Girls Club at ISU

NORMAL, Ill. – In a male dominated field a new student run organization at ISU is looking to narrow the disparity between men and women and break barriers into the world of sports. Girls Club is a registered student organization created to give women interested in sports a place to express that interest in an inclusive environment.

From occupation to objectification, there are countless ways in which women have to fight a little harder to be treated with the respect men tend to receive from the get-go. Emily Lazarevic, Girls Club public relations board member not only fights the good fight, but entered the ring determined to knock out the disparity and make change happen. Lazarevic had plenty to say about the realities of being a woman in a field disproportionately favoring men, and how Girls Club aims to strike out the struggles it causes.

“The goal is to create an outlet and sense of community because sports is such a male dominated field, so having this club is really beneficial to for women get resources that are built specifically for them,” said Lazarevic.

The 21st century came in swinging with acceptance of the struggles of marginalized groups, and a push to end these struggles. Because of this, it’s easy to pretend the issues don’t exist anymore and sweep them under the rug. The more traditional views are still prevalent in society today though, and have a habit of showing up in unexpected places.

“The sentence the girls and I get the most is ‘but you’re just a woman’. I’m in sports broadcasting and my professors have said to my face ‘Oh you did really well for a woman.’ It makes me wonder if I were a man what would you say to me,” said Lazarevic.

Despite the presence of sexist attitudes, Girls Club has been hit with nothing but positive feedback. This change of pace not only scores a point on the side of equality but proves that even though sparking change is no easy feat, it’s more than possible.

“There are a lot of people who are supportive and have told us that what we’re doing is really progressive and important. It’s a really great thing to hear, and it honestly kind of surprised me,” said Lazarevic.

While the pushback for Girls’ Club may be non-existent, that doesn’t mean there won’t be people continuing to perpetuate expired narratives. Lazarevic advises people in these situations to find the power in themselves to go after their passions, and to score their own touchdowns despite defensive efforts to tackle them.

“Confidence is key in these positions. Even if you feel timid or nervous going into it knowing you can do this will help tune out the backlash,” said Lazarevic.