April, 2008

Article By Carrie Dagenhard

There is a shabby little cinderblock building on South Lumpkin Street. The building, which once functioned as both a bakery and a print shop in its thirty-plus years of existence, is now covered in asbestos. Termites have infested the outer layers and black mold has seeped into the dark corners and closets within. Rats have crawled through the holes in the aging foundation and chewed through the wires of the heating system. Rationally, the building should have been condemned and demolished years ago.

This is the home of the University of Georgia’s Institute for Women’s Studies, and it has been since 1999.

In addition to five small offices, the building has a library about the size of my apartment’s living room—which doubles as both a seminar space and kitchen—and a cramped reception area. The bathroom has one stall and there is only one classroom that holds about 32 students.