UMKC Women's Center

Connecting With Staff, Students, and the Community

By: Alison Kendal

And just like that, the fall semester has ended, and we have so much to show for these short four months. My favorite events of the semester include the Ms.behaving! art gallery opening, the mindfulness personal exhibit, and the feminist literature discussion. Just by listing these events, one can see the range of interests the Women’s Center serves. It highlights the creativity and unique perspectives of our staff and challenges me to create more extraordinary events for the coming semester.

When I began my position as a graduate assistant in August, I anticipated gaining event-planning and office-managing experience, which I undoubtedly have. However, I acquired so much more. What I have ultimately found at the Women’s Center is connection. First, I have created such a wonderful bond with each member of our staff of powerful women. Each with their own perspective on feminism, these women have imparted lessons to me that I will carry far beyond this semester. Next, I connected with our students. I have had the pleasure to watch students emerge from their shells at our events and to receive their invaluable feedback that will progress our center for years to come. Lastly, I have connected with the Kansas City community. Local businesses, organizations, and citizens have been instrumental in the success of our events, making me proud to attend a university at the heart of the city.

I am ever so grateful for my experience at the center, and I look forward to continuing to leave my mark on this wonderful school through the implementation of meaningful events. Spring semester, here we come!

The Women’s Center is a Safe Space for all!

By: Anabelle Obermaier

 I’ve been a work study student here at the Women’s Center since October. Working here this past semester has been a new experience that I’ve appreciated very much. I love how the Women’s Center is a safe space where anyone can come to study, grab a coffee, or even just hang out with friends! Overall I love the vibe and comfy-ness of the space. I’ve learned how to work together on projects, post on social media in a professional manner, how to work and office, and how to work and table events. One of my favorite events we do is one of our healing art projects called “Shrink Your Stress”. This is where we use shrinky dinks in a fun and artsy way to bring awareness to different feminist issues.

I am excited for what is to come next semester since I will continue to work here in the spring. I’m excited to  learn even more, gain more experience, and work with new interns/work study students in the future. My advice for future Interns/work study is to be open to learning new things, ask lots of questions, and be ready for such a warm and welcoming working environment!

An End of Semester Reflection

By: Crystal Lum

My time here at the UMKC Women’s Center has come to an end. I have made tons of fun memories during this brief time, whether it was just managing the front desk or organizing a program. I was able to see the work that the Women’s Center puts into the community. I hope to see the impact that I left here through the work that I left behind.

One of my favorite memories of working at the Women’s Center was just being in the office managing the front desk. I would have one other staff member working beside me and we would have these talks about our hobbies and lives in general. It would always be so much fun talking about what we have done in our lives and what we plan to do after we finish school. It’s a bittersweet memory that I will cherish forever.

I really adore my team; they feel like family to me. I also really enjoyed working on the Menstrual Drive. I would like to think it was my most successful program. I saw the hard work pay off when I learned that we received donations far more than the year prior. I feel like that is one of my proudest moments, and I earned respect from the people around me. I have learned about how to create programs and events. It is not easy to create and manage different moving parts of a program. I also believe that my skills in communication through emails and social media marketing have improved.

After graduating, I plan to return home and work for a year. Afterwards, I will come back to school to work on my master’s degree in Health Administration (MHA). But I may aim for a dual degree and get a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA).

My advice for future interns is to not fear asking questions. The staff are here to help you with your programs and support you in your college career. Also, don’t be worried about having fun, the staff are students as well. The workload may be a lot at first, but it is manageable when you get the hang of it. I will miss my team a lot, but I wish them luck in their future endeavors. I would like to thank Arzie for being a good mentor, she was understanding and made me feel welcomed.

Meet our new Intern, Crystal!

By: Crystal Lum

Hello! My name is Crystal Lum, and I am one of the BHS undergraduate interns at the UMKC Women’s Center. I am a senior here at UMKC and I am about to graduate this upcoming fall. I am majoring in Health Science with a minor in Exercise Science. I chose UMKC because I really liked the environment and the amount of diversity that the campus offers. Through my years at UMKC, I have made so many friends and experienced a lot of college life here at this institution. I have learned a lot about different cultures and met many people with different identities. Interacting with others and helping people in need is one of my passions. I love meeting new people, either through events or just through mutual friends.

I was interested in interning for the Women’s Center because their focus and goals aligned with my own personal values. The organization is inclusive to people regardless of their personal identity. I support their mission values, which are to advocate, educate and provide support services for women’s and gender equity. I am looking forward to planning fun and new events for not only the students and faculty, but for the entire Kansas City community to take part in. I hope for people to learn about what the Women’s Center offers, and for people to feel welcomed in this space.

My personal favorite things to do in my free time are hanging out with friends, attending concerts and visiting different coffee shops!

Engaging Students Through Healing Arts at UMKC

Image Credit: A Window Between Worlds, https://awbw.org/engaging-students-at-umkc/

By: Arzie Umali

The following blog was written by the director of the Women’s Center, Arzie Umali, and was originally posted on the A Window Between Worlds blog at awbw.org/blog/umkc. Arzie is a certified healing arts facilitator and has been offering workshops at UMKC since 2013.

