Singing prof talks to women

The Women in Leadership Series featured Microbiology Professor Helen Davies. Microbiology Professor Helen Davies might teach about something "pretty dull" -- infectious diseases -- but you'd never be able to tell that from the way she conducts her classes. A founding member and president of the Association for Women in Science, Davies helps students learn about things like pharyngitis with the aid of songs like "She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain." Speaking on a range of topics from political activism to the differences between men and women, Davies, Spruce College House's faculty master, addressed 40 people in Logan Hall last night as part of the Women in Leadership Series. The 73-year-old Davies -- a popular teacher and a winner of the Lindback Award for Distinguished Teaching -- alternated between humorous anecdotes and powerful messages. The first woman to join the Microbiology Department and the only female faculty master of the 12 college houses, Davies hoped to inspire future women leaders in the crowd. "You will survive. You will stay in. You will continue to fight and struggle to be where you want to be," she said. Davies then identified key differences between the development of men and women. "Boys are taught how to win, how to compete, how to listen to the coach. Girls are taught to be nice, to get along, to remain equal," she explained. When one student asked whether there was still a conflict between being a full-time worker and mother, Davies replied, "I still wear my slogan -- a woman's place is in the house, the House of Representatives." Throughout her talk and the question-and-answer session, the audience was entertained and inspired by Davies' words. "She has that power to inspire? as a [resident advisor] in Spruce, I know first hand," said College junior and event coordinator Emily Pollack. Recalling her own decision to forego being a physicist because there were no women in the field, Davies conveyed to the crowd the importance of mentors. "If you don't see role models, you're not going to know you can do things," Davies said. How does Davies herself contribute to the cause? "Helen Davies is my mentor. Everything she says is inspiring for me," said second-year Medical student and 1997 Engineering alumna Alice Chong. Davies' daughter, Eurinika Quashie, a part-time graduate student in the School of Social Work, was also in attendance. In addition to lauding Davies as a woman who effectively balanced her time between worker and mother, Quashie said that her ability to relate to the struggles in others "is the backbone of who she is." In response to a student's question about the "modern fragmentation" of the women's movement, Davies challenged the audience to work on behalf of all women. "We need a large insertion of altruism. If we do for each other, we'll all do better." Borrowing the words of songwriter Pete Seeger, Davies added, "if we depend on the boys for equality, we'll all be waiting for eternity."