Bodyspace is a Success - Lots of Bodies and Lots of Space

It was a success — that's the ver- dict of some of the organizers of this year's Bodyspace.

The event, organized by the Women's Centre, Women's Studies, as well as separate committees, is being called a "resounding success" by one of the co- ordinators, Professor Ann Braithwaite.

"Students really got into making it happen," she says. "Doing anything with bodies seems to speak to students."

Bodyspace held its grand opening March 21 in the Student Centre, then moved the exhibits to the Faculty Lounge in the Main Building March 24-25. Dr. Braithwaite estimates a couple of hundred of people attended the grand opening. There is no estimate of how many visited the exhibit while it was stationed in the Main Building.

Every year, the groups come up with a theme, then decide how they will display it. This year, the organizers decid- ed on Bodyspace as a theme, then decided to display the work through a set-up of an art gallery.

"There was a lot of enthusiasm from day one onwards about an art show," she says, adding she was pleased with cre-

Fun & re

ativity shown in the projects, which included a video, a dance routine, a news- paper bust, along with numerous posters highlighting the various pects of body space.

While the event only lasted three days, there was a lot of hard work put into the projects, along with organizational tid- bits that included several rounds of adver- tising.

The comments Dr. Braithwaite has received since the event have been "overwhelmingly positive."

"It's important to see the students supporting each other like that."

Student committee members Melissa MacDonald, Amy Callbeck, Julie Bull and Sarah White were also pleased with the success of the exhibit.

"It was interesting to see the way people perceive bodies and space.and

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time," says MacDonald, a second-year Psychology student.

Callbeck, also in her second-year of Psychology, thought it was amusing to see how people actually used their body space. As she was moving closer to a per- son at the exhibit, he kept moving away.

"I was invading his space," she says, adding that she was also pleased by the event. "It was a great experience that will hopefully continue for the future stu- dents of UPEI. :

White, a second-year Arts student, agrees.

Bull, also a second-year

Psychology student, was amazed by the diverse crowd that attended Bodyspeace.

"The questions that the idea of body space brought to light were inevitably interesting," she says. "Though conclusive answers were not found, it is obvious that everyone involved showed great interest in the quest to understand body space."

They have not yet decided on a theme for next year, though students and professors interested in becoming involved in process can meet with the committees (or even get on the committees) in the fall.

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