Category Archives: Special Activities

Newsletter Articles, Special Activities, Student Activities

National Day of Action

Friday, April 20th is The National Day of Action Against Gun Violence in Schools. Inspired by the brave students in Parkland, Florida, and across the nation, Millersville University students, parents, educators, school staff, administrators and community allies will join together to take up the students’ call of “No more” during the National School Walkout.

The last poster-making session will be on Tuesday, April 17th at 6pm in 310 Breidenstine. We will discuss the aims of Friday’s event, show examples of posters from recent anti-gun-violence rallies, and experts (art students) will be on-hand to help make posters. There will be plenty of supplies on hand courtesy of MU administration.

The group asks participants to research past shooting victims in advance, print out photos (with names, and which shooting) to bring to the poster-making session. These photos will go toward making a giant, participatory group collage, which will stand behind the stage on Friday, imprinted with the words: Enough is Enough! The New York Times published an article “After Sandy Hook, More Than 400 People Have Been Shot in Over 200 School Shootings” by Jugal K. Patel; the group recommends using this resource to begin researching.

On Friday, April 20th, the main event will be held in front of the Library (if rain, in the SMC) from 10am-1pm. The movement is powered and led by students around the country to protest congressional, state, and local failures to take action to prevent gun violence.

America is the only country in the world where so many people are killed by guns, and yet our leaders do nothing about it. In many states it’s more difficult to register to vote that it is to buy a rifle. Apparently to some politicians, a vote is scarier than a gun. We’re changing that. –Our Mission

As of this publication, the MU event is sponsored by:

  • African American Studies
  • The Alliance for Social Change
  • American Association of University Women at Millersville University
  • Art Club
  • Center for Civic and Community Engagement
  • Center for Disaster Research and Education
  • Center for Public Scholarship and Social Change
  • The English Department
  • Frederick Douglass Black Culture Celebration
  • The Gender Issues and Social Justice Committee of APSCUF
  • The Honors College Student Association
  • The MU Philosophical Society
  • NAACP College Chapter at Millersville University
  • Office of Diversity and Social Justice
  • Philosophy Department
  • President’s Commission on Gender and Sexual Diversity
  • School of Social Work
  • Women’s and Gender Studies
  • The George Street Press

For more information on the national event, visit this website.

Conferences, Literary Events, Newsletter Articles, Special Activities, Student Activities

PEN World Voices Festival Trip

On April 19th, Dr. Jakubiak’s New Dimensions to World Literature class will go on a trip to New York City to see a panel of writers at PEN World Voices Festival. The panel, called Cry, The Beloved Country, consists of authors from around the world: Ryszard Krynicki from Poland, Serhiy Zhadan from Ukraine, Marcos Aguinis from Argentina, Ngugi wa Thiong’o from Kenya, Hwang Sok Yong from Korea, and Negar Djavadi from Iran/France. The panel’s web-page writes, ” No matter their origin, writers across the globe encapsulate the spirit of resistance by giving a voice to the oppressed. In an evening of solidarity and community, writers from seven countries share their stories of pain, rage, and suffering while living under oppressive regimes. Hear the voices of the unheard; join us in celebrating these moments of resistance.”

Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o
Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong’o Photo credit

The class has already studied some of the work of the renowned Kenyan writer Ngugi wa Thiong’o, a novelist and theorist of post-colonial literature. Ngugi will discuss the role of literature in autocratic regimes with his fellow panel members. This experience will give the students, all BSE majors, an opportunity to broaden their knowledge of world literatures and interact with the authors of books they have studied and may choose to teach in the future.

In addition to attending PEN World Voices festival, the group will take a guided tour of the new Tenement Museum of Immigration on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, which will give the students a hands-on lesson on the history of American Immigration. The tenements housed over 15,000 working class immigrants from over 20 nations while the tenements served as residences, according to the Tenement Museum’s website. The museum wishes to preserve the history of immigration and enhance appreciation for the role immigration has played and continues to play in shaping America’s evolving national identity.

