Brooks Library Events

Here are listings and some recordings of events sponsored by Brooks Library at Central Washington University.

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Cultural Conversations with Claudia Wright

Claudia Wright

Our storyteller this spring quarter is Claudia Wright, originally from Colombia, who brings a wealth of experience to her role as a dedicated researcher. Her academic journey has taken her through both academia and the private industry, shaping her research interests in migration, motherhood, gender, education, and consumer culture. As a qualitative researcher, Claudia has immersed herself in various rural, urban, and minority communities, enriching her understanding of the complex ideologies and social constructs that influence our beliefs and behaviors.

Currently, Claudia's research focuses on migrant motherhood, exploring how intersectional identities shape migration trajectories. She also delves into other areas of interest, such as the gender gap in higher education, fatherhood, consumption patterns, and healthcare dynamics. At Central Washington University, Claudia shares her expertise through courses such as Principles of Sociology, Sociology of Gender, Sociology of Immigration, and Sociology of Family.

Her presentation is titled "Unraveling the Magic of Disney's "Encanto."
Cultural Conversations with Xiaoyin Zhong

Xiaoyin Zhong

Zhong, Xiaoyin is the Chinese language and culture Instructor and Alumni Engagement/Relations Coordinator for the College of Education and Professional Studies at Central Washington University. Originally hailing from Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, a city with a subtropical climate known for its friendliness and tolerance, Xiaoyin is proud to call it home. Guangzhou serves as China's southern gateway to the world and has long been renowned as a culinary capital. Growing up in this vibrant place instilled in Xiaoyin a deep passion for both food and the exploration of Chinese culture. She cherishes her roles as a teacher and a chef equally. From a young age, she aspired to become a dedicated educator. To achieve her dream, she invested seven years in rigorous training at a normal school and college in China, honing effective teaching methods for students of all ages. Her training focused on language teaching, encompassing both English and Chinese language and literature education. In retrospect, this education laid a robust foundation for her current role as a Chinese language instructor in the United States. As the saying goes, everything happens for a reason. Moreover, she serves as the Alumni Engagement/Relations Coordinator for the College of Education and Professional Studies and feels honored to contribute to this work. In addition to her two roles at CWU, Xiaoyin is deeply committed to community service, considering it a vital aspect of her life. During her twelve years as a stay-at-home wife, she continued to engage in community outreach. She generously offered free Chinese language classes at the local church's Chinese school, organized Chinese culture study groups within the community, and even worked as a chef at a senior center. While some might say she's constantly busy, she would argue that she lives every day to its fullest, embracing a fulfilling and purposeful life. She is immensely grateful for these diverse experiences, as they have enriched her life, introduced her to a wide range of people and cultures, and allowed her to inspire and provide warmth to those around her. Most importantly, they have set a positive example for her children.
Author Reading: Mason Deaver

Mason Deaver

Award-winning young adult author Mason Deaver is returning (virtually) to CWU to discuss their new book, The Ghosts We Keep.

This emotional, character-driven journey is about a nonbinary teenager grieving their first shattering loss and, moving forward, allowing that experience to be a guidepost for the relationships that are important to them...An unflinchingly honest story that doesn’t shy away from the complex emotions of grief but also offers a hopeful path forward for Liam and everyone else left behind in the wake of Ethan’s death. ~ Alaina Leary, Booklist

Brought to you by CWU Libraries and CWU Lion Rock Visiting Writers Series.
Consider What's Lost: Cascade Foothills, River Canyons, Ponds and Shrub-Steppe of Central Washington

Lucia Harrison

Lucia Harrison, is a Tacoma-based artist and professor emeritus of Art of Evergreen State College. She talks about creating the book, Consider What’s Lost: Cascade Foothills, River Canyons, Ponds and Shrub-Steppe of Central Washington.
Vietnam Veteran Sarah Blum

Blum Sarah

Author Sarah Blum discusses her experience in Vietnam and her book, Women Under Fire: Abuse in the Military. Blum, ARNP is a decorated nurse Vietnam veteran who earned the Army Commendation Medal serving as an operating room nurse at the 12th Evacuation Hospital Cu Chi, Vietnam during the height of the fighting in 1967.

