Dana Quintana and her husband Alberto Quintana at the Disability Luncheon.
Dana Quintana, Clark College student, employee, and disability rights advocate, shared her story with Clark students, faculty, and staff at the Spring Disability Luncheon on May 16 in a presentation titled “Disability Rights: It’s Not All About Ramps and Restrooms.”
The free event is presented each term by Clark’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The purpose of the luncheons is to allow students and employees to hear inspiring stories, connect with faculty, meet new friends, consider different career paths, and identify community resources and potential mentors.
Quintana is a peer mentor in Clark’s Disability Support Services office. Last academic year, she held the same position for the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Not so many years ago, Quintana says, “I was healthy. I was running marathons. Lifting weights.”
She had thrived in her nursing career, which was physically demanding. But after running the 2014 Portland Marathon, something changed. Her body was very sore. Months later, the soreness persisted, and she began to have health problems. Over the years, she has been diagnosed with multiple diseases and chronic conditions. Eventually, she retired from nursing due to her health.
For her safety, Quintana gets around in a wheelchair. She demonstrated that she can walk slowly with a cane, but it takes great effort, and she could collapse or faint at any time.
At Clark College, she advocates for people with disabilities, and she encourages them to advocate for themselves.
After retiring from a rewarding career as a nurse administrator in 2015, she embarked on a new journey, pursuing computer science and engineering as a second career, and plans to earn a doctorate in biomedical engineering.
Advice from Dana Quintana
Quintana encouraged students who would benefit from accommodation to contact Disability Support Services.
“You do not need a doctor’s note to receive accommodation. Hear my words: You are worth getting accommodation.”
“Part of advocating for yourself as a handicapped person is you must be forceful. You have to advocate. Do not ask. Tell.”
“The worst thing that can happen is being told ‘No.’ But if you don’t ask, the answer will always be ‘No.’”
Workshop co-director Jesse Morse speaks to a packed audience. The event had several break-out sessions focused on poetry, nonfiction, fiction, imagery, and developing story stakes.
Clark Creative Writing welcomed over 120 attendees for the annual Spring Creative Writing Workshop.
The third annual event, hosted on May 11, invited the Southwest Washington writing community to Clark for free workshops, readings, and lectures. Participants chose three events to attend from the 12 offered and received free lunch, coffee, and pastries. A mix of Clark employees, students, and community members joined. This year, attendance notably increased.
Alexis Nelson, creative writing lead and Clark faculty said, “We wanted it to be something special for Clark students and employees, something that would add even more value and enrichment to our Creative Writing program, and something that would also bring more of the community to campus and help build the sense of Clark as a center for the arts within the area. And we wanted the event to be welcoming and open to all, just like the college. It felt like we accomplished all that.”
Clark faculty Jennifer Denrow and Jesse Morse are workshop co-directors.
Workshop instructors came from as far as Southern California. Sessions focused on poetry, nonfiction, fiction, imagery, and developing story stakes. Vintage Books, a local bookstore, set up a space to sell books by workshop instructors (pictured below).
Instructor Stephanie Adams Santos, a Guatemalan-American writer living in Oregon, taught Dreamscape of the Altar, inviting participants to create their own altar with art supplies, a candle, and an oracle card. She then led poets through an altar meditation to inspire language