Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou and Jane Austen are just some of the many women honored during Women’s History Month. Among so many others, they have impacted society because of their courage and determination to press the boundaries of what it means to be a woman.
On March 8, MOSAIC celebrated Women’s History Month by hosting a kickoff to raise awareness and celebrate influential women who have impacted society and the personal lives of individuals on campus.
Maria Bynes, the event and programming assistant for MOSAIC, spoke about the impact of the event and what it means to her. “I think it’s an opportunity to look at how far we’ve come and the figures that helped us get where we are today. I feel like some people lose sight of that in the sea of everything else that’s going on. I feel like a lot of figures go underappreciated,” she said.
Bynes spoke to her inspirations on campus during Women’s History Month. “[I’m inspired by] Stephany Spaulding, over in the WEST department. She was my first introduction into sociology and social justice. She really made me want to get more involved in Women’s and Ethnic Studies and sociology as a major, and as a career within MOSAIC,” she said.
According to Bynes, MOSAIC is centered around creating a community which brings students together through meaningful conversations. “That’s the goal of all our events — getting people together and getting them more involved,” she said.
Lana Khoshnaw, a junior majoring in exercise science, attended of the kickoff. She spoke to the impact of some of the women in her life and how this event honors those individuals.
“I, for the first time ever, have a woman supervisor. I’ve never had that, so that’s been super fun — being able to see that representation in a higher-up position. That’s another thing that drew me over, which I think is so inspiring. You don’t get to see that all the time, so I really appreciate it,” she said.
Khoshnaw especially enjoys making bracelets and connecting with individuals at MOSAIC. “I thought it was super fun and a nice little outlet to make bracelets and get out of that stress-zone. So that’s why I came over here. And it’s the start of Women’s History Month, so what better way to represent it than doing all this fun stuff?”
Events at MOSAIC help foster a sense of community among students. Whether the event is a kickoff honoring the influence of women or an event celebrating poetry, MOSAIC is a place for students to connect. “Whenever they have something, I try to stop by if I have the time,” Khoshnaw said.
Bynes encourages students to attend events hosted by MOSAIC, especially since the main goal of MOSAIC is building community between individuals on campus.
“Just come with an open mind. If you wouldn’t necessarily attend this event, just get out of your comfort zone,” she said. “You might meet a new friend. You might just have a good conversation that changes your mindset on things.”
For more information on upcoming MOSAIC events or how to connect, visit the MOSAIC homepage.