UCF marches in suffrage celebration

Nearly a century after a woman's right to vote was secured by the 19th amendment of the United States Constitution, UCF students and faculty marched through campus to celebrate the 91st anniversary of women's suffrage and Women's Equality Day Friday, Aug. 26.

The College Democrats at UCF Women's Caucus, along with VOX at UCF and NOW at UCF, organized the second annual Women's Suffrage March, which began outside the Student Union at noon.

For more photos, view the gallery here.

Guest speakers included former congresswoman Patricia Schroeder, League of Women Voters of Orange County President Ann Hellmuth, Florida Action Watch Director Susannah Randolph and Director of the UCF Women's Studies Program Dr. Maria Santana.

Students were asked to wear white shirts to commemorate women's suffrage and were given yellow sashes to replicate the "suffragette" marches of the 20th century.

"Vote" logos were spray painted in purple and pink onto the white shirts and students were able to personalize their sashes with messages of equality and women's rights.

Hellmuth urged students to make sure their votes count when election time arrives and that the first step in doing so is by registering to vote.

"For all of your grandmothers and great grandmothers and for the memories of those who came before, register to vote," Hellmuth said. "Make sure you register in the county in which you will vote. If you're going to be here in college when it's time to vote, make sure your vote counts here. Because without voters, what has this battle been for?"

Schroeder spoke to attendees about meeting some of the women who fought in the 1920s as "suffragettes" and said "how wonderful this day is" and that "some of us still don't know how hard it was to get this vote."

Schroeder commented on remembering reading in her history book in school when she was younger that "they gave women the right to vote, like it was a little present wrapped up in a box."

Anna Eskamani, vice president for College Democrats at UCF and women's caucus chair for Florida College Democrats, echoed the same in her speech that the 19th amendment was no easy victory.

"The suffragettes of the 1920s organized hundreds of petition drives and rallies, held numerous legislative and lobbying days and even served prison time to fight for their right to vote," Eskamani said.

Eskamani was pleased with the turnout, despite the event being in danger of rescheduling because of weather. She said she hopes for an even bigger turnout next year.

"Honestly, the weather was one thing that was making us wary about it, but we figured that the suffragettes marched in snow, heat and rain…they didn't care about what the weather was so we didn't care either," Eskamani said. "Obviously hurricane Irene was good to us; she must be a feminist herself because she didn't come to ruin our march."

Senior political science major Bryan Eastman participated in the event to show the campus why everyone should remember the past and that men should care about women's rights too.

"I'm not a woman, but I do think it's important to come out here and remind people that it wasn't that long ago that women didn't even have the right to vote and remember these important times in history that can show us how far we've come," Eastman said. "Whether you're a woman or not, I think it's a move forward for all of us. We're a campus that looks to the past but at the same time makes sure that we keep looking to the future."

Schroeder summed up the cause with one sentence when encouraging students to use their right to vote.

"Here's the torch, come get it," she said. "Grab it and run."