(The Beacon)
By Christine Patterson, Guest Commentary -- The Beacon
‘Woman' is a group of people (women) who carve out a space in their schedules every other week to come together and share life. Throughout my four years here, I have found The Bluff to be a place of strong community.
I have been involved in everything from Bible Studies in the dorms to frisbee late at night to cereal breaks in the halls of Shipstad. But one thing that I always craved for more of was a time and a space for women to come together and just be women. I wanted it to be formal in intentions, yet a place to be comfortable. This is the vision that brought about the group ‘Woman.' Somehow, amazingly, Vinci (Patterson, assistant director for faith formation) and I had the same vision even though we had never talked to each other before and last spring we began laying the framework for this group.
We meet every other Friday for about an hour and a half – or however long people can stay in the small lounge of the Kenna basement. We talk. We have fun. We eat chocolate (and other healthy things). Those who come define the space – what they want it to look like, how serious or light-hearted. Something unique happens within the group. Women share about their past and about their future. It is something truly special.
The group is open to students, faculty, and alumni. In the past we have talked about our identities as women, what our hopes were and are for college, and even about holiday traditions as we decorated cookies. In general, when we are all coming in, we eat snacks and treats that are provided by Campus Ministry, then everyone participates in the discussion or activity that has been planned for that meeting, and we usually close with a brief prayer. Anywhere from 8-12 women have come to our Friday gatherings. No one in the group really plays a different role from another – we all come to share our experiences and to listen to others. Also, while this group is faith-based, there is no restriction on religion or spiritual background and any woman is welcome to come.
I personally have found it to be a space of reprieve where I am still challenged to truly listen and grow with a bunch of other women. So whatever it is that you're looking for, I invite you to come and shape the space with us – as long as you are a woman.
Woman - Friday 25 at 5:30 p.m. in the basement of Kenna
Christine Patterson is a senior nursing major. She can be contacted at patterso11@up.edu
(Drawing by John Overmeyer -- The Beacon)