Title Image Credit

Conferences, Environmental Advocacy, Literary Events, Newsletter Articles, Special Activities, Student Activities

Made in Millersville English Events

There will be a strong representation of the English department at this year’s Made in Millersville. Read these quick summaries before you go check them out on April 17th in the McNairy Library! Visit this site for the full program list. 

Use and Perception of Google Translate in the Classroom: 8-9:15am Maria Glotfelter will present on the potential use of computer translators as instructional tools for learning languages. Past studies indicate that students frequently use computer translators and sometimes have inaccurate perceptions about them. Google Translate was chosen as a tool to gauge students perception and use of computer translators. Maria will analyze survey and interview data with the goal of making pedagogical recommendations for both teachers and students.

A Different Space: 8-9:15am Kaylee Herndon will present a feature-style profile piece on Elizabethtown College’s Writers House and its director, Jesse Waters. The story focuses on what the house is, how it connects with the local community and other Writers Houses, and some struggles it faces. She will go over the story’s content, the interviewing and writing process, and the design layout process in terms of layout for publication.

Writing Workshop Digital Portfolio Session: 10:50am-12:05pm Students in Dr. Farkas’ Writing Workshop class are going to be discussing the benefits of creating a professional portfolio and the different digital platforms available and which they recommend.  Students will also share their own processes of creating their portfolios, some of their writing samples that they are including in their portfolios, and examples of their digital portfolios.  Students in the course will be working in small groups of about three students each and will present these various aspects of the digital portfolio.

The Issue of the Lack of Feminine Products Available to Homeless Women: 10:50am-12:05pm Mary-Kate Helm, Jessie Garrison, and Eilish McCaul will present on why lack of access to feminine products in the city of Lancaster is such an issue through their collected research and interviews with women on their experiences. The students will also focus on what they did to make a difference in the community and their sustainable plan of action.

The Line: 10:50am-12:05pm Rashna Yousaf will present her short film The Line that revolves around the theme of racial discrimination and gender inequality.

The Final Phase: Millersville Strike Oral History Project and Its Aftermath: 10:50am-12:05pm Lauren Cameron and Ashley Sherman will present on the PA State system of Higher Education Faculty Strike in October 19, 2016 by commemorating the state system’s first actualized walk-out. The presentation reflects upon the findings of the project, examining the development of the interviewing team and the strike project, as well as the aftermath such efforts created and the subsequent importance of oral history.

Non-Western Literature Poster Session: 1:10-2:25pm All students enrolled in the class ENGL 336 New Dimensions of World Literature are participating in this poster session. The goal is to draw the attention of the university community to accomplished literary works from countries that are often overlooked in mainstream discussions about literature in America. Students, working with Dr. Jakubiak, will present on major issues raised by works of fiction, nonfiction and drama written by Maryse Conde (Guadeloupe), Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan), Wole Soyinka (Nigeria), Ngugi Wa’Thiong’o (Kenya), Mo Yan (China) and Samar Yazbek (Syria). They will also explore the rich cultural and historical contexts of these works.

Susquehanna Stories Panel: 1:10-2:25pm This panel will be a presentation of the “Susquehanna Stories” written by students from Dr. Mando’s last semester ENGL 466 Writing Studies Special Topics: Environmental Advocacy Writing. Maddie Giardina wrote a piece for the English Newsletter that explains the project in detail. The students who will be participating are Rylan Harvey, Caitlyn Tynes, Amanda Mooney, and Gabrielle Redcay.

Hip Hop and Intersectionality Panel: 1:10-2:25pm Hip Hop & Intersectionality is a panel of undergraduates exploring how rap music provides a site of cultural intersection between the marginalized perspectives that developed the genre and the mainstream perspectives that largely consume it. These students combine their knowledge of feminist theory with popular culture to bring revealing insights. Eugene Thomas, Stassy Bonhomme, Evelyn Dais, Sandra Molina-Hill, Diavian Gunner, Skyler Gibbon, and Elizabeth Wright are involved in the panel discussion.

