Longwood Bare Naked Ladies President Morgan Rollins said she decided to start the club this year after watching her friend transfer to James Madison University and have trouble fitting in.
Once Rollins' friend joined the campus' own Bare Naked Ladies (BNL), she found her home.
After the Longwood senior attended her friend's BNL events, she realized she should start the same thing at Longwood.
“The more I heard about it the more I realized that this is something that not only Longwood needs but also our society,” Rollins said.
She founded the club alongside BNL Vice President Ashtyn Clark, a junior.
“Being a 70 percent female campus, I just can’t believe there isn’t something already like this,” said Clark.
The Bare Naked Ladies club tries to promote an overall comfort with oneself and their body.
“We’re an organization that really promotes positivity and self-love,” said Clark. “Living in a society today, this kind of thing is hard to come by. We just want to be that place where people can come to and to give them a sense of comfort.
With over 120 signatures from the Involvement Fair, Rollins said the club has seen "an overwhelming amount of support."
Rollins and Clark both said their group is all-inclusive, not only for women struggling with societal issues.
“No one should get caught in a comparison trap,” Rollins said. “Everyone should be comfortable in their own skin, we'll share ideas that aren’t only for women but for everyone.”
BNL plans to hold fundraisers for awareness months like Suicide Awareness Month, Eating Disorder Awareness Month and Sexual Violence Awareness Month.
The club leaders also said they're interested in partnering with groups like Theta Chi, Hispanic Latino Association, PRIDE, Black Student Association and Fierce.
However, they said more than willing to partner and work with any kind of groups.
“We’re not interested in competing with others, we all want the same thing,” Rollins said.
Clark said the club will focus on being available for its members, noting it's "really important for the group."
Rollins said she hopes campus understands the group isn't "pushing for any kind of ideal image."
"We just want you to love yourself,” said Rollings. “If you’re a fitness nut, that’s fine, also if you’re not, that’s fine too. It’s not about judging or comparing, it’s about being comfortable with who you are and where you’re at.”
The BNL club will have weekly meetings focusing on breaking down an aspect of popular media and discussing how to silence negative talk on it and reshape society’s ideals of beauty.
Rollins and Clark said that their meetings will be highly interactive, inclusive and collaborative, and they encourage everyone who is interested to come to any of their meetings.
The club will hold interest meetings on:
Monday, Sept. 11, 9-10 p.m. in Bedford 111
Tuesday, Sept. 12, 6-7 p.m. in Hull 132
Thursday, Sept. 14, 7-8 p.m. in Bedford 111.
Bare Naked Ladies Club founders Morgan Rollins (right) and Ashtyn Clark (left) hold their poster at the Involvement Fair on Thursday, Aug. 31. They received over 120 signatures from students interested.
