No matter what a woman’s race or ethnicity is, she will always be a minority. Belittled, mistreated, talked about unjustly, and even prejudiced against. This can happen anywhere from someone’s home to a school, somewhere that promotes the spread of equal rights. This isn’t right since a girl can have questions that were never answered about herself and things in her life, or need someone to resolve her problems with. That is why some students at Millard South have stood up to go against these issues and bring girls together.
The Patriot EmpowHERment Club is all about providing useful information to young women and promoting sticking up for yourself and being proud of who you are as a woman. It strives to help girls understand and learn how to live their lives as women in their own way. During the meetings on Thursdays or Fridays, the club provides a safe space and useful information that most girls don’t get growing up. It means providing information about being a woman for the club attendees to incorporate into their lives as women. Some situations they provide information or tips for are menstrual cycles, growth, and more that can happen to any woman.
Spanish teacher Amanda Newburn was chatting with junior Olivia Blevins about the recent issues with women’s rights, and they thought about ways to bring equality to Millard South. That’s how this club became an idea.
The name came to be after a little bit of chatting with the student leaders and the teacher sponsors, and the idea of empowerment came up time and time again. If you sound out empowerment you can hear the word her in there, which brought the name to life!
At one of the meetings, the club practiced uplifting other members and girls by passing out compliment cards to each other. Each member wrote a compliment to another member they have never spoken to before, which helps with embracing your flaws. “Flaws” can be very beautiful and should never be looked down upon, but with so many beauty standards in the world, it is hard to accept. At one of the most recent meetings, the club played a bingo game that let the club members speak up about embarrassing moments that other women have definitely gone through. It brought bonding and friendship to the club as well as a breath of fresh air from letting go of those embarrassing moments and explaining how members overcame the problems.
In the future when the club is more developed and promoted, bringing guest speakers is one of the leaders’ hopes. Bringing women from all over the country who empower and stand up for themselves can really help girls know they aren’t alone. It can even help everyone understand each other and hopefully lead to less discrimination.
As the Patriot EmpowHERment club grows and expands they will be sure to continue bringing people up and closer together on Thursdays and Fridays after school in Newburn’s classroom.
