We believe the 40th anniversary of the Women's & Gender Studies (WGST) department is a significant milestone, and we congratulate the department on its history and longevity.
40 years ago, some universities had just become coeducational. We are proud that in such a time, the USC community took the initiative to push for a department in a discipline which saw its first university department presence only five years prior.
Gender issues were on the forefront of the national discourse with the women's liberation movement when the department was founded. We think they are still a vitally important topic for study and advocacy. However, the definition of such issues has expanded, and we applaud the recognition of LGBTQ issues not just in the celebration of the department but also in their changing curriculum.
March is Women's History Month, and part of the department's push was celebrating Social Justice Luminaries. Not enough recognition is given to great women and LGBTQ members of our society and history, and so it is heartening to see WGST celebrate not just themselves but others as well.
We agree with President Harris Pastides that the discipline helps to define a moral compass and teach about social issues. These goals fit very well with the Carolina Creed and the mission of the university and are worth educating on and striving for.
For these reasons and more, we hope the Women's & Gender Studies department sticks around for another 40 years and then some.
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