Residents of the Wick participate in Wellness Week – Love Your Body
Unless you’ve been living under a rock this semester, you’ve probably been to, or at least heard of, one of the numerous events put on by the Bairnwick Women’s Center, affectionately referred to as “the Wick”. This semester has been an action-packed four months of activity for the eleven women currently living there. They’ve orchestrated several popular events this semester, including the popular bi-monthly Tuesday Toasts, Pinnacle Luncheons, panels, and the much-buzzed-about Female Orgasm program. These events are part of the Women’s Center’s mission to bring the Sewanee community together in order to create a better college experience for everyone.
“I think we have a tendency to normalize certain behaviors that segregate us, not only among men and women, but among all students and faculty,” said Michelle Howell C’15, who currently lives in the Women’s Center. “I think the Women’s Center is so good about facilitating conversations that bring to light the issues on campus.”
Julie Berebitsky, co-director of the Women’s Center and chair of the Women’s and Gender Studies department, agrees: “The beauty of the Women’s Center is that it provokes peer discussion and provides a place where these conversations can flourish.”
These conversations can center on anything from body image to binge drinking, frat side to friendships, safety to sexual violence. The Women’s Center has been adamantly trying to create an environment in which students and faculty can freely voice their opinions and concerns without fear of being ostracized or judged. “One of [Sewanee women’s] biggest issues is that we’re complacent,” said Howell. “We settle when we shouldn’t be settling. We’re amazing women who shouldn’t be settling for anything in our lives that makes us feel bad about ourselves, whether it’s about friendships, relationships, class, anything.”
Aside from being a place where students can enjoy open discussion, the Women’s Center is also an important resource for students who have been sexually assaulted. Though the University has implemented a new sexual assault policy that institutionalizes the reporting process and trains faculty as official counselors for those who have been victimized, the women of the Wick are peer confidantes who can provide emotional support and information about victim resources to anyone who simply asks. In doing so, “the Women’s Center is a vital part of our campus in both meanings of the word,” said Berebitsky. “It provides essential information and services, and it is also one of the liveliest places on the Domain.”
The women of the Wick plan to continue to expand their work next semester. With a mentoring program, a positive-relationship project, and an impressive array of speakers on their agenda, the Women’s Center is keeping strong momentum as they move into the Easter semester. It’s all a part of their ultimate goal to empower Sewanee women and men to realize their full potential as members of the community. As Howell puts it, “love yourself and know your self-worth, because once you know your self-worth, and know how you stand, you have the power to never let anything tarnish that.”