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Feature - Alumna Champions Midwifery in Mexico
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Feature - Alumna Champions Midwifery in Mexico
SAN MIGUEL ALLENDE, Mexico--Esperanza Martinez is a vanishing archetype.
She is elderly and poor, and has only a primary-school education, but she
has skill enough to have coaxed more than 1,500 babies into the world.
To Nadine Goodman ['79], an American-born public-health specialist, Mrs.
Martinez--known locally as Dona Esperanza--is part of a tradition that
offers Mexico a humane and cost-effective model for maternity care in
thousands of remote communities. In 1997, Ms. Goodman opened Mexico's first
school of midwifery here in this town 180 miles northeast of Mexico City.
Now, nine young women are getting more than three years of clinical training
in delivering babies, combined with apprenticeships under parteras such as
Mrs. Martinez who work with little more than scissors and a bag of herbs.
The school expects to graduate its first class this fall.
"The professional midwife is the best option for accompanying women in their
reproductive cycle," says Ms. Goodman, a 43-year-old Columbia University
graduate who settled here 20 years ago. "But the idea that good, low-cost
service can be provided" by indigenous women "without a college education
really shakes things up here."
In fact, midwifery is a tradition that certain Mexican government officials,
as well as the country's leading obstetrics organization, would prefer to
see die out. Though folk practitioners attend as many as a third of the
nation's births, their ranks are thinning, and the medical establishment
says there are enough doctors and nurses to replace the more than 18,000
mostly rural midwives that remain.
In Mexico's poorest regions, women are still having lots of babies, and lots
of those babies are dying. In the country's 70,000 rural municipalities,
the birth rate still stands at five per woman, and
infant-and-maternal-mortality rates are well above the national average.
Moreover, while Mexico graduates plenty of doctors and nurses, few of them
want to live in rural areas, even when required to do so as part of their
social-service obligations. As a result, many village clinics are left
unattended for months on end.
That's one factor that has influenced Ms. Goodman's vision. Armed with
master's degrees in public health and social work, she arrived in this arid
region in 1981. Her original intent was simply to learn Spanish, but she
soon began offering sex education and family-planning information to local
youth. Three years later, she and her husband, Alejandro, a Mexican, set up
a nonprofit organization called Centro para los Adolescentes de San Miguel
de Allende, or CASA, backed by a $3,000 grant from the International Planned
Parenthood Federation.
Since then, CASA has grown to include a variety of reproductive- and
environmental-education programs, outpatient medical services, a maternity
hospital, day-care centers and the midwifery school. Over the years, Ms.
Goodman has raised more than $15 million to support CASA's programs from
donors including the Ford Foundation, the David and Lucile Packard
Foundation and the Dutch chapter of Save the Children.
Those of you who've studied Classics know more about Pericles than I'll
mention here. But you probably don't know that his name has been adopted as
a beacon to encourage liberal arts colleges to turn rhetoric into action
when it comes to training students as responsible citizens. Project Pericles
was initiated by Eugene M. Lang, entrepreneur, philanthropist and now
visionary leader in American higher education. Mr. Lang founded the "I Have
a Dream" Foundation and chaired the board at Swarthmore College, his alma
mater, for many years. He also founded and chaired the Conference of Board
Chairmen of Independent Liberal Arts Colleges.
Project Pericles grew out of the Annapolis Group, a coalition of liberal
arts colleges (Pomona and Harvey Mudd among them) with the goal of
collectively promoting a greater public understanding of liberal education,
and a collection of essays examining the current and future role of liberal
arts colleges. The essays, written by Mr. Lang and other foremost educators,
appeared in the winter 1999 issue of "Daedalus," the journal of the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences. The issue, titled "Distinctly American: The
Residential Liberal Arts College," proved so popular, no back issues are
available.
In his "Daedalus" essay, Mr. Lang writes: "Today, unlike their forebears,
liberal arts colleges do not as a general rule feel impelled to exercise a
proactive role in preparing students for service in their communities.
Contemporary liberal arts curricula are seldom designed to implement that
civic dimension of their missions by reaching beyond the campus
environment."
