by NIKKI ROBERTI
Lifestyles Reporter

Playwright and performer Eve Ensler first created the “Vagina Monologues” in 1998 to help start an activist movement for empowering of women.

According to Vday.org, over 4,000 V-Day benefit events took place around the world last year.

This is Appalachian State University’s ninth year participating in the event.

Tickets are $10 for students before the show and $12 at the door.General admission is $15.

Last year the performance sold out.

“The Vagina Monologues isn’t a show just for women, it’s a show for the entire community, because it’s the entire community’s responsibility to help put an end to this epidemic of abuse –– from their own backyard to halfway around the world,” junior psychology major and member of the Vagina Monologues planning committee,  Michelle N. Grasty said. “Once people know about these situations and challenges women all over the world face, hopefully they will be willing to help put at end to it.”

This year’s proceeds will go to OASIS, the Ashe County Women’s Shelter and the Women of Congo. 

The show is basically the same each year with the exception of the spotlight and feature pieces, Ashley A. Hunsuck, a senior pre-professional biology major and head of the committee said.

This year there will be a spotlight monologue on Congo women to raise awareness and money towards the cause.

The other monologue was chosen by the committee and is titled “They Tried to Beat the Girl Out of My Boy” which explores transgender experiences.

Sophomore theater education and history education major Mary Beth E. Griffith is directing the piece.

“For me, personally, I have a great deal against people who oppress others. A lot of our society doesn’t try to understand and they’ll just say ‘you’re weird’ and go on,” she said. “The monologue was very superior, very real. It definitely pulled a string in me.”

Other monologues cover a range of topics that are both hysterical and serious.

Jessica E. Boggs, a junior criminal justice major, also on the planning committee, first read the monologues in Ensler’s book and it left an impression on her. 

“Every woman on campus has a relationship with her body, whether good or bad,” Boggs said. “Women in the community can relate to the stories of insecurity, anger, abuse, ignorance, hate and best of all, love for their bodies.”

Hunsuck said she finds it shocking that still in the year 2009, vaginas are still a taboo subject.

One of the purposes of the Vagina Monologues is to get people more comfortable with talking about women’s issues.

“Everyone knows everything about a penis. Guys talk about their pensises all the time but no one talks about women genitals,” she said. “If you heard a conversation about a man’s orgasm, boner or pubic hair, no one would think anything of it. Just hearing the word ‘vagina’ 40 times in a production gets the message across.”

Catherine E. Hardwick, sophomore child development major and member of the committee agrees.

“People shouldn’t be afraid of the word ‘vagina’ or anything that comes with it,” she said. “I personally feel like it’s a great way to break the ice and open up much needed lines of communication. Everyone should be able to talk about their vagina.”

The production is completely student-run and anticipates between 600 to 900 people to attend the event this year.

A contact table will be at the Student Union from 10 a.m to 2 p.m through tomorrow to sell tickets and buttons.

“A lot of people are intimidated by a bunch of girls hanging around posters that say ‘vagina,’” Grasty said. “But we’re all so excited and passionate about the show. It’s definitely worth a minute to stop and talk about the production.”

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