Chiara Ebig, Socialology Major, Women and Gender Studie’s Minor
Everyday it becomes increasingly more difficult to speak up and speak out against wrongness in the world. One soon to be IUP Grad, however is not afraid to do so. Chiara Ebig is a Sociology Major at Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies who is set to graduate this Spring. Throughout her career at IUP she has been very involved with different campus activities and clubs.
When prompted on why she chose to study Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies, Chiara responded that she enjoys studying why we, as a society and human race, are the way we are and what causes us to think and act in the ways we choose to. She also finds it interesting how social norms and customs have changed through periods of history. Originally, a Nutrition major she decided to make the change to Sociology after having to take a general elective Sociology class. Taking this class really changed her way of thought and opened her eyes, she is stated as saying that “Ignorance is bliss, but I don’t want to live that way. We need to realize that it is the little actions overtime that form society and cause us to think and act in the ways in which we do.”
As she is deeply passionate about her field of study, Chiara is very involved in a couple of different clubs and activities related to her major along with other clubs offered at IUP. She is an athlete, Social Media Chair and fitness coach for IUP Women’s Rugby Club, Vice President of the Sociology Club, and is President of the Women’s and Gender Studies Club. The Women’s and Genders Study club meets every week to discuss social customs, sexualisation of women in the media, gender binary, rape culture and other topics related to gender and sex. Every semester they sponsor different events to create social awareness and change on campus. One of the events the club held was the “Red Solo Cup” event in the Oak Grove in which a visual display of 3,052 Solo cups were displayed to represent sexual violence and harassment on college campuses. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men fall victim to sexual violence and harassment annually; the 3,053 Solo cups represented the victims at IUP.
Her dedication to her studies and advocacy for social change have not gone unnoticed and in 2015 she was selected to participate in the 2015 Undergraduate Women’s Leadership Institute where she was able to interact with about 23 other women who were also chosen. They spent a week at McKeever Environmental Learning Center discussing different issues and topics facing society. They also learned how to become better leaders and participated in different team bonding activities.
This January Chiara attended the “Women’s March on Washington” with some of her IUP Professors. She said that “This could be a paper all by itself, but overall it was just an amazing experience to be a part of the biggest march in the history of the US.” She is astounded that in 2016 we are still fighting for basic human rights and hopes that the demonstrations in Washington, other cities in the United States, and the world make our political leaders aware that they accountable for their actions. Also, that it inspires women and men all over to become more socially aware of the different adversities that everyone faces.
After graduation, Chiara is looking forward to moving and becoming a case worker. She hopes to return to school for her masters in social work and eventually earn her doctorate (specifically focused in gender).
When asked if there was a message or a saying in which she lived her life Chiara responded with, “Silence is a form of agreement, speak up for your rights and the rights of others. If I see someone doing, saying or acting wrongfully I am going to speak up because it is little things like that that create social change. It’s the individual who stands up for others that make a difference.”
If you see Chiara on campus, be sure to say hello and wish her good luck in her future endeavors! It’s obivous that she’s headed in the right direction.