Wednesday; July 2, 1997 - The Michigan Daily - 9
Black 'U' employees honored
N 12th annual award
ceremony held for
black faculty and staff
By Angla Hugi
For the Daily
The Association of Black
Professionals, Administrators, Faculty
and Staff honored the accomplishments
of University employees with an after-
noon of music, poetry and refresh-
ments.
Four hundred fifty-four employees
were honored during the 12th Annual
Awards Program held in Rackham
Amphitheater on June 25.
The program recognized faculty
and staff who received promotions
and those who have been employed
by the University for 25 years or
more.
Event organizer Valener Perry said
the main purpose of ABPAFS was "to
promote the interest of African
Americans on campus and to help us
act as a unified voice."
The awards ceremony was titled
"United for Advancement" to empha-
size the overriding theme of unity.
Keynote speaker Henry Johnson,
vice president emeritus for Student
Services and Community Relations,
said the ceremony was a multi-purpose
event.
"It is a time of reunion, celebration ...
reflection, and finally evaluation,"
Johnson said. "A time of levity as well
as seriousness."
Divided leadership and miscommu-
nication stalled the advancement of
black University employees, however,
common struggles should create fel-
lowship among the members of
ABPAFS, Johnson said.
"Our mission should be to create an
organization which can flourish in an
environment which has competing
interests,' he said.
Johnson added that although
ABPAFS is comprised of faculty and
staff members, they should not over-
look the significance of student
impute.
Johnson added that ABPAFS is not
only an asset to students and employ-
ees, but that students are important to
ABPAFS.
"Students are the glue that fills in all
of the cracks," he said. "It should be a
model of unity that students can imitate.
It should offer refuge, comfort and
guidance for the students."
Following Johnson's speech, organiz-
ers presented three special awards to
individuals who achieved outstanding
accomplishments within the communi-
ty or on campus.
The Outstanding Public Service
Award was presented to Randolph
Skeete, Medical School administra-
tions staff counselor. Joyce French,
senior data archives specialist for the
Center of Political Studies and
Audrey Lucas, University Medical
Hospitals human resource consultant,
both accepted the Career Service
Award.
Lucas has been employed by the
University for 44 and a half years; she
began as an elevator operator earning
$1.06 an hour.
The Charles D. Moody, Sr. Higher
Achievement Award was bestowed
upon Sociology Prof. Donald Deskins,
Jr.
Perry then presented certificates to
those who received promotions and
have been in service to the University
for at least 25 years.
Johnson said that the achievements
of the award recipients should inspire
others.
"The light of their accomplishments
should so shine that all who see it aspire
to do the same"
Mark Friednan/Daily
Dr. Paul Uchter stands beside a piece of art from an Ann Arbor child. An exhibit of
ildren's artwork is on display at the W.K. Kellog Eye Center to acknowledge
work done by the University Department of Ophthalmology.
Children's art exhibit
celebrates vision
By Christine M. Paik
aly Staff Reporter
The WK. Kellogg Eye Center might
be mistaken for a gallery of fine art dur-
ing the next few weeks, or maybe even
an exhibition of abstract paintings creat-
ed by famous artists.
The center is displaying "The World
Through the Eyes of a Child" an exhib-
it of artwork created by toddlers from 10
local day-care centers. The exhibit runs
from June 25 to July 21, commemorat-
ing the first annual University
*epartment of Ophthalmology Day.
Becky Pazkowski, director of market-
ing at the W K. Kellogg Eye Center,
said the exhibit is the Department of
Ophthalmology's way of "celebrating
vision all year long.'
"We're in the middle of our 125th
anniversary in the Department of
Ophthalmology," Pazkowski said. "What
better way to celebrate vision than to see
though the eyes of a child?"
Children ages two through five were
invited to portray things they enjoyed
looking at using a variety of approaches.
Scotty Oatley, a five-year-old at
KinderCare Learning Center in Ann
Arbor, cut out magazine pictures and
pasted them onto construction paper,
next to a large eye.
The exhibit opened last Wednesday at
the Kellogg Eye Center. The opening
included formal remarks from Ann
Arbor Mayor Ingrid Sheldon.
"It was a very, very great program,"
Sheldon said. "It's nice every now and
then to take time to recognize your own
achievements, in this case the
Department of Ophthalmology, and to
develop ways for the community to be
aware of the impact that you have made."
The children, their parents, and their
day-care providers attended the exhibit
opening and were entertained by clowns.
"It was everything I visualized would
happen," Pazkowski said. "We had
clowns that were doing face paintings
and animal balloons. And the smiles on
the faces of the people last night were
just excellent"
While the adults focused on the
speakers, the children enjoyed the party.
"I saw clowns," Oatley said. "My arm
has a tattoo, but it's almost all gone now."
Pazkowski said that she hopes that the
month long exhibit will realize how pre-
cious sight really is and that it should not
be taken for granted.
Tiion Letn Ka kn
The Princeton Kaplan
Review
aI m dlais size
, 2
I
III
Think You're Pregnant?
o Free Pregnancy Testing * Completely Confidential
" Information about Pregnancy and Options
" Free Post-Abortion Support Groups
" Abstinence Counseling
WOMEN HELPING WOMEN
PEGNANCY 2950 Packard Rd.
COUNSELING Ypsilanti, MI 48197
} E (between Golfside and Hewitt)
A Division of Family Life Services 3134343088
of Washtenaw County, Inc.
IL
As you can see, there really is no comparison!
THE TRY US FOR FREE!
PRINCETON CALL FOR DETAILS
REVIEW (313)-663-2163
I