By Jessi Savino

After getting off to a rough start when “Flirt Smarter” was canceled due to a death in the family of the speaker, V-week kicked off last night with a staged reading of “That Takes Ovaries” – a series of monologues from “bold women committing brazen acts” – and also had students create an “abstract ovary” pin.

Eleven students read monologues depicting acts of heroism – from standing up to a robber to rescuing a houseboat in the Amazon – all performed by women.

V-week is a series of events presented by the Northeastern Theatre Department to get students interested in this year’s performances of Eve Ensler’s “The Vagina Monologues,” which will be Feb. 15 and 16 in Blackman Auditorium. Tickets are $15 and all proceeds go directly to The Elizabeth Stone House and Rosie’s Place, which support homeless women and victims of domestic violence.

Jess Lipson, a freshman communications major, said she’s glad to see events like V-week on campus because they’re “more than just entertainment – they actually stand for something, for an important issue.”

Anne Marie Chouinard, a senior theatre major who took part in last night’s event, said she hopes holding these events will make people more comfortable talking about domestic violence.

“We just need to put [the topic] out there,” she said. “This is for charity, and it’s an empowering process.”

In addition to last night’s event, there are plenty of events planned for the upcoming weeks.

Today from noon to 1 p.m. there will be an Aikido class and demonstration by Andre Brown, who teaches the class regularly in the Marino Center, in 372 Ryder. Aikido is a Japanese form of self-defense developed by Morihei Ueshiba.

Thursday Maylin Murphy, a senior theatre major and co-director of V-week, hosts an event, Silent Witness, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Centennial Quad. It is a nationwide program dedicated to spreading awareness about domestic violence, and Murphy said it is “bone chilling.”

Wooden silhouettes are erected in memory of those who have lost their lives to domestic violence, and then their personal stories are read by a friend or family member.

“I shudder when the stories are told,” Murphy said. “They’re true stories about real people, and that’s scary.”

A silent auction and dance will be held Sunday, where students can bid on items ranging from clothing to vibrators, and then go upstairs to dance, dine and drink (if of age). Although the event is held at the Otherside Caf