Women’s issues addressed at Salve

By: Lindsay Little
Posted In: Campus News

The Mission Statement of Salve Regina University declares that the institution “prepares men and women for responsible lives by imparting and expanding knowledge, developing skills and cultivating enduring values.” The mission concludes that the university “encourages students to work for a world that is harmonious, just, and merciful.” Recently, Jenny Bladykas, a junior at Salve, and her fellow VIA program members decided that the university’s mission must include the expansion of Salve students’ knowledge of women’s issues.

Although the importance of womens’ issues will not likely become a written objective in the University’s Mission Satement, Bladykas and the VIA class members will no longer remain silent about affairs that concern all women who are active in today’s society.

Bladykas was inspired to pursue bringing a means for women’s resources to the Salve campus when she read the book A Very Hungry Girl by Jessica Weiner. The book, which imparts the authors experiences and struggles as a young woman with body image, self-esteem and other often serious female issues, motivated Bladykas to take action. She e-mailed Weiner and was encouraged by the author to start a movement towards awareness of women’s issues at her own school. Since that first correspondence, Bladykas has not looked back.

In a recent interview, Bladykas expressed that she is amazed that “with the amount of women on this campus, we don’t have a place for them to go for support, information, or just an outlet for their voice.” In fact, until 2002, a campus organization Women’s Issues Now was listed in the student handbook. The club was described as “a group designed for the empowerment and support of women in today’s society.” Unfortunately the club did not survive on campus. Apparently they just missed a wave of support in the form of Bladykas and her VIA class.

The VIA program, or “Vital Studies For Whole Life Design,” is a four year program in conjunction with the student’s choice of major, in which the students and teacher work as a team. According to the student handbook, those students accepted into the VIA program take one class together per semester in which they focus on “the ‘great ideas’ in history that teach us how to construct the ‘Good Life.’ Taken together, these courses provide a ‘pathway’ (‘via’ in Latin) to graduation and to the best preparation for life in the 21st century.” Certainly awareness of women’s issues and positive social change falls under this description.

Salve, a university that has its roots in the value of educating young women and ensuring their well-being in society, has begun to embrace Bladykas’ endeavors to establish an outlet for women on campus. The group of young women who are working towards bringing a women’s center back to campus are currently functioning under the advisement of their VIA program professors, Dr. Caroline Salvatore, of the Psychology Department and Sr. Jeanmarie McGee, of the Social Work Department.

Last semester, Salve quietly celebrated its 30th year of being a fully coeducational institution. Recently, the university has maintained an approximate ratio of 40% male students and 60% female students. While women’s colleges also experience the challenge of dealing with women’s issues, students at coeducational colleges are faced with a much higher rate of problems sparked by male and female relations.

The most disturbing and highly prevalent women’s issue on college campuses nation wide is rape. According to the United States Justice Department, it is a fact that the majority of acquaintance rapes are committed against women between the ages of 15 and 24. These ages encompass nearly every female student attending Salve. However, the statistics do not exist merely to scare women into vigilance. They exist to encourage both men and women to bringing about change in the nature of our society.

There are other startling statistics that many men and women are not aware of. For instance, statistics show that approximately 10% of sexual assault victims are male. The lack of awareness regarding issues that directly affect us as young people is astounding. The Salve community is fortunate that Jenny Bladykas and her VIA classmates have decided to take action and are determined to make a positive change.

It is crucial that students know that the intended women’s resource center will be a very inclusive organization that strives to embrace all issues that affect the well-being of Salve women and the women in the lives of Salve students. Bladykas noted that “a women’s center would provide all the latest statistics and information about issues pertaining specifically to women (including) date rape, STDs, pregnancy, body image, self-esteem…” and the list continues. It is also important that male students know that the center would be available to them if they have issues involving their girlfriends, sisters, mothers or any other female friends that they would like guidance with or information about.

Bladykas expressed that the biggest problem they will face in the inception of their organization will be their desire to become more than a club. Ultimately, the petitioning party would like to be granted a physical location on campus that would house the resources that the group wishes to provide. “A place, like Campus Ministry,” Bladykas said, “that would always be open to students who need resources, information or just someone to talk to.” Many schools nation wide provide a location for women’s resource centers, the University of Rhode Island included, whose Women’s Resource Center also offers its crisis services to non-matriculated students.

Bladykas summarized that she hopes to “provide a place where women on this campus can go to know that they are not alone in issues that they might be struggling with.”

The next steps to be taken for the Women’s Resource group to be recognized as a club on the Salve campus is to complete a recognition application, gather a record of the support of their fellow students, and prepare a constitution and description of the organization. All students interested in forming new clubs and organizations should contact Bart Carithers, director of student activities, in Wakehurst 006. The Mosaic will keep its readers informed of the status of the women’s resource group.