A forum filled with juicy topics, a presence-dominating host and diverse group of panel members left students with a greater look into the mindset of the opposite sex.
Miss Plus Couture 2012- 2013, Brittany Smith, helped kick the week off right, when she held her first forum, Lovin’ the Skin I’m In. The forum took place on Monday, October 22 in the Favrot Student Union. The small room was packed with people and heated with conversation.
Smith begun the forum by letting the students know that she was just like them and took off her sash to further incorporate that message. Her actions broke the tension and made room for a free flowing conversation. Ja’Vauna Johnson a sophomore psychology major said,
“It was natural and open everyone felt comfortable about what they wanted to say.”
Many of the questions were geared towards a panel that consisted of female students, Shaneice Williams, Menyatta Griffin, Tiffany Henderson, Lakeshia Timmons and male students, Dannie “DeeJay” Mccollough, Percell Johnson, Stephen Woods, Justin Madden and Dallas Dyson.
“What body part do you prefer on a man or a woman, what kind of woman or man do you prefer and what is your biggest pet peeve about the opposite sex,” were just a few questions thrown at the panel. When answering the questions panel members gave straight talk with no chaser regardless of how much the answers made the attendees raise an eyebrow or interject with memoirs of the opposite sex.
“It merged men’s and women’s opinions about each other and created a mature discussion forum,” said Smith. Joseph Anderson, a music education major, agreed with the mature of the event and admitted he liked the confidence the ladies exhibited. “I have some understanding about women but at the same time I do know that I will never fully understand women,” said Anderson.
Many would have thought the questions were asked to get all in the panel’s personal business or as a chance to make love connections among young hopefuls, but it was much more than that.
No matter how invasive the questions seemed, the host managed to tie it back into a fight for love, a need for confidence and a challenge for attendees to change the standard of beauty.
“It was necessary because there are so many young people on campus of many shapes and sizes who don’t love the skin their in,” said Smith. “My main objective was to let the students know that beauty is beyond skin color and body frames. Regardless of how people may feel about you, you should still love who you are.”