In short, he describes what we do at Pitzer to a T. Mr. Lang's essay isn't
just a ringing endorsement of our mission; it has the potential to position
Pitzer as a model to guide other institutions in building programs that
instill in students, to quote Benjamin Barber, "The willingness to engage in
public issues (which grows out of self-esteem); empathy and respect for
differences; commitment to nonviolence and conflict resolution; and the
ability to analyze information, evidence and argument."
Mr. Lang adds: "The philosophy of liberal arts is the philosophy of a
democratic society in which, social responsibility and community are
inseparable. An educated citizenry is the essential instrument for
promoting responsible social action and community well-being. It is
characterized by an ongoing effort to develop informed, humane and
thoughtful judgments of social issues and to act appropriately on these
judgments. Such issues may be identified by their impact on the rights and
well-being of human beings, their relationships to the community, the
environments in which they exist, the rules by which they are governed, and
the equity with which they apply."
I had an opportunity to meet with Mr. Lang during a recent trip to
Washington, D.C. I feel confident that this and future meetings with Mr.
Lang and others involved in Project Pericles will position Pitzer as an
archetype for these philosophies into practice. I am especially encouraged
that Mr. Lang's imperatives corroborate the academic initiatives that
emerged from our recent comprehensive planning process and will be brought
to fruition through the campaign.
While in the Beltway, I met with local alumni at the home of trustee Terry
Lenzner and his wife, Margaret. Terry and Margaret are the parents of
Willie Lenzner '99, one of the stars of the Sagehen's gridiron and one of
the first students to partake of our Pitzer in Ontario program. Willie now
is teaching in New Mexico on a Native American reservation.
Upon my return, I learned that we received $50,000 toward endowed
scholarships from the George I. Alden Trust! Endowed scholarship support is
a key initiative of the campaign. Need-based scholarships ensure that the
campus community is economically diverse, and that promising students who
are willing to apply their talent and energy are able to come to Pitzer,
regardless of their ability to pay. I am grateful to all those who helped
make this gift possible.
Copies of the Eugene Lang essay from "Daedalus" are available in my
office.--Marilyn Chapin Massey
Faculty and Staff News
Professor Harry Pachon was interviewed on the likely impact of Latino voters
on the upcoming primary elections by Tom Brokaw of NBC Nightly News. The
interview is scheduled to air on tonight's broadcast (March 6).
Hayden Hamilton '99 has been accepted into the MBA program at Oxford
University's Magdelan College (his first choice) for the 2000-01 academic
year.
"Filtration/Separation Anxiety," a collaborative exhibition by Professor
Kathryn Miller and Carolyn Cavanagh, is on view at the Gallery Route One in
Pt. Reyes, Calif., through March 20. In the exhibit, housed in the gallery's
Project Space, Miller and Cavanagh bring home the point that every substance
dropped on the landscape eventually ends up in a drainage system that dumps
it into the ocean. To make this point, Miller and Cavanagh decided to
investigate their local watersheds, drainages and filtration systems near
their urban and suburban homes (the L.A. basin and Oakland). Engaging in a
discussion of how the urban architecture of a city affects water as it
travels from its source to the ocean, the exhibit integrates photography,
art, wastewater treatment and filtration, organisms, plants and air
pollution.
Nina Mason will be offering staff training in basic html and how to use the
official web template on Wednesday, March 15, from 10 a.m. to noon in the
Broad Hall computer classroom. All staff members are welcome to attend, but
seating at a computer station is limited, so priority will be given to the
assigned staff web representatives from each department. The training will
cover very basic html codes, use of the official template for building and
updating department sites and how to perform these tasks using a basic text
editor called Textpad. Please let Carol Faubus know if you plan to attend.
Carol can be reached at ext. 18219 or carolf@pitzer.edu.
An all-staff briefing on budget guidelines, the campaign, master planning,
town-gown relationships and more will be held Friday, March 24, from 10 a.m.
to noon in the Broad Performance Space. The session is hosted by SCR and
the president's office. All staff are urged to attend. Light refreshments
will be served.
Congratulations to Kiara Canjura for her winning entry, "Our Day in the
Sun," in the annual staff recognition luncheon theme contest. Kiara's entry
won her 44 percent of the vote and two tickets to Disneyland!
