Once for Women Only, Georgian Court Looks to Men’s Teams to Raise Profile

Ben Solomon for The New York Times

Luka Zgonjanin (5) of Serbia arrived in August at Georgian Court, a liberal arts college on the outskirts of the Jersey Shore.

LAKEWOOD, N.J. — Luka Zgonjanin arrived in the United States from Serbia in August, barely able to speak English. He had accepted a scholarship to play basketball at Georgian Court, a small liberal arts university on the outskirts of the Jersey Shore. A few months earlier, he had never heard of the college.

Ben Solomon for The New York Times

The Georgian Court men’s basketball team, during its first home loss Tuesday, plays its games at the Wellness Center, which holds 1,200 spectators.

Yet Zgonjanin, 19, quickly grew comfortable in his new surroundings.

“For me, it’s a good feeling because there are many girls on the campus,” a smiling Zgonjanin said after Georgian Court’s first men’s basketball home game on Nov. 20, a 87-82 victory against Mercy College.

The sight of male students living in dorms or dribbling basketballs in the gymnasium here remains a novelty. This fall, after 104 years as a women’s college, Georgian Court became a full-time coed institution. Zgonjanin is one of about 50 student-athletes who make up the first men’s athletic teams in university history.

“It’s a great honor to start something from scratch, to make history,” Zgonjanin said. “Everything we do is a first.”

As a coeducational N.C.A.A. Division II program, Georgian Court legally had to include athletics for students of both sexes. Sister Rosemary Jeffries, Georgian Court’s president, described the transition as “like a reverse Title IX,” referring to the 1972 law that has helped female student-athletes gain athletic opportunities.

But the university also hopes the addition of men’s teams will expand awareness of the university beyond the campus gates, shedding old stigmas as it aims to increase its enrollment.

“It will take us some time to get more well known as a coed institution, and I think athletics in some ways helps us do some of that,” Jeffries said. “We’ve been in this region a long time, and people know us as one thing.”

The Sisters of Mercy, an organization of Catholic women dedicated to serving the underprivileged, founded Georgian Court in 1908, as Mount Saint Mary’s College in North Plainfield, N.J. The university moved to Lakewood in 1924, after purchasing land from the Gould family, whose patriarch, Jay Gould, amassed his fortune in America’s growing railroad industry in the late 19th century.

Male students were first allowed to attend evening classes at Georgian Court in 1979 but could not live on campus until this year. According to a university official, there are 301 undergraduate male students, up from 190 in 2012. In total, the university has 1,567 undergraduates.

Athletics had never been a major draw for the student body. A sizable percentage of Georgian Court’s population includes adult commuters who work full time and are returning to college to finish a degree.

Laura Liesman, who was hired as athletic director in 2003, said she never envisioned such an expansion. When she came to Georgian Court, there were about 45 student-athletes participating in six women’s sports at the N.A.I.A. level.

This year, Georgian Court has five men’s teams: soccer, basketball, cross-country, and indoor and outdoor track and field. It fields women’s teams in those sports, as well as in tennis, lacrosse, softball and volleyball.

Recently, the athletic facilities have been upgraded. Liesman’s original office was in the Casino building, an outdated hall where the Goulds held indoor polo matches in the early 1900s. The building, which also hosted Georgian Court’s women’s basketball and volleyball teams, had no bleachers; folding chairs were set up for crowds, usually at a maximum of 100. Today, the hub of athletics is the Wellness Center, which opened in 2008 and has a gymnasium that holds 1,200 spectators.

Still, engaging people outside the campus has been a challenge. Lakewood has more than 90,000 residents and is among the fastest-growing cities in New Jersey. But a majority of its population are Haredi Jews — Beth Medrash Govoha, one of the largest yeshivas in the world, is three blocks from Georgian Court’s main entrance — and there are cultural barriers throughout the town.

Creating name recognition in neighboring locales has also proved challenging.

