WEB PAGE TOOLS ~ Print this article ~ E-mail your opinion on this article OTHER NEWS STORIES ~ Professor feels targeted by anti-abortion messages ~ Parking garage coming to SCC? ~ Distinguished alumna opens SCC celebration of National Nurses Week ~ Pressure washing trips power - Repair costs estimated at $25,000 ~ Student Senate Report for May 14, 2003 ~ News Briefs A milestone; Women's Center turns 25 Michael Carter Editor-in-Chief The SCC Women's Center celebrated its 25th anniversary on May 8 with an evening of speeches, live music, auctions and food. The event, dubbed The Crystal Ball Celebration under the theme "See the change - Be the change," brought together students, faculty and staff, some of whom were early participants of the center. "(The celebration) brought together people who began the work and people who continue the work," said Women's Center Director Cathy Chun. "It was a reflection of what the center did, where it is, and thinking about where it's headed." Photo by Christopher Nelson Cathy Chun, director of the Women's Center. The history of the center can be traced back to 1978, during which time a sizeable campus outcry emerged for the creation of such a program. "There was a huge demand from students and faculty," SCC Interim Director Scott Saunders remarked. "Those sentiments were voiced in many different forums. The Women's Center started off as a joint venture where students provided a good portion of the operational budget, and the college provided staffing costs." After meetings, proposals and more than 500 signatures, the Women's Center was up and running. However, during the early years, it operated on a shoestring budget and had only a single staff member who occupied a part-time position, making it difficult to offer the full spectrum of services the center currently provides. Along with early funding difficulties, the Women's Center also faces a lack of understanding. As Chun explained: "There is a lot of support on campus. However, along with that support there are always questions such as 'Why do we need a women's center? Why isn't there a men's center?' One response to that is that the center is here because we live in a society that has institutionalized sexism, and so society at large is centered around men and their presence. There is a need for a women's center until we've realized equity and justice, and have done more to eliminate that kind of dominance. The Women's Center supported women's access to college where access really hadn't been encouraged up until that point." The Women's Center, currently located in the PUB, has two staff members, Chun and office assistant Tizzy Asher. It provides a multitude of services. The program looks to work directly with students (men and women) individually, giving them advice on balancing finances and schooling with parenting and making referrals. Advice is also offered on student projects, and assistance is given to students regarding school and life difficulties by connecting them with resources. The center also maintains a focus on bringing in presenters and setting up workshops to enhance elements of school curriculum and to present other perspectives and life experiences. Another element the program works with is tracking campus policies and procedures by examining how they promote, or could better promote equity. "The Women's Center has always been about support and increasing access that students have to college," Chun stated. "It's about making higher education more inclusive." During the May 8 celebration, the Women's Center raised several thousand dollars for an emergency fund that supports financially needy students, including men and women. © 2003 Shoreline Community College™