A group of women on campus are starting a feminist organization called “FEM.”
Kayleigh Adams, acting freshman, said she was inspired to start this club by her English composition class.
“We’re currently doing a project that is a proposal to the university,” she said. “I’ve been jumping around a lot of difficult issues. The main issue that led me to this was the lack of security cameras on campus installed in public areas. Someone who I’m very close to was sexually assaulted in one of the dorm halls, and there weren’t any security cameras to help the evidence.”
Adams said she also was inspired by Wendy Brunner, associate professor of mass communications, saying she would be willing to sponsor a women’s organization.
“If there was a women’s organization, we can tackle many issues,” Adams said. “It’s still a proposal for my class, but it’s just a formality for it. I’m excited.”
Brunner said she has always wanted to start an organization like this.
“I started teaching an LAS class a few years ago about media literacy,” she said. “We tend to talk about women’s issues a lot in this class. Whenever women’s issues come up, I see people of all genders get fired up about it. So every semester for years, I’ve said, ‘this is a heavily female campus, it makes sense we would have a student organization for women and for women’s issues.’”
Adams said she would like to have speakers on campus to educate people on issues that women experience. She also said she wants to have drives for feminine hygiene products, as well as set up groups for women’s marches.
“I would also like to do an open mic night that showcases women’s art and women’s voices,” she said.
There is an executive board proposed to run the organization. It includes Adams, Jessica Vanek, music theater sophomore, Kaylila Pasha, acting sophomore, and Zoe Travers, mass communications junior. The organization is in the process of a proposal for Student Government Association for funding.
Brunner will be the faculty adviser until she leaves the university at the end of the academic year.
“I would like to see the group do advocacy as well as education,” Brunner said. “The bottom line is that feminism is about inclusivity in general, and so I think that even though this is a female-centric organization, what they’re doing here is wanting to point out the fact that feminism is for everyone.”
Adams said she wants a meeting every week where everyone can come. Her overall goal is to create an organization that supports the women on campus.
“It is so important to represent our strong women on campus,” she said. “I really want to encourage men to join this organization too, or any gender. Having that kind of support makes people feel safe and good.”
Travers said she wants the group to create a safe space to explore all topics related to feminism, and she looks forward to supporting the women on this campus.
“I’m super excited to be a part of this new women’s empowerment organization,” she said. “On a campus like OCU with so many women doing so many amazing things, this is going to be a really cool resource to just build each other up.”
Editor’s Note: Web Editor Jessica Vanek is on the executive board for FEM. She did not participate in the writing or editing of this story.
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