Have you ever wondered why most cheerleaders are girls? It didn’t used to be that way. Up until the early twentieth century, all cheerleaders were actually boys. And why do some athletes, like Caster Semenya, have to prove they’re women while there’s no testing for men? Are men really better athletes than women? How do we make room for transgender and nonbinary athletes in our current sports world? Explore these questions and more with Dr. Robyn Ryle, Professor of Sociology and Gender Studies at Hanover College, on May 10th at 7:00 p.m. EST via Zoom and take a look at the intersection of sports, gender, and sexuality.

Dr. Ryle has authored two award-winning nonfiction books—She/He/They/Me (Sourcebooks) and Throw Like a Girl, Cheer Like a Boy (Rowman and Littlefield). She’s published short stories and essays in a wide range of journals and magazines, including Newsweek, CALYX Journal, BELT Magazine, and Bartleby Snopes, among others. She received her undergraduate degree from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and her Ph.D. at Indiana University-Bloomington. She speaks nationally on the subjects of place-making and community.

The Nichols Community Inquiry Series was made possible by the generous support of Mark Nichols '74 and Cheri Griffith Nichols '74. The purpose of the Nichols Community Inquiry Series is to promote lifelong learning opportunities for alumni and friends by creating events for the Hanover College Community to interact with faculty

Questions? Contact Nicole McKown, Director of Constituency Engagement and Annual Giving, at mckown@hanover.edu or 812-866-7013. The Zoom link will be in the event registration confirmation email.