Blog
We’re entering the last full week of classes in perhaps the weirdest and most stressful semester of our college careers! While going home for the next two months might be a relief for some, the holiday season can be stressful for many, including me. Maybe you’re getting ready to face some judgmental family members, you’re nervous about a dramatic change in your routine, or you’re worried about the indulgent foods, desserts, and drinks that inevitably come with holiday celebrations… or maybe it’s a combination of all three and more.
Name: Alyssa Candelmo
Major: Foreign Affairs, Minor in Psychology
Year: Fourth
1. What brought you to the Women's Center?
I joined the Women’s Center to not only make a positive impact on the lives of my fellow students, but also to serve the Charlottesville community as a whole.
2. What is your favorite memory of UVA thus far?
When trying to create a Body Positive atmosphere within our relationships, one area where we can potentially send messages that uphold societal standards and expectations is how we show love and praise to others.
If our only compliments to our friends and loved ones are based on their appearance, we inadvertently send the message that one’s value lies in their appearance. In addition, if we compliment someone on losing weight or appearing thinner, we uphold messages that glorify thinness as an ideal body type or goal.
Name: Samantha Owens
Major: American Government
Year: Fourth
1. What brought you to the Women's Center?
I saw the booth at orientation and knew it was something I wanted to be involved in eventually.
2. What is your favorite memory of UVA thus far?
A class trip I had to the Special Collections Library where we traced the history of writing through the items they have there.
3. Who is a woman that inspires you?
It seems unlikely that any of you reading this have missed the highly contentious nature of this year’s elections. Many of my colleagues who know more about politics are writing insightful commentaries, and I defer to their political expertise as we wait for official results.
From our vantage point at the Women’s Center, however, I do have a few observations to share:
In my last post I mentioned our recent work on values and promised to return to talk more about them. Given that we’re the Women’s Center, in some ways our first value, social justice, seems self-evident. But in other, crucial ways, the traumas of 2020 remind us that it bears reflecting on it. It was important for us to explicitly articulate that “we work for social justice through anti-racist and feminist approaches.” I’d like to share a series of impressions and observations to help explain why.
Name: Rachel Dadoo
Major: Economics- Pre Comm track
Year: Second
1. What brought you to the Women's Center?
My first-year RA inspired me to apply to the Women's Center because she would always tell me about the amazing opportunities she had while being an intern. The women's Center is more than just a program, it's a family of incredible women who motivate and inspire each other to be the best versions of ourselves.
2. What is your favorite memory of UVA thus far?
Graphic by Kim Salac
View the (re)present Exhibits Now!
Browse the (re)present virtual gallery (courtesy of UVA Arts)!
Or visit our window display in the front of the Women's Center.
Please watch for further announcements of (re)present exhibits elsewhere on Grounds later this year, too, as more UVA spaces reopen for the 2021-22 year.
Name: Evie Galvan
Major: Women and Gender Studies, dance minor
Year: Fourth
1. What brought you to the Women's Center?
I wanted to be part of a supportive community of individuals with similar goals and passions to mine.
2. What is your favorite memory of UVA thus far?
The Aminé concert.
3. Who is a woman that inspires you?
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
Name: Abeba Amenshowa
Major: Global Development Studies and Foreign Affairs
Year: Third
1. What brought you to the Women's Center?
I was attracted to the welcoming environment full of diverse women who I knew I'd be able to depend on and learn from.
2. What is your favorite memory of UVA thus far?
My favorite memories at UVA have all been nights I've spent kicking it at my crib with my friends and us just enjoying each other's company.