Long-time friends and colleagues at Mount Holyoke College, Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum - Dean of the College, professor, psychologist, and author of, Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria and Rev. Dr. Andrea Ayvazian - Dean of Religious Life, activist, minister, and expert on interracial relations and racial identity development will participate together in a discussion that examines the navigation of friendships across racial divides. Featuring personal examples and a conversational tone, this program will explore how "blacks must secure a racial identity free of negative stereotypes…and whites must give up the privilege that their skin color affords them and work actively to combat injustice in society."

Since 1908 the Ford Hall Forum, a nonprofit organization, has dedicated itself to promoting and facilitating public involvement in the open exchange of ideas on issues of public interest through the presentation of free programs that actively engage diverse audiences in discussions and debates. Ford Hall Forum programs are always free, open to the public, and include opportunities for audience members to ask questions and share comments.

The readings are co-sponsored by the Anne P. Nicholson ’40 Distinguished Lecturer Series, the English Department, and the Diversity Committee. All are open to the general public and admission is free.

The schedule is as follows:

• Tuesday, October 2, 7 pm: Marilyn Nelson Waniek, author of The Homeplace
• Tuesday, October 9, 7 pm: Robin Becker, author of All-American Girl and The Horse Fair
• Tuesday, November 15, 7 pm: William Patrick, author of We Didn't Come Here for This

"I was able to participate in one of the most remarkable displays of humanity," Whitney said. "If I hadn't experienced it for myself, I would have said it was unbelievable. I made friends who got me through the long days and high mileage. I met people who had lost family members and other loved ones to AIDS. I met others who had not been directly affected by HIV or AIDS, but just cared enough about those who had to get on their bikes and ride for 350 miles. I rode alongside many "positive pedalers," riders who, themselves, are HIV positive.

"I witnessed hundreds of riders line the road at dusk," Whitney continued, "to cheer on the last riders coming into camp after the 107-mile day. I slept in a mobile city of 1,000 tents and showered in a semi-truck each night. I met volunteers who woke up at 3 am each day and worked straight until 9 pm to make the experience for us riders, and I believe that many of the volunteers worked much harder than I did, and they never touched a bike."

Whitney first became interested in the fight against HIV/AIDS in 1999, while studying in Namibia, when she interned at a nonprofit organization offering HIV/AIDS education and patient services in the country with the second highest rate of AIDS infection in the world. The experience impressed her with its urgency and its compelling need.

After completing her education at Wellesley College, Whitney began to work in PMC's Student Life Office. Here she met Continuing Studies student Dawn Doucette, a senior who has been living with HIV for more than nine years. Dawn reawakened Whitney's commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS and inspired her to commit to the AIDSRide. Dawn had faced and overcome a series of obstacles, and at the age of 26, had returned to school. She is now in the process of trying to figure out how to professionally utilize her life experiences and the strength and wisdom they have given her.

It is estimated that almost 500,000 people have HIV/AIDS in the United States, and more than 34,000,000 are infected worldwide.

Sarah E. Brooks ’01, a transfer student from the University of Iowa, spent the fall working as a lab technician at the Dana Farber Cancer Research Center. She was asked to continue her work during the spring, and before graduation was offered a two year appointment as the lab director. Dana Farber is planning on publishing the results of Sarah's research, and Sarah is currently planning on going to medical school at the end of her two-year commitment.

Katherine M. Mc Dermott ’01 worked at Brigham and Women's Hospital primarily in the autopsy labs. There she acquired experience in forensics that she hopes to put to good use as she follows her sister's footsteps in the Brookline Police Academy.

Shannon M. Medeiros ’01 interned at Carney Hospital, working in Health Express, an outpatient, nonemergency clinic. Her internship sparked an interest in biotechnology, and upon graduation she took a job as a technician with Collagenesis, a biotech firm propagating human tissue for use in experimentation and surgery.

Dede C. Mihedji ’01 spent her semester at Planned Parenthood, assisting in the laboratories and with patient followup. She also was asked to continue her work during the spring semester. After graduation, she was accepted at the Minority Enrichment Program in Medicine and Science at the University of Chicago's prestigious summer program, and today she is preparing to go on to medical school.

Jennifer L. Neves ’01 spent last summer and the fall semester working in the Massachusetts State Police Crime Lab doing DNA analysis and PCR work which proves invaluable in matching family members, proving paternity, and placing people at crime scenes. Jennifer was asked to stay on in the lab at the end of her internship and will be certified as a DNA analysis technician this fall. Some of the research that Jennifer did will be published by the State Police this fall. After graduation in May, she was hired by Iontrack as a sales and analysis manager. She now is contemplating graduate school in the fall of ’03.

