Online Editor
Recently, the Griffon Indoor Sports Complex was opened for students to use it for recreational use on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. This decision is one that many students were waiting for. Now, if a student doesn’t have class at that time, then, they can go and enjoy the new facility. ...
Online Editor
Max the Griffon has been Missouri Western’s mascot for years, and Amy and Brad Grooms paid a tribute to that fact with their corn maze that was in the shape of Max. The Grooms’ second annual corn maze was cut in the shape of our school’s mascot to show community pride. Max the Griffon was ...
Online Editor
When Jon Stewart announced that a rally was being organized to restore sanity, I knew I needed to be there. I’ve been watching The Daily Show for years, and Stewart represents what I consider the silent majority. We vote and we care, but we refuse to participate in the perpetuation of fear and intolerance. Stewart ...
Caitlin Cress
“The Vagina Monologues” will be performed at Western on Feb. 14, 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre of Potter Hall. The play depicts stories told by women of the reality they must go through on a daily basis, everything from the hilarious to the heartbreaking. The show will be able to grab the viewer’s attention right away with the harsh realities of abuse towards women and keeps going with the stories of how the women can use their vagina as a tool for empowerment. “If I had to sum up the show in one word, it would be ‘real,’ because it’s just raw material. It’s just putting it out there, you know. It’s very educational to males and females,” cast member Erin Williams said. Williams is performing two monologues: “My Angry Vagina,” and “Reclaiming Cunt.” “The one that I like the most, probably, is Reclaiming Cunt. It’s basically talking about the word, basically saying ‘Listen, this word shouldn’t be as uncomfortable as people make it feel, you know?’ And that’s my belief,” she said. The monologues in the play have titles that will surely catch the attention of the audience: “The Little Coochie Snorcher That Could,” for example. Misty Ballew performs that monologue, and believes that its message will reach many audience members. “She calls her coochie snorcher ‘a sight for mishaps, a bad luck zone.’ I know a lot of women can relate to that,” she said. Ballew echoes Williams’ earlier sentiment. “My monologue is so real. That’s what made it so uncomfortable. It’s so real, so believable. People don’t like to think about things like that actually happening.,” she said. Eve Ensler, playwright of “The Vagina Monologues,” founded an organization called V-Day. According to their website, the “V” stands for “Victory, Valentine and Vagina.” “VDay basically give volunteers around the world opportunities to put on productions like ‘Vagina Monologues’ for free to raise awareness about violence against women,” director of the Western production, Mallory Edson, said. V-Day is a global organization whose aim is so stop violence against women. “When I heard about the VDay organization, I wanted to use my ability with theatre to put together a production to bring awareness to this cause,” Edson said. Production rights to the show are free between the months of February and April, as long as the proceeds are donated to charities that work to end violence against women. According to V-Day, this violence includes “rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sex slavery.” While some parts of the play are light and fun, many of the monologues deal with these heavier topics. “It’s important that people pay attention to this kind of stuff, because a lot of people just kind of brush it off,” Ballew said. The actresses had one-on-one rehearsals to get deeper into character and to allow them to properly embody their character to the fullest. Ballew’s monologue is traditionally preformed by a black woman, but that does not prevent Ballew from relating to her character. “Women who get abused like to pretend it never happened. Men don’t like to think that their friends do that. People like to ignore the situation. We need to stop pretending everything’s okay,” she said. Students should get to the event early to purchase tickets. The Black Box is now able to hold at least 60 audience members. The tickets are only being sold at the door. With a MWSU ID card the ticket is $5 and general admission is $8. The play will have a running time of between sixty and ninety minutes. The show is expected to have a large turn out, so it is a must to get to this event in a timely manner.
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