Northern’s Women for Women will be hosting its third annual Self-Acceptance Week this year from March 19 through March 22 with many events are planned.
On Monday, March 19, the film “Cyberbully” will be shown at 7 p.m. in Jamrich 103 “It is a movie that depicts life as we know it today; it touches on issues regarding the Internet and social networking,” Justine Samek, Co-President of Women for Women said.
People are welcome to stay after the movie showing for discussion of similar issues prevalent in their own lives.
On Tuesday, March 20, the founder of Post Secret, Frank Warren, will be speaking at Jamrich 102 at 7 p.m.
“Post Secret is an anonymous on-going blog that you can send in personal secrets,” Samek said.
Warren will speak about books he has written, along with inspiring stories about individual secrets. People in attendance may share their secrets at a microphone, if they wish to do so.
On Wednesday, March 21, Women for Women’s fourth annual “Hear Us Roar” event will occur in Jamrich 102 at 7 p.m. It is a sexual assault readers’ theater to help others understand they are not alone as sexual assault survivors.
“Sexual assault cases are more prevalent on college campuses than we all realize,” Samek said. “A few readers will share with us their survival stories. Sometimes it is a part of the healing process to share.”
The group is still seeking people for story submissions. Persons submitting a story may read their story or have someone else read it, and it may be submitted anonymously.
“Many people aren’t open about their struggles and have no positive outlet to help overcome these hurdles,” Emily Stulz, Women for Women member and a coordinator of “Hear Us Roar” said. “It is about women and men in our Northern community, as well as the surrounding Marquette Community, and their stories pertaining to sexual assault. It’s about the healing process and how they feel now as survivors.”
The deadline for story submission is 7 p.m. on Monday, February 20. For further information email Emily Stulz at [email protected]. Stories maybe emailed to [email protected].
On Thursday, March 22, Self-Acceptance Week will close with a video screening of the movie “Who the $*&#@ Are You?” The video will be a looped all-day screening in the Payne/Halverson Lobby.
“Self-Acceptance Week is a week where there is no pressure to be anything other than yourself, and to recognize that as a person you are wonderful,” Stulz said. “[It] is a great thing for our campus community as a whole. Everyone deals with self-esteem and not accepting themselves for who they are.”
The mission of Women for Women is promotion of education, service and leadership throughout Northern Michigan University and the community.
According to Samek, “If you accept yourself others will learn to accept you, too. It is something that everyone struggles with at various points of their lives, and we put on this week to remind everyone that you are not in this journey alone.”
Women for Women meetings are held at 9 p.m. on Mondays in the Payne/Halverson lobby. “We are offering this week as a support system — to spread the word that everyone has the ability of acceptance — and to welcome everyone to share his or her experiences,” Samek said.
Visit the group’s blog: therealstudentbody.blogspot.com.
“Submit a picture of yourself at your ‘realist,’” Samek said. “We want to help students recognize that they are beautiful inside and out, no matter the flaws and imperfections.”
