University of California Riverside’s (UCR) Women’s Resource Center (WRC) celebrates 50 years of history with visual displays located on the first floor of the Rivera Library. The display was available for visitors up until Jan. 19.
The exhibit stretched over time, with pieces dating back to before the creation of the WRC in 1973. It was created by a team that included both current and former employees that worked closely with the program. One such member was Yvonne Chamberlain-Marquez, a former student program coordinator, who helped contribute to the collection. However, WRC’s Director Nina Ruedas explains that the WRC was in a fortunate position because most of the pieces were already being collected by the University Archivist, Andrea Hoff. Over the years, the WRC would donate items of importance to the archives. With that preexisting relationship they had with the archive, the WRC received a lot of support to make the event possible.
The planning stages of the exhibit were facilitated by Archivist Hoff. She developed different layouts of the pieces and gave suggestions for the arrangement of the display. Director Ruedas explains the process, mentioning that Archivist Hoff, some of the student staff and herself would give feedback on the items and the layout. In the end, the team made sure to pick items that reflected the values of the WRC and what was “important to them.” Director Ruedas states that “it was a very collaborative effort” to build the display.
The exhibit consists of two display cases and two poster walls. The poster walls display flyers over the years to show the various events that happened during their time period. According to Director Ruedas, the flyers are original. Most of the flyers that were saved are handwritten copies. The flyers are calling to support protests for women’s rights, advertising women speakers and spreading awareness about self defense and other topics important to the student body of that period.
Director Ruedas comments that she “loves the heart and the emotion” that comes from seeing the handwritten print. She goes on to explain that the present WRC uses the popular graphic design platform, Canva, to make their posters and flyers because “nowadays we might be more fixated on developing a brand.” However, she states that the students of the past were also able to accomplish this with handwritten flyers, saying that “maybe they were more focused on the message and getting the vision across.”
In the display box were pins, article clippings, pictures and other memorabilia. The pins showed support for ideals such as Pro-choice, domestic violence awareness, body positivity and the LGBTQ+ community. The pictures were from events such as a speaker event on International Women’s Day with Flo Kennedy in 1978. There were also pictures of protests that took place in 1975.
With the display, Director Ruedas wanted to not only commemorate the years of WRC, but also “remind people that they are part of something great and are contributing to WRC history.” She wants to highlight how much the WRC has grown and “the different iterations” of the program by celebrating their successes and accomplishments of supporting Highlander women. She believes that looking at the past will inspire innovative ideas and new projects, stating that “there’s so much to work towards, so hopefully it will motivate us to do more of the great work we still have infront of us.”
Of all the accomplishments of the WRC, Director Ruedas comments that she “is most proud of the students because they organize events that are important and relevant to them.” She adds on, since the WRC is student focused; the values of the program are dynamic and changing due to the changes in the student body over time. She states that the students “remind us to be energetic and innovative, and hold us to a greater standard.”
Thus, the flyers in the exhibit demonstrate the changing values of the different events for students, made by students. Director Ruedas mentions that the WRC was formed by students; therefore, she expresses that “it always comes back to them,” giving full credit to the students who formed the WRC in 1973.
For the future, Director Ruedas shares some plans for the WRC. She has been Director of the WRC for a year now and has a few ambitions for what is to come for the program. She hopes to be “more connected to Alumni” to draw on their experiences to share. The WRC is also involved in student-parent support. So, she plans on developing and saving memorabilia to show support towards that population of students. Lastly, she hopes to lead an oral history presentation. She describes it as similar to a podcast, for students, alumni and staff who have worked or volunteered with the WRC to share memorable moments and thoughtful advice. Director Ruedas does share that she is hoping to hire “two new professional staff” to help her tackle her ambitions for the WRC as well as maintain and update websites and resources.
The display at Rivera Library celebrates the works of the Women’s Resource Program and demonstrates to future student generations that their voice is heard. For more information about the Women’s Resource Center and the history behind it you can visit their website.
