This past weekend, myself and three other Equity Ambassadors presented a workshop at the UBC Student Leadership Conference. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the SLC, it’s basically a day of attending workshops led by UBC students and faculty that you have signed up for in advance, as well as getting a chance to attend presentations by keynote speakers. It’s also, of course, about meeting new people while enjoying the lunch included in your registration -and if you’re a facilitator of a workshop the SLC is a chance to improve your skills as a leader and share your passions with fellow students.
I presented at the SLC last year with the EAs on the accessibility of sustainability- how to make a “green” lifestyle fit in with the time and resources associated with being a student. I was impressed by both the participation of the students during our workshop who took time out of their weekends to engage with the topic, and also the amount of students who showed up from many schools besides UBC. This year I was similarly impressed, having the chance to chat with people from local high schools and colleges, as well as many UBC students.
This year, I had the privilege to present with Demi, Phoebe, and Teng Teng – three enthusiastic new EAs who were more than ready to share their passion about the “Hidden Message” in commercial advertising and the media. Yes, our workshop was about the stereotypes about gender, sexual orientation, body type, culture, and how we as a society absorb and process these messages.
One of the highlights of our workshop that come to mind immediately for me, was the enthusiasm and desire to learn by the students who attended our workshop. This truly made the experience worthwhile and exciting. Another highlight was the chance to learn together as a group, and not just act as facilitators but as people willing to take into consideration the diverse perspectives of the participants.
When looking at the ads we provided as examples of stereotypes perpetuated in the media, the groups came up with many insightful points which led to further questions and insights. When looking at one of the ads by Dolce & Gabbana depicting a woman in a sexual and submissive position surrounded by four men, someone brought up an issue beyond the obvious one of female body image and portrayal, that of the sexualized and limited representation of men in advertising.
At the end of the workshop, we discussed the recent photo of “plus sized” model Katya Zharkova embracing a “conventional” sized model whose thin appearance is made even more jarring in contrast with Zharkova’s curvaceous figure. Zharkova herself, at size twelve, is larger than the average plus sized model who can be as small as a size six and still fit withing this category. Conventional models such as the one depicted in this photo with Zharkova often meet the Body Mass Index for anorexia.
It was great to be able to bring home the workshop with a very current issue, and the short discussion we had inspires me to keep working to break stereotypes about the unattainable and unhealthy standards of beauty in society we are constantly bombarded with. This process of learning through leading is one that inspires me, and makes me stop and realize the potential for self-growth through teaching and working with others.
Thanks for reading.
Until next time,
Sarah Dekerf