Mariah Alix
Connector Staff
On Weds., April 8, Fox Common Nightlife hosted S.I.S.T.E.R.S.’ production of “The Vagina Monologues” by Eve Ensler. The play consists of a series of monologues based on interviews of women of all ages, races and sexual orientations.
Readers included Tonia Greene, Leslie Garcia, Ashley Cochran, Nicole Hamel and Lucky Thatch. They helped S.I.S.T.E.R.S. complete the I Love My Body Series, which took place all of last week. Events included body image and eating disorder discussions, a carnival in Cumnock called “Girls Take Over,” a Zumba class and a day dedicated to not wearing makeup. Each event focused on feeling powerful and comfortable with who you are
S.I.S.T.E.R.S. is a “female focused, but not female exclusive” organization on campus, said Greene. They meet Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in USuites, room 106. Their motto is “We sisters can do all things against all odds, together.” They are a group working towards female empowerment and equality.
They chose to do a staged reading of “The Vagina Monologues” for multiple reasons.
“It hasn’t been done here in a while,” Greene said. She explained that it’s a show helping to love yourself and be comfortable in your own skin, and she feels that it’s an important message to spread across campus.
The play was created when women were asked about their vaginas. It opens explaining how shut off society is by the word “vagina” when it’s simply a body part women have. The play strives to make women more comfortable talking about their vaginas and experiences with sex, themselves, relationships and so on.
“The Vagina Monologues” includes stories from sex workers, lesbians, rape victims and the elderly, amongst various other women. Its focus is female empowerment, just like S.I.S.T.E.R.S. It strives for women to be more comfortable in who they are and what they have, and for there to be a general awareness of various experiences that come with having a vagina.
Even men attended the show, having comments like, “It’s funny to see it from the point of view of a woman,” which gives a better idea “of how to treat girls.”
Also in the audience was rape crisis counselor Brittny Maravelias. She works with another organization on campus, No One Left Behind, which focuses on rape and domestic violence and strives to bring awareness to the matter. They meet Wednesdays from 5:30-7 p.m. in UCrossing, room 365.
“People don’t realize the statistics,” Maravelias said. She talked about misunderstandings within sexual violence, and explained that she enjoyed seeing a show that brings awareness to it performed here at UML.
“I think it had a strong empowerment vibe,” Maravelias said.
It was good to have a show on campus spreading a message about being comfortable with yourself and who you are. Despite gender, race or sexual orientation, that’s a message that many of us tend to forget about when looking in a mirror.
