Here is an example of how women everywhere are joining the fight to stop the violence. Rock on Ladies! ({'}) VDAY LOVE from OSU ({'})

Dont miss the OSU Open Mic Prison Show happening April 23, 2009 at 8:30pm in the Hale Center room 134. BE THERE

The Current

Sunday March 29, 2009

V-Day raises awareness with "Any One of Us"

Samantha Sonderen

Issue date: 2/23/09 Section: Features

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Media Credit: Sofi Seck

Last Friday February 20, The Vagina Monologues were performed at the Touhill Performing arts center. This years show focused on women in the penitentiary and the choices they make that put them in there.

At the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Valentine's Day is not merely what it used to be. It is not solely about candy, stuffed animals or romantic dinners. Valentine's Day is now also "V-Day," a day to raise awareness about women and gender equality.

The "VOICES" student group puts on a yearly show to demonstrate specific issues that some women deal with on a regular basis.

In previous years, the V-Day production has been "The Vagina Monologues," but this year "Any One Of Us: Words From Prison" was the show that had audience members filling the Touhill Performing Arts Center and the Pilot House with cheers.

V-Day has been around for quite some time, but it was not presented at UM-St. Louis until a few years ago when the "VOICES" group was formed.

V-Day can serve many purposes and offer benefits to the lives of women.

Whether it is at the V-Day booth selling vagina lollipops, or with a production, Monica Swindle, V-Day organizer, attempts to make the reasoning for V-Day clear and known to the student population.

"The purpose is to raise awareness about women's sexuality, domestic violence issues and also to raise money for local domestic violence organizations," Swindle said.

This year's show, "Any One Of Us: Words From Prison," focused on some of the issues that bring women into a correctional facility and the extreme situations that they face while behind bars.

Matthew Amend, the director of the production, put together a cast of women to play nine prisoners telling a story about the struggles they faced in life and in prison. The show was based on actual letters that were submitted by women in four different correctional facilities.

The roles of the prisoners were played by Tanesha Simchah Walker, Katie Bucher, Amanda Densmore, Krystle Morehouse, Rachel Ogborn, Theresa Greene, Jacqueline Thompsen, Natalie Crothers and Cori Stewart.

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