GCSUnade.com
Issue date: 2/11/05 Section: Campus News
Women's center to be one of few in state
By Vanessa Voigt
Georgia College & State University will open Georgia's fourth Women's Resource Center March 1 in the Maxwell Student Union Center.
Psychology major Jennifer Graham, who has a minor in Women Studies, is the student director of the program.
"Myself and two of my friends [Jennifer Lindenberger and Melanie DeMaeyer] have been trying to get a women's resource center started on campus for about a year and a half," Graham said.
"My best friend and I noticed that there wasn't much on this campus aimed at women and their education and how they are treated," said Graham.
Director of Multi-cultural Affairs Alliah Carter is the administrative support for the Women's Center.
"We are providing programs and services dealing with current issues that are current and prevalent," Carter said.
Most campuses in Georgia, currently including GC&SU's campus, are without functioning women's resource centers. This new center will be the fourth in the state and only the second at a Georgia Public University.
The project was developed after a meeting with President Dorothy Leland last January.
"Budget and space were really our only limitations," Graham said.
The recent opening of the Student Activities Center created space availability in the Maxwell Student Union. The women's center will be located in room 143, which is where the Bobcat Card office used to be. Although the space issue has been satisfied, funding for the center has been the new challenge, Graham said.
"We have zero dollars," stated Graham.
Fundraising will be the main source for the funds necessary to operate the center.
Another option for donations is going to Amazon.com's Wish List and purchasing books to help build the WRC library. The center is hoping to build a library of books with a range of topics including women's history, women's health, domestic violence, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and all a variety of other topics that are of interest to women.
Psychology major Jennifer Graham, who has a minor in Women Studies, is the student director of the program.
"Myself and two of my friends [Jennifer Lindenberger and Melanie DeMaeyer] have been trying to get a women's resource center started on campus for about a year and a half," Graham said.
"My best friend and I noticed that there wasn't much on this campus aimed at women and their education and how they are treated," said Graham.
Director of Multi-cultural Affairs Alliah Carter is the administrative support for the Women's Center.
"We are providing programs and services dealing with current issues that are current and prevalent," Carter said.
Most campuses in Georgia, currently including GC&SU's campus, are without functioning women's resource centers. This new center will be the fourth in the state and only the second at a Georgia Public University.
The project was developed after a meeting with President Dorothy Leland last January.
"Budget and space were really our only limitations," Graham said.
The recent opening of the Student Activities Center created space availability in the Maxwell Student Union. The women's center will be located in room 143, which is where the Bobcat Card office used to be. Although the space issue has been satisfied, funding for the center has been the new challenge, Graham said.
"We have zero dollars," stated Graham.
Fundraising will be the main source for the funds necessary to operate the center.
Another option for donations is going to Amazon.com's Wish List and purchasing books to help build the WRC library. The center is hoping to build a library of books with a range of topics including women's history, women's health, domestic violence, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy and all a variety of other topics that are of interest to women.
The women's center will also be accepting business suits for their involvement with the Dress for Success program.
"What they do is train women in job skills and résumé building and that kind of stuff and then after they complete the program they get a free suit," Graham said.
"You can't go to a job interview if you don't have stuff to wear and then you can't get the job and it's just this whole big domino effect," Graham said.
Cell phones are another resource the women's center will use to help struggling women.
"We are also going to have a cell phone box where people can drop off used cell phones. They can be broken or be missing pieces, said Graham. "We take them to the Macon Battered Women's Shelter then they send them to a company that pays them for those cell phones, so it's a fundraiser for them. Then the company refurbishes the cell phones and programs them for emergency use and then gives them back to the battered women."
Graham said one of the biggest contributions that can be given to the women's center is time, as all staffing will depend on volunteers.
"The Women's Center is run by students...So the issues they will be dealing with are referrals. If someone came in that was abused or who had been raped at a certain instance and they may feel more comfortable coming to peers-they'll come to the Women's Center," said GC&SU Counselor Susan Hendley.
The center will begin its first two programs, the Brown Bag Lunch Series and the "Rosie the Riveter: We Can Do It Series", in February.
Other programs, services and events include Love your Body Day, the Clothesline Project, Rape Prevention Week and Nursing Nest.
The Grand Opening date for the Women's Resource Center is March 1, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., however the scheduled time is subject to change.
For more information, call 478-445-4233 or visit the Diversity and Multi-Cultural Affairs Office located in Lanier Hall.
"What they do is train women in job skills and résumé building and that kind of stuff and then after they complete the program they get a free suit," Graham said.
"You can't go to a job interview if you don't have stuff to wear and then you can't get the job and it's just this whole big domino effect," Graham said.
Cell phones are another resource the women's center will use to help struggling women.
"We are also going to have a cell phone box where people can drop off used cell phones. They can be broken or be missing pieces, said Graham. "We take them to the Macon Battered Women's Shelter then they send them to a company that pays them for those cell phones, so it's a fundraiser for them. Then the company refurbishes the cell phones and programs them for emergency use and then gives them back to the battered women."
Graham said one of the biggest contributions that can be given to the women's center is time, as all staffing will depend on volunteers.
"The Women's Center is run by students...So the issues they will be dealing with are referrals. If someone came in that was abused or who had been raped at a certain instance and they may feel more comfortable coming to peers-they'll come to the Women's Center," said GC&SU Counselor Susan Hendley.
The center will begin its first two programs, the Brown Bag Lunch Series and the "Rosie the Riveter: We Can Do It Series", in February.
Other programs, services and events include Love your Body Day, the Clothesline Project, Rape Prevention Week and Nursing Nest.
The Grand Opening date for the Women's Resource Center is March 1, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., however the scheduled time is subject to change.
For more information, call 478-445-4233 or visit the Diversity and Multi-Cultural Affairs Office located in Lanier Hall.
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