St. Ben’s celebrates 50 years of Title IX
This weekend, the College of St. Benedict will be celebrating 50 years of Title IX, in addition to the festivities of Family Weekend. Title IX
This weekend, the College of St. Benedict will be celebrating 50 years of Title IX, in addition to the festivities of Family Weekend.
Title IX was a monumental education amendment enacted in 1972 that changed the course for women in both education and athletics. The amendment prohibited discrimination on the basis of sex and opened up a world of opportunities for women.
“Title IX started as an access to education, and then universities with sports programs took it into consideration as well,” CSB Athletic Director Kelly Anderson-Dierks said.
Before 1972, there was a lack of resources and facility space for women to practice their sport of choice. Athletic scholarships for women also did not exist. With Title IX, equal allocation of scholarship funds was established, and women’s sports facilities were either established or upgraded.
On the educational front, equal opportunities in classes for both women and men were implemented, as the amendment opened the doors for new educational endeavors.Along with celebrating the anniversary of Title IX, CSB will also be recognizing athletic alumni who acted as trailblazers for women’s athletics, both in the classroom and on the playing field. The formal celebration will be held on Saturday, Oct. 22, in the Benedicta Arts Center at 7 p.m.
This list of honorees includes 50 remarkable women from the last five decades, from 1972 up to 2019. One notable name on the list is the late Toni St. Pierre, an SJU track and field alum who graduated in 1977. St. Pierre was the first female to compete for St. John’s, as St. Ben’s had yet to establish a cross country team during her time at CSB. She was also a notable name even before her time at CSB+SJU.
St. Pierre made headlines as she sued the Minnesota State High School League for not allowing women to run in competitions. There were no girls sports established in the MSHSL in 1972, so St. Pierre made it her mission to compete with the men. She ultimately won her lawsuit and set a precedent for both state and national women’s and girls’ athletics as Title IX was established mere months after her legal win. The change that she helped spark and other honorees who helped to strengthen and continue the fight for equality makes CSB athletics what it is today.
“Title IX means that we have equal opportunities, so whatever opportunities for men are also available for women,” CSB track and field coach Robin Balder-Lanoue said.
What started as an education movement has paved the way for women to now assume roles in positions of leadership and power or mentorship positions like coaching.
“I look at sitting in an athletic director chair,” Anderson-Dierks said. “This job was not a full-time job before Title IX. It was not a career path.”
Anderson-Dierks emphasized that without Title IX and the growth that has happened in women’s sports, she would not be where she was today. The coordinator of the Title IX event and CSB dance coach Anne Sumangil also agrees the amendment changed the course for athletics.
“To see the evolution of how our sports are getting more visibility, with more professional teams, has been a huge deal,” Sumangil said.
Balder-Lanoue looks at the positive effect sports have had on women’s mental health.
“Because of sports, women are now given opportunities that men have had for years: what is teamwork, what is pushing yourself, what is learning from failure? You learn how to handle all of these better,” Balder-Lanoue said.
The College of St. Benedict does not fall into the umbrella that Title IX affects regarding athletics, since the men’s and women’s teams are separated, but this doesn’t mean that Title IX isn’t working in the competition setting.
“Title IX is a little more complicated in a single-sex institution… but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect CSB in a huge way. We have to have people to play, so other institutions creating athletic governing bodies and conferences for women is a big part that creates opportunities for our women,” Anderson-Dierks said.
While the outcomes of the Title IX implementation can be seen in all levels of education, there is still more to accomplish for the fight for equality in sports. Speaking on her experience with dance, Sumangil recognizes that some sports are still not taken as seriously or receiving the visibility that they should.
“We’re lucky that we are a women’s institution because [the dance team] is given a lot of respect, but with other schools, you wouldn’t know if a dance team won a national championship because they never cover it,” Sumangil said.
Anderson-Dierks would also like to see more coverage.
“I hope the female future, when it comes to media and coverage, becomes much more equitable, because I think the athleticism and the whole experience is something that people want to watch,” Anderson-Dierks said.
Coach Balder-Lanoue agreed that there are still some improvements to be made.
“I would like [women’s athletics] to be funded the same way as men. Giving women opportunities is absolutely priceless,” Balder-Lanoue said.
Overall, the tone surrounding Title IX remains optimistic as female athletes strive to make the playing field a more equitable place to practice the sport they love. Anderson-Dierks and Sumangil invite all CSB+SJU students and the campus community to celebrate Title IX this Saturday, where the 50 CSB nominees will be honored for their high achievements. Stories will be shared about what past women’s athletics were like at CSB.
