CENTERTON — “Women of West” might sound to some like a group for feminists, but that’s not exactly what Lizzie Bermudez had in mind when she started the club at Bentonville West High School.
Nominees wanted
If you know a Northwest Arkansas woman who is making strides in her field, is engaging in opportunities to improve community welfare, is serving as a positive role model to young people, or who is instrumental in making Northwest Arkansas a better place to live, email a detailed description of her qualities and accomplishments to womenofwest [email protected] by March
30.
Source: Staff report
“We talk about how to deal with problems in the real world as a girl. So we’re able to build each other up.”
— Jessica Yin, sophomore
“I thought, there are a lot of media out there that portray female friendships, in high school especially, as kind of negative, and really feed on that negativity,” said Bermudez, a sophomore and the club’s president. “I didn’t think that was a good thing for us to go to high school thinking about, at least subconsciously.”
School administrators were encouraging students to submit ideas for clubs last semester. Bermudez asked her friends about starting a club that would empower girls and encourage them to get involved in the community.
Allison Woodworth, a history teacher, agreed to serve as the club’s sponsor. The club has more than 30 members, she said.
“In high school you get a lot of the pettiness and the tearing down, because the girls are trying to find themselves and who they are. And in the process sometimes they tear one another down,” Woodworth said. “We’ve got one focus, which is promoting women in the community and in that they can all focus their energy in one direction. They work together rather than tear one another down.”
Woodworth said she’s passionate about the group, adding, “I think they’re going to do some great things.”
Women of West isn’t exactly unique when it comes to school clubs. Bentonville High School has a feminism club with about 50 members, said Jessamyn Rongey, a history teacher and the club’s sponsor.
Women of West, however, is taking an unusual step with its plan to present a Woman of the Year award to someone in Northwest Arkansas. Nominations will be accepted through March 30. The award will be presented at a ceremony in late April.
Bermudez said she’s been inspired by her mother, whom she called a “very strong woman.” She wanted a way to recognize other women who are just as strong and doing great things.
“I just wanted to acknowledge and celebrate a person, a woman in our community who is making all of these strides,” she said.
The award also is a way to connect the club with the community, Bermudez said.
West High School is located in a mostly conservative community. Bermudez acknowledged a perception among others at the school that Women of West is a “femi-Nazi” club whose members hate men. That’s not the case, she said.
“I think there’s that hesitation to be identified with a group of people who are kind of seen as that, even though we’re really not,” she said. “We don’t dwell incredibly in feminism. It’s more light-hearted, positive relationships.”
Woodworth said she corrected Bermudez on her initial perception of feminism as being mostly about hating men.
“I was like, well, that’s not the definition of a feminist,” Woodworth said. “Feminists don’t hate men. They just feel the two groups should be equal. And then at our first meeting, she said, ‘We’re a low-key feminist club.’”
Boys are invited to join, too, though none have done so, Bermudez said.
Feminism has been in the news lately, especially with International Women’s Day celebrated last week and the numerous women’s marches held in January. That kind of attention to women’s issues is “making the members we have more passionate about what we’re doing,” said Andrea Carey, a sophomore and club member.
Carey said she appreciates how supportive club members are of each other.
“I feel like we all get along really well and we all really believe in what we’re working towards, making our community better and strengthening the relationship not just in our club, but with all of the girls in our school,” Carey said.
Jessica Yin, another sophomore, agreed.
“We talk about how to deal with problems in the real world as a girl,” Yin said. “So we’re able to build each other up.”
Besides planning the award ceremony, the club conducted a fundraiser by selling “gobble grams” that were delivered to students right before Thanksgiving break. That money went to the Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter.
Bermudez also is arranging for club members to volunteer their time at Centerton Gamble Elementary School’s Adventure Club.
Rongey, sponsor of Bentonville High School’s Feminism Club, said she’s friends with Woodworth. They’ve talked about getting the two clubs together, Rongey said.
The Feminism Club has between five and 10 members who are boys, including the club president, Rongey said. The club volunteered at a fall festival at Old High Middle School. It also is planning a food or clothing drive, she said.
At Bentonville High School, which has more than 3,300 students, it’s easy to get lost in the crowd, Rongey said. The Feminism Club is about “empowering students and creating a safe space that gives them a connection,” she said.
Dave Perozek can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWADaveP.