Hudson Valley Community College presented An Evening with Gloria Steinem Friday, to a sold-out crowd, in the Maureen Stapleton Theatre on the Troy campus, as part of the College’s Cultural Affairs Program. English, Foreign Languages and English as a Second Language Department Chairwoman Maria Palmara interviewed Ms. Steinem on stage.
Ms. Steinem had some poignant thoughts to share with young women in today’s education system. But when asked about the advice she would give to the community college students in the audience Steinem remarked, “Don’t listen to me. Listen to yourselves. Explore what interests you. We need more of this thinking today, because there isn’t (one) way to succeed in the world. There are many pathways. Listen to yourself, and find the things you love to do. The things that make you forget what time it is. Then pursue those passionately.”
A leading voice for equality for women since the late 1960s, Steinem is a writer, lecturer, political activist and feminist organizer. She is particularly interested in such issues as gender roles, child abuse as roots of violence, non-violent conflict resolution, the cultures of indigenous peoples and organizing across boundaries for peace and justice. Steinem is the author of the bestsellers “My Life on the Road,” “Revolution from Within: A Book of Self-Esteem,” “Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions” and “Moving Beyond Words,” and was a co-founder of Ms. magazine. She lives in New York City.
“We are very proud to have had Gloria Steinem join us as part of our Cultural Affairs series of events this semester,” said Hudson Valley Community College President Dr. Roger Ramsammy. “In many ways, the college is a conveyor of important conversations, and Ms. Steinem’s messages transcend time, and offer meaningful advice and guidance to today’s students. This was an exciting opportunity for us to bring our students, faculty, alumni, retirees and community members together for a personal and rare conversation with a nationally recognized leader.”
Steinem joins a long list of notable Cultural Affairs guests of the college including Joyce Carol Oates, Amy Tan, Alison Bechdel, Cheryl Strayed, Stephen Sondheim, Anthony Bordain, Michael Pollan and upcoming guest, novelist Jamaica Kincaid. For the full list of Cultural Events, visit www.hvcc.edu/culture.
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