Raising self-esteem and accepting your body was the Women’s Resource Center’s message for Love Your Body Week.

The National Organization for Women started the Love Your Body campaign in 1997, said Karen Reichard, director of the Women’s Resource Center.    

         
“It was created to help promote body image and self esteem — most specifically for younger women — sort of as a reaction to some of the societal expectations that are out there that lead to women having bad body image and low self esteem,” Reichard said.

Reichard said they took a holistic approach to the event by focusing on all the aspects of being a human being. Yogalet classes on Sept. 21 and Sept. 23 focused on the physical. Speakers focused on the intellectual side. A seminar on the power of mediation covered spiritual and emotional aspects.

 “We got help from Athletics and Wellness, University Ministry, Student Affairs, faculty members, Dining Services,” Reichard said. “So it really is an across-the-campus event.”
Reichard believes the message of Love Your Body week is important for college-aged students.

“The students that are first-year students who are making that transition from the safety net of being at home, to all of a sudden being on their own and trying to navigate all sorts of the new things that are coming at them and having to maintain a good sense about themselves can be challenging,” Reichard said.

The first seminar was a lecture by M. Gigi Durham, the author of “The Lolita Effect: The Media Sexualization of Young Girls and What We Can Do About It.” Vesna Milojevic, sociology senior, believed the lecture brought great discussion on the media’s portrayal of body image.

“There was a lot of talk about how media affects the way we look at ourselves and others and how that internally affects the way we treat ourselves and our bodies,” Milojevic said.

Wednesday night’s Girl’s Night In was a female-only discussion on sexual health led by Dr. Veronica Gillispie, an OBGYN from Oschner Hospital. Reichard said Girl’s Night In was the event that sparked the idea of bringing the Love Your Body campaign to Loyola.

A relaxation room was also available in the Women’s Resource Center that week.

“The relaxation room is a place for people to go somewhere and calm down in a really nice environment where they are comfortable,” Milojevic said.

The event ends Sept. 25 with a poster contest. The winner receives $50, and their design will be used for next year’s Love Your Body Week.

John Adams can be reached at [email protected]