Douglass alumnae speak out
Archived article from Oct 26, 2001
Focus asked some randomly chosen members of the classes of 1950, 1975 and 2000/2001 to discuss politics, careers, women's issues and relationships. While these women are not mothers and daughters, as was true of Roberta Sigel's original sample, their comments do throw light on the different attitudes of three generations of alumnae.
On the role of their mothers
Pauline LiCalsi Bertone '50: My mother came to this country from Italy at an early age, 7 or 8. Her family allowed her to finish grammar school, but she was not allowed to go on to high school. She was so adamant that I should have the advantage of going to college. I was the first of my mother's and father's families who went to college. It was a big thing, and I was very proud of that.
Linda Reid Malleck '75: I was the first person in my family to go to college. I had an Irish mother who came to this country in 1929 as a 15-year-old. She got to finish high school here and was a working person the rest of her life. She saw the struggle of being a single mother whose opportunities were limited by the fact that she didn't have a higher education. By the time I was ready, it was "Go to college or die."
Kristy Perez '01: Within my family and throughout my life, especially as a Latina woman, there was always this underlying theme that certain things were acceptable for women to do and certain were not. When I chose to go to college, there was a big question of whether I should be able to go alone and stay on campus. The feeling was that you don't leave the house until you get married. But I was lucky because my mom supported me. Although my mother wasn't saying political things or using a big vocabulary, she was changing history in that I was the first person in my family to go to college.
On political activism
Pauline LiCalsi Bertone '50: My husband was the mayor of Rutherford and was a councilman before that for 28 years. He's a lot more active than I am. I always went along with him, which was what I was expected to do, being the first lady of Rutherford. He's a Republican, while I'm more of an independent thinker. But I always supported that particular party for him. We were brought up in that tradition.
Linda Reid Malleck '75: Because of Watergate, a lot of us were politically aware -- paying attention to what was going on. We were encouraged (at college) to voice our opinions, to write people and get together as a group, so it wasn't just my letter here and your letter there, but something more powerful. We were encouraged to not just sit by and read about things, but to actually speak out.
Kristy Perez '01: Whatever you do in life can be used as a tool to create political or social change. When I was in the Women's Leadership Scholars Program at Douglass, I started a project that I'm still working on, in which I asked urban high school students to submit their creative writing pieces for a book that I hope to have published. I'm cultivating young minds, allowing them to think critically on their own. In this way, I'm creating social change by empowering and inspiring young people.
On career aspirations
Angela Poggi Burstyn '50: I loved history -- my major was in history. But my ambition was not great. The idea was to learn and to be a better mother. I was divorced, so I did eventually have to go back to work. I went into insurance, but I always hated it.
Patricia LaDuca '75: I went to college knowing that I wanted to be a journalist. From day one at Douglass, they pounded it into you that being a woman shouldn't be an obstacle, and you could do anything you wanted to do. I took a nontraditional job (as a sports writer and later a sports editor at The New York Times) in something very few women were involved in.
Maggie-lou Mari '00: I'm now pursuing a master's in public administration (at New York University), with a focus on nonprofit and public organizations. I'm looking to work for more grassroots-type organizations that help women in need. I don't know if I would have had such a strong interest in women's groups if I hadn't gone to Douglass.
On women's equality
Irene Povenski Busher '50: I know the women's movement and the '60s generally were very flammable. I felt myself torn apart. I'm very much into women getting into whatever work they like and being recompensed properly. But I was more conservative. Raising families was really the primary thing for us to do at that time. Most women were at-home mothers, taking care of their kids.
Patricia LaDuca '75: My first newspaper job, I was an editorial assistant. I watched them hire men right out of Rutgers, and they were made full-time reporters. After the third guy was hired over me, I walked up to the managing editor and said, "We both came from the same university, and I've been here and I know all this stuff already. Why won't you promote me?" And he said to me, "You're a woman. You have to work twice as hard." That was 1976. I just said, "OK," and that's what I did.
Maggie-lou Mari '00: I don't think I really realized the impact of the women's movement until I entered college and we studied women's history. I guess I always thought of all the rights and advancements women had as always there. I didn't realize they were things people had to fight for.
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