Vaginas? It may be an awkward topic for some, but  playwright Eve Ensler found that a majority of women love taking about their vaginas.  

As it so happens, ISU loves vaginas as well. The Old Main room in the Bone Student Center was packed with students and community members ready to talk about the female apparatus.

F.L.A.M.E., the Feminist Led Activist Movement to Empower, presented “The Vagina Monologues” to a full crowd of both men and women.

The event was a way to engage the community in a conversation about sexual violence, as well as the beauty of loving one’s womanly parts.

Each night opened with a silent auction, raffle and the selling of chocolate vaginas. The chocolate vaginas have become a staple of the event. Audience members were seen sucking, chewing and devouring their chocolate vaginas.

It was a bizarre sight, but it helped F.L.A.M.E. get the point across that vaginas are nothing to be afraid of. Vaginas are meant to be loved.

Not only were audience members eating their chocolate vaginas, but they could also take pictures inside a large wooden vulva.

Vivianne Velazquez / Senior Staff Photographer: Sarah Jensen performs her monologue “The Flood” in the Old Main room at “The Vagina Monologues” this past Friday and Saturday. The monologue told the story of a 50-year-old woman who had closed herself off to sexual experiences due to events from her past.

The show opened with F.L.A.M.E. President, Charlotte Adams, talking about the transportation of  the giant wooden vulva  to the Bone Student Center. The group had transported it in the back of a truck, which was soon in front of a police car.  Luckily, the wooden vulva did not get F.L.A.M.E. members in trouble with the law, but Adams made the point that women’s vaginas are often getting them in trouble.

“Women are being blamed for their rape, whether they are walking home alone at night, having too much to drink or are accused of being slutty,” Adams said.

The show was narrated by Caroline Smith and Monica Stark. The sassy but serious duo presented each monologue, along with some shocking statistics about sexual violence.

Monologues ranged from hysterical to serious, but each story connected to the audience in a different way. Some of the monologues were about pubic hair, while others were about rape. No two monologues were the same.

Many of the monologues emphasized that women, no matter their age, race or sexual preference, were facing similar issues with their vaginas.

Sarah Jensen performed a monologue about a 50-year-old woman who had closed herself off from sexual experiences because of an incident in her youth. Her funny and innocent portrayal dealt with issues that many women face, regardless of their age.

Jenessa L. Williams performed “Because He Liked to Look at It.” This hysterical monologue dealt with the great feeling of a man loving a woman’s vagina.

The night closed with a talk from the directors, Kristen Lemke and Juliann Puoci. They spoke about sexual violence in our community and the “One Billion Rising” movement.

“One in three women will be raped or beaten in their lifetime,” said Puoci.

Audience members were asked to take charge and make a pledge to stop sexual violence in their communities.

Ian Denton, a junior English student and member of F.L.A.M.E., was one of the audience members to stand and make a pledge.

“You can never have too much awareness. The violence needs to stop, and this is where it starts for many members of our community,” Denton said.

For more information on F.L.A.M.E. and the women and gender studies minor, please visit wgs.illinoisstate.edu. For more information on V-Day, the global movement to end violence against women, visit vday.org.