As an avid reader, one of my favorite things every year is the American Association of University Women’s Book & Author Luncheon.
Held on March 21 at the Vallecito Room at Fort Lewis College’s Student Union, it was a chance to find out what the organization is up to, support its scholarship fundraising, be inspired by a current scholarship holder and learn more about the writing process from a local author.
This year’s keynote speaker was Shaila Van Sickle, professor emerita of FLC and author of Seven Characters in Search of an Author, an homage to a favorite play, Pirandello’s “Six Characters in Search of an Author.” But before I get to her, here’s the rest of the scoop.
Because the luncheon draws all kind of people besides members – friends, family, booklovers – it’s an opportunity to educate the community about AAUW and what it does.
President Katherine Burgess shared some interesting facts to put AAUW into perspective:
Founded in 1881, 17 female college alumni wanted to find ways to use their education.
The organization currently has 170,000 members and supporters, 1,000 branches and 800 college and university partners, including FLC, since President Dene Kay Thomas made the commitment. (She was at the luncheon, along with Provost Barbara Morris and several Native American students.)
Past AAUW members have included many luminaries such as Eleanor Roosevelt and have supported women of accomplishment with grants, including Nobel Prize-winner Marie Curie. AAUW helped her purchase a gram of radium to continue her research.
Over the years, it has funded numerous studies, including its first, “Health Statistics of Women College Graduates” in 1885. The study dispelled the commonly held belief that a college education damaged a woman’s health.
AAUW has two divisions, one for philanthropy ($4.3 million in scholarships and grants in 2012 alone) and advocacy.
It conducts groundbreaking research related to gender equality in education and the workplace.
The organization invests in building women leaders on campuses and works to get more women in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.
AAUW also works to create public policy to empower women and girls, and provides advocacy for women litigating sexual harassment and gender discrimination cases.
A busy organization, as you can see. And a good chance to “Spread the Word,” this year’s theme.
An event like this does not come together without a lot of work. This year, Judy Spolum headed up the committee; Marcy Jung served as deputy head and liaison with FLC; board members Marilyn Sandstrom, Grace Deltscheff, Jean Walter, Betsy Norton, Sandy Brown and Donna Nelson all pitched in; Teresa Jordan and Barbara Shore handled the table decorations; Maria’s Bookshop provided the books for sale and signing; and Sandy Jameson represented the FLC Foundation.
The foundation manages two scholarships that AAUW has already endowed in the names of Virginia Shoser and Janet Watson, and the Cheryl Jackson Scholarship, which is in the process of being endowed and was the recipient of much of the money raised at the event. All kinds of organizations and individuals donated prizes for a raffle, with several people scoring goodies. Cissy Anderson was the winner supreme, taking home not one, not two but three door prizes.
Jung, who’s in charge of membership, spent a lot of the time wearing a sandwich board extolling the virtues of being a member. (She said she’s always had a secret hankering to wear a sandwich board and had to grab the opportunity.) It was highly successful, as she signed up nine new members. Jung drew a name of a new member and said she would treat her to lunch with the board member of her choice.
A past scholarship recipient, Mariah Gachupin, was on hand, and the crowd was profoundly moved by Sarah Sanchez Armstrong, the current recipient of the Shoser Scholarship. The valedictorian of her class at Bayfield High School, life and marriage got in the way of a college education. Thanks to the Shoser scholarship that benefits nontraditional students, she was able to go back to school as a young mother. (She’s managed to maintain a 3.96 gradepoint average while raising daughter, Rosalina, who’s almost 5.) After this semester, she only has to finish her student teaching to get her bachelor’s degree in Spanish as well as a certificate for teaching English as a second language.
And while she couldn’t thank AAUW and her husband enough, what she really talked about was a joy and hunger for learning. Her passion was contagious, and I found myself wishing we could get every student, male and female, to feel this way. It’s particularly critical in a world where change is constant, and things we learned 20 years ago need to continue growing and advancing. Otherwise, we find ourselves making buggy whips in a Model A world.
(I myself am learning to tweet, Tout, shoot photos with my iPhone and read the metrics on our website to see what you readers are interested in online. I’m not saying it’s easy, but it provides some new challenges, and we all need those.)
Judith Reynolds, who followed Armstrong and introduced Van Sickle, had a tough act to follow but said Armstrong made her proud to be a member of AAUW.