The Women’s Center at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) has had the honor of hosting A Window Between Worlds healing arts workshops since 2013. As an artist and survivor of trauma, I knew firsthand the healing power of art; now, for almost 10 years, I have been sharing that knowledge and empowering our students to use art to heal not just from trauma, but also navigate through the daily stressors of college life.

Through our art program, we are giving students the tools they need for self-preservation so they can find success not just in college, but in life.

Bringing an AWBW program to the Women’s Center was a perfect fit. It was African American feminist writer, Audre Lorde, who said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare.” Our students are often overwhelmed and juggling multiple responsibilities, never having enough time for themselves. Being a college student today is hard, and many of our students we support are not just college students. They are also care-givers, and parents, and self-supporting individuals with jobs and families. They are also dealing with different traumas and stressors like debt, illness, loneliness, family violence, and/or a global pandemic. For many of our students, college is also the first time they have felt safe to come to terms with their own identity. For most students, college comes first and everything else comes last – especially themselves. I often find myself telling students that self-care is just as important as showing up for class, studying hard, and acing their finals. And that’s where our AWBW program comes in.

From the first time our students come to campus during summer orientation, we engage them with healing arts. During orientation, we offer students the opportunity to create Stepping Stones. This art activity allows them to ground themselves as college students and see their journey as a series of steps leading them towards graduation. This activity guides them in keeping focused on their end goal, and if they should stumble along the way, their Stepping Stone is there to remind them to keep taking steps forward.

Throughout the academic year, students can engage with our AWBW program through multiple avenues. Whether they need support dealing with trauma, managing their anxiety, coping with stress, or just a timeout, our healing arts workshops are available to them all year round. During Welcome Week, we offer Journey Charms workshops using shrink art where students can visualize college as one of life’s journeys that may be full of good and bad surprises. We also offer Touchstones workshops where students create art that ties them to the larger UMKC community and reminds them that we are there for them, no matter what. Finally, at the end of each semester, we host Shrink Your Stress. This signature program takes place during our campus Stress Less Fest and gives our students a window of time during finals week to step away from their studies to do some self-care and stress relief by creating fun and meaningful shrink art.

Image Credit: A Window Between Worlds, https://awbw.org/engaging-students-at-umkc/

Our most successful and fastest growing art workshops are our Healing Arts Corners. These self-managed healing arts stations are set up in various locations across campus to reach as many different populations as possible. In 2015 we started these workshops with just four locations and this past semester we were in twelve spaces on campus including the Women’s Center, International Student Affairs, the LGBTQIA Rainbow Lounge, the MindBody Connection (a collaborative space of our Counseling Center and Student Health and Wellness), the At Ease Zone in Student Veterans’ Services, the Student Advising Office, the Writing Studio, the Health Sciences Library, the Village in Multicultural Student Affairs, and our three residence halls. These stations provide students an outlet and resource for doing self-care on their time and on their terms. Students learn quickly where the stations are, and they return time and again when they need a little art to get them through the day.

Since 2013, our AWBW program has engaged students across campus, from classrooms in Arts and Sciences, to lounges in our medical school, to the sidelines of our basketball court. Our program has grown from serving 245 participants through 17 workshops during our first year, to serving 1800 participants at 67 workshops during the 2018-2019 academic year. With the COVID-19 pandemic came an even greater need for our workshops. We pivoted several times in order to continue offering art to students in the safest way possible.

The AWBW program at the Women’s Center is vital to the overall health of our campus. I am confident that through our art program, we are giving students the tools they need for self-preservation so they can find success not just in college, but in life.

Arzie Umali, MPA
Windows Facilitator
University of Missouri-Kansas City

Meet the Women’s Center’s New Graduate Assistant, Alison Kendall

By Alison Kendall

Hello! I am Alison Kendall, the new graduate assistant at UMKC’s Women’s Center! I attended UMKC as an undergraduate, where I obtained a bachelor’s in psychology. I enjoyed my time as a Roo so much that I decided to continue my journey here as a graduate student. Seeking a master’s in clinical mental health counseling, I have always been passionate about helping others deal with the tumultuous nature of our world. Following the reception of my degree, I aspire to specialize in caring for the mental health of LGBTQIA+ individuals and families. Empowering others to embrace their individuality, connect with their community, and care of themselves in all forms are the lessons I intend to impart as a future counselor and as a graduate assistant at the Women’s Center.

The Women’s Center goal of fostering gender equity speaks to me. Growing up in the rural Midwest highlighted the dire lack of inclusive spaces within my community. What also drew me in is the Women’s Center’s ability to combine feminist education with creative expression. The Women’s Center blog flexes creative op-eds which inform and entertain, the use of arts in the context of healing renders beautiful pieces in tandem with alleviating stress, and the Women’s Center connection with the artistic community sheds light on the many artists whose expression has been snuffed for most of history. I look forward to offering my own creative perspective to the Women’s Center through therapeutic events, fresh ideas, and stimulating discussion amongst the student body.

