Students enjoying massages, eating vegetarian chili, examining sex toys, listening to live piano music and collecting colorful brochures from over 60 student organizations filled the Newcomb Hall ballroom and lounge yesterday as part of the University's first Women's Health Festival.
"This was an opportunity to re-envision how women's health is defined," said fourth-year College student Kate Neuhausen, the executive director of the festival.
Festival organizers attempted to broaden the definition of women's health to include economic, social, sexual and spiritual elements, along with the more traditional biomedical aspects, Neuhausen said.
Activities ranged from panel discussions on unplanned pregnancies in Charlottesville and women's human rights worldwide, to yoga and self-defense workshops.
"I was really surprised by the diversity of everything here," said second-year College student Maggie Harding as she browsed a table covered with yarn and knitting needles. "There's the U-Dems and then there's the erotica table."
One hundred and twelve local and national groups, ranging from the University chapter of the National Organization for Women to the American Cancer Society, sponsored the event.
Students in attendance said they came for a variety of reasons.
"I really wanted the free massage," Harding said. "The condoms are an added bonus."
Second-year College student Liesel Allen-Yeager made herself a bracelet at the beading table.
"I came because I thought it was a neat idea and I wondered what it was going to be like," Allen-Yeager said. "I picked up some info on things that are interesting to me that I get to read when I get home."
Volunteers from the University group One-in-Four manned the Festival information table.
"We're here to show our support for women's health and issues that women face in day-to-day life," fourth-year Commerce student Jarrod Cady said. "I'm really impressed by the organization that has gone into this and the passion of the people putting it together."
Many of the organizers met in a seminar course called "Women's Health: A Global Perspective," which brought together students from various schools to discuss women's issues.
"This class kind of sparked the idea for a women's health festival," Neuhausen said.
After the course, organizers said planning for the festival quickly was set in motion.
"We just kind of fed off each other's energy," said second-year College student Larissa Kravanja, festival publicity director.
Third-year College student M! Bruce, festival development director, said she thought the festival was an important step toward building communities.
"Women's health is powerful and beautiful and simultaneously tragic because [women] disproportionately suffer from illness, disease and poverty," she said. "We wanted to celebrate" efforts to improve women's health.
The organizers launched widespread publicity efforts to attract support for the festival, including sending letters to 400 organizations asking for participation.
Many said they were looking forward to seeing the event again.
"I hope they do it next year," Allen-Yeager said.
Read More
Travel 101: How out-of-state students travel to and from Charlottesville
By Bertie Azqueta | 4 minutes agoThese students have had to find efficient and affordable ways to travel across several states just to get back home or back to school.
Who is Interim President Paul G. Mahoney?
By Brandon Kile | 23 hours agoThe former Law dean joined the University Law School faculty in 1990 and served as academic associate dean of the School of Law from 1999 to 2004.
Why a judge ruled against allowing Youngkin appointees to serve
By Nina Broderick | 2 days agoThe denied appointees are now not recognized as official members and they can not vote or attend meetings.
