Spring Break
The Daily OrangeCeremony honors female students and faculty
By Sarah DiGiulio
Posted: 3/2/08, 10:37 PM EST Section: News
Sylvia Waters walked across the stage of Goldstein Auditorium to the microphone on Friday afternoon wearing all black. She looked at her notes and donned a pair of red-rimmed reading glasses to match her red patent leather two-inch heels.
"This is so exciting," said the artistic director of Ailey II, a modern dance company based in New York City. "This is awesome."
Waters told the story of how she, a black woman, was invited to direct modern dancer Alvin Ailey's second company and pursue her passion of dance as a career. After seeing a ballet performance at the Juilliard School in New York, she committed herself to dance.
"It was stunning," Waters said. "I left there in tears knowing I needed to do that. My vulnerabilities were tested on a daily basis."
Waters shared her story in the keynote address for Syracuse University's 2008 Women of Distinction Awards. The awards, sponsored by the Office of Student Life and the Division of Student Affairs, honored female students, faculty and staff leaders in the SU community.
Waters embodied what the awards were about, said Sarah Ross, the chair of the Women of Distinction Awards committee and assistant director of OSL.
"She's done a lot for women in the arts and women's leadership," Ross said.
The Women of Distinction Awards committee of nine students, staff and faculty presented eight awards.
Sylvia Waters received an honorary woman of distinction award. Jillian Drouin, Miriam Reed, Jennifer Kinney, Carol McCann and Jennifer Zhao received student awards. Kate Carey and Jossette Otero received faculty and staff awards.
"They're people that everybody knows," Ross said.
The winners are more than leaders-they are passionate people, she said.
Student winner Jennifer Kinney spent a year in Washington, D.C., teaching high school students about HIV awareness with AmeriCorps.
Kinney, a senior political science and policy studies major, completed 1,700 hours of community service work across a span of 10 months as part of the program.
"This is so exciting," said the artistic director of Ailey II, a modern dance company based in New York City. "This is awesome."
Waters told the story of how she, a black woman, was invited to direct modern dancer Alvin Ailey's second company and pursue her passion of dance as a career. After seeing a ballet performance at the Juilliard School in New York, she committed herself to dance.
"It was stunning," Waters said. "I left there in tears knowing I needed to do that. My vulnerabilities were tested on a daily basis."
Waters shared her story in the keynote address for Syracuse University's 2008 Women of Distinction Awards. The awards, sponsored by the Office of Student Life and the Division of Student Affairs, honored female students, faculty and staff leaders in the SU community.
Waters embodied what the awards were about, said Sarah Ross, the chair of the Women of Distinction Awards committee and assistant director of OSL.
"She's done a lot for women in the arts and women's leadership," Ross said.
The Women of Distinction Awards committee of nine students, staff and faculty presented eight awards.
Sylvia Waters received an honorary woman of distinction award. Jillian Drouin, Miriam Reed, Jennifer Kinney, Carol McCann and Jennifer Zhao received student awards. Kate Carey and Jossette Otero received faculty and staff awards.
"They're people that everybody knows," Ross said.
The winners are more than leaders-they are passionate people, she said.
Student winner Jennifer Kinney spent a year in Washington, D.C., teaching high school students about HIV awareness with AmeriCorps.
Kinney, a senior political science and policy studies major, completed 1,700 hours of community service work across a span of 10 months as part of the program.
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