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SENIOR PROJECT A stand for victims Teen's goal is to raise awareness of domestic abuse, body shaming By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 9, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 9, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> When South Medford High School senior Jessie Vandevender stripped down to a pair of running shorts and a sports bra, donned a blindfold, and invited passersby to write on her body, the South Medford High School 17-year-old was working on her senior project. Standing at the corner of Eighth and Bartlett streets in minimal clothing and braving Wednesday's chilly temperatures, Vandevender was making a stand in support of anyone who has ever been a victim of domestic abuse or body shaming in a culture that focuses so much on appearance. The Medford teen got the idea from a handful of similar social experiments that have made the rounds on social media, including a mother in Boise who donned a bikini and blindfold to promote body acceptance, and a teen in London who did the same thing to raise awareness of eating disorders. Vandevender said standing up for the first time — on a corner in downtown Medford — was at best a "pretty nerve-wracking" experience. But by her fourth time doing it — after sessions last week in Medford, Ashland and Grants Pass — Vandevender, who stands beside a sign that invites people to draw a heart on her body in support of victims of body negativity, said she was finding her groove with the project. "The first time, I stood up there and it felt pretty weird, taking off my sweatshirt and sweatpants. I had to look at the ground because I was getting weird looks," she said. "Then once people realized what I was doing, it was more of an accepting environment. People realized the whole point was that I wanted to stand up for victims who have suffered from body negativity or sexual assault or any kind of domestic abuse." Vandevender said she knew she wanted her senior project — a capstone project for local high school seniors who take on a project or cause during their final year of school — to be focused on something meaningful. Having watching friends and relatives, including her mother, deal with various types of domestic abuse, taking a stand had meaning for her. "Instead of having people sign a petition or getting people to throw money at some project, I felt like I could make a real difference by doing this," she said. "A lot of my own family has gone through domestic assault or domestic abuse in the past, so it meant a lot to me to be able to connect with them. One lady came up and drew a heart on me and said, 'I probably shouldn't be drawing on you because I'm in an abusive relationship, but thank you for standing up here like this." Errin Constantine of Grants Pass, Vandevender's mom, said she is proud of her daughter for the project she has chosen. "Every time I see her do it, I get very emotional. To see the people she's influencing by doing it, and how much it means to different people who have come up and told her different things, it just means so much to so many people," Constantine said. South Medford High School counselor PJ Happeny, Jessie's mentor for the project, said the teen has showed maturity and growth by tackling such a serious project. "When she told me about this, my first thought was, 'Well that sounds really brave. To stand outside in runner's shorts and a sports bra with her eyes blindfolded.' I didn't quite understand it, still, until I watched her do it," Happeny said. "When I saw the way people would react, it was very touching. What happened was people would walk by and read the sign and then almost everyone would just stop and then go back. Some would see the sign and run over to her. People would draw hearts on her or sign her back. By the end of 20 minutes watching, I was emotional when I left, just thinking about all the people in the world who have had possibly this stuff happen to them or who have just not honored their body." Vandevender said she plans to create a video to share on social media. "I want to share it online. That way, I'll be able to reach more people," said the teen. "One gal today, while I was out there, came up and told me she had just filed papers for a domestic violence charge against somebody who had abused her and sexually assaulted her. She was signing me and crying and telling me her whole story, and before she left, she said the only people who knew what happened were her mother and me. "She thanked me for helping her to not feel so alone." Reach Medford freelance writer Buffy Pollock at [email protected]. By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 9, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments Terms of Service /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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