Ruth Burnham serves as a role model to the students with whom she works at Bucknell University as she herself accepts the volunteer position of chairperson of the Union County Chapter of the American Red Cross. She will serve a three-year term supervising the activities of the chapter, including convening the board of directors at the quarterly meetings and working with Executive Director Roberta Ames to recruit volunteers for various leadership positions. Burnham's position gives her some discretion in fiscal matters, including check signing and decision making. She also represents the Union County Chapter at regional and national Red Cross meetings and functions. Part of her job is to provide a liaison with other community service groups. She assists with the fundraising for the chapter, including the annual membership drive, direct mail campaigning within the county, and the United Way. Burnham has served on the board of directors of the Union County Chapter since 1982. In this way, Burnham models the importance of volunteering in one's community to the students at Bucknell with whom she works. Burnham feels that "community service is a long-standing tradition for Bucknell students." She estimates that 75 to 80 percent of Bucknell students are involved in community service to some degree and at least 60 to 65 percent participate on a regular basis. "It isn't just students who are doing the volunteering," said Burnham. Many faculty and staff members are involved as well in the community, serving on boards of public and private institutions or volunteering as firefighters, scout leaders, and coaches. Bucknell is the county's largest single donation site for the Red Cross Bloodmobile, collecting about 520 pints a year from students, staff and faculty. "We have an enormous impact on the community," she said. "I think we have a wonderful track record for community service on campus."

Betty Smyth Williams, B recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, speaks at the New Visions for Women Leadership Conference held at Bucknell April 5 and 6. Together with other women in Northern Ireland, Mrs. Williams organized a march for peace to protest the killing of innocent people. Her grass roots activism calling for an end to violence also earned her the International League of Human Rights Medal of Courage.

Mrs. Williams talk, "Women Making A Difference" is held in the Weis Cent for Performing Arts on campus as part of a two-day conference organized by the Committee on Women's Leadership. Shown here with Mrs. Williams are Mare Rasmussen, '94 (left) and Vanessa Mayo, '92 (right), COWL members.

COWL Archives, 1991

John Kendrick

After completion of her Masters degree and a period of self-employment, Cate Scaffidi returns to Bucknell in the spring of 1993 to take the job as advisor to lesbian, gay, and bisexual students. It is a five hour a week position and the office is in Vedder Hall in what's described as a "closet." Scaffidi says, "It was a very interesting experience." The following year, her hours as advisor are expanded to eight hours a week, and she receives a computer. However, the computer only works half the time, "and that was bad." The next year, Scaffidi goes to ten hours a week. Finally, in 1996, Scaffidi, still at ten hours a week, moves into a nice, new office in Roberts Hall. The LGB Concerns Office distributes a brochure that the advisory board has produced called Out and About. It focuses on sexual orientation, providing answers to questions, and information on resources. Scaffidi sees the mission of the LGB office as educational. She believes this to be a two-fold process involving the education of the Bucknell community on issues of diversity, specifially about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered issues. Secondly, education involves creating a safe environment for students who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, or are not sure. This last group Scaffidi feels strongly about. Some people are not sure of their sexual orientation, and "this is a time in people's lives, these years between 18 and 22, when people go to college, most of us anyhow, where you begin to come to terms with sexuality in many ways." Some of the services the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Concerns Office offers are hall programming as well as talking to classes. There is a lounge that people can use for meetings or to hang out. The office has a small lending library of both reading material and videos. Scaffidi is available to talk to students, as are the student liasons working for the office. A support group meets weekly for students to talk about issues that concern them, and the discussions are not necessarily confined to sexual orientation.

WRC Interview 2/96

Beth Morilla who graduated in the Spring of 1995, returns in the fall to give a public talk on her experience at the Fourth World Conference on Women near Bejing, China. As an undergraduate, Beth majored in International Relations and Spanish and studied in Chile for the Spring of 1994. She was also involved in the Committee on Women's Leadership and an activist on campus.

The United Nations Conference on Women was an eye-opening experience for Beth. She was inspired by the stories of women around the globe working to change their status. She had an opportunity to interact with local Chinese, to hear about controversies concerning genital mutilation, to learn about the strong political stands of women in the Philippines, and to consider the plight of Tibet. Beth predicted that women would be more visible in politics by the year 2000.

When asked about future plans, Beth said she was "just passing through Bucknell and going to Chile where she will be working for Women's World Bank." This organization gives loans to women's initiatives helping them become more active in communities and financially independent while fostering more self-esteem.

The advice Beth gave to those who want to get more informed and gain experience is to contact larger organizations, based in larger cities. Her last message was, "go abroad, experience being 'the minority" in a different culture. Struggle, feel how it's like being in the position where you have to reach out to get by."

WRC Presentation, September 25, 1995