The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 13, 2004, Page 5, Image 5
“The lives of people, the actual
lives, are far more interesting
than anything you could
Contact. Us invent.”
Story ideas? Questions? Comments? ™ VAGINA monologues
E-mail us at gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu
PHOTO BY
MORGAN
FORD/THE
GAMECOCK
Sarah
Thomas, a
» second-year
advertising
student, and
Amy Lodge,
a second
year French
student, are
excited
performing
in “The
Vagina
Mono
logues.”
GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY MARY PINCKNEY WATERS/THE GAMECOCK
BY CAITLIN COKER
THE GAMECOCK
Vagina.
Now that ihave your attention:
USC students and members of
the community are heading to the
^ Law Center auditorium to talk
about their vaginas. Thursday
through Saturday at 8 p.m., an all
female cast is performing “The
Vagina Monologues,” a play by
Eve Ensler.
"The Vagina Monologues” is a
series of tales about different as
pects of female sexuality. Stories
about discovering masturbation,
vaginal fluid, giving birth and
shaving that delicate area are
written with an unabashedly
blunt edge and performed with ab
solutely no chagrin.
“We're doing this play to inform
and educate women and men on
how to love the vagina and how to
understand the vagina. And to en
tertain, of course,” said second
year nursing student Katie
10 Belding, an actress in the play.
The performers aims to curb
the general ignorance towards
vaginas and raise awareness of
the staggering rates of violence
against women.
Kristen Gilmore, stage manag
er of the Monologues and second
year theatre student, said the pur
pose of “The Vagina Monologues”
at USC is “to raise awareness of
what women have gone through
in the past and around the world
,and to create respect towards
women among college students.”
Gilmore said she worked hard
to make this year's production
even better than last year's, which
filled the Roger Center.
“This is a smaller production
than in the past, but it is also more
theatrical and less presentation
al,” Gilmore said. “We aren't us
ing cue cards this year, and we
have smoother transitions. So, it
is a play with scenes rather than
just different speakers.
“The Vagina Monologues” is
just one facet of V-Day, an inter
national event that aims to stop
the violence against women and
girls. In 2002, V-Day was celebrat
ed in 800 venues, including USC.
The V-Day organization also
runs a specialized campaign
through which they invite college
campuses like USC to perform
“The Vagina Monologues” in or
der to raise funds for local organi
zations. Proceeds from the pro
duction are going to the universi
ty's office of
oexuai
Health and
Violence and
Prevention.
In conjunc
tion with V
Day, USC has
declared this
week “Sexual
Health
Awareness
Week” and
set up tables
on Greene
Street.
Several actresses from “The
Vagina Monologues” have been
handing out flyers and “condom
pops” on Greene Street.
V-Day is a colossal force, pro
moting social change worldwide:
“Roma women in Macedonia
vowed to reverse ancient and
heinous marriage practices that
abuse women, girls were saved
from female genital mutilation
and allowed to be educated in
Kenya, Harlem was declared
Vagina Friendly by the state sen
ator, and San Francisco was pro
nounced a Rape
tree ^one uy tne
City Council,” all
thanks to V-Day
actions, according
to www.VDay.org.
In addition to
noble goals, “The
Vagina
Monologues” is an
incredible show
for both genders to
enjoy. The $10 cost
of admission is a
nominal price to
pay for witnessing
such beautiful women talk frankly
about what's on their minds. These
women aren't afraid to moan in
front of others—and they definite
ly aren't ashamed of their sexuality.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu
The purpose is to raise
awareness of what
women have gone
through in the past and
around the world, and
to create respect
towards women among
college students.”
KRISTEN GILMORE
STAGE MANAGER OF THE MONOLOGUES AND
SECOND-YEAR THEATRE STUDENT
PHOTO SPECIAL
TO THE
GAMECOCK
“The
Vagina
Mono
logues,”
author, Eve
Ensler,
promotes
social
change.
