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November 5, 2001

Briefs

 

Unity Week set to begin Nov. 9
The theme for this year’s Unity Week 2001 celebration is “One People, One World – Unity.” The celebration is scheduled for Nov. 9–17.

Kicking off the week’s activities will be a three-day workshop cosponsored by the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI) and Emory called “Welcoming Diversity and Conflict Resolution.”

Other highlights are the multicultural Café Unity, Nov. 10; a Bowl-A-Thon, Nov. 14; the Turkey Trot Fun Run, Nov. 15; and the faculty/student basketball game, also on Nov. 15.

Educational offerings include several dialogues and panel discussions, as well as an address by Lawrence Ross, author of The Divine Nine, who will give an overview of black Greeks in America. That speech is scheduled for 8 p.m., Nov. 12, in Harland Cinema.

Capping the week’s activities will be the semi-formal Unity Ball, Saturday, Nov. 17, at 9 p.m. in the Decatur Holiday Inn. Tickets can be purchased for $10.

Unity Week 2001 is sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services. For more information and a complete schedule, call 404-727-6754 or send e-mail to pytaylo@emory.edu.

 

Unsung Heroine nominations now being accepted
The advisory board of the Emory Women’s Center is soliciting nominations for its fifth annual Unsung Heroines Awards.

An Unsing Heroine is a woman who has demonstrated extraordinary dedication to women’s issues at Emory, but has not been formally recognized. Awards will be presented in the undergraduate, graduate, alumna, faculty, administrator and staff categories. The deadline for submission is Nov. 20.

For more information, call 404-727-2001.

 

Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:

I write in case this is something that you think is of interest. I lost one of my brothers in the World Trade Center disaster. There is much more I can say about that, but the real reason I’m writing is to give recognition and thanks to all here at Emory who have made my grieving process more manageable.

First, I was heavily persuing an administrative assistant position and ended up being offered a senior secretaries position instead. I had been actively searching with Emory for three months and was getting behind with bills. Though I was a little disappointed at first [at being offered the senior secretary position], little did I know that would turn out to be a blessing in disguise.

I was due to start Sept. 17 but had to go to New York in search of what we hoped was an injured brother in a hospital somewhere. I received much reassurance that my position would be held until I returned. I first asked for a one-week extension, sure that we were going to find my brother and return within the week. That turned into more than two weeks, without the success we had hoped for.

We ended up having a memorial for my brother, which until this day does not do much given the circumstances, but I digress. When I returned and throughout my communications with Angela Stroy (office manager for family and community nursing in the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing), I was comforted by the reassurance that my job was not one of the worries I had to spend time on.

And so I returned from New York and started working in the department. There was a large, beautiful, dish-garden-type plant arrangement on my desk and some condolence cards. These are only the physical things that I recognized right away that brought me comfort.

The fact I started in a position that would have very little stress for me (since I had much experience) proved to be the best thing for me at the time; that’s where being a secretary instead of an administrative assistant came in. The fact that there is a window behind my desk provides immeasurable comfort.

The people I work with, from the chair of the department, Dr. Annette Frauman; the administrative assistant, Nikita Rhodes; the office manager, Angela Stroy; Dr. Ora Strickland, who was instrumental in helping my family get much-needed financial assistance; and the many adult- and elder-care faculty and staff—I feel bad not naming each of them because they have been so compassionate —have demonstrated such compassion, understanding and concern that it has trully made a positive difference in my life.

I want to thank them all and say that they are wonderful representations, I’m sure, of some of the values treasured here at Emory University. So I say thanks to them all, and to Emory, for having such a quality group of people for me to join. I hope I am able to give at least half as much contribution back.

Annmarie Williams
Senior Secretary
School of Nursing

 

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