Alicia Quintano shocked and entertained more than 400 students with a realistic portrayal of a young woman starving herself in order to cope with the pressures of modern society. Dunlop Auditorium was filled to capacity yesterday in anticipation of the production by Quintano, a performance artist and storyteller. Her animated motions and voice highlighted her story about the struggles and dangers women face today: love, sex, food and body image. Her philosophy was very simple -- do not be ashamed of who you are. "You have a right to be who you are," Quintano said. "The true self wants to be recognized. The shout for help becomes scary, but it's desperate to get out. There's no need to be ashamed of oneself ." Her story, entitled "Escape from Fosdick," describes a young girl restrained by society. She is not living her life -- rather, she is living everyone else's but her own, the play suggests. Instead of opening up, she channels her frustration into an eating disorder. "The anorexic dream faded for the moment, but the gap between feeling and expression remained," Quintano narrated. Some students said although they were entertained, they were unsure about the pertinence of the hour-long act. "It was an interesting story, but I thought it was too long and not really to the point," College freshman Nicole Gutman said. "I think she should have talked more about the relationship between the eating disorder and what caused it and how she controlled it," College freshman Gilly Guez said. "It was fascinating but not very coherent." Other students were very pleased with the content and delivery of the monologue. "I'm glad that certain issues are brought to people's attention even though it's done in a comical light," second-year Wharton graduate student Karen Klein said. "It will still get people to think about the seriousness of the issues." After the monologue, clinical psychologist and member of the Trustees Council of Penn Women Betsy Berk Kahan briefly spoke on the cultural contradictions women face. She explained that women are attempting to be both "attractive and powerful at the same time," causing them psychological distress that is manifested in eating disorders. "It's very hard for women to juggle their roles," she said. "We want to make women culturally conscious to reduce their stress." She added that women believe they have to be unrealistically thin in order to be successful and desirable. The event was part of a year-long program targeted at sororities. It was sponsored by the Trustees Council of Penn Women in cooperation with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, Student Health Services, Guidance for Understanding Image, Diet and Eating, the University Counseling Service and the Penn Women's Center.
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