The SUU Student Theater hosted a screening and discussion panel for the documentary “RBG” on Monday for International Women’s Week.
The event was the second of two events held on Monday to kick off International Women’s Week and was chosen to help bring attention to the week’s primary theme, “Choose to Challenge.”
The panel and National Board of Review-awarded documentary both discussed the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s life and policies, specifically her work in fighting for gender equality and women’s rights.
The panel took place after the film and included a Q&A for students to ask questions involving Ginsberg. The panelists included Dr. Pief and Dr. Davis, as well as Autumn Thatcher and Cynthia Hawk, two students involved at the Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service.
The panel’s preliminary discussion involved engaging in political arguments that would be the most beneficial, as well as the personal feelings each panelist had about Ginsberg’s work and fight for representation, explicitly regarding her shift from reasonably moderate to becoming “The Great Dissenter.”
“Situations shift who we are,” Davis said. “If we don’t say anything, we are quietly sanctioning what we don’t agree with.”
“We have to speak up for things,” Thatcher said. “You just can’t be a bystander for every situation, and you have to be one to say something because it’s not a guarantee that someone else will.”
The panelists had other discussions, ranging from Ginsberg’s groundbreaking policies on abortion to how much work had been accomplished and what was still needed for gender equality.
“Our gender, or our identity, or our race or our religion, are things that shouldn’t be impacting our experiences but clearly are,” Davis said. “How do we start to further close in those gaps and keep moving that stuff forward?”
The event ended with participants heading outside to receive snacks and treats like popcorn, as food was not allowed in the theater for COVID-19 safety.
Each day during International Women’s Week includes a new event discussing women’s current social issues, from sexism in the workplace to the impact COVID-19 has had on women.
For a full list of the events SUU is putting on in celebration in International Women’s Week, visit suunews.net.
For those who wanted to watch the documentary, “RBG” is currently streaming on Hulu for free and available to rent on Amazon Prime.
Story by: Christian Paystrup
