Name: Olivia Goodheart
Year: 2018
Major: WGSS and Political Science
Hometown: Lorane, Oregon
You currently serve as the Co-Chair of the Feminist Collective–could you tell us a bit about how you got involved with the group and what your duties as Co-Chair entail?
I remember arriving at Williams in January last year, and trying to catch up after missing a semester more than my peers – I emailed one of the current co-chairs at the time shyly asking if I could join, clueless that the Feminist Collective meetings were – and are – always open to anyone. The Feminist Collective welcomed me with open arms, and some openings on the board had appeared, so I became involved more actively that way. My primary work as a co-chair is facilitating – I in no way represent any one feminism within the Collective or at Williams in general. Instead, I work to organize meetings and events, plan collaborations, keep in touch with various other campus organizations and the Davis Center, and make sure everyone’s needs are being met in the meetings and in the programming for the year. I rely on the strength and determination of my fellow board members to craft a space that feels empowering, dynamic, and ever-growing to our constituents.
In addition to the Collective, what other groups are you a part of?
Part of my duties as the Feminist Collective co-chair include being a member of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Committee (SAPA). Understanding and aiding in the work that goes into preventing sexual assault on campus is a particularly important mission for me, and SAPA has been powerful in that sense. I hope to more regularly attend QSU meetings and, in addition to running on the cross country and track teams, go to Anything But Straight in Athletics meetings. Additionally, I’m honored to be able to work at the Davis Center this year as a Community Builder Intern.
If there’s one thing you could tell people about the Collective and its mission, what would it be?
Something essential to the Feminist Collective is its multiplicity and growth, which is tied intimately to its constituency. I think feminism is shaped by those who engage in it, and I hope that the meetings and events that the Feminist Collective hosts allow for shared knowledge, safety, and a sense of self-empowerment. I hope the Collective continues to reflect the strength of the passionate and determined feminists at Williams, and that the activism that emerges from the space strengthens our community.