My Women's Resource Center (WRC) Journey | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

My Women's Resource Center (WRC) Journey

As the 2015-2016 school year wrapped up, so did my time as student director of my campus’ Women’s Resource Center (WRC) student agency. I wanted to take some time to reflect on how the WRC has changed in the past year and how it has, in turn, changed me.

14
My Women's Resource Center (WRC) Journey
UNO

As the 2015-2016 school year wrapped up, so did my time as student director of my campus’ Women’s Resource Center (WRC) student agency. The past year has been a journey to say the least and it’s been a period of progressive growth through learning and through many, many mistakes.

The simple act of applying for and accepting the position within the WRC was so much more than completing the online application and interviewing with advisors. It was the first step. The first step towards transformation. An evolution that continues to this day and, I hope, will continue long after I’m gone from the campus. The first step towards laying the groundwork for successful and sustainable programming and initiatives for years to come. The first step that I took into becoming a more aware and conscious me.

When I became the student director, I was tasked with the challenge (or, as I saw it, given the unparalleled opportunity) to start almost entirely from scratch. There were no returning board members or students who had been involved in the past. The WRC had a new agency advisor and a newly supportive relationship with UNO’s Gender & Sexuality Resource Center. I was essentially handed this organization that I had never been a part of and had barely even known existed on campus. And I didn’t deserve it. I still don’t think I deserved the experiences that I got, but I am ever so grateful for it. It was the most empowering, terrifying, and overwhelming feeling to know that the work that I contributed to would be the foundation of the organization for the next few years.

When I started with the WRC, the agency office was a dingy, poorly-lit office tucked away in the labyrinth of student center offices. Today, we’ve got a whole new look and prime space in the newly-renovated Student Center. It’s a transformation that I had absolutely nothing to do with, but still take a ridiculous amount of pride in. Hundreds of people pass by our (currently cluttered) but shiny new space and gape at the Take Back the Night posters conveying powerful and provoking messages. Some agree wholeheartedly with the message that we are fighting for. Some disagree and make their dissent or distaste known. Others may pass by without sparing us a second glance. Whatever the case, there is a discourse now on campus that didn’t exist before. There are conversations (some more argumentative than others) that are happening because of what our student agency stands for. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Stop by the main atrium of the Student Center and you’ll see. Better yet, poke your head into the Office of Multicultural Affairs and acquaint yourself with what all is available.

The WRC gave me mentors and friendships. Advisors and other board members that I looked up to for the work that they did and the drive that they possessed. I found myself in an entirely new community of women who weren’t happy with the way that some things were and who didn’t stand for inequality. They empowered me and strengthened me. I found myself constantly learning from the ideas and experiences of the board members and being inspired by both their contributions and their sheer willingness to contribute.

I can not even begin to express my pride for what the WRC student agency was able to accomplish last year. Organizing a Take Back the Night march and rally in collaboration with area schools and organizations. Contributing to a larger presence on campus through The Big O campaign in collaboration with the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center and UNO’s Queer and Trans Services student agency. Connecting through meaningful discourse with Sustained Dialogue and growing into a bigger, more recognized force on campus. And it doesn’t stop there.

If anything that you read struck a chord with you, I can not encourage you enough to consider getting involved. Yes, you’ll be asked to contribute your time and your energy but I can guarantee that the WRC will offer you something in return. For me, it was the confidence to stand up for myself and others in a way that I had never thought I would. It was the ability to connect with collegiate women student leaders from across the nation at a conference this past summer in Washington D.C. It was the discovery that women can stand united and we can make these very necessary and long overdue waves of change on campus and in the community. There’s still a lot of work to be done, so won’t you join us?

Board applications are accepted on the WRC’s MavSync page or email unowrc@unomaha.edu for more.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

191858
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

15829
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

458584
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

27007
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments