Maintaining positive attitude is theme of women's conference

by Lynda Hills

Inspired by UVic athlete and Paralympian Stephanie Dixon's words, You Can! It's All in Your Attitude, the UVic Women's Network presents the eighth annual Women's Conference on Feb. 16.

"Our goal is to bring men and women from all sectors of the university together," says co-chair Kathy Harris (purchasing). "We want to say to people on campus that this is their conference, and that we support them by offering all of these learning opportunities for a nominal fee."

The conference is subsidized by the president and vice-president's office and is slated for 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the University Centre Farquahar Auditorium. The cost is $15 for faculty and staff, and $10 for students. The fee includes lunch and nutrition breaks.

Participants can choose from a list of 16 workshops with subjects ranging from finding your balance in life to Taiko drumming. "We try to make it entertaining as well as informative," says Harris. "People often have difficulty picking a workshop because there are so many choices."

The conference includes a presentation of the UVic Women's Recognition Awards, which celebrate women who have made an exceptional impact on the UVic community. The keynote speaker is UVic student Stephanie Dixon, winner of eight medals at the 2004 Paralympics in Athens and five at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.

"It's the first time we've ever had a student as a keynote speaker," says Harris. "We're very proud to have her, Stephanie is such an accomplished person and she's only 20-years-old."

For more information and to obtain a registration form visit web.uvic.ca/womennet/. Individual workshops are on a first-come, first-served basis.