Class of 2011

The Peter Morganstern-Clarren ’03 Social Justice Award was created in memory of Peter Morganstern-Clarren who pursued social justice while a student at Wesleyan. His activism included securing benefits for Wesleyan custodial staff, participating in the United Student and Labor Action Committee, and contributing his leadership to the campus chapter of Amnesty International. We are grateful to Dr. Hadley Morgenstern-Clarren and The Honorable Pat Morgenstern-Clarren for their generosity in sponsoring this award that honors their son’s activism for the public good. A committee will select the sophomore or junior who best embodies the pursuit of social justice. The application process is described below.

Any sophomore or junior in good standing may submit an application letter that addresses the following:

• Describe the most influential social justice effort in which you played a leadership role that sought to make our society more equitable (The effort could have a direct affect on the Wesleyan campus or on external communities.)
• Indicate how you effectively worked across different social identity groups (such as identity-based student organizations, program houses, faculty, administrators, and staff) in the pursuit of social justice.

In addition to your application letter, you must include a letter of support from a faculty or administrator involved in your effort and submit evidence of impact that the social justice effort had on making our society more just by contributing testimonies from individuals directly involved, artifacts from your social justice effort (e.g., past printed programs, presentations, and articles), and/or your work from courses. You may include non-print items, such as DVDs.

You must include at least four copies of the non-print and printed items and deliver them to Dean Melendez by 5 p.m. on February 27, 2009. All application letters, letters of support and printed items must be in my office by the deadline. By submitting your application, you agree to allow the Office of Student Affairs and the Office of Diversity and Strategic Partnerships to use it (or excerpts from it) for assessment, archival, and promotion purposes.

For additional information, please contact Marina J. Melendez, Dean for the Class of 2010 (x.2764).

Selection Committee: Matthew Joseph Brown ’03; Richard Culliton, Assistant Vice President/Dean of Students; Derek Vincent Garcia ’04; Noel Garrett, Associate Dean/Class Dean 2011; Rachael Morgenstern-Clarren; Marina J. Melendez, Associate Dean/Class Dean 2010 & Interim Chair; Robert Rosenthal, Professor of Sociology, Ann Wightman, Professor of History and Latin American Studies