LHU hosted its yearly Let Her Voice Be Heard (LHBVH) event in celebration of Women’s History Month on March 30.
Sponsors of the event included LHU’s English Club, the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, and the Women & Gender Studies Program. Attendance consisted of participants, readers, and viewers both in-person and via Zoom.
Held in Greenburg Auditorium, LHBVH celebrated women with a variety of live readings by LHU students, staff, faculty, and alumni participants. The extensive program of literary works presented at the annual event were all written by female and female-identifying authors. Many readers shared pieces from their personal written collections, including Professor Margie Maddox-Hafer.
Staff participant and student success specialist, Blair Brown, considers the pieces presented to have been “fabulous and moving.” Brown said “LHVBH will remain a favorite event.”
Announced at the event were the winners of the President’s Award for Distinguished Work in the Advancement of Women’s Issues nominees and the winners of the Virginia Martin Gender Issues Essay Contest.
Recipients of the President’s Award for Distinguished Work in the Advancement of Women’s Issues included the LHU student group, Council for Social Studies, staff member, Rebecca Baker, and faculty member, Dr. Lisette Schilling.
Winners of the Virginia Martin Gender Issues Essay Contest were LHU students, Nicholas Garlick (third), Clayton Ro (second), and Ryan Probst (first).
Dr. Tracey Cummings has spearheaded the annual LHBVH event for over a decade, providing an outlet for female voices and individual expression. Friends, students, and fellow staff and faculty members expressed their gratitude and appreciation for Cummings and her invaluable efforts at LHU throughout the years.
“I think this event is so important, it is such a valuable event on Lock Haven University’s campus,” said Cummings. “It is a moment for faculty, staff, and students to get together and to celebrate women’s voices, to break silences, and to let her voice be heard.”
Cleia Stern
Cleia Stern is a first-year pursuing an undergraduate in Exploratory Studies. She is a staff writer for the Eagle Eye. Cleia holds the 2022 GOODE Waterski National Overall Champion title, as well as multiple regional and state titles. Cleia’s passions include water-skiing, tennis, and weightlifting. Aside from her athletic achievements, Cleia hopes to pursue writing into the professional setting with dreams of publishing a collection of poems.
