A 'GUIDE' to improving female body image

"Fuck your fascist beauty standards."

"Who defines beauty?"

"Real women eat food."

Such statements have recently been chalked on Locust Walk, and while each have lacked a signature, the on-campus organization GUIDE readily admits to creating them.

"Often times GUIDE needs to to be a bit shocking in order to get attention," Co-Chairwoman Andrea Zucker said.

The College senior added that the group chalked those particular statements "to provoke thought."

GUIDE -- which formerly stood for Guidance for Understanding Image Dieting and Eating -- is a group composed of students who encourage healthy body image on Penn's campus.

Just as the group has altered its title this year by choosing to be identified with the word "guide" itself rather than the acronym, the organization's goals and methods of promoting positive body image on campus has shifted slightly as well.

The group plans to stress the importance of being healthy to foster positive body image, rather than through such methods as dieting.

"We need to promote positive body image and accepting yourself, but also being healthy," explained Zucker. "We're not psychologists or counselors, we're just here to start a dialogue or discourse."

This year, GUIDE plans to concentrate heavily on health and nutrition through workshops, on-campus events and even a national conference scheduled to be held on Penn's campus from Feb. 28 through Mar. 2.

GUIDE plans to feature a keynote speaker and a variety of other forums through which students may explore body image and related issues.

"We're still working on the logistics for" the national conference, explained GUIDE member Sara Rabold, adding that the conference "is basically a forum where people can educate themselves on the issues" of body image, eating disorders, nutrition and more.

The Wharton junior also expressed the group's primary hope that students in attendance will use the knowledge gained in the conference to educate others across campus.

Although GUIDE is expanding its goals this year, the group plans to continue its Food and Sensuality Yearly Series.

In the series, GUIDE plans to offer free showings of films in which food and sensuality are connected.

Through this program, the group aims to spur discussion in which students may address and explore the themes of body image, combined with sensuality, sexuality and food.

"We hope to have our first film shown in late November," Zucker said.

Although not yet definite, Zucker said GUIDE is considering Tortilla Soup for the first screening.

In addition to the film series, the group plans to continue conducting workshops in sororities across campus in the spring.

Under Panhellenic requirements, the workshops remain a mandatory event for all new members of Penn sororities.

Zucker explained that through comments provided by past sorority leaders and members who participated, GUIDE is currently "re-working [the] workshops to make them more effective."

This year, the group plans to incorporate a video known as "Penn Body Monologues" in which different students speak about a variety of issues concerning their own bodies and sexuality.

In the video, featured students speak about their feelings regarding such topics as being naked, having their periods, dating someone who is bald and even penis size.

GUIDE plans to use the video to spur conversation on such sensitive and private issues.

Additionally, the group plans to incorporate eating disorders and male body image into the workshops this year.

Panhellenic Council President Alison Ng expressed her enthusiasm over GUIDE's continuing commitment to educate women -- both in and outside of the Greek system -- about healthy living and body image issues.

"I definitely think that they are very important issues, and very relevant issues to all college women in general," the Wharton senior said.

"I'm very excited about having them work with us. They're a really great group."

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