The President’s Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW) will host its annual Spring Event, April 18 at 5:30 p.m. in the School of Law’s Tull Auditorium.

And there is much to celebrate, promises Deb Floyd, the outgoing PCSW chair.

“We’ve had a great year, and this is a chance for us to reflect and just say, ‘Congratulations, we made it another year,’” Floyd said.

Last year marked the group’s 25th anniversary at Emory, and this year’s Spring Event is incorporating that milestone. During last year’s event, Floyd announced the PCSW would donate 25 trees to be planted at the new child care center at Clairmont Campus. Varieties of trees to be planted include sourwoods, Virginia pines, sawtooth oaks and magnolias, and a bench would commemorate the plantings.

The theme of this year’s Spring Event is “Roots,” which intertwines itself well with the tree-planting campaign, whose fundraising efforts will kick off at this year’s event. With $5,000 under its belt, PCSW wants to raise enough funds to meet its $20,000 goal, Floyd said.

“It just happened that the [event planning] fell into place and the theme found us,” said Floyd, director of student affairs for the law school.

The theme isn’t just limited to the planting project—it extends to the event’s guest speaker, Frances Smith Foster, who will discuss the roots of African American oral traditions.

Smith Foster is Charles Howard Candler Professor of English and Women’s Studies and Director of the Emory Institute of Women's Studies. She regularly teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in African American literature prior to the 20th century and in women's literature.

For Floyd, having Smith Foster speak is a strong connection to both women’s pasts: Floyd first met Smith Foster as an undergraduate at San Diego State University. After two years as PCSW chair, Floyd said having Smith Foster speak at the event was a nice way to bring her time with the group and her interest in women’s studies full circle.

President Bill Chace will be on hand to present the PCSW President’s Writing Awards to three students—an undergraduate, a graduate student and a professional school student. Each student will receive $250. Musical group Sweet Potato Pie, including Allison Adams, managing editor of Academic Exchange, and Kathy Reed, a former Emory employee, will provide musical entertainment for the evening.

Just making it through “another year” isn’t the only thing PCSW members have reason to celebrate; several notable achievements mark the past year, including a study on female faculty tenure at the University and the establishment of a staff mentoring program, which will begin its early stages this summer.

Cost for the event is $5, and tax-deductible donations can be made to the tree planting prgram at the door. Reservations can be made through Floyd, at 404-727-6829 or dfloyd@law.emory.edu.