This may be an exaggeration, but the truth is still that women's sexual issues and body-oriented mysteries are still, well, mysterious. Few men know the "issues" that their female friends and family members go through, and because of that, men usually account for any moodiness or complaint with the "she's on her period" excuse.
No, gentlemen ... it's not always our periods. There's a lot more to women than menstruation, and there's a lot more to menstruation than PMS and chocolate cravings. Most men (and many women, even) don't know what those complications are, however, and this lack of understanding breeds miscommunication, stereotyping and even contempt. To combat these evils-and many more-the Vagina Monologues were created by the now world-renowned author Eve Ensler and are organized here by Amherst College's Peer Advocates of Sexual Respect for a third year.
Among the many reasons to host the Vagina Monologues is the need to challenge women to become comfortable with, and even proud of, their bodies (vaginas included). Issues such as domestic violence, rape and sexual abuse, menstruation, openness during sex, lesbianism, men's feelings about vaginas, and the like. Pretty important stuff for people who either have a vagina themselves, intend to or have been in contact with vaginas, or love someone to whom either of the above categories apply.
Domestic violence is one of the most underreported and fatal crimes against women. Hundreds of thousand of rapes occur annually in America alone, and rape is often used as a tactic of war in other nations. Women are being used as "conquered territory." Childhood sexual abuse is still a major issue that we as a country are only beginning to find ways to address. Men still find it hard to be positive about women's vaginas-they're still considered ugly, dirty, or an inconvenience, while at the same time the penis is a point of male competition and pride.
Only through understanding and rejecting the stigmas that society has associated with female genitalia can women overcome their discomfort with advocating themselves sexually, politically and emotionally. Embracing their own bodies is a key step in women's movement towards fully respecting themselves and demanding that others respect them in turn. For men, hearing about the history of shaming women and learning about its effects and contemporary repercussions is at times difficult, but invaluable in realizing that women have a different history and a completely different process of sexualization than men do. Gender is a topic that we often talk about, but we seldom take something away from that discussion which really applies to our everyday lives. The Vagina Monologues may be a good start.
It's not all depressing talk about incest and bleeding, either. Many of the monologues are hilarious accounts of the way women see themselves and deal with the mystery between their legs. Even more surprising to audience members may be the way that parents influence young women's sense of themselves and their sexuality.
The main focus of having such an event is to stop the violence that is perpetrated against women. The idea is that by making women aware of their own worth, and by making them better understood by men, we might find ways to stop the abuse and mistreatment of women that is being perpetrated around the world. Did you know that thousands of women are castrated every year, and that hundreds of thousands are raped in the U.S. alone? At the Monologues, you'll hear a lot of statistics and facts about the way women are mistreated that will shock and abhor you. (At least we hope they will. )
Hopefully, if enough people are shocked and outraged by the war on women, they will take a stand to end it. At the same time that we fight for women's safety, we can laugh at the ridiculous things women are subjected to (even by themselves) and maybe get a little more understanding from our friends, brothers and boyfriends.
As if all this wonderful learning wasn't enough, the cast is comprised of a wide variety of Amherst students who put themselves on the line to share these stories. Proceeds will be going to a battered women's shelter, so come give your support to the wonderful cast and organizers of this ground-breaking event. Maybe by the time you leave, you'll be able to say the "v" word, too.
Michelle Oliveros-Larsen '02<br>Peer Advocate of Sexual Respect
<b>Special thanks for snow aid</b><br>I wish to thank the Physical Plant and the plow, as well as the two students who helped to shovel a path for my car during the snow storm last Monday night. Without their assistance I would have had to sleep here in makeshift accommodations.
Dee Mason<br>Valentine employee
<b>Changing for the better</b><br>I just wanted to compliment this year's <i>Student</i> staff on the paper's wonderful new design. For years, <i>Student</i> editors have talked whimsically about changing the layout to something bolder, fresher, less stodgy and more eye-catching. In my estimation, you have done exactly that.
The news section is your greatest accomplishment. News offers the least flexibility in both writing and appearance, but you have pushed the limits of these guidelines and created an exciting improvement on the traditional format. Why did it never occur to anyone before that maybe, just maybe, headlines do not need to go completely to the end, and that a jagged edge might in fact add interest? And who needs every headline on the front page written in the same font? Your use of different font sizes, boldface and italics makes page one truly sparkle.
News Briefs also impressed me: a picture of our world, our nation, and our state. Simple. Elegant. Brilliant. And the font for Crime Log looks like something out of a cop show. Official and strong, it could be fighting most of our campus crime itself.
The rest of the paper kept up with News. The first issue's Oscar Preview, for example, was one of the most striking Arts layouts I have ever seen in any newspaper. And good call changing "Calendar" to "The List," and organizing it by category rather than by date. I think the College's Weekly Bulletin could benefit from a similar revision.
It is clear from these innovations how hard you have all been working. I hope that <i>Student</i> readers take this as a sign of your commitment to serving the student body.
Suzanne Feigelson '01<br>former <i>Student</i> publisher