Happy V-Day!

Picture of last years shirt

Last night, I went to the opening performance of Vagina Monologues. Each spring semester, the Vagina Monologues are performed by a group of women from McDaniel. The entire show is about the empowerment of women. It talks about female sexuality and all the good and bad things that come with having a vagina. It is also really awesome because all the proceeds go to different organizations that help women.

This was my second time seeing the Vagina Monologues, and it was so good! It’s one of those interactive performances where you feel like you are on the stage with the people giving the monologues. Seeing it a second time was really empowering because it made me realize how much I have changed at McDaniel.

As a freshman, I was afraid to embrace my sexuality. I was never one to talk about sex, sexual assault, rape culture, feminism, or my vagina. As a junior, I am not afraid to engage in important conversations about being a woman in society, about inequalities and injustices, and about my own experiences. I transformed from frail freshman to empowered junior.

The Vagina Monologues rejuvenated me and reminded me why I want to fight and cause change in society. At the end of the monologues, two of the cast members share their own stories about their experiences. Last night, two women, both of whom I know, shared their assault stories. It took a special type of strength to write and share about the memories that most people try to run from.

I cried with compassion for them, and I cried with compassion for the women of the world who have had their power and sense of safety ripped from them. I felt inspired by their ability to overcome. The Vagina Monologues is such a beautiful piece of art because it makes you think, and it leaves you a more compassionate, understanding person.