By CONOR SHEA
Features Editor
A few issues ago The Chronicle ran a piece about a community on campus called Girls for God (G4G) and their Q&A with male representatives of the Saint Rose student body. The community (founded in 2011 by senior Tinamarie Stolz) is shaking things up this month, not with another “guy panel,” but rather with a challenge for the women of Saint Rose.
On Oct. 30 this photo challenge began with an image posted on the official G4G Facebook page (see inset right). Each day for the month of November the women of Saint Rose would be encouraged to upload a picture of themselves on Facebook (using the tag #G4G30) in accordance with the daily instructions.
The requirements for each photo are consistent with the G4G mission to “(H)elp, support, encourage, and empower girls and women.” They types of pictures are divers, ranging from a basic picture of the participant (day 1) to a picture of a place that makes the participant feel safe (day 18).
Saint Rose sophomore Nina Buonarota when asked about her participation in the challenge said, “I think the 30 day challenge is such a great idea because most students’ schedules are so busy, and we all forget to pause and photograph life!”
The challenge represents more than just a quick instagram session however, as Buonarota continued to explain: “It’s a beautiful reminder to show the world how unique and important life is, and to just celebrate being you!”
Of all of the daily photo challenges, perhaps the most daunting is day 6, Minus the Makeup day. The challenge for this day is to post an image without makeup on, instead wearing something that inspires confidence and self-worth.
The concept behind Minus the Makeup started in the form of a website (minusthemakeup.weebly.com) created by Ashley Sweet, a junior communications major at The College of Saint Rose. In November of 2012 the site went live, and it eventually drew the attention of fellow Saint Rose student and G4G founder Tinamarie Stolz.
“A little over a year ago I had this dream of teaching girls and myself to love their bodies, and to feel beautiful form the inside out,” said Sweet on the source of her inspiration.
Sweet’s website serves a mission similar to G4G’s, but with more of a focus on perceptions of beauty: “To help girls and women see that their natural beauty can never be overtaken by whatever mascara or blush is sold on the shelf.”
The site revolves around the principle that makeup should be used as an enhancement tool, not a mask, and that “beauty is being the best possible version of yourself, inside and out.”
“It’s not right for girls to hate their bodies, to have this internal warfare,” says Sweet, referencing the culture of self-deprecation in women that has become all to common.
It’s no secret that the majority of women wear some sort of makeup, be it a quick foundation or a 5-minute routine. Media effects theorists argue that our societal expectations of women are unrealistic (think Barbie), making them believe they need to use makeup to achieve such standards.
And that is where the partnership between Minus the Makeup and G4G steps in, challenging participants to take a day to celebrate beauty without makeup. But that was just day 6, and there are many more inspiring days ahead as the challenge continues.
There is no prize at the end of this photo challenge, no competition or comparison. The only thing to be won is the encouragement to accept yourself entirely, and show people what it’s like to see the world through your eyes.
While the Minus the Makeup day has come and passed, the 30 day challenge will continue until November 28. For anyone interested in joining in on the 30 day challenge no formal entry is required, simply post when you feel compelled or inspired to using #G4G30.
Students with questions about the G4G challenge should contact Tinamarie Stolz at stolzt926@strose.edu. Anyone interested in attending a G4G weekly meeting, they are held on Tuesdays at 7:30 P.M. in the basement of the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary.
