Among her many other responsibilities, ASWC Vice President Jane Jerman somehow manages to stay involved in the Westminster community in other ways, such as teaching yoga and being a member of the Feminist Club. Photo courtesy Jane Jerman
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s Jane Jerman. Jerman must fly around campus cape-clad with all the work she does for the Westminster community.
Jerman is all purple and gold and might as well dawn the Griffin mascot herself. She is the ASWC vice-president, Title IX student committee member, Commission of Women’s Success member, feminist club member, Westminster Presidential Ambassador, former resident advisor and yoga teacher on campus.
Her job titles and responsibilities here on campus are longer than many students’ grocery lists. Jerman’s passion and tenacious zeal for her causes and for her academics is contagious.
Jerman discussed what is coming up for ASWC this year and her personal goals.
Through the interview, Jerman’s excitement and hopefulness radiated as she talked of issues that were important to her and the Westminster community.
Q: What’s on tap for ASWC coming up?
A: We have first-year elections coming up, which should be really exciting. But also, everyone in the office is getting started with their projects. Costa [ASWC president] is getting started with his Westminster Ideas and I’m looking at painting underneath the bridge underneath The Draw with some of city council. I am also working on some programming on campus because it is difficult to find space on campus to have a women’s center.
Q: Building a women’s center?
A: Yeah! That was a part of the platform I ran on for ASWC. I wanted to have a space on campus for a gender equity center. But after talking with administration and everybody, they were kind of like ‘no,’ but that’s okay because the space I originally wanted to use is going to the new military and veteran center, which is really awesome. But overall, this year on campus there’s going to be a big push for making it safe for women.
Q: What is your nugget of advice for students to get involved in school life on campus?
A: It’s really easy to become lost in a sea of students here at Westminster. We all have our own projects, but I really want everyone to know (especially incoming students like first-year students, transfers and people just getting involved now) that your voice will be heard. There are so many people who care about students’ involvement, and if you just put yourself out there, you can get your voice heard and actually make changes to make this place better.
Q: When do you stop and breathe?
A: (Laughs) Very rarely. No, actually with yoga practice. I make sure that I do some type of yoga practice on my own every day. And I love teaching. That’s just my huge outlet.
Q: Someone has to go one event the entire year—this is the person who only comes to class and then leaves campus immediately. What is your one event?
A: This is really hard. I love the dances so much, those are always so fun. That’s just because I’m such a dancer. But no, I would have to say Vagina Monologues.
Q: You’re going to change the world one day. What are you changing?
Q: I’ve always had really large dreams like that since I was younger. But, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized I just hope to make my community and small places around me just kind and a better place for everybody involved, no matter their differences or their little quirks.
Q: What is the one class on campus everyone should take?
A: I think that knowing and understanding the media is so hard and it’s so important. It’s so easy to just let that stuff float by. But if I could have everyone take one class, it would be introduction to mass media, just so everyone could understand how much the media runs our world completely.”
One day, maybe Jane Jerman will be president, but for now, students can find her in the ASWC Office or teaching yoga at 4 p.m. on Thursdays in the Dolores Dore Eccles Health, Wellness and Athletic Center.
