February
13 ,
2004
Front-Page
News
Same-Sex
Marriage A January 21 panel discussion
on same-sex marriage sponsored by the Weissman Center for Leadership
and the Liberal Arts attracted coverage from Springfield television
stations WWLP, Channel 22, and WGGB, Channel 40. Speaking on
the panel were Ellen Wade ’70,
one of the plaintiffs in the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court
case that lifted a ban against marriage for gay and lesbian couples;
Massachusetts state senator Linda Melconian ’70; and the
Rev. Andrea Ayvazian, the College’s dean of religious life. “At
a forum on the controversial issue of same-sex marriage, there
is no debate. Many students at Mount Holyoke College’s
all-female campus say they’re coming to learn and to show
support,” reported Channel 22.
Campaign Success The successful completion of The Campaign for
Mount Holyoke College: Advancing Our Legacy of Leadership, the
$250-million comprehensive campaign launched in 1998, drew coverage
from a number of news outlets, including the Associated Press,
the Daily Hampshire Gazette and Republican newspapers, and NPR
member station WFCR. All reported that the five-year campaign,
the largest in the College’s history, raised $257,033,729.
Harriet Levine Weissman ’58, an MHC trustee and cochair
of the campaign committee, explained to the Gazette’s Cheryl
Wilson that when the initial $200-million goal was met two years
early, the goal was expanded by $50 million. “In the meantime,
the economy tanked and Wall Street had its hard times. There
was a slowdown. But, thanks to a great effort on the part of
volunteers and our wonderful and very professional campaign staff,
we can celebrate,” she told the Gazette. President Joanne
V. Creighton told the Associated Press that the endowment, which
benefited from the campaign, is “the lifeblood of the institution.
Everything depends on it. The endowment supports our faculty,
financial aid programs, and new initiatives. It ensures the long-term
viability of the institution.”
Sistahs in the Spotlight “The Best of Our Knowledge,” a
program produced by WAMC, the NPR
member station in Albany, New York, devoted a segment to Sistahs
in Science, a Mount Holyoke student organization for ALANA women
in the sciences. Interviewed for the January 26 program were
the organization’s cofounders, Sheila Browne, professor
of chemistry, and LeAnn Williams ’96, a former mentee of
Browne, and Charity Bishop ’04. The organization has more
than 50 women science majors and offers peer mentoring, tutoring,
and workshops to increase academic and career success. Over 28
science faculty serve as mentors to the organization. The goals
of Sistahs are to recruit, retain, and enable ALANA women to
succeed and thrive in science. “The Best of Our Knowledge” is
broadcast by dozens of subscriber stations across the country.
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