BY ASHIA TROIANO

In print | Published September 11, 2008

Starting this school year, the Women’s Resource Center has joined the ranks of the Black Cultural Center, the Intercultural Center, and Upper Tarble in becoming a dry campus space.

Originally, the WRC was a space for both weekend parties and educational resources, but after the damage that often resulted from parties involving alcohol, the members of the WRC agreed that it was time to take more direct action.

“It is necessary to preserve the physical space for the benefit of the women who use it,” Dina Kopansky ’11, a WRC board member, said.

Discussion about making the WRC a dry space first emerged last year during the WRC Board meetings, but a final decision was only made this year.

The WRC board wanted to secure the building from damage, especially after the WRC was renovated during the summer, including getting the walls repainted and new furniture moved in. The board also plans to get new materials for the center, such as books, movies and games.

There was also concern that the purpose of the center — to provide a safe and educational space for women — was getting lost between the lines. “We felt as if the space was being associated more with drinking parties than with a resource center for women. We also couldn’t leave any resources in the WRC space, such as books and other visual resources, because we were afraid that these parties would hurt the resources,” Kristin Caspar ’09, board member, said.

Of the campus’s reaction to the WRC’s new status, Amanda Morrison ’11, another member of the board, said, “People may be disappointed at the limited number of wet spaces, but I do not expect a strong reaction.” And thus far, the news has generated both support and indifference. For those who do not spend the bulk of their time at the WRC, the decision does not have much of an impact.
But for others, the decision sparked conversation.

“I think it’s very important that a space designated for women is used by women as women want it,” Cecilia Marquez ’11 said. “It’s a resource center and, it’s unacceptable for outside groups to trash women’s space. What does that mean for the space? I wouldn’t go to Paces for a deep conversation because of what the space represents.”

The WRC has been home to a number of “wet” events, including Sager, one of Swarthmore’s most popular campus-wide events.

Known for the large crowd it draws, many have questioned how the event will be affected given that the WRC is no longer an option as a space. “With Sager, people tend to let loose a little bit more, so I can understand the WRC’s concerns,” Erika Slaymaker ’11, a former WRC board member and current member of the Sager Planning Committee, said. “But the Sager Committee is flexible in planning the event, and will find a supplemental space if needed.”

The Latin Lounge, formed last year by an ’08 graduate with the help of other students, also held its weekly “wet” events at the WRC. “We made a substantial investment in alcohol because we served mixed drinks like mojitos and sangria,” Nick Pascuzzi ’11 said. “The WRC was known less for its party scene than Paces and Olde Club. It was a chill environment, and the space really worked out for our purposes.” However, it is unclear as to whether the Latin Lounge will be continued this year, which leaves one less group to compete for the remaining “wet” spaces.

Similar to how the board did not want the presence of alcohol to cloud the goals of the center, they do not want the absence of alcohol to do the same. With the start of a new school year, the WRC has a new vision, and according to Kopansky, that includes “revamping our image, redefining what we do and focusing on women’s community building.”

Her hope is that the WRC will break away from the image of it catering to certain groups of women, co-sponsor events with other groups, engage in dialogue with the IC and BCC communities, and become a center that is used much more frequently than it is now. “In my conception of what the WRC should be, I hope that we … keep an open Board that is receptive to all ideas from women on this campus … and have the flexibility to evolve to the needs of Swarthmore women.”

« RETURN TO NEWS

« PREV ARTICLE | NEXT ARTICLE »