FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Saint Mary’s Students Put on 3rd Annual Bold Beauty Conference


Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579

April 13, 2011 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Some Saint Mary’s College students have found better uses for their beauty magazines. They’ll use them as examples of how media fails to accurately reflect the range of female beauty and femininity that is seen in the real world. On Thursday, April 28, students at the all women’s Saint Mary's College will host its third annual Bold Beauty Conference, an event which challenges societal standards of beauty. This year’s conference also focuses on the issue of eating disorders. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place from 1-5:30 p.m. in the Student Center. The departments of Communication Studies, Dance & Theatre and Women’s Studies are co-sponsors of the event.

Six seniors who took the Communication Studies course Female Beauty last spring are coordinating the conference under the guidance of the course’s instructor Terri L. Russ, assistant professor of Communication Studies. The course, like the conference, breaks down the normal associations society makes with being beautiful. This includes a dissection of the content of women’s magazines and a Barbie modification exhibit. Russ is also author of Bitchin’ Bodies, a book of recorded dialogues of young women talking about dissatisfaction with their bodies.

Russ, who is the creator of the Female Beauty class as well as the conference, believes that the issues brought up in the conference are important to bring to the public sphere. “The Bold Beauty conference originated from discussions being held in the female beauty class and students' desire to take the conversation to the larger college campus. The conference allows students from all parts of campus to come together and learn more about the various demands for ideal beauty confronting all women today,” says Russ.

Annie Sofranko ’11, one of the event’s organizers, says of the conference, “I think that the Bold Beauty Conference brings to light that every woman is beautiful in her own way. Beauty isn't and shouldn't be based on what the media thinks.” Another student organizer, Christina Grasso ’11, adds, “In today’s society, beauty and related topics are discussed often in a negative way, and the manner in which this manifests itself is through general body dissatisfaction, eating disorders and cosmetic surgery. By making a conscious effort to reframe these notions and ideals, a tremendous impact can result, and a positive one.”

Bold Beauty not only challenges idealized stereotypes, but its main goal is to also encourage women to “own” what they’ve got. “Beauty is more than just the way we look; it's all about the way carry ourselves. Being beautiful means loving what God gave you and never being ashamed of it,” says Sofranko. Russ adds, “The conference provides a way for students to learn about ways they can re-evaluate their own understandings and practices of beauty in order to move beyond the stringent demands of society.”

 The day’s schedule is as follows:

o   1-3 p.m. Student project and Barbie Modification exhibit*

o   1-4:30 p.m. Student speaks about battling her eating disorder

o   4:30-5:30 p.m. Student multi-media project presentations

*Barbie dolls are modified to more accurately portray what women look like.

About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, women’s institution offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study. Saint Mary’s College has six nationally accredited academic programs: social work, art, music, teacher education, chemistry and nursing. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 “Best National Liberal Arts Colleges” in the U.S. News & World Report 2011 College Guide. Founded in 1844, Saint Mary’s is a pioneer in the education of women, and is sponsored by the Sisters of the Holy Cross.