“OUR OFFICIAL CHANNEL AND STRONG VOICE”
When did life for female Susquehanna students begin to change?
Well, the second wave of feminism began to take hold in many places in America in the late 1960s, including colleges. During this time, women started to fight sexism. The most obvious evidence of this change at Susquehanna was the creation of AWS, which went through multiple name changes until “Association for Women Students” was settled on. AWS was dedicated to expanding opportunities for female students. Many women were excited about AWS, including President Sue Yenchko, who enthusiastically discusses the organization’s purpose in this letter from December 1, 1967:
THIS IS IT!!…The AWS will work on ideas and programs YOU want!! It will be our official channel and strong voice to the administration to back our requests.
[SOURCE]
The school newspaper, the Crusader, helped spread the word about AWS, including this 1968 article that praises AWS as “a new and thriving organization on campus…[that] has already been hard at work in the interests of the S.U. women.” Both the goals already accomplished by AWS (extending curfews and late-night permissions) and its future goals (organizing activities for women, collaborating with other AWS organizations, and developing a tutoring system) must have captured the interest of female readers. By naming AWS’ executive officers, advisor, and committees, the article also showed women who was already part of this exciting new organization.
Feminists are endeavoring to smash the prevailing image of a woman as an object to be used an abused at a man’s discretion. The rather left-handed compliment, “you’re pretty smart—for a girl” is a good example of what I am trying to say. Women are not “things;” they are beings of (varied) intelligence; they have minds and souls—not just bodies. It is not enough for a woman to be merely decorative. (There is not that much personal fulfillment in that.) We must be given the chance to utilize the talents and capabilities we possess.
This quote from Peggy Isaacson’s fiery opinion piece in the Crusader shows that attitudes were changing among individual students as well. In this piece, she criticizes restrictions for women on campus for perpetuating the centuries-old idea that women should be “protected,” arguing that this prevents female students from developing their own maturity. Isaacson asserts that multiple changes must be made on campus in order to give women the opportunities they deserve:
- the abolition of sign-out procedures, curfews, and visitor limitations
- allowing women to live in off-campus apartments if they wish
- ending the discrimination against both women involved in Greek life and those who are not
- “[making] birth control information and devices available in the Health Center”
- allowing married students access to campus housing