I’m not sure if any other COOG can top the passion, warmth, and love that Celestina Billington exudes. No wonder she won the UH Legacy Award, Best Student Leader Award, and UH Inclusion and Advocacy Award.
She is a senior here at UH majoring in creative writing and minoring in women’s studies, and she acts as the president for the UH Student Feminist Organization.
In order to fully capture the essence of Billington the words must come from the source herself. So we decided to share some great responses she had to our questions. Take a look!
Q:When did you realize that you wanted to become a part of the feminist movement?
A:I’ve considered myself a feminist for a long time, as long as I can remember. I think the phrase ‘feminist movement’ is misleading because it suggests that there is one cohesive group of people working together towards the same end goals, but that is definitely not the case for feminism. I consider myself an intersectional feminist. That means I consider feminist issues in light of the complexities of race, class, gender, sexuality, and so on.
Q:What does your organization aim to do each semester that makes a difference on-campus?
A:We host weekly meetings on various popular as well as unfamiliar subjects. Topics range from trans-solidarity to the legalization of medical marijuana. We’ve had guest speakers from the Women’s Gender and Sexualities Program, voter education with Texas Freedom Network, and we also do plenty of laid-back activities like movie nights and bake sales.
Q:Name a challenge that you face from being so enthusiastic and authentic about feminism.
A:Feminism is as simple as “being treated as equals.” Now, a lot of people tell me “isn’t that the same as humanism?” The simple answer is yes. But I call myself a feminist because I consider it of the utmost importance that women’s issues take the forefront, and that classic feminine traits be accepted and valued.
Celestina Billington has enlightened so many at UH, and as you go on about the rest of your life she asks that you “Have empathy for people and influence others through your own behavior.”