Yvonne Riley-Poku ’00 spent her last semester at PMC working at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital where she was hired after she graduated in December. She also applied to and was accepted by the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, where she begins classes in September.

Biology Professor Elizabeth Gardner said that she was very pleased with the accomplishments of her students. She added that "PMC's internship program validates the entire four-year effort, with its emphasis on the application of learned knowledge and skills in real-life settings. The internships and portfolios, which are required for all students, help our students to sharpen their professional skills and abilities and make them extremely competitive in today's market." Profesor Gardner believes the internship program is "an integral part of the overall educational process of helping our students to transform themselves."

The national weather service predicted drizzle, fog, and temperatures in the fifties, yet the day was glorious. The sun was shining, the sky was bright blue, the many flowering bushes and trees on campus were in full bloom, and the temperature was in the mid-seventies. Perfect weather for the fifty-seven PMC graduates and the more than 500 family members, friends, faculty members, and alumnae who gathered on the front lawn for the 89th Commencement Exercises on Sunday, May 20.

The Brass Ensemble sounded a festive note as administration, faculty, and graduates processed onto the lawn for the awarding of degrees. Fifty-two women received Bachelor's degrees, including thirteen in Business Administration, nine in Biology, seven in Communication, six in Education/Psychology, five in English, four in Psychology, two in Social and Political Systems, and five in Visual Arts.. One graduate received an M.Ed. in Elementary Education, and four received Associate's degrees, including one each in Business Administration, Child Care, Liberal Arts, and Visual Arts.

PMC also honored three distinguished women for their contributions to the greater Boston community and conferred honorary doctorates on them. The three honorees were Vicki Donlan '71, founder and publisher of Women's Business; Sandra L. Fenwick, COO of Boston's Children's Hospital; and Martella (Marti) Wilson-Taylor, president and CEO of the YWCA-Boston. Remarks were delivered by the three honorees and by Michelle Buonapane '01, president of the Student Government Association, and Laura Stuart '01, president of the senior class.

The ceremony also commemorated the 90th anniversary of the founding of the College in 1911 by Helen Temple Cooke, when 28 students requested an additional year of post graduation studies at the Dana Hall School in Wellesley.

In welcoming the assembled graduates and their families and friends, President Gloria Nemerowicz said, "Today's ceremonies are celebratory in nature and mark an end as ell as a beginning. You have spent four years here in intense study and preparation, and now, as you graduate, you enter a world that needs your skills and abilities, your inclusive approach to leadership, and you commitment to social responsibility.

"At the same time," President Nemerowicz continued, "we also commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of Pine Manor College. This gives us and opportunity to pause and reflect on how fortunate we all are to be part of an institution that has distinguished itself by successfully adapting to the needs of women on and ongoing basis, and has, in fact, made this the cornerstone of its mission. The inspiration of our founder and the contributions of our alumnae have made this possible, and also help us shape a vision for the future."

Saturday, April 28, 2001 was a triumphant, landmark day for Pine Manor College and its softball program. The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) softball semifinals and finals were held at PMC that day, and the Gators took the series by storm, earning their first-ever invitation to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Championship.

In the first semifinal game against Western New England College (WNEC), Springfiled, MA, a bottom-of-the-seventh double by PMC's Bethany Medeiros sent Sara Pray scampering all the way around from first to score the game's only run. Bethany's sister Shannon Medeiros hurled a masterpiece in shutting down a potent WNEC lineup.

The second semifinal game was no less dramatic, as Emerson College, Boston, MA, eked out a one-run victory over defending conference champ, St. Joseph's College, West Hartford, CT. So the stage was set for a showdown for the championship between Emerson and Pine Manor.

The two teams took turns holding the lead in the first few innings until Pine Manor's relentless offensive attack led by Kim Brizido took command. A gusty pitching performance by Shannon and a sterling defensive display by shortshop Tamara Rizzo ultimately iced the game (8-4) and the title for the Gators.

Bethany, Kim, and Tamara earned All-Tournament honors, and Shannon was named tourney MVP for their outstanding performances in the two games. Many more awards will stream in for the 27-5 Gators in the upcoming days and weeks, but for now, we can enjoy a long-awaited PMC first: a Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship!

