Elaina Eakle
ehe001@marietta.edu
United Women of Power, a new student organization, aims to combat the effects of the gender gap on campus and marginalization of women in society.
Senior Chanell Cornett, the president and founder of United Women of Power (UWOP), created the organization to provide all women on campus with an opportunity to gain power and support from each other.
“United Women of Power is dedicated to uniting and empowering women of all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and backgrounds at Marietta College,” she said. “It aims to equip women with the skills and knowledge necessary to become leaders on campus, in their communities and careers following graduation.”
UWOP resembles Women of Substance, which stopped functioning as a student organization last year. However, the goals of UWOP emphasize inclusivity to a greater degree.
“The organization formed out of Women of Substance, but because I felt that Women of Substance didn’t have the perception of being inclusive of all, I ended it and started an organization that I felt better met the needs of all women on campus,” Cornett, the past president of Women of Substance, said.
Cornett plans to maintain that emphasis throughout all UWOP activities.
“We want to host events and hold meetings that are representative of a wide range of perspectives and interests to make everyone feel welcomed,” she said.
One of the driving factors in the creation of UWOP was the gender gap on campus.
“Statistically, women represent a small percentage on campus compared to men,” Cornett said. “While there are organizations that support women such as Greek life and athletics, there is a void that needs to be filled because I and many others on campus are not involved in these.”
Cornett added that UWOP still aims to support all women, regardless of Greek or athletic affiliation.
Dr. Lauren Thompson, one of the advisers of UWOP, agrees that the organization serves a vital purpose on campus due to the unbalanced gender ratio.
Photo courtesy of Chanell Cornett.
“Because women are a minority on campus, I personally hope this will bring women from all over campus together to recognize common goals, establish friendships, and empower one another,” she said.
Thompson hopes that UWOP will encourage important discussions among Marietta College’s female students.
“As an organization, we represent an inclusive, open-minded group that discusses several aspects of college, social, or professional life,” she said. “In terms of college life, we will network on campus organizations, events and opportunities. Socially, we will talk about body image, identity and confidence. Professionally, we will discuss issues such as gender in the workplace, how to navigate a male-dominated field, and how to dress for success.”
UWOP Vice President Jessie Hamon feels that UWOP will also help women build leadership skills.
“By empowering these women, we can show them that everyday people can be leaders and themselves included,” she said. “I believe UWOP contributes the encouragement and strength for women to step out of their comfort zones to become the great leader that every individual has the ability to be.”
Sicari Franklin, a Marietta College admissions counselor and an adviser of UWOP, can attest to the benefit of women’s organizations in the development of leadership skills.
“I reflect back on my own college experience and remember how an organization similar to United Women of Power impacted my development as a woman leader on campus,” she said. “So when the opportunity presented itself to advise the group, I knew that this was my chance to help guide and advise the next generation of women leaders.”
UWOP’s goals for the year include recruiting members and gaining recognition on campus. The organization also plans to host a movie discussion in mid-October, according to Cornett.
Thompson is optimistic about UWOP’s future at Marietta College.
“Chanell Cornett is an incredible leader and has such a wonderful vision for this organization,” she said. “My hope is to really establish a name on campus by motivating women and allowing underclassmen to take leadership roles and follow in Chanell’s footsteps.”
