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American humorists bring levity to 91��Ƭ's Reading Across Campus events

goersab — Fri, 24 Feb 2023 14:08:33 +0000

American humorists bring levity to 91��Ƭ's Reading Across Campus eventsgoersab February 24, 2023

Public invited for readings by Professor Julie Schumacher on March 1, area author Elise Gregory on April 5

This year, 91��Ƭ’s annual Reading Across Campus is not centered around one book but rather on a theme – humor – with selections featuring a variety of authors and readings.

“Coming out of the pandemic, we felt we needed something to make us laugh and regain our joy of reading,” said Literature Committee co-chair Professor Lopa Basu.

Thurber Prize recipient Julie Schumacher / Julie Schumacher

As part of the event, the committee will welcome award-winning author Julie Schumacher, the first woman to receive the Thurber Prize for American Humor, to present “How to Enjoy the Writing Process Even If You're on a Deadline and Your Dog Needs to Go to the Vet.”

Her presentation is free and open to the public and will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, in the University Library’s Educational Materials Center, second floor. Books will be available for purchase and signing after the event.

“I hope people will think about ways to infuse joy into the writing process and to see it as a terrific experiment,” said Schumacher, a Regents professor of creative writing and English at the University of Minnesota.

Schumacher’s first novel, “The Body Is Water,” was an ALA Notable Book of the Year and a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award. She is the author of national best seller “Dear Committee Members;” as well as “The Shakespeare Requirement;” “Doodling for Academics,” a satirical coloring book; and five novels for younger readers.

Ellsworth-based author Elise Gregory will be reading from her debut novel “The Clayfields” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 5, in the library’s EMC. Her reading is also open to the public. “The Clayfields,” set locally, is the story of three modern women who must decide whether or not to leave their farming community behind. Gregory will also be visiting a creative writing class on campus.

Elise Gregory will read from her novel “The Clayfields” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29. / Elise Gregory

Reading Across Campus encourages instructors to incorporate readings in their courses or as extra credit opportunities. Humor-themed readings this year include:

“Furiously Happy” by Jenny Lawson
“A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian” by Marina Lewycka
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah
“The Innocents Abroad” by Mark Twain

There will also be a faculty and staff reading from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 27, at Dragon Tale Books, Menomonie's new downtown bookstore. This reading will continue the annual tradition of featuring instructors and staff members from units across campus. In keeping with the Reading Across Campus theme, readers will be encouraged to share pieces with a touch of humor.

Humor is crucial to our daily lives

Schumacher believes humor is “crucial, crucial, crucial” to our daily lives. She thinks of humor as a lens through which she looks at the world and her experiences.

Julie Schumacher will present from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1. / Julie Schumacher

“There are things that we don't – and will never – laugh about, but these things are few and far between,” she said. “In 97% of life, there is something to be found that can make us laugh. Laughter is a release; it allows us to breathe and go on with our lives.

“Things that, to me, might seem embarrassing or strange or infuriating when they occur, often start to seem funny in retrospect. That's the way my mind works. I like to look back on things and see the wacky appeal in them.”

Schumacher has always written, and writing is something she feels she needs to do. “Some people need to play the piano or cook or play basketball. I need to put words onto the page. That's the way I process my thoughts. As the saying goes, ‘How do I know what I think until I see what I say?’” she said.

Some of her favorite humorous reads are Jane Austen, although she said most people wouldn't think of Austen as a humorist. “But I find her dialogue to be hilarious. On the other side of the spectrum, I'm a devoted reader of the comics in the daily paper. I don't start my day without first reading ‘Dilbert’ and ‘Pearls Before Swine.’”

Reading Across Campus is a collaboration between the English and philosophy department, the University Library and the Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation. It is made possible by a grant from the Provost’s Office.

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About the Literature Committee

Reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world.

Our Mission

The Literature Committee serves as a source of information on current literary pedagogies, practices, and theories and to actively promote, on campus and throughout the community, the value of creative writing, literature, literary studies, and literary culture via course offerings, outreach programs, involvement in curriculum and assessment, and the English minor.

Our Vision

The Literature Committee supports an appreciation of reading, engaged discussion, reflective considerations of literature, and creative writing as activities that have valuable effects for society. Reading and the many forms of literacy—information, literary, textual, and visual—are applications of active learning and critical thinking skills and have transformative potential in their demonstrated ability to improve communication, rhetorical acumen, and intercultural understanding in a complex, diverse, and ever-changing society.

Statement of Purpose

The Literature Committee, functioning under the aegis of the Department of English & Philosophy, seeks to actively promote the value of literature, literary studies, and literary culture across campus and throughout the community.

We recognize the importance of the literary arts—creativity, film, language, literature, publishing, and reading—within the broad spectrum of the humanities and liberal education. We believe that in order to cultivate a more engaged and informed society we need to recognize and encourage a commitment to reading and literacy as fundamental modes of active reflection and cultural transformation.

We view reading and the knowledge of various forms of literacy—information, literary, textual, and visual—as primary applications of active learning and critical thinking. Literacy transforms individuals by preparing them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change.

Moreover, as fundamental to the humanities and the liberal arts, literature and literacy supports analysis, synthesis, and problem-solving skill development. Reading has a demonstrated and positive effect on an increased ability to apply knowledge and skills in new real-world settings. Reading promotes effective communication, rhetorical skill, and the understanding of intercultural dialogue.

Literature Committee Programming

As part of its vision, the Literature Committee hosts two important campus programs that demonstrate the importance of literature and literary culture across the campus community.

