In April of 1973, a determined group of female students, staff, faculty and community members staged a four-day sit-in inside College Hall, protesting the lack of support for women at Penn.
The Penn Women's Center -- a direct result of the perseverance these women possessed -- will commemorate the 30th anniversary of its grand opening by holding several events this weekend.
The festivities will commence this afternoon with an open house at the center from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., followed by an anniversary dinner and awards ceremony in Houston Hall's Hall of Flags from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The group will also sponsor a night of comedy with feminist comedian Kate Clinton on Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Annenberg Center.
Tickets will be available at the door for both events.
According to the Penn Women's Center's Associate Director Gloria Gay, the dinner and awards ceremony will feature speeches given by Penn women "from the decades" who will be "telling stories of their experiences with the Women's Center."
Panhellenic Council Women's Issues representative and College senior Lauren Palais will be acting as a greeter at tonight's ceremony, stressed the importance of the network of support the center provides.
"It's supporting something that is going to help you if you should ever need it," said Palais, who added that Panhel has been trying to become more involved in the center's events in the past year. "I'm excited for us to meet other women's groups on campus. We tend to be separate as groups, but basically we are all interested in the same thing."
The event will also include keynote speaker Robin Morgan, a writer and feminist who is no stranger to the Women's Center's scene.
"Robin was here in 1973 and spoke," Women's Center Director Ellie DiLapi said. "She put into writing what women were experiencing in their lives. I've been told that she said, 'You may need to take over an administration building to get what you need.'"
And, 30 years ago, Penn women did just that, staging a sit-in aimed at better support for women and eventually negotiating a list of 10 demands from the University, which included the implementation of emergency rip cords in restrooms, a nighttime escort service and the designation of a particular space on campus for women -- which is now the Penn Women's Center.
According to DiLapi, the center was focused on rape awareness in its early years.
But eventually, the center broadened its horizons to include such issues as racial and sexual harassment, tenure, violence against women, child care and abusive relationships.
DiLapi added that the center -- located at 3643 Locust Walk -- staffs two counselors and serves as an alternative to Counseling and Psychological Services at Penn.
A student "could just be feeling down or confused, and we'll help them figure it out," she said. "If they're not comfortable coming here, we'll go to them."
In light of the recent string of assaults and attacks on campus, DiLapi further emphasized the center as a resource for any student who would like to seek counseling.
But, DiLapi did not gloss over the financial difficulties the Penn Women's Center -- which has been given the same budget for the past 10 years -- is facing.
"We only have $10,000 a year to use for all of our programs," she said. "We need funds. The Women's Center deserves much more institutional support than we get."
And money isn't the only problem for the center.
"I think the Women's Center has been incredibly marginalized," DiLapi said. "There's a sense that we don't need a Women's Center in the same way anymore, and that's just not true."
Palais added that the center is severely underutilized, and is a "good place for [Penn women] to go, they just don't realize it's there."
"I'm excited it's been 30 years at Penn for the PWC, but we need to make sure it's here for 30 more years," she said.
"When we see the smile on a woman's face at graduation who a few months before we didn't know if they'd make it -- that's priceless," she said.
