Blog Archive » Women

(photo credit, Cornell archives)

Helen Thomas deserved a better end to her long and famous career.   But someone who has spent nearly 50 years as a White House journalist should have known better than to offer off-the-cuff incendiary, bigoted remarks about Israel to a rabbi holding a video camera at a White House reception.   The fact that she made these remarks so cavalierly supports the claim that her sentiments were no mistake, no hastily-chosen words that she might wish to restate.   Her apology did not undo the damage.   For a reporter who has spent so many years immersed in political affairs that she might be considered an icon of political history, her statement that the Jews should leave Israel and "go home" to Germany or Poland reflects amazing amnesia about history, if not sheer malevolence.   Subsequent reports reveal that this was not the first or only time that this storied reporter displayed her bias against Israel. Full Article

Every year in early June, for one magical weekend groups of alumnae of Trinity come together to renew and refresh their friendships, their class ties, and their bonds with alma mater.  The years melt away and the memories seem like yesterday.  We never grow tired of telling the tales — or listening to them! — of Sister Columba's watchful gaze or Sister Ann Francis inspecting dresses or Father Burke's Theology lectures or the time a certain renegade class painted St. Patrick green. Full Article

Alumnae are coming!  Alumnae are coming!

The annual migration of Trinity graduates from all corners of the earth back to alma mater here on Michigan Avenue is underway.  Already, today, well before the official start of festivities tomorrow, early arrivals have stopped by to exclaim on all of the good news they found amost immediately upon entering Main Hall.

Welcome, Alumnae!  Special welcome to the Classes of 1960 (50th Reunion) and 1985 (25th Reunion)!

I've been to almost every reunion since my junior year, 1973, when I was a student worker.  Wow.  That's a lot of alumnae parties!  The fun never grows old — and neither do these great Trinity Women!  No matter the class year, when she sets foot on campus every single alumna becomes young again, revitalized through the wonderful gifts of friendship and memory, tradition and reunion.

Alumnae of each generation marvel at Trinity's changes and express concern about the durability of our traditions.   One of the great parts of reunion is the way in which some of our current students stick around, just like I did when I was a student, to help out during the weekend.   Our student workers provide a great deal of support for all parts of reunion, but even more, they help alumnae of all generations connect to today's Trinity Women.

The fun begins in earnest on Friday night with dinner in Social Hall, with highlights on Saturday at the luncheon, Mass and class parties.   I'm looking forward to welcoming all of the "aughts" and "fives" back to campus this weekend!

(photo credit)

I'm a single lady. …  No, not like Beyonce!  I'd have to take dramamine if I wore heels that high.

But single ladies seem to be much in the news these days, and not always in a good way.   Pop culture seems torn between cute little vixens and dangerous independent women. Full Article

Two sacred religious seasons come together this week — Passover and Easter.  Both traditions compel believers to spend hours in prayer and reflection on the human condition, the possibility of the divine, the price of evil, the hope for resurrection, the timeless questions of faith and belief.  The Seder's Haggadah is the ancient story of oppression, suffering and liberation.  The Christian Gospels of Passion and Resurrection proclaim the need for atonement, redemption and forgiveness on the pathway to salvation.

Catholics begin this Holy Week in a Church beset with contradictions.   This is a Church that has become increasingly adamant in public about the conduct of its members in relation to the moral law articulated in the Magisterium, the official body of Church teachings.   Most Catholics who consider themselves faithful accept the Magisterium, but many wonder about how far the Church can or should go to direct secular political choices when the civil law does not conform to Church teachings.  This question is at the heart of the political actions of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on issues ranging from abortion to immigration to nuclear arms control to economic policy and the response of Catholics and others to those actions. Full Article