My family and the awards committee invite all current sophomores and juniors to apply for the $1,500 Peter Morgenstern-Clarren Social Justice Prize. We also invite all undergraduates and teachers to honor a staff member who has positively impacted your experience at Wesleyan, by nominating him or her for the first ever Peter Morgenstern-Clarren Employee Prize, also an award of $1,500. Eligible employees include custodians, dining staff, grounds crew, and building maintenance staff.
LaShawn Springer ’08 was awarded the first Social Justice Prize for the community forum she organized in response to a hate crime on campus and the tension that ensued in its aftermath between students of color regarding the inclusion/exclusion of certain people. The discussion explored previous coalition building efforts among people of color and allies, and emphasized the ways in which our different struggles are linked. Mu Abeledo ’09 was awarded the second Social Justice Prize for her efforts to bridge the divide between Wesleyan students and local residents by co-directing a youth-run radio program, the Middletown Youth Radio Project (MYRP). She also coordinated the Wesleyan ESL tutoring program, demonstrating her dedication to empowering underserved communities. My family and the selection committee are excited to award the third Social Justice Prize, and first Employee Prize, this year.
The prizes were inspired by my late brother Peter’s ’03 activism as an undergraduate, which included leading the Wesleyan chapter of Amnesty International and fighting to secure benefits for Wesleyan’s custodial staff during the USLAC’s Justice for Janitors campaign.
The deadline for nominations is Feb. 28, 2009. For application materials and more information on the selection process please see your class blogs or contact Dean Marina Melendez, LaShawn Springer or Mu Abeledo. There will be an information session on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 4:15 p.m. in Usdan 108.
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