Activist, Advocate, Astronaut and Author
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Feature by: Division of Inclusive Excellence
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On Tuesday, March 11, at 7 p.m., Whitman College will host activist, advocate, astronaut and author Amanda Nguyen as the next Third Space Speaker. Nguyen’s long-awaited memoir, “Saving Five,” just dropped yesterday. As noted by People magazine, the book follows Nguyen “from the violent turmoil of her childhood to her role as a civil rights activist today.”
During her senior year as an undergraduate student at Harvard in 2013, Nguyen was raped. Following the incident, she endured a six-hour sexual assault forensic examination (or “rape kit”). At that time, however, this type of evidence was discarded by the state after six months of non-use. Nguyen would go on to advocate and petition for a change in the practice and protect the legal rights of survivors.
Nguyen’s advocacy resulted in the passage of the Survivors' Bill of Rights Act of 2016, which established statutory rights for sexual assault survivors, including the right to:
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- Not be prevented from receiving a forensic medical examination and not be charged for an examination
- Have a sexual assault evidence collection kit preserved for 20 years or the maximum applicable statute of limitations, whichever is shorter
- Receive written notification prior to destruction or disposal of a rape kit
- Be informed of these rights and policies
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This law is one of only a handful of laws to be passed unanimously in Congress.
Nguyen was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, founded the organization Rise and was named a Time Woman of the Year in 2022. That same year, Nguyen helped pass a similar resolution with the United Nations to protect the rights of survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse. Nguyen also made meaningful contributions to the Stop Asian Hate Movement in 2021.
Nguyen is a bioastronautics research scientist. She has conducted research at Harvard Center for Astrophysics, MIT, NASA and International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. As noted by Blue Origin, Nguyen worked on the last NASA shuttle mission, STS-135, and the Kepler exoplanet mission. The all-female group, known as the Space Sisters, will crew the Blue Origins NS-31 launch scheduled for later this spring, and Nguyen will become the first Vietnamese and Southeast Asian woman astronaut.
The Third Space Speaker Series is supported by the Johnston-Fix Foundation, and Amanda’s visit is co-sponsored by the Whitman Events Board. Join us in Reid Campus Center Young Ballroom for what will certainly be an amazing event. (Flyer attached.)
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As we are in the middle of a particularly bad flu season and as people make plans to travel during spring break, please take a moment to review these recommendations from the Health Center:
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- It is not too late to get a flu shot! They are easily available at pharmacies around town or through your medical provider.
- Make sure your measles vaccinations are up to date. Students are required to have proper evidence of measles vaccination to enroll at Whitman, but staff and faculty should verify that their vaccine and booster dates are still protective. (An improved version of the measles vaccine was created in 1968, so check with your health care provider if your immunization was prior to that date.)
- Minimize your risk for respiratory diseases like colds, flu and measles by wearing a mask and frequently washing your hands, especially while traveling around others. If you need a mask, stop by the Welty Student Health Center.
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Please take precautions to stay healthy and make your break as enjoyable as possible!
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Dialogue & Dignity Series Events This Weekend
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The Dialogue and Dignity Series will continue with a talk titled “Reimagine Resilience: Storytelling as a Portal to Prevention” on Friday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Olin Auditorium. (Flyer attached.) Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess is an award-winning author, scholar and Columbia University professor. Sabic-El-Rayess will also co-host an interfaith workshop titled “Understanding Educational Displacement to Cultivate our Collective Resilience to Hate,” together with Vikramaditya Joshi, a doctoral candidate in the Philosophy and Education Program at Columbia University. The free workshop will take place on Saturday, March 8, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Reid Campus Center Young Ballroom. Lunch will be provided. Please register in advance.
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WEB Movie Screening Tonight
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The Whitman Events Board (WEB) will host a screening of “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. in the Reid Campus Center basement. (Flyer attached.)
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Author Madeline Miller will deliver a talk titled “Literary Witches: From Circe to Shakespeare, Salem and Oz” on Wednesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. Watch a live stream of the event in Kimball Theatre at Hunter Conservatory and participate in a moderated Q&A afterward, or register to watch the event on Zoom. Miller’s two novels were both New York Times bestsellers. (Flyer attached.)
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Summer Job & Internship Fair Tomorrow
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The Summer Job and Internship Fair will take place on Thursday, March 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Reid Campus Center Young Ballroom. This event is an excellent opportunity for students to learn about different organizations and get face time with recruiters.
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Public Talk Reimagining Border Crises Tomorrow
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Lisa Flores, the Josephine Berry Weiss Chair of the Humanities and Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Penn State, will deliver a public talk titled “Spectacular Urgencies and Quotidian Lives: Reimagining Border Crises through Black ‘Aliveness’” on Thursday, March 6, at 5 p.m. in Olin Auditorium. (Flyer attached.)
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Visit Stevens Gallery in Reid Campus Center to see a showcase of the winners of the 2024–2025 Off-Campus Studies Photo Fest competition and a video slideshow of all the submissions. Visitors are also invited to vote for their favorite photo for the People’s Choice category.
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Baker Center, Board Room (RSVP)
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Reid Campus Center, Young Ballroom
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Penrose Library, Lounge ’41
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Hunter Conservatory, Kimball Theatre
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Reid Campus Center, Lower Level
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Would you like to share an event with campus? Submit the information to the Events Calendar.
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