含羞草传媒

Story by Matt Wing

As Title IX turns 50, the 含羞草传媒 women鈥檚 athletics community reflects on the progress that鈥檚 been made and the work that still needs to be done.

Pamela Jacklin 鈥�66 gazed out over a raucous Shirk Center crowd, nary an open seat to be found. Cheering fans muffled the sound of a bouncing basketball. The smell of popcorn wafted through the air.

The 含羞草传媒 women鈥檚 basketball team was in a battle with visiting Marietta College. An opening round game of the 2018 Division III NCAA Tournament on the Titans鈥� home floor was playing out before a rowdy crowd of supporters on hand to back the nationally ranked 含羞草传媒 women鈥檚 team.

In town for the annual Council for 含羞草传媒 Women鈥檚 Summit, Jacklin made an unplanned stop at Shirk that night before heading back to her hotel room.

She couldn鈥檛 help but pause to think how things had changed.

鈥淚t made you think about those who made a difference,鈥� Jacklin said. 鈥淚t made you think of everyone who worked so hard to bring that change about.鈥�

Women鈥檚 basketball at 含羞草传媒 looked a little different in the 1960s when Jacklin was a student. 含羞草传媒 didn鈥檛 have anything resembling the squad that took the floor for the 2018 national tournament. Instead, there was a loosely organized group of women students interested in the sport. Jacklin was one of them. They practiced together occasionally in anticipation of what were then called 鈥減lay days,鈥� informal gatherings of teams from regional schools, usually hosted by a larger school, such as the University of Illinois. With few if any resourced teams competing, a small school like Illinois Wesleyan was on equal footing with the big schools.

The games themselves were also quite different. Teams played with six players a side. Players were limited to a maximum of two dribbles per touch. Additional rules governed movement. Three players designated as guards were restricted to the backcourt; three forwards were limited to frontcourt play.

鈥淭he popular thinking was girls weren鈥檛 strong enough to run up and down the court,鈥� Jacklin said, laughing. 鈥淭hey thought they were protecting us!鈥�

Athletics was only a small part of Jacklin鈥檚 time at 含羞草传媒. She was active in Student Senate, the debate team and Model United Nations, all while majoring in political science. After leaving 含羞草传媒 with a bachelor鈥檚 degree, she earned dual master鈥檚 degrees in law and diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University, where she focused on international law and human rights.

While teaching political science and international relations at Bowie State College, she became active in women鈥檚 causes. She was involved in grassroots women鈥檚 groups for several years before landing a job at the Federation of Organizations for Professional Women (FOPW).

Although she wasn鈥檛 a lawyer at the time, her study of human rights law intersected with her dedication to women鈥檚 issues and, when Title IX was signed into law by President Richard Nixon on June 23, 1972, Jacklin was at the forefront of implementing the landmark piece of legislation. Her work with the FOPW brought her into contact with individuals working on the Association of American College鈥檚 Project on the Status and Education of Women. It was there Jacklin found herself surrounded by trailblazers and changemakers. Foremost among them were Bernice 鈥淏unny鈥� Sandler, popularly known as the 鈥淕odmother of Title IX,鈥� and her colleague and right-hand woman, Margaret Dunkle.

鈥淚 was learning at the knee of geniuses,鈥� Jacklin said. 鈥淚t was less than a year that I worked there, but it was incredibly important for me and taught me a great deal.鈥�

Jacklin went on to a job at Washington State University where she was tasked with putting Title IX into practice. She conducted studies and developed plans to eliminate sex-based discrimination in all of the university鈥檚 various departments and programs.

Athletics was a part of Jacklin鈥檚 work, but certainly not the primary focus at first.

鈥淥ne thing forgotten about Title IX was that it was not initially aimed at athletics. Athletics was an afterthought,鈥� Jacklin said. 鈥淭itle IX was primarily motivated by the desire to provide equal educational opportunities for women at all levels, but with particular emphasis on graduate and professional programs. Without change, women鈥檚 career opportunities were stunted from day one.鈥�

But athletics quickly became one of the most visible areas for application of Title IX. At Washington State, Jacklin studied student interest in the school鈥檚 athletic offerings. Women students were polled, and the results were stunning. 鈥淎t every level, women wanted far more opportunities to participate than what was available,鈥� Jacklin said, noting she was particularly surprised by women鈥檚 interest in intramural football.

So began work to expand programming for women鈥檚 athletics, ranging from a broader spectrum of physical education classes, to intramural offerings, to club sports, to intercollegiate programs. Jacklin鈥檚 work at Washington State continued for more than three years as she addressed issues both in and out of athletics. It culminated with the presentation of a report evaluating university compliance with Title IX, with recommendations to remedy the extensive inequalities delivered to the university president.