On Friday, April 21, the Center for California Cultural and Social Issues
and the sociology field group (through a grant from the American
Sociological Association) will sponsor an undergraduate research symposium
for all Pitzer students. Student coordinators are helping organize the
event; details about the selection process are forthcoming. Please mark
your calendars and encourage your students to participate. If you have any
questions, contact professors Alan Jones or Betty Farrell.
Now is the time to nail down those summer jobs! The special programs office
at Pitzer has openings for lifeguards, van drivers and summer conference
assistants. Deadline to apply is this Friday! Applications and further
information are available in the special programs office in Scott 110.
Congratulations to the Pomona-Pitzer men's basketball team, who clinched
their fourth consecutive SCIAC championship and their first post-season win
in 11 years by defeating Trinity University 65-62 last Thursday in San
Antonio, Tex.! Pitzer's own Jeremiah Martin, named SCIAC Player of the
Year, led the scoring with a game-high 24 points. The Sagehen women
hoopsters finished their season 10-15 overall and 8-4 in SCIAC play. Go
Hens!
The Claremont Colleges have established a Club Sports Office under the
administrative supervision of CUC, to assist club sports teams in scheduling
fields and facilities for practice and competition. The office, located in
Rains Center at Pomona, also schedules and provides a trainer to attend home
events for selected sports. To be eligible for student-government funding,
sports clubs must be registered with the Club Sports Office. For details,
please call ext. 77928.
Students who wish to apply for Summer Institute of Language and Culture
(SILC) merit scholarships are reminded that the priority application
deadline is Wednesday, March 1. Students may register for SILC up to May
15, but are reminded to register early since classes fill fast. Classes in
Chinese and Spanish will be offered at the beginning, intermediate and
advanced levels. Classes in French, Italian and Japanese will be offered at
the beginning and intermediate levels. Enrollment isn't just limited to
Claremont students: SILC invites Pitzer faculty, staff, and alumni to
enroll.
Tuesday at 5 p.m. is the application deadline for two full-time internships
in international education in the Center for Intercultural and Language
Education are available for outstanding international graduates of The
Claremont Colleges who are eligible for Optional Practical Training. To
apply, send a cover letter and resume to: Keith Hay, Center for
Intercultural and Language Education, 110 Scott Hall, Pitzer College.
Pitzer's Asian American sponsor program and dean of students office is
holding a sale of all unclaimed bikes left on campus during the winter and
summer breaks. The bike sale takes place March 24 from noon to 5 p.m. in
the Holden parking lot. Students have until March 10 to claim their bikes
at the facilities office. For more information, call Kent Lee at ext.
76118.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Week of March 13
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
SATURDAY
Men's basketball plays Caltech at home, 7:30 p.m.
Nadine Goodman '79 Champions Midwifery in Mexico
The following is excerpted from an article that appeared on the front page
of The Wall Street Journal on Feb. 15:
THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL: Educating Responsible Citizens
In ancient Greece, there lived a statesman who sought to enable all Athenian
citizens to take an active part in the government. His eloquence, wisdom
and patriotism won him recognition and, in 461 BC, he became the undisputed
leader of Athens. Over the next 15 years, this statesman built the city
into a center of art and literature and a powerful city-state empire,
drawing the envy of its neighbors. His name was Pericles.
The Luce Faculty Seminar on "Fine Arts, Brain and Medicine," continues today
with a lecture on "Rhythmicity and the Brain: Implications for the Therapy
of Movement Disorders and Cognitive Functions" by Michael H. Thaut of
Colorado State University. Thaut is director of the Center for Biomedical
Research in Music and professor of graduate music therapy, molecular,
cellular and integrative neuroscience at CSU. Future lectures, will be held
Mondays, March 20 and 27 and April 3, 10, 17, will be followed by a
dinner/discussion for registered faculty only. For details, contact Heather
Gillespie at ext. 73061 or visit the Luce Faculty Seminar web site at
http://bernard.pitzer.edu/~mmaldona/luce.htm.
Opportunities and Announcements
Contribute your unique vision and talent to the Pitzer Community Tile
Project! Be part of a beautiful, lively and inspiring public mural for the
dinning commons. No experience is necessary. Materials and instruction are
provided. Come and create a tile: Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.;
Tuesday - Thursday, 7 to 9 p.m.; East Studio, McConnell Center.
