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Five individuals, two groups honored with Equity Awards

The 2007 Equity Award was presented to Rev. James Faluszczak (second from left), pictured with from left: Clarion University President Joseph Grunenwald, Janice Grunenwald, and Clarion University Trustee Dr. Syed Ali-Zaidi.

Five individuals and two groups were honored during Clarion University’s 13th Annual Equity Awards Dinner and Awards Ceremony.

The event, which caps Equity Week observance, included the first presentation of the Global Citizenship Award, presented to a Clarion University/community individual or group, who in spirit of reconciliation, promotes peaceful coalitions by developing curricula, travel, or study abroad opportunities that create global connections and dialogue, and/or implements an activist project that benefits communities in conflict zones.

Award recipients included: Rev. James Faluszczak, Equity Award; Janice Horn, Outstanding Community Award; Dr. Vincent Spina, Outstanding Supporter Award; Cheyenne Patterson, Outstanding Student Award; Dr. Susan Prezzano, Outstanding Faculty Award; University Art Gallery, Special Group Award; and Political Economy Club, Global Citizenship Award.

AWARD WINNER PROFILES

2007 Equity Award – Fr. James Faluszczak is instrumental in promoting understanding among the various faith and traditions represented on Clarion’s campus. He established the interfaith roundtables featuring Islamic, Jewish, and Christian viewpoints and took steps to invite national speakers from all three religions to the university to speak. To further promote interfaith dialogue and understanding, he solicited private gifts to create new Jewish and Islamic collections to the Ditz Theological Library at the Clarion Campus Ministry Center. The collections, which include reference publications as well as books on Jewish and Islamic theology, history, culture, holidays, and other topics, are available to members of the university and larger communities.

He promotes tolerance throughout the community and university by welcoming everyone to the Campus Ministries and by conducting training for orientation leaders and resident assistants. Clarion Campus Ministries was one of the sponsors of the “Rock for Darfur” concert in Fall 2007 and he also instituted a year-long series on different dimensions of Catholic Social Thoughts.

Outstanding Community Award – Janice Horn, a retired Clarion University faculty member,

now works as a community activist and educator. She was instrumental in bringing SAFE, the

League of Women's Voters, and the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women to Clarion and has taken leadership roles in each. She was instrumental in arranging voters’ forums in the community; has been a fundraiser for SAFE, the League of Women's Voters and Seneca Rocks Audubon Society; and has encouraged thoughtful action on issues important to Clarion, Pennsylvania, and the country. Since her retirement, she has continued to serve the community, including serving as treasurer of the Seneca Rocks Audubon Society, vice president of the Clarion County Community Foundation, and as a board member of the United Way's Women's Initiative.

Outstanding Supporter Award – Dr. Vincent Spina, professor of modern languages at Clarion University, has been instrumental in creating and sustaining substantial links between Clarion and Ecuador. He developed travel and study abroad opportunities, allowing 30-40 Clarion students to study in Ecuador each year. He has worked with other faculty to assist a local city government with the development of an ethnohistoria museum in Ecuador. He is currently exploring possibilities for the exchange of faculty between Clarion University and its affiliate, the University of San Francisco at Quito, Ecuador.

Outstanding Student Award – Cheyenne Patterson is the president of the Black Student Union (BSU). She helped with the successful BSU Halloween party and other events on campus; collaborated with the Clarion Young Democrats to increase attendance for the opening for Barack Obama; was a facilitator for the BSU Diligence Workshop; and is in charge of collaborating Clarion’s BSU with other state schools for Aids Week. She works to inform the Clarion community that BSU is not only for African Americans but for all students. A senior mass media arts, journalism and communication studies major, she is a daughter of Cecilia Patterson of Pittsburgh and is a graduate of Schenley High School.

Outstanding Faculty Award – Dr. Susan Prezzano, professor of anthropology at Clarion University, works to promote diversity and an understanding of multiculturalism on campus. All of her courses focus on developing students’ awareness of and sensitivity to issues of race, ethnicity and gender. She promotes values of tolerance and fairness in all of her work. She serves as a volunteer consultant to the indigenous community of Otavalo, Ecuador, to assist with the establishment of a historical museum. She serves on the Clarion University Presidential Commission on the Status of Women. Her research focuses on Native American population in the Northeast. She involves the youth of Abraxis in her local archeological digs to expose them to anthropology.

Special Group Award – University Art Gallery, which is active in cultural programming and highlighting the work of diverse artists, has hosted exhibitions focusing on race, ethnicity, gender, and other forms of cultural diversity. It highlights local, national, and international artists. An upcoming exhibition, “Women of/on/not Color,” features works by racially diverse groups of women. The Gallery promotes outreach programs and makes arrangements for high school and other student group visits.

Global Citizenship Award – The Political Economy Club has organized campus events including making people aware of the situation in Cuba; a genocide forum, which brought out issues related to human rights violations; and the upcoming “Rock for New Orleans” concert that will be a fundraiser to send the group to New Orleans to rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. They also sent three members to a conference in Harrisburg to educate students and present posters about their international education experience.

