DANBURY, CONN. — Western Connecticut State University will celebrate Women’s History Month in March with a series of film, theatre and lecture programs exploring women’s roles in history, culture and contemporary society.

Assistant Professor of History Dr. Katherine Allocco, one of the organizers of the university’s Women’s History Month series, said the goal is to showcase women’s achievements. “It’s about recognizing and acknowledging the great women of history,” she observed. “There are so many women who have done great things, so let’s celebrate!”

Women’s History Month events will be held at various locations on the WestConn Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. Admission to all events will be free and open to the public. Following is the series schedule:

On Friday, March 5, at 7:30 p.m., women from diverse backgrounds will recall their female mentors in a theatrical performance titled “The Mentoring Monologues” in the Student Center Theater. Allocco described the production as similar in format to “The Vagina Monologues” by Eva Ensler. “We have a real mix of all ages, people from the university and the community, and various ethnic groups represented,” she said.

On Tuesday, March 9, at 4 p.m., Jamison Odone, a student in the Master of Fine Arts in Art program, will sign copies of his new book, “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland,” on the first floor of Warner Hall. Part of his “Stickfiguratively Speaking Series,” Odone’s book features stick-figure illustrations to tell his version of Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice in Wonderland.”

On Wednesday, March 10, at noon, a WestConn faculty and student panel will discuss “Negotiating Beauty: Bodies, Fashion and Sexuality in our Past and Present” on the first floor of Warner Hall. Panelists will include Professor of History Dr. Marcy May, Assistant Professor of History Dr. Leslie Lindenauer, Professor of Social Sciences Dr. Steven Ward and history graduate student Jessica Gamache.

On Wednesday, March 10, at 5:30 p.m., the documentary film “The Greatest Silence: Rape in the Congo” will be shown in the Student Center Theater. Winner of the Sundance Special Jury Prize in Documentary and the inspiration for a 2008 U.N. resolution classifying rape as a weapon of war, the film was shot in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo, depicting how sexual violence has been used as a weapon in this conflict.

On Thursday, March 11, at 6 p.m., film excerpts from the documentary “Body of Work” will be shown in the Student Center Theater. After the screening, writer/director/producer Kai Beverly-Whittemore will answer questions about her transition from model to filmmaker.

On Friday, March 12, at 7 p.m., “The Wonderful, Horrible Life of Leni Riefenstahl” will be shown in Screening Room 1 in White Hall. The 1993 documentary film depicts the life of German filmmaker, photographer and artist Leni Riefenstahl, who was best known for her role as director of the 1934 Nazi propaganda film “Triumph of the Will.”

On Wednesday, March 17, at 12:30 p.m., WestConn faculty members will participate in a panel discussion of “Women and Popular Culture” on the first floor of Warner Hall. Panelists will include Allocco, Assistant Professor of History Dr. Leslie Lindenauer and Associate Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences Dr. Abbey Zink.

On Wednesday, March 17, at 5:30 p.m., the 2005 film The Education of Shelby Knox” will be screened in the Student Center Theater. The documentary portrays the story of Shelby Knox, who waged a campaign as a high school in Lubbock, Texas, against abstinence-only policies in the teaching of sex education in local public schools.

For more information on Women’s History Month programs, call Allocco at (203) 837-8482 or the Office of University Relations at (203) 837-8486.

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.