Semi Finals:

Pine Manor College 1, Western New England College 0
Winning pitcher - Shannon Medeiros
Losing pitcher - Sierra Eurkus

St. Joseph College (CT) 1, Emerson College 2
Winning pitcher - Stephanie Trexler
Losing pitcher - Mary Ann Parsons

Championship Game:

Pine Manor College 8, Emerson College 4
Winning pitcher - Shannon Medeiros
Losing pitcher - Stephanie Trexler

GNAC All-Tournament Team

Burnett and Merlino are the co-founders of Count-Me-In (CMI), the first non-profit, on-line, micro-lending organization dedicated to helping women start and grow their own businesses by providing small business loans ranging from $500 to $10,000, and scholarships for business training and technical assistance. Since its inception in September 2000, CMI has made 110 loans.

Merlino, parenthetically, conceived of the idea of "Take Our Daughters to Work Day" in 1992, and, then, working together with the Ms. Foundation, introduced the concept publicly in New York City in the spring of 1993. Her impetus and inspiration was the realization that "the unfortunate condition that girls and women often share is that they are often invisible for who they are, and what they think, and what they are doing in the world. Unfortunately, women and girls are certainly recognized in the economy, but they are acknowledged and spoken to mainly as consumers—and in the case of girls and some women, as cute consumersŠcute is good, but it doesn't get you very far!" Her program encourages parents in the United States and throughout the world to take their daughters to their workplaces, to share an inside look at the work, and to help raise expectations for women's participation in all varieties of employment.

Iris Burnett is co-founder, co-chair, and president of Count-Me-In for Women's Economic Independence. She has more than 25 years of experience as a communication professional in media, government, academia, and the private sector. Prior to founding CMI, Ms. Burnett was a communication professor at American University and she was the senior vice president of corporate communications for the Sci-Fi Channel and USA Network, where she designed, developed, and implemented Erase the Hate an award winning national program to promote understanding and respect for diversity. She served as chief of staff at the United States Information Agency (USIA) and she helped create both the White House Women's Office and the President's Interagency Council for Women.

Ms. Burnett also served as an official delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, where she directed all communications for the delegation. She has had key assignments in five presidential campaigns, was the political advisor to two presidents, and was the director of security for the 1980 Democratic National Convention, the fist and only woman to ever serve in this capacity.

Ms. Burnett is married to photojournalist David Burnett and has two children.

Nell Merlino is co-founder and CEO of Count-Me-In for Women's Economic Independence and the founder and president of Strategy Communication Action Ltd. (SCA) in New York City, a firm specializing in public education campaigns that motivate people to act. Merlino has extensive experience in the development and production of such national and international efforts as NGO Forum on Women in Beijing in 1995, Earth Day's 20th anniversary, "Picture What Women Do" for Lifetime Television, and the YWCA Week Without Violence. Prior to founding SCA, Merlino worked in two state governments, was an advance woman in presidential politics, a union organizer, and a Fulbright Scholar in the National Health Service in England.

For her work on behalf of women, girls, and families, Ms. Merlino was recognized in the book, Remarkable Women of the Twentieth Century—100 Portraits of Achievement, and named one of fifty New Yorkers to Watch in 1999 by the New York Daily News. She was named "Woman of the Year" by New Woman Magazine in 1993, and was awarded the 1994 Fulbright Award for Outstanding Achievement.

Ms. Merlino lives in Manhattan with her husband Gary Conger.

In presenting the award, President Nemerowicz said, "This Award for Inclusive Leadership and Social Responsibility is Pine Manor's way of recognizing individuals whose lives represent the principles of inclusivity and boundary breaking, collaboration and creativity, social justice and social responsibility."

"This is a day of celebration here at PMC,"President Nemerowicz continued. "We are gathered for this wonderful reminder that our College is part of a larger social movement for change. The focus here today is on the accomplishments of these two extraordinary women. Central to the College's mission of educating a broad spectrum of women for lives of inclusive leadership and social responsibility is the reality of the need for women to be strong, value conscious players in our local and global economy."

"We have seen the impact on this small, 90 year old College of confronting the economy of higher education when our College made a commitment to lower tuition by one-third," President Nemerowicz said. "One of the things that I hope you are celebrating with us today MC's continued commitment to keeping this fabulous educational opportunity affordable to a wide spectrum of women who need the kind of education we provide here. We are proud to announce that for the next academic year, PMC is likely to be the most affordable private, four year college in the state and among the most diverse in student populations as well."

