Women’s March on Washington- What to expect

 (THE PICKET) – With the Women’s March on Washington mere days away, Shepherd students contemplate what the march stands for and what it would mean to attend.

What started as a gut reaction to the results of a particularly coarse election, the Jan. 21 Women’s March on Washington has grown into a full-blown movement, complete with its own fashion such as “Nasty Woman” pins and pink knitted ‘pussy hats’, a star-studded list of speakers and attendees including Scarlett Johansson, Gloria Steinem and Katy Perry, and a permit estimating 200,000 people.

Taking a stand for women’s rights has turned into taking a stand for human rights.

The official mission statement for the march, written on their website, calls for total inclusivity. “Immigrants of all statuses, Muslims and those of diverse religious faiths, people who identify as LGBTQIA, Native people, Black and Brown people, people with disabilities, survivors of sexual assault” and anyone else who has felt “insulted, demonized or threatened” are encouraged to unite in a show of solidarity and power.

This is the reason community members and students alike have planned to head into D.C. on Saturday, independently or on one of the five planned shuttle buses leaving from Shepherdstown. (Learn More)

“I’m going because I foresee many important battles that are going to happen in terms of women and all marginalized communities,” said Molly Lovern, 21, a junior. Lovern, like many attending the march, wants to “be a part of the large effort behind these battles.”

Zoe Nicewander, 18, also sees the importance of protecting human rights. “I’m very excited to be a part of something so powerful and to be marching amongst my fellow women, protesting for the rights we, as human beings, deserve.”

Even students who can’t attend because of work or other commitments still see the importance of such a potentially historic event. “I can tell my grandchildren that I attended,” said Georgia Musselwhite, 20, a sophomore, who is particularly impassioned about protecting LGBTQ rights.

For more information on the march or how to attend, visit the Women’s March on Washington webpage, or the Women’s March on Washington – West Virginia facebook page.