If you want to know more about what Islam is and what Muslims believe, then join me Tuesday, May 7th, at 11:30am in the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities for Muslim Journeys.

Our guest speaker Mamdouh El-Aarag will discuss Islam and Muslims - what Islam is and what Muslims believe. Originally from Palestine, Mamdouh came to the United States in 1982. He graduated from Gonzaga University in 1988 and currently works with the Washington State Department of Health as an environmental engineer. He serves on the board for the Spokane Islamic Center and lives in Spokane with his wife and 2 children.

The talk will be directly followed by a film, "Prince Among Slaves", from 12:30-1:30pm. If you are planning to bring a class, please RSVP so that we can have the right amount of chairs set up.

Details

The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public.

Contact: Maya Zeller, Laura Read, or Scott Orme

In preparation for Christopher McDougall’s evening event on April 10th at 7 pm in the Lair Auditorium, the Hagan Center will present a screening of Racing the Rez, a documentary that profiles Native American high school runners in the race for a state championship. McDougall calls the film “fantastic,” and says, “if it’s not the best running movie ever made, it’s damn sure in the fight.”

The film will be shown on Wednesday, April 10th, at 10:30am. For a clip of the film, go to www.chrismcdougall.com/blog/2012/09/racing-the-rez-is-ready/

Come early and hear Jon Stewart’s 2009 interview of Christopher McDougall. Christopher McDougall tells about his discovery of the Tarahumara Indians who run hundreds of miles over rocky terrain in sandals.

Several of the Northwest’s most celebrated authors unveiled original short works inspired by the event theme, Red Eye, at Spokane’s inaugural Bedtime Stories in September 2012. Writers included Kim Barnes, Jim Lynch, Shann Ray and Nance Van Winckel.

Join us for a reprise of Red Eye moderated by Andrea Reid, co-director of the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities at Spokane Community College.

9:30 Authors
Shann Ray (Love is Blindness)
Kim Barnes (At the Eye: A Compression)

10:30 Authors
Nance Van Winckel (The End of our Friends as We Know Them)
Jim Lynch (Spokane Envy)

The Authors:

• Kim Barnes, a Pulitzer Prize finalist, is a professor at the University of Idaho and author of five books. Her latest novel is “In the Kingdom of Men.”
• Jim Lynch is the author of the award-winning Northwest novels “The Highest Tide” and “Border Songs.” His latest acclaimed novel is “Truth Like the Sun.”
• Shann Ray is the author of “American Masculine,” a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2011 selection. He teaches at Gonzaga University.
• Nance Van Winckel is professor emerita at Eastern Washington University. The award-winning poet has two new books due in 2013.

The event is sponsored by the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities, in keeping with the Global Village theme this year. As part of this theme, we will celebrate the day especially dedicated to women around the globe, through a Panel Presentation:

• Diana Osborne representing Bulgaria
• Susan Butler representing China
• Mita Sen representing India
• Kamilia Nemri representing the Middle East
• Alyona Ryan representing Russia

We would very much appreciate your presence at the event along with your students. Even if you do not have a class at 10:30, please join us to support the observation and celebration of the strides that women have made across the globe.

Keynote Speaker – Chris Bailey, JD

Chris Bailey, JD, is the president of Lower Columbia College. He rose through the ranks at Centralia and served as the Director of Human Resources there prior to his current post. Chris will share his experience in the community college system as well as his view of leadership and leadership development. The LDP Friday Forum is open to every employee within the Community Colleges of Spokane. Pre-registration is not required for the LDP Friday Forums.

What if the world’s scientists formed a global partnership to improve the quality of life in developing countries? They have.

During SCC’s March 13 President’s Speakers Series (PSS) program, “Mobilizing Science, Improving Lives”, Shaifali Puri, executive director of Scientists Without Borders, describes how her organization mobilizes and coordinates science-based activities, initiatives and resources around the world. Projects range from linking innovations in human, veterinary and animal nutrition to combat human malnutrition to coordinating a challenge to develop sustainable packaging for food supplements to reduce waste in parts of the world without sanitation services. The student session is at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities located in the SCC Library. Free and open to the public.

Humanities Washington is honored to share Slavery in the Northwest: The Charles Mitchell Story, a presentation exploring one of the few documented cases of slavery in our state’s history.

Mitchell was brought to Washington Territory in 1853 and soon tried to escape to the north. His quest for freedom almost brought the U.S. and Canada to blows. Mitchell’s story is brought to life by gifted storyteller Eva Abram, a member of the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau.

Eva allowed us to film her recent presentation at The Summit at First Hill in Seattle, and we hope that Washingtonians everywhere will experience this powerful story from our past. Please feel free to share this video: Facebook it, embed it on your own website, or screen it in a classroom.

The Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities hosts the second panel in a series on International Education here at Community Colleges of Spokane. We invite you to attend this discussion about how to connect with the international students on the SCC campus. Students from Mongolia, Ethiopia, Brazil, Haiti and Saudi Arabia will be available to answer your questions and share their culture.

Keynote Speaker: Patsy Fowler, Gonzaga University

Dr. Patsy Fowler, Director of Women and Gender Studies and Associate Professor English, will be our LDP keynote speaker. She will discuss issues of gender and privilege in leadership.

Debra Gwartney is the author of Live Through This, a memoir published in 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, the National Books for a Better Life Award, and the Oregon Book Award. The memoir was also named one of the top books of the year by the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association and The Oregonian. Debra is also co-editor, along with her husband Barry Lopez, of Home Ground: Language for an American Landscape, published in 2006. Debra has published in dozens of journals and magazines, including American Scholar, Salon, Prairie Schooner, The Triquarterly Review, The Kenyon Review, The New York TImes "Modern Love" column and NYT Sunday Op-Ed section and others. She has contributed craft essays on memoir writing to Poets & Writers. Debra is the recipient of fellowships from the UCross Foundation, Hedgebrook, the Wurlitzer Foundation, the Washington-DC based Writers' Center, Literary Arts, and the Oregon Arts Commission. During her years of teaching at Portland State University, she was twice voted by students as writing teacher of the year. She currently teaches in the low residency MFA program at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon.

This event features the work of Diane Sherman, Sharma Shields and Paul Lindholdt.
More Info

The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Maya Zeller, Laura Read, or Scott Orme.

Speaker: Dr. Joe Albert, PhD. – Gonzaga University

Joe Albert is currently the Acting-Dean, School of Professional Studies—Leadership Division at Gonzaga University. In addition Joe is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Organizational Leadership, oversees the Emerging Leaders Program offered by Gonzaga and teaches in and is co-founder of the Comprehensive Leadership Program for undergraduate students at Gonzaga. He holds a Ph.D. in leadership studies, a master’s degree in counseling psychology and an undergraduate degree in business management.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Albert also provides consulting and training services to organizations in a number of areas including: narrative approaches to leadership, understanding organizations, leadership in organizations, psychological issues in leadership, organizational change, motivation and empowerment. Pre-registration is not required for the Friday Forum

This presentation by Whitworth Professor was co-sponsored by SCC's Arab Culture Club and the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities.

