This past weekend, Delta Phi Epsilon hosted their “I Am Beautiful” photoshoot to raise money for Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD).
2019 marks the second year the sorority held the event in an attempt to raise awareness for ANAD, which is Delta Phi Epsilon’s national philanthropy.
The organization is leading the cause to fight eating disorders in the United States. At least 30 million people in the U.S. alone suffer from an eating disorder, making it a large problem and one that Delta Phi Epsilon is working to help.
Around this time last year, you may have seen pictures throughout campus with girls sporting athletic shorts and sports bras with both negative and positive words written all over their bodies.
This got a lot of attention, leading to the second year of the event. Delta Phi Epsilon saw the attention it was getting and wanted to keep fueling that attention to raise awareness for eating disorders and those impacted by them, a cause very important to the members of the sorority.
“The goal is becoming more comfortable with your body and accepting you as you are,” sophomore Michelle Trudeau, vice president of programming for Delta Phi Epsilon, said.
They started off their campaign with a photoshoot Saturday.
Sisters, friends, and other members of Greek life on campus came out to the event.
Not only is the event in support of ANAD, but it is also in support of forming a stronger bond between the different Greek organizations on campus. At the shoot, they painted each other with negative words that people perceive them to be on their backs, with positive words and phrases proudly printed on the front of their bodies.
To be a part of this shoot, Delta Phi Epsilon asked participants for a donation of $5. All proceeds that they made went directly to ANAD and their 2.0 program, which features grocery buddies, recovery mentorship, and a YouTube recovery channel.
The overall atmosphere of the photoshoot screamed confidence and positivity.
They had upbeat music playing, a bunch of people painting on others; it was practically a real-life thesaurus.
Everyone involved was listing off positive words and synonyms that described each of the models. There were smiles all around and an empowering ambiance.
“This is definitely an individual journey,” Trudeau said. “I took off my clothes and was like ‘wow, I hate my body,’ but it’s not even about that, it’s about finding confidence and also having other people say, ‘what positive words should I put on you?’”
“[The photoshoot] was a really eye-opening process,” junior Beth Eberts, two-year photoshoot participant, said. “It was nice–that really isn’t a good enough word, but it was really nice to see what other sisters thought of you.”
If you want to help out with Delta Phi Epsilon’s mission, they will have a table in the Student Union Feb. 11 through Feb. 15. They will be partnering with a different sorority each day for ANAD week.
Delta Phi Epsilon will also be holding a candlelight vigil Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. to honor those who have lost their lives to eating disorders.
“It’s a journey to love yourself a little bit more and tomorrow, a little bit more than today,” Trudeau said.
