DW
Denise Weigand
  • Physics
  • Class of 2017
  • Weatherby, MO

Weigand Joins the V-Day Campaign at CMU

2016 Jan 18

Denise Weigand has joined fellow Central Methodist University students, faculty, and staff in the V-Day One Billion Rising for Justice Campaign. Weigand is taking part in CMU's benefit reading of Eve Ensler's award winning play, The Vagina Monologues. The performances will take place on Thursday and Friday Feb. 4-5 at 7:30 pm in the Little Theatre.

Weigand is a senior physics major from Weatherby. A complete cast list can be found on CMU's website.

Admission is free but donations are suggested and appreciated. All donations will benefit the True North Shelft, a Columbia group that offers services to victims of domestic and sexual violence.

Ensler's play is based on a compilation of true stories told by women about vaginas. The play includes topics and language that may be offensive to some and is recommended for a mature audience. According to V-Day organizers, the play "dives into the mystery, humor, pain, power, wisdom, outrage and excitement buried in women's experiences." CMU encourages researching the play prior to attending the production.

This marks the second consecutive year that CMU will be joining V-Day's global campaign, One Billion Rising for Justice. V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against women that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of The Vagina Monologues and other artistic works.

The V-Day movement has raised over $100 million; educated millions about the issue of violence against women and the efforts to end it; crafted international educational media and PSA campaigns; reopened shelters; and funded over 13,000 community-based anti-violence programs and safe houses in the U.S., Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, Egypt, and Iraq.

Last year alone over 5,800 V-Day benefits were held around the world for the One Billion Rising campaign, raising over $5 million. This campaign brings attention to the statistic showing that over one billion women and girls worldwide will be beaten or raped during their lifetime.

For more information about V-Day Central Methodist University, contact Dr. Annette Van at avan@centralmethodist.edu. To learn more about V-Day and its campaigns visit www.vday.org.