The Women’s Center is tucked next to the ATM by the back entrance of Dewey Hall, just across from the Public Safety office provides a center for women’s issues on campus and in the wider community.

“The center originally started out as a club created by a couple of students and then was brought to Barbara Murphy, who funds it with the Presidents Fund, and now it’s a permanent center,” says Karen Madden, Director of Academic Support Services and the Women’s Center.

While the center is intended primarily for women, Madden notes that it welcomes everyone. “The center is open for 16 hours a week and provides a safe space for women to come and talk,” she said. “It’s not just limited to women though. It’s a welcoming place and a few men have come in before. We don’t turn anyone away.

“The center is open to the public as long as the women working in the center are comfortable with it. We want to have more people come in and know what information and services we provide. The reason why it’s called the Women’s Center is because women are still at a disadvantage today and we want to provide a safe space for them on campus.”

According to its mission statement, “The JSC Women’s center is a collective voice for those who share a commitment to issues concerning women. Our mission is to educate the campus on women and gender issues by providing a space for students of all races, creeds, gender, class, ethnicity, political affiliation, and sexual orientation to discuss, learn, and share knowledge.”

Over the course of the semester, the center plans and participates in many events around campus. Last year, it participated in the Relay for Life and raised the most amount of money. Also, it sponsored a self-defense class in Hyde Park last year with the Lamoille County Sheriff’s Department.

The center is run by Madden and two work-study students, Jessica Warren and Samantha Gorton. “The TRiO office helps us out a lot too,” said Warren.

Last year, the center hosted a book reading of the memoir “Welfare Brat” by Mary Childers and invited her to speak about her book and the impact it has on all women. This semester, the center plans to have movie nights and has free food in the office on Tuesdays during hours of operation. The center also plans to have more book readings and speakers as the semester progresses.

It will also be participating in the Relay for Life this year as a part of the TRiO office team.