The Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) plans to celebrate Women’s History Month through a series of events including roller skating, craft nights and fitness training, according to student programs coordinator Alison Garcia.

A combination of in-person and virtual experiences will be utilized for the 12 events planned for the month. Garcia said OMA kicked off the month of celebrations on Wednesday by giving away flyers and various Women’s History Month swag items at the USF Bull Market.

OMA is bringing some recently introduced events back because of how well-received they were by students the first time they were implemented, according to Garcia. One returning event she said students should expect this year is the “De Mujer a Mujer” event on March 21 from 12-1:30 at the Well. This will be the second time OMA is putting on this event, according to Garcia. Latinx women will have an opportunity to relate with one another and talk about their shared experiences they may have at USF, Garcia said.

“We have this shared identity as Latinx women, so that was a really empowering and loving space which was great. I am excited for us to bring that back,” she said.

A new event being introduced this year is a roller-skating night called “Women on Wheels” at the United Skates of America roller rink on March 24 from 6-8:30 p.m., according to Garcia.

A lot of people expressed excitement and curiosity at Wednesday’s Bull Market for a new event, “Lesbihonest”, because of its catchy name, according to Garcia. She said this event, which will be held March 22 from 6-7:30 p.m. at The Chambers, is for lesbian students to be able to talk with panelists and network with each other, as well as discuss the lack of social spaces for queer students in Tampa and at USF.

Three events will have speakers, including “Lesbihonest,” an online event called “Queers and Careers” on March 21 and a show with the cast from the Broadway show “A Strange Loop” on March 27. The events will be panel style, so students can interact and ask questions to the speakers who volunteered to speak to students, according to Garcia.

Garcia said OMA has been proactive about budgeting correctly for these events and goodies that they are giving away, so it has been able to stay within its budget so far. A formal budget was not provided at the time of the interview.

All events are posted to BullsConnect for people to sign up. A minimum of 20 people are expected to attend each event, according to Garcia. She said she hopes each event can encourage students to meet new people and discover new things about themselves.

“I want this month to be fun and for people to feel good about their identities and experiences. They should feel like USF is a place for them to experiment and learn new things about different people, as well as make connections and maybe have someone new they can email or call afterwards,” Garcia said.