The Reading Series

Each semester the Literature Committee invites recognized writers, poets, and literary specialists to lecture, discuss literary issues, and read from their works. We strive to collaborate with campus and community organizations such as the Robert S. Swanson Library & Learning Center, the Honors College, Multicultural Student Services, and the Menomonie Public Library.

Reading Across Campus

Each year the Literature Committee promotes a campus-wide reading program featuring a significant book reflecting cultural ideas relevant to all students and faculty, and an associated film that encapsulates the grounds the reading event. We present the film with a reception featuring a campus leader, and tap into faculty expertise in three related lecture events.

Function of the Literature Committee

The Literature Committee encourages engaged discussion and reflective consideration of literature and creative writing course offerings in the Department of English and Philosophy. As such we act as a source of information on current literary pedagogies, practices, and theories. Moreover, we are concerned with literary opportunities for students in classes, programs, the English minor, and curriculum and assessment. The Literature Committee guides the university in continuing improvement of literary activities, literature and creative writing courses, and literary outreach programs.

We believe that reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world. Each year, the Literature Committee—part of the Department of English & Philosophy—promotes the value of literary studies through events that emphasize literary culture across the campus community.

The Literature Committee is charged by the Department of English and Philosophy (CAHSS) accordingly:

The Committee on Literature, which has three fundamental purposes:

to develop strategies for increasing enrollment in literature and creative writing courses;
to inform 91��Ƭ administrators, faculty, and students of the values of literary studies;
to establish guidelines for revising, expanding and improving literature and creative writing courses and the literature program in general.

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Business owner, executives to speak at Black Entrepreneurship event

polingj — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 16:31:59 +0000

Business owner, executives to speak at Black Entrepreneurship eventpolingj November 11, 2022

Menard Center panel discussion scheduled Nov. 15 in Sorensen Hall

The Black Entrepreneurship program at 91��Ƭ will feature a business founder and two panelists with extensive industry experience.

The event, free and open to the public, will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, in Sorensen Hall, room 205, with a meet and greet at 4 p.m. in building’s atrium. A livestream of the program also will be available.

The Black Entrepreneurship event will be held Nov. 15 at 91��Ƭ’s Sorensen Hall. / 91��Ƭ

The panelists are:

Tamisha Butler, of Eau Claire, a doula and lactation counselor who founded Mesha&Co, with a mission to help women keep their power and beauty during the birth experience.
Keenan Grenell, CEO of Global Capital Group, an entrepreneurship and economic development consulting firm based in Wauwatosa. He has taught at Colgate, Marquette and Auburn universities. Grenell believes Booker T. Washington’s ideas regarding entrepreneurial leadership are the keys to Black success in the 21st century.
Charles Ross, CEO of InBIA, a global nonprofit that supports entrepreneurship in 30 countries. Ross, who has mentored founders and CEOs at more than 30 high-growth companies, previously was director of Ameritech’s venture capital division and has held leadership positions at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Kennesaw State University.

The event is sponsored by 91��Ƭ’s Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation, the Entrepreneurship Club and the School of Management.

The Menard Center facilitates civil and rational debate and research in the state and beyond on important civil liberty issues and how these liberties relate to institutions and innovation in government, civic, business, social, scientific and religious settings.

91��Ƭ’s undergraduate programs include business administration, and arts administration and entrepreneurship. The university also offers a minor in entrepreneurship and innovation.

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The Black Entrepreneurship program at 91��Ƭ will feature a business founder and two panelists with extensive industry experience. Black Entrepreneurship

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Menard family $2.36M donation expands civil liberties center

The Menard family, Wisconsin natives and owners of a Midwestern chain of home improvement stores, is donating $2.36 million to the Stout University Foundation.

Tim Shiell

Professional Interests: Areas of Specialization: Philosophy of Law, Ethics Areas of Competence: Political Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Eastern Philosophy

Full Name: Dr. Tim Shiell

Job Title: Professor

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Department: Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation

Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Tim Shiell (590.57 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Philosophy

University: University of Iowa

Degree: B.A. Philosophy

University: Moorhead State University

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Free Speech Week to be celebrated with national expert on censorship

polingj — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 16:50:27 +0000

Free Speech Week to be celebrated with national expert on censorshippolingj October 12, 2022

Chris Finan to present ‘How Free Speech Saved Democracy’ on Oct. 19

The director of the National Coalition Against Censorship will speak at 91��Ƭ during Free Speech Week.

Chris Finan will present “How Free Speech Saved Democracy,” from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, in the Cedar/Maple rooms at the Memorial Student Center.

The event, free and open to the public, is co-hosted by 91��Ƭ’s Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation and the League of Women Voters of the Greater Chippewa Valley.

Chris Finan, director of the National Coalition Against Censorship / Contributed photo

National Free Speech Week is Monday, Oct. 17, to Sunday, Oct. 23.

Finan is the author of “How Free Speech Saved Democracy: The Untold History of How the First Amendment Became an Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice,” which was published in April by Steerforth Press.

Tim Shiell, director of the Menard Center, is pleased to partner with the local chapter of the League of Women Voters and to host a national expert on a topic of university and community interest.

Shiell said Finan’s presentation, like his book, will address “how the origins of free speech are connected to progressive causes like the labor movement and civil rights movement. Roughly, free speech saved democracy by including voices of marginalized people who had been silenced in the past.”

