Since 2007, Bradley’s Body Project has been working to promote knowledge about healthy body image on campus, and while that core mission hasn’t changed, the organization has been working to deal with more issues that weren’t focused on originally.
“The main focus as I understand it was to deal with a question that wasn’t being asked on this campus much, which was, ‘What do we do about eating disorders?’” Danielle Glassmeyer, Body Project coordinator and English professor, said. “Their approach was, as research was suggesting in 2007 and still is, that eating disorders are best understood in relationship to questions of body image and body ideal throughout the culture.”
Programming intern Emma Walser said Body Project has put hours of work into trying to diversify their content even further.
“In the past we’ve focused a lot on girls, ” Walser, a senior dietetics major, said. “We want [people] to know we’re out there to help guys. We’re out there to help people with the issue of ableism, sexism, racism, kind of all of that.”
Body Project intern Ashley Awalt agreed that the organization is expanding in new directions.
“It’s exciting because I feel like we’re taking different routes than they have traditionally to really show that we are wanting to promote acceptance of everybody,” Awalt, a senior health science and psychology double major, said. “Traditionally, they’ve gone more in the lines of eating disorders and equity stuff and a lot to do with women, but we wanted to say, ‘No, it’s everyone. Every race, every person.’”
Glassmeyer said Body Project a multi-layered organization, with students, faculty and staff all working together to spread awareness.
“We work together as a team to put on different events, which fit in with the Body Project and the statement of what the Body Project does in the inclusion of everybody and to promote positive body image on campus,” Awalt said.
One project the interns are currently working on is combating stereotypes, in which students fill out sheets of paper with stereotypes they feel they are negatively affected by.
“We’ve been collecting different stereotypes from students and getting their input on stereotypes that limit them or that might put them in a negative light,” Awalt said. “At Late Night BU … all of the sheets we collected are going to be burned to represent you’re that not bound by these stereotypes and you are free from them.”
Students can also roast marshmallows over that stereotype-burning fire.
Walser said Body Project is important to college students, as they are independent for the first time.
“You kind of have to learn to like yourself, especially when you’re away from your parents,” Walser said. “You’re with your friends constantly, you’re trying to figure out who you are … I feel like it can be a really hard struggle to find yourself. As an RA, I’ve seen a lot of people dealing with that. So, it’s good to know there are people out there who accept you no matter what.”
Senior sociology major Liz Gum said she thinks Body Project can be an important resource to students, as well.
“I can already tell that the website is an amazing resource for all students at Bradley,” Gum said. “I love the intersectional approach the website is taking. It is so important that students of all genders, races, classes and sexualities feel comfortable in their own skin.”
Awalt and Walser said they need more student volunteers to help with programs and to get more involved.
“Right now, [student interaction has not been] too high,” Awalt said. “With the stereotype one, it’s like we’ve had to go out there and get students’ input, but we haven’t really had too many students who are really excited about helping us at different events or have different ideas, so we’d love to get more student input.”
For information about other body image topics, upcoming events and the impact of previous events, students can sign up for the Body Project’s newsletter by contacting Walser at ewalser@mail.bradley.edu.
