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St. Cloud State University
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SCSU not ready for 'Vagina Fest'
By Jennifer Frey
Published:
Thursday, May 1, 2003
Media Credit: scott theisen
Joannie Reckard performs in the Atwood Quarry Wednesday night. Reckard played as a part of Viva La Vagina, a celebration of feminist sexuality that featured music and spoken word.
In spite of the five person turnout, the audience was highly energetic at Viva La Vagina in the Atwood Quarry Wednesday night.
The three-woman show consisted of Lisa Thompson and Joannie Reckard singing original songs and Amanda Seelen reading the poetry of Alix Olson.
Seelen, a 22-year-old SCSU elective studies major, organized the event. After planning a music fest last year, she decided that she would bring musicians in to raise money for Planned Parenthood.
Seelen needed a name that caught the attention of students to promote awareness of women's sexuality. "We decided to call it that because we wanted to say 'it's okay to say that word (vagina),'" Seelen said. "People are so afraid to talk about sexuality," she said.
Viva La Vagina was the finale to Vagina Fest, ending a day of in-your-face discussions and panels. "WEG (Women's Equality Group) wanted to do something that was kind of radical and attention getting," Seelen said.
As for the decision to send the event's proceeds to Planned Parenthood, Seelen said that the organization has undergone serious budget cuts and she wanted to help them keep their resources available to the public. "We wanted to be able to reach all women, and Planned Parenthood helps a lot of different kinds of women, including low-income," Seelen said.
Thompson, a 21-year-old Foley artist, has played around St. Cloud before. Seelen contacted her about playing for Viva La Vagina and she agreed instantly. "I am a woman and my music has to do with my struggles," Thompson said. "My struggles are the same as a lot of women and hopefully people can connect to my songs and my work," she said.
The small audience applauded loudly and cheered wildly as the women performed.
The evening began with Seelen's poetry reading. "Alix Olson has always been an inspiration to me around feminist issues," she said. The poems brought up the ideas of "de-construction workers" and what the country would look like if a feminist were in charge. The first poem focused on breaking down stereotypes while the second poem implied that the world would be more free and a lot more hairy if feminists were in charge.
Thompson began with a short intro about herself before launching into a nine song acoustic set. She paused between songs to give a brief explanation of the next song and what inspired her to write it. Thompson's songs ranged from angst over a first love to a Dirty Vegas cover.
Reckard began with original songs and ended her set by bringing a friend to the stage for a cover of the Indigo Girls' "Closer to Fine." Her continual switch from acoustic to electric guitar brought a distinctive pace to the evening.
The evening ended with the singers joining each other on stage for covers requested by the audience.
The intended impact of the evening was overshadowed by the lack of audience members. The original concept of Viva La Vagina was a showcase of talent geared toward breaking stereotypes and making students comfortable with sexuality. The message that came across was that SCSU was not ready to talk about its vaginas.
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