The dinner and award ceremony, held in Chandler Dining Hall, featured Dr. Regina Birchen as guest speaker. Her presentation continued the week’s theme, “Women in Conflict Zones: War, Peace, and Reconciliation.” Birchen is a biologist and consultant specializing in cell biology, plant propagation and the environment. From 1990-94, she held the Florence Marie Scott Chair in developmental biology at Seton Hill University. Most recently, she served as international president of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Dr. Joseph Grunenwald, president of Clarion University, gave introductory remarks at the dinner. Serving as master of ceremonies were Dustin McElhattan, Student Senate President, and Samantha Noblit, student relations committee chair. Fr. Faluszczak delivered the convocation. Clarion University’s Lift Every Voice Choir provided the entertainment. Clarion University’s Student Senate and Office of Social Equity sponsor the dinner and awards ceremony.

Award presenters included: Janelle Zabaresky, Ashley Super, Mariah Yancey, Mary Loveless, Sara Pratt, Elizabeth Presutti, and Heather Puhalla.

The hosts/hostesses for the evening were: Ashley Grimm, Nick Korom, Mary Loveless, Brian Perkins, Elizabeth Presutti, Heather Puhalla, Danielle Riley, Brian Rosano, Rozlynd Vares, David Walsh, Mariah Yancey, and Aimee Zellers.

The student relations committee chaired by Samantha Noblit includes: Joy Carey, Stephanie Estok, Lacey Klingensmith, Tiffany Mason, Audra McGuire, Sara Pratt, Ashley Super, Erik Whitaker, and Janelle Zabresky.

McElhattan, a junior molecular biology/pre medicine major, is a son of David and Shelley McElhattan of Franklin and is a graduate of Franklin High School.

Noblit, a junior mass media arts, journalism, and communication studies major, is from East Brady and is a graduate of Karns City High School.

Zabresky, a sophomore political science major, is a daughter of Jacqueline Zabresky of Dallas and is a graduate of Bishop O’Reilly High School.

Super, a freshman political science major, is a granddaughter of Elaine Thomas of Philadelphia and is a graduate of David Oliver High School.

Yancey, a junior English major, is a daughter of Robyn Yancey of Harrisburg and is a graduate of Susquehanna Township High School.

Loveless, a sophomore political science major, is a daughter of Cynthia Hasenzahl of Shiloh, Ohio, and Steve Loveless of Shelby, Ohio, and is a graduate of Shelby High School.

Pratt, a sophomore business major, is a daughter of Diane Pratt of Clinton, Ohio, and David Pratt of North Canton, Ohio, and is a graduate of Norton High School.

Presutti, a junior marketing major, is a daughter of Anthony and Mary Presutti of Beaver and is a graduate of Beaver High School.

Puhalla, a sophomore human resources major, is from Aliquippa and is a graduate of Center High School.

Grimm, a senior biology/pre-dentistry major, is a daughter of Richard and Jane Grimm of Sugarloaf and is a graduate of Hazelton High School.

Korom, a senior international business major, is from Exton and is a graduate of Downingtown High School.

Perkins, a junior management major, is a son of Robert Perkins of Irwin and is a graduate of

Norwin High School.

Riley, a freshman secondary education/mathematics major, is a daughter of Lisa Riley of Murrysville and is a graduate of Franklin Regional High School.

Rosano, a senior real estate major, is a son of Frank Rosano of Aliquippa and is a graduate of Hopewell High School.

Vares, a senior economics major, is a daughter of James Vares of Kaneohe, Hawaii, and is a graduate of Kamehameha High School.

Walsh, a senior information systems major, is a son of Susan Dorn of Pittsburgh and is a graduate of Fox Chapel High School.

Zellers, a senior history and philosophy major, is a daughter of Kent and Denise Zellers of Felton and is a graduate of Red Lion Area High School.

Carey, a sophomore international business/Spanish major, is from Lancaster, and is a graduate of Manheim Township High School.

Estok, a sophomore secondary education math and Spanish major, is a daughter of Steve and Adelfa Estok of Fairview and is a graduate of Fairview High School.

Klingensmith, a junior liberal studies major, is a daughter of Laura Mutchler of New Castle and is a graduate of Laurel High School.

Mason, a junior liberal studies major, is a daughter of Charles and Sheri Mason of Girard and is a graduate of Girard High School.

McGuire, a sophomore elementary education/special education major, is a daughter of Cindy McGuire of McDonald and is a graduate of Canon-McMillan High School.

Whitaker, a sophomore secondary education/social studies major, is a son of Carol Whitaker of Pittsburgh and is a graduate of Baldwin High School.

Equity week opened with a keynote address, “An Afghan Woman Shares Her Story,” from Farooka Gauhari, author of “Searching for Saleem: An Afghan Woman’s Odyssey.” It continued with a roundtable luncheon focusing on the topic, “What Does It Mean to be a Global Citizen?” featured panelists: Mona Ibraham, NESA Study Abroad Exchange Program, “Women, Progress, and Obstacles;” Fatima Hashima, Study Abroad Exchange Program, “My Experiences in the USA;”

and The Rev. Deacon Charl Ann Kapp, deacon of the Christ Episcopal Church, Oil City, “An

American in Tanzania, East Africa.” Dr. Deborah Burghardt, Clarion University Presidential Commission on the Status of Woman, moderated the roundtable.

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