April 30, 2008
Office of Intercultural Affairs honors 5 as ‘Women of Clark’
Five outstanding Clark University students received "Women of Clark" awards during Ladies Night, an annual event sponsored by the Office of Intercultural Affairs during Women's History Month. Approximately 200 people attended the dinner on March 28 in Tilton Hall.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor J. Velasco, director at the Center for Non-Violence and Prevention Programs at Montclair State University, in New Jersey. The band Soul Movement, the a cappella group Counterpoints, and the Clark University Dance Society provided entertainment.
Earlier in the semester, Clark students and faculty were invited to nominate students who demonstrated outstanding participation in activities on or off campus, and who showed great vision, conscientiousness and creativity. Forty-five nominees each received a certificate of recognition. Among the nominees, five were selected for "Women of Clark" honors.
Additional funding for this event came from Clark University Student Council, Department of Women's Studies, Dean of Students Office, Caribbean African Student Association, Muslim Cultural Society, All Kids of Girls, Dance Society and Student Activities Board.
"Although we expected this event to be successful, it was even more wonderful than our wildest dreams" said Patricia Doherty, Assistant Director of the Office of Intercultural Affairs. "Everyone left feeling very empowered."
The list of "Women of Clark" award winners and their citations is as follows:
Lauren Miller ’08
"Tonight, it is Ladies Night and it is probably no surprise to you that we are honoring Lauren Miller. It is not surprising because while Lauren has been an outstanding contributor to the Clark community, many if not all of her contributions, have benefitted women. When you think of "Vagina Monologues" for the last four years at Clark, I bet that you think of Lauren Miller. And who brought Eve Ensler to Clark? No surprise, it's Lauren Miller! She's been a Peer Advisor, a member of SAC, Making a Difference, Fiat Lux, and Scarlet Key. And if that is not enough, Lauren is a founding member of the AKOG (All Kinds of Girls) program, which directly benefits the young girls of the Main South neighborhood. Lauren's accomplishments are a direct result of her vision, initiative and perseverance. She takes our breath away."
Callista Perry ’11
"Callista Perry is active member of many clubs on and off campus, including Clark Sustainability Initiative, Mass Youth Climate Action, Massachusetts Powershift, Food not Bombs and Yoga at Clark U. Despite all of her involvement, Callista remains very humble about all of her accomplishments. We are honoring Callista today because we feel what Callista is doing is remarkable and we want everyone to know that we are proud of her dedication to climate change work. Thank you Callista for sharing your many talents with us. Thank you for being a friend to the earth and a friend to all of us at Clark."
Emily Negrin '08
"Whether she is here on campus or studying abroad in South Africa or Namibia, Emily Negrin always gives more than 100 percent. It was while working as part of her study abroad experience that Emmy began a relationship with Women's Solidarity, an organization that counsels survivors of domestic abuse and empowers them to become independent. While in Namibia, Emmy founded the Opportunities Center, part of Women's Solidarity. This summer, Emmy will return to Namibia with two other Clarkies to continue the work she started at the Opportunities Center. Emmy saw a need, and has brought the solution to that need to life by finding grants to finance the endeavor and making a plan to make a difference. Emmy is a thoughtful person who is truly changing the world. We honor her tonight for all that she does and we are very grateful that she is a part of our lives."
Tara Arthur – IDCE Grad student
"We are happy to honor Tara tonight for her tireless work both here at Clark where she is the co-president of the Graduate Student Association and also off campus where she works with the Haitian Sports Foundation. The HSF uses sports as a way to empower women in Haiti and also to draw positive attention to the talented people of Haiti. Clark is very proud of all of its IDCE graduate students, and tonight we are particularly proud to honor Tara for her tremendous leadership abilities, her positive attitude and her hard work both here at Clark and in the world at large."
Sarah Abrams '08
"When we were looking for outstanding women of Clark, we did not have to look far to find senior, Sarah Abrams. Even before Sarah arrived at Clark, she was already spending summers and school breaks volunteering to Help Haitians in La Romana, the Dominican Republic. For more than four years, Sarah has traveled to the Dominican Republic where she has taught English in crowded classrooms and worked in mobile medical clinics. In addition, she has done extensive research on issues that include healthcare, education and inequality. Not only does Sarah have a BIG smile, but behind that smile, she puts her heart and soul into all that she does. It is because of her hard and thoughtful work on campus with the Clark Christian Network and Fiat Lux as well as all she does far from home, that we honor Sarah Abrams tonight."