Sarah shares her experience in Vietnam, her path to healing PTSD, and her 34-years of experience healing others.
Author Keynote: Dr. Bessel van der Kolk

Bessel van der Kolk

CWU Libraries and the Institute of Museum and Library Services are pleased to virtually bring Dr. Bessel van der Kolk to CWU and the Ellensburg community as part of our Community Resilience in Times of Changes series. Renowned trauma expert Dr. van der Kolk's seminal work, The Body Keeps the Score; Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, has been hailed as "An authoritative guide to the effects of trauma, and pathways to recovery." (Rachel Yehuda, Ph.D.) Dr. van der Kolk has spent his career studying how people adapt to traumatic events. He is the president of the Trauma Research Foundation
Cultural Conversations: Dr. Volha Isakava

Volha Isakava

Volha Isakava has been working at CWU and living in Ellensburg since 2014. A native of Crimea, Ukraine, Volha grew up in Minsk, Belarus. She embarked on her first international adventure when she became an exchange student in High School and spent a year in Minneapolis. Volha went on to live in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and then, Edmonton, Canada, where she moved for graduate school. She considers herself a Belarusian Canadian and a citizen of the world.

The Cultural Conversations program provides a community forum for meeting new friends and learning about global cultures. Co-sponsored by CWU Libraries, Ellensburg Public Library, and the CWU Office of International Studies and Programs.
Native American Heritage Month: HumanitiesWA Speaker Fern Naomi Renville

Naomi Fern Renville

Fern Naomi Renville (she/her) is a Sisseton Wahpeton Dakota, Omaha, and Seneca-Cayuga storyteller, theatre director, and playwright. She is the great-granddaughter of Melinda Cayuga, a Seneca matriarch who exemplified the loving strength of the clan mothers.

History books teach us that the Founding Fathers birthed American democracy, but do not reveal the Indigenous sources of inspiration that guided their vision. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy’s Great Law of Peace—uniting six Nations in an alliance that predates the American Constitution by centuries—served as a powerful example to men such as Benjamin Franklin, who benefited from the political guidance of Haudenosaunee leaders. Franklin directly cited the Law’s influence on the Constitution.

But even Franklin did not comprehend the political and spiritual power held by the clan mothers of these matriarchal societies, who were instrumental to building and maintaining a peaceful union. Join storyteller Fern Renville as she shares stories both mythic and personal that reframe and highlight the history, present, and future of Indigenous female power and leadership in America. Such stories include the Seneca story of The Peacemaker and the Dakota story of White Buffalo Calf Woman.
CULTURAL CONVERSATIONS : Dr. Sathy Rajendran and Banu Jayamani share their life experiences in India and America

Sathyanarayanan Rajendran and Banu Jayamani

Dr. Sathy Rajendran and Banu Jayamani and their two children have been residents of Ellensburg for ten years. They were both born and raised in the coastal city of Chennai in southern India. Sathy is a professor and department chair at Central Washington University. Banu is a stay-at-home mom and an instructor at Ellensburg Jazzercise Fitness Center. Banu also started an Indian dance group in Ellensburg named "Sunflowers Bollywood Dance Group." They will share their life experiences in India, and their transition to a new country and starting a family in America.
Racism and Criminal Justice Book Discussion: June 2021

Central Washington University and Roger Schaefer

Monthy book discusion on racism and criminal justice. The book for this month is A Theory of African American Offending: Race, Racism, and Crime by James D. Unnever and Shaun L. Gabbidon.
The Battle for Normal and the Queering of Korea By Dr. Michael Hurt 5-13-21

Michael W. Hurt

The Battle to define cultural normalcy rages hot in contemporary Korea, with on e of the fiercest battlegrounds being the realm of sexual and myriad other identities. The Battlegrounds are most strongly and obviously delineated by age, with folks in the 2018 Queer culture festival being generally in their 30's and below and marked by diverse assortment of political interests, ethnicity, and personalities. This talk is an exploration of how this has been made socially and culturally possible in a new hyper modern Korea in which gender and race have been rendered into meaningful, albeit malleable categories of ethical consideration. Dr. Michael W. Hurt is a photographer and professor living in Seoul , who received his doctorate from UC Berkeley 's Department of Comparative Ethnic Studies. He started Korea 's first street fashion blog and published the first English language book about Korean Fashion. He researches youth, street fashion, and digital subcultures in Seoul. He lectures on Cultural Theory and Art History at the Korea National University of the Arts. His present research focuses on using the camera to access and document emergent digital subculture s in Korea, including the political economy of the "pay model " on Korean Instagram. He can be reached via email at kuraeji @gmail.com
Racism & Criminal Justice reading series featuring former Seattle police chief and author, Norm Stamper

Norm Stamper

Racism and Criminal Justice book discussion with Law and Justice professor, Roger Schaefer. He is joined by former Seattle police chief and author, Norm Stamper.

