Name: Sarah Carpenter
Age: 22
Year: 5th
Major: Communication and Professional Writing with a minor in Business Management and certificates in Public Relations and Film & Media Studies
Hometown: Cincinnati (West Side Best Side)
Organizations you are a part of: Theta Phi Alpha Sorority, Panhellenic Executive Council, Rho Lambda Panhellenic Honorary, the Order of Omega, Mortar Board Senior Honorary, Serve Beyond Cincinnati, Student Government, the Student Alumni Council, and First Year Experience- Peer Leading Program.
Hobbies: Netflixing, searching for the perfect margarita, and tweeting.
Her Campus: Why did you pick UC?
Sarah Carpenter: As cliché as it sounds, when I first stepped onto campus, I just felt like I belonged. Growing up in Cincinnati, I always overlooked UC as a potential place I would go to college. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that my mom made me look at in-state colleges, and we toured UC. From my knowledgeable tour guide to all of the friendly faces on campus to the hundreds of opportunities for me to get involved, I knew it was the right place for me!
HC: So you have, like, 10 majors and minors, and are very involved on campus. How do you balance it all?
SC: I live and breathe by my planner; I temporarily misplaced it last week and felt like a child was missing from me. I am a list maker and I upgraded to a real moleskin planner this year that has note paper on each page, so now all my lists are organized too. All of my areas of study are things that I am passionate about—I have loved almost every class I have taken. Additionally, all of my organizations have a significant social component; it’s hard to feel like you’re doing work when you’re constantly having fun!
HC: How would you define “empowerment” and what does it mean to you?
SC: I view it as enabling and inspiring the success of others through encouragement, advocacy, and awareness. To me, empowerment coincides with being confident and leading the way for others to feel confident in themselves.
HC: What is it that made you want to create a Women’s Empowerment Week here at UC?
SC: Women’s Empowerment Week was an idea long in the making. Through different life experiences like RAPP here at UC, and diversity and inclusion sessions I took part in while interning with Teach for America, I began to realize the larger conversation surrounding women’s rights. This summer, I started researching what other campuses have done to bring awareness to these issues. I found that Miami University (Oxford) hosted a Women’s Empowerment Week in 2013 and I based the week off their model. The intention behind the week was to raise awareness of issues that women face and provide an opportunity for discussion. The word “feminist” has taken on quite a negative connotation when it simply means wanting equal rights for all genders. Different groups and movements on campaign have begun to address these issues like the #ConsentCulture campaign, the #ItsOnUs [campaign] to raise awareness to stop sexual assault, and groups like GlobeMed, Shades of You, and UC Feminists. I wanted to provide a platform to connect all the resources together.
HC: Any thoughts on Emma Watson’s infamous #HeForShe campaign speech?
SC: I am a huge Harry Potter fan and I’m convinced my spirit animal is Hermione Granger, so anything Emma Watson does I am all for. But really, I think Emma Watson inviting men into the conversation surrounding feminism and women’s rights is incredibly important. Women cannot achieve equality on our own and having a figure like Emma Watson be the face encouraging men to enter the conversation, raise awareness, and become advocates is powerful. I am very interested to see where the campaign goes moving forward.
HC: Enough of all the serious question. Here’s a fun one: What stereotype would you label yourself as?
SC: I don’t know if I would label myself as this stereotype, but some of my friends make fun of me for being a “typical sorority girl.” I often get told I talk like a valley girl (I’m still not sure what that means though). I don’t take much offense to it, though—my sorority has provided me with a solid foundation and support system throughout college, and I wouldn’t be the confident woman I am without my Theta Phi and Panhellenic sisters.
HC: What is one piece of advice you would give to freshmen women here on campus?
SC: My number one piece of advice would be to not give up on yourself. If you are able to find something you are passionate it, give it your all, 100 percent of the time. Likewise, if you are not passionate, don’t keep pursuing it. College is a four (or five or six) year period where you can decide exactly what you want to do. Don’t waste it living someone else’s dream.
If you’re interested in learning more about University of Cincinnati’s Women Empowerment Week and past events, click here.