March 24, 2023
By Megan Joyce, Veritas Staff
ROCKLAND- Rockland High School's new Women's Empowerment Club, advised by Mrs. Adams, a chemistry teacher at Rockland High School, is ready to create change in the school particularly during this month.
The month of March is Women’s History Month, and historically women have been pushed to the background. However, women are big contributors to the modern world’s society.
Mrs. Adams explained that the plans for the club are, “To give students both female and male [and of other genders] the power to make a change, have a voice and support their platform.”
In addition to these plans, the Women’s Empowerment Club will focus on supporting organizations that provide aid to women and some that advocate for equality between genders.
In school, the most important change the club would like to make is adding menstruation products into the bathrooms.
This club will benefit students in the long run because according to Madison Lorgeree, a sophomore and co-founder of the club, “students will become more educated on women’s struggles and be able to support different organizations, they will be able to open their minds more to problems around the world.”
Mr. Greg Rowe, a History teacher at Rockland High School explained, “[Women] have contributed as much as men have. Half the population is men and half is women so throughout the history of the world there has been an equal number of important ones.”
The awareness this month is especially important because it is the perfect time to educate people on the corrupt and lacking history surrounding the roles of women.
Mrs. Adams added, “If you don't learn from your past how can you have a brighter future?”
Continually, women, especially in STEM, have been facing struggles in areas where men are “better cut out.”
Mrs. Adams has faced this struggle head-on as she is part of the scientific field.
“Being someone who went to a college that was 10% female and there was the mindset that women don’t belong in the STEM industry, I want to make and support the awareness that women can do whatever they want and whatever they set their minds to” she said.
Having to face that, motivated Mrs. Adams into becoming the advisor to the club. The biggest concern the club has is spreading awareness.
“People should know what is going on in the world around them,” Lorgeree said.
Educating more people should help them realize the importance of women leaders.
Mr. Rowe believes there are different ways Rockland students can support women and girls, including attending sporting events for the girls' teams.
“Other ways will be if you see women being looked down on or things like that to speak up or say something and it doesn't have to be confrontational it can be in private,” Rowe said.
Women’s History Month isn’t just what’s on the surface, it is about the hate and alienation women face daily. It’s about the women of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
Supporting the Women’s Empowerment Club with their up-and-coming bracelet fundraiser will be one of the easiest ways to support women this month.