Samuel Gwin
Take a seat in the semi-circle and make yourself comfortable. Relax and enjoy the Spanish acoustics playing and the quiet chatter of those around you in this warm space; this space, carved out just for you.
This is what the Global Impact Board desired when they prepared “Uncensored: Womxn, Power, and Resistance” — a place where people of all identities could come to surround and support women within the community.
“We wanted a space for people to feel comfortable sharing experiences of womanhood, to feel free to talk about and reflect on their own perspective,” Global Impact Board member Sofia Chamorro Pilacuan ’25 said in an interview with The Olaf Messenger.
The event featured an open mic, where participants came up to share a poem or a story and to honor the influential women in their life. Among the stories told were those about mothers, grandmothers, and aunts. One poem highlighted the shared struggles women face today and the wish that these burdens will one day be lifted. A short story co-written by two students described the horrific scene of a girl growing up in a place that was unsafe for women.
The open mic was followed by discussion questions, which focused on how individuals celebrate International Women’s Day in addition to the effects of capitalism on this day. Much of the conversation focused on the day’s obscurity in the US. In many other countries, especially within Latin America, International Women’s Day is a major celebration, honored with parades, protests, and more. Chamorro Pilacuan mentioned that she is part of the feminist movement in Ecuador and wanted to bring that here.
Attendee Moises Martinez-Estrella ’27 said that the event reminded him of celebrations of International Women’s Day from his childhood.
“I celebrated it with my sisters as kids,” he said. “It made me think about it again, and it made me appreciate that fact.”
The curators drew inspiration from the play “The Vagina Monologues” by Eve Ensler, which acts as a space for women to talk about their experiences of sexual violence while allowing the community to come together to hear and support them.
“You could actively see the community engaged,” Chamorro Pilacuan said.
In an interview with The Olaf Messenger, Lali Garsiashvili ’26, another member of the Global Impact Board, provided more insight into the intention behind the event.
“We wanted to see other people trying to make the world a better place,” Garsiashvili said. “[International] Women’s Day is about education and staying by [women’s] sides.”
“We have to recognize there are other ways of recognizing [International] Women’s Day and finding justice,” Chamorro Pilacuan added.
Both Chamorro Pilacuan and Garsiashvili mentioned the importance of people coming to Global Impact events, especially when those events, like “Uncensored,” rely on and aim to build community support.
“St. Olaf prides itself on being a globally engaged community, but people rarely show up to these events,” Chamorro Pilacuan said.
The board members mentioned that there will be upcoming events focused on global issues that they want to call attention to. In the end, it is about making sure those in our community are supported, heard, and uplifted