Sherry Rhodes, one of the original 12 members of the Women's Alliance. "We wanted to help these women. Every year we fund a full-tuition scholarship of $1,500, and we also encourage other people at the college to contribute to the scholarship funds."
 
The Women's Alliance is governed through a steering committee with all 12 members having equal bearing on the decisions of the organization. Scholarships are open to returning female students at least 25 years of age who have completed a minimum of 12 hours with a GPA minimum of 2.5; entrants are also expected to write an essay with their application.
 
"We are looking for an assorted mixture of people [to attend] -- men, women, faculty, students, administrators of various ages and backgrounds," said Professor Jenny Warren, who will be reading from pieces by Eve Ensler. "Mostly, we want an audience who appreciate the message. One that cheers loudly at the end wouldn't hurt, either."
 
"One of our goals is creating an environment that is more humane to each other, not only in this culture, but around the world," Rhodes said.
 
The performance, while focusing on women with works about women read largely by women, is not necessarily a feminine affair. Warren makes a clear distinction between being a female and femininity.
 
"Gender falls on a spectrum of sorts where we each sit somewhere between masculine and feminine; it is perfectly normal for women to violate some of the traditional female roles just as it is for men to enact some more feminine practices," she said. "Not all women (or women’s experiences) fall into a distinctly feminine category. We don’t all like flowers, jewelry and chick-flicks."
 
It is with this diversity in experiences that Rhodes excitedly talks about her anticipation of "The Phenomenon of Woman."
 
"I think the audience will be entertained and inspired,” she said. "We chose readings that are thought-provoking, enlightening and humorous. It's an opportunity for us to showcase the talents of women at this college, faculty and students, and I think that's exhilarating.”