Hear from Emily Rybak from the College of Charleston, and her experience with NeW.
How did you first hear about NeW?
One of my good friends at the College of Charleston had very recently started a chapter on campus and wanted to get the club out in the open. I gave her my signature to start the club and told her that I wanted to be on the executive board and I would be available whenever. She contacted me a few months later and said that we would be a strong team, and we are!
Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you became involved in NeW?
I am from Myrtle Beach, SC. I am a PROUD conservative young woman. I am a Political Science major with a concentration in public policy, and am minoring in Crime Law and Society. I became involved in NeW because I believe that women are put through a cycle of pressure to make them believe that they NEED to be liberal or lean towards the left and that is just not the case.
What appeals to you about NeW?
The left portrays women as weak and disadvantaged in every situation, this is just not the case. Women can be strong and powerful leaders, and NeW shows that strong women are everywhere and that we cannot be bought into the mindset of being disadvantaged anymore. We do not want people to feel bad for us, we want people to look up to us!
Why is having a NeW chapter on campus so important to you?
People our age need to start getting it through their heads that women do not have to be liberals or third wave feminists, they can be strong and still stick to their beliefs. It is time that conservative women, especially on college campuses stand up and use their first amendment right to show that we are not ashamed of being “different” in our age group.
How do you benefit from being a part of NeW? What is the best part of being involved with NeW?
NeW finally gave me an outlet as a conservative woman to share my beliefs and discuss them with others. Although the clubs that I am in on campus serve that desire, NeW is beneficial for conservative women who would like to share their beliefs and discuss in an open community as well.
What makes you the most excited about being a part of NeW?
NeW offers such a welcoming environment, and I want incoming students to have the option of being in our club to express their beliefs and discuss them freely without judgement from campus. Being on a liberal campus is tricky when you’re a conservative, and especially a woman because people judge you particularly for that reason. Incoming students and students already at the college will feel welcomed and wanted in our club, and any opponents too!
