Today’s profile and organization spotlight is on Behrend’s own Women Today!
I sat down with the President and some members of Women Today to bring light to the real purpose of the organization and its presence on campus. Many students may know who Women Today are on campus, but they also may not understand what they stand for as an organization.
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What is the purpose of Women Today?
I think that Women Today is here to set an example not only for women, but also for men. That not only as women, but as humans to be accepting of one another not based upon our similarities, but also our differences. The words that come to my mind when I think of Women Today are empowerment, success, struggle, and pain. These are words and emotions that not only women are facing every day, but also all of us as humans. I think one of the main purposes of Women Today is bring forth to the light, that women and men are equal and should be treated as such. One thing I have become obsessed with is the history of Women Today, it is so fascinating that the club has been on campus since 1981 but still has a hard time planting a foundation on this campus. I asked previous presidents about their experiences, and even with their different approaches the turnout has remained consistently low throughout the years. It is the challenge that inspires me to keep persevering like this club has for the past 35 years.
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What have been some of the successes/failures that Women Today has had this past semester?
Women Today has had some failures, but we have sprung back and ended with some successful events. Our first failure was attempting to get sponsorships from alumni. We sent out letters hoping for our alumni to donate so that we would be able to put on some events, but instead of the response we were anticipating we had a complete lack of response. The second failure was the powderpuff game we tried having at the beginning of the semester. We failed due to multiple factors such as having the event the first month of school, lack of interest, and also financial issues. We also had an event for ovarian cancer awareness called Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Half of my executive board saw the event as a success, while half of it found it to be a failure. The half that found it to be a failure saw the event as not reaching the expectation/capacity as we anticipated. The other half of the executive board saw it as a success due to the fact that we had any turnout at all. We learned that we have to be able to think big, but also be able to plan smaller venues, due to the fact we have not successfully integrated into daily campus life.
How do you feel having this club positively benefits a primarily male dominated campus?
This club reminds this campus that women matter. Woman’s health, struggles, political views, the list could go on. It ALL matters. On a male dominated campus, it’s easy to forget these things.
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How has organization shaped your thoughts/feelings in your daily life?
As a President of a club I try to lead by example. However, it’s hard when society expects you to be submissive and nurturing all of the time. Women Today has helped me understand I am not limited to the box that I am put in. According to society, as a black woman I have limited options and opportunities because of my gender and ethnicity. Being in Women Today has shown me that I CAN fight that stereotype and win.
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I also sat down with some of the members of Women Today
What does Women Today personally mean to you?
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What Women Today means to me is promoting strength, and giving females on campus a voice, all while trying to fairly add a female representation on a primarily male dominated campus. Not basic stereotypical women oriented programs, such as cosmetics (there’s nothing wrong with cosmetics, makeup is great), but we deal with women’s issues such as ownership and succession in the commercial world and female health issues such as ovarian cancer. –Daleth Holley
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Building and maintenance of relationships with other women, creating a safe environment for these issues to be discussed. Not being a radical feminist organization, but a way for both genders to come together and discuss women’s issues. This organization has given me a chance to interact and talk to more females, I was previously an engineer and I was only 1 out of 5 women in most of my classes, and even after switching to chemistry, I still find it hard to find other females in my major. This organization has given me the opportunity to meet new women and talk to people who can relate to similar issues. –Marisela Poblete
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Make sure to look out for Women Today on campus, they’re doing great things and deserve to be recognized for it! HCXO