» Details (PDF)

This event featured the work of KATE REED, JEREMY TOUNGATE and ALEXANDRA TEAGUE.

» Details (PDF)

The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Maya Zeller, Laura Read, or Scott Orme.

This event featured the work of D. S. Butterworth, Gwendolyn Cash James, and Tom Gribble.

» Details (PDF)

The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Maya Zeller, Laura Read, or Scott Orme.

"How do I engage my readers?" This question becomes especially challenging when an author's subject matter lies far outside the realm of readers' everyday experiences and concerns. Whether they are profiling historical figures, chronicling a transcontinental journey, or theorizing the future of international economics, nonfiction authors Susan Orlean, Julian Smith, and David Wolman know how to make the unfamiliar, sometimes obscure issues relevant and relatable. The moderator for this discussion was Scott Orme, SCC instructor and faculty advisor of their literary magazine, Trade.

Keith Boykin appeared for this student-focused session following his public evening presentation for the SCC President's Speakers Series.

» More information...

The idea of what a superhero is has changed throughout the twentieth century and as we make our way through the twenty-first century. A superhero, just like heroes of all cultures, is the envelopment of all that the society sees as honorable with important values and virtues for every citizen to aspire to become. But, in our modern society, the idea of a superhero has changed. From an honorable and brave person who holds idealistic ideas to a person who has superhuman abilities dealing with the struggles of everyday life and the pains of reality.

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This interactive session explored the changing meanings of a superhero from the early days of comic books to modern film and video game adaptations and how society has influenced these changes as much as they influenced society. Members of the audience acted as symbols of the various perceptions of superheroes, and other activities were intertwined with the presentation. A PowerPoint presentation addressed how superheroes have changed through time. Finally, the presentation addressed the historical changes that led to these changes in perceptions on defining a superhero and how that impacts society. A long time has passed since the honorable days of King Arthur. Now, the superhero needs to identify with the Everyman as well as experience the challenges of fighting super-villains. This final part of the presentation also discussed the metaphorical aspects of the superhero and his/her relationship with society, his/her villains and his/her eventual end.

This documentary follows the lives of people who dress and act as real-life superheroes in their communities.

» www.superheroesthemovie.com

Dr. Petroni appeared for these two student-focused sessions following her public evening presentation for the SCC President's Speakers Series.

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This event featured the work of Megan Cuilla, Simeon Mills, and Nance Van Winckel.

» Details (PDF)

The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Maya Zeller, Laura Read, or Scott Orme

9:30-10:20 a.m.
Student Panel Debate: "Can an Everyday Person be a Superhero?"

10:30 a.m.-noon
Documentary: Confessions of a Superhero

Ms. Vowell presented this student-focused session following her public evening presentation for the SCC President's Speakers Series.

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This event featured the work of Samuel Ligon, Kathryn Nuernberger, and Aaron Weidert.

» Details (PDF)

The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Maya Zeller, Laura Read, or Scott Orme

The Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities was proud to present Spokane's own artistic shaman and creative icon: Harold Balazs.

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James Beard Award-winning author Rowan Jacobsen discussed his book, American Terroir.

Many authors create intriguing characters, but few can imbue place with a personality that makes it tangible within the reader's imagination. Such writers get inspiration from their surroundings to recreate environments that are paradoxically imaginary and real. Authors Jonathan Evison, Benjamin Percy, and Heather Sharfeddin discussed how they manifest scenery into vivid characters within their own published works. The moderator for this event was Scott Orme, an SCC instructor and faculty advisor of the literary magazine Trade.

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Maude Barlow and Sam Reed presented this student-focused session following Ms. Barlow's public evening presentation at the SCC President's Speakers Series on April 13.

This session was free and open to students, faculty, and staff.

For more information, please call (509) 533-7042.

Local author Maya Jewell Zeller read from her book, Rust Fish, released April 1 by Lost Horse Press.

About the book: Rust Fish, a collection of poems, chronicles a speaker's tentative relationship with humans versus her comfortable loyalty to the natural/animal world. Through the experiences of this girl, the reader comes to understand a parallel between femininity and nature, especially as each are exploited by humankind. The conceit of the amorphous rust fish extends throughout the manuscript in a series of five title poems, each in some way exemplifying the malleability of life, as well as in other poems throughout the series which allude to decomposition and cycles of birth and death, along with myriad related themes.

This event featured the work of Neal Peters, Linda Cooper, and Sharma Shields.

» More information...

The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Maya Zeller, Laura Read, or Scott Orme

Paul G. Lauren, Ph.D. presented these student-focused sessions following his public evening presentation at the SCC President's Speakers Series on March 9.

SCC Counselor Grace Leaf, Ph.D. presented informaiton on electronic communication.

The hosts and staff of Spokane's KYRS participated in a panel discussion about what community radio provides, how it differs from mainstream media, and why it gives a voice to unserved and underserved populations in Spokane.

Panelists includec:

• Angela Johnson - Program Director / Public Affairs Host
• Michael Moonbear - Underwriting Coordinator / Music Host (Around the World with Michael Moonbear)
• John Waite - Public Affairs Host (Make Gov. Work) / Volunteer Coordinator
• Sharo Nikfar - Cultural Program Host (Persian Hour)

For more information, contact David Stasney at DStasney@scc.spokane.edu.

Black History Month at SCC featured a celebration of the life and legacy of local hero Carl Maxey.

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The story of a boxer-turned-lawyer-turned-civil rights activist is an inspiring one. Kicked out of a Spokane orphanage because of the color of his skin, Carl Maxey went on to become an undefeated boxing champion, Eastern Washington's first prominent African-American lawyer, and a crusading civil rights leader whose compelling personal drama demonstrates how one person's powerful belief in social justice can make a significant difference.

This event featured the work of Tom Gribble, Erin Pringle, and Tod Marshall.

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The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Maya Zeller, Laura Read, or Scott Orme

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Mountain climber and inspirational speaker Kay LeClaire's gift to every audience is her quiet conviction that every person can do more than they ever believed.

For more information, visit Kay LeClaire's website: kayleclaire.com/.

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This event featured the work of Shawn Vestal and Laura Read.

» More information...

The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Maya Zeller or Scott Orme

Seth Maier, head of the SCC Veterans Club, assembled a six-member panel of veterans who discussed the definition of heroism and how it relates to veterans, who the people are that have inspired them, and how attitudes toward veterans have changed over the years.

The Spokane Community College Veterans Club links veterans and their family members from all branches of military service who have served during times of peace and times of war. The Club strives to support veterans, including the veteran's spouse and dependents, by educating them about VA benefits, and local resources available to veterans, including their families, both on and off campus. Such information will assist veterans and their family members to better network and improve their experiences, both as a student at SCC, and also in their transitioned roles in the civilian sector.

