HANNAH MONTGOMERY; Mag Writer; montgohm@plu.edu
Starting as a first-year at Pacific Lutheran University was not easy for Hilary Vo. She felt that, as a student of color, she was underrepresented in the student body. With this in mind, she ran for Senator of Associated Students of Pacific Lutheran University. During her time in that position, Vo didn’t feel like she had a voice and stayed quiet during meetings. She also felt that the president of ASPLU at the time did not welcome her into the organization, which led Hilary to leave because she felt that she was not being heard.
This experience did not turn her away completely, however, and Vo ran for the ASPLU Diversity Director. She had been involved with the collective, a social justice oriented, student-run organization that emphasizes the importance of recognizing every facet of identity. Vo chose to run for the position not only to uplift the voices of others, but also to bring representation of students of color into leadership positions. The following year, with these experiences in hand, Vo ran for ASPLU President of 2017-18 and won.
“I wasn’t doing it because I wanted to be president—I just wanted other students of color to see representation in this role,” Vo said. “I was already doing the work. I was just doing it in a different capacity.”
During her time as ASPLU president, Vo updated the ASPLU constitution, which had not been reviewed since 1978. Changes were made to update the constitutional language by including the words ‘diversity,’ ‘justice,’ and ‘sustainability,’ PLU’s core values. Vo also added the “Inclusivity Clause” which uplifts ASPLU student voices and protects individuals from discrimination. Vo sits in on various PLU faculty meetings, one of which is the Strategic Enrollment Management Advisory Committee. In these meetings, Vo has spoken on the behalf of students concerning the Undergraduate Research Symposium, long range planning and the search for a new president of PLU. She is currently creating a comprehensive campus calendar which combines all of the events and activities happening at PLU. Through SEMAC, Vo has worked with Joanna Royce-Davis, the Vice President for Student Life, to improve student wellness—for instance, by requiring all counselors to go through Implicit Bias Training. Now the Counseling Center is better equipped with the necessary tools and awareness to properly care for students of color.
Her hope for future leaders in the community is that culture will change so seeing women, particularly women of color, in positions of leadership is no longer a shock. Vo wishes that women will have more support when they choose to step up and become leaders.
“Just do it. Believe in yourself and find people who will believe in you and encourage you,” Vo suggests to students wishing to get more involved “Believing in yourself is the first step. All women are powerful because of what we have to face every day. You should own that struggle and that power you can do it and you should do it.”
For Vo, the meaning of sisterhood is “someone who is willing to fight for me. People who have each others’ backs, who challenge you, who resonate with your experiences by doing the same work or who understand the work I’m doing and support me. It means empathy, love for each other and truly really related experience.”
Another influential woman on-campus is Nayonni Watts, a sophomore who has been involved in the community since the beginning of her journey at PLU. By spending time at the Diversity Center, Watts became immersed in conversations about social justice. This led to her participation in the Black Student Union. Watts is currently the BSU treasurer and has successfully created two programs on campus
All women are powerful because of what we have to face every day. You should own that struggle and that power
-Hilary Vo, senior
The first program teaches students how to better budget their Dining Dollars. After having conversations with students about their difficulties surrounding their Dining Dollars, Watts decided to speak with Joanna Royce-Davis and Josh Girnus, the Operations Manager of Campus Restaurants. As a resident assistant for Hinderlie, Watts feels that it is important to reach not just her residents but also other students in the PLU community with this program. She hopes to incorporate this program with New Student Orientation so that incoming Lutes can learn more about their meal plans and how they can save their Dining Dollars.
The other program Watts is working on is scheduling events for Autism Awareness Month this April. Watts, Simone Smith, Coordinator for Student Rights and Responsibilities/Disability Support Services, and Haedon Brunelle, President of ASPLU for the 2018-19 academic year, have worked together to inform students about autism and encourage students who lie on the spectrum to “step out of the shadows and find people to talk to.”
