March is the official month for women.

Cerritos College has been celebrating Women’s History Month since it was first declared 16 years ago in ’87.

1987 is when the official Women’s History Month began across the country.

Sonoma County, California, was the founder of the event by sponsoring a week to educate the population about women’s history in 1978.

This was a time when women were not recognized for their accomplishments and neglected in subjects at most schools.

It was then called Women’s History Week and was made to include the date of March 8th, the official International Women’s Day.

Due to overwhelming support and recognition by not only the women, but men and the young and the old, Congress passed a resolution in 1987 making the week a national event and dedicated the whole month of March to Women’s History.

Every year a new theme is held for the month.

Theme’s such as “Women Putting Our Stamp on America” and “Celebrating Women of Courage & Vision.”

The theme for 2002 is “Women Sustaining the American Spirit.”

The Cerritos College Campus is holding over 40 events for the month, related to the theme, excluding the week for Spring Break.

The events range from a two-mile walk to lectures to screenings to celebrities and activist speakers.

The Health and Physical Educational Recreations/Athletics Department is holding a Celebrate and Educate: Breast Cancer Awareness Walk, which is a two-mile walk to celebrate survivors of breast cancer and educating men and women about breast cancer.

There is also a Health Fair that will provide information on various women’s health issues.

The speaker for “Women Sustaining the American Spirit: The Life of Mary Baker,” Eddy Val Zavala, has earned a master’s degree in journalism from American University in Washington D.C., attended Stanford University on a John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship, and has received a bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies from Yale University.

Zavala will chronicle the life of Mary Baker Eddy (1821-1910) who was the author of “Science and Health with Key to the Scripture” and founder of the six-time Pulitzer Prize winning newspaper The Christian Science Monitor.

The Fine Arts Department will sponsor screening of the movie “Children of a Lesser God” by Randa Haines, a major director in the American Film Industry, with a Q&A segment.

Mavis Nicholson Leno, wife of television talk show host Jay Leno and the chair of the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Campaign to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan, will hold a presentation on The American Feminist Spirit.

Leno played a critical role in subduing efforts to construct an oil pipe across Afghanistan which would have dramatically increased the Taliban control of the region, with her involvement in the Feminist Majority’s Campaign.

A video and discussion of Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path” will be held that will look at the human hero and defeating tremendous odds as well as the African-American experience.

Kerry Duff, graduate of University of Michigan where she wrote an honors literature thesis entitled “Daughters of Eve: Images of Women in Medieval Literature” and received her M.A in English from Michigan State University, will discuss women and their bodies.

These are just some of the 40 events taking place during Women’s History Month.

“Take advantage of all of the events that will be occurring throughout the month,” commented Dora Lozano.

Lozano, coordinator for Women’s History Month at Cerritos College, also mentioned that “This is our way of expanding the student’s knowledge of women’s contribution to society and honor them country/worldwide.”

There is a broad selection of issues and participation is actively encouraged.

Teaching major Verenice Lopez had to say “It’s good that there is a month dedicated to women in their honor. It shows that women have come a long way in history and are appreciated by having a whole month dedicated to us. March reminds us of all the women that have overcame challenges that discrimination had brought upon them.”

Every woman has an effect on other women, and men.

From Madonna to family members to, of course, mothers.

Teaching major Lesly Perez said “Sandra Day O’Connor, who was the first woman on the Supreme Court, has a major influence in my life because she makes me want to aim higher in my life.”

“My mother is very hard working. She tries to work through the ugliest parts of life, she struggles a lot for her children to have a good future,” Eglish major Rosa Morales said about a role model who has influenced her life the most.