Due to the current conversation around sexual assault, the Eastern Mennonite Student Women’s Association (EMSWA) has resurged this year and is looking to “reestablish the club as a presence on campus and continue to form the identity of who we really are as a group,” first-year Elizabeth Eby, one of the members of the EMSWA leadership committee, said. Senior Summer Schilling, another member of the leadership committee, added, “More than ever, women are needing a space for empowerment.”
Providing those spaces aligns with EMSWA’s goals “to empower members of the community; to deepen awareness; to develop relationships; and to create open and safe dialogue all with a focus on women and gender studies.”
EMSWA invited women in the EMU community to join them in the Discipleship Center on Oct. 9 to process the conversation around sexual assault. The meeting’s goal was to provide a safe space for sharing stories, listening, and creative processing.
Meetings consist of activities that align with their constitution ranging “from open dialogue space to art therapy to discussions with faculty to planning events for the campus.”
Although that particular event was designated for women only, anyone is welcome to join the club and participate in its events. “We may be talking about women and want to make sure that our voices are heard, but every voice is valued,” Eby said. If a meeting is for women only, it will be clearly stated in the email. “I think that women need a space to be open and free,” Schilling said. “Having a safe space to ask questions, to learn and grow, and for people to get educated is important.” Because the conversations are challenging and require vulnerability, EMSWA wants to ensure that everyone is safe and has the support they need. “There’s always a trained adult in the processing space. We also mention EMU’s counseling services and other resources,” Schilling said.
EMSWA strives for creating those spaces across campus, especially when they are needed. Unlike some clubs, EMSWA’s events are not usually planned in advance. They have weekly meetings, but their bigger gatherings occur whenever publicized events such as the Kavanaugh case emerge or when something challenging happens within the community.
That mission and design is what drew Schilling to EMSWA. She appreciates “how spontaneous and adaptable [the events] are. It’s about recognizing what’s happening in our world and on our campus,” she said.
EMSWA is also “working on providing feminine supplies for free in a number of bathrooms off campus. We’d also like to get baby changing stations in some of the gender neutral/family bathrooms on campus,” Eby said.
EMSWA’s weekly meetings usually take place on Mondays at 7 p.m. in UC176. Anyone from the community is welcome to join those meetings, but to be a voting member of the club, you must have attended at least three meetings.
To become involved in EMSWA or learn more about it, contact the EMSWA leadership team: Eby, Schilling, and sophomore Jessie Landis. The faculty advisor is Assistant Professor Kirsten Beachy.