“I’ve had people come up to me and share—it’s really exciting to find my people,” Watts said. “There are just some certain things that I can’t relate to, like the struggle with social interaction. When I meet someone else who is on the spectrum, I have another person to talk to about communication and how we think on more similar wavelengths.”
Watts’ hope for future leaders in the PLU community is that they advocate for a perspective that is often overlooked and to remember that it is okay to take breaks from time to time. She wants every student to leave a mark that is positive and inspires others.
“Don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t let the patriarchy take you down,” Watts said.
There have been many role models in Watts’ life, including her mother and grandmother. On campus, Rachel Betron, the Resident Hall Director of Hong and Hinderlie, is not only Watts’ boss, but her friend. According to Watts, she is ready to go above and beyond for other’s needs and for Watts’ needs specifically.
“She is more than willing to educate herself and others” said Watts about Betron meeting the needs of students. “I feel like I can reach out to her about things that are harder for me to understand.”
For Watts, sisterhood is not the correct term to encompass the people who have had similar experiences to her own and who act as a support system. “I’ve never used that word before. I don’t like labeling things that could be potentially clique-y. Siblinghood is more inclusive, I would rather be tied down by experiences, not identities.”
It is important to also recognize the work women have done in PLU’s past. So, I delved into the archives to find the accomplishments of people throughout the university’s history.
PLU Archives
Editor’s Note: Pacific Lutheran College became Pacific Lutheran University in 1960
1907
Women are allowed to play basketball. Not very good at first, the women’s team picks up much speed and skill once they are allowed to discard their restrictive and impractical bloomers and play instead in shorts
1920
Lora Kreidler comes to Pacific Lutheran College this year as faculty member and Dean of Women. She quickly becomes one of PLC’s most influential people and later is the first woman to have a campus building named for her.
1935
Rhoda Hokenstad Young, having just graduated from PLC, is hired as the women’s physical education director. In her 30-year tenure, she also teaches folk dancing. She makes it a lasting PLC tradition and creates the Mayfest dancers.
1939
Grace Blomquist joins the faculty. She serves until 1976 as Dean of Women and an English and Latin professor. She starts the children’s literature program with a strong library collection to support it. The children’s literature collection in the PLU library today is named for her, as is a building housing offices of the Division of Humanities.
1944
As most men are fighting in World War II, the PLC student body is almost all female. The student body elects its first female president, Agnes Mykland, followed by Eunice Torvend in 1945.
1951
Frieda Al Peterson and R. Eline Kraabel Morken establish the nursing department.
1975
Ann Mehlum, an economics and Norwegian major from Florence, Oregon, becomes PLU’s first Fulbright scholar. After graduation she travels to Bergen, Norway, and studies the impact of North Sea oil on the Norwegian economy.
2000
Kathryn M. Lehmann, a 1976 alumna, becomes the first female conductor of the Choir of the West.
2002
A 4 million dollar gift by Drs. Peter and Grace Wang funds the Wang Center for international programs. The center will prepare students to be leaders in the global economy and be advocates for world peace. Below, Peter Wang and President Anderson congratulate Katie Kerkedal (’03), who spoke at the commencement ceremony, and meet with PLU’s international education students.
2003
PLU student Megan Quann celebrates her first place finish in the 100 meter breaststroke at the US Open in Federal Way, WA. Quann previously won 2 gold medals at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia at the age of 17.
2005
Polar explorers make a stop at PLU before their next adventure. Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen set a record on Antarctica and plan to cross the North Pole this spring. Photo courtesy of Bancroft-Arnesen Explore.
2008
PLU alumna Crystal Aikin is crowned the winner of Black Entertainment Television’s (BET) “Sunday Best” gospel singing competition.
Music alumna Angela Meade is on the cusp of a big career in opera after debut at the Metropolitan Opera. Meade began as an understudy for the role of Elvira in the Met’s production of Verdi’s opera “Ernani.”
2009
Solveig Robinson, Associate Professor of English, is one of 150 singers and a full orchestra who performed at the Basilica di Santa Maria in Aracoeli, Rome on Easter Sunday.
