Girl Power Ignites in the Women’s Resource Center
By Alexa Bautista
The Women’s Resource Center, located in Smith Hall on City College’s Ocean Campus, gives everyone a space to confide in one another, discuss experiences, and create a family with a foundation in unity.
In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Women’s Resource Center has organized a number of activities to share with City College students. However, due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, these events have been postponed to a later date.
There were four events that were going to occur throughout this month: the Feminist Discussions Mini-Series on Mar. 6, Writing as Alchemy for Healing on Mar. 12, Healthy Relationships with Project SURVIVE, and a Film Screening: No Más Bebés on Mar. 24 and 26. The Women’s Resource Center most notable event is the Writing as Alchemy for Healing with Tanea Lunsford Lynx. This workshop enables students to share their individual trauma and experiences through the power of writing in the process of healing and transformation.
All of these events were organized and co-sponsored by the Women’s Gender Studies, Project SURVIVE, the Women’s Resource Center, the Queer Resource Center, the Link Center, Interdisciplinary Studies, Health Education, Student Health Services, Associated Students, and are supported by the $5 Student Activity Fee. Moreover, these workshops and events are free for all City College students to attend.
Shella Cervantes, Women’s Resource Center advisor, encourages all students to come to the events throughout the academic year to find a community with others on campus.
“All of the different services that we offer are very connected to the Women and Gender Studies department because we are the only one who have a faculty advisor from a department, and is very interconnected. We always have wonderful events held here and are always deeply involved with them. We are a resource for all students on campus.”
About the Women’s Resource Center
The Women’s Resource Center is a student-run organization created by students. What’s unique about this resource center is that there is no coordinator. Instead, there is an advisor from the Women and Gender Studies department. Through an advisor, they are able to bridge the gap between students and the administration. The majority is run by the students about programming, ideas, and daily function of the Women’s Resource Center.
On a daily basis, many students advocate the Women’s Resource Center by spreading the word to their professors, classmates, and social media for events and to use their resources. The Women’s Resource Center also does collaboration with other resource centers on campus. Moreover, students are able to receive referrals to different women’s shelters in the bay area. Lastly, the collection of feminist novels in the Women’s Resource Center is available for all students.
According to Evelina Karlsson, student worker, there are many students utilizing the space.
“I would say about 25 to 50 students depending on what day it is. Friday is our slowest day obviously because there are not a lot of students on campus, and Monday to Wednesday are our heaviest days.”
Many students, such as Angelica Campos, the Women’s Resource Center allowed students to get more exposed to City College’s resources.
“The Women’s Resource Center empowered me in a way that I didn’t even realize at the time. Now that I look back, I’ve met so many people through the Women’s Resource Center.” Campos added. “I think having a space where you can print, have snacks, and gain support from peers is really important.”