At RUS' Women's Expo, Leadership Discussed

The Radcliffe Union of Students (RUS) annual Women's Expo drew more than 60 people to Emerson Hall Saturday to talk about women's leadership on and off campus.

The day's events blended philosophical discussions of women and leadership with practical suggestions and skills workshops, led by both campus and real-world leaders.

Organizers said they hoped the conference's speakers and exchanges had articulated a diversity of views on women's leadership.

"There was not one way of being a leader [put forward]," said Adina H. Rosenbaum '98, co-chair of the steering committee. "I expected the conference to revolve around gender more than it actually did. People just talked a lot about leadership skills in general. It wasn't just abstract discussion about leaders. It was very practical."

The event kicked off at 9 a.m. with a keynote address by Betsey Wright, who was President Clinton's chief of staff during his seven-year stint as governor of Arkansas.

The day's activities continued with panels on leadership at and beyond Harvard-Radcliffe, workshops on careers and small group discussions.

"Women's Expo '96: Learning to Lead" was also intended to help women gain some of the skills they need to lead, according to Kavita Kacholia '97, co-chair of the steering committee.

"Some of the workshops on practical skills were especially important for the people who attended," Kacholia said, citing the public speaking and finance management workshops as especially helpful.

Organizers said surveyed participants named the small group discussions during lunch, led by various campus leaders, as their favorite segment of the program.

"People felt it was a great time to explore their own issues," Kacholia said.

The theme of the conference--women's leadership--was the over-whelming choice of the membership of RUS, said Jennifer T. Stevens '98, a co-chair of the steering committee.

"We had a diverse group of women that showed up, all with an interest in the topic," Stevens said. "It was a tremendous success."

"We had a really active committee working on this," she said. "It was through their efforts that we got such a diverse and wide variety of people to come."

Panelists included Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III; Alex-Handrah Aim'e, chair of the Harvard-Radcliffe Haitian Alliance; Assistant Dean for Public Service Judith H. Kidd and William Zerhouni, president of the Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Alliance

Organizers said surveyed participants named the small group discussions during lunch, led by various campus leaders, as their favorite segment of the program.

"People felt it was a great time to explore their own issues," Kacholia said.

The theme of the conference--women's leadership--was the over-whelming choice of the membership of RUS, said Jennifer T. Stevens '98, a co-chair of the steering committee.

"We had a diverse group of women that showed up, all with an interest in the topic," Stevens said. "It was a tremendous success."

"We had a really active committee working on this," she said. "It was through their efforts that we got such a diverse and wide variety of people to come."

Panelists included Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III; Alex-Handrah Aim'e, chair of the Harvard-Radcliffe Haitian Alliance; Assistant Dean for Public Service Judith H. Kidd and William Zerhouni, president of the Harvard-Radcliffe Republican Alliance