Every month, a group of women get together to lead female-centered discussions and activities and to plan how to give back to their community. They call themselves SAVVY.
SAVVY is an all-female, multicultural organization and club at USC that aims to bridge the connection between campus and community. It helps create network opportunities, coordinate campus-wide events and do community service, according to its club description on Garnet Gate.
“We are not only just trying to target our girls and not just make them a sisterhood, it's also bringing our sisterhood and our loving and caring aspects to other people we come in contact with," Alexanderia Moore, SAVVY president and third-year sociology student, said.
This year, SAVVY hosted Women And Protection 101— WAP for short. This event discussed women's sexual health and protection. It also holds an annual Battle of the Sexes event. SAVVY's meetings are offered in-person and online through an Instagram livestream.
"I grew up in a strict household, so my parents never really covered the topic of sex because they never felt like it was needed. So, I know there's a few people who are like that," Moore said. "There are some girls who are scared to ask about sex, and they just go into it not knowing things, so I felt like it was important especially for incoming freshmen."
SAVVY is also aiding the nonprofit Locked with Luv with its breast cancer awareness events as one of many community service events planned for this year.
SAVVY is hosting a movie night Oct. 21 to watch a Halloween movie that incorporates SAVVY's values. Later in the year, it will be introducing a mentorship program between new and returning members. These events allow the members to connect with their personal identities while having fun.
"For me, these activities are just a way for the girls to embrace something about themselves that they didn't know about and to just connect with other girls if they have similar problems," Ny’Asia Williamson, a third-year political science student, said.
SAVVY provides extensive networking opportunities for its club members, from coordinating events led by professionals to holding career workshops.
“We have those opportunities to meet with professionals and talk to different teachers," Moore said. "We partner with the Student Health Center. ... You're not only just seeing us, but you're seeing actual professionals, too.”
SAVVY's meetings are centered around personal growth and strength, which are a part of its mission statement.
“SAVVY has definitely shown me, as a woman, that I can be the best that I can by just being myself," Camryn Washington, SAVVY's co-event chair and a third-year psychology student, said. "It has definitely taught me to be myself no matter who or what comes in my way or who I'm around. Personally, to me, SAVVY has helped form me into the minority woman that I am today. It made me feel more comfortable in my skin."
SAVVY meets every first and third Wednesday of the month. You can RSVP to join its in-person meetings on its Garnet Gate page.
“If you're looking for a place to call home and people who really, truly love and care about you and who are going to uplift you," Moore said. "No matter what you do or who you are, SAVVY is the place to find your people and find your sisters."
Correction (Oct. 19, 2020): A previous version of this article incorrectly spelled Alexanderia Moore's first name as "Alexandria" in the photo credit.