V-Day works to put a stop to violence
Jessi Kohn
Issue date: 4/9/09 Section: News
"One in four women might be a victim of violence." These were the opening words of Professor Katy Strzepek, who teaches Women's Studies at St. Ambrose University.
"A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer," also known as V-Day, has come to SAU and made an impact. V-day is a movement that is done all around the world to help raise awareness of violence against women and girls. This day helps raise not only awareness, but also funds to help domestic violence shelters and counseling programs at Family Resources and for women survivors of the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a collection of monologues written by a variety of writers and edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle. The Women's Studies 201 classes and Women's Studies Honor Society were the ones in charge of this memory, monologue, rant and prayer.
The project is required for all those who are enrolled in Strzepek's Women's Studies 201. Strzepek said she was approached with the idea to bring V-Day to SAU by some former students.
"Katelynn Krahn, a women's studies minor, and several other minors who have since graduated asked me about doing this project at St. Ambrose and I was pleased to integrate it into my Women's Studies 201 class in the spring to teach students more about this issue and to show them how to become campus activists," Strzepek said.
For many students, this wasn't their first year performing the monologue. Kelsey Rentfro, an SAU sophomore, has participated before in this presentation and says she really enjoys getting the word out about violence and how men and women are affected by it.
"Human rights issues like this have shown themselves to be a huge part of who I am and what I care about, so this performance of course affected me because I feel like even the minor act of reading a piece is touching someone and changing someone's outlook on this issue," Rentfro said.
The outcome wasn't what some expected, but with the help of those who did attended, the Women's Studies class made over $1,000 towards the funds to help women and girls who are being abused. Some people showed up that you would have never expected to show up and some were returners ready to learn new and interesting facts on violence against women.
"A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer," also known as V-Day, has come to SAU and made an impact. V-day is a movement that is done all around the world to help raise awareness of violence against women and girls. This day helps raise not only awareness, but also funds to help domestic violence shelters and counseling programs at Family Resources and for women survivors of the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a collection of monologues written by a variety of writers and edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle. The Women's Studies 201 classes and Women's Studies Honor Society were the ones in charge of this memory, monologue, rant and prayer.
The project is required for all those who are enrolled in Strzepek's Women's Studies 201. Strzepek said she was approached with the idea to bring V-Day to SAU by some former students.
"Katelynn Krahn, a women's studies minor, and several other minors who have since graduated asked me about doing this project at St. Ambrose and I was pleased to integrate it into my Women's Studies 201 class in the spring to teach students more about this issue and to show them how to become campus activists," Strzepek said.
For many students, this wasn't their first year performing the monologue. Kelsey Rentfro, an SAU sophomore, has participated before in this presentation and says she really enjoys getting the word out about violence and how men and women are affected by it.
"Human rights issues like this have shown themselves to be a huge part of who I am and what I care about, so this performance of course affected me because I feel like even the minor act of reading a piece is touching someone and changing someone's outlook on this issue," Rentfro said.
The outcome wasn't what some expected, but with the help of those who did attended, the Women's Studies class made over $1,000 towards the funds to help women and girls who are being abused. Some people showed up that you would have never expected to show up and some were returners ready to learn new and interesting facts on violence against women.
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