Friday begins Women’s History Month.
Women’s History Month originally began as a day in 1911, and in 1980, Jimmy Carter declared the week of March 8 National Women’s History Week. In 1987, the week was extended to the entire month of March due to a petition by the representatives of the National Women’s History Project.
To kick off the month, the Chimes is spotlighting one of the university’s female students, Sarah Shuba.
Shuba is a junior social work major. The main aspect of being a woman she loves is the power it holds. She feels she is able to express herself in a way she wouldn’t be able to otherwise. While this is something she enjoys and feels proud of, there are also times where Shuba does not feel the power of being a woman, most noticeably when she is in a setting that is full of men who also know the same information she knows.
“A lot of times in the medical world, I am shut down about my complaints, or I have to have a really strong sense of advocacy,” Shuba said. “The way that I solve that is by being a strong advocate for myself, but also for other people around me.”
One of the activities on campus Shuba is heavily involved in is her sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha (ASA), which she feels has had a positive influence on her womanhood.
“The opportunities that ASA has brought me has really strengthened who I am as a person with all the tools that I have been able to learn,” she said. “Also, in ASA, we have a lot of leadership seminars, [and] we have a lot of out-of-state experiences to network, so it also helps build on the professional end and making connections.”
Shuba recently was elected president of Alpha Sigma Alpha, something sees as an advising role.
“A new horizon that I’ve been introduced to as president is giving people the freedom to express themselves,” Shuba said.
Most sororities focus on the uniting of women.
“We really focus on our. . . sisterhood by having events,” said Shuba. “We have a much more relaxed environment now where everyone doesn’t feel a pressure to be a certain person, so that is something that is unique within us and makes us stronger.”
Shuba feels the university has helped her, similar to how ASA has been beneficial to Shuba’s womanhood.
“There are a handful of classes that are offered that are specifically about women’s history, which I think is really remarkable, and I think as an institution, it does its best to promote women in the best possible way,” Shuba said.
Outside of the realm of college, Shuba’s mother has been one of the biggest influences to who she is as a woman.
“My mom has always been a strong advocate. She was a commercial artist for her career, and she gave up her career to raise me and my brother, and the sacrifices that came from that were abundant,” Shuba said. “Even though she was a stay-at-home mom, there was a lot that happened behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t realize, and she has always been my number one supporter. . . She definitely pushes me to be who I am but also pushes me to be where I need to be.”
