From Karen Pasternack's, "Effective Immediately," Fall '97 By now you've probably seen those men in black picking up a cheesesteak for Hillary Clinton. And no, Clinton didn't come all the way to Philadelphia merely to sample the cuisine. The party actually responsible for bringing this powerful presence to Penn is a group that often lacks visibility around campus --the Trustees Council of Penn Women. You may have heard about the Council. And if you're a senior woman, you may have attended the junior women's dinner last fall. At the dinner, Washington Post Assistant Managing Editor Mary Hadar, a 1965 College of Women graduate, talked to the Class of 1998 women about her career in journalism and job decisions. But for most people, the council's presence within the Penn community often goes unnoticed. Certain resources such as the council, remain largely untapped at Penn simply because their name doesn't roll off the tongue of every tenured professor and appear on the front page of The Daily Pennsylvanian on a regular basis. Yet the Trustees Council for Penn Women continually exerts a major effort to redefine the excellence of this establishment. In fact, these 139 Penn alumnae have an official mission statement, that best summarizes their goals. According to the statement, the council aims to "support, foster and promote the advancement of women and women's issues within the University, thus enriching the University community as a whole." So, who are these women, one might ask? Among the distinguished members of the Trustees Council are top architects, business executives, writers, lawyers and doctors. Women such as Philadelphia's first lady Marjorie Rendell comprise this awesome group. Over the years, the council has been responsible for the initial funding of student organizations such as Students Together Against Acquaintance Rape and PennQuest. They have given money for research grants, helped obtain athletic equipment for student gymnasiums, and brought in world renowned women speakers to advise and inspire those in the Penn community. In 1993, the council created the Fund to Encourage Women to increase the presence of women professors and professionals at the University. The most recent edition of Communique, the council's newsletter, reported that through the FEW program, guest professors would meet with graduate and undergraduate women to encourage and promote greater numbers of women to enter these traditionally male dominated fields. Yet the pinnacle of the council's work is perhaps most clearly reflected in today's bestowing of Hillary Clinton with the Beacon Award, the highest honor decreed by the council. Terri Gelberg, chairperson of the council and 1969 College of Women graduate, described the award as one that recognizes a distinguished person whose contribution to the advancement of women attains a degree of excellence that the council deems extraordinary. Former interim University President Claire Fagin and Trustee Alvin Shoemaker, were the only other people to receive the award prior to Clinton. But involvement with the council is not limited to this week's events. Although the council is not designed to entirely fund programs, Gelberg explained they can provide seed money to selected applicants who need help starting important programs on campus. In my conversation with Gelberg, she expressed a strong interest in hearing feedback from students throughout the year, not merely at designated events such as this week's celebration and April's traditional council meeting with students. I often hear people around Penn complaining about the lack of venues for new initiatives. Well, if you hadn't already stumbled upon this resource, why not give it a try? After all, we have in our midst a council of women who know that anything is possible when you're determined to accomplish it. Why wait until the junior women's dinner to make contact with this group? Freshman and sophomore year can be an important time to establish a meaningful connection with an alumna. By the time you're a senior, you can already have mentors as you look ahead to the years beyond Penn. The voice of the Trustees Council for Penn Women may not yet achieve the status of Darth Vader. But this is one force we can all benefit from.
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