The University of Idaho’s Women’s Center first opened its doors in 1972 with only a volunteer staff, then hired a director — its first paid position — in 1974 after a complaint about campus culture.
With four staff members on hand, several interns and volunteers, one Women’s Center staff member said she likes to think of the space as a place for professional feminists.
“It’s such a privilege to essentially call myself a professional feminist,” said Jackie Sedano, program coordinator. “I get to work and advocate for these issues that I’m personally very passionate about and I get to meet a lot of amazing people.”
The Women’s Center is located on the first floor of Memorial Gym and has a lounge area, kitchenette and a library, which students are welcome to use.
The center’s programming year begins with introductory-type events like FEMFest and “Get the Scoop.”
Alexandra Stutzman | Argonaut
Buttons on a table Wednesday afternoon in the Women’s Center.
Director Lysa Salsbury said the Women’s Center is a confidential reporting location on campus for students to use if they find themselves needing someone to talk to. Salsbury said the entire staff is trained for this and someone is in the office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Monday through Friday.
As a confidential reporting location, Salsbury said the center staff is not legally required to report anything they’re told in confidence, unless they believe a crime occurred. All staff are trained victim advocates.
Sedano said at least one person from the staff tries to be in the center during regular office hours.
Sedano and Bekah MillerMacPhee put on the center’s programs. The difference lies in the subject matter of the events — MillerMacPhee oversees event dealing with interpersonal or domestic violence, while Sedano does the other events.
Iris Alatorre, Women’s Center office manager, said she assists the staff with day-to-day management of the center, leads the afternoon crafts and supervises the student staff at the center.
As director, Salsbury said she oversees the staff, the grant money they receive and acts as the center’s representative to committees around campus.
Salsbury said she also leads up to three internships through the center as part of her job.
“I love working and meeting with all of the students who have a passion for this work,” Salsbury said.
Kali Nelson can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @kalinelson6
A previous version of this article misstated that Women’s Center staff must report possible crimes. This version has been updated to reflect the Women’s Center’s status as a confidential reporting location.