Have you ever wondered what would it be like to hear the stories of Bowdoin women who are outside of your friend group? The stories of the woman who starred in the fall musical. The starting basketball point guard. That quiet woman who sat in front of you in your government class. How do they feel? What are their experiences like? The good, the bad and the ugly. Experiences with men, women, both. What if we could read powerful stories from a variety of Bowdoin women? The answer is, you can. Right now, SPEAK 2012 is accepting submissions from all Bowdoin women. SPEAK is a book published once a year that includes real stories about sex (having it or not), sexual encounters, relationships, homosexual and heterosexual experiences, masturbation, sexual assault, violence and more. The goal of SPEAK is to spark discussion and raise awareness about issues such as consent, assault, and violence in an effort to make Bowdoin safer. The stories are submitted completely anonymously and some of them (with the permission of the author) will be used to help educate incoming freshman during orientation this fall.
As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of women at Bowdoin this year, I think SPEAK 2012 holds an important place in our campus culture. By sharing our stories, both negative and positive, we each have the potential to make a difference in the Bowdoin community. Women have played an essential role at Bowdoin in the past forty years and have helped transform our small college into one of the best liberal arts schools in the country. Women at Bowdoin are students, friends, mentors, athletes, actresses, musicians, artists, poets, and much more. We are intellectuals who seek more than status quo, who push the envelope, demand equality, and seek to make a difference in the world. We are powerful individuals who will certainly make our mark on the world after Bowdoin.
With all of this in mind, I urge you to consider the following- Why not start now? Why not start making a difference in the lives of other Bowdoin women by sharing your story? Other women will read these stories and realize that they are not alone. They will take comfort in knowing that many other women understand their feelings. And some women might even find the strength to seek help. But none of this can happen if you don’t share. Everyone has something to share and your story will help to facilitate change. Together, we can learn from and support one another to continue to be a strong force of powerful women.
All stories are completely anonymous. If you’d like to share an experience Please indicate whether you give permission to read the story anonymously at an event in the Spring or during Speak About It during Orientation.
Stories can be either emailed to: aausubel@bowdoin.edu , jmgreene@bowdoin.edu, or pborrego@bowdoin.edu,
OR
sent through campus mail to SU Box #55, #392, or #90A
OR submitted anonymously FROM this gmail account:
submitbowdoinspeak@gmail.com
password: polarbear
TO this gmail account:
Photo credit:
http://awib.tumblr.com/post/451126928/speak-up-and-speak-out-public-spea…
http://www.fitstudio.com/articles/the-secret-to-a-flat-belly