Her series
of tales
about
female
sexuality
open this
weekend at
USC’s Law
School
auditorium.
Avoid a Valentine’s gift massacre
BY CARRIE GIVENS
THEOAMECOCK
It's Cupid's favorite time of the
year. Stores are fully stocked with
decadent sweets and adorable
stuffed animals. Florists are over
flowing with red roses, tulips,
baby's breath and lilies.
Restaurants are booked Saturday
.vith reservations for two. And
from Feb. 14-Feb. 16, the Russell
House will be appropriately show
ing “Love Actually.”
For some students, Valentine's
Day is the ultimate celebration of
love. And for others who remain
unattached, Feb. 14 is just anoth
er day of the week.
So what do you get your signif
icant other for Valentine's Day?
First-year classics student Bryan
Sansbury has big plans for Feb.
14. He plans to visit his girlfriend
in Tennessee and take her out to
dinner. Sansbury suggested buy
ing the “traditional gifts, choco
late and flowers and then some
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Chocolates and flowers might be the usual gift for the first-year
Valentine. But long-term couples suggest sentimental presents.
thing special between the two of
you.”
“Be original; girls appreciate,
that. Don't be cheap. They will
know; they are smart,” Sansbury
added.
Sansbury said he is not a big
jewelry-buyer because it “looks
nice on anyone.”
First-year electrical engineer
ing student Matt Bell has been dat
ing his girlfriend for three years
and a month. When shopping for
her, he looked for “things she likes
... something that is special to us,
not generic.”
His favorite present that he's re
ceived from his girlfriend is a trea
sure chest with painted hearts in
side inscribed with sentiments he
has given her, such as trust.
Second-year chemistry student
Jason Wheeler tries “to go for cre
ative and useful” when shopping
for his girlfriend. “Practical gifts
are the best ones,” he said.
Wheeler proudly boasts that his
girlfriend still has the picture he
drew for her with crayons. But he
has good and bad memories of last
Valentine's Day. He caught a stom
ach virus from his girlfriend and
spent the day in a hospital bed
watching television.
But his girlfriend made it up to
him; she stayed with him and fed
him dinner. This year, he is look
ing forward to an illness-free Feb.
14.
First-year print journalism stu
dent Melanie Baker has been dat
ing first-year mathematics and
music student Brett Barwick for
17 months. When buying presents
for Baker, Barwick usually picks
up some chocolate and then cre
ates a personal card.
For last Valentine's Day,
Barwick bought a stufFed monkey,
put a ring in its Velcro hands and
sprayed it with cologne.
Barwick makes each month's
anniversary special by getting
Baker a present ranging from a
plastic ring from a gumball ma
chine to a CD of him singing her
favorite songs. She adds that “any
thing from him would be special
to me ... he's a good gift picker
outer.”
When he first started dating
Baker, Barwick said his presents
were more “generalized, some
thing I knew she would like.”
Barwick said if money were no
object he would take Melanie on a
trip to Florence, Italy.
Considering the current ex
change rate, he may need more
than Cupid’s help to pull off that
one.
Comments on this story?E-mail
gamecockfeatures@gwm. sc. edu
Making the
connection
Cell phones aren't just a way of
keeping in touch but a means
of making new connections. By
pressing the right buttons, you
too could get lucky in love - no
wires attached. A recent survey
conducted by Cingular Wireless
revealed that many phone
users are not only asking “Can
you hear me now?" but
professing their love via the
airwaves.
Show a little love yourself:'
♦ Clue in your date if you're
expecting a call that you know
you'll need to answer-and it
better be important!
♦ Picture this: Snap a cute
photo and send it to your
sweetie with your favorite love
song attached.
♦ Text appeal: Send a short text
message to your love interest at
unexpected times and places.
Survey Results: Results and tips courtesy of
♦ 44% of respondents have Cingular Wireless,
flirted with someone via
wireless phone or text
messaging.
