| Making a Difference for LVC Women |
07.23.12 |
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Growing up and being influenced by strong women — family members, mentors, and role models who stood by their values and set a positive example in her life — inspired Teddi Hermes ’12 to become a strong woman herself. A Myerstown native and homeschool graduate, she selected Lebanon Valley College after attending LVC Live and connecting with members of the F-Word, a student organization that raises awareness about feminism issues.
After arriving on campus, Hermes quickly joined F-Word and was soon in a leadership role. She traveled with the group to another campus to visit their women’s center and was so impressed that she joined forces with alumna Mary Auker-Endres ’10 and Dr. Catherine Romagnolo to champion an effort to bring a women’s center to LVC.
“There are a lot of services on campus for women, but they are housed all over the place,” she said in a 2011 interview. “There’s counseling to help with sexual assault and rape, academic affairs for women in leadership and the workplace, and groups like F-word for self-esteem, sexuality, and body issues. There was no centralized center for all of these services.”
With the help of a steering committee, Hermes and Auker-Endres took the cause to the student body, securing 300+ signatures for a petition, and writing a lengthy proposal to present to the Office of Student Affairs and the general officers of the College. They established five main goals for the center: create a safe place, promote education and awareness of gender issues, be a supporter and advocate for women, champion equality and equity, and create a sense of community.
The Women’s Services and Gender Resource Center (WSGRC) opened Feb. 3, 2011, and now calls 118 N. College Ave. home. Hermes and a team of live-in volunteers operate the WSGRC on a daily basis. She is most proud of the Center’s improved programming, especially its book review series.
“Once a month, we get together as a group to analyze a text based on women’s issues,” Hermes said. “We’ve covered ‘Harry Potter,’ ‘Twilight,’ ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God,’ and others, and we ask the question, ‘What does this say about being a woman or a man?’”
In addition to hosting campuswide programming, the Center staff is working on rewriting the campus sexual assault policy based on suggestions from the SAFER organization and hosts a weekly support group for sexual assault survivors.
Hermes is also a regular player in the annual “Vagina Monologues” production at LVC. This year, she served as a producer, director, and actress, delivering the introduction, “Over It” monologue, and directing three monologues. One of her greatest role models also presented a monologue this year – her mother, Aphrodite Hermes, who is enrolled in the Mandarin Chinese class through the Office of Continuing Education.
Though she has already made a huge impact for women and gender resources on the LVC campus, Hermes wishes she could have done more. “I wish I had started the Women’s Center in my freshman year,” she said. And she has bigger dreams for her soon-to-be alma mater: “It would be ideal to one day see a gender studies major at LVC. Beyond its prevalence on other college campuses, students are generally interested in discussing issues. How much better could the discussion be in a classroom?”
Hermes will pursue graduate studies in contemporary literature at Villanova University in Philadelphia, where she has secured a position as the head graduate assistant in the gender studies program. Her dream is to one day work in higher education as an English professor. She attributes this ambition to Romagnolo, her favorite professor.
“Cathy has served as a mentor,” she said. “Academically we have aligned interests, and she is a dear friend. She’s been invaluable in helping me make the decision to attend graduate school. We met in the summer to review my writing samples in preparation for the application process and she made me feel like I could do anything. That’s what a true teacher and friend does for you.”
Hermes, daughter of Richard and Aphrodite Hermes, finished her degrees in English and sociology and graduated with 450 others Saturday, May 12, at LVC’s 143rd Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies.
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