鈥淚 had this wonderful playing field to try to implement the lessons that I had learned from Bunny, Margaret and others on how to implement Title IX,鈥� Jacklin said. 鈥淚鈥檓 happy to say that at WSU we were able to do a really, really good job, primarily by recognizing that you must approach everything like an academic 鈥� after all, we were at a university 鈥� and so that鈥檚 what we did. The research and analysis made a compelling case for change.鈥�

Jacklin went on to serve as a Title IX specialist as part of a federally funded program at Portland State University, where she provided Title IX training for K-12 schools throughout the Pacific Northwest. She consulted with and undertook Title IX investigations, and served as a contributor to a widely used manual for Title IX implementation.

Jacklin earned a law degree at the University of Idaho, where she was a consultant to its president on Title IX. Her work then moved inside courtrooms as an attorney and behind-the-scenes player advancing anti-discrimination efforts. She was involved in litigation against her former employer, Washington State University, based on the Washington State Equal Rights Amendment and Washington State鈥檚 anti-discrimination law, commonly referred to as 鈥淟ittle Title IX,鈥� which ended with a substantial victory for girls and women wanting real opportunities in athletics.

Jacklin later represented plaintiffs with Title IX complaints against schools in Oregon, including the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, both in court and through administrative proceedings, invoking federal law and Oregon鈥檚 version of 鈥淟ittle Title IX.鈥�

She continued to serve as a trusted consultant on Title IX and anti-discrimination matters and, although her pro bono work later took her in different directions, she remained committed to civil rights and equity in education throughout her career.

鈥淚t was a very fascinating period of my life because it was meaningful, challenging and rewarding,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled at the progress we鈥檝e made these last 50 years, while cognizant that more needs to be accomplished.鈥�

Even so, Jacklin often thinks of the changemakers who advanced the movement.

鈥淎ny important social change takes many, many people from many different positions and many different approaches to bring about real progress,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t takes time, but it can happen, and it鈥檚 really important to remember that we can have an impact even if we鈥檙e not seeing it in the present.鈥�

Jacklin does, however, see that impact today. She saw it that night at the Shirk Center, not only in the athletes themselves, but in the crowd 鈥� men and women, young and old 鈥� all there to cheer on women athletes, something unfathomable a half century earlier.

Most recently, Jacklin saw the impact while attending one of her granddaughter鈥檚 soccer matches.

鈥淲e live in the Pacific Northwest, so of course it鈥檚 rainy and muddy here all the time, and we were at a game where it was just pouring and there were mud puddles everywhere,鈥� Jacklin recalled. 鈥淢y granddaughter was maybe 9 or 10 years old at the time, and she was the star of the team, and she was so happy at the end of the game because they had just won their last game of the season.

鈥淎fter the game, she was just so thrilled, and I watched her grab two of her friends, and she hugged them and they twirled around, and then she signaled to them to follow her, and they all ran toward the biggest mud puddle they could find and threw themselves into it. They all got up and they were just grinning from ear to ear.

鈥淚 snapped a photo of them and, at that moment, I just thought to myself that seeing her then made everything I did worth it.鈥�

路 路 路

When Barb Cothren arrived at 含羞草传媒 in 1979 as a women鈥檚 athletics coach and administrator, Title IX had been in place for nearly seven years. 含羞草传媒 had added several intercollegiate women鈥檚 programs and was generally on par with its peers in offering opportunities in women鈥檚 athletics, if not ahead of the curve.

It was a drastic change for Cothren, who had spent the previous 18 years as a teacher and coach at Tri-Valley High School in nearby Downs, Illinois.

Everything was a struggle back then.

Practice times? Whenever the boys weren鈥檛 using the gym. Schedules? Good luck. Budgets? Nonexistent.

鈥淚 can remember going into closets and finding the old boys鈥� basketball undershirts with numbers on them, and we put them on over our P.E. clothes,鈥� Cothren recalled. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we wore for our uniforms.鈥�

Things were better at 含羞草传媒, for certain, but there were still challenges and inequality in those days. The men鈥檚 basketball team played in Fred Young Fieldhouse, while the women鈥檚 team played in the old Memorial Gymnasium (now the Hansen Student Center).

One facility was notably better than the other.

鈥淚t was very difficult to recruit when a student came on campus and you showed them Memorial Gym, and then they鈥檇 tour campus and see Fred Young Fieldhouse,鈥� Cothren said.

But things evolved. 含羞草传媒 added sports and participation in athletics increased. Both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 teams outgrew facilities and, thanks to a generous gift from the Shirk family, the Shirk Center was built to serve as 含羞草传媒鈥檚 athletics hub, home to all of its teams.

The Shirk Center was a game-changer, Cothren said.

