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Show 10 ArtEntertainment FORUMFORTNIGHTLY.COM How's your vagina? Bubs Delay closes the Westminster Vagina Monologues 2012 (right). Westminster Sr.iff Reporter No one ever asks you, hows your vagina? Well, The Vagina Monologues is changing that. Once a year, Westminster hosts The Vagina Monologues to laugh, cry, celebrate and remind us what vaginas are all about. V-Da- y. V-D- ay ster website, of existing anti-violen- ce organiza- associate love and romanticism with February, but its important to remember that there is a flipside, said Heather Enge, chair of the Westminster club. There are women all over V-D- ay the world not being loved-b- ut being deserves tormented. hurt and Everyone love. The Vagina Monologues are made up of multiple monologues read by a number of women. Each of the monologues deals with an aspect of the femi- nine experience such as sex, love, rape, masturbation, orgasm and more. It is performed annually to bring attention SAAC Each February there are painted with stories of pain, personal growth and passion, which are hung in the Jewett Center for the Performing Arts and Emma Eccles Jones Conservatory. These tell and raisefunds against sexual and domestic Westminster carries on the tradition Club holds of the CLP when the Shirts and Stories Night everyjanuary. Women Empowerment V-D- ay The global movement of y, along with The Vagina Monologues, is designed to connect and empower women. Hosting The Vagina Monologues gives the opportunity to say, Lets talk about your experience as a women, lets talk about your vagina, Enge said. Its an empowering feeling to have this platform. V-Da- irts womens sto- ries. to According thedothes-lineproject.or- g, We are women, we are strong and we can come together Allisyn Thompson the project was started in Cape Cod, MA, in 1990 to address the issue of violence against women. It is a way for women to express their emotions. The idea of using a clothesline was natural. Doing the laundry was always considered women's work, and in the days of neighborhoods, women often exchanged information over backyard fences while hanging their clothes out to dry. roles have changed; Womens clotheslines are no longer where women congregate, but the shirts have continued to be hung as a symbol. Women can share their stories and connect with other women. close-kn- it violence. 11 We are women, we are strong and we can come together, said co-d- irector of The Vagina Monologues Allisyn Thompson. Elizabeth of The Vagina Braden, Monologues and performer of My Angry Vagina, fell in love with the movement in her first year participating. This year as a director, Braden is able to get behind the scenes to help the women understand the empowerment of the production, while also showing the audience the power of this movement while performing. Its really this awareness of domestic violence abuse and showing how empowered the woman is, not just based on her body, but also by her voice, Braden said. The Vagina Monologues are im co-direc- tor Photos courtesy of Heather Enge portant because society does not necessarily focus on women empowerment-topi- cs of rape, or domestic abuse-a- nd this is that time where we can bring the focus, Thompson said. Make it known that it hasnt stopped and it needs to stop. Men and The Vagina Monologues Members of The Vagina Monologues this year agreed that its good for men to hear this personal side of the female experience. It is important for men to come because it can give them an entirely new perspective of women, Braden said. Its really good to put into perspective that women are not just about their bodies, and yes, we are talking about a physical aspect of our bodies, but its about the symbolism of it. There is so much more to us and that we are all connected, men and women. There is this big misconception surrounding womens rights and feminism: that feminists are these hairy, man-hater- s. Were not. Men can be feminists and its really important that they too, are. The Vagina Monologues will be held Feb. 6, 7 and 8 at 7:30 p.m. in the Vieve Gore Concert Hall. Tickets are $10. There will be a silent auction with prizes from local businesses along with the performance. These monologues are raw-th- ey are real and relatable, Braden said. Everyone should come get the experience. and NCAA Richard Chen Student and NEST president Contributing Writer have heard about the Student Activities Commis- Most students on campus sion. They host different events, from the notorious Halloween dance, to the movie buyouts at the dollar theatre. But a lot of students may not know that there is another SAAC on always-appreciat- The Clothesline Project is a global move- V-D- ay ment to stop violence against women. It promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the We V-D- ay irts The Vagina Monologue Movement What started out as a Broadway play, has developed into a worldwide movement designed to empower women. After the play ran its course, Eve Ensler, author of the play, launched at WestminAccording to the spirit tions. in thousands of cities and colleges worldwide. Members of the Westmisnter community come together each February to perform The Vagina Monologues. All proceeds from the event go to the Rape Recovery Center in Sugar House. to Elanajadallah women speak out, increase community awareness ed campus. SAAC stands for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. Their purpose on campus is to provide a voice for student athletes within the athletic department and to enhance student athlete relation ships within the school and general community. SAAC is a nationwide committee that is present in all NCAA schools and some selected NAIA schools. Joaquin Mixco, president of SAAC, said the committee has two missions: community service and to have a strong student-athlet- es support system for throughout campus. Westminster College has received approval to explore all opportunities to join a new athletic conference, including the conferences that are under NCAA rule. According to the NCAA website, in order for a school to be considered, it must have a SAAC in place on campus. Currently, Westminster has an active SAAC with 21 members from various athletic teams. Since the creation of the committee by the Westminster athletic department, SAAC has performed a wide variety of community service around campus and Sugar House. Student athletes have combined forces to collect cans for the Utah Food Book. This year, they have done a campuclean up by collecting litter and s-wide dead leaves. In addition, every year SAAC hosts a community service competition between all teams on campus. If Westminster chooses to apply to the NCAA, having SAAC in place is one less step in the transition process. Kyle Postler, junior and one of the lacrosse team captains, said if the school were to go to NCAA, it would help improve our schools profile in the eyes of potential collegiate student athletes nationally and will certainly broaden the recruiting base as an institution overall. Rachael Elkins, nursing major, said, Moving to NCAA will help the school by getting the schools name out there and help increase the brand recognition that the school has. |