By BRIANA SPINA
News Editor
Female empowerment was the focus of Women Everywhere Believe (WEBelieve) as the club held its first event on campus. The “Herstory” celebration including art, poetry, music, and other specialties was held Mar. 22 in the main lounge of the EAC.
Chanice Penny, treasurer of WEBelieve, said that this event was open to everyone, not just women.
“We’re a women’s empowerment group,” she said, “We wanted to invite different groups on campus to showcase their talents.”
The Girls Next Door acapella group performed at the event. Two other students, Jordyn Harrison and David Cuttino, gave solo acts of their own original songs. Miaija Jawara and Jyothi Kabul performed a poem, which they authored together, called “Black and Brown.”
Jawara also had visual artwork on display: several pieces highlighting the intersections of race and gender. Kevin Pedraza showed two large paintings as well as a clothing line. Alyssa Powell created redesigned covers for three different books: “The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd, “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett, and “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker. Each of these novels chronicle women who overcome great strife, and Powell used a similar illustration style for each cover to symbolize the unifying strength that lifts women up.
This unity is the purpose behind WEBelieve, according the organization’s president, Breanne Colon.
“We really try to incorporate different majors, different years, and different types of work,” she said. “We want to give a safe space for all artists to express themselves.”
WEBelieve was recently approved as a Student Association club on campus, and Colon noted that Saint Rose is “the smallest school to have a chapter.” Despite being small, it is significant to have an organization like this here.
“Our mission statement,” she said, “is to inspire young girls and help them to fill their potential.”
