Holyoke Community College
Deaf People and Their Culture: Dispelling the Myths and Acknowledging the Truths, a talk by HCC Deaf Studies professor Claire Sanders
Few people know much about deaf people, leading to the invention of myths and misconceptions. Professor Sanders will discuss accurate information and knowledge to dispel these ideas.
The Autism Continuum: Implications for Higher Education , a talk by author, educator and advocate for people on the autism spectrum, which includes Asperger's Syndrome, Stephen Shore
Mr. Shore is the author of Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome and a contributing editor to Ask and Tell: Self Advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum.
Mark Twain's America , a lecture/recital by pianist Jacqueline Schwab
Meet Jacqueline Schwab, a folk and classical improvisational pianist who plays "gorgeously spare piano" ( The Boston Globe ) yet "sounds as if she has an orchestra at her fingertips" ( Sing Out ). Chosen by the renowned Ken Burns for numerous public television documentaries due to the emotional expression in her playing, Jacqueline has performed on the soundtracks for the Grammy award-winning Civil War , the Emmy award- winning Baseball and Mark Twain , among others. She has performed at the White House for President Clinton in 1997 to celebrate Burns' Lewis and Clark series and also at the Smithsonian in 2000 celebrate its exhibition on the Presidency.
Refugee Women—Women of Wisdom and Proven Worth , a talk by activist Dorothy Pilkington, SSJ
More than a quarter of the world's 20 million refugees are women; coupled with their children, they comprise 75 to 80% of the refugee population. In some refugee camps, women and children are 90% of the population. They are the most vulnerable of the refugees, have the fewest resources, and are regarded as the lowliest by their societies. The effect on women and children of being uprooted by war is more devastating than on any other segments of a refugee population.
The stories of flight and life in exile reveal women's fears and feelings of losing control over their lives. The courage they draw from deep interior wells fills them with a stubborn will to go on in spite of being forced into lives and actions abhorrent to them.
Fasting The Month of Ramadan: The Third Pillar of Islam , a talk by local educator Na'imah Muhammad
Ms. Muhammad will describe the significance and benefits of fasting during the month of Ramadan, and will also speak briefly on the other four pillars of Islam.
Childhood Lead Poisoning, a talk by Sandra Lawson, R.N., M.Ed.
Sandra Lawson is a Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Health Educator with the Springfield Enrichment Team. She will discuss prevention, early detection & treatment of lead toxicity in children.
Wednesday, 10/13, 11 am, Frost 309
Native Americans in Southern New England during the King Phillips War ,” a talk by HCC anthropology professor George Ashley
“Hijacking Catastrophe: 9/11, Fear and the Selling of American Empire” a film and discussion with filmmaker Sut Jhally
This film examines how an extremist fringe of the Republican Party has used the trauma of the 9/11 terror attacks to advance a pre-existing agenda to radically transform American foreign policy while rolling back civil liberties and social programs at home. It features 27 interviews, including Pentagon whistleblower Lt. Colonel Karen Kwiatkowski, former chief UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter, MIT professor Noam Chomsky, and author Norman Mailer.
Poetry from the West Virginia Coal Mine Wars of 1920-21 , a reading by poet Diane Gilliam Fisher from her new collection Kettle Bottom , winner of the 2004 Perugia Press Intro Award
Written in the voices of people living and working in the coal camps, these vivid poems present a community to look to in time of danger. Kettle Bottom imagines the stories of miners, their wives, children, sisters and mothers; of mountaineers, Italian immigrants, and Black families—people who organized for safe working conditions in opposition to the mine company owners and their agents. These poems address violent times with honesty, levity, and compassion.
Mountain Songs, a lecture-recital by HCC music professor Dr. Janet Polvino and Boston-based guitarist Berit Strong
Polvino and Strong will present a classical guitar and flute lecture-recital featuring works by JS Bach and contemporary composers. The program includes the discussion of the incorporation of world-music sounds with American folksongs demonstrated in the Robert Beaser grammy-award winning "Mountain Songs." Two poems by Emily Dickenson provide the inspiration for a piece by composer Leo Heritage from Clevelnad, Ohio.
The video documentary "Congo Pa' Tí" gives recognition to the resistance shown by Afro-Dominican cultural manifestations in the face of poverty and denial, giving special attention to the role of Black women in these communities. It includes interviews with intellectuals, artists and residents of the community of Villa Mella, who explore the issue of race from its origins until today. It includes commentaries by people about identity and culture in the Dominican Republic, perhaps one of the only places where Black people do not want to be called "Blacks."
Crimes Against Humanity at the Belchertown State School , a talk by local author Benjamin Ricci
Benjamin Ricci, Professor Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, will discuss his just-published book, Crimes Against Humanity – A Historical Perspective . Ricci recounts the painful decision he and his wife Virginia made to place their six-year-old son Bobby at Belchertown State School in the 1950s, the horrific medieval conditions they discovered and exposed in that institution, his founding of Advocacy Network, and that organization's 20-year landmark class-action suit in federal court to improve the lives of mentally retarded citizens in Massachusetts. Crimes Against Humanity is a must-read for anyone with a social conscience – a work of courage, persistence, and faith.
Teen Moms -- the Hagars of This World
Ages pass by – circumstances may change somewhat – but young women like Hagar of the Old Testament are living in today's world. These young teens are frequently abandoned, lonely and journeying daily through uncertainties of what happens next. Through poetry, they are learning to share their stories, to find their voice in society, to form new relationships, and to bring healing to their lives through creative activities.
Another Generation Almost Forgotten , a talk by author Jefferson Wiggins
Jefferson Wiggins was the 2001 Connecticut Multicultural Educator of the year. He is founder of the Wiggins Institute for Social Integrity, and author of an inspiring memoir of human triumph over adversity. Hs presentation-style has been called “fiery and inspirational.”
Nancy Burns is coordinator of the evening LPN program at HCC and is manager of the Massachusetts State STD program. She will discuss the prevention, transmission, diagnosis & treatment of STD's.