After Finan’s presentation, Shiell will moderate a discussion featuring respondents Daniel Sinkovits, an associate professor of physics at 91��Ƭ, and Steve Hanson, co-vice president of the League of Women Voters chapter.

Finan, from Brooklyn, has a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University, is a former newspaper reporter and has advocated for free speech for 40 years.

Publishers Weekly called his new book a “full-throated defense of free expression” and said it makes “an airtight case that those who wish to restrict speech will always present their reasons for doing so as a product of extraordinary times. Finan issues a stark warning against encroaching on the freedom of expression. Progressives will want to take heed."

Finan also authored the award-winning “From the Palmer Raids to the Patriot Act: A History of the Fight for Free Speech in America” and previously was president of the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression.

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The director of the National Coalition Against Censorship will speak at 91��Ƭ during Free Speech Week. Chris Finan

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Menard Center director, professor contribute to new civil liberties book

A University of Wisconsin-Stout Civil Liberties Symposium sparked the idea for a new book “Civil Liberties in Real Life: Seven Studies.”

Tim Shiell

Professional Interests: Areas of Specialization: Philosophy of Law, Ethics Areas of Competence: Political Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Eastern Philosophy

Full Name: Dr. Tim Shiell

Job Title: Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Department: Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation

Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Tim Shiell (590.57 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Philosophy

University: University of Iowa

Degree: B.A. Philosophy

University: Moorhead State University

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Banned Books event to feature national expert Friedman from PEN America

polingj — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 14:52:46 +0000

Banned Books event to feature national expert Friedman from PEN Americapolingj September 27, 2022

Banned Books and Silencing the Classroom scheduled Oct. 3 at University Library

A national expert on free speech and book bans will be a guest speaker Monday, Oct. 3, at 91��Ƭ.

Jonathan Friedman, director of Free Expression and Education Programs at PEN America, based in New York, will lead the event Banned Books and Silencing the Classroom from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the University Library, second floor north.

The event, free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation, University Library, Literature Committee, Center for Applied Ethics, and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

Jonathan Friedman, director of Free Expression and Education Programs at PEN America, will speak Oct. 3 at 91��Ƭ. / Contributed photo

National Banned Books Week was Sept. 18-24. PEN America, the Authors Guild and the National Coalition Against Censorship oversees Banned Books Week.

Friedman helped produce PEN America’s Campus Free Speech Guide, published in 2020. He has been lead author on many PEN America reports, including Banned in the USA: Rising School Book Bans Threaten Free Expression and Students’ First Amendment Rights, which was published this year.

The American Library Association reported Sept. 16 that through August there were 681 book challenges in the U.S. that involved 1,651 titles. That’s more than at the same time in 2021, which had the most challenges in decades. A total of 729 challenges were filed in 2021.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, said, “I’ve never seen anything like this. It’s both the number of challenges and the kinds of challenges. It used to be a parent had learned about a given book and had an issue with it. Now we see campaigns where organizations are compiling lists of books, without necessarily reading or even looking at them.”

Books with LGBTQ matter and about racism are frequently challenged, Caldwell-Stone said.

The 91��Ƭ event will be moderated by Tim Shiell, Menard Center director. Respondents will be Lopa Basu, professor of English; and Rickie-Ann Legleitner, associate professor of English, interim director of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office and adviser for Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies.

“Having a Banned Books Week event every year is important because most people think the age of book banning is over,” Shiell said. “It’s not. Book bans and attempts to ban books still occur frequently. With MCSII’s focus being on the study, discussion and defense of civil liberties, we want people to be aware of and resistant to censorship.”

Upcoming Menard Center programs include:

Wednesday, Oct. 19, 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Free Speech Day, with keynote speaker Chris Finan, Memorial Student Center, Cedar/Maple Room
Tuesday, Nov. 15, 5 to 6 p.m., Black Entrepreneurship Panel, 205 Sorensen Hall.

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A national expert on free speech and book bans will be a guest speaker Monday, Oct. 3, at 91��Ƭ. Jonathan Friedman

University Marketing

Menard Center director, professor contribute to new civil liberties book

A University of Wisconsin-Stout Civil Liberties Symposium sparked the idea for a new book “Civil Liberties in Real Life: Seven Studies.”

Tim Shiell

Professional Interests: Areas of Specialization: Philosophy of Law, Ethics Areas of Competence: Political Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Eastern Philosophy

Full Name: Dr. Tim Shiell

Job Title: Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Department: Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation

Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Tim Shiell (590.57 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Philosophy

University: University of Iowa

Degree: B.A. Philosophy

University: Moorhead State University

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91��Ƭ to hold events addressing free speech, right to protest

polingj — Thu, 08 Sep 2022 20:16:06 +0000

91��Ƭ to hold events addressing free speech, right to protestpolingj September 8, 2022

National expert Kimbrough to talk Sept. 14; panel discussion set for Sept. 22

Two events highlighting Americans’ constitutional rights will be held in September at University of Wisconsin-Stout.

From 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14, free speech will be the topic in the Great Hall of the Memorial Student Center. Walter Kimbrough will present “I Respectfully Disagree: When Debate Dies Who Loses?” He will discuss how to enter into a debate, respect others’ free speech rights and talk across differences.

Walter Kimbrough will speak Sept. 14 on campus. / Contributed photo

Kimbrough has been president of two Historically Black Colleges and Universities — Philander Smith College in Little Rock, Ark., and most recently Dillard University in New Orleans. He is executive in residence at the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center, where he will co-chair the center’s National HBCU Racial Equity Commission.

