Women's Center sponsors events geared for inclusion

After sponsoring at the Pink Symposium in October, the Women's Center is preparing more events including Feminist Appreciation Day Nov. 18 and "The Vagina Monologues" in February.The Women's Center will sell T-shirts and provide various information to students for Feminist Appreciation Day, Sara Peters, director of the Women's Center, said.

The Women's Action Council, a student organization within the Women's Center, will be producing "The Vagina Monologues" in February Peters said.

"['The Vagina Monologues'] are a group of monologues that use the vagina as a metaphor for being a woman: about loving yourself, anti-violence against women, etc.," Peters said.

"The monologues are very powerful and it provides a great opportunity for students to learn more about women's issues," she said

Aside from upcoming events, the Women's Center is hiring a health educator as part of their on-going wellness program, Peters said.

Peters said she works with all the women's issues, especially violence against women, but the health educator would focus on mental aspects as well.

"The health educator will work closely with the Women's Center," Peters said. "[He or she] would focus on alcohol and other drugs, mental health and STD education."

Peters said some events that the Women's Center participates in include the Transformation project, which involves the Green Dots commonly seen around campus, and Dialogue in the Dark, which took place in Atlanta.

"[Dialogue in the Dark] had helped us to try to think of ways we can make things easier on campus for people with disabilities," she said.

In addition to the programs they offer, Kimberly Gregg, a graduate student from Jupiter, Fla., said the Women's Center is a quiet place for students.

"We have two computers that students can use, and we also have plugs for laptops.and a conference room for study groups," she said. "[the Women's Center is] a great place for students can come and hang out, watch TV and do their homework."

Peters said: "The Women's Center is for anybody and everybody, and for men as well as women. Students are more than welcome to come up here any time to hang out. We have a great group of people who are up here a lot."

The Women's Center is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday.

Women's Action Council meetings are held every other Tuesday of the month at 8 p.m.