Prisoner City: Lancaster City’s Role as a P.O.W. Prison During the American Revolution: 1:10-2:25pm Domenic DeSimone will present on Lancaster City’s role during the American Revolution. Unprepared for the sudden influx of prisoners they were being tasked to house, Congress instructed the citizens of Lancaster to let the prisoners walk among them in the town as a show of goodwill. The unique way that Lancaster dealt with their new identity as a prison town would drastically change the lives of the cities residents, forever altering the city that many of us call home today.

The Power of Creative Writing Class Presentation: 2:35-3:50pm Students enrolled in Dr. Jakubiak’s ENGL 421 Creative Writing in Fall ’17 will read their poetry, short stories, and creative non-fiction. The presenters are Brett Killian and Molly Landfried.

Spoken Word Event: 2:35-3:50pm The Spoken Word event will be students performing their work on the theme of what’s not spoken about in school.  They will give voice to what they think is important but not spoken about on campuses. These students are preparing an experience that will dramatize the theme, too. Skyler Gibbon, Sean Domencic, Krystal Lowery, Jessie Garrison, Rylan Harvey, Taylor Schaal, Kyle Copenhaver, Rachel Cubbage-Opaliski, Xiao Tian Wang, Alyssa Matchett, and Shamera Burbank Green will present.

& Joy: 2:35-3:50pm Catherine Dillon, in her dramatic performance session, will highlight the joy present even among the tragedies of life through a poetry reading/spoken word. The poet will share various poems discussing the mental health and familial relationships within the context of joy.

Student Perceptions of Student Driven Inquiry Projects: 2:35-3:50 Bryce Rinehart‘s study is meant to provide an understanding of students’ perspectives on their motivation during an IBL project in order to enhance educators’ understanding of how inquiry-based learning, especially student driven inquiry, can function within the classroom to address students’ need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness as they work.

For the Journal You’ve Never Heard Of: 2:35-3:50pm Shaakirah Tate, Alexandra Attinger, Daniel Dicker, Sara Lipski, and Mikayla Steele are interns for the Made in Millersville Journal and will unveil the new issue of the journal and display the student work submitted throughout the school year. It will also serve as the ‘Grand Opening’ for their new website and social media platforms. The presentation will integrate the journal with the conference as a whole. Visit this previous newsletter article for more information.

MUsings: The Graduate Journal: All Day Claire Porter, Jay Barnica, Rashid Noah, and Maria Rovito will present the publication of MUsings, showcasing the academic work of graduate students at Millersville University. The journal invites students to present highlight of their work in a venue that bolsters career- building experiences and celebrates their scholarly effects.

Conferences, Newsletter Articles, Special Activities, Student Activities

Made in Millersville Journal

 

Made in Millersville One of most significant aspects of Made in Millersville is the Made in Millersville Journal, a publication that seeks to promote and publish scholarly work.  Making its debut in the spring of 2016, the journal continues to look for applicants from a variety of fields. Anyone who presented at the Made in Millersville Conference is welcome to submit work for publication.

There are five students behind this year’s publication: Allie Attinger, a dual major in Secondary English Education and Inclusive Education; Daniel Dicker, a double major in English and Communications; Sara Lipski, an English major; Shaakirah Tate, an English major; and Mikayla Steele, an Art Education major. These students work with Dr. Kerrie Farkas and Tatiana Pashkova-Balkenhol to make Made in Millersville a professional showcase for the students who are engaged in independent creative or scholarly projects or who have completed projects as part of class assignments.

The journal is an online interactive database featuring current and previous years of student and faculty projects. Visit the website and follow mim_journal on Instagram, madeinmujournal on Snapchat, mimjournal on Twitter, and Made in Millersville Journal on Facebook.

If you have any questions, visit the journal’s contact page or email.

