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You are free to love your body

Barbara Cordes

Issue date: 10/21/05 Section: News
Fallon Flowers, senior biology major, shared her personal story about her battle with her own body image Wednesday at open mic night.
Media Credit: Cody Bozarth
Fallon Flowers, senior biology major, shared her personal story about her battle with her own body image Wednesday at open mic night.

According to statistics provided by the Social Issues Research Centre, over 80 percent of fourth grade girls have gone on a fad diet. Did you know that the average weight of a model is 77 percent less than that of an average woman, and 20 years ago models were only 8 percent lower than average women?

With all of the negative ads and images that are forced upon women, it is about time women spoke up about it.

On Wednesday night, women did just that. In honor of National Love Your Body Day, the Women's Center and Feminist Action Alliance sponsored a Women's Voices Open Mic Night.

"Love Your Body Day is a national day of action to speak out against ads and images of women. It is about protesting unrealistic and unhealthy images of women and discrimination based on size and appearance. It also is about promoting positive body images and having positive self-esteem," said Temika Walton, Women's Voices Open Mic Night coordinator.

At the event, any woman who felt like she needed to be heard was invited to go on stage and share her personal story or a poem related to body image, personal appearance or anything that was on her mind.

Ashley Rodgers, sophomore women's studies major, shared her story involving the modeling industry.

"About a month ago, my friend and I had the opportunity to try out for a modeling job for Bedhead hair products. My friend told me we would get $100 for doing it, and it didn't matter what size we were."

When they got to the studio, it was very different than they had expected. The room was filled with overly thin models.

"They weren't a real depiction of what normal girls look like," Rodgers said.

She said she was so upset that she talked to the director about how she felt. The girls still received their $100.

"I can walk away a stronger person and be proud of who I am," Rodgers said.

Janine Cavicchia, Women's Center director, went on stage to read a few poems. The poems, titled "My Daily Self-Evaluation" and "More Secrets for Bountiful Living," both talked about girls who at first felt their flaws were endless, but then came to realize that those are what brings out their uniqueness.
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