Student Publications
University of Houston
151C Communications Bldg
Houston, TX 77204-4015
713.743.5350

©1991-2007
Student Publications,
All rights reserved.

Last modified:

Contact:
ktruitt@uh.edu

News

WRC reaches out to the guys

Director says celebration of Men' s Day could raise gender consciousness, increase awareness of facility

by CATALINA OTALORA
The Daily Cougar

No guy will be left behind when the Women' s Resource Center celebrates Men' s Day for the first time from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday in Room 7, University Center Satellite.

"The volunteers and I wanted a Men' s Day because a lot of men walk by the Women' s Resource Center and think that we, women -- some feminists, some not -- are ‘man haters,' " April Spreeman, a WRC graduate assistant, said. "We wanted to dispel this myth."

If Men' s Day is successful, it could become an annual event, WRC Director Beverly McPhail said. Between 20 and 30 men are expected to participate.

"Sometimes men are reluctant to venture in our door since it says ‘women,' " McPhail said. "We happily assist men who come in, but thought it would be nice to issue a special invitation for men to learn more about the WRC, raise some gender consciousness and just have some fun."

During Men' s Day, the WRC will show Tough Guise, a film by the Media Education Foundation that explores masculinity in the media and how men are taught to act. 

"We don' t talk so much about how media hurts men," she said. "Tough Guise looks at how popular movies, from Rocky to the Terminator to 007, construct violent images of masculinity. Men learn that to be a man is to look tough, be violent and hold homophobic attitudes."

The film will start at 1 p.m. and a discussion will follow.

Participants will also enjoy an afternoon playing video games and eating chicken wings.

Men' s Day is open to male students, faculty and staff, McPhail said.

Spanish sophomore Benjamin Phoenix said it' s important to have a Men' s Day because equality movements should be all-inclusive.

"(If) every year there is a feminine equal rights movement, then we should have some form of recognition and inclusiveness for everyone," he said. "If that means a Men' s Day, week or month, then so be it."

Phoenix has marked the event down on his calendar.

"I will certainly participate in Men' s Day, just as much as I participate in the (WRC) every day that I' m able to," he said.

For more information on Men' s Day, visit www.uh.edu/wrc.

Send comments to dcnews@mail.uh.edu