“Be the Revolution” educates students

By: Breonnah Colon & Justin Sullivan

As March wraps up, The College at Brockport will conclude its month long “Be the Revolution” event series. The series aimed to educate students on the growing leadership gap between men and women in the country and was sponsored by the American Association of University Women.

The idea for this event series dates back to a call from the AAUW for campus action project proposals that work to empower women and girls during the spring semester. According to the AAUW, 10-12 campuses were eligible to receive up to $5,000 to fund their respective projects.

Brockport’s “Be the Revolution” team or AAUW Campus Action Project (CAP) team consisted of several Brockport students, from various majors and class ranks.

The team was Tambria Schroeder ’17, Bailey Morse ’18, Emma Hartman ’19, Iliana Ruiz ’17, James Luckman ’17, Anastajah Haynes ’19, Lauren McVeigh ’18, Emma Misiaszek ’20, Sarah Farnett ’17, Rachael Fort ’17, Melissa Brown ’17, Kimberly Piatt, Barbara LeSavoy, Ph.D. and Karen Logsdon, Ph.D.

“They have worked hard to put together a robust program of events that is inclusive of and open to individuals of all identities,” Schroeder said.

Both LeSavoy and Logsdon work in the college’s Women and Gender Studies Department with Piatt serving as Assistant Director for The Office of Community Development.

The AAUW CAP team collaborated with Brockport Student Government and The Office of Community Development to produce events that focused on ending the gender leadership gap in the country. These events consisted of film showings, social gatherings and group discussions. Events were open to all students, staff and community members.

Events included a “Know Your Rights” luncheon and a service-learning trip to Sojourner House at PathStone in Rochester.

Sojourner House at PathStone serves homeless women and children by providing housing, self-sufficiency skills and education programs, including afterschool tutoring and performing arts classes for kids.

Each week will focus on a specific theme: Understanding Bias; United We Lead; Spring Break Challenge – Take Action; Rights, Policy, & Service; and Promoting Yourself & Knowing Your Network.

The event series will conclude with a follow-up “Pancakes with Presidents” event on April 22 where students and staff can dine with President of The College at Brockport, Heidi Macpherson, Ph.D as well as the president and vice president of BSG.

Macpherson made history as the college’s first female president when she began in the fall of 2015.

Outside coordinating the college’s “Be the Revolution” event series, members of the CAP team work hard to promote gender equality through their respective clubs and departments. These include The Office of Community Development, The Women’s Center and The MOVEMENT among many others.

In fact, several members made history this last January by marching in The Women’s March in Washington D.C., which was coordinated by Schroeder.

“I had the pleasure of rallying and marching with so many amazing individuals,” Schroeder said.

According to The New York Times, 470,000 people from all around the country took part in the Women’s March in Washington.

As March, which serves as International Women’s History Month concludes, the AAUW CAP team will be marching on as they continue the fight for gender equality and closing the long-running gender leadership gap. Schroeder hopes to continue to educate students on these very prevalent issues.

“There is power in unity,” Schroeder said.