Norm Stamper is a 34-year police officer veteran and former Seattle Chief of Police. He earned his Ph.D. in Leadership and Human Behavior and is the author of two books: To Protect and Serve: How to Fix America’s Police (2016) and Breaking Rank: A Top Cop’s Exposé of the Dark Side of American Policing (2005). Norm has served as a trainer, consultant, expert witness, and keynote speaker. He is committed to police reform and social justice.

The selection for May is Norm's book, Breaking Rank: A top cop's expose of the dark side of American policing. It is available at Brooks Library and via Interlibrary Loan.
Archival Adventures In Asia and Europe: Researching the Chinese in Europe during the 1920s

Marilyn Levine

Join us as Professor Marilyn Levine demonstrates successful strategies and resources for researching the Chinese in Europe during the 1920s, highlighting materials recently acquired by CWU Libraries.
Cultural Coversations May 2021

Central Washington University and Keiko Walsh

Cultural storytelling event sponsored by Ellensburg Public Library, Brooks Library, and Office of Interational Studies and Programs. Held in the Hal Holmes Community Center. The speaker for this event is Keiko Walsh.
Peer Accountability & Connections (PAC) Alumni Event

Central Washington University and Elizabeth Brown

Poster for an informal, virtual event for PAC program alums to reconnect.
Spotlight on Open Educational Resources: Promoting Low-Cost Solutions for Student Course Materials

Central Washington University, Maura Valentino, and Sterling Quinn

Poster for event where CWU Professor Sterling Quinn and Librarian Maura Valentino discuss incorporating OERs into course materials.
At Home with Poetry: A live reading celebrating National Poetry Month At Home with Poetry: A live reading celebrating National Poetry Month Online

Rena Priest, Emily Wilson, Adrija Basu, Diego Garcia, Joseph Powell, Gerard Hogan, Gabby Triana, and Marie Marchand

Featured guest – Rena Priest, Washington State Poet Laureate

This program will feature poets reading their own poem(s) and a favorite of someone else’s, on the theme of "home."
Racism and Criminal Justice Book Discussion: April 2021

Central Washington University and Roger Schaefer

Monthy book discusion on racism and criminal justice. The book for this month is America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege and the Bridge to a New America by Jim Wallis.
Donkeys, Dervishes, and the Borderline: An American's Experience in Pre-revolutionary Iran

Steve Horowitz

Presentation by Steve Horowitz, retired director of CWU’s ESL program, about his experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in Iran in the late 1960s.

The presentation will feature the people and culture of Iran, including personal photographs and a reading from Mr. Horowitz' collection of stories and experiences.
Finals Week Events Spring 2021

Central Washington University

Poster advertising the events held by the library for finals week, including Congratulations! You Did It! Kits, music playlists, smooth jazz study session and pizza.
Provost's Diversity and Inclusivity Book Giveaway

Central Washington University

Advertisement for the Provost's book giveaway featuring the book How to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi.
Research Smartz Series Spring 2021

Central Washington University

Poster for various events held in Spring 2021 as part of the Research Smartz series, including Government Information, Organizing, Citation Tools, Google and Google Scholar, Primary Sources, and Financial management.
Racism and Criminal Justice Book Discussion: March 2021

Central Washington University and Roger Schaefer

Monthy book discusion on racism and criminal justice. The book for this month is Killing with Prejudice: Institutionalized Racism in American Capital Punishment by RJ Maratea.
Collections Chat: Focus on Asian Studies with Professor Chong Eun Ahn

Chong Eun Ahn

A virtual collections discussion by Professor CHong Eun Ahn about using historical newpaper databases from Brooks Library at Central Washington University for history research.
Humanities WA: Why are all the Black kids sitting together in the principal's office?

Central Washington University and Daudi Abe

Poster for a presentation by Dr. Daudi Abe.