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x 3 £ & t & & a & 2 s 5 ___ 2 & > & T ° 3 & a; ~ a £ C E4 x & x & a> § < * NJ WLU student hopes to make mark on breast Nikole Fraser is tackling the fight against a deadâ€" ly disease headâ€"on. Actually, she‘s doing it breastâ€"on. The fourthâ€"year Wilfrid Laurier University student is organizing a fundraiser durâ€" ing the first week of March called Breastfest 2007, encouraging women to paint their breasts and imprint them onto a fourâ€" footâ€"byâ€"fourâ€"foot canvas. Breastfest The act will raise funds and awareness for the Rethink Breast Cancer group, an organization geared to young women affected by or concerned about breast cancer. In offering such an event, Fraser also hopes to free women of their inhibitions, allowing them to shed their shirts in public and know they‘re making a difference. "It‘s a liberating experiâ€" ence to be comfortable enough to paint your breasts and have (imprints} displayed ... not just because you‘re naked, but because you‘re making your mark against breast cancer," Fraser said. The idea to organize such an event struck Fraser last fall while completing a project for a fineâ€"arts course at school. "At that point, I was only looking at different ways to liberate women," she explained. "So I put it out there to my family and friends ... 1 asked, ‘Who would like to do this?" The response was posi tive, she said. "Friends were coming to me asking, "Can I do that?"" Fraser said. "My mother and grandâ€" mother even agreed to take part, though my mom was a little skeptical." By the end of the process, Fraser also saw her project as a way to show that By Anprea Bamey Chronicle Staff women come in all shapes and sizes. "I chose breasts because breasts obviously represent wormen," she said. Wilfrid Laurier University student Nikole Fraser is organizing Breastfest 2007. "Yet, unless you know what the (imprints) are, you ARTS FOCUS don‘t know you‘re looking at pictures of breasts. _ â€"â€" "It‘s abstract, it has a deeper meaning, and it sends a message. "It‘s definitely the most ambitious piece I‘ve ever ANDAEA RAXLEY PAOTO BNEDOICINAONTC cancer fight done. Proud of her work, Fraser shared her project with her mother‘s friend who works for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. "After speaking with her, 1 realized I could make the (project) bigger," Fraser said. She decided to open up a similar opportunity to all women in the community. Women who collect pledges and bring the donaâ€" tions to the Wilfrid Laurier University Grad Pub March 5â€"7 will have the chance to go into a private area, cover their breasts in lightâ€"pink paint and make an imprint on one of three large canâ€" vasses. The body paint is water based, nonâ€"toxic and FDA approved, Fraser assured. _ And all imprints will be remain anonymous, she stressed. The canvases will then be displayed in the WLU concourse for a few days. "I think a lot of women will be proud to take part in something like this," Fraser "They should feel confiâ€" dent in making an imprint, and see it as their contribuâ€" tion to the fight against this horrible disease." Fraser admitted she wasâ€" n‘t sure how others â€" namely men â€" would react to her idea. But so far, most men have been respectiful and mature, she said. "I‘ve only had one guy ask if he can come (to the event), making it a sexual thing," Fraser said. "But that‘s it. "My boyfriend has actuâ€" ally been helping me with how to word things about the event in a way that doesn‘t invite certain comâ€" ments. "I want people to know this isn‘t a joke." Fraser said that while Continued on page 15 The fifth annual Wraconteur writing awards will be presented Feb. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at Globe Studios, 141 Whitney PL, Kitchener. . : Writing awards scheduled iddvesiain s dois aeatesericnas The guest speaker is Carrie Debrone, publisher of the Stanley Park Community News. 1h;c;)m;;e(|l|on is sp(;nsored by the Waterloo Regional Arts Council. ns M N . se n 't;\sp;cxal}ga}ure will be the dessert table of Edna Staebler recipes, baked by WRAC board members. sem e e enc en d Staebler was a lifeâ€"long supporter of WRAC. The arts council was one of a number of arts organizaâ€" tions that received generous donations from Staebler before she died. Winners in the following categories will be announced: nonâ€"fiction, fiction, poetry, cultural journalism and published book. The Grand Philharmonic Choir will present a speâ€" cial performance of Faure‘s Requiem and sections from Rachmaninoff‘s Vespers Feb. 11 at 4 p.m. at Central Presbyterian Church, 7 Queen‘s Square, Camâ€" bridge. The Allâ€"Night Vigil or Vespers by Sergei Rachmaniâ€" noff was composed in 1915. Drawing on the Russian Orthodox tradition of chant, Rachmaninoff proâ€" duced a work that is considered the apex of Slavonic church music. _ When the Grand Philharmonic Choir presented the Rachmaninoff Vespers last fall, the public‘s response was ecstatic. _ This choral work is performed only quite rarely, due in part to the extreme vocal range required from the bass section. Unlike many composers, Faure‘s motivation for composing the Requiem was not the death of a loved one; in a letter many years later, Faure said, "My Requiem was composed for nothing â€" for fun ... if I may be permitted to say so!" Faure‘s Requiem was started in 1887 and first per formed in the Madeleine Church in Paris in 1893. Soprano Katie Hetmann recently moved to Canaâ€" da from Romania where she had trained as an opera singer. She is now actively establishing her profesâ€" sional singing career in Canada. The two soloists for this concert are members of the Grand Philharmonic Choir. Baritone Tom Yoder Neufeld is a professor of bibliâ€" cal studies at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo. Howard Dyck, artistic director of the Grand Philâ€" harmonic Choir and wellâ€"known CBC radio program host, will be conducting the concert. ____ _ Pat Caya, director of music at Central Presbyterian Church, will play the organ. â€" â€" Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for eyeGO members and students up to Grade 8. Call 519â€"578â€"1570 for more information. Choir to perform concert