Jessica Vieira | Opinion Editor
On October 27th, 2022, The Women’s Center, The Arthur L. Johnson Unity Wing, The Office of Equity and Diversity, and The Sexual Assault and Interpersonal Violence Response Team here at Eastern hosted a program titled “Talks With Britt.,” where speaker, activist, and healing coach Brittany Piper met with students, and spoke in two sessions about embracing adversity and failures, and using pain to grow through strife. Brittany Piper is a sexual assault survivor and advocate, who uses her voice to spread messages of hope and love to over 10,000 students, employees, inmates, and military members every year. She asks the question, “What if we were free from our hardships or failures?” Piper teaches that our adversity can benefit us and shows us paths that we would not take if everything was easy or right. This can change us in ways that we could not ever imagine.
In the first session of the program titles “From Hardship to Leadership: Transforming Pain into Progress,” Piper talked to Eastern students and faculty members about how when we as people choose strength and empathy in times of our own need, we can become a beacon of hope for those around us that are still in need of that, or maybe cannot find their own light. Piper conveyed stories of deep heartbreak, loss, and suffering, and combined them with examples of her own actions to find her footing after times of crisis to provide advice for audience members that need it, to possibly show them hope, and inspire them to take action, and be courageous in their own lives.
The second session of the program was titled “Mental, Spiritual and Body Wellness,” where Piper spoke about how she found peace in her wellness and encourages audiences to do the same. She spoke on and demonstrated ways to become and stay connected with your body, mind, and spirit. She talked about re-centering yourself, and finding peace with who you are right now. Through yoga, spiritual coaching, body awareness, and mental health awareness Piper teaches that you can re-learn to be at peace with yourself and where you are in your life. She believes that by achieving holistic wellness, one can have a fulfilling and healthy life or not just peace but comfort and prosperity.
At Eastern, there is a Sexual Assault & Interpersonal Violence Response Team (SAIV-RT) that can help to create and maintain a campus environment that is free from sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and stalking. This trauma-informed team is dedicated to making every student feel safe on campus.
Here is a link to resources from the Eastern website that can help support students in their journeys towards healing and justice on campus:
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