E L I Z A B E T H . F R E I R I C H

The following feature story appeared in the campus publication Mosaic in December, 1997.

Elizabeth A. Freirich '98

Examining social issues in the classroom while working for social justice on campus

Elizabeth A. Freirich '98 has no idea what it means to sit on the sidelines. While successfully managing the academic demands of a history and women's studies double major, Freirich has jumped headlong into leadership roles with organizations that have personal meaning to her: the Office of Residential Life (ORL), Hillel, and Encouraging Respect of Sexuality (E.R.O.S.). As a result, she has left a lasting mark on the campus. This year, Freirich received the Samuel S. Fishzohn Award for Civil Rights for her initiative and creativity in service to Trinity's community.

"Through her commitment, compassion, and interest, Liz has helped first-year students find a place for themselves at Trinity, whoever they may be and whatever their lives are like," says Sarah H. Neill, assistant dean of student services for residential life. "She is passionate about the issues of social justice and how they interface with residential life and the College's atmosphere."

Jewish affairs
When she enrolled at Trinity, Freirich had plans to take a step back from the active involvement in the Jewish community which had occupied much of her time in high school in New York City. However, after she observed the relatively small size and low profile of the Jewish population at the College, she immediately changed her plans. Freirich was drawn to Hillel, a non-exclusive campus organization which promotes cultural and religious education regarding Judaism. As her involvement with Hillel and Jewish affairs on campus deepened, Freirich traveled to Chicago, Washington, DC, and Israel, where she participated in leadership conferences sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and United Jewish Appeal. From each she brought back new insights to Trinity.

By the end of her first year at the College, Freirich had found an additional outlet for her considerable energy and enthusiasm. Through her own experiences adjusting to college life, she realized how important residential life staff are for first-year students. Freirich explains, "First-year students don't need someone to hold their hand, but they need someone to say, 'I'm an upperclassman and I like you!'" She applied to become a Resident Assistant (RA) in a first-year residence hall to help fill that need, and was accepted. Helping to focus and channel the enthusiasm of first-year students was a large part of her job, she says. "Residential life challenged me more than anything I've ever done in my life."

As a first-year student, Freirich also became involved in E.R.O.S., a campus organization dedicated to educating Trinity's community about sexual orientation. "More people on this campus think about, contemplate, and question their sexuality than anyone imagines. I realized as a first-year student that no one talked about it." Last spring, Freirich applied her unflagging energy and knack for organization to coordinate "Bi, Gay, Lesbian Awareness and Action Diversity (BGLAAD) Week." Included in the week's events were a silent vigil, appearances by comediennes and poets, and a lecture by San Francisco civil rights activist Cleve Jones, founder of the AIDS Quilt Project. Despite a surprise snow storm, the silent vigil in support of gay rights was well attended. "The people who came to the vigil validated all of my efforts," she claims.

Engaging women's studies issues
Despite the considerable effort Freirich devotes to extracurricular activities, she is at least equally dedicated to her academic life. When she first visited Trinity during VIP days, a preview weekend for prospective students, she talked to professors from the history department and learned about the department's curriculum. "I fell in love with the department and the idea of a first-year seminar, and I fell in love with the campus," she says. Since enrolling, she has chosen to double major in her first love, history, and her newfound passion, women's studies. Says Professor of History and Director of Women's Studies Joan D. Hedrick of her advisee, "Liz is a delight to have in class because she feels so strongly about the issues we're discussing, and ideas really matter to her. She really engages the material." Freirich has undertaken the ambitious task of writing a semester-long senior thesis for both of her majors. For her history major, she is working on a thesis entitled, "Pre-Femi-Nationalism," which explores the crossroads of early feminism, nationalism, and imperialism in British colonial India. For her women's studies senior thesis, she is examining the emergence of a men's movement in the United States through the Promise Keepers and the Nation of Islam.

These intense academic pursuits haven't slowed her down outside the classroom. She is continuing her contributions to residential life as a Head Resident in a first-year hall, remains active in E.R.O.S. and Hillel, and is also working as a student admission associate for the admissions office. As she looks forward to life after graduation, she plans to nurture her enduring commitment to Jewish affairs, but has set her professional sights on the field of women's advocacy. "I'd like to work abroad at some point down the road, but I'm currently looking at advocacy groups within the United States," she says.

-- Jenica Parker Rogers ’98