South Central PA News

Gettysburg College issued the following announcement on Apr. 22.

Photojournalist Eric Lee ’15 discusses his work with students during the 6th Annual Peace and Justice Week.

All throughout the year, Gettysburgians make campus life vibrant through engaging panels with alumni and distinguished guests, honoring accomplishments with awards and celebrations, and hosting valuable programs for students to learn and grow.

Throughout March, students applied themselves in and out of the classroom, met with successful alumni, and received awards for the work they do.

Read on for campus happenings from the past month:

Honoring Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month, and this year, the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center at Gettysburg College put together an Instagram series to highlight women trailblazers throughout history.

Congratulations to the winners of the 7th Annual Women of Distinction Awards, presented by the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center and the Office of Multicultural Engagement.

• Hidden Figure: Scholarly Communications Librarian Mary Elmquist
• Hidden Figure: Psychology Prof. Kathy Berenson
• Outstanding Organization/Group: PEEPS
• Outstanding Organization/Group: Gender and Sexuality and Resource Center
• Anne Butcher Lane (Student) Women of Distinction Award: Cora Beyer ’23
• Anne Butcher Lane (Faculty & Staff) Women of Distinction Award: Assistant Director of the Center for Public Service Brenda Reyes-Lua

Changemakers unite for Peace and Justice Week

At Gettysburg College, students seek positive change in their community and the world around them, pursuing causes with dignity and passion. Each year, the Peace and Justice Studies Program holds a weeklong series to honor that dedication to making a difference. This year, the theme of Peace and Justice Week was decoloniality, and during March 21-26, students, faculty, and staff had the opportunity to attend talks with speakers, workshops, discussion sessions, and a rally, all in pursuit of a more peaceful and just world.

The Peace and Justice Studies program awarded four students the Dr. Lisa Portmess Peace and Justice Leadership Award, created in honor of Philosophy Prof. Lisa Portmess, an outstanding educator who will be retiring this semester. This year’s recipients are Peace and Justice Student Council members Daniel Jones ’22, Benjamin Johnson ’22, Angely Arriaza ’22 and Zoe Marinacci ’22.

Alumni Spotlight: Photojournalist Eric Lee ’15 gave a lecture for Peace and Justice Week titled "Breathing Through the Tear Gas: Documenting Unrest in The Nation's Capital." Read about Lee’s process of documenting the Black Lives Matter protests in Washington, D.C.

Building ‘a community of care’

DOE officials visit Public Policy Chair Anne Douds’ course Introduction to Public Policy.

Pennsylvania Department of Education (DOE) officials, including Deputy Secretary of DOE’s Office of Postsecondary and Higher Education Dr. Tanya I. Garcia, DOE Higher Education Associate Michael Dotts, and Press Secretary Kendall Alexander visited the Gettysburg College campus on March 28.

Gettysburg’s Title IX Director Amanda Blaugher and Title IX Investigator Faith Biesecker led the officials on a tour of related campus resources, which was followed by a roundtable discussion about the College’s ongoing efforts to support students. During the visit, Garcia commended the College for “the incredible work” it has been doing to combat sexual harassment and violence.

The Bullet points

• Our students enjoyed spring break trips across the nation, including Eisenhower Institute environmental leadership students who learned how segregated beaches in Florida impact Black coastal communities and Center for Public Service immersion project students who collected 50 rocks in Golden to be used in inipi ceremonies as they learned about native nations.
• On March 22, Paul D. Miller, a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, visited Gettysburg College to talk with students about the invasion of Ukraine, the lead-up to the invasion, and where the nature of the war is headed.
• On March 23, Grammy-winning guitarist Jason Vieaux, Maestro Stuart Malina, and the principal players of the Harrisburg Symphony performed Music Prof. Avner Dorman’s composition “How to Love” at the Market Square Concert’s 40th Anniversary Concert in Harrisburg.
• Also on March 23, Sue (Donner) Arthur ’88 joined a Zoom panel for the Alumni Relations speaker series called “How Did I Get Here?” to discuss her path from being a Spanish major at Gettysburg to becoming the CEO of CareerBuilder, a leader in talent acquisition services.
• Then on March 26, the Garthwait Leadership Center hosted an outdoor leadership hike to the Annapolis Rocks.

Original source can be found here.