Coming Up
Week of March 6
Author and journalist Elizabeth Pond discusses "The Rebirth of Europe" at
4:15 p.m. in the Hampton Room, Malott Commons, Scripps. This event is part
of the European Union Center's Spring 2000 lecture series on immigration,
which culminates in a conference titled "In Migration: Immigration, Racism
and Policy in the EU and California" to be held at Scripps College, March 30
- April 1, 2000. For a full list of the Center's Spring 2000 speakers and
information about the conference, contact the EUC at ext. 78103 or visit its
web site at http://www.eucenter.scrippscol.edu.
PAct presents "Ain't Nothing But a She Thing," an evening of poetry and
spoken word featuring professionals and students, at 6 p.m. in Broad
Performance Space.
Step aerobics is offered at 5 p.m. in the Gold Center gymnasium.
Career Services presents a seminar on summer jobs and internships at 6 p.m.
in the living room of Mead Hall. Sign up at Career Services or call ext.
18519.
Susan Seymour, Jean Pitzer professor of anthropology, leads the Faculty
Fireside Chat at 9 p.m. in the Marquis Library, Mead Hall. The topic is
"Travels and Studies in India, Nepal and Turkey: Are Women in the U.S. So
Far Ahead?" Refreshments will be provided by PAct.
The Orange County alumni chapter hosts a five-college young alumni happy hor
at 6 p.m. at Birraporettis, South Coast Plaza. The Los Angeles alumni
chapter holds a similar event at 6 p.m. at the Westwood Brewing Co., Los
Angeles. FMI: Naomi Glasky, ext. 18130.
The Catholic Chaplaincy holds an Ash Wednesday liturgy at noon at the Sontag
Greek Theatre, Pomona.
Career Services presents "Careers for Un-Meds," a workshop exploring career
opportunities for science majors who don't go to medical school, at 6 p.m.
in the living room of Mead Hall. Sign up in Career Services, or call ext.
18519.
Women's swimming competes in the NCAA Division III nationals through
Saturday.
International Place Lunch and Conversation celebrates International Women's
Day with "Development Issues for Women: The Case of Sri Lanka," a
presentation by Pomona anthropologist Nandini Gunewardena at 12:15 p.m. in
McKenna Auditorium. International food is served beginning at 11:45 a.m.
Admission is a meal card of $4.
Riffat Hassan, scholar, activist and founder of the International Network
for the Rights of Female Victims of Violence in Pakistan, speaks at noon in
the Women's Union, Upper Walker Lounge, Pomona. Hassan's talk is a response
to the outcry generated by the airing of a BBC documentary, "Murder in
Purdah," which focused on issues of violence against women in Pakistan. The
documentary will be shown on Wednesday at 5:45 p.m. in Room 10B of Pearsons
Hall, Pomona. Hassan will present a public lecture titled "Human Rights and
Women's Rights in the Muslim World" at 4:15 p.m. FMI: Professor Zayn Kassam,
ext. 74095.
Step aerobics is offered at 5 p.m. in the Gold Center gymnasium.
Urban Bush Women, a renowned ensemble of artists, educators, organizers and
administrators dedicated to exploring the use of culture as a catalyst for
social change, give a free performance at 8 p.m. in Bridges Auditorium.
Admission is free, but tickers are required. Tickets may be obtained at the
Seaver Theatre box office. FMI, call the box office at (909) 621-8525.
Spring Break begins after classes.
Al Wachtel, professor of English and world literature, is the featured guest
at an event sponsored by Pitzer's Arizona Alumni Chapter at Sam's Cafe at
the Biltmore in Phoenix. Cost is $30 per person. Registration deadline is
March 10.
Pitzer's New York Alumni Chapter hosts a 5-college alumni happy hour at
Sweet and Vicious in New York City at 6 p.m. Cash bar and good friends! For
more information, contact David Neubert '88 at david.neubert@msdw.com.
Men's swimming competes at the NCAA III nationals at Emory through Saturday.
Singer and composer Roger Whittaker performs at 8 p.m. in Bridges
Auditorium. Tickets, priced at $19, $27 and $35, are available at Huntley
Bookstore. FMI: (909) 621-8032 or www.cuc.claremont.edu/bridges.