For more information, please contact our Center at 533-7045 or Seth Maier at 533-7214.

Dr. Alexandra Horowitz spoke at this session with students following her President's Speakers Series presentation the evening of Mon., November 8, in the SCC Lair Auditorium.

Dr. Horowitz is the author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, a book that gives anyone who lives with, deals with or admires dogs a new understanding of their sensory abilities, a nuanced interpretation of their behavior, and an appreciation of their minds. She evokes the dog's perspective by interweaving the science of dog cognition and perception with personal reflections on her own dog's behavior.

Dr. Horowitz is a cognitive scientist at Barnard College, Columbia University, in New York City. Her primary research area is in metacognition (which includes intentionality, theory of mind, and self-awareness) of human and non-human animals. She is a popular guest lecturer at institutions of higher education as well as on radio and television, and her writings have been featured in The New Yorker, Discover magazine, the Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior, Science Now, and many other publications.

For more information, please contact our Center at 533-7045.

Jennifer Arnold, Director of A Small Act - photo by Kirsten Schaffer

How many times have you handed spare change to a total stranger? Or donated something toward a cause thousands of miles away? We never know which of our small actions make an impact. But what if one small act can change a life? What if that person goes on to change another life?

An official selection at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, the feature documentary A SMALL ACT tells the story of one such person, CHRIS MBURU, a young man from Kenya whose life was changed when HILDE BACK, a German Jew who escaped the Holocaust, contributed the small amount of money required for his primary school, never knowing the effect it would have. Chris' astonishing journey took him from being an impoverished African village boy to an international human rights lawyer and beyond.

A SMALL ACT explores an amazing story of gratitude. It demonstrates education's role in alleviating poverty and conflict. And at its heart is the belief that no gesture is too small to actuate tremendous change.

For more information, please contact Andrea Reid at 533-7382, Angela Rasmussen at 533-8011, or our Center at 533-7045.

This event featured the work of Rachel Mehl, Caleb Barber, and Christopher Howell.

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The Beacon Hill Reading Series features local and regional authors reading from their work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Scott Orme, 509-533-8079

The SCC Classified Staff Council facilitated the creation of a memorial to Renee Marie Fleagle McCoury, who passed away September 10, 2009. The memorial includes a table and chairs, a bench, a plaque, a tree, and various other plantings on the southeast side of the SCC Learning Resources Center (Building 16).

The memorial dedication took place outside on the patio at 10:00 a.m. A reception followed in the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities.

During Spring Quarter 2010, second-year students enrolled in SCC's Architectural Technology Program designed and built a cob oven. The students presented a visual and oral presentation about the process from start to finish. A cob oven is an oven built from materials of the earth, such as clay, straw, and sand. The oven was built on site and donated to a local nonprofit kitchen, One World Spokane Community Café. Check out the student blog site at communitycob.blogspot.com.

For more information, please contact our center at 533-8048 or David Braun at 533-7127.

Rachel Doležal, Curator and Director of Education for Human Rights Education Institute (HREI), spoke about human rights as they apply to George Orwell's book, 1984. The presentation dealt with various aspects of human rights from the past to the present.

Doležal brings a breadth of human rights experience and civil rights understanding to the HREI, which compliments her academic practice as a higher education instructor. She completed her graduate studies at Howard University in Washington, DC and comes from a multicultural family. She engages the community in welcoming diversity through cultural immersion and performance events, film series, reading material, and participatory public events. Doležal is also a practicing artist, with her award-winning work being displayed at the United Nations headquarters in New York, in thirteen states, and in South Africa, where her family lived for five years.

These events were cosponsored by the SCC Players and the Student Awareness League.

» Learn about the SCC Players production of 1984

This event featured the work of Spokane authors Connie Wasem, Iris Gribble-Neal, and Tom Davis.

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Formerly known as the Epoch Reading Experience, the Beacon Hill Reading Series features Spokane published authors reading from their own work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Scott Orme, 509-533-8079

SCC's Global Club hosted a panel of speakers discussing LGBT stereotypes.

The year's annual retreat included group activities and discussion, plus training for new instructors and planning tools for experienced ones. Emily Lardner and Gillies Malnarich from The Washington Center joined the retreat.

For more information, please contact Angela Rasmussen at 533-8011.

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Pat Munts, WSU Master Gardener and garden columnist for The Spokesman-Review, spoke about local community gardens and gardening at home. She shared tips about what to plant in a first garden. A Q&A session followed. Pat Munts' article, "Four new gardens taking registrations," was published on March 4, 2010 by The Spokesman-Review and includes contact information for Spokane residents wanting garden plots.

Those attending had a chance to learn how codes can prevent or promote green buildings from one of the top experts in the field.

David Eisenberg, International green code expert plus Co-founder and Director of the Development Center for Appropriate Technology (DCAT) in Tucson, AZ spoke on code revision needed to support sustainable building practices. He discussed how current building codes do very little to protect the public from growing, long-term effects including habitat destruction and resource depletion. He talked about the need for an integrated, comprehensive regulatory system to meet the needs and goals of today's society, and that of our great-great grandchildren.

Eisenberg's three decades of building experience range from troubleshooting construction of the steel and glass cover of Biosphere 2, to building a $2 million structural concrete house, a hypoallergenic structural steel house, and masonry, wood, adobe, rammed earth, and straw bale structures.   » www.dcat.net   In 2007, David and DCAT received the International Code Council Affiliate of the Year Award and the USGBC Leadership Award in the category of Organizational Excellence.   » www.dcat.net

David visited Spokane before heading to Seattle to present at 2010 Living Future: The UnConference for Deep Green Professionals.

Rosalie Sorrels of Boise, Idaho, performed live in the SCC Auditorium. A question and answer session followed her concert. » www.rosaliesorrels.com

Grammy nominated folk singer Rosalie Sorrels of Boise, Idaho, pulled into Spokane for an evening of folk song, storytelling, and some good ol' common sense, especially when it comes to issues of sustainability and the environment. Rosalie hails from a long lineage of famed folk song artists, including Utah Phillips and others, who give voice to the aspirations of the common folk through music. Those attending heard a unique voice in the world of American folk music, one that embodies the spirit and character of living locally here in the Northwest.

A question and answer session followed her concert. » www.rosaliesorrels.com

Life is exciting, if you only look at it that way. Poets Timothy Kelly, Gregory Dunne, Greg Pape, and Willa Schneberg discussed how everyday life can turn into evocative poetry. By examining the ordinary with the creative lens of imagination, everyday events offer truth about the world around us. Carrie Bucher and Jonathan Frey, SCC English instructors, moderated the panel discussions.

GetLit! website: http://outreach.ewu.edu/getlit/festival-2010.xml

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Anna Lappé discussed sustainability and community, and she answered questions from students and faculty.

The Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities and SCC President's Speaker Series underwrote this national bestselling author and public speaker, respected for her work on sustainability, food politics, globalization, and social change. Named one of Time Magazine's "Eco-Who's Who," Lappé has been featured in The New York Times, Gourmet, O - The Oprah Magazine, Domino, Food & Wine, Body+Soul, Natural Health, Utne, and Vibe. Her latest book is Diet For a Hot Planet. More information: www.smallplanet.org

Anna Lappé's books are available to purchase from the SCC Bookstore (Building 6, Main Floor).

Speaker Matt Chase, Ph.D.
Topic: "Are We Happy Yet? Reflections on Engagement, Balance, and Personal and Professional Lifestyle Choices"

» More information...

Contact: Colleen Nick, 434-5037

Incoming international students received information about the Community Colleges of Spokane. For more information, contact Trina Allen at 533-8659.

Speaker Glen Cosby, Ph.D. - Dean of Instruction for Humanities and Academic Initiatives at Spokane Falls Community College
Topic: "Nelson Mandela and the Moral Imperative of Leadership"

» More information...

Contact: Colleen Nick, 434-5037

This event featured the work of Spokane authors Jeffrey Dodd, Christine Nicolai, Sarah Conover, and David Axelrod.

» More information...

Formerly known as the Epoch Reading Experience, the Beacon Hill Reading Series features Spokane published authors reading from their own work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Scott Orme, 509-533-8079

Students from the Water Resources Program presented various water issues. Some of the topics covered included prescription drugs in the Spokane River, our city's storm water, PCBs, waster water recycling, and fish in the Spokane River.

Mr. Cirincione appeared for these sessions with students following his President's Speakers Series presentation about U.S. nuclear policy.

» More information...

Workforce Education and Career Services hosted a luncheon for job seekers.

Taking Root tells the dramatic story of Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai, whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy - a movement for which this charismatic woman became an iconic inspiration. Learn more at takingrootfilm.com/about.htm. This event is sponsored by S.A.N.E. Contact Dave Braun at 533-7127 for more information.

(The second showing that was listed earlier has been canceled.)

Bill Goodrick spoke about crisis management for English 101 classes.

Bob Richardson shared information with incoming international students about CCS programs.

Speaker Fred Peterson, Ph.D. - Professor, Leadership Studies, WSU Spokane and President of Informed Leadership International
Topic: "From Dao to Now: Engagement and Flow"

More information...

Contact: Colleen Nick, 434-5037

Mike Chappell (Gonzaga Environmental Law Program Director) and Rick Eichstaedt (Center for Justice Attorney and Spokane River Riverkeeper) discussed water quality issues and legal actions concerning the Spokane River.

You can learn more about Rich Eichstaedt at http://cforjustice.org/river/ and more about Mike Chappell at http://cforjustice.org/2009/05/06/a-man-for-all-reasons/. For additional information, please contact Dave Stasney at 533-7278 or contact our center at 533-8048.

Mike Chappell

Rick Eichstaedt

Strawbales, Sky Tombs, & Sichuan Pepper: A Green Building Travelogue in China

Local eco-architect Kelly Lerner and sustainability diva Alli Kingfisher shared slides of their recent trip to Sichuan Province in China to build strawbale homes after the 2008 earthquake that killed 70,000 and left up to 11 million homeless. The travelogue includes: Jiuzhaigou National Park, Tibetan vernacular architecture, and a Tibetan dancing and horse racing festival.

An evening of poetry and prose

This event featured the work of local poets Laura Read (SFCC English Instructor), Maya Jewell Zeller (Gonzaga University English Instructor), Tania Van Winkle, and Ryan Morrison.

Formerly known as the Epoch Reading Experience, the Beacon Hill Reading Series features Spokane published authors reading from their own work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Scott Orme, 533-8079

Film followed by interactive Q&A with filmmaker Curt Ellis

In this follow-up to their first documentary, King Corn, Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis return to Iowa to investigate what happened to the pesticides and fertilizers from their acre of corn. They take a hard look at the environmental impact of conventional farming, from the local river and the Gulf of Mexico to cancer rates in a small Midwest town. Bill McKibben, environmental author and activist, describes this film as "A sharp and clever reminder that nothing ever really goes away, certainly not the soup of chemicals we're pouring on our fields." Learn more at www.bigriverfilm.com.

Additional Curt Ellis Appearance: Between the 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. showings of Big River at SCC's Lair Auditorium, Curt Ellis paid a visit to the Saranac Art Project, with Gabriel Brown's fantastic show entitled "Chicken Sh@# - Exploring Urban Ecosystems" on display. Curt spoke from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. around the large very urban chicken coop installation, and Main Market Co-op had a membership sales table on the other side of the space. A tour of the co-op was available after Curt's presentation.

Speaker Tim Dolan, Ph.D.
Topic: "Creating Margin out of Madness: Becoming Healthier Leaders Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually"

More information...

Contact: Colleen Nick, 434-5037

Brown-bag lunch event!

King Corn is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives our fast-food nation. Learn more at www.kingcorn.net.

Speaker Virginia Tomlinson, Ph.D., Topic TBA

More information...

Contact: Colleen Nick, 434-5037

SCC welcomed the Open World Delegation of Russian Journalists at a coffee and conversation reception in our center.

The delegation, hosted by SCC, will be in Spokane from December 5-13, 2009. Six faculty members (Carol Lee Anderson, Mary Lou Hammond, Teya Kuhle, Bob Peregoy, Methea Sapp and Monica Spicker) have graciously agreed to be the delegates' hosts while they are in Spokane.

Some of the highlights of their week will include a visit to the SFCC journalism program, a trip to Pullman-Moscow to tour both the Murrow College of Communication and the U of I School of Journalism and the Mass Media, a day touring television stations, a day visiting our newspapers, an interview with KYRS, and tours of both public television and public radio. They will get a taste of how Spokane celebrates the holidays and take in some cultural events, including the Lion King, Christmas Tree Elegance at the Davenport, the lights at the Manito Conservatory, and the Fantasy Light Cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene.

For more information, please contact Mary Carr at 533-7045.

SCC Equity and Diversity Council Workshop

Learn about the principals and applications of the Universal Design of Instruction (UDI) for teaching to multiple learning styles. Universal Design of Instruction explores strategies for designing curriculum with multiple learning styles in mind. UDI can help you reach students with a broad range in ability, disability, age, reading level, learning style, native language, race, ethnicity, and other characteristics. For more information, please contact Sally Hillebrandt at 533-8881.

From 6:30-7:30 p.m., three local authors, SCC's Jonathan Frey and GU's Beth Cooley and Ginger Grey, will read original fiction and poetry.

