Local woman honored for volunteerism

Beginning her speech at "75 years, eight days and 47 minutes of age," Elizabeth M. Lion, who was awarded with the "Woman of the Year" award Thursday, has influenced the community many times -- in 27 years as a professor of nursing and since retiring in 1996.\nDuring the past four years, Lion, associate professor emeritus of nursing, has increased her volunteer efforts to include volunteering at the Middle Way House, giving anonymous HIV tests at Public Health Nursing and helping at the polls during elections. \nShe is also involved with the Indiana Civil Liberties Union, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. In an interview, Lion said she looks forward to volunteering with literacy programs in the future.\nLion said she was "completely and utterly surprised" when she learned she was to be honored as Woman of the Year. \n"I'm a feminist of long standing," Lion said. But she said the award is not just for efforts in women's activism, but also overall community involvement. \nToby Strout, director of the Middle Way House and Bloomington Commission on the Status of Women member, said she was excited that Lion received the award. Lion, Strout said, has been involved in many issues, such as multi-culturalism and the hospice, and is "quite a remarkable woman."\n"When I retired," Lion said in her speech, "I knew I was in my golden years. But they turned out to be so splendid and fine, I renamed them my platinum years. And now, with this award, I am definitely moving into kryptonite." \nLion was welcomed with a standing ovation before and after her speech. Grasping the microphone in one hand and abandoning the podium, Lion brought multiple rounds of laughter from the audience while telling her story. \nShe discussed the influence her family and friends have had, citing her mother and sister as inspirations. \n"My sister Margaret set the standards for my activism," Lion said. "Margaret said to me, 'To be alive is sufficient reason to be socially and politically involved.'"\nLion discussed her time at IU and thanked the Unitarian-Universalist Church, of which she is a member, for its support. \nAt the end of her speech, Lion pledged to make the audience "pleased and proud" in the upcoming year.\nMiddle Way House employee Amy Woods nominated Lion for the Woman of the Year award.\n"In a world of people who feel disenfranchised and impotent to make change, Elizabeth Lion proves that this is not true," she said.