Spring Break
O'Reilly Explores 'Women And Sports'
Tina Forbes
Issue date: 3/16/07 Section: Focus
Thursday at the Co-op, faculty and students gathered to hear Jean O'Reilly discuss the newly-released book that she co-edited with Susan K. Cahn, "Women and Sports in the United States." The book, which comes across like an undergrad course reader, is meant to look at the history and current state of women's sports, while maintaining an optimistic position on the issues presented.
"She does a really good job of presenting both sides in the book and in her dealing with history and [sports]women now," said Melissa Elmore, an 8th-semester English major, "I think it will be positive … I'm definitely buying it."
The head of the anthropology department and English professor John Manning introduced O'Reilly.
She then began with an overall description of the book, and her where she derived her inspiration for the project.
"It covers 100 years of women's sports in the United States … what got me started was the Sports Illustrated [UConn women's basketball player] 1995 issue with Jennifer Rizzotti on the cover."
O'Reilly explained that Rizzottti's appearance made her realize that something was happening with women's sports.
What began as a small reader developed into a text substantial enough to supplement a women's studies course.
"What I really wanted to do was a textbook," O'Reilly said. The 'Pioneers' section describes early portrayals of sportswomen by the media, and the regulation they were forced to adhere to.
"After the Boston Marathon in 1966, there was a headline in a Boston paper, 'Blonde Housewife, 23, Runs Marathon,'" O'Reilly said.
She pointed out that, judging by the awkward headline, the media didn't know what to make of a woman's participation in the marathon at a time when women weren't supposed to be able to run over 800 meters without fainting. Even as recently as the 1996 Marathon, when winner Uta Pipping ended up getting her period during the race, some media correspondents reported her as having 'stomach problems.'
"She does a really good job of presenting both sides in the book and in her dealing with history and [sports]women now," said Melissa Elmore, an 8th-semester English major, "I think it will be positive … I'm definitely buying it."
The head of the anthropology department and English professor John Manning introduced O'Reilly.
She then began with an overall description of the book, and her where she derived her inspiration for the project.
"It covers 100 years of women's sports in the United States … what got me started was the Sports Illustrated [UConn women's basketball player] 1995 issue with Jennifer Rizzotti on the cover."
O'Reilly explained that Rizzottti's appearance made her realize that something was happening with women's sports.
What began as a small reader developed into a text substantial enough to supplement a women's studies course.
"What I really wanted to do was a textbook," O'Reilly said. The 'Pioneers' section describes early portrayals of sportswomen by the media, and the regulation they were forced to adhere to.
"After the Boston Marathon in 1966, there was a headline in a Boston paper, 'Blonde Housewife, 23, Runs Marathon,'" O'Reilly said.
She pointed out that, judging by the awkward headline, the media didn't know what to make of a woman's participation in the marathon at a time when women weren't supposed to be able to run over 800 meters without fainting. Even as recently as the 1996 Marathon, when winner Uta Pipping ended up getting her period during the race, some media correspondents reported her as having 'stomach problems.'
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