“As a woman, advocating for women’s rights has always played an essential role in my development. Coming to college and joining WSU allowed me the avenue to do so on a campus-wide level.”
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Name: Shana Rosenthal
Year: Senior
Double Major: Political Science/Media and Communications Studies
Minor: Portuguese
Age: 20 years old
Hometown: Parkland, Florida
Her Campus (HC): What is the organization that you participate in called?
Shana Rosenthal (SR): It’s the Women Student Union, or WSU for short.
HC: What is your role as a WSU member?
SR: I’m the Women’s History Month Co-coordinator. I oversee all planning of events geared to empower women on campus in the month of March. I also collaborate with campus partners in order to ensure women’s issues are addressed as a campus wide initiative.
HC: What does the WSU strive to change on campus?
SR: WSU fosters growth of women personally, professionally and politically. We celebrate the power existing within every woman to promote self-autonomy, denounce all limitations, educate on systems of oppression and advocate inclusivity within a diverse community. Also, the WSU works to facilitate a network among organizations and departments to embrace, engage and empower women on campus.
HC: How do you feel you can help make a change on campus through this organization?
SR: I feel that every woman is a representation for whom we embody as an entity. It is simply: bringing those issues to light and allowing a comfortable place for women to grow.
HC: Are there any events coming up in order to help spread advocacy around campus?
SR: Yes! We’ve been working on so many great events for Women’s History Month. March’s theme is “Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History.” We have a couple of events throughout the month. We have the production of The Vagina Monologues, International Women’s Day Market Wednesday (March 8), book talks, there’s going to be a WSU day at the Rez, the Women’s Leadership Conference and the Ladies Legacy Banquet.
HC: Wow, it seems like you have a pretty packed month coming up! Do you plan on using these skills and/or the message you learned as a part of this organization to work towards your future? If so, what kinds of things will you want to do and how will they apply?
SR: Of course! I wish to bring this motivation into my career in Public Relations. I would like to represent pro bono client NGO’s, which promote women’s rights and also volunteer my time to sexual assault awareness. Sexual assault awareness is a campus issue and global issue that concerns women. I have served as Chair of Marketing for kNOwMore week and serve on the kNOwMore Student Advisory Board and would like to continue advocating for sexual assault awareness beyond my college career as well.
HC: Lastly, what is the importance that this organization holds? In other words, why should others on campus be concerned about it also?
SR: Women make up more than half of FSU’s population. As an SGA Agency, WSU advocates for the rights and recognition of all of those women who are subjected as a minority in society. It’s important to become involved in this advocacy, not only to network and meet wonderful people, but also to ensure our campus environment is optimally welcoming to all students.
HC: Thank you so much, Shana. You’re very inspiring!
SR: No problem. Thank you!