Special Activities

Dr. Timothy Shea and Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr FoxAs many of you know, Dr. Timothy Shea, Associate Professor of English at Millersville, has been teaching secondary humanities at an international school in Kenya for a two-year leave of absence. Here is his story of directing his first middle school play. (Photos courtesy of Dr. Shea)

Though it has been over a decade since I last directed a show, I always hoped I would be able to do it again. I was able to experience this reality in February when I directed the middle school production of the Roald Dahl classic, The Fantastic Mr. Fox at Rosslyn Academy in Nairobi, Kenya. Directing any theatrical production can be a challenge in the best of conditions but doing so in a developing country has its own unique challenges like finding the right paint for the set or the appropriate makeup that works with all skin tones or even how to amplify sound in the middle of a torrential tropical storm. Thankfully, I have directed plays in other countries before (Indonesia and Papua New Guinea), so I was prepared for the unexpected. I was also lucky that my school has a rich tradition of theatrical performances with high standards and a talented community who is willing to do whatever they can to pull off a good show.

Fantastic Mr FoxI must admit, I had forgotten just how much energy middle schoolers have and directing a cast of 30 energetic young teens felt at times like herding cats, but, what I discovered in the midst of the chaos and mayhem was that not only were these kids having fun, but they were also growing in ways that they nor I thought possible. They learned to embrace their fears and to try new things – new voices, new body poses because, after all, most of them were furry creatures! One of my goals as director is to get the entire community involved so that we could feel that it was OUR show and not MY show. I was blessed with parents and teachers who volunteered with makeup, costumes, set, lights, sound, and drama coaching. The end result was a memorable show that included a nasty farmer falling off the stage and a rat who acted a bit too drunk at times! Local critics (aka high school actors) lauded our show as “the best middle school school they had ever seen” and little kids stood in line after the show to get our young actors’ autographs.

I am glad I took the plunge and took on this show even though it has taken me 2 weeks to get back my lost sleep!

-Dr. Timothy Shea

Newsletter Articles, Special Activities

Resilience Film Screening/Panel on April 5

resilienceOn April 5th in the Clair Auditorium (in the Winter Visual and Performing Arts Center), the English Department and the Center for Public Scholarship and Social Change will sponsor a screening of the film Resilience: The Biology of Stress and the Science of Hope.

Doors open at 5:30pm, the panel will start at 6pm, and the film will begin at 6:45pm.  Meant to make the science of Toxic Stress accessible to everyone, Resilience showcases some of the brave and creative individuals who put that science into action for social change.

The panel members will include members of the Millersville University faculty, including:

  • Dr. Andrew Bland – Psychology Department
  • Dr. Marc Felizzi – School of Social Work
  • Dr. Alex Redcay – School of Social Work
  • Dr. Carrie Smith – Sociology Department

The effects and solutions for Toxic Stress and Adverse Childhood Events (ACE’s) are the main focus of this hour-long documentary. Director James Redford explains,

Director James Redford
Director James Redford

“In the United States, we spend trillions of dollars every year treating preventable diseases, rather than intervening before a patient is sick and suffering. We have a zero-tolerance, ‘suck it up’ culture that judges and punishes bad behavior, rather than trying to understand and treat the root cause of that behavior. But now, with this new body of scientific knowledge available, we are learning there are better ways of dealing with these seemingly intractable problems.”

The original research was controversial, but the analysis of that research revealed this generation’s most important public health findings. Toxic Stress and ACEs are now linked to chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer, along with other ailments such as substance abuse and depression. Stressful childhood experiences can alter brain development and have lifelong effects on health and behavior.

According to the experts profiled in Resilience, however, what’s predictable is preventable. These educators, physicians, social workers and communities are talking about the effects of divorce, abuse, and neglect so the next generation can break the cycles of adversity and disease.

Free tickets for this event can be found at the SMC Ticket Window of in the Winter VPAC Ticket Window before the event.

