By: Jordyn Bradley, W*SS Social Media Intern
This past Thursday, August 31st, was our 4th annual FEMfest! For those unfamiliar with FEMfest, it is a celebration of feminism in the arts! FEMfest creates a space for people who feel empowered by feminism to express themselves without feeling muted and apologetic. We want to break the stigma surrounding feminism. This celebration comes in the form of music, spoken word, visual art, activism, and much more from MSU students and even MSU alumni!
Every year, we have a guiding quote that we believe represents the theme of FEMfest. This year, our quote was derived from the late Madeline Albright, a diplomat and political scientist, and the first woman to hold the position of U.S. Secretary of State. Albright once stated in an interview, "It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent” (read full article here.) The aim of FEMfest was centered around using your voice to express yourself, and Albright’s quote was nothing short of ideal.
As a W*SS intern who worked during the summer, I had the pleasure of working behind the scenes on the FEMfest planning committee. There is so much work and thought that goes into this, and it is always worth it. I wanted to highlight some of the special individuals who worked alongside me on the planning committee.
Elisa Garcia, W*SS
Hannah Larrabee-Walcutt, W*SS
Ashleigh Lowe, W*SS
Taylor Murdick, W*SS
Maren Nicolaysen, W*SS
Jake Rhodes, Impact 89FM
Delany Rodgers, Impact 89FM
Heather Shea, W*SS
Rochelle Spencer, UAB
Jeremy Whiting, Impact 89FM
After the tragedy of February 13th, we wanted to reclaim the Union. The Union was known as a safe and communal space for students, and we wanted students to feel comfortable once again. In collaboration with Impact 89FM, the University Activities Board, and the MSU Women*s Council, it was a job well done. FEMfest was truly a celebration of how powerful and inspiring different arts can be. Below, I am also going to recognize each performance and visual artist that made FEMfest a wonderful event!
Breakfast Boufeé- Drag
Victoria Irish- Musical Performance
Taylor Kovach - Spoken Word
Ladies First - Acapella Music
Maleah - Musical Performance
Ellie Franklin - Spoken Word
Karina Noelle - Musical Performance
Cassidy Howard - Spoken Word
Iimber - Musical Performance
Purvi Garg - Dance
Emma Nicolaysen - Musical Performance
Ensurance Trap - Musical Performance
Catarina Merlo - Visual Artist
Molly Gaugler - Visual Artist
Mike Martin - Visual Artist
Jocelyn Mills - Visual Artist
Mena Murrani - Visual Artist
Adrinil Dennis - Visual Artist
Caitlin Houting - Visual Artist
In my opinion, our 4th annual FEMfest was a great success. Not only was it impactful with impressive performances, but it was fun! Thank you to everyone who joined us Thursday night! If you are interested in checking out more recaps from FEMfest (with pictures), I have listed links below.
Impact 89FM:
The State News:
W*SS Highlight Reel:
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