University sponsors are the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office; the Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation; the Center for Applied Ethics; and the Nakatani Teaching and Learning Center.

From 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22, the panel discussion Protesting: Know Your Rights will be held in the ballrooms of the student center. Experts will present briefly then address questions related to protesting on campus.

The panel will be moderated by Rickie-Ann Legleitner, associate professor and interim director of the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office. Panelists will include Wade Harrison, senior counsel for UW System Legal, Dean of Students Sandi Scott and representatives from University Police, University Housing, Freedom of Expression Committee and the Bias Incident Response Team.

Both events are free and open to the campus community and the public.

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Two events highlighting Americans’ constitutional rights will be held in September at 91��Ƭ. Walter Kimbrough

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Rickie-Ann Legleitner

Full Name: Rickie-Ann Legleitner

Job Title: Interim Executive Director, Inclusive Excellence

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College: College of Arts & Human Sciences

Department: English, Philosophy & Communication Studies Department Office of Student Opportunity & Excellence

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Climate justice, musical expression, protest rights to be discussed at upcoming Civil Liberties Symposium

goersab — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 15:33:55 +0000

Climate justice, musical expression, protest rights to be discussed at upcoming Civil Liberties Symposiumgoersab April 12, 2022

Menard Center event invites ‘dialogue from different points of view’

Abbey Goers

The Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation at 91��Ƭ is hosting its third annual Civil Liberties Symposium, Monday, April 18.

The symposium, from 10 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in the Memorial Student Center, Northwoods Room, is free and open to the public. No registration is required.

MCSII Director Tim Shiell / 91��Ƭ

“The primary goal is to educate people about important civil liberty controversies through civil and rational dialogue from different points of view,” said MCSII Director Tim Shiell. “The presentations will focus on some aspect of civil liberties and their relationship to institutions, especially government and innovation.”

The five presentations will each be followed by a respondent offering comments to add perspectives on the issues.

“Climate Justice: The Role of the Courts in Advancing Environmental Rights,” with Elizabeth Wheat, associate professor in public and environmental affairs at UW-Green Bay. Wheat will discuss how some courts have ruled in cases involving conflicts between property rights and environmental protections focusing on how appeals to civil liberty can be an effective way for groups, especially marginalized groups, to protect their environments.
“Some Observations on Separation of Powers and the Wisconsin Constitution,” with Chad Oldfather, professor of law at Marquette University. Oldfather will discuss the separation of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial branches under the Wisconsin Constitution, with special attention to the right to vote and redistricting issues.

Eric Kasper, director of UW-Eau Claire’s Menard Center for Constitutional Studies / Bill Hoepner, UW-Eau Claire

“I Fought the Law and the First Amendment Won: Rulings from the U.S. Supreme Court Protect Musical Expression,” with Eric Kasper, professor of political science and director of UW-Eau Claire’s Menard Center for Constitutional Studies. Kasper will discuss Supreme Court rulings on legal controversies and censorship involving musical expression.
“Anti-orthodoxy, Inclusion, and the Advocacy of Violence,” with Shiell. He will discuss the role of anti-orthodoxy and inclusion in expressive legal rights with special attention on Brandenburg v. Ohio, with distinction between abstract advocacy of violence and incitement of imminent violence.
“A Survey of Anti-Protest Laws Enacted in the Past Two Years,” with Azhar Majeed, director of Government Affairs at the Center for Inquiry, headquartered in Amherst, N.Y. Majeed will discuss recent laws that increase restrictions and penalties for certain forms of protest in the wake of the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests.

Azhar Majeed, director of Government Affairs at the Center for Inquiry / Azhar Majeed

Majeed is looking forward to participating in the symposium. “There's a lot we can learn from each other about some of the pressing current issues in the field of civil liberties,” he said.

“I hope to draw the attention of attendees to the many anti-protest laws that have been passed in states across the country in recent years. These laws are anti-thetical to the First Amendment and a threat to the precious free speech rights of Americans.”

Kasper agrees that the symposium is an excellent opportunity to discuss civil liberties with scholars of different backgrounds. His research connects freedom of speech and the intersection of music and politics.

“I hope that attendees will leave my presentation with a greater understanding of the long history of attempts to censor music and why key U.S. Supreme Court First Amendment precedents have been important to legally protecting musical expression in the United States,” he said.

Oldfather has two motivations for studying the Wisconsin constitution and the Wisconsin Supreme Court. “One is a sense that, given the direction the United States Supreme Court is headed, a greater portion of our contentious legal questions are going to be resolved at the state level,” he said. “Another is that Wisconsin constitutional jurisprudence has started to drift, sometimes in dramatic ways, from its history.

Chad Oldfather, professor of law at Marquette University / Chad Oldfather

“As an academic, I’ve got the ability to reflect on the law in a way and from a perspective that the justices, and the lawyers who appear before them, do not share, and I hope to be able to leverage that perspective into being a source of useful information.”

MCSII’s mission is to provide leadership on issues pertaining to civil liberty and related institutions and innovations through scholarly inquiry, educational activities and community outreach, including facilitated workshops which engage students in timely and important topics.

MCSII also invites students to apply to participate in the Statewide Student Free Speech Workshop from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 23, at UW-La Crosse. The workshop is open to 24 students. To apply, email Shiell. Applications should include a maximum 250-word statement of interest in the area of campus free speech. Deadline to apply is Friday, April 15. Students who complete the workshop receive a $250 stipend.

Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation

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American humorists bring levity to 91��Ƭ's Reading Across Campus events

Public invited for readings by Professor Julie Schumacher on March 1, area author Elise Gregory on April 5

Business owner, executives to speak at Black Entrepreneurship event

The Black Entrepreneurship program at 91��Ƭ will feature a business founder and two panelists with extensive industry experience.

Free Speech Week to be celebrated with national expert on censorship

The director of the National Coalition Against Censorship will speak at 91��Ƭ during Free Speech Week.

Menard Center event invites ‘dialogue from different points of view’ shielltim_harveyhall.jpg

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Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation

MCSII’s mission is to promote the study and discussion of civil liberties and related institutions and innovations through scholarly inquiry.

Tim Shiell

Professional Interests: Areas of Specialization: Philosophy of Law, Ethics Areas of Competence: Political Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Eastern Philosophy

Full Name: Dr. Tim Shiell

Job Title: Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Department: Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation

Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Tim Shiell (590.57 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Philosophy

University: University of Iowa

Degree: B.A. Philosophy

University: Moorhead State University

CACHSS

Exclude from Internal Site Search: No

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Comic exhibit, film screening and local author part of community events this spring

goersab — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 19:25:23 +0000

Comic exhibit, film screening and local author part of community events this springgoersab February 8, 2022

Reading Across Campus features virtual talks on LGBTQIA+ themes and character relations

Abbey Goers

University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Literature Committee is hosting free community events this spring, centered around this year’s Reading Across Campus selection, “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by American cartoonist Alison Bechdel.

Bechdel’s graphic memoir explores LGBTQIA+ issues, identity and family trauma, as she revisits her relationship with her father.

Events flowing out of “Fun Home” include two virtual talks by university staff members:

“‘Fun Home’: Character Analysis Using LGBTQIA+ Development Theories,” with the Qube Program Coordinator Nicole Eastman: 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 10, on Zoom.
“The Power of Personal and Community Connections: Exploring 91��Ƭ LGBTQIA+ Oral Histories in Connection to Themes from Alison Bechdel's ‘Fun Home’,” with University Archivist Rebecca Kuske: 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 6, on Zoom.

The Qube Program Coordinator Nicole Eastman / 91��Ƭ

“‘Fun Home’ is an important representation of the LGBTQIA+ community and the different challenges each generation faces,” Eastman said. “What stood out to me was Alison’s relationship with her father growing up and their attempts to connect with each other.”

Eastman’s talk will examine the characters’ identities using LGBTQIA+ development models and how they come to accept or reject their sexualities. Attendees will also learn several identity development models and how to support those in the coming out process.

The Qube connects LGBTQIA+ students and allies in the community through social, cultural and academic programs and events.

University Archivist Rebecca Kuske / 91��Ƭ

Kuske’s talk will connect the themes of “Fun Home” directly to the 91��Ƭ community as she shares pieces of oral histories, experiences and involvement in the LGBTQIA+ community.

The oral histories were conducted by students in the Introduction to Queer Studies course, part of the women, gender and sexuality studies curriculum.

“My hope is that this talk creates an opportunity for attendees to recognize any of their own personal connections to this book as well as show how prevalent the topics discussed are on our own campus,” Kuske said.

Comic exhibit, movie and writing memoirs

Other upcoming Reading Across Campus community events are a student comic exhibit, a film screening and a presentation on writing memoirs by local author and UW-Eau Claire Associate Professor of English BJ Hollars. All events are free and open to the public.

“Inside the Box: Memoir Comics by Stout Students” student exhibit: Friday, March 11, to Friday, May 6, second floor of the University Library.
“Persepolis” film screening: 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 30, Harvey Hall Theatre.
“The Story of Your Life: Writing Your Forgotten Past,” with Hollars: 5 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13, Harvey Hall Theatre.

“Inside the Box: Memoir Comics by Stout Students” will feature comic art in all styles and mediums that incorporate the theme of personal memoir and identity.

The call for artists is open to 91��Ƭ students. Organized by comics Lecturer Mary Climes, the exhibition is juried by various university representees: Cory Mitchell, collection development librarian; Literature Committee member Kevin Drzakowski, interim associate dean of the College of Arts, Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences; Brianna Copra, graduate student and children’s book illustrator; Erik Evensen, comic artist and associate professor of digital narrative; and Nicole Eastman, LGBTQIA+ program coordinator. A closing reception will be on Friday, April 29.

The screening of “Persepolis” was chosen by the Literature Committee and the University Library to coincide with the reading of “Fun Home” because “it touches on issues of women's identities in a transnational context which seemed appropriate to women's history month,” said Lopa Basu, co-chair of the Literature Committee.

The adult animated film, produced in 2007, is based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel of the same name. Published in 2000, it is Satrapi’s autobiographical account of her childhood and teenage years in Iran and Austria during and after the Islamic Revolution.

UW-Eau Claire Associate Professor of English BJ Hollars / BJ Hollars

Hollars’ presentation, “The Story of Your Life: Writing Your Forgotten Past,” will share techniques and writing prompts to help writers conjure long-forgotten stories and recall vanished details to bring their past to the present and write their life story.

Hollars is the author of several books, including “Go West Young Man: A Father and Son Rediscover America on the Oregon Trail.” His work has been featured in the Washington Post and National Public Radio. He is the recipient of the Truman Capote Prize for Literary Nonfiction.

Diversity Week community event

Diversity Week at 91��Ƭ is Monday, Feb. 21, to Friday, Feb. 25. The community is invited to listen to their neighbors at the International Mother Language Day event.

