2008 Woodie Awards
Minerva Series teaches women to love their bodies
Janine Camara
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: Campus News
It is Friday afternoon and seven people are on the floor stretching under the sound of a dance professor's soothing voice. No, they are not doing yoga. Rather they are participating in the very first session of the Minerva Series, an on-going discussion group about body issues initiated by the Women's and Gender Studies department.
The first installment of the series began last Friday at the close of "Love Your Body" week.
This year was the second time UNCG has celebrated "Love Your Body" week, a campaign begun by the National Organization of Women urging people to celebrate rather than denigrate their bodies.
The events included a viewing and discussion of a film about intersex issues called I'm The One I Want by comedian Margaret Cho. Friday's session of the Minerva Series focused on body awareness.
"It's gonna be a campus-wide, but also community-wide dialogue," Kathy Jamieson, director of the WGS department, says of the Minerva Series.
"[WGS] can pull these things off like nobody else," says Jamieson, attributing the unique programming of the department to its interdisciplinary nature.
Both the graduate and undergraduate students in the WGS department are able to take courses in a variety of other degree programs, like African-American Studies, Dance, Public Affairs, or Communication Studies.
"It's really tightly tied to the skills that our students bring with them," Jamieson explains, pointing out how WGS students bring their interests and abilities to help put on events in the WGS department.
Alicia Hines, a graduate student in the WGS department, contributed her background in dance to this session of the Minerva Series.
"I'm just personally very interested in body issues," says Hines.
Hines, a former dancer, says she struggled with her body, which developed more quickly when she was growing up than the girls around her.
"All of a sudden everybody noticed," she says.
The first installment of the series began last Friday at the close of "Love Your Body" week.
This year was the second time UNCG has celebrated "Love Your Body" week, a campaign begun by the National Organization of Women urging people to celebrate rather than denigrate their bodies.
The events included a viewing and discussion of a film about intersex issues called I'm The One I Want by comedian Margaret Cho. Friday's session of the Minerva Series focused on body awareness.
"It's gonna be a campus-wide, but also community-wide dialogue," Kathy Jamieson, director of the WGS department, says of the Minerva Series.
"[WGS] can pull these things off like nobody else," says Jamieson, attributing the unique programming of the department to its interdisciplinary nature.
Both the graduate and undergraduate students in the WGS department are able to take courses in a variety of other degree programs, like African-American Studies, Dance, Public Affairs, or Communication Studies.
"It's really tightly tied to the skills that our students bring with them," Jamieson explains, pointing out how WGS students bring their interests and abilities to help put on events in the WGS department.
Alicia Hines, a graduate student in the WGS department, contributed her background in dance to this session of the Minerva Series.
"I'm just personally very interested in body issues," says Hines.
Hines, a former dancer, says she struggled with her body, which developed more quickly when she was growing up than the girls around her.
"All of a sudden everybody noticed," she says.
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