Once for Women Only, Georgian Court Looks to Men’s Teams to Raise Profile

One in 10 women have been forced into sex against their will, Lancet study says

In 15% of instances, Natsal located, the perpetrator was a stranger. For women of 25 and over, a companion was accountable in 70% of instances. Photograph: Gari Wyn Williams/Alamy

One particular in ten girls in Britain admit they have been forced into obtaining intercourse against their will, the most extensive survey of Britons’ sexual behaviour for decade reveals today, prompting a warning from researchers that sexual coercion may have grow to be “normalised”.

The findings from the third Nationwide Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) survey, which questioned 15,000 men and women aged sixteen to 74, also show that the proportion of ladies saying they have been victims of sexual coercion is more than double that of those who say they have been victims of rape.

Wendy Macdowall, of the London College of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the lead Natsal author, said that colleges necessary to handle sexual coercion, which had turn into “normalised … with rape at the intense finish of the spectrum”.

These surveyed had been asked “no matter whether any person has ever actually produced them have intercourse against their will” and 9.eight% of females stated they had, at an regular age of 18. For males the equivalent figure was one.four%, according to the research, which is published in the Lancet right now.

Macdowall mentioned that there was a need for early intervention in colleges to assist handle the dilemma “just before these gender stereotypes are developing” and simply because “somebody who has been victimised at a younger age is much much more probably to be victimised later on”.

The Natsal proportion is considerably greater than that in the most latest Crime Survey for England and Wales, which was based on interviews with individuals aged sixteen to 59 and discovered that 3.8% of girls had been the victim of a rape given that the age of 16. But the definition of rape is narrower, requiring the perpetrator to “not fairly feel” that the victim consents.

Macdowall said the discrepancy was simply because folks did not often realise that a crime had been committed: “We know that folks who have seasoned what would meet the legal definition of rape do not describe it as such. We’ve constantly acknowledged police reviews are the tip of the iceberg and there is often been the suspicion the crime survey figures are minimal.”

In 15% of instances amid women and guys recorded by Natsal, the perpetrator was a stranger, suggesting that coercion is at the heart of a lot abuse. Amid female victims who have been aged 13 to 15 when the occasion occurred, a loved ones member or friend was responsible in nearly half of circumstances (45.2%), even though for girls aged 25 and more than, a former or current partner was responsible in seven out of every ten circumstances.

The responses also confirmed large below-reporting by victims, with 12.9% of females saying that they had reported the matter to the police, in contrast with 8% of male victims. Natsal, which interviewed people in between September 2010 and August 2012, also developed data on sexual behaviour, fertility, contraceptive use and sex-associated conditions. The research follows preceding ones in 1990 and 2000. But the most current was the first to request men and women about sex towards their will.

The survey also found that one in 6 pregnancies are unplanned – yet another question asked by the survey for the 1st time.

The age of very first sexual expertise, at 16 (the median common), has remained the exact same as in the 2000 survey and the variety of folks having sex just before the age of consent has not differed substantially both (31% of males and 29% of women). But with individuals cohabiting with a companion later and possessing youngsters later on, the researchers warned that there was a longer time period when folks were at far more threat of “damaging sexual outcomes” such as sexually transmitted illnesses.

The largest modifications given that the first survey are in behaviour reported by girls. When the very first survey took spot, guys had had much more sexual partners than ladies and although that stays the situation, the gap is narrowing. Guys used to have their first heterosexual encounter at a younger age but now it is the exact same for ladies.

Also, whilst the quantity of men reporting very same-sex partners has modified small from 1990, for women it has enhanced fourfold, from 1.eight% to seven.9% in the previous 20 many years. Researchers stated this was not necessarily a consequence of female liberation, as championed by the likes of Madonna, but could be men demanding girls act out frequent male fantasies of lesbian sex.

