by Roxane Brown

The statement ”A woman’s work is never
done” is true to a large extent, but even
at Grinnell there exist some dull moments
for everyone. This includes the wives of
Grinnell’s college prolessors when you
just have to get involved in something.
son had the privilege to iind out just
what Ms. sally Cleaver, Ms. Edith Davis
son, and Ms, Mary Clotfelter, three wives
of Grinnell’s professors, are presently (lea
ing to constructively utilize their time so
their skills can help others.

The thing which unites these three women
is that they had the opportunity to attend
a very motivating workshop entitled, "The
Becoming Woman Workshop” which stres-
ses self‘actualization and awareness. The
workshop is sponsored by the women’s

Cleaver received her Master’s degree from
Columbia University in Journalism. She
worked for a newspaper in the South and as
an editorial assistant on a group on medi-
cal and dental magazines. She also taught
ireshman English. As time progressed and
her volunteer experiences varied, she be-
came interested in the field at Planned
Parenthood and mental health. She found
volunteer work in those areas to be very
rewarding, especially during the time when
her children were growing up, and she con-
tinues to offer her services in mental
health activities today, Ms, Cleaver claims,
“In the course of serving as a member of
the board of the Mental Health Center,
1 became interested in social work”, and
noted she might like to pursue her educa-
tion further in that area. Unfortunately,
she has been confronted with many dif»

Ms. Clotfelter admitted, “It (the wor
shop) got me going”...“lt gave me the pu
I needed,” Ms. Clotielter is the wife
Professor Beryl Clotlelter (Physics), a
was iormerly a medical technologist, b
is presently supervising the Reading La
She felt it was desirable to become mo
involved in some wothy short as she r
marked, “...our children aren’t needing
as much anymore.”

Collectively speaking, the women agre
with Ms. Cleaver when she stated, “By a
large, the educated woman would like to ha
somethings as an addition to her role .
housewife.” Ms Dawson was ofthe opinlo
“The new direction in my life has made
more interesting.” Ms. Clotielter stress
her recommendation for the workshop (a
long with the consensus oi Ms. Cleaver an
Ms. Dawson) by saying, “Any woman ca

II

"Aydm...acmooao-

Programs, Center for Continuing Educa—
tion at Drake University in Des Moines,
Iowa.

The nature of the workshop is designed
mainly to help women understand and ac»
cept themselves; to share their feelings
with others; to enable them to commun-
icate more effectively with others; to give
current information about changes in soc-
iety which alfecl them and their families;
to give them up-to—date iniormalion about
employment, education, and volunteer op~
ponunities; to help them plan the steps
necessary to acheive the personal goals
they set; and to share helplul tips on how
to cope with the complication of everyday
life in order to maximize their potential.

Ms. Edith Dawson, wife of Professor
John Dawson (Economics), is presently
working towards her Master’s degree in
Reading Disability at the University of
Iowa in Iowa City. She previously taught
English in a secondary school. Ms. Daw»
son felt her participation in the workshop
was very worthwhile, and noted, "All women
(attending the workshop) had a need that
was quite common as they were looking
for opportunities.”

The workshop is open to all types of
women: women’s liberation advocates and
non-women libbers; college graduates and
high school grads; working women and hou-
sewives, There is no age limitation to its
female participants The workshop sessions
contain a self—discovery laboratory design»
ed to test your aptitutde, interests, and
abilities. The program also provides a coun»
selor who is very instrumental in advis-
ing and suggesting to participants the dl ~
ferent resources and channels possible in
securing goals.

“Many people who attended the work»
shop were in the process oi changing
their interests", disclosed Ms. Sally Cle-
aver, wife of Professor Charles Cleaver
(English—American Studies) as she went
on to explain that she was among those
who were included in this process. Ms.

ficulties in attempting to return to grad»
uate school. Virtually no financial support
is available for scholars of her age group»
particularly in Iowa. Also the MSW degree
(Master’s oi Social Work) can only be ob
tained by going to school lull time for in
months without interruption.

Ms. Cleaver summarized, "(The work-
shop) was a felt need and a catalyst ex»
perience." She expressed the feeling that
praiessors‘ wives in Grinnell live in an
ingrown society, seeing and associating
mostly with faculty types, and by attending
such a workshop consisting oi 25 parti»
cipants»only two of which were co lege/
university connected, this allowed her and
the others to learn more about the differ-
ent life styles of other women in today’s
world.

 

obtain helpful things from the program»i
tangilble rewards earned by learning mo
about one’s self and tangible ones from t
testing and counseling." Ms. Dawson su
marizes her conception of the “Becomi
Woman Workshop” when she says, “1‘
program has a philosophy of individu
development with no preconceived noti-
01 what any given participant may ta
from it."

