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Student commencement speaker chosen

Dean of Academic Programming Ellen Guyer officially announced Wednesday that Neely Crane-Smith ’06 would speak at this year’s commencment, an honor conferred upon one senior each year.

At Macalester, Crane-Smith has established herself as a student leader and committed scholar. At different times, she served as the chair of Students Together Against Rape and Sexual Assault (STARSA) and chair of the Macalester Unitarian Universalists.

Crane-Smith is a political science major who is putting the finishing touches on an honors project that examine’s Scotland’s unique “not proven” verdict and legal consciousness theory.

While Crane-Smith admits she is not a “straight-A student,” she said sitting in a room studying is not what Macalester is about. She has tried to have the full Macalester experience.

Her speech will carry a message that “trials make us stronger,” which she has learned several times over at Macalester. As seniors approach graduation, they carry with them a fair amount of frustration and cynicism about Macalester and the world, she said, and sometimes the process of moving forward can feel like being continually struck down.

After graduation, Crane-Smith will spend a year in the Twin Cities working as a legal secretary, spending some time relaxing and trying to “figure things out,” before pursuing her plans for law school.

Two juniors win prominent scholarships

Trudy Rebert ’07 (above left) and Kara Manke ’07 (below left) were awarded two highly selective scholarships Wednesday as Rebert was named a Truman scholar and Manke a Goldwater scholar.

Rebert, a Political Science and Geography double major from Hanover, Pa., intends to pursue a career in development studies, and has worked with non-governmental organizations in the U.S., Tanzania and India. The Truman scholarship awards $30,000 for graduate study to juniors interested in government or the nonprofit sector.

Manke, a Chemistry major from St. Louis Park, Minn., intends to receive a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry, for which the Goldwater scholarship will pay $7,500 per year. The Goldwater scholarship selects candidates from a competitive pool of college juniors who wish to further study math, science or engineering.

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Correction added 3/31/06-

The original brief on commencement speaker Crane-Smith incorrectly stated that her honors thesis was on Scottish Parliament, not on the Scottish “not proven” verdict and legal consciousness theory.