Published on October 24, 2025

Becoming a Woman videos

On Thursday, October 23, the documentary film Voices of Women at Eastern, a collaborative project between Michèle Bacholle and Brian Day, Professor of Directing and Film at Eastern, premiered in the Student Center Theater. As part of the larger Becoming a Woman project, Bacholle sought to capture the voices and perspectives of women at Eastern. Beginning in the spring of 2025, women across campus shared self-recorded testimonials about what it means to be a woman. Brian Day, an accomplished filmmaker and visual storyteller, then edited these diverse perspectives into a cohesive film about what it means to be a woman.

Following the film screening, a panel of women with diverse perspectives and backgrounds gathered on the stage of the Student Center Theatre to delve into the topics and themes presented in the film. The panel included Dr. Cara Bergstrom-Lynch, a sociologist whose research focuses on gender, sexuality and families; Dr. Fatma Pakdil, a professor of Business Administration; Dr. Theresa Severance, a criminology professor specializing in data and questions surrounding imprisoned women and juvenile justice; Dr. Kemesha A. Wilmot, Eastern’s Dean of Students; alumna Shaheera Khan, and student ambassador Emily Jones. Each panelist offered powerful testimony, speaking with their own unique voices and perspectives while also finding common ground in shared experiences. Their reflections, and a discussion of audience questions, deepened the film’s messages and highlighted the complexity and depth of the concept of womanhood.

A reception, made possible by the Office of Equity and Diversity, followed the panel discussion.