The report’s authors say that sexual overall health companies should be integrated and broadened. Professor Kaye Wellings, of the London College of Hygiene &amp Tropical Medication, who co-led the research, mentioned: “We require to commence pondering about sex differently – sexual well being is not just the absence of disease, but the potential to have pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free from coercion.

“Enhancing the high quality of peoples’ sexual experiences and their relationships will not just increase the effectiveness of sexual well being programmes, but is also something that is essential in its very own correct.”

One in 10 women have been forced into sex against their will, Lancet study says

Jordan Launches Arabic Online Education Service, Focuses on Women

Hundreds of thousands of folks around the planet are enrolling in substantial open on the web programs (MOOCs) provided by the world’s major universities, and in emerging nations, the MOOCs are lifeline for folks who cannot attend school or afford increased schooling.

Rania Al Abdullah, Queen of Jordan, has taken a unique interest in MOOCs and her basis has announced the formation of a new Arabic online training support referred to as Edraak. Queen Rania favors on-line education that will benefit minority groups in the Arab planet, especially young ladies, writes Christina Farr of Venture Beat.

Edraak was formed in partnership with MOOC provider edX, which is a bit different from Coursera and Udacity. In 2011, edX was launched by a group of professors and open-supply advocates at Harvard and MIT.

“Engaging, fresh, related – and, most importantly, in Arabic – MOOCs on Edraak will open up a globe of chance for intellectually hungry Arab youth,” Queen Rania mentioned in a statement.

Haifa Dia Al-Attia is serving as chief executive of Queen Rania’s Foundation. She is functioning closely with the edX team and has performed a excellent deal of research on the MOOC trend, which she believes is “democratizing access” to higher quality training.

“We want to make positive the Arab globe is caught up,” she stated. So the basis reached out to the president of edX, Anant Agarwal, who agreed to provide them with up to 15 video programs a year. “We can adapt them and Arabize them,” Al-Attia mentioned.

The basis strategies to provide funding to Edraak in the subsequent number of many years so it can build recognition across the Middle East. In accordance to Al-Attia, her crew is contacting with neighborhood universities for partnerships and encouraging them to upload their ideal courses to Edraak.

Queen Rania’s staff is taking a different strategy than several of the U.S.-primarily based online education companies. It will enhance the current schooling and engineering program, not topple it.

Al-Attia believes that ladies will benefit most the new online training. She was heartened to uncover that younger ladies in Saudi Arabia are voraciously consuming educational movies on YouTube, which demonstrates their desire to learn.

Web access is particularly scarce in remote and rural places and it will be a challenge for Edraak to attain to some of the region’s poorest individuals who are most in want of an cost-effective education. Al-Attia programs to spouse with “community-based organizations” which can supply a computer hub to individuals who do not have Web accessibility at house.

In Jordan, for instance, the Jesuit Refugee Service lately developed an educational center to support 1000′s of Syrian refugees, who can sign up for finance, accounting, and tourism programs on the internet. The aim is to bring a sense of normalcy to their lives and help the refugees of that civil war secure good jobs or increased-training options.

In addition, Coursera not too long ago adopted a related technique as it expands into emerging nations. Coursera’s Learning Hubs initiative supplies bodily places for on the internet learners in Kenya, the Philippines, and other nations. Outfitted with an World wide web connection, these are normally empty rooms in embassies and universities.

Jordan Launches Arabic Online Education Service, Focuses on Women

Inaugural gala honors undergraduate women

The lights came down, a hush fell more than the audience, and three phrases flashed across a tv display: “Look all around you.”

This was the introduction that kicked off the first-ever Top Ladies gala, hosted by the Yale Women’s Leadership Initiative in the Silliman dining hall on Saturday evening. The quick video at the beginning of the gala urged ladies to seem all around and draw inspiration from one particular another, because a lot of attendees could go on to turn out to be long term senators, Nobel prize winners or multimillionaire founders of new startups.

