- Suzanne Gilbert ’06 (left) remembers a childhood friend whom she hasn’t spoken to in years. “She was always hilarious, but in high school you saw that deteriorating. She started wearing baggy clothes. People can have anorexia for a few years before you notice it,” Gilbert says. “It was hard to see someone I loved so much and not know how to help them.” The Social Work and Political Science dual major vowed to help others overcome the pressures that could lead to bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating. As her senior Honors capstone experience, she created a week-long series of community outreach events, coinciding with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week Feb. 20-25.
Suzanne Gilbert ’06 (left) remembers a childhood friend whom she hasn’t spoken to in years.
“She was always hilarious, but in high school you saw that deteriorating. She started wearing baggy clothes. People can have anorexia for a few years before you notice it,” Gilbert says. “It was hard to see someone I loved so much and not know how to help them.”
The Social Work and Political Science dual major vowed to help others overcome the pressures that could lead to bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating. As her senior Honors capstone experience, she created a week-long series of community outreach events, coinciding with National Eating Disorder Awareness Week Feb. 20-25.
From nutritionists to counselors and performance artists like the professional ballet troupe “Bodiography,” Gilbert has engaged a variety of professionals to illustrate different aspects of the disease, and to offer positive opportunities for students to establish healthier habits.
“Suzanne is a very passionate and determined young woman,” says Bodiography Director Maria Caruso. “We performed at McDaniel two years ago and are thrilled to come back. The audience will get a sneak peek at some pieces that won’t officially premier for another two months.”
Bodiography will perform to tribal, comedic, and love songs including the music of Dave Matthews, Foo Fighters, and Stevie Nicks. Afterwards, dancers hold a question and answer session with audience members about body image and the dangers of eating disorders.
Other highlights of the week include a radio call-in show, an open-microphone coffee house, and movie showings each night. After the programs, Gilbert will work with Assistant Professor of Social Work Catherine Orzolek-Kronner to measure the results of the activities.
“We’ll test people beforehand about their knowledge and awareness of eating disorders, and then two weeks later,” says Orzolek-Kronner. “We want to find out if their attitudes changed or if they learned something new.”
Orzolek-Kronner sees this as the start of yearly events marking Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Gilbert, meantime, sees it as her personal mission, sparked by her friend who did eventually get help.
“Eating disorders can control your entire life,” Gilbert says. “It was amazing when I started to understand what my friend was going through. But it’s not just my friend. It’s men and women and even children who deal with it.”
All of the following events, except where noted, are free and open to the public:
7:30 p.m. Feb. 20 in Hill Hall 108
** A representative from Sheppard Pratt's Eating Disorder Unit will give a lecture on how eating disorders affect relationships, families, and communities. She will also describe the recovery process in general clinical terms.
9:00 p.m. Feb. 20-24 in Hill Hall 104
** Movies "Bridget Jones" and "Center Stage" will be shown to illustrate insidious unhealthy messages in the media. An informal discussion will follow.
11-1 p.m. Feb. 21 in Englar Dining Hall
** The Carroll County Health Department's Nutrition department will hold an informational session in front of Englar Dining Hall to help students learn about nutrition and portion size.
7:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in Decker Auditorium
** Nutritionist Maria DeMarco will present a lecture to help students redefine how they conceptualize hunger (nutritional vs. emotional) and dieting (nurturing vs. destructive). She will discuss the role of proper nutrition in healthy functioning, and how electrolyte imbalance, vitamin and mineral deficiency, and malnutrition exacerbate and complicate the patient's chances for recovery.
9:00 p.m. Feb. 22 on WMCRadio
** The Women's Issues Group will host a talk-show discussing body image as it pertains to femininity in our weight-focused culture. Listeners may call in and participate in the discussion.
6:30 p.m. Feb. 23 in Ensor Lounge
** An on-campus coffee house will allow for students and members of the community to express themselves, share artwork and poetry surrounding the theme of beauty, body image, and eating disorders and related themes (control, sexual assault, etc.).
2-6 p.m. Feb. 24 in Gill Dance Studio
** Bodiography, the contemporary ballet company, will offer free workshops in Pilates, Improvisation, Modern Dance, Body-Boot Camp, and Hip Hop. This is a part of their mission to promote positive, healthy body image through the creative medium of movement and music to appeal to middle, high school, and college audiences--all are populations affected by eating disorders and concerns surrounding body image.
7:30 p.m. Feb. 25 in Carroll Arts Center
** Bodiography performs as part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week. This event is free for the McDaniel College Community. $5 for general admission. Call 410-751-8259 for ticket information.
McDaniel senior targets eating-disorder awareness