PSU Magazine Fall 2000

In anticipation of its centennial, students gather and share the history of Portland's YWCA. 12 PSU MAGAZINE FALL 2000 Miss Essie Maguire. YWCA executive director, explaiM proposed downtown center in 1953. H earing the stories of women and their call to social action at the turn of two centuries is more than a class project; it is a lesson in life. For the past 99 years, women involved in the YWCA of Greater Portland have sup– ported women and families, helping them achieve independence, health, and a sense of community. Students in senior capstone classes are researching their stories in anticipation of the YWCA of Portland's centennial celebration in 2001. "I learned a lot about ethics and the idea of respecting a woman's life story, hearing about her experiences, and not treating her like a document," said a stu– dent in one of the classes this past spring. The YWCA of Portland Is a place for women to socialize. Through the PSU program, which began in 1996, students research archives, inter– view women, and present an annual public forum. The course, which will continue this academic year, will culminate in a major public exhibition of the history of the YWCA and Portland women, scheduled to open in November 2001. "I was worried because the class is not limited to history students," says Patricia Schechter, assistant professor of history and the primary instructor for the class. "But it's been most rewarding. The students are remarkably consistent and have produced f) high-quality research and analysis." Faculty members Melissa Gilbert, women's studies, and Anne Musse, histury,