鈥淎s the women鈥檚 program evolved and improved, it became clear that we needed to provide a better facility,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hen they built Shirk, it totally changed everything. It was big enough to fit everybody, there was practice time for everybody, and just look at all the sports we have now.鈥�

Cothren retired in 2001 having left an undeniable imprint on the women鈥檚 athletics program at 含羞草传媒. In the years since, she鈥檚 witnessed even more positive change from her preferred Shirk Center seat, where she can regularly be found cheering on the Titans.

Things have come a long way since her days of digging through closets for old uniforms.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 really think about it until people start asking about it,鈥� Cothren said. 鈥淏ut it is really amazing to think of all that we went through and how we ever got it all accomplished.鈥�

路 路 路

Incumbent coaches have the luxury of an entire offseason to prepare for their next campaign. Kim Nelson-Brown had all of two weeks to plan for her first season as Illinois Wesleyan鈥檚 head volleyball coach.

While staffing a volleyball camp at Notre Dame during the summer of 1996, Nelson-Brown got a call from her former college coach alerting her to the opening at 含羞草传媒. Nelson-Brown called then Athletic Director Dennie Bridges 鈥�61 to indicate her interest. The two set a time to meet. She was named head coach a week later.

How did the young coach respond? She led the Titans to a school-record 27 victories.

鈥淚 was thrown in feet first,鈥� Nelson-Brown said. 鈥淎nd the rest is history.鈥�

In the 25 seasons since, Nelson-Brown has helmed a team that鈥檚 won five league titles and played in six NCAA Tournaments. She鈥檚 coached 12 All-Americans, one of them her daughter and now assistant coach, Tyler Brown 鈥�19. The longtime 含羞草传媒 head coach won her 500th match with the Titans this past fall.

She鈥檚 seen plenty of changes at 含羞草传媒 in the past quarter century, including a closing of the equity gap.

鈥淲ithin a couple of years of being at 含羞草传媒, I started to see a shift of emphasis on our women鈥檚 sports,鈥� said Nelson-Brown, now an associate athletic director and senior women鈥檚 administrator at 含羞草传媒, in addition to her coaching duties. 鈥淚 would never say we were neglected; I just started to see that our voices mattered and we were involved in more decisions.

鈥淚t was important to Coach Bridges that our women were treated equally to our men. All of our women鈥檚 sports benefited from this shift, and our current athletic director, Mike Wagner, has continued to make sure all of our teams feel appreciated, valued and treated equally.鈥�

Nelson-Brown knows, however, there is still work to do. For every sign of progress, there is too often a corresponding reminder of inequality. She points to the highly publicized disparity in accommodations between the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball teams competing at the NCAA鈥檚 2021 Final Four events as an example.

Speaking up and calling out such instances is vital, the coach said.

鈥淥ver my time at 含羞草传媒, I feel I鈥檝e learned to use my voice to fight for our women and what we needed and deserved,鈥� Nelson-Brown said. 鈥淢y hope through all of this is to encourage our female student-athletes to use their voices, too.鈥�

Nelson-Brown is proud of all the on-court accomplishments of her team over the past 26 years. But that pales in comparison to the pride she feels when she sees 含羞草传媒 volleyball alumni serving in leadership roles and inspiring the next generation.

鈥淜nowing that these women are out in the community making a difference, using their voices and leading in these roles is ultimately what we try to create here at 含羞草传媒,鈥� she said.

路 路 路

Gianina (Taylor) Baker 鈥�04 can remember countless pressure-packed moments during her time as a student. Her organic chemistry oral examination, leading student organizations in a time of rapid change, and her doctoral dissertation defense spring to mind.

But nothing compares to the nerves she felt before running the second leg of the women鈥檚 4x400-meter relay at the 2004 NCAA Division III Indoor Track and Field Championships as a member of the 含羞草传媒 track team.

鈥淲hen faced with a challenge, I often think back to that time and how I used those nerves to move forward and compete at my highest level,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淭hose experiences have absolutely shaped me, helped me grow and see what鈥檚 possible.鈥�

Despite competing in the 鈥楤鈥� final 鈥� or 鈥渟low鈥� final, as it鈥檚 often referenced 鈥� Baker and her 4x400 teammates clocked the fastest time to claim the national title. 鈥淲e were laser-focused on our goal, trusted our training and were empowered by Coach (Chris) Shoe(macher) to execute,鈥� she recalled.

It was a memorable moment, though just one of many for a former 含羞草传媒 student who was highly engaged during her time on campus. Baker was president of the Black Student Union, co-president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a resident advisor, student ambassador, and member of the student group Sisters Actively Visualizing Vitality through Intellect.

