February 19, 2016

20th annual ‘Celebrate Women’ event is March 3

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The 20th annual “Celebrate Women: Honoring Inclusive Excellence” event, a time to recognize the contributions of women and raise scholarship funds, is coming to Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Student Center on March 3. 

Everyone is welcome to attend. Tickets are available for $25 until Feb. 29 by calling 618/521-0613 or by contacting Martha Ellert at msellert@aol.com

The gala begins at 10 a.m. with a silent auction in the Corker Lounge. Prizes include original artwork, rounds of golf at Hickory Ridge and much more. Bidding wraps up at 1:15 p.m.   

The catered luncheon at 11:15 a.m. in Ballroom D features pianist Anita Hutton playing the music of Zola Van, a female composer and pianist from Southern Illinois.   

Linda McCabe Smith, associate chancellor for institutional diversity, and Susan Ford, honorary chair and interim provost, will offer remarks, as will Lynne Chambers-Ketchens, an SIU law student and recipient of the 2015 Joyce A. Kelley Memorial Scholarship. 

During the luncheon, visiting artist and scholar Celeste Snowber, a poet, writer and associate professor at Simon Fraser University, will perform four short pieces that combine dance, poetry and improvisation with music by Maria Johnson. 

A variety of honors and awards will be presented including the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGSS)/University Women’s Professional Advancement Research (UWPA), Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards; the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and WGSS scholarships; the Women’s Intersport Network for Southern Illinois (WIN SI) Awards and the UWPA Mentoring Awards. 

Crystal’s Catering and More will provide lunch and sponsor the coffee and dessert reception to be held in the John W. Corker Lounge following the awards ceremony. 

Sponsors of “Celebrate Women” are SIU’s WGSS and UWPA along with the Carbondale branch of the AAUW and WIN SI.