The Society of Women Engineers came dressed in their finest cocktail attire and fabulous kitten heels for their first interest meeting on Aug. 27 in 1124 Shelby Center titled "SWE and the City: Successfully Engineering in Manolos."
SWE is an organization to support the women in engineering on campus and help them be successful in their classes.
Engineering is hard work and it helps to have other students to relate to and provide a support group.
"There is so much diversity within engineering," said Katie Lushington, the publicity chair. "We all have our own style throughout the many facets of engineering."
SWE has played a role in breaking the stigmas and stereotypes many people associate with women in engineering.
"The stereotype for us is that we are all masculine," said Ellen Clark, the president. "Most girls think you have to dress tomboyish to fit in with the males and this is not the case. We want to show that being in engineering can be fun and girly. We love dresses and makeup too."
SWE meets once a month and meetings host new speakers and more exciting themes for the girls to delve into.
A Halloween social with all the engineering committees is the next big event the girls are working on.
"We want the girls to come out once a month, but it is not an obligation," Lushington said. "The coursework is hard and many of us are involved in other clubs. We try to provide an opportunity for fun meetings without loading the girls down."
SWE also provides the Society Level Concerence as a means for its members to network and find future careers and employers.
"The Society Level Conference is one of the coolest things we do," Clark said. "This year it takes place in October in Long Beach, Calif. There are several workshops to attend and a career fair. We get to meet people from programs all over the nation."
SWE is providing even more ways for the new girls to get plugged in this year by dividing into several smaller committees including the publicity committee, service committee, philanthropy committee and membership committee.
"We are starting to collect old exam files to help the new girls study for engineering courses," said Kristin Haney, membership chair. "We will have office hours on Wednesdays for any girls who would like additional help."
Clark added that there is a point system for getting involved, but no demerits. SWE practices positive reinforcement techniques for the girls.
The more points the more chances the girls get to receive funding for the conference or an SWE cord at graduation.
One returning SWE member is happy with the new additions to her organization.
"We had a bigger turn out than last year," said Gaelle Rose Belinge, a graduate student in software engineering. "We used to meet in the auditorium which was darker and made it harder to pay attention. We are so grateful for the people that donated the new Shelby building and those that built it. The nicer offices and classrooms make a wonderful addition to our SWE organization and its members."
For more information, check out the SWE table at O-Days on the concourse or check out the site at http://www.auburn.edu/swe/.
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