Two student groups are working to give International Women’s Day attention on campus.
Today, a new student group, Feminists Ending the Misogynist System is holding a teach-in to recognize the day.
“It’s important to recognize the struggle of women both nationally and internationally,” group member Sarah McDonald said. “We want to have a lot of speakers (today).”
The rally, held at the Rock on Farm Lane, will feature speakers from Students for Economic Justice and others. Topics will range from health to abortion, McDonald said.
“We hope to see a large turnout - both men and women,” the journalism freshman said. “It is important for men to learn about this day because everyone lives on the same planet and we all interact with each other.”
International Women’s Day was actually on March 8, but was not celebrated on campus due to spring break.
Women’s Council is also commemorating the holiday on Friday by passing out more than 2,500 flowers to women on campus by the rock. The group is also tying names of honored women on campus trees.
Melanie Olmsted, an international studies junior and co-director of the MSU Women’s Council, said although International Women’s Day is widely celebrated around the world, not enough emphasis is put on in it in the United States.
“There are a lot of women who do outstanding things, and they need to be honored,” she said. “It’s important we recognize this day.”
The carnations will be passed out by both women and men, Olmsted said.
“We thought carnations would be a nice thing to do for women across campus,” Olmsted said. “Besides - what woman doesn’t like flowers?”
Attached to the carnations will be a winning poem titled “Serenity” by Jenna Caruso, an interdisciplinary studies in humanities sophomore.
“I am really excited my poem will be on the flowers,” Caruso said. “I hope my poem makes a difference and shows people with all the struggles women have faced and still face, we are strong enough to get through.”
Caruso wrote her poem to signify what she thinks International Women’s Day represents - the struggles women have faced to get where they are, she said.
Several sororities helped fund the group including Alpha Omicron Pi, Kappa Alpha Theta, Sigma Delta Tao, Sigma Kappa, and Kappa Kappa Gamma.
Kate Luick, a communication junior and president of Sigma Kappa, said the day was a good way to get her house involved on campus.
“The greek system is one of the largest organizations on campus, and obviously we have a very large population of women,” she said. “There is a lot more we could be doing for the campus in terms of supporting women’s needs.
“This is one way to help out.”