Formerly known as the Epoch Reading Experience, the Beacon Hill Reading Series features Spokane published authors reading from their own work. Meant to unite the various literary communities of Spokane, the series aims also to make well-crafted writing accessible to a general audience. The series is free and open to the public. Contact: Scott Orme, 533-8079

Tammy Reid, Ph.D., Vice President and Professor Emeritus, Whitworth University
Topic: "Leadership Lessons from Faulkner and Friends"
Contact: Colleen Nick, 434-5037

Speaker Susie Wells shared the S.T.A.R.S. approach to being in a successful Job Club. Participants enjoyed Job Club Community Resource Bingo and explored networking skills. More information can be found at www.susieweller.com.

This film offers an in-depth investigation into the disturbing truth behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, this documentary examines the complex web of market and political forces that are changing what we eat as huge multinational corporations seek to control the world's food system. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today. Learn more at www.thefutureoffood.com.

Dr. Sapolsky presented this question and answer session with students following his President's Speakers Series presentation about stress and stress-related diseases.

Novella discussed urban gardening and her new book - a hilarious and inspiring memoir about transforming a vacant lot in downtown Oakland into a thriving farm.

» Flash video

Those attending were treated to her captivating descriptions of raising goats, bees, turkeys, and other animals, and delivering salad greens to the Black Panthers' youth literacy program. Learn more at Novella's blog - novellacarpenter.com.

Note: You may also want to check out the August 17, 2009 Time article entitled "Urban Animal Husbandry" via ProQuest.

This memoir-documentary tells the story of one man, his farm in rural Illinois, and his family - a story that parallels the history of American farming. But Farmer John is unconventional, with his feather boa and artistic sensibilities, and transforms his family farm into a revolutionary new form of agriculture. Angelic Organics and the creation of a CSA (community-supported agriculture co-op) for families in Chicago is the result. Learn more at www.pbs.org/independentlens/realdirt.

This is a garden tour that explores how gardening can be a revolutionary act and avenue to social change, such as the Garden Project in San Francisco that has transformed the lives of poor inner-city communities and created bonds between community members and the police force. Through gardening, organic food production, and cooking, people learn to nurture life and see their hard work turn into something positive. They learn respect for food, for life, and most importantly for themselves.

Learn how the Northwest agriculture industry is moving towards regional and sustainable food production. Through visits to producers, farmers' markets, distributors, stores, restaurants, and public officials, this documentary reveals the economic, social, and environmental benefits of a more sustainable food system. Learn more at www.goodfoodthemovie.org.

During the entire month of September, Spokane celebrated Sustainable September. Events took place in various locations.

Sustainable September is about strengthening Spokane for now and for future generations. And strong, sustainable communities have vibrant local economies, clean air and water, and a healthy quality of life for every citizen. To find out more, or get involved, visit www.sustainableseptemberspokane.org.

» More information...

AmeriCorps VISTA Elizabeth Love-Sheehan and AmeriCorps Retention Coordinator Jessica Challender led SCC students enrolled in the Students in Service (SIS) Scholarship Program in a reflection activity on the service they've given and how poverty affects our community members.

Kelly Lerner, local eco-architect and author, spoke on the topic of green building and climate change. Kelly Lerner is the principal of One World Design, a Spokane architecture firm committed to sustainable design principals and utilizing a client-based approach. For more information, see www.one-world-design.com.

Her how-to book, Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House, will walk you through the process of designing an eco-friendly beautiful house that fits your budget.

Why pay for a water bottle when you can get free tap water? Spokane City's representative Marshall Thompson will be handing out free water and sharing information about the safety of tap water versus bottled water, plus the waste that buying bottled water produces.

Thompson has been quoted as saying "...the bottled-water industry requires 47 million gallons of oil to produce the 1.5 million tons of plastic it uses every year" in a recent downtoearthnw.com article. Additionally, the article points out that "...consumers throw away 86 percent of [bottles], according to Food & Water Watch."

 » Read the full article

This event featured the works of Rachel Kartz, fiction writer and English Instructor at SFCC and Gonzaga University; Andrea Reid, poet and English Instructor at SCC; Dan Vice, fiction writer and English Instructor at Gonzaga University; and Maya Zeller, poet and English Instructor at SCC.

The SCC Epoch Reading Experience is a literary series designed to share the work of area published writers and artists. For more information, please contact Laura Read at 533-4173 or LauraR@spokanefalls.edu.

Fri., May 1, 11:00 a.m-1:00 p.m.
Thu., May 7, 11:00 a.m-1:00 p.m.

Erika Henry, Bike to Work Week Volunteer, shared information with SCC students, faculty, and staff about city bike routes and helped bicyclists plan their routes.

Bike to Work Week - May 10-15, beginning with a fair at Riverfront Park on Sunday, May 10 and ending with a celebration at the Steam Plant Grill on Friday, May 15. For more information about Bike to Work Week, please see www.biketoworkspokane.org.

Henry provided information about where the SCC bike racks are located on campus, current bicycle routes, and proposed bicycle routes for our city's future.

Bill Goodrick spoke about natural disasters for English 101 classes.

Sustainability and Environmental Advocacy - We offered two showings of this documentary film about Native Youth advocating for their community and the land.

Wed., April 22, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Thu., April 23, 8:30-10:30 a.m.

» www.marchpointmovie.com

Tickets were available for a minimum $15.00 donation (adults) and $5.00 donation (students).

David T. Suzuki, an award-winning scientist, environmentalist, and broadcaster, was born in Vancouver, BC, in 1936. At the age of six, he was interned with his family in a camp in BC during WWII. After the war, he went to high school in London, Ontario. He graduated with honors from Amherst College in 1958 and went on to earn his Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961.

Suzuki is well known to millions as the host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's popular science television series, "The Nature of Things." His eight-part series, "A Planet for the Taking," won an award from the United Nations. For CBC Radio he founded the long-running radio series, "Quirks and Quarks," and he has presented two influential documentary series on the environment, "From Naked Ape to Superspecies" and "It's a Matter of Survival."

An internationally respected geneticist, Suzuki was a full professor at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver from 1969 until his retirement in 2001. He has received numerous awards including the Roger Tory Peterson Award from Harvard University and twenty honorary doctorates. First Nations people have honored him with six names, formal adoption by two tribes, and honorary membership in the Dehcho First Nations.

A chance to enjoy coffee (or hot apple cider) and conversation with visiting poets Oliver de la Paz (www.oliverdelapaz.com), Martha Silano (www.marthasilano.com) and Ken Letko (www.pw.org/content/ken_letko_1). The event was free and open to the public.

A journalist since 1983, Paul Roberts writes and lectures frequently on the complex interplay of economics, technology, and the natural world. The End of Oil is his first book. (His more recent book, The End of Food, was published in June 2008.) Roberts has also written for The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The Guardian (UK) and has appeared in Slate, USA Today, The New Republic, Newsweek, The Christian Science Monitor, Rolling Stone, Seed, and Outside magazine. In June 2008, he published an in-depth article on peak oil for National Geographic. Roberts was a finalist for the National Magazine Award in 1999 and for the New York Public Library Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2005. He currently lives in Leavenworth, Washington. Mother Jones recently published his article "Spoiled: Organ and Local is So 2008." For more information on Paul Roberts, see the-end-of-oil.com.

