Upcoming Janus Forum to discuss women’s equality in America

By Elizabeth Glover, For The Miami Student

Miami will host the sixth biannual Janus Forum on Oct. 28, with discussion centering on the question "Are Women Equal in America Today?"

The forum, designed as a conversation about a timely issue from two opposing viewpoints, will feature Rinku Sen, the president of Race Forward, and organization centered on racial injustice innovation, and Christina Hoff Sommers, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Sen is an award-winning publisher of Colorlines, a magazine focused on race and culture, while Sommers is a retired professor who critiqued feminism in the 20th century.

Riley Cook, president of the Janus organization, said they chose women's equality as the forum's topic because of its presence in the political climate, and because it resonates well with students.

"We want to make sure pressing issues are talked about," Cook said. He added that he wants them talked about openly and with two sides to the story.

According to a 2014 article in The Miami Student, just over 100 years ago, Miami saw its first females graduate from the university with diplomas in hand. Over half of Miami's student body consists of women, and to boot, recent studies show women often times don't apply for leadership positions such as president because they don't feel qualified enough.

Although the number of women in leadership positions has risen in the past few years on campus, there are still organizations that are mostly male dominated.

Other universities in the area have implemented programs to bridge the confidence gap for women in leadership; Miami is new to the game.

Andrew Geisler, an employee of the Janus Forum, works to make sure every event goes smoothly. He enjoys that two speakers are present.

"One person talking can feel like indoctrination,'" Geisler said.

The Janus Forum is unlike the typical "speech in a can," according to Chair of Political Science Department Patrick Haney. He noted that the goal of the forum is, "To help increase and elevate political discourse on this campus."

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Modeled after similar forums at Brown, the Janus forum does just that.

Haney explained the Political Science Department at Miami works closely with booking agencies and speakers to secure the event. He articulated that after he has secured the speakers, it is solely student run and operated.

The speakers come in and have to adjust their speech from about 45 minutes to about 20 minutes. He acknowledged that it makes for a more diverse presentation.

"We want this to be for everybody," Haney said.

That is why they open each forum up for a candid Q&A at the end of the talk. Cook added they always have extra questions on hand if there's a dry spell, but also noted the live Twitter feed full of questions usually eliminates the need to use them.

Haney has high expectations for this forum and has "heard a lot of buzz about it on campus."

The event will take place at 6 p.m. on Oct. 28 in Wilk's Theater. Tickets, which are free and available at the H.O.M.E. office, are required.

In a previous version of this story, three names were misspelled and one title was incorrect. The correct spellings are Rinku Sen, not Riku; Christina Hoff Sommers, not Summer; and Andrew Geisler, not Gieslar. Patrick Haney is the chair of the political science department, not the director.