A Victory for the Vagina

The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler was performed on March 26 in Holmes Auditorium with the talent and hard work of 17 Alfred University students.

The production was put on in conjunction with the Women’s Issues Coalition – an organization on campus that strives to bring awareness and give a platform to prominent women’s issues in our world.

Senior Ulana Bihun and sophomore Ana Devlin-Gauthier directed the monologues. Both Bihun and Devlin-Gauthier are adamant about making the monologues an annual event. The Vagina Monologues, written in 1996, is a collection of works concerning feminine sexuality, abuse, relationships and friendships while providing eye-opening information about the injustice women face everyday.

The Vagina Monologues is linked up with the V-Day movement to end violence against women and girls. Eve Ensler began the campaign, which ensures that every cent made at any production of The Vagina Monologues goes directly back into the V-Day movement. The funds are then donated to contributing organizations and programs that work to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day was chosen as one of the “100 Best Charities” in 2001 by Worth Magazine and continues to raise millions towards education and awareness.

This year’s production at Alfred University raised over $620, which will be donated to The Rape Crisis Center of the Southern Tier, a V-Day supported cause. Based on the immense success of the performance, the monologues should become an annual celebration of womanhood that is not only entertaining, but also charitable.

For more information on the cause, visit www.vday.org