NIU’s Women’s Studies Program sponsored a panel to motivate student activism Monday at Reavis Hall.

The panel tried to give students incentive to persevere.

Extra work, organization, following examples and full involvement were key words used by NIU alumni who spoke at the event.

Phaedra Malatek, president of the Women’s Cancer Awareness Group and a six-year survivor of uterine cancer, talked about the communication and listening skills needed to be an effective activist.

“An activist is somebody who does something to advance the cause,” Malatek said. “Someone who gets out of college and is not involved on campus activities somehow is cursed.”

Scheree Howard, former president of the NIU Student Support Services Single Parents’ Group, said she decided to become involved in non-traditional student organizations on campus because she thought certain needs weren’t being addressed by NIU.

“An activist is a person who has a passion to change something in this world and go after it, even with despairs and troubles,” Howard said.

Michelle Stocker, an NIU alumna, said being an activist means involving herself in causes she believes in. Stocker also said that being an activist means educating herself about the issue and doing everything she can to improve someone’s life.

Stocker currently has an internship with Community Coordinated Child Care, which includes interning in the social work and parent education departments. She said she is particularly interested in advocating women’s issues, specifically domestic and child care issues.

Junior psychology major Jennifer Hubbard said she found the presentation interesting

“I came out with a lot of ideas,” she said.