The Ole Miss Women in Government Club will hold its inaugural meeting today at 5:30 p.m. in room 321 in the Gertrude C. Ford Student Union.
The club was founded last spring by Lauren Graves, a junior public policy leadership major, who is now the organization’s president.
“Our mission is to create a community on campus of women who are interested in government and politics and to offer support through networking opportunities,” Graves said. “We’ve had a lot of success early on in being able to fill an entire executive board without any tabling. Our Instagram has been really active and we’ve been having a lot of engagement.”
With the election season gearing up, Graves said that students can look forward to a variety of events.
“We’re doing a lot of election-related events,” Graves said. “We’re hoping to do an election watch party, a community service project and a table to help people register to vote.”
In addition to these events, the club plans on volunteering with the Dear Jack Foundation, which provides programs for young adults who have recently been diagnosed with cancer. The group will also host a fundraiser at the Kendra Scott store in Germantown, Tenn. from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 to support its initiatives.
“The event is a fundraiser for our club partnered with Kendra Scott when customers use the online code 20% of sales will be donated to our club to help pay for community service and member meeting materials,” Sadie Daix, vice president of outreach, said.
Daix emphasizes that this organization offers an experience unique from any other organization on campus.
“What sets our club apart is our focus specifically on government and politics, which is a bit different from other women’s organizations on campus,” Daix said.
Daix also emphasized the club’s focus on networking opportunities.
“Networking is a major part of what we do,” Daix said. “We want to provide members with the connections and resources they need to succeed in their careers and to feel supported by their peers.”
Graves encouraged students to attend the first meeting and see if the organization is for them.
“If you’re interested in government or politics, I encourage you to come to one of our meetings and see what we’re about.”