Newsletter Articles, Special Activities, Student Activities

George Street Press Open Submissions

Last Year's Magazine
Last Year’s Magazine

George Street Press (formally George Street Carnival) is Millersville University’s literary magazine, open to students and faculty alike. The magazine is completely student run and published at least once a year, full of poetry, short fiction, essays, creative nonfiction, photography, painting and sculpture. Kitsey Shehan is the President of the club with Sara Pizzo as the Vice-President.

If you are interested in assisting the publication, the club meets on Monday nights in Club De’Ville (the commuter lounge) in the lower level of the SMC at 8:30pm.

This year, the club will be accepting submissions until March 31st. One student/faculty/alumni university member may submit:

  • 3 poems (one poem cannot exceed two pages)
  • 2 pieces of prose (one piece should not exceed 4,000 words)
  • 2 pieces of non-fiction (one piece should not exceed 4,000 words)
  • 3 pieces of flash-fiction (each 500 words or less)
  • 5 pieces of original art (submit in .jpg format)
  • 1 experimental piece (found poems, screen-plays, the strange, genre-bending, and unknown)

To submit, please email GeorgeStreetPressSubmissions@gmail.com with your name, contact info (phone number/email), as well as any notes about your pieces for the editors. All documents must be in .docx or .doc format, and art pieces must be in .jpg format. Once a piece is printed into the magazine, the writer is officially a printed author! This is a perfect opportunity for English Majors to get ahead in the creative world. Here is the Get Involved page for more information on the club.

Special Activities

AAUW Start Smart Workshop

On Thursday, March 8th from 4-6pm there will be a workshop held by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in 200 Osburn Hall. AAUW Start Smart is designed to teach you how to negotiate salaries for a new job. Through facilitated discussion and role-play, you’ll gain confidence in your negotiation style by learning different strategies and persuasive responses to fight for that raise.

The gender pay gap, regardless its size, hurts women of all backgrounds and has far-reaching consequences. Working full time, women in the United States are typically paid 80 percent of what men are paid. And that percentage only decreases as ethnicity is added to the equation. AAUW is trying to fight that – and is succeeding. In 2017, 17,000 women were trained by these workshops to negotiate their salary. These workshops employ the latest research and negotiation strategies to help women navigate promotion opportunities and job offers.

Source
Source

AAUW Smart Start is designed for college women who are approaching the job market and is focused on helping you negotiate for a new job. Consider coming out to this workshop to gain important, life-long skills! All Millersville students and alumni are welcome. Tickets can be found here.

Environmental Advocacy, Newsletter Articles, Special Activities, Student Activities

First Experiences on the River of Dreams

If someone were to ask you, “What is Environmental Advocacy?” would you be able to provide an answer for them?

The students of Millersville University’s first environmental advocacy class, led by Dr. Justin Mando, spent a semester trying to pick apart the meaning of that question together.

Their investigation began with a trip down the River.

Shank’s Mare Outfitters, located in York County, Pennsylvania, became the site of their discovery. On a field trip funded by the River Stewards, a non-profit organization whose main intention is to raise awareness and appreciation for our water resources, a class of about 20 students strapped on their life vests and got a hands-on, feet-wet education from the Winand family on the history of the Susquehanna.

Dr. Justin Mando (center back) and his class during their visit to Shank’s Mare Outfitters. Photo was taken by Devin Winand, their river guide for the day.

Dr. Justin Mando (center back) and his class during their visit to Shank’s Mare Outfitters. Photo was taken by Devin Winand, their river guide for the day.

 

After returning to the classroom, the students discussed their experiences on the river and were able to make some interesting connections. The students were able to relate their experience paddling on the river with readings that Dr. Mando had shared with them throughout the first weeks of the class. The concepts of close observation that Charles Fergus and Annie Dillard had offered them through their writings had suddenly gained meaning and the students found a deeper connection with the Susquehanna and those concerned with it after discussing the narrative rhetoric offered by these authors.

The class continued their curiosity by examining the works of Aldo Leopold and Rachel Carson. These works led the class to think about the implications that human action can have on the environment and therefore, the inherent obligation to make up for the destruction that we may cause.