The multitude of experiences provided the foundation for a successful career. She is currently the associate director of evaluation, learning and equitable assessment at the Office of Community College Research and Leadership, a research and resource-development organization, dedicated to documenting, advocating, and facilitating the systematic use of learning outcomes assessment to improve student learning. Her work has been recognized often; she was most recently named to Central Illinois Business Magazine鈥檚 鈥淔orty Under 40鈥� class and its 2020 Woman of the Year.

Opportunities in women鈥檚 athletics played a vital role in preparing her for such a career, Baker said.

鈥淚 certainly took pride in working hard and formed some amazing friendships with strong women who also participated in athletics,鈥� Baker said. 鈥淲e pushed our bodies to their limits, of which our ancestors would be proud.

鈥淲e also understand the pressure put on us as we look to keep such opportunities open to younger generations of women and the advocacy role needed to do such.鈥�

路 路 路

Carol Willis 鈥�68 never got to be the star player. She never even got to be on the team.

Growing up in a time when opportunities for girls to participate in high school athletics were somewhere between scarce and nonexistent, Willis had to watch from the sidelines.

Fast forward 50 years and Willis is finally part of the team.

Through her support of women鈥檚 athletics, Willis is as familiar a figure in 含羞草传媒 athletics as anyone else these days. You鈥檒l find her in the stands, watching practice, or visiting coaches and support staff in the Shirk Center.

鈥淭his has given me purpose in life,鈥� Willis says, tears welling up in her eyes.

Willis鈥� support of 含羞草传媒 athletics started when she learned of a need for new women鈥檚 locker rooms. When she connected with 含羞草传媒 Athletic Director Mike Wagner to discuss the project, she learned Wagner was in possession of funds to refurbish the men鈥檚 locker rooms, but refused to move forward until he could also begin work on the women鈥檚 locker rooms.

鈥淚 got a little emotional when Mike told me that,鈥� Willis said. 鈥淏ecause that鈥檚 one thing I can say for sure: there is 100% equality between men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 athletics here at Wesleyan.鈥�

Willis鈥� connection to 含羞草传媒 athletics has only grown as she鈥檚 gotten to know the coaches, staff and student-athletes. She鈥檚 been particularly supportive of the Titan softball team and played a leading role in funding a new pitching and hitting facility adjacent to the field, and later, a renovation of the field itself.

Her support was recognized when the field was rechristened as Inspiration Field at Carol Willis Park in 2021, in a moment Willis calls 鈥渙ne of the highlights鈥� of her life.

鈥淐arol is a trailblazer in terms of providing first-class opportunities for women and girls involved in sport,鈥� said 含羞草传媒 Head Softball Coach Tiffany Prager. 鈥淓very student-athlete, coach and athletic administrator within the footprint of our campus community has been positively affected by Carol鈥檚 generous heart.鈥�

Willis takes no greater joy in life than seeing the smiles on faces of young women participating in athletics. Providing opportunities she didn鈥檛 have gives her purpose.

鈥淵ou get to an age where you ask yourself what you are going to do with the rest of your life,鈥� Willis said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not often you really get the opportunity to impact lives, but I have, and this will be my legacy.鈥�

路 路 路

Fifty years after Title IX was signed into law, its impact is still being felt.

鈥淚 am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to discuss Title IX extensively as a part of the softball team. We have met to talk about its roots and its impact on our lives as female student-athletes,鈥� said Madison Moore 鈥�23, a junior outfielder and biology major. 鈥淪ociety does not always treat women with the full dignity and respect they deserve, but Title IX has been very impactful as a step in the right direction towards a more just and equitable society.

鈥淚t has afforded me the privilege of being a part of Titan athletics and on a team that is equally supported by our athletic department and Titan community.鈥�

Moore is an important part of that Titan community. The native of Madison, Wisconsin, is the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee鈥檚 director of community service, and active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and 含羞草传媒鈥檚 Pre-Health Club.

She鈥檚 a key member of the softball team as well, sharing the team lead in hits in 2021. She鈥檚 grown as a player during her three seasons as a member of the team, but she鈥檚 grown as a person, too.

鈥淚t has been a blessing to be a part of this softball family that truly supports me in all facets of my life, even outside of softball,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淚 have received so much support from my professors, coaches and the 含羞草传媒 community during my time here, and this is truly what makes being a Titan so special.鈥�

Moore recognizes that the work of Title IX continues, and she鈥檚 committed to doing her part. She鈥檚 inspired by people like Carol Willis 鈥�68, the namesake of 含羞草传媒鈥檚 softball facility.

鈥淪he is a phenomenal example of a female leader and role model that we can all look up to,鈥� Moore said. 鈥淎s a woman in sports, Carol inspires me every single day to challenge myself to break the glass ceiling and leave my mark on the world.鈥