Harstad Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equity (HWE)

Harstad Women's Empowerment and Gender Equity Community banner
Drew (First-Year Student, Resident of Harstad Hall) “Harstad has given me a strong sense of community and family. I feel like, like singing or conducting, it allows you to express yourself and be free in what you do.”

About Harstad Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equity

Great For Residents Who ...

  • are woman-identified and seeking a vibrant community experience
  • are interested in gender equity, women’s empowerment, and social justice
  • are seeking a unique and friendly community – winner of the PACURH 2014 Community of the Year award!

Program + Learning Outcomes

By participating in Harstad Women’s Empowerment and Gender Equity, residents will:

  • Explore gender as a social identity and how it intersects with other social, biological, and cultural categories such as, but not limited to, race, class, ability, sexual orientation, religion, age, size, and nationality.
  • Be able to articulate what women’s empowerment and gender equity means to them in intersection with their other identities.
  • Empower themselves (and others) to advocate for gender equity and social justice.
  • Identify the ways in which patriarchal oppression affects all genders.

Upcoming Harstad Events

Click below to see upcoming Harstad Events

VIEW CALENDAR

Linked Course(s)

OPT IN (for new First-Year residents)

Residents may opt into a linked course experience. Courses can be linked with specific First Year Experience Program (FYEP) courses on the topic of gender equity and social justice. Previous years linked courses have included:

  • Muslim Women in the Contemporary World | Katherine Wiley | FYEP 101 Section 01 | MW 3:40-5:25
  • Renaissance Women: Witches, Queens, and Swashbucklers | Nancy Simpson-Younger | FYEP 101 Section 11 | MWF 1:45-2:50

View the Fall 2019 Learning Community (LC) Linked FYEP 101 Courses document to read these course descriptions and learn more about LC linked courses.

Example Programs

Below are a few examples of programs that have occurred in Harstad in the past! If you have an idea for a wing or hall program, contact your Resident Assistant to see about planning it!

    • Social Justice Sleepover |  A workshop and documentary series addressing various social justice topics in combination with crafts
    • International Womxn’s Open Mic
    • Microaggressions Workshop
    • Fight the Fear | Collaboration with RHC and Gender Equity Center | Self defense and partner based violence
    • Coming Into Your Own Voice | A dialogue about navigating challenging conversations and examining one’s beliefs
    • Womxn’s March Debrief | A discussion about the pros and cons of the Womxn’s March along with how to engage in activism
    • Healthy Relationships Movie Night | A movie screening of Beauty and the Beast and a critical discussion about gender roles and healthy relationships
    • We Need New Names Discussion | A conversation about the common reading book and how it connects to the current political and social climate.
    • J-term Game Month & Lip Sync Battle
    • Harry Potter Movie Marathon and  Hall Decorating Competition
    • All Hall Retreat- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them |  A movie theater was rented for the hall to watch the movie together
    • Halloween Trick or Treating with the Parkland Community
    • Love Your Body Photo Shoot | A photo shoot about body image and self love
    • The Purity Myth | Movie screening and discussion about the different ways society is viewing Planned Parenthood, contraception, and the meaning of rape within the context of a larger political effort to roll back women’s rights.
    • Playdate | Annual all-campus event coordinated by Residence Hall Council

Contacts

For more information about this Learning Community option contact:

Jessica Cotton, Community Director for Harstad Hall | jcotton@plu.edu

  • This infographic shows the Harstad Women's Empowerment and Gender Equity Community. This community represents the women-identified residents with a focus on gender equity, women's empowerment, and social justice.