New women's center equals 'empowerment center'
By Jessica Mae, Behind the Scenes Staff Writer
November 4, 2007 | 11 a.m.
For this first time, Ohio University has a women’s center to serve and represent the needs of female students, faculty and the community.
Located in Baker University Center 403, the Ohio University Women’s Center offers various programs, speakers and support groups.
Director Susanne Dietzel, who previously served as the women’s center director at Loyola University New Orleans, defined the center as a place to “serve and respond to the needs of women on campus and in the Athens community.”
Dietzel explained that prior to this women’s center, women in Athens had no place on campus to turn to that would meet and represent their concerns.
“If you ask women on campus to give you a list of concerns they have, you’ll quickly see that most of their concerns are very different from men’s," Dietzel said.
Although OU has never had a women’s center, that doesn’t mean there is no need for one. Dietzel said that sometimes women don’t recognize their own oppression, but several issues on campus affecting women need to be addressed such as rape and students with children.
Senior Candice Montgomery, a volunteer at the center, said it is a place for women who feel isolated and need to seek advice.
“A lot of women stop in just to talk to someone when they’re having a bad day and get sound advice without feeling intimidated,” said Montgomery.
Programs and Services
In addition to advice and mentors, the Women’s Center will offer programs like self-defense, self-assertiveness, career help, sexual assault and even breastfeeding.
The La Leche League of Ohio sponsors a monthly consultation on breastfeeding, infant care and early child development. Baker University Center also features a Lactation Room, located in Baker 353. The Lactation Room is a place for mothers who need to breastfeed, use breast pumps or the refrigerator provided in the room. It is open to students, faculty and the community.
“Brown Bag Thursdays” is an informal discussion of issues relating to women at OU, which begins at noon on Thursdays. The next discussion will take place on Nov. 8.
Throughout the year, the center will continue to bring in speakers, as well as host movie nights.
It also has shelves of books open to students and faculty and plenty of comfortable chairs to read in.
“Although we have a lot of programs, we also want people to stop by and just sit in the center and talk. This is a great place for students to do homework or read,” Dietzel said.
Women’s Center and the student body
Dieztel said she plans on working closely with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) center and various multi-cultural centers to reach out to other oppressed groups on campus.
“It’s important for us to work with other groups because we all need representation on campus and in the community,” she said. “We all need to help each other and work together.”
Junior Sally Neidhard is the women’s affairs commissioner, and said she was extremely excited when she heard about the women’s center.
“It’s phenomenal that we have this center,” Neidhard said. “If you’re a woman, you can go there and someone is definitely willing to help you.”
Neidhard said her job is to educate the student body about women’s affairs.
“The women’s center and I work closely together. I bounce ideas off [Dietzel] and she gives me feedback and advice to bring to the senate.”
Neidhard continued by saying that she helps with publicity and encouraging women to visit the center.
Women’s center and the community
Dietzel noted that Athens has a “strong feminist community” and that the OU Women's Center wants to bridge relations between female students and female community members.
“We’re going to reach out to the community by finding people who work in women’s affairs and working with the regional campuses,” she said.
Dietzel added that she hopes to work with My Sister’s Place, which helps and supports abused women.
Women's center as 'empowerment center'
Women's centers have been around for more than 30 years, about the same time women's studies courses were introduced to the college curriculum. Women began to realize they weren't treated equally and created a center to address those concerns.
Dietzel said women's centers have evolved since their conception and include men in their services.
"We don't want to isolate the men on this campus," she said. "Our programs are for men, too."
Dietzel continued to say that our stereotypical gender roles are limiting to both men and women and both groups need to become aware of that and break free.
"Our women's center is basically an empowerment center."
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