The remainder of the course of these students’ semester was shaped by the “Tiny Ecology” project they were assigned. Dr. Mando encouraged them to pick an environment, be it a lake or a street corner, and observe it, nothing more. He asked the students to post bi-weekly updates on their chosen space and relate what they observed to the topics discussed in class. Much to their surprise, the students developed much deeper connections with their chosen space than they thought possible.

The class was visited by Kristen Wolf, the Chesapeake Bay Coordinator of the Department of Environmental Protection, who spoke about the importance of raising awareness of environmental issues around the globe. Wolf emphasized the importance of citizen scientists and what it takes to motivate people to care about an issue that may not directly affect them. She explained the work that she has done with the Chesapeake Bay Program relating to species and resource protection, and how the threats affecting local bodies of water travel downstream and affect the larger bodies they empty into. In the case of the Susquehanna River, contaminants that enter the water are carried all the way to the Chesapeake Bay, where their potency is amplified.

With these ideas in mind, the class began to further their knowledge by reading Garrigan and Carbaugh & Cerulli. These readings gave the students the insight to consider the importance of “place.” Considering these new ideas, the students of Mando’s class entered the next phase of their class and began constructing their own “Susquehanna story.”  These stories took the form of many different media styles, including fiction and non-fiction pieces, videography, photographic stories, and poetry. Every student took the time to observe and investigate the Susquehanna River and really take into consideration the significance that the river has for those who use and enjoy it, both recreationally and as a resource. Ranging from the native Susquehannock Indians, who relied on the river for spiritual guidance and physical sustenance, up to modern-day fracking debates, the students became advocates and voices for the river to tell its story.

Dr. Mando, along with one of his students, Madeline Giardina, took what they had learned to the Susquehanna River Symposium at Bucknell University. Here, they shared the experiences the class had investigating and interacting with the river. They reflected on their experiences and spoke about how important it is to be respectful of not just the Susquehanna River, but of all land and rivers, for the history they preserve and the life they provide for.

The rest of the class was given the opportunity to share their personal work at an open-mic held at Saxby’s, a café on campus. If they chose to, students were able to share the stories they had produced with each other and with other interested students. The goal of these readings was to share the stories that were crafted about the river and emphasize the importance of raising awareness for relevant issues.

Dr. Justin Mando and his class after presenting their Susquehanna stories at Saxby’s.
Dr. Justin Mando and his class after presenting their Susquehanna stories at Saxby’s.

One observer present at the reading was Chris Steuer, Millersville’s Sustainability manager. Steuer became actively involved with the Advocacy class and came to speak about the University’s sustainability efforts and the logistics that surround sustainable action. He highlighted sources of funding and resistance to change as being two key factors that make completing sustainability projects difficult.

The students took these ideas into consideration and applied them to real-life scenarios. Each student chose a subject under the larger umbrella of “sustainability,” and did extensive research and evaluations of the ways these topics are presented in science writing, in public writing, and in current campaigns. After examining various forms of literature, they began to construct their own “Environmental Advocacy Campaigns.”

These campaigns inspired and challenged students to recall the various forms of writings that they had studied throughout the semester and use them to build informed opinions on the way these issues are addressed in society. The subjects chosen ranged from issues influencing large-scale populations, such as water pollution and trash disposal, to the current sustainability efforts acted out at Millersville University. The finished campaigns included critical evaluations and comparisons of environmental discourse representing their topics, a report representing their findings and how this discourse could be improved in the future, and their own individual collections of work depicting what they determined to be successful advocacy campaigns for their chosen subjects.

Using all of the information and knowledge that they had collected through the semester, the Students of Environmental Advocacy gained the insight and skill to critically evaluate and produce effective forms of environmental discourse. So what does “Environmental Advocacy” mean, exactly? After experiencing Dr. Mando’s class, his students conclude that environmental advocacy means being honest and responsible for your actions and how they affect the environment; it means sharing important, scientific information with the general public in a way that they can understand; and above all else, it means stewardship and speaking up for those who cannot speak up for themselves.

