by Shay Orent | Jan 27, 2023 | Blog Post
A couple nurturing a plant together that symbolizes their relationship. The flower of the plant is a heart. Red flags are a popular topic in our classes. We teach self-defense for worst-case scenario situations, but just like in sports, your best defense is a strong... by Shay Orent | Aug 1, 2022 | Blog Post
A woman walking at night. It’s nighttime, and the street is not quite as populated or well-lit as I thought it would be. Mostly I’m alone or there’s one other person, always a man. The walk to my car is only about 8 minutes, but I’m already starting to regret... by an AAPI-identified student & community advocate at IMPACT | Dec 6, 2021 | Blog Post
Photo credit: Daniele Franchi / Unsplash To protect herself from the assault, Y froze. Trauma was beginning to set in. But once she was ina safe space back at home, Y’s roommate L led her through movement therapy, and traumaultimately did not set in. The... by Adriana Li | May 14, 2021 | Blog Post
“Where are you really from?”“Which one of your parents is stricter?”“But your English is so good!”“I bet you’re really good in bed.”“How come you don’t have an accent?”“You’re too Asian.”“You’re not Asian enough.”“You must be adopted.”“Well, you don’t look... by Shay Orent | Dec 22, 2020 | Blog Post
“What I ended up feeling when I was talking to girls was that they were systematically disconnected from their bodies, and with boys it was that they were systematically disconnected from their hearts.” – Peggy Orenstein, author of Girls & Sex and Boys & Sex... by Shay Orent | Sep 16, 2020 | Blog Post
My favorite outlandish dating story is one I heard on a podcast called Tell the Bartender. They went out once and had a nice time; they stopped at her apartment after so he could use her bathroom; he stole her expensive stage makeup; then wore it on their next date.... by Adriana Li | Sep 9, 2020 | Blog Post
When I think about safety, and how complex that concept can be, I think about the iceberg-depths of what that can mean for women of color, especially those who are survivors of abuse. With the recent surge of the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the suffering we all... by Shay Orent | May 20, 2020 | Uncategorized
Girl on a swing overlooking a beautiful landscape If you had asked me 6 months ago if an IMPACT class could be taught online I would have laughed out loud. I didn’t think there was a substitute for the feeling of strength and accomplishment that comes from physically... by Shay Orent | Mar 18, 2020 | Uncategorized
We are living in dystopic times, to say the least. To be in the present is to live mentally in the future, fearing the consequences of a pandemic whose potential for destruction is vast. For now, many of us are doing our best to heed the warnings from other countries... by Shay Orent | Jan 22, 2020 | Uncategorized
A consensual encounter where a young woman is kissing another young woman lovingly on the forehead Sexual coercion has been on my mind a lot lately. And one thing I’m realizing is we don’t talk about it enough. Which makes sense–it’s an uncomfortable topic, and...