LU ONE held its Women’s History Month open house March 1

LU ONE kicked off Women’s History Month on March 1 with their open house in the Equity & Inclusion Lounge in Montview Student Union to offer women the opportunity to connect with one another and also promote upcoming events.

Light refreshments were provided during the open house, which ran from 1-4 p.m.

“We’re just taking this opportunity to celebrate women: … celebrate our leadership at Liberty University, our mothers, our sisters,” said Melissa Harris, director of communications for LU ONE.

Some other events that were promoted at the Women’s History Month kickoff include a Fireside Chat which happened March 4, featuring author and humanitarian Chelsea Patterson.

Attendees had the opportunity to hear Patterson’s impactful story and journey with motherhood and healing.   

Another event being promoted at the kickoff was the Women’s Leadership Panel, which will be on March 19 and give students another chance to network, ask questions and hear from successful women in various industries.

The theme of this event, according to Harris, is “celebrating women in leadership.” This will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the music hall, and the goal is to inspire young leaders in faith.

“Really, what we are hoping people take away from this panel is how you can lead with your faith and how that’s an important aspect for students as we’re training Champions for Christ,” Harris said.

Averi Whiddon, student assistant for LU ONE and sophomore at Liberty studying social work, shared about women who have been impactful in her life.

“Two of my youth leaders back home have really influenced my life,” Whiddon said. “Especially since the environment I grew up in didn’t really have the best support system at home, so when I got saved and got plugged in at a church, these two ladies at church really mentored me.”

Whiddon said she thinks it’s important for women to have good role models and mentorship in their lives because of the community aspect, but also because people need good mothers and influences.

“Yes, fathers are important, but good mothers and women of God are really important too,” Whiddon said.

Harris said that purpose of LU ONE is to support everybody and promote biblical unity. She shared about the department’s upcoming plans for April, which is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

“Our big event for that month is called K-POP,” Harris said. “There’s going to be food, music, activities, and the first 100 students in will get a free T-shirt.”

This event will be similar to the NOLA Nights event that was hosted for Black History Month back in February. LU ONE feels the recognition of each month is important in celebrating different cultures and backgrounds within Liberty.

In addition to the K-POP event, there will also be an open house held April 22 in the Equity & Inclusion Lounge. This will be similar to the other open houses, giving students the opportunity to network and hear about upcoming events.

Nichols is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion