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FEATURES
MONDAY, MARCH 1, 2010
THE TIMES-DELPHIC
Beautiful inside and out Eating Disorder awareness week breaks the silence on issues by RYAN AUSTIN
Staff Writer ryan.austin@drake.edu
Drake University is seeing the rise of a new trend. This trend, however, is much more serious than skinny jeans and leggings. According to Dr. Kerry Anderson, a counselor at the Drake University Counseling Center, Drake has seen an increase in students suffering from eating disorders in recent years. “There is so much anxiety and fear in our culture now,” Anderson said. “I definitely have seen it increase in my private practice in the last 10 years.” To help combat this epidemic, Catherine Gillespie, a professor in the Drake School of Education, organized events for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, which started on Feb. 21 and ran until Saturday. The program had three events. On Feb. 21, a kickoff walk was organized. Unfortunately, no one showed up besides media members and the organizers themselves. On Wednesday, a body image comedian, Stacey Prussman, performed in Meredith. On Thursday, an Eating Disorder Panel was held to educate students on eating disorders and answer any questions students may have about eating disorders. The panel consisted of six members including Anderson, Drake graduate Amanda Gibbons and sophomore Erin Hogan. “People would say to just go over to Hubbell and just take as many plates of food as you can,” Hogan said. “No matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t make myself do that.” The panel focused on the causes and treatments of eating disorders. Gibbons’ eating disorder was caused by a stress-induced seizure. “I was in an emotionally abusive relationship that was ending,” Gibbons said. “It had dragged on for far too long and it brought a lot of stress into my life and I had internalized it. That’s when I had the stressed-induced seizure. I was put on multiple medications that caused stomach problems, which caused me to stop eating.” Dr. Bridget Buck, a psychiatrist in West Des Moines, explained the difficulties associated with treating patients suffering from eating disorders. “It’s as if they have a baby and you are taking it away from them,” Buck said. “I have to let them know that I’m going to try really hard to get them out of that double-bind.” Anderson described the many people involved in an eating disorder case.
“When treating an eating disorder, you have to have a team,” Anderson said. “I’m just one small sliver of pie. There’s a psychotherapist, a psychiatrist, an internal medicine doctor, a nutritionist (and) maybe even another specialist if there are more physical complications.” The panel stressed how important it is to get help for someone suffering from an eating disorder. “I think you are always recovering from it,” Hogan said. “I think it’s something that takes a long time. I’m not at risk with my weight anymore, but I wouldn’t say that I have a good relationship or healthy relationship with food by any means.” To learn more about eating disorders and their causes, visit nationaleatingdisorders.org, or call the University Counseling Center at 1-800-44-DRAKE. n
Coochi-snorchers, chocolate vaginas and moans
Vagina Monologues draws a crowd by CAITLIN BERENS
Staff Writer caitlin.berens@drake.edu photo courtesy of La’Cee Groetken
>> Get the facts 40
percent of new Anorexia cases are girls ages 15-19
1/2
of teenage girls, and nearly a third of teenage boys use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, vomiting and taking laxatives
140
pounds, and 5’ 4” is the average for American women
91
percent of college women had attempted to control their weight through dieting
10
million females and 1 million males are fighting battles with eating disorders
Stats from nationaleatingdisorders.org
Some people laughed CAST MEMBERS, use convenient product placement of and some people cringed as chocolate vaginas at the pre-show carnival. Other carnival Gretchen Waech took the sites included a silent auction, free protection, a craft table stage. In her ninth year of and counseling information. performing “The Vagina Monologues” on Drake’s plete with a silent auction that solid goodies campus, the junior from the University of Northern Iowa began to moan. like shirts, lingerie, vagina pens and an arts and She started slowly, softly, then loudly, showcas- crafts station devoted to decorating your own ing a wide array of sounds, varying from the vagina on construction paper. “The Vagina Monologues” was a collabrock star moan to the triple-whammy she carorative effort of many people, with 15 women ried out at the very end. But “The Vagina Monologues” isn’t all performing on the stage. The facts and anecabout moaning, laughing or reclaiming the dotes varied from humorous to more serious, word cunt–even if pom-poms are involved. The both evoking their own type of tears/emotions. Thursday through Saturday night performanc- Some of the monologues addressed rape, genies of the monologues joined people together to tal mutilation, sex trafficking and transsexual raise awareness about violence against women discrimination. Others discussed orgasms, hair and what and girls. Sophomore Lauren Freese, the assistant di- your vagina would say if it could talk. A crerector of the event, said that a little over $3,000 ative question also emerged: what would your was raised from the three nights and about 450 vagina wear? The answers on stage varied from people turned out for the show. The proceeds feather boas, tutus, a tuxedo and even nothing went to benefit the Mid Iowa Sexual Assault but diamonds. There was a mix of both men and women Response Team. The show wasn’t the only thing getting at- in Bulldog Theatre. By Saturday night profestention, however. Chocolate vaginas—large sor Karen Leroux, Dean of Students Sentwali and small, white chocolate, dark chocolate and Bakari and Jennifer Morton of Planned Parenteven mint chocolate—had a crowd of their hood were all honored as being “vagina warriors,” activists in the community who work own. “We sold a lot of chocolate,” Freese said. alongside others to create a better world and “We originally had 600 pieces, we now have a brighter tomorrow. Once again, for the ninth year at Drake University, “The Vagina Monoabout 20 pieces left, just a small box.” The Vagina Carnival started before the logues” made people laugh, it made people cry show, then carried on until it was over, com- and it raised awareness. n
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