The Women’s Center, the Women’s Center Club, and Poesis have collaborated together to put on “That Takes Ovaries,” an open mic program that will take place on Monday, March 28 in Sykes Common Grounds from 7-10 p.m. This program is based on a collection of monologues and short stories that speak on acts that women have done that are courageous, daring, and bold.
Diana Colon, co-facilitator of the program and member of the Women’s Center Club, and Zuri Stone, coordinator of the event and the Women’s Center graduate worker, revealed that the idea of the program originated from a book called That Takes Ovaries, a book comprised of several monologues written by women who have done bold and courageous acts.
The saying “that takes balls” is often said when one is talking about something that was courageous, but it is geared exclusively towards men. The purpose of the program is to challenge this idea by changing this quotation around so that it is no longer exclusive, but inclusive to women. That Takes Ovaries is also a national non-profit organization that conducts plays, workshops, and lectures based on the book in local communities throughout the country. These stories are intended to encourage all women to be strong, confident, and empowered. The open mic will feature women performing five to seven monologues that come from the book, and there will also be a section in the program where anyone will be allowed to come up and share their personal story or poem.
Colon’s position in planning this event derived from her intrest in the project.
“I thought it was a great tool to empower women and that these stories can help women by allowing them to share their stories. I do not think that we get a lot of time to share stories of empowerment, and women have a voice and they should share it,” Colon said.
Stone agreed: “I think that it is important for women to be able to do what they want to do. I believe and hope that these stories will empower timid or shy women to be spontaneous and do things they would not normally do. This program will bring women empowerment to light on West Chester University’s campus, and doing that in itself is another story of empowerment.”
The focal point of the program is to empower women while honoring Women’s History Month. Accoring to Stone, sharing experiences can be a powerful thing and a venue for learning and growth. “That Takes Ovaries” plans to capitalize on this mission while involving the student body to collaborate and focus on women’s empowerment.
Danae Irvis is a student at West Chester University. She can be reached at DI652427@wcupa.edu.
This article was contributed to by Quad staff.