Women’s Week 2002 was kicked off Thursday night with a speech entitled “Leveling the Playing Field: 30 Years of Title IX.”

Ann Rhodes, a faculty member in the University of Iowa College of Law, spoke to a crowd of about 40 gathered in the Memorial Union Great Hall.

“Title IX is a set of amendments that prohibit discrimination,” Rhodes said. “And within that, we will be talking about gender and gender equality.”

Women’s athletic programs have long been a controversy regarding equality when compared to the men’s athletic program. Title IX creates the guidelines all colleges follow when handing out scholarships, recruiting athletes and making sure money is equally distributed.

“Title IX was created in 1972. Thirty years later, are we there yet? The answer is no, but we are making progress,” said Rhodes, who teaches intercollegiate athletics law. She is former director of the U of I’s athletic programs.

Lindsey Wilson, senior in English and sociology, wore a T-shirt with the World War II poster of Rosie the Riveter saying “We can do it!” She also wore her letter jacket.

Wilson, a Cyclone point guard, said Title IX has had a direct effect on the opportunities she and her teammates have had. She said Title IX is also a touchy subject for some people.

“You can’t be objective about this,” she said. “This [debate] can’t be solved overnight.”

Audience members had the elimination of Cyclone baseball and men’s swimming fresh in their minds.

“[Critics of Title IX] think schools are cutting the programs because they have to make room for the women, when in fact, it is just a budget issue,” Rhodes said.

Title IX is about fairness and equal opportunity, she said. Rhodes does not think the elimination of men’s programs is the best solution.

“We need to keep pushing forward,” she said, but, “the quest for gender equality always had to be balanced with the priorities and need of a university.”

Christine Grant, a founding member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women, was scheduled to appear but was unable for personal reasons.