Thursday, March 29, 2007
By Katy Blair
Almost every woman deals with it sometime in her life.
Many women struggle with low self-esteem because of negative self-image. A new campaign, “You are Beautiful”, is working with women in GSP-Corbin Hall to combat negative body images.
“Some of our women have been talking about themselves...not in positive ways,” Natalie Timson, GSP-Corbin complex director said.
Timson said the campaign began as a way to remind the women that they are beautiful, and others think so as well.
pullquote
Women look in the mirror at times and don’t see the positives in life. We want them to realize that people think they are beautiful just the way they are, and get them to see it too.
- Natalie Timson, GSP-Corbin complex director
GSP-Corbin resident Lynn Jones, Osage City sophomore, Jones said the program was an encouraging idea because negative body issues were more prominent in an all-female hall.
She said she has seen calorie-counting in the cafeteria, and laughed as she recalled telling some of the women to “have some cake, cake is good.”
Coming from a rural town, Jones said college pressure made negative body issues worse for women. While talking about social gatherings in a college town, said the people are “downright mean if you’re a little off, a little on the chunky side.”
The first initiative of the campaign was writing Maya Angelou’s poem, “Phenomenal Woman,” on all the mirrors in GSP.
This week, a bulletin board was hung in the lobby, on which the women can post pictures of special women in their lives.
Timson said the goal of these daily reminders was to get the women thinking positively about themselves without “cramming it down their throats”. In order to make the campaign more passive, GSP hall staff have planned small gifts for the women.
Daisies were given to residents upon their return from spring break, and resident advisors left encouraging notes in their mailboxes to let the women know they were appreciated.
Resident advisor Lauren Christina, Woodlands, Texas, sophomore, was pleased with the response to the program.
“People come up to me and say, ‘Hey, thank you for putting that in my mailbox, it really made my day,’” Christina said.
She said because many of the women are freshmen and just starting their college experience, it was important that they discovered who they are in a positive way.
Other events such as a “real woman” fashion show and “Throw Away the Hate” day are being planned for April.
Timson said GSP staff hope to show women, through the fashion show, that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.
“Women look in the mirror at times and don’t see the positives in life,” Timson said. “We want them to realize that people think they are beautiful just the way they are, and get them to see it too.”
Kansan staff writer Katy Blair can be contacted at kblair@kansan.com.
— Edited by Mark Vierthaler
GSP-Corbin celebrate rich history
With very few gender exclusive residence halls left, GSP-Corbin takes the opportunity ...
GSP could be coed
GSP, now an all-female residence hall, could become home to male students
GSP residence hall to undergo renovations
Following the end of the school year, GSP Hall will undergo an ...
Distorted perception
Shaking the self-deprecating lies to see myself as beautiful
Editorial: GSP should become coed
Student housing needs to carry through with plan to make GSP coed.
GSP will go coed in fall of ...
Reasons for shift include fewer requests for single-gender housing and dining hall ...
Dove model to speak on women’s issues
Stacy Nadeau, from Dove’s Real Beauty campaign, will address body image, stereotypes, ...
Incident might be overdose
Vandalism a problem in residence halls
Department of Student Housing said incidents are isolated.
GSP rape suspect makes first court appearance
Check Kansan.com for the latest updates on this case.
North Campus: The land where KU began
The north end of campus has two buildings that look over Lawrence: ...
Dining centers serve up homecoming meal
Bailey DeReus, community and campus outreach chairwoman of the homecoming steering committee, ...
Students experience living on campus
Students should expect to make some adjustments to a new environment when ...
Week encourages image acceptance
The week, which is sponsored by HOMEBASE and KU Student Health Services, ...
Residence hall redos down the road
Oliver Hall, McCollum Hall, GSP-Corbin Hall and Jayhawker Towers remain without renovations.
Dining Services offer unlimited meal plan
Students have until 5 p.m. on Friday to change to a less ...
Housing, meal costs increase
GSP-Corbin hosts tailgate party
The Department of Student Housing decides to sponsor event to foster an ...
University disregards safety issues
Students use Spencer library and museum to ...
Spencer Research Library has more than a million photos available for academic ...
Man suspected of raping University student arrested
A 20-year old Wichita resident was arrested last Tuesday in Pratt County ...
Templin pumps its pride
Laura Remington, assistant complex director said the week is to express appreciation ...
Some upperclassmen choose to live on campus
Students from residence halls honored
The top 5 percent of students in terms of GPA were honored ...
Residence halls join sustainability contest
On-campus residence halls compete against student housing at Kansas State University as ...
Jaywalk involvement increases
Geothermal heating and cooling system welcomed at ...
KU Dining serves up a night of ...
The three dining halls will serve food that comes from within a ...
Osterhaus: Traditional image of anorexic female ignores ...
Just like women who become ill, men have similar psychological or self-esteem ...
The Secret to Happiness
According to the author of "The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Science ...
Delta Forces loses presidential race, but gains ...
Delta Force won 27 seats for individual school Student Senators
‘The Colbert Report’ may cover local 11-year-old ...
Lawrence legalizing hedgehog ownership and the 11-year-old responsible have interested the show’s ...
Wireless Internet hits residence halls
The first phase of Information Services’ plan to add wireless access to ...
Classifieds - 3/09
Pushing for an environmentally-friendly campus
Ray Anderson, found of Interface, will speak at Woodruff Auditorium tonight at ...
Who you gonna call?
A reporter’s search for the paranormal turns up some interesting information and ...
Group pushes to end donor discrimination
Controversy continues as Queers and Allies defends the rights of gay men ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID