Ode to Joy: Alumna Finds Connections Between Music and Mothering When Joy Sikorski raised and home-schooled her three children in the Alaskan wilderness, she realized that one of the many stimuli that they responded well to was the sound of her voice. When her voice was uptight and strident, they reacted with tension and an inability to focus. When her voice was gentle and reassuring, they felt safe and relaxed, which enabled them to ask questions, communicate and absorb information easily.

Photo above: Deborah Thomas (Class of ’95, M.A., behavioral science/negotiation and conflict management) was honored at the 9th Annual Networking Conference of the CSUDH Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding (NCRP) Affinity Association. She, along with the Hon. Alexander H. Williams III, Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, received the A.M. Turk Award, which is named for A. Marco Turk (pictured above with Thomas), professor and director of the NCRP Program.

Thomas is a private mediator, consultant, trainer and NCRP adjunct faculty member at CSUDH. She is currently the chair of the Beverly Hills Bar Association’s Community and Peer Mediation Committee. She has provided counseling services throughout Los Angeles County, including assistance to families in crisis during the 1994 Northridge earthquake. She is currently working with victims of Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi, in a mediation program for residents who are still without basic services. Photo by Joanie Harmon-Whetmore