The hybrid event will feature 14 presenters speaking 13 languages and will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 in the Memorial Student Center, Great Hall and virtually on Zoom.

University Librarian Ann Vogl / 91��Ƭ

“Language is a big part of culture. And around the world, languages are being lost. This is a small way to share and appreciate the languages and cultures present in Menomonie,” said University Librarian Ann Vogl, who helped coordinate the event in collaboration with Menomonie Public Library.

“I think the event is a way to bring us all together and create some positive proximity. We are all part of the same community, and it is a wonderful way to meet each other,” Vogl added. “It’s nice to listen to the sound of different languages even though you don’t know what is said.”

Other upcoming community literary events include Roosevelt Montas’ presentation on his book “Rescuing Socrates: How the Great Books Changed My Life and Why They Matter for a New Generation.” Co-sponsored by the Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation, the event is at 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 22, in the Memorial Student Center, Northwoods Room.

Reading Across Campus is a collaboration between the English and philosophy department, the University Library and Menard Center. It is made possible from a grant by the Chancellor’s Office and Provost’s Office.

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About the Literature Committee

Reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world.

Our Mission

Our Vision

Statement of Purpose

Literature Committee Programming

As part of its vision, the Literature Committee hosts two important campus programs that demonstrate the importance of literature and literary culture across the campus community.

The Reading Series

Reading Across Campus

Function of the Literature Committee

The Literature Committee is charged by the Department of English and Philosophy (CAHSS) accordingly:

The Committee on Literature, which has three fundamental purposes:

to develop strategies for increasing enrollment in literature and creative writing courses;
to inform 91��Ƭ administrators, faculty, and students of the values of literary studies;
to establish guidelines for revising, expanding and improving literature and creative writing courses and the literature program in general.

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‘Black History is American History’ presentation featured as free community event Feb. 15

goersab — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 18:04:43 +0000

‘Black History is American History’ presentation featured as free community event Feb. 15goersab January 31, 2022

Eboné Bell to speak on people, events that have shaped the nation; two Menard Center events also planned

Abbey Goers

February is Black History Month, a time to honor the achievements of Black and African-Americans and recognize their contributions and central role in U.S. history.

However, Eboné Bell, founder and editor-in-chief of Tagg Magazine, feels that many students don’t know or understand Black history and that most can count the number of Black changemakers and historical figures they learned about in school on one hand.

Keynote speaker Eboné Bell / Eboné Bell

But why are most Americans limited in their knowledge of Black history, she wondered. After all, Black history is American history.

And so, through the art of storytelling, Bell will address the education of Americans regarding Black history in her presentation “Black History is American History,” from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Memorial Student Center, Ballroom B.

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees can register for the in-person event on CONNECT or attend virtually on Teams Live.

Bell, a keynote speaker specializing in equity, diversity and inclusion, allyship, and LGBTQIA+ activism, will explore Black historical figures, experiences and important events that have shaped America’s past and present.

She encourages everyone to go beyond the basics of Black history “because knowing your past, helps open the doors to the future.”

Bell’s presentation is co-hosted by 91��Ƭ's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office, the Involvement Center, Multicultural Student Services and the Inclusion Excellence Action Plan.

The Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation at 91��Ƭ is also featuring two free community events:

Black History Month: The Right to Protest, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, Memorial Student Center, Northwoods Room. This event will feature speakers Franciska Coleman, assistant professor of law at UW-Madison, and Jim Szymalak, assistant professor of political science at UW-La Crosse.
Black Entrepreneurship, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 22, Sorensen Hall, room 205. This event is co-sponsored by Black Student Union. It will feature panelists Frank Brown, founder and owner of Minuteman Press; Keenan Grenell, CEO of Global Capital Group, LLC; Charles Ross, CEO of InBia; and Tamisha Butler, owner of Mesha&CO.

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Eboné Bell to speak on people, events that have shaped the nation; two Menard Center events also planned ebone_bell_edi_speaker.jpg

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Join Eboné Bell for her presentation Black History is American History, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb, 15, in the Memorial Student Center, Ballroom B.

The event is free and open to the public. Attendees can register for the in-person event on CONNECT or attend virtually on Teams Live.

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Graphic memoirist to present on immigrant’s view of civil rights movement

goersab — Thu, 14 Oct 2021 13:15:00 +0000

Graphic memoirist to present on immigrant’s view of civil rights movementgoersab October 14, 2021

91��Ƭ, Chippewa Valley Book Festival partner in free virtual event

Abbey Goers

The civil rights era was rife with discord. As part of the nation’s population fought for social and political equality, another strove for maintaining the status quo of segregation and denying the liberties of their neighbors.

Graphic novelist Lila Quintero Weaver was 5 years old in 1961 when her family moved from their home in Argentina to central Alabama, just 27 miles from Selma.

As a young immigrant in the Jim Crow South, Quintero Weaver remembers school desegregation. The marches from Selma in support of African-Americans' right to vote and the violence surrounding it were the “hallmark events of the region,” she said.

Graphic memoirist Lila Quintero Weaver / Lila Quintero Weaver

Quintero Weaver will reflect on these pivotal moments in her presentation, “South American Eyes in the American South,” a free virtual event at 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25.

Her presentation is hosted in partnership through University of Wisconsin-Stout and the Chippewa Valley Book Festival, which runs Sunday, Oct. 24, to Friday, Oct. 29. It is made possible with the technology assistance of the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library in Eau Claire. Advance registration is required.

