Chad Goller-Sojourner brings his acclaimed one-man show, “Sitting in Circles with Rich White Girls: Memoirs of a Bulimic Black Boy,” to campus on Thursday, February 25, as part of Dartmouth’s National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (EDAW). This performance is one of three events sponsored by Dartmouth’s Eating Disorder Peer Advisors (EDPA) that are designed to promote awareness, education, and understanding of the eating disorders that affect over 10 million Americans.
“EDAW is an excellent opportunity to really highlight the struggles of so many individuals that strive to remain hidden due to shame, embarrassment, or fear of judgment,” says Kari Jo Grant, Health Education Programs Coordinator for the Dartmouth College Health Service. “As we plan events, it is our hope to offer support to those who are struggling and to those who care about them.”
The program kicked off on February 18 with “An Exploration of Eating Disorders and Body Image in Hispanic and Minority Communities.” This dinner discussion brought together a diverse range of students and was sponsored by La Alianza. It was also part of the Student Assembly Diversity and Community Affairs Committee’s “Building Bridges” Series. At today’s event in Collis, “Advice from EDPA: How to Help a Friend,” peer advisors will give tips on how to approach a friend about concerns with their eating or exercise habits.
Jeans Awareness Display (photo by Joseph Mehling ’69)
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is a program of the National Eating Disorders Association, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting individuals and families affected by eating disorders. This year’s theme is, “It’s time to talk about it.”Another important component of the week’s events is the annual Jeans Awareness Display in the Collis Student Center. Pairs of jeans are strung on a clothesline across the atrium of Collis, creating a powerful visual image of the different shapes and sizes of eating disorders. The display informs readers that one in every seven Dartmouth students struggles with an eating disorder or eating concern at some point in their college career, and reminds people to “Be Comfortable in Your Genes.”
Details on Events
- “Advice from Eating Disorder Peer Advisors (EDPA): How to Help a Friend” is Wednesday, February 24, at 3:30 p.m. in Collis 218.
- “Sitting in Circles with Rich White Girls: Memoirs of a Bulimic Black Boy,” a solo performance by Chad Goller-Sojourner, is on Thursday, February 25, at 7:30 p.m. in Dartmouth 105. This event is co-sponsored by the Office of Black Student Advising, the Office of Pluralism and Leadership, EDPA, Department of Theater, the Special Program and Events Committee, Afro-American Society, Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority, NAACP, and Dartmouth College Health Service.