"Finally, we also celebrate your participation with us today," President Nemerowicz said in conclusion. "We cannot succeed in achieving our vision of transformative education without you and the organizations that you represent. We really are all in this work of changing the opportunities and outcomes for all women together."

In accepting the award Ms. Burnett said, "Never underestimate the power of an idea. Ideas can lead to making real change in the way we live our lives and very big differences in our attitudes and perceptions. Three years ago, Nell and I were invited to participate in a White House Women's Economic Summit. We had an idea. There were 100 women from throughout the country, all with different jobs, and different economic incomes. Together we discussed women and money, and women and economic opportunity. At the end of the summit, we realized that women were invisible in this economy as producers of wealth and jobs."

"We knew that we needed to change that perception and change attitudes about women and money," Ms. Burnett said. "We also knew that we would have to create something—an event or an organization—which included women from all over the nation. Something that would unite us regardless of race, religion, physical ability, economic income, political beliefs, age, or sexual preference. As we looked, we discovered that there were very serious problems with women and credit—both personal and business. Woman did not have access to the capital that they needed. Not even small amounts of money. Women could not borrow money to start businesses because they were disqualified by a credit scoring system that did not accommodate the way that most women lead their lives. Women take time off from work to care for family members including children, and women are widowed and divorced so they have very no credit history or very thin credit files. Women, for the most part, never thought about a credit history as something that they needed to have."

"And so we had an idea," Ms. Burnett continued. "We would raise enough money (from women all over the country) and create a loan fund that would be used for women to start businesses. It would be on-line so everyone could have access to it, and the process would be computer operated and generated so we could make large number of loans in short amounts of time. This also meant that we had to redesign the loan application to accommodate the way women lived their lives."

"With the help of corporations like American Express, family foundations like the Barbara Lee Foundation, and the participation of individuals like you, we have raised enough money to make 110 micro loans in just over six months," Ms. Burnett added. "It's money raised to provide women with the opportunity to have their own businesses, change their lives, and have a positive impact on the economy of this country."

Ms. Merlino added to these remarks by providing anecdotal information about some of the loans that have been made as well as the loan recipients. She focused in on a group of women in South Carolina who started up a business designing dolls and then talked about how they assisted another woman who had applied for a loan to start a similar business in New Orleans and how they have recently all come together to help a group of women in South Africa who make dolls and want to market them in the United States.

She emphasized that "the connections made through CMI have truly been remarkable. Women have reached out to help each other by offering advice and by sharing information. They have served as role models for each other as well as inspiration."

The two concluded by saying, "We are very proud of what we have done and we are very proud to be at Pine Manor. During our visit, we have had the opportunity to walk around, meet, lunch with some students, and even sit in on a few classes. We saw that you are encouraging and preparing those young women to have many powerful ideas, to think critically, and never give up on an idea that might help to make the world we live in a better place. One that is more accepting of individual differences and more supportive of new ways to think. We are honored to accept the leadership award and be included in the Pine Manor family. Our heartfelt thanks and commitment to what you are doing."

During the ceremony inductees will pledge their commitment to scholarship, a fearless life-long search for the truth, service, and the development of a strong moral character.

Participating in the seminar will Professor Samina Ahmed, a fellow at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and Professor Adil Najan, Professor of International Relations and Environmental Policy at Boston University.

Professor Ahmed is a political scientist specializing in the study of nuclear proliferation, regional security, and ethnic conflict in South Asia. She has also worked at the Institute of Regional Studies in Islamabad, Pakistan and at the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs in Karachi. Dr. Ahmed holds her advanced degrees from the Australian National University in Canberra. She is also a noted author and has published a number of monographs on the subject of nuclear proliferation in the region.

Professor Najan specializes in the areas of global environmental policy and negotiation, nongovernmental organizations, and global governance and negotiation theory and teaches at Boston University. He is a visiting fellow at the Sustainable Development Policy Institute and serves on the Board of Governors of the Pakistan Institute for Environment-Development Action Research, both in Pakistan. Dr. Najan has also taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and at the University of Massachusetts-Boston (UMASS-Boston). He, too, is a noted author, and has won a number of awards for excellence in pedagogy.

The seminar will be moderated by Professor Siddiq Abdullah, Economics Professor at Pine Manor College. Professor Abdullah is also responsible for the organization of the seminar. He holds his advanced degrees from Boston University and has served on the Pine Manor faculty for more than twenty years.