“The idea behind the project,” says Layah Schreiber, current senior and committee leader, “is that unfortunately, too many women both unconsciously and consciously suffer from self-bullying—this is especially apropos in a women's college! As a group, we are striving to promote awareness by encouraging students to think positively about themselves and others through a number of events and activities spanning four weeks.”

The committee was inspired by Caitlin Boyle, creator of OperationBeautiful.com, who began her project by posting positive, anonymous messages on the mirrors of public restrooms in an effort to transform the way women see themselves, thus ending negative self-talk. This campaign began with one single note and spread nationwide, and the School Spirit Committee hopes that the power of a few individual voices will have a similar contagious effect throughout LCW.

The committee began the first week of “Project Beautiful” by announcing the initiative, leaving stacks of post-its and pens in every restroom. Some women posted proclamations of fellow students’ inner and outer beauty, others posted inspirational quotes, and with each day the mirrors became more vibrantly decorated with encouraging notes.

For Part Two of the four part series, students used markers, watercolors, and crayons available outside of the cafeteria to create“Gal-Grams,” letters with encouraging, fun, and insightful messages. Notes were devoted to specific students, previous Gal-Gram writers, or the general student body.

Part Three was a “Beautiful, You!” celebratory event, complete with painted backdrop and photographer. Students had the opportunity to pose for a picture, and two talented LCW students volunteered their time to give mini makeovers to those interested.

The last part of Project Beautiful was an enlightening reflective session with Dr. Naomi Klapper, Chair of the Psychology Department. During the discussion, Dr. Klapper categorized the building blocks of self-esteem and spoke about why they are important and how to attain them.

“We have the power to empower each other,” the School Spirit Committee stated before launching the project, “Simply, we want to celebrate that we are all wonderful, beautiful, and strong.”  

*Postscript: In a survey that was sent out to all students at the end of the 2013-2014 academic year, the event/project most beloved by the student body was Project Beautiful. 

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