Quintero Weaver is one of six national authors participating in the festival. She is the author of the graphic novel “Darkroom: A Memoir in Black & White,” listed on Book Riot’s 100 Must-Read Graphic Memoirs.

“Darkroom” gives an alternate interpretation of the Jim Crow era and expresses Quintero Weaver’s discomfort when segregationist views grew as the civil rights movement gained momentum and eventually led to an urgent need to take a stand.

“Darkroom” may be purchased at Bookends on Main in downtown Menomonie.

‘A good book should make us feel less alone’

Quintero Weaver’s primary inspiration in becoming a graphic novelist was “Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood” by Marjane Satrapi. It was the first graphic memoir she read. She also finds artistic inspiration in street photography, black and white film, collage art and the Dutch masters.

Cover art of "Darkroom" / Lila Quintero Weaver

The meaning behind her memoir’s title has two parts. “In the literal sense it refers to my father’s photo-processing darkroom,” she said. “But it also serves as a metaphor for revelation and emerging knowledge.”

Her revelations about the civil rights movement and events in her hometown came in adulthood. “Everything was hush-hush back then,” she said. “I had to dig out the facts on my own – trace this event to that result. But this wasn’t possible until many years had passed and people started speaking their truth.”

Readers have shared their stories with Quintero Weaver, from memories of the Jim Crow era to immigrants who have experienced the sense of isolation she describes in “Darkroom.”

“On college campuses, students have taken me aside to explain why my story clicked with them,” she said. “These are the reactions I treasure, because a good book should make us feel less alone and more connected.”

Quintero Weaver has suggestions for people as they seek to support each other’s differences and move toward more empathy and understanding:

Read and listen to the stories of people who come from different worlds. Spend time with them, hear them out and afford them the respect we all want for ourselves.
Step into the shoes of an outsider by traveling or studying a foreign language.

“Since these remedies are nothing new, we should ask ourselves why we don’t do them,” she said. “Is it because we crave belonging and the comfort of the familiar? I think we have to accept that offering empathy often puts us into some level of discomfort. Even so, somebody has to make the first move.”

Artwork depicting Quintero Weaver's memories of segregation in her hometown. / Lila Quintero Weaver

Expanding horizons

The partnership between 91��Ƭ and the Chippewa Valley Book Festival started in 2018, when the university hosted a reading by Nickolas Butler of his novel “Little Faith.” Before that, Basu took Honors College students to Eau Claire to attend festival readings.

Isa Small, programming and communications services manager at the Eau Claire library, and 91��Ƭ Professor Lopa Basu serve on the festival’s Authors and Events Committee. Basu is co-chair of 91��Ƭ’s Literature Committee.

English and philosophy professor Lopa Basu / 91��Ƭ

“The Chippewa Valley Book Festival has a long history of partnering with organizations in the valley to host events,” Small said. “Dr. Lopamudra Basu has been instrumental in the partnership with 91��Ƭ.”

Basu believes the partnership is mutually beneficial. “Stout students are exposed to a wide range of authors and programming. The festival benefits from new audiences and co-sponsorship,” she said. “We hope the partnership can continue in the future.”

“It's always wonderful to expand your horizons and experience reading a different voice, or in the case of Lila Quintero Weaver's work, a different genre of storytelling,” Small said. “I, like many others, tend to stick with what I know I like when it comes to books. But that's why I so appreciate the festival. It provides an opportunity to read outside of my comfort zone and discover some new favorites.”

Reading Across Campus

Quintero Weaver’s presentation is in keeping with 91��Ƭ’s Reading Across Campus program, which is focusing on another graphic memoir this year. “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” by Alison Bechdel explores LGBTQIA+ issues of identity and family trauma and is centered around Bechdel’s relationship with her tyrannical father.

Artwork depicting Quintero Weaver's passport as a child. / Lila Quintero Weaver

“Many instructors in the English and philosophy department incorporate graphic novels in our composition and literature courses, and we have a comics concentration in the School of Art and Design,” said Basu.

“‘Fun Home’ and ‘Darkroom’ are hybrid artifacts, combining words and images. They speak to issues of equity, diversity and inclusiveness, a university priority for the next strategic plan,” she added.

Basu plans to teach “Darkroom” in her Multicultural American Literature course, this spring. Reading Across Campus is a collaboration between the English and philosophy department, the University Library and Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation. It is made possible by a grant from the Office of the Chancellor.

Literature Committee

All Literature Committee News

Year of Design celebration central to 91��Ƭ's spring 2026 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, civic and literary conversations, film screenings and performances

Design focus anchors 91��Ƭ's fall 2025 event schedule

Community invited to exhibitions, lectures and discussions, readings and performances

‘Sing, Slivered Tongue’: 91��Ƭ professor’s book of poetry is a statement of courage, hope

Basu’s anthology gathers 68 international voices to reflect on trauma, resolution

91��Ƭ, Chippewa Valley Book Festival partner in free virtual event darkroom_2.jpg

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Join Lila Quintero Weaver: 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 25.

The Literature Committee is also hosting a fourth annual poetry and prose Faculty and Staff Creative Writing Reading. The free virtual reading will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov.18.

Graphic memoir inspires talks on LGBTQIA+ representation, censorship, comics

Reading Across Campus features ‘Fun Home’ by Alison Bechdel

About the Literature Committee

Reading and discussing literature are vital activities that expand our ideas and provide insights into a dynamic and diverse world.