♦ 31% of respondents said a
wireless phone had saved
them from an uncomfortable
date.
♦ 32% would get upset if a
date took a call while on a
date.
♦ 31% said a date had
answered wireless phone in
midst of a great dinner
conversation.
♦ 88% of users surveyed
were not dating, and 60%
were married.
GRAPHIC BY MARY PINCKNEY WATERS/THE GAMECOCK
Sexy, sweet styles
stick for special day
BY LISA TOWNSEL
KRT CAMPUS
ST; LOUIS — Cotton-candy
pinks, strawberry reds and
^|Hershey-bar browns. Retailers
lave wrapped up the sweetest day
of the year with colors and styles
that make sexy sweet and demure
divine.
Options abound for the woman
who wants to make a statement on
Valentine's Day.
There's been a lot of thinking
outside the box recently. It's not
as simple as choosing to look like
a schoolgirl or vamp. Many of to
day's fashions blur the line.
“It’s a combination of sexy and
sweet,” said Kassandra Williams,
district manager of Papaya
Clothing. “Maybe it's Britney
Spears and the whole schoolgirl
image. The skirts Eire short. Some
are plaid. it's the
cheerleader/naughty schoolgirl
look. The girls love that style.”
One V-Day outfit at Papaya
pairs a flirty, black miniskirt with
pink polka dots and a tulle under
lay along with a soft-looking,
sweet sweater bearing monikers
such as “Princess” and “Candy.”
“That's been really, really hot
right now,” Williams contends.
“And there's definitely an '80s in
fluence.”
Colors aren't as predictable this
time around, either. Gone are the
days when a Valentine’s Day en
'
♦ STYLES, SEE PAGE 6
PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Valentine’s Day isn't just for
red and pink anymore. The
deviant s choolgirl is one
cherished style this year.
Who decides what’s hot, what’s not?
BY KATE SANTICH
KRT CAMPUS
So there you are, driving your
Toyota Scion xB in your baked
denim wrinkled jeans and your
wavy hair, listening to Barry
Manilow, eating homemade
marshmallows, having just had
part of your toes surgically re
moved so you can cram your feet
into pointy stilettos, even though
— irony of ironies — right now
you're into those chunky, flat
soled Ugg boots just like Gwyneth
Paltrow wears.
“Gwynsy,” as you like to call
her.
You think you're so avant
garde, so cutting-edge, so very
2004.
Yawn.
Wake up and smell the Gouda
(Cheese shops are irif coffee shops
out). In reality, you're so three
weeks ago it's excruciating. Even
fans of Clay Aiken, whose star
faded in 2003, are making fun of
you.
Do try to keep up. Scions and
Manilow tunes and toe reduc
tions et al were hot when they
came out on The Washington
Post's annual in/out list on New
Year's Day, a virtual ice age ago
in trend time. So even if you've
dutifully tuned out “Rich Girls”
to watch “Newlyweds: Nick and
Jessica,” ditched your techno
sawy PowerPoint presentations
for Luddite-favored handouts and
stopped toting around your tiny
dog in favor of your hairless cat
—just as trend-spotters predicted
you would — you're already
passe.
“If something is currently 'in,'
“ explained Hank Stuever, cre
ator of the Post's 2004 list “it's al
ready 'out.' Especially now.”
According to market re
searchers, we Americans are
quite the fickle bunch, obsessed
with celebrities and fashion and
manipulated by Madison
Avenue. Our lust for social cur
rency has fueled the rise of an en
tire trend-spotting industry that
takes itself quite seriously, most
ly because there are such enor
mous gobs of money to be made.
Whole firms now specialize in
“cool-hunting,” as it has been
called, and those that don't often
have at least a division devoted
to the cause. They have pop-cul
ture prognosticators.
The cycle moves at warp
speed. Some maverick deems
that, say, men'.s classic white
briefs are in and boxers are out.
Market researchers dig this up
and feed it to advertisers who
♦TRENDS, SEE PAGE 6