Slim Hopes: Advertising and the Obsession with Thinness 

Wednesday March 7, 12:40 pm in Akoakoa 105

From the film’s jacket cover: Jean Kilbourne’s award-winning video offers an in-depth analysis of how female bodies are depicted in advertising images and the devastating effects of those images on women’s health. Addressing the relationship between these images and the obsession of girls and women with dieting and thinness, Slim Hopes offers a new way to think about life-threatening eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, and a well-documented critical perspective on the social impact of advertising. 

Viewing of the thirty-minute film, with panel discussion afterwards, including Anthropology Instructor Pam DaGrossa, Assistant Dean of Instruction Elizabeth Ashley, and Sociology Instructor Kathleen French.

Mary (Ann) Wright

Tuesday March 13, 4:00 pm in Akoakoa 105

Former US Diplomat

Flattened Diplomacy in Corporate Globalization 

Ann Wright resigned from the U.S. Foreign Service on March 19, 2003, while serving as Deputy Chief of Mission at the US Embassy in Mongolia . She resigned due to her disagreement with the Bush administration’s decision to go to war in Iraq without the authorization of the UN Security Council, the lack of effort in resolving the Israel-Palestinian situation, the lack of policy on North Korea, and unnecessary curtailment of civil liberties in the United States.

Keynote Speaker

Professor Haunani-Kay Trask

UH Manoa

Wednesday March 14, 12:40 pm in Akoakoa 105

Come be a part of this inspiring conversation with Dr. Trask, a leader in the Native Hawaiian community for over 20 years. Dr. Trask is the author of four books, including From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawaii (1999), widely considered a masterpiece of contemporary resistance writing.

She is also a poet, and has read and performed at more than a dozen writers festivals throughout the United States, Canada, and New Zealand. She was co-producer and scriptwriter of the award-winning documentary, Act of War: The Overthrow of the Hawaiian Nation (1993).

We are honored to have Professor Trask give the Keynote Address for this year’s Women’s History Month. Join us for this unforgettable afternoon. 

Senator Colleen Hanabusa

First Female President of the Senate 

Thursday March 15, 4:00 pm in Akoakoa 105

Colleen Hanabusa (D, Nanakuli-Makua) made a name for herself in her first year in the Legislature by helping to organize the rejection of Margery Bronster as Gov. Ben Cayetano’s nomination for attorney general. In 2001, she spearheaded efforts to reform the state civil service laws, an effort strongly opposed by the politically powerful public employee unions. Hanabusa has repeatedly attempted to take over the 25-member Senate. This year, she was successful.

Come enjoy Senator Hanabusa talk about her experiences as the first female President of the Senate, and hear how she is an important part of “moving history forward.”

Professor Ruth Hsu

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Tuesday March 20, 4:00 pm in Akoakoa 105

Men, Women, and Global Capital

Ruth Y. Hsu is an associate professor of English at UH, Manoa. She is co-founder of the University Peace Initiative, a faculty, student and community group committed to helping to bring about peace with justice within the U.S. and Hawaii through education and other peaceful means. She teaches contemporary American and Asian American literature and cultural studies, as well as post-colonial studies, and is the Host of Olelo’s Tuff Talk, a P.O.V. program that explores social, political, and cultural issues, shown Friday nights at 8:00 pm. 

Suggested reading: Introduction to When Corporations Rule the World, by Korten 

DreamWorlds 3: Desire, Sex, and Power in Music Video*

Wednesday March 21, 12:40 pm in Akoakoa 105

From the film’s jacket cover: Dreamworlds 3 (2006), the highly anticipated update of Sut Jhally’s groundbreaking Dreamworlds 2 (1995), examines the stories contemporary music videos tell about girls and women, and encourages viewers to consider how these narratives shape individual and cultural attitudes about sexuality.

Illustrated with hundreds of up-to-date images, Dreamworlds 3 offers a unique and powerful tool for understanding both the continuing influence of music videos and how pop culture more generally filters the identities of young men and women through a dangerously narrow set of myths about sexuality and gender. In doing so, it inspires viewers to reflect critically on images that they might otherwise take for granted.

*Viewing of the 53 minute film with panel discussion afterwards, including Philosophy Instructor Erik Gardner, Anthropology Instructor Pamela DaGrossa, and Sociology Instructor Kathleen French. 

Vilsoni Hereniko

Thursday March 22, 4:00-6:00 pm in Akoakoa 105

Vilsoni Hereniko, Professor at Center for Pacific Island Studies at University of Hawaii as well as the writer/director/co-producer of The Land Has Eyes will lead a discussion after the viewing of this film. 

The Land Has Eyes is the remarkable story of a young girl, Viki. Shamed by her village for being poor and the daughter of a convicted thief, Viki is inspired and haunted by the Warrior Woman from her island’s mythology. The lush tropical beauty of Rotuma, Fiji contrasts with the stifling conformity of island culture as Viki fights for justice and her freedom.