This presentation was part of SCC's President's Speakers Series.
» More information...

This event included readings by Zan Agzigian, Jim Kershner, Laurie Lamon, and Thom Caraway. Refreshments will be served followed the readings, and books were available for purchase and signing.

Phil Cernera, Lake Management Department Director for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe and Brian Crossley, Water and Fish Program Manager for the Spokane Tribe each shared their perspectives of the Spokane River and Lake Coeur d'Alene, followed by a moderated Q&A panel discussion.

Jim Waller, Ph.D. of SFCC was the keynote speaker on "Resilience: Lessons from Survivors of Genocide and Mass Killing."
» More information...

This exhibit consists of seven large panels, each featuring the story and artifacts of an individual in Washington State affected by the Holocaust. Each panel focuses on a different aspect of the Holocaust, including ghettos, camps, refugees, and liberation. This was the first time the exhibit was open to the public.

Winona LaDuke presented "Celebrate Earth and the Paradigm Shift into the Next Decade - Sustainability, Localism, and Grassroots Power." This event was sponsored by Kauffman & Associates, Inc., Sustainability at Spokane Falls Community College, and the Community Building Foundation.

Randy Knuth, Ph.D. of WSU was the keynote speaker on "Technology and Resilience."
» More information...

Pete Metzelaar spoke about his experiences as a holocaust survivor. This event was free and open to the public. It was sponsored by Institute for Extended Learning Diversity Programs and SCC Multicultural Student Services in conjunction with the Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center and Gonzaga's Institute for Action Against Hate. Learn more about his life experiences at www.wsherc.org/center/survivorstories/PeterM.aspx.

Fast Moving Water: The Hoh River Story was developed by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and the Hoh River Trust, with support from the Hugh and Jane Ferguson Foundation.

» View MS PowerPoint slideshow

This exhibit by acclaimed nature photographer Keith Lazelle was available for viewing on the first floor of the SCC Library, across from the circulation desk.

Lazelle uses his keen artistic eye to capture the dramatic beauty of the Hoh River, one of only a few virtually intact and pristine rivers in the contiguous United States.

Organized by the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture and the Hoh River Trust, Fast Moving Water presents 14 large-format color photographs of the Hoh River ecosystem. Accompanying text panels and captions illuminate the rich history and cultural significance of the river, including the efforts by environmentalists, local communities, tribes, and government to protect and preserve the river. Lazelle's work is featured in a new companion book, Fast Moving Water: Images and Essays from the Hoh River, published by the Hoh River Trust. And an audio CD of nature sounds by Emmy-Award winning sound recordist Gordon Hempton also accompanies the exhibition.

The exhibit and opening presentation and reception were co-sponsored by the Student Association for Nature and the Environment (SANE).

» More information...

Readers included Nancy Culp (winner of the 2008 Gribble Press Non-Fiction Chapbook Contest), Zan Agzigian, Tom Davis, and Stephen Pitters. Culp will read from her chapter book, Empty Bottles. Agzigian read from his book, Stamen and Whirlwind, which made its debut in 2008. Davis read from his book, Peaceful Valley as Told to Gregory King, which will be released later this year. Pitters read from his book, Bridges of Visions, scheduled for release in April. There was time to socialize with the authors after the reading. Those who participated enjoyed four of our talented Spokane authors!

The acclaimed nature photographer appeared in the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities for presentations on the SCC Library exhibit Fast Moving Water: The Hoh River Story.

The acclaimed nature photographer appeared in the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities for an opening presentation on the SCC Library exhibit Fast Moving Water: The Hoh River Story. Following his presentation, there was a reception and book signing. Mr. Lazelle's companion book, Fast Moving Water: Images and Essays from the Hoh River, was available for purchase.

Matthew Chase presented "X's, Y's and Boomers: Bridging Generations for Resilience in the Workforce."

Speakers discussed various themes revolving around Mary Shelley's novel, Frankenstein, including a presentation by Adam Sharp titled "Creative Room and What We are Capable of" and a presentation by Kathy Ewing titled "From Prometheus to X-Files." This was also being done in conjunction with a theatre play put on by SCC students, with evening showings February 20, 21, 27, and 28 beginning at 7:30 p.m., and matinees February 22 and March 1 beginning at 2:00 p.m. in the Lair Auditorium.

This fair offered a chance to meet the English instructors and learn about their classes.

AIAS-SCC (American Institute of Architecture Students - SCC) presented Laurie Jackson speaking about water conservation.

a documentary film and RecycleMania kick-off event for the SCC campus

Wed., January 28 in the Lair Auditorium, 10:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
Thu., January 29 in the Lair Auditorium, 10:30 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

www.garbagerevolution.com

This affiliated event is part of SCC's Geology Lecture Series
» More information...

Fred Peterson, Ph.D., was the keynote speaker on "Sage Advice: Ancient Chinese Wisdom for Resilience in Uncertain Times."

Joe Albert, Ph.D., was the keynote speaker on "Discovering Your Story: Tools for Navigating Tough Times."
» More information...

Crissy speaks, writes, and advises on all matters green with a goal of helping people discover and pursue a more eco-conscious way of life. Her knowledge, casual spirit, and practical advice put people at ease and help make every session on green living an informative, fun, and rewarding experience. See www.greenmatters.com/gm/ for further information.

Mr. Holloman's visit was presented by the SCC English and Foreign Language Department.

The second fall 2008 event in our continuing reading series, this event featured Christine Nicolai, fiction writer; Jan Strever, poet and SCC English instructor; Tom Versteeg, poet and SFCC English instructor; and Laurie Lamon, poet, Whitworth English and creative writing professor, and author of the poetry collection Fork without Hunger.

The SCC Epoch Reading Experience is a literary series designed to share the work of area published writers and artists. For more information, please contact Maya Zeller at MZeller@scc.spokane.edu or Mandy Iverson at MIverson@scc.spokane.edu.

Elaine T. Cullen, Ph.D., Prima Consulting Services, was the keynote speaker on "Resilience...What Is It and Where Do I Get Some?"
» More information...

The award-winning National Public Radio correspondent visited SCC.
For more information, visit the SCC President's Speakers Series website and the NPR website.

