By Sarah Krumholz

Location: Kirk basement
The Women’s and Gender Resource Center is a room in the basement of Kirk that hosts open hours, events, and FIA-STARSA meetings. The WGRC is run by FIA-STARSA, however, not everyone involved in the WGRC is in FIA-STARSA.

Anyone is welcome in the WGRC. The WGRC, originally the Women’s Resource Center, has been around in various permutations since the 1970’s, and currently serves as a safe space and resource library for female, queer students and allies. The WGRC has books, zines, handouts, safer sex materials, and craft supplies for student use. There aren’t any special events coming up, but they hold open hours Monday-Thursday from 7-midnight. If you’re ever in the mood for something warm to drink, the WGSS department sponsors tea time every Thursday from 4:30 to 6pm. Also, FIA-STARSA meetings are 9 pm every Thursday. All of these things are open to the public.

Unfortunately, the WGRC is not a permanent space, and its existence at Macalester is not guaranteed. The WGRC is hoping to find a permanent home as well as expanding the library and increasing student awareness of the space. The WGRC can act as an important resource for students, whether they need a book for a paper, a place to study, or someone to talk to. This can be attributed to the fact that the space is entirely student run. Users also feel a certain amount of ownership, which makes the WGRC a positive place to be.