Our Mission

Our Vision

Statement of Purpose

Literature Committee Programming

As part of its vision, the Literature Committee hosts two important campus programs that demonstrate the importance of literature and literary culture across the campus community.

The Reading Series

Reading Across Campus

Function of the Literature Committee

The Literature Committee is charged by the Department of English and Philosophy (CAHSS) accordingly:

The Committee on Literature, which has three fundamental purposes:

to develop strategies for increasing enrollment in literature and creative writing courses;
to inform 91��Ƭ administrators, faculty, and students of the values of literary studies;
to establish guidelines for revising, expanding and improving literature and creative writing courses and the literature program in general.

CACHSS

Include in Directory: Off

Exclude from Internal Site Search: No

Free Speech Week to address student social media expression and hate speech

powersp — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 12:44:19 +0000

Free Speech Week to address student social media expression and hate speechpowersp October 13, 2021

Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation to offer events Oct. 18-20

The rights of student social media expression and free speech versus hate speech are two of the topics that will be addressed during Free Speech Week hosted by University of Wisconsin-Stout’s Menard Center for the Study of Institutions and Innovation.

Free Speech Week events are being held Monday, Oct. 18, through Wednesday, Oct. 20.

“MSCII promotes the study and discussion of civil rights and free speech, as well as the other First Amendment freedoms that are central to that mission,” said MSCII Director Tim Shiell. “Every year MSCII supports numerous events and activities during Free Speech Week to help educate people about important and timely issues involving our expressive rights.”

Free Speech and the Labor Movement will be discussed from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 18, in the Memorial Student Center Cedar and Maple rooms. The featured speaker is Jon Shelton, associate professor of history at UW-Green Bay and the chair of democracy and justice studies. Robert Zeidel, 91��Ƭ professor of history and interim dean of the College of Arts, Communication, Humanities and Social Sciences, and Shiell will respond to Shelton’s remarks.

Robert Zeidel / 91��Ƭ photo

Zeidel tackled the issues of the American Industrial Era in his 306-page 2020 book “Robber Barons and Wretched Refuse: Ethnic and Class Dynamics During the Era of American Industrialization.”

Shelton is the author of “Teacher Strike! Public Education and the Making of a New American Political Order,” and the forthcoming book “The Rise and Fall of the Human Capital Myth.”

“Modern free speech is largely the product of three 20th century movements – labor, civil rights and to protect religious minorities,” Shiell said. “We haven’t had an event on the relationship between labor and free speech before. The right to free speech, free assembly and freedom of association remain central to labor’s ability to advance its interests.”

Should Universities Punish Student Social Media Expression? is the topic from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 19, in the Cedar and Maple rooms. Featured panelists include Adam Kissel, Senior Fellow of the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, a think tank; Howard Schweber, UW-Madison political science professor; and 91��Ƭ’s Dean of Students Sandi Scott.

Sandi Scott / 91��Ƭ photo

“The student social media landscape has been a mess with different federal circuits reaching different conclusions about student rights,” Shiell said. “The Mahanoy School District v. B.L. decision from the U.S. Supreme Court this summer helps clear things up a bit. Mahanoy basically held student social media expression away from school cannot be punished unless it reaches the level of a true threat, defamation, a material and substantial disruption of school activity, incitement to imminent lawlessness and so forth. Although the case involved a high school student, everyone expects it applies to higher education as well, especially since students in higher ed are legal adults.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 20, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Hate Speech vs. Free Speech will be the topic of a hybrid event in room 205 Sorensen Hall and on Teams. The event is co-sponsored by the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Office and the Center for Applied Ethics.

Featured speakers are UW-La Crosse political science Professor Timothy Dale and Jane Kirtley, Silha professor of media ethics and law at the Minneapolis-based Silha Center for the Study of Media Ethics and Law.

There is no legal category of “hate speech” in the United States, Shiell said. “What we typically call ‘hate speech’ can be punished by a university only if it reaches the level of a true threat, defamation, a material and substantial disruption to university activity, incitement to imminent lawlessness and so forth,” he said. “Rarely will a racist tweet reach that level.”

Tim Shiell / 91��Ƭ photo

Last year during Free Speech Week, the MSCII sponsored a discussion on the pros and cons of regulating hate speech.

“Too often restrictions on expression are unfairly enforced because they are overbroad and unduly vague, have chilling effects on legitimate expression and are used by those in power to maintain their power,” Shiell said.

In a related event sponsored by MSCII, three School of Art and Design students will be presenting research from 6 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 20, in room 290 of Micheels Hall on whether Confederate monuments should be taken down or left in place. Stephanie Howell, a senior industrial design major from Roberts, will present the perspective of keeping the monuments on view. Nathan Gosswiller, a sophomore game design and development major from Cokato, Minn., will take the position advocating for the removal. Jon Rosario, a sophomore industrial design major from Ijamsville, Md., will moderate.

The rights of student social media expression and free speech versus hate speech are two of the topics that will be addressed during Free Speech Week hosted by timshiell.jpg

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Tim Shiell

Professional Interests: Areas of Specialization: Philosophy of Law, Ethics Areas of Competence: Political Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Eastern Philosophy

Full Name: Dr. Tim Shiell

Job Title: Professor

Include in Directory: Yes

Department: Menard Center for the Study of Institutions & Innovation

Curriculum Vitae: Dr. Tim Shiell (590.57 KB)

Education:

Degree: Ph.D. Philosophy

University: University of Iowa

Degree: B.A. Philosophy

University: Moorhead State University

CACHSS

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