9:30-10:30 a.m., 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Andrea Reid, former co-director of the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities and Chair of the English and Foreign Languages Department, moderated a panel featuring Spokane Mayor Mary Verner, along with Kat Hall, Environmental Health Program Director for The Lands Council and Paul Tesch, SCC Political Science Instructor.
This panel discussion featuring local experts from various backgrounds explored the topic of sustainability and public policy. In particular, it dealt with how these two concepts intersect, including:

• government policies, laws, and initiatives intended to protect the environment
• what the city of Spokane is doing in regards to sustainability
• why a politician's environmental views matter (including the 2008 presidential candidates and a comparison/contrast of Obama's and McCain's views on the environment, conservation, and sustainability)
• the role of SCC's campus as a sustainability community within the city of Spokane as well as within Spokane County, our state, our nation, and the world - the integrated and global view of sustainability and why it is important

A continutation of last year's series, this event showcased the work of the following authors: Iris Gribble-Neal, poet, SCC English instructor, and co-founder of the series; Matt Campbell-Roberts, poet and EWU English instructor; Jessica Halliday, fiction writer and Gonzaga English instructor; and Sam Ligon, author of the novel Safe in Heaven Dead, editor of the magazine Willow Springs, and professor at the Inland Northwest Center for Writers.

The SCC Epoch Reading Experience is a literary series designed to share the work of area published writers and artists. For more information, please contact Maya Zeller at MZeller@scc.spokane.edu or Mandy Iverson at MIverson@scc.spokane.edu.

Fall 2008 Kickoff Event
This film is a look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. For more information on the film, visit www.storyofstuff.com.
For more information on becoming involved, visit www.storyofstuff.com/anotherway.html.

This two-night, one-full day extravaganza featured films and shorts at The Magic Lantern and The Shop showcasing our food system and its producers. The festival was presented in collaboration with Spokane Falls Community College.

FREE Admission - Learn to buy LOCAL and gain simple living skills!
Visit the Fresh Abundance website for more information.

"Small Town Museums: Reflections on Community Life"

Presented by SCC's Faculty Resource Center

This was our final Epoch Reading Experience for the 2007-2008 academic year. We had one featured reader, Connie Grove, local business owner, artist, and writer, who will read poetry. The rest of the hour was devoted to an open mic celebration. We invited local writers who have dedicated themselves to their craft and are in pursuit of literary opportunities to bring original work to read. We recommended reading two poems, or about three minutes of stage time.

The SCC Epoch Reading Experience is a literary series designed to share the work of area published writers and artists. For more information, please contact Maya Zeller at MZeller@scc.spokane.edu or Iris Gribble-Neal at INeal@scc.spokane.edu.

Mr. Bob Peeler: A Senior Development Specialist for the Homeless (from SNAP), a member of the Spokane Homeless Coalition and other groups that help the poor in this community; he has received numerous awards for the work he does

Ms. Michelle Christie: An Alumni of SCC (Medical Secretary Program), currently an Administrator for the "Voiceless" in the Spokane area, a mentor for St. Margaret's Shelter, and a volunteer for Interfaith Hospitality

Dr. Nan Bulish: (SCC Faculty) whose doctorate dissertation was based on the effectiveness of serving the homeless in Spokane area

Mrs. Sue Herdrich: (SCC Faculty) whose personal observations and some first-hand experiences help to shed light on the concerns and facts addressed in Nickel and Dimed).

This is the fourth in a continuing monthly series. From 6:30-7:30 p.m., four local authors read from their poetry and prose. Readers included Shira Richman, who teaches English composition at EWU and serves as a poetry editor for the magazine Willow Springs; Neal Hallgarth, who teaches English at SCC and works in the writers center at EWU; Andrea Reid, co-founder of the Hagan Center for the Humanities, artist, and English instructor at SCC; and Christopher Howell, Senior Editor at EWU Press, author of nine books of poetry, and professor for the Inland Northwest Center for Writers' MFA in creative writing.

The SCC Epoch Reading Experience is a literary series designed to share the work of area published writers and artists. For more information, please contact Maya Zeller at MZeller@scc.spokane.edu or Iris Gribble-Neal at INeal@scc.spokane.edu.

Three local professionals invested in sustainable products and practices joined in this free interactive discussion. Participants included Thomas Hammer, owner/president of Thomas Hammer Coffee Roasters; David Blaine, head chef at Latah Bistro and main contributor to www.thebackkitchen.blogspot.com; and Chrys Ostrander, organic farmer/owner of Chrysalis Farm at Tolstoy, Davenport, Wash.; creator of the website www.thefutureisorganic.net; and organizer of the downtown Spokane's Farmer Market.

» Slides (MS PowerPoint PPSX)

Contact SCC English instructor Amy McCaffree at 533-8826 for more information.

Yesho Atil was born in Ankara, Turkey and moved to the United States at the age of eleven. She has a BA and an MFA from the University of Alabama and is an instructor of English and creative writing at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, in Asheville, North Carolina. Focusing on Turkish culture, she writes about women who keep the world steady and alive.

Book:

• On Freedom Street (2007) ISBN-13: 978-1597660327

For more information, see the publishers' information on their website at:
 » ewupress.ewu.edu/fiction/freedomstreet.htm

Philip Garrison is Professor Emeritus at Central Washington University and has taught courses in English and Literature. His Ph.D. coursework was done at Iowa University. He writes about Mexican agricultural workers, their rights, and their identity in the American west.

Books:

• Away Awhile (1987) ISBN-13: 978-0899240510
• Augury (1991) ISBN-13: 978-0820313122
• Waiting for the Earth to Turn Over (1996) ISBN-13: 978-0874805178
• Because I Don't Have Wings (2006) ISBN-13: 978-0816525256

For more information, see Philip Garrisons' website at:
 » www.cwu.edu/~garrison/

Jonathan Johnson

Books:

• Mastodon, 80% Complete (poetry) (2001) ISBN-13: 978-0887483332
• Hannah and the Mountain: Notes toward a Wilderness Fatherhood (nonfiction, memoir) (2005) ISBN-13: 978-0803226012

Katrina Roberts is a poet who graduated from Harvard University and the Iowa Writers' Workshop. She is now a greatly awarded Associate Professor of English/Creative Writing and a Garrett Fellow at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. She writes about fear and memory, the passions that make us human.

Books:

• How Late Desire Looks (1997) ISBN-13: 978-0879058159
• The Quick (2005) ISBN-13: 978-0295985169
• Friendly Fire (2008) ISBN-13: 978-0980028911

For more information, see Katrina Roberts' faculty descriptions at:
 » www.whitman.edu/content/english/faculty/katrina-c.-roberts
 » www.whitman.edu/content/news/friendlyfire

Diana Abu-Jaber discusses the search for personal identity and community through writing; how writing offers us a place of re-discovery and re-creation in a fragmented world.

Abu-Jaber lived in Jordan for two years with her American mother and Jordanian father when she was a young girl, and has moved back and forth between the two countries since. At home she has lived as an Arab, while being an American elsewhere in the United States. Her writing searches to make sense of this "in-betweenness." Her most recent novel, Origin, explores memory and identity. Abu-Jaber's writing has earned her the PEN Center USA Award for Literary Fiction, the American Book Award, and the Oregon Book Award.

