Kickin' It with Delta Zeta

Recently, the UNC Charlotte Chapter of Network of Enlightened Women looked into the often looked over topic of women’s safety on colleges campuses. A shocking 23% of females on university campuses across the United States are victims of sexual assault each year. At the last general body meeting, an article written by Fox News was examined and discussed.  

Studying a story published in August of 2014, the women of NeW thought it was important to address the issue. A 20-year old female from Dartmouth University, Taylor Woolrich, had a male stalker since high school. After several incidents and scares, Taylor asked the campus if she could carry her gun on campus. The Ivy League University refused to let her carry her handgun on the campus even though she had her Concealed to Carry License.

After learning more, Network of Enlightened Women paired up with the women of the Delta Zeta Sorority to spread awareness of the threat against women on college campuses. Promoting self defense by hosting a kickboxing class with Trainer Orkelle Scott in UNC Charlotte’s Belk Gymnasium, everyone left with a new knowledge of how to defend themselves if a threat provokes. Orkelle has a strong belief in what she does saying, "When you feel confident about yourself, you are more capable of doing things you never thought you could." She continues, "Self defense is extremely important because something could happen at any time and with just a few of the skills you learn in my class, you could help yourself in dangerous situations."

It’s important for women to not only feel empowered, but also educated when it comes to this issue. While punching a bag to Taylor Swift’s latest is fun, the class was also informative. Kelly vonEnde, a Network of enlightened Women member feels that "women face a real threat on college campuses everyday and learning how to defend themselves cannot only help protect us from attackers, but it can also go a long way in helping build a strong sense of empowerment and confidence in our day to day lives."

College campuses are nowhere near budging on the ban on handguns, but there are several different ways a female - or anybody for that matter - can defend themselves. Mace, tasers, and physical defense are all beneficial in the situation. A kickboxing class is a fun alternative to a R.A.D class that is offered by most campus Police Departments, but they are also encouraged!.

The women of both Network of Enlightened Women and the Delta Zeta Sorority take pride in the ability to defend themselves if the opportunity arises.