Preparing for "More Than a Face" - a special talk on media and how it affects women's self-image - was stressful, yet enlightening as I learned much more about these topics. I gathered information from Carol, who had first done this lecture at UC Berkeley, and used this as a basis to include more information and do further research. I also spent time flyering and trying to get the word out about this talk. I found that this topic was on people's minds and hearts, as many people said, "yes!" or, "this is great!"
We didn't know what to expect, since this was the first women only special talk we were holding. On the evening of the talk, the room started out empty - but slowly started to fill up. By the time we were done, there were eighteen students who chose to come and hear a talk on this topic! They also stayed around for a while discussing this issue and found it eye-opening and helpful. One woman came from the SFSU newspaper and gave a favorable review of the talk.
Though I was nervous, I also was encouraged as I shared what I had learned and saw the audience engaged. I was thankful to be part of this church, where I could team up with others to make this presentation possible. Many people contributed from making the flyers, setting up the room, passing out flyers, preparing the refreshments, and reviewing rough drafts to make it all possible. More than anything, I was thankful that God, who is our Creator, gives us intrinsic worth, value, and purpose so that we don't have to believe media's images and values. I hope that this talk can provide an avenue for each person to find out more about God.