Terrier Volume 77, Number 1 - Spring 2013 | Page 14

Stitching Together History
By Meghan Lewit

When Ellen Glascock, Professor of Biology and Health Promotions,
created the honors seminar “Women in Arts and Sciences” more than
20 years ago, she wanted her students to understand the history of
women’s art forms. Eight undergraduates — all women — who took
the class in the spring of 198 8 decided to create a piece of art with
its own distinct story.
“That class was quite unique,” Glascock said.
“They came to me the next year and said they
wanted to make a quilt.”
Each of the students, as well as a handful of
female faculty members including Economics,
History and Political Science Chair Paddy Quick and
Communication Arts Chair Lynne Jackson, crafted
a square for the project. One of the students in the
class, Tara Santore ’90, asked her grandmother
— who had worked in a garment factory for most
of her life — to stitch the pieces together. Now, more
than two decades after the small band of students
launched the project, another chapter was added
to the story of the quilt when it returned to the halls
of St. Francis College.
The quilt was formally unveiled during a March 6
ceremony outside the Maroney Forum for Arts,
Culture and Education, where it will remain on
permanent display. Many of the squares address
social issues such as world peace, women’s
equality, and domestic violence. While some of the
students used traditional quilting techniques, others
painted, knitted or added unusual materials to their
squares. Lizabeth Amato ’90 made hers out of
chains and leather. The inspiration for her square,
she explained, was “women breaking out of chains.”
“I’m still always trying to break out, doing things
my grandmother never would have dreamed of,” she
said. “St. Francis College was the conduit for me.
The spirit of St. Francis is always with me.”
Josephine Beckmann’s ’90 square advocated for
a drug-free world, an issue that still resonates with
her in her current job as a district manager of NYC’s
Community Board 10 in Manhattan.
“The class really brought us together through the
history of quilting,” she said. “It’s amazing how a

quilt can spread a message, and bring us back
together all these years later to celebrate.”
Traditionally women’s art has served the dual
purpose of being both beautiful and useful,
Glascock explained.
“Quilting is an example of that,” she said.
“There’s often a story behind the quilts. In this
case there’s a story behind each piece.”
For several years after it was created, the quilt
was hung in the College in March during Women’s
History Month, but was eventually stored in a closet.
Professors Athena Devlin and Emily Horowitz,
Co-Directors of the Women’s Studies Minor, recently
unearthed the quilt and set out to revive the project.
“We wanted to show the history of women’s
studies on campus,” said Devlin, Associate
Professor of English, Director of the American
Studies program, and Co-Director of the Women’s
Center. “There’s an interest in understanding the
world through women’s perspectives and this quilt

connects the generations.”
Once the plans were in motion, Glascock reached
out to all the original students from the honors
seminar. Many of the quilters still live in Brooklyn
and have remained in close contact over the years.
Santore, who continued quilting as a hobby,
immediately volunteered to re-quilt the pieces and
get it ready for permanent display at the college.
“We’re lifelong friends,” Santore said at the
unveiling. “[The course] gave us the confidence
that we could do whatever we wanted in our lives.
To be part of the history of St. Francis College, I feel
very honored.”
Quick, Professor of Economics, recalled crafting
her quilt piece with her daughter using towels from
her childhood and her daughter’s barrettes. The
square, entitled “Women Hold Up Half the Sky,”
commemorates the struggles of women in China.
She said she hopes the quilt will inspire current and
future St. Francis students to embrace advocacy.
“This was very much a student project. It’s really
a tribute to the students and the spirit of activism at
the time,” she said.
Glascock, who retired from the College in May
after 35 years, called the quilt “a wonderful legacy.”
“This group of students was the best thing that
happened to me as a teacher,” Glascock said.
“It’s nice to have something as a permanent exhibit
that’s representative of who I was as a teacher.” ●

The quilters: Josephine Columbo Beckmann ’90, Lori Azar Caristia ’91, Tara Santore ’90, Sharon Azar
Hahn, Ellen Glascock, Paddy Quick, Theresa Campisi ’90, and Liz Amato ’90. Not pictured: Gail Gilroy ’90.

P

rofessor Ellen Glascock came to St. Francis
College in 1978 determined to shake things up.
When she was hired as the chairperson of the
Healthcare Management Department, she was one of
only two female chairs at the College.
“Because of where my office was, I was the first
woman on the floor so they had to create a bathroom
for me,” she recalled. “Someone added the ‘Wo’ to
the men’s room in pencil.”
With a goal of creating more opportunities to study women’s issues and
accomplishments, Glascock created classes on women’s health and women
in the workplace — including the honors seminar that led to the quilt project.
“She is one of the most organized and involved people at the College,” said
Paddy Quick, Professor of Economics, who co-founded the Women’s Caucus

12  |  ST. FRANCIS COLLEGE TERRIER  |  SPRING 2013

at St. Francis with Glascock. “I’ve always admired her dedication to her
students and I’ve learned a lot from her.” Glascock received a Bachelor’s
Degree in English literature from Connecticut College, a Master’s Degree
in Poetry from the University of North Carolina and an MPA and Ph.D. in
Health, Research and Administration from NYU. She worked in publishing
and Hospital Administration prior to coming to St. Francis.
“I fit for some reason,” Glascock said. For more than 20 years, she has
taught a freshman course on health while more recently she earned accolades
for her course “Death, Loss and Grief,” which was selected by Assisted Living
Today as a “Top 20 College Course for Geriatrics and Senior Care.”
“Basically, because I’m a troublemaker I’ll talk about anything,” she said.
“The students love it, they get really involved… When people are really
engaged with something, they’ll learn.” ●