And then it was time for Van Sickle, who saw many faces in the crowd who have been important in her life. Carroll “Pete” Peterson, her former colleague in the English (or maybe it was Modern Languages, I can never remember when that change happened), and his wife, Maxine; Jim Cross, longtime exercise science professor at FLC, whose ability to teach grammar to athletes she found impressive; Beth Green, the editor of her book; and several other colleagues and friends were on hand to cheer her on.
It was one of the most personal and heartfelt programs I have ever heard. Sure, she talked about the writing and editing process and the fact that a publisher is interested in her second book. But it was her ruminations on friendship, particularly with her early collaborator, Doreen Mehs, that dug deep. Mehs died way too young of a form of vascular dementia, but she held on to the plot and the characters of their book as she lost much of the rest of her life.
Every single author who has presented at this event has been unique, thoughtful and inspiring. Van Sickle was no exception.
(And while I haven’t said much about the luncheon itself, Sodexo prepared a delicious chicken and the best lemon cake ever.)
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Thankful not to be picking grit out of the frosting on their birthday cakes as the winds calm down are Micah Priest, Dorman McShan, Jennifer McLaughlin, Kip Stransky, Holly Chavez, Mark Donahue, Larry House, John Lavengood, Anne Battani, Sandy Max, Nancy Ottman, Rex Stanke, Jessica Cox and Jim Edmanson.
Belated greetings go to Dr. Kirsten “Kicki” Searfus for her March birthday, because I just found out about it!
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The Volunteers of America’s kick-off for the Wear the Love campaign Thursday was a rousing success. For a minimum $60 contribution, donors would receive a limited edition glass pendant designed by Karyn Gabaldon.
KK and John Patton and Bob Estes graciously opened the Taylor-Raymond Gallery to the hordes, because more than 220 people attended. They were ravenous hordes, too, as the Lost Dog Bar & Lounge donated the food and ended up bringing double the originally intended amount. Star Liquors provided the fruit of the grape, and Coca-Cola of Durango and Farmington contributed the nonalcoholic beverages. Durango Party Rentals donated table linens.
Other sponsors included First National Bank of Durango, Karyn Gabaldon Arts and Rich Black Creative.
Chris Warren, the co-chairwoman of the campaign told me they had ordered 300 pendants, and Sarada Leavenworth, VOA executive director, said there were “60ish” pendants left, so they’ve already raised more than $14,000 to help the more than 400 women and children served by VOA’s Southwest Safehouse and Durango Community Shelter.
(The last few pendants are available at Taylor-Raymond, Karyn Gabaldon Arts and by calling VOA at 259-1021. The campaign will last until May 10 or supplies run out, which is the more likely considering how beautiful they are.)
Leavenworth tells me more than 80 percent of the women VOA serves are actively working toward economic self-sufficiency by finding work, going back to school and/or saving for stable housing. More than 90 percent of the children had their medical and nutritional needs better met as a result of their stay.
I have learned so much about VOA and the work it does through writing Neighbors and my nonprofit series last summer. The amount of change they foster in people’s lives, and the fact that they do it on a shoestring, is beyond impressive.
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Folks who read The Heart and the Fist by Eric Greitens, which was the Common Reading Experience selection at Fort Lewis College a couple of years ago, might be interested to know he has a new book out, Resilience: Hard Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life. Having just read the introduction, I know it’s going on my reading list.
Bridget Irish, who ran the Common Reading Experience through last year, was honored to get a signed copy of the book when it came in the mail but had to laugh at how organized his staff was in asking for a review on Amazon, giving her different ways to navigate the website.
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And in other book news, almost five years ago, I wrote a story about Martin Ganda, a young man from Zimbabwe who had seen snow for the first time while visiting the Duke family here.
Ganda’s life had been changed when he started corresponding a pen pal in Pennsylvania, Caitlin Stoictz, who began sending some of her babysitting money when his father couldn’t afford to pay the $10-a-semester fees. Not only did Ganda finish school, Stoictz and her mother convinced Villanova University to give him a full-ride scholarship. After earning bachelor’s degrees in economics and mathematics, he went to work for Goldman Sachs as a derivatives analyst.
The two pen pals have collaborated on a book, I Will Always Write Back – How One Letter Changed Two Lives. It’s being published by Hachette and will be released April 15.
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Roger and Shirley Buslee have had a rough year, but here’s hoping there’s a moment to remember a long and fruitful marriage.
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Here’s how to reach me: neighbors@durangoherald.com; phone 375-4584; mail items to the Herald; or drop them off at the front desk. Please include contact names and phone numbers for all items. Follow me on Twitter @Ann_Neighbors.
I am happy to consider photos for Neighbors, but they must be high-quality.
