‘Monologues’ V-Day campaign success

To The Editor:
I’d like to publicly express my thanks to everyone who was involved in and supported Appalachian State University’s first-ever production of Eve Ensler’s award-winning play “The Vagina Monologues.” In joining over 500 colleges and universities in the V-Day College Campaign 2002, we sought to raise awareness concerning violence against women and girls and to celebrate female sexuality.
All three shows sold out early, and we were disappointed to have to turn away some theatergoers each night. But the good news is that we raised $7,618. Ninety percent of this amount will stay in our own community, benefiting OASIS and the Watauga County Sexual Assault Response Team. The remaining 10 percent will be donated to RAWA, a group aiding women in Afghanistan.
Given the overwhelmingly positive community response, this provocative and inspiring production promises to become an annual Appalachian event. Thank you for your support of “The Vagina Monologues” and everything it stands for.
Sincerely,
Dr. Betsey Beaulieu
Director, Women’s Studies
Program
Appalachian State University
ASU Box 32080

MTV visit lacked respect for campus

To The Editor:
After last weeks campus craze created by MTV, I can say this week, I’m glad they’re gone. It was exciting when I heard a nationally viewed television network was scheduled to be on our campus but once they arrived, they quickly wore out their welcome. It’s really sad for me to think that stations like MTV are some of the leading trendsetters and are idealized and applauded for their embarrassment to society. I hope that the girl who jumped into Duck Pond with her shirt off and then supposedly threw her thong into the crowd is not a role model for anyone in this world, much less at ASU. I thought that MTV disgraced our campus and brought out the sex driven superficial adolescence in our student body and put them on camera. It would have been great if MTV could of shown up, taped their footage, and been polite about it, but instead they thought they had been selected chancellor of the day and decided to take over. I know the world isn’t perfect, but Aretha Franklin sings about a thing called “respect.” I hope that our campus can grow and experience life with enough “respect” for themselves and others not to let the bad examples in the world be what shapes and molds our lives.
Sarah Thompson
St42161@appstate.edu