—- Madeline Giardina

Literary Events, Special Activities, Student Activities

Upcoming Events

February 9th – Lincoln in the Bardo with George Saunders, 7pm at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore

  • 2017 Man Booker Prize Winner and #1 New York Times Bestselling Author George Saunders will appear at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore to present his new novel, Lincoln in the Bardo. Saunders will give a reading of his novel and answer questions from the audience. More Information

George Saunders

February 19th – Overthought Thoughts of a 21-Year Old by Angela Prendergast, 3pm in Ford AtriumOverthought Thoughts of a 21-Year Old

  • Angela Prendergast, a 2016 Millersville BSE graduate, will be reading/presenting from her book of poems Overthought Thoughts of a 21-Year Old. This forum will be an event for open discussion about her writing and publishing processes for prospective/new authors.

February 23 & 24, March 1, 2, 3 – “Radium Girls,” 8pm in Rafters Theatre, Dutcher Hall

February 25 & March 4 – 2pm

  • “Radium Girls” by DW Gregory, guest directed by Joanna Underhill, will show in Millersville during the end of February and beginning of March. Tickets are available here or at the SMC Ticket office or email Dena McEwan for free tickets for English students on an evening to be selected by the English Club.

Radium Girls

February 28th – “Little Stones” On Screen/In Person, 6:15pm at the Ware Center

  • “Little Stones” is a documentary that profiles four women activists, each of whom is contributing to the woman’s movement through her art. There will be a community activity or panel discussion at 6:15, the film will screen at 7:00, and will be followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker. More Information
  • Panel Members include: Ms. Almaz E. Amante, Keystone Human Resources/CWS volunteer. (Ethiopian native experienced in women empowerment and micro-financing.) Dr. Carol Davis, Franklin & Marshall College, Professor of Theatre. (Runs health-through-drama project in rural Nepal.) Ms. Brittany Leffler, YWCA Certified Trauma Practitioner. Dr. Kimberly A. Mahaffy, Millersville University, Professor of Sociology and Director of Latina/o Studies / Coordinator, Office of Diversity and Social Justice. (and a faculty member in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program) Dr. Wanja Ogongi, Millersville University, Professor of Social Work (Interest in Human Rights with focus on women and children.) Ms. Julie Peachey, Director, Innovations for Poverty Action. Dr. Elizabeth Powers, Millersville University, Professor of Education. (Chair of Commission on Status of Women)

Little Stones

March 10th – Odyssey of the Mind

  • Students from over 40 regional schools will compete in Odyssey of the Mind, an annual competition where students use their creativity and teamwork skills to compete in developing various problem-solving methods at the international education program.
  • If you are interested in volunteering at the event (need clearances) or more information, contact Dr. Craven

March 22nd –  Carter Woodson Lecture: Ibram Kendi, 7:30-9:30pm in the SMC Multipurpose Room

  • Ibram X. Kendi, an award-winning historian and New York Times Best-Selling Author, is Professor of History and International Relations and the Founding Director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. His second book, Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, was published by Nation Books and won the 2016 National Book Award for Nonfiction. At 34 years old, Kendi was the youngest ever winner of the NBA for Nonfiction. He grew up dreaming about playing in the NBA (National Basketball Association), and ironically he ended up joining the other NBA.

Ibram Kendi

March 27th – Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, 7-8:30pm in the SMCAAB

April 5th – “Resilience” Film, Panel will begin at 6pm and the film will start at 6:45 in Clair Hall (in the Winter Center).

  • “Resilience” is a film about a dangerous biological syndrome caused by abuse and neglect during childhood and the trailblazers in pediatrics, education, and social welfare who are fighting the toxic stress. There will be a panel before the showing of the film.

April 17th – Made in Millersville, 8am to 5pm in the McNairy Library

  • Made in Millersville: A Celebration of Student Scholarship and Creativity highlights the world of MU students.

Made in Millersville