The occasion — which featured rousing speeches, a slam poetry overall performance, musical renditions from all-female a capella group Whim’n Rhythm and a keynote speech from entrepreneur Katie Rae SOM ’97 — aimed to market the appreciation of girls at Yale, recognizing female undergraduates for their leadership roles and encouraging more girls to turn into leaders in the Yale local community. Rae urged the audience to grow to be leaders by surrounding themselves with supporters, finding their voices and understanding how to perform well with other people. WLI Outreach Chair Jade Shao ’15, a co-organizer of the event, stated the preparing for the gala began at the start of the semester.

“We chose Katie Rae to speak due to the fact she embodies assistance,” said WLI Enterprise Chair Tina Yuan ’16, the other organizer of the event. “Often females try to destroy and assault every other so we can see ourselves as much better, but Katie exemplifies what it indicates to be a mentor. Like Katie, we all want to function at tearing down individuals institutional and even internal barriers and celebrate help for one particular another.”

Rae, the managing director of a tech startup accelerator in Boston and the founder of a firm that invests and assists in early startups, mentioned that 96 % of venture capitalists invest in male entrepreneurs and only four % select to invest in female entrepreneurs.

Rae extra that she tries to perform an lively role in shifting the gender imbalance in the startup planet, as she understands that the stereotypes for ladies have to be remedied at the ground degree.

“The awful truth that I have heard from powerful males about why they don’t see far more ladies in entrepreneurship is that they say ladies do not produce the huge ideas,” Rae explained. “The stark actuality is that you don’t see far more females in organization because they do not remain in the game, and even more startling is that girls of privilege keep in the game much less usually.”

Organizers of the gala explained events celebrating the position of females are crucial even at Yale, in purchase to remind ladies of how far they have come but also how considerably there is left to do.

The gala featured a range of undergraduate speakers from diverse backgrounds, who recounted their troubles in attaining good results in a male-oriented globe and gave tips on how to grow to be a leader. Nicole Hobbs ’14 spoke about her journey from becoming a shy, inadequate-feeling freshman to turning out to be the Yale Democrats President. Her favored bumper sticker, she explained, reads, “A women’s place is in the Home and the Senate.”

Clemantine Wamariya ’14, who lived in eight different African countries when she was a youngster as a refugee from Rwanda, spoke about the position models in her existence that gave her the strength to lead. She dared the female members of the audience to hold fighting forward, as ladies at Yale “have no excuse [and] have been privileged.” Wamariya extra that “the globe is crying” for sturdy ladies to implement alter.

Ifeanyi Awachie ’14 performed a slam poem that centered on the internal barriers ladies place in place for themselves. She identified her personal struggles with body picture and conformation to other people’s ideals of beauty — speaking to loud cheers and snaps from audience members.

All attendees interviewed said they felt the gala was a accomplishment.

“This was a marvelously organized occasion,” mentioned Yale School Dean Mary Miller. “It’s fun to be at an important event where guys are in the minority simply because we are all working for that minute when a vast majority of girls leaders feels normal.”

Ethan Kyzivat ’15 stated that he believes events this kind of as the gala are critical, even at a spot like Yale in which women are presently empowered. But some WLI members stated they still see imbalance in their lives at Yale.

WLI member Joyce Chen ’16 said that although it has turn out to be far more acceptable in society for girls to hold leadership positions, females still have issues getting their voices heard. Chen recalled a recent consulting conference hosted by WLI in which the bulk of attendees have been women, but all the concerns have been asked and answered by men.

The gala — which took location in a packed space with above a hundred attendees — was accompanied by refreshments and a jazz group.

Inaugural gala honors undergraduate women

Inspirational women for a girl to look up to - in pictures

Photographer Jaime Moore desired to mark her daughter’s fifth birthday but just before switching on the camera, she came up with an option to dressing up as a princess – the dream of most ladies of her age

• Tags:


• Family members,


• Photography,


• Amelia Earhart,


• Jane Goodall,


• Women

Inspirational women for a girl to look up to - in pictures