College launches 13th annual V-week events
By Axel Hufford
Published on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Faced with the statistic that one-third of women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes, playwright and activist Eve Ensler created the global V-day movement in 1998 to end violence against women and create a venue for women’s empowerment.
Dartmouth students joined the movement in 2000 and this week, the Center for Gender and Student Engagement will host its 13th annual V-week to educate community members about gender-based violence and empower them to act.
V-week, which began last Thursday and will continue through Feb. 27, features lectures, discussions and events organized by over 100 students, professors and staff.
Kathryn Blair, assistant director of the Center for Gender and Student Engagement, said the events help direct important attention to gender-based violence.
“Most people, you and I, probably know someone who was affected by this type of violence,” she said. “I think it’s critical that we work together to end it.”
At Wednesday’s “Speak Out” event, students affected by sexual assault will share stories and create a safe space for dialogue.
“I feel that, too often, sexual violence goes unspoken, which can create a horrible cycle where people think sexual assault doesn’t happen,” Rachel Funk ’15, one of the event’s organizers, said. “‘Speak Out’ allows students to share their stories, and it empowers women on campus.”
V-week is about more than combating violence. Thursday’s “One Billion Rising” event celebrated womanhood and femininity through dance and movement. The event took place in over 200 countries and generated visibility for V-week on campus, Blair said.
The “V” in V-week, which stands for Victory over Violence, encapsulates the multi-faceted nature of the programs, Center for Gender and Student Engagement intern Carla Yoon ’15 said.
“V-week raises awareness about many issues surrounding gender-based violence, but it also promotes the progress that we’ve made,” Yoon said. “V-week brings everything together in a way that people can truly celebrate.”
“The Vagina Monologues” play by Ensler about on the feminine experience will culminate V-week events.
Co-directed by Anna Fagin ’13, Maia Matsushita ’13 and Gillian O’Connell ’15, the monologues will have an underlying focus on how words can mean different things to different people, Matsushita said. To emphasize this theme, different words will be projected onto the set and the show will feature three original monologues, written by Dartmouth students.
“This year we really asked the cast to think about how they pronounce and weigh their words, especially the tempo and emphasis of them,” O’Connell said. “In regard to femininity, there are words that some women find empowering and others find disempowering. We want to emphasize this complexity.”
Sandi Caalim ’13 and Marian Gutierrez ’13 are writing and performing an original monologue that focuses on a perceived double standard between men and women in sex. Caalim said that many women are stuck in the 1960s mindset that a woman’s sole job is to pleasure her partner during sex. The monologue will advocate for the redefinition of what sex means to women.
“The Vagina Monologues bring together women from different communities, backgrounds and years, creating a group of women who can all be vulnerable together,” Caalim said. “At Dartmouth, a school that used to be only for men, it is important that we, as women, realize that we have voices too.”
Although the events emphasize female empowerment, V-week is not exclusively for women. A discussion will analyze male stereotypes and consider masculinity on campus.
“V-week is for everybody,” Blair said. “Men, women, anybody can come out, learn and have a good time. Come out and support the movement.”
Through co-sponsorships and candy sales, the Center for Gender and Student Engagement has already raised $3,500 for WISE, an Upper Valley nonprofit organization that helps those affected by sexual or domestic violence.
The week’s events include “Upstaging Stereotypes” on Thursday, “Global Gender Violence” on Friday, and a mental self-defense class on Feb. 25.
Where does the statistic that 1/3 of women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes come from? What is the definition of sexual assault? The sexual assault industry at Dartmouth grinds on and on as the College recruits people who have histories of sexually assaulting others. After recruiting these people the College finds itself with a problem of sexual assault. It seems to me that it would be a good idea not to recruit these people and when they commit the crime they are removed from the College. What the College does in these matters makes no sense and you can have all the V Days and sexual assault activities you want but the people who commit these assaults aren’t going to stop and it won’t help to accuse the male student body in general, because the male student body in general isn’t committing these offenses. The College knows exactly who is doing it but finds it politically difficult to take the measures necessary to curtail it. This means that the College has to make it appear as though it is fixing the problem that it created. How does it feel to have the College responsible for putting Dartmouth College women at risk and know that is exactly what they are doing?
By Anon on Feb 19 | 2:33 am
There has only been one thing that is proven to reduce rape on College Campuses, female solidarity. Yet Dean Johnson, JD has launched an attack on Female solidarity as part of her blind rage against Hazing.
The decision of ban pink hair from the Dartmouth women’s ski team was Dean Johnson, JD’s “green light” to engage in rape. As the WGS 80 petition says “We rape, are raped, and are taught to accept that sexual violence is a facet of our campus like the Bell Tower or the Green”.
Why did Dean Johnson,JD decide to make rape easier at Dartmouth? Was it an effort to cover up the blatant amount of Black Privilege on campus? To get the media to ignore the free pass given to Alpha Phi Alpha?
We may never know, but we can be clear on one thing Dean Johnson,JD must resign.
By Dan 13 on Feb 19 | 11:48 am
why is does it seem like theres one person continuously trolling the d’s website about firing “Dean Johnson, JD” and criticizing Alpha Phi Alpha’s “free pass”?? does this person not have anything else to do?
By who is dan 13 on Feb 19 | 11:06 pm
Probably because Dean Johnson does need to get out. Dartmouth College is chock full of nuts and double standards, triple standards, quadruple standards…and Dean Johnson is one of the worst practitioners that have been employed by the College.
By who is who is dan 13 on Feb 21 | 2:37 pm