The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) presented classic and contemporary literature in the Rhatigan Student Center on International Women’s Day to celebrate the impact of female authors on literature.
Christian Shepherd, an ODI student program coordinator, put the event together in honor of Women’s History Month. She chose Sojourner Truth’s essay “Ain’t I A Woman?” which she and Jillian Belden, LGBTQ student program coordinator, to start the event off with.
“For the longest time, women couldn’t do a whole lot, but they could write,” Belden said. “I like to see how far we’ve come and also how far we still have to go.”
A small room on the second floor of the Rhatigan was filled with a small group of women, with indie music playing on low volume in the background. There were table displays set up with books by well-known female authors and correlating decorations to different themes. The women engaged in conversations about books, why they like to read and who their favorite authors currently are.
“(My favorite author is) probably Toni Morrison,” Shepherd said. “She wrote this book called ‘Beloved’ … it’s magical realism met with post slavery, and it was just really good, really powerful.”
Due to the minimal turnout of students, which Shepard speculated was due to the upcoming spring break, there was no presentation from ShelfCare Book Club, which was initially planned.
“Women in literature provides representation for half the world’s population, allowing readers to see versions of themselves reflected in stories, which can be empowering and validating,” Shepherd said. “Just women bringing unique perspectives and experiences to literature.”
Wichita State’s ShelfCare Book Club’s main goal is to create a safe and inclusive space for readers of all kinds. The club reads classics, romances, thrillers and everything in between each month. Engage with them or attend one of their events through ShockerSync.
