Women to Win at UNCW
Olivia Cunningham | Staff Writer
Issue date: 2/24/10 Section: News
Out of the 535 seats in the United States House of Representatives and the 100 seats of our Senate, women only make up 17 percent. Here at UNCW, women make up under one third of the legislative positions in the Student Government Association. So why are women so underrepresented?
UNCW has been chosen as one of 10 Campaign College locations for 2010. This award includes a day-long workshop that teaches college students, specifically women, how to apply, run and win a student government campaign. Other schools chosen include the University of Connecticut, Northern Michigan University and the University of Texas at Arlington.
Campaign College has teamed up with the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Women and Politics Institute of American University, and Running Start. These organizations have been working with the UNCW community to develop the "Women to Win" workshop.
The workshop is free, and although it focuses on women it is open to both male and female undergraduate UNCW students. Michelle Scatton-Tessier, the Women's Studies and Resource Center (WSRC) director at UNCW, believes that this program will help students get involved not only on campus, but later in life as well.
"I truly believe that the more engaged you are, the more involved in the community, the more we have invested in community, the better citizens we are," said Scatton-Tessier. "I'd like to see young women step up and take on more responsibility and leadership opportunities, not just for this generation but for generations to come."
Though the workshop is designed specifically towards student government campaigns, Scatton-Tessier believes it will also "prepare [students] to run for local, state and federal offices as well."
Campaign College is the only program in the country that encourages and trains young women to run for student government. After their first year, they helped to boost female representation by 43 percent.
UNCW has been chosen as one of 10 Campaign College locations for 2010. This award includes a day-long workshop that teaches college students, specifically women, how to apply, run and win a student government campaign. Other schools chosen include the University of Connecticut, Northern Michigan University and the University of Texas at Arlington.
Campaign College has teamed up with the American Association of University Women (AAUW), the Women and Politics Institute of American University, and Running Start. These organizations have been working with the UNCW community to develop the "Women to Win" workshop.
The workshop is free, and although it focuses on women it is open to both male and female undergraduate UNCW students. Michelle Scatton-Tessier, the Women's Studies and Resource Center (WSRC) director at UNCW, believes that this program will help students get involved not only on campus, but later in life as well.
"I truly believe that the more engaged you are, the more involved in the community, the more we have invested in community, the better citizens we are," said Scatton-Tessier. "I'd like to see young women step up and take on more responsibility and leadership opportunities, not just for this generation but for generations to come."
Though the workshop is designed specifically towards student government campaigns, Scatton-Tessier believes it will also "prepare [students] to run for local, state and federal offices as well."
Campaign College is the only program in the country that encourages and trains young women to run for student government. After their first year, they helped to boost female representation by 43 percent.
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