My favorite past times are journaling and writing short story fiction, discovering new restaurants in Kansas City, and watching horror and thriller films. I am eager to continue the Women’s Center tradition in educating, and advocating, and supporting my fellow students, faculty, and community.

A Farewell from Taylor Michl, our Graduate Assistant

 

By: Taylor Michl

Boy am I ready to sip cold drinks in the summer sunshine. But, not before reflecting on a busy semester—and year—filled with growth and fun. I’ve been graduate assistant at UMKC Women’s Center since August and it’s bizarre to think that this is the end of the road.

At the Center, I’ve been surrounded by colleagues and visitors who deeply care about the liberation of women and others that experience gender marginalization. There’s something really special about going to work everyday knowing that the smiling faces I will see deeply care about justice in the same ways I do. This semester, I have witnessed Women’s Center staff persevere, create, educate, empower, and grow. I have learned so much from them about ecofeminism, using art to empower and heal, dismantling fatphobia, and using creativity to meet students where they’re at. I’ve also been lucky to work with a variety of students, faculty, and staff in other departments through our Women’s Center programming, which has made me feel a deeper sense of community at UMKC.

Although I don’t plan to work at a university women’s center in the long term, I know that planning events, supervising staff, and building connections here will make me a more thoughtful counselor, researcher, and faculty member in the future. So, I guess all that’s left to say is thank you. Thank you all for making my feminism more informed, nuanced, and caring. Thank you for engaging in our growing gender equity community at UMKC. To anyone reading this, thank you for continuing to show up for yourself and your community every day even though it can be painful to live in a world that is less kind to some than others.

I hope your summer is filled with loved ones, fun, and taking breaks. You deserve it!

Farewell, Au Revoir, and Adios Y’all!

By: Sierra Voorhies

I have learned so much from working at the Women’s Center for two whole semesters! At first, I really struggled to find topics for blogs, I didn’t trust my writing or my interests. Now, after a full academic year, I have gained so much confidence and knowledge that there were actually more blogs that I wanted to write that we didn’t have time to. 

For your entertainment, I will tell you a couple things that I wanted to write about but ran out of time to. First, last semester I went to the Women’s March in Kansas City, and I had such an interesting time, with really good and not so good parts of that experience. I also wanted to talk about wedding ceremonies, specifically how some brides chose to follow or shirk tradition (like by wearing a black or colored dress instead of a white one). Another thing I would have liked to write about is the connection between femininity and commodification. For example how women and femme people are made to feel like it’s normal or necessary to have a collection of shoes, clothes, makeup, nail polish, etc. to be fully performing femininity, and that masculine presenting people don’t have the same capitalistic demands on them. 

If you are working at the Women’s Center in the future, please feel free to make these ideas into your blog posts, I will continue to check into this blog after I am done, because it is truly a great place to get insight into the gendered issues of today from the perspective of college students. I will always remember my time here and thanks to anyone who reads this blog!

Goodbye Women’s Center!

By: Adriana Miranda

Well, it’s been a long academic year and it’s finally coming to a close! My time at the Women’s Center has definitely passed by too quickly though. There are so many blogs I didn’t get to write, and so much to still be said and done. However I’m so glad I still got to share things like: exploring what performing femininity means in relation the the male gaze and desirability, women of color and their role in being essential workers,  SA awareness, and of course my usual spiel: INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM!

I hope we’ll all continue thinking about intersectionality in our fight for gender equity. Remember none of us are equal until we are ALL equal. This includes our trans sisters/brothers/siblings, BIPOC, disabled folks, plus size folks, and anyone else who has to fight for equity in this largely cishet, white, male, able-bodied focused world.

I have loved being part of such a wonderful team for yet another semester and being in an environment where i’m comfortable being my loud, colorful, intense Latina lesbian feminist self, and I get to work on things i’m passionate about.

I’ve met so many wonderful new people and strengthened bonds with other Women’s Center staff who will remain friends for life and I’m so grateful for all we’ve done together.

It’s been real Women’s Center, i’ll miss ya, and I will miss writing for all of you lovely folks reading the blogs 🙂 <3

Reflecting on my Women’s Center Experience

By: Jetzel Chavira

This has been one of the most fulfilling and busiest years of my life. I am reflecting my time at the Women’s Center and my most favorite part about working here was meeting my co-workers. On the daily I work with Adriana and Sierra who are my fellow work-study students. Apart from them, I also get to work with the interns which include Laura, Ebony, Emma Sauer, Emma Stuart and Alyssa.

The most challenging part of working here has been balancing work and life. I tend to get overwhelmed a lot and when I don’t organize or prioritize than I usually end up procrastinating. I found that using a physical planner and my Outlook calendar really helped. I would also make lists of what tasks I needed to do and prioritize them. Overall, the Women’s Center has been a good experience. I learned management skills, organizational skills, and had so much fun hanging out with my coworkers.