An excerpt from Crescent:

Nadia's Café is like other places - crowded at meals and quiet in between - but somehow there is also usually a lingering conversation, currents of Arabic that ebb around Sirine, fill her head with mellifluous voices. Always there are the same groups of students from the big university up the street, always so lonely, the sadness like blue hollows in their throats, blue motes for their wives and children back home, or for the American women they haven't met.

David James Duncan is a bestselling writer, fly fisher, and practitioner of what he calls "direct, small-scale compassion/activism," and is the winner of many awards and honors. He lives with his family in Montana. He writes fiction and non-fiction about a variety of topics, such as fly fishing, baseball, solitude, religion, and family. His books include a coming of age (The River Why), familial pressures (The Brothers K), and personal experiences (River Teeth and My Story as Told by Water). These works contain Duncan's activist spirit and his love for wild, watery places.

Books:

• The Brothers K (1996) ISBN-13: 978-0553378498
• River Teeth (1996) ISBN-13: 978-0553378276
• The River Why (1986; paperback 2002) ISBN-13: 978-1578050840
• My Story as Told by Water (2002) ISBN-13: 978-1578050833
• Citizens Dissent (2003) ISBN-13: 978-0913098622
• God Laughs and Plays (2007) ISBN-13: 978-0977717019

For more information, see these interviews:
 » weberstudies.weber.edu/archive...
 » www.autoreviewonline.com/interactive/bookclub/interviews/interview.asp?IntID=4
 » www.washington.edu/uwired/outreach/cspn...

Participants brought their own poetry or read their favorites!

Secretary Reed - 10:00-10:45 a.m.
Paul Bryant (County Auditor's office) - 11:00-11:45 a.m.

Rep. Don Barlow - 9:30 a.m.
Sen. Schoesler - 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Rep. John Ahern - 11:00-11:30 a.m.
Rep. Ormsby - 11:30 a.m.-noon

This event featured five local poets, in honor of National Poetry Month. Readers included Zachary Vineyard, who teaches creative writing at Whitworth University; Polly Buckingham, who teaches writing and literature at Eastern Washington University; Richard Baldasty, retired SFCC history instructor; Iris Gribble-Neal, English instructor here at SCC; and Tom Davis, author of The Little Spokane.

The SCC Epoch Reading Experience is a literary series designed to share the work of area published writers and artists. For more information, please contact Maya Zeller at MZeller@scc.spokane.edu or Iris Gribble-Neal at INeal@scc.spokane.edu.

Popcorn and pop provided!

"Kernels" Curriculum Building Toolkit for "King Corn"

"'King Corn' is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives the fast-food nation. In 'King Corn,' Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, nitrogen fertilizers, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America's most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat and how we farm." (www.kingcorn.net)

Faculty!  This film is an excellent inspiration for building curriculum around sustainability. Check out Kernels, a toolkit for doing just that!

For film reviews, visit www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008698-king_corn/.

Four local writers and one musician shared their work at the second in a series of Spokane Community College Epoch Reading Experiences. Featured artists included poet John Whalen, author of "Caliban" and a two-time Pushcart Prize nominee; poet Jeffrey Dodd, who also teaches at Gonzaga University; writer and SCC English instructor Carrie Bucher; poet and SCC English instructor Maya Jewell Zeller; and poet Zan Agzigian, accompanied by musician Kathy Kostelec.

The SCC Epoch Reading Experience is a literary series designed to share the work of area published writers and artists. For more information, please contact Maya Zeller at MZeller@scc.spokane.edu or Iris Gribble-Neal at INeal@scc.spokane.edu.

Richard Manning is an award-winning environmentalist author and journalist. He worked as a journalist, reporter, and editor for 15 years, including 4 at the Missoulian. He lives in a log cabin he built with his wife (the subject of his second book) in Lolo, Montana. He writes about the social, political, and environmental threats to America's West. He has a particular interest in the history and future of the American prairie.

Books:

• Last Stand (1991) ISBN 978-0879053895
• A Good House (1994) ISBN 978-0140234077
• Grassland (1997) ISBN 978-0140233889
• One Round River (1998) ISBN 978-0805047929
• Food's Frontier (2001) ISBN 978-0520232631
• Inside Passage (2001) ISBN 978-1559636551
• Against The Grain (2004) ISBN 978-0865476226

For more information, visit these sources:
 » www.margolis.com/award/html/1992_-_richard_manning.html
 » en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Manning

Readers:
Tom Gribble, English Department Chair, SCC
Amy McCaffree, English Instructor, SCC
Laura Read, English Instructor, SFCC
Connie Wasem, Director of Composition, SFCC
Dennis Held, former CCS instructor, owner of Area 58 on North Monroe, author of Betting on the Night (Lost Horse Press)

For more information, please contact Maya Zeller at MZeller@scc.spokane.edu or Iris Gribble-Neal at INeal@scc.spokane.edu.

Bharati Mukherjee was born in India in 1940, but raised and educated in the west. This award-winning writer's works focus on the change in migration, new immigrant status, and feelings of expatriates. As one who has migrated throughout her life, her work reflects her experiences as an exile from India, expatriate in Canada, and new immigrant in America. She particularly focuses on Indian women, their identity and struggles.

Books:

• Tiger's Daughter (1972)
• Wife (1975)
• Kautilya's Concept of Diplomacy: A New Interpretation (1976)
• Days and Nights in Calcutta (1977)
• An Invisible Woman (1981)
• Darkness (1985)
• The Sorrow and the Terror: The Haunting Legacy of the Air India Tragedy (1987)
• The Middleman and Other Stories (1988)
• Jasmine (1989)
• Political Culture and Leadership in India (1991)
• Regionalism in Indian Perspective (1992)
• The Holder of the World (1993)
• Leave It to Me (1997)
• Desirable Daughters (2002)

For more information, visit these sources:
 » www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/Mukherjee.html
 » 152.1.96.5/jouvert/v1i1/bharat.htm
 » voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/mukherjee_bharati.html

"King Corn" premiers at SCC and the Magic Lantern.

*Special Note: Curt Ellis and Caitlin Boyle from the film were present on January 23 for the 11:30 a.m. show at SCC and for the 7:00 p.m. show at the Magic Lantern.

"Kernels" Curriculum Building Toolkit for "King Corn"

"'King Corn' is a feature documentary about two friends, one acre of corn, and the subsidized crop that drives the fast-food nation. In 'King Corn,' Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis, best friends from college on the east coast, move to the heartland to learn where their food comes from. With the help of friendly neighbors, genetically modified seeds, nitrogen fertilizers, and powerful herbicides, they plant and grow a bumper crop of America's most-productive, most-subsidized grain on one acre of Iowa soil. But when they try to follow their pile of corn into the food system, what they find raises troubling questions about how we eat and how we farm." (www.kingcorn.net)

This film is an excellent inspiration for faculty building curriculum around sustainability. Check out Kernels, a toolkit for doing just that!

For film reviews, visit www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008698-king_corn/.