Bell of Peace awarded to senior involved in HERO
Olson has been involved in many organizations and fundraisers to enhance awareness of the GLBT movement on Gonzaga's campus. He was recently awarded the "Making a Difference" Youth Award by the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
Jenna Grant
Issue date: 3/31/06 Section: Features
- Page 1 of 2 next >
|
Olson received his award at the "Bear to Make a Difference" Gala Dinner and Celebrity Teddy Bear Auction. Bears donated by celebrities such as Sir Elton John, Pamela Anderson and Cindy Lauper were auctioned to support the Matthew Shepard Foundation.
Olson's award came in the form of a bronze "Bell of Peace" created by Chris Navarro. Navarro is a former rodeo competitor, now professional sculptor, and a Wyoming resident.
"The bell is meant to be a symbol of Matt's life and humanity through love," Olson said.
Olson is president of the Gonzaga student club HERO (Helping Educate Regarding Orientation) and has become a tireless advocate for raising awareness regarding social justice issues.
"One of the big reasons that I came to Gonzaga was the idea of a holistic education and teaching about love and social justice," Olson said.
"While there are many parts of Gonzaga that I admire, there are also parts that lack in regards to teaching to the whole person, especially with issues such as sexuality and the oppression of women's rights within the Catholic Church," he said.
As a freshman, Olson perceived a suppression at Gonzaga of the current social movement toward GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender) issues and decided to get involved.
"I'd rather be part of the change than wait around and let other people decide for me where I am going and what I will be doing," Olson said.
During his sophomore year, Olson ran Gonzaga's Kaleidoscope program, an offshoot of the Gonzaga Student Body Association, to bring more diversity to the campus.
Olson raised $10,000 in donations to bring Judy Shepard, national speaker and mother of Matthew Shepard, to campus April 2004.
Through Kaleidoscope, Olson brought 15 segments of the AIDS quilt to campus for viewing.
He also demonstrated segregation in honor of the 50th anniversary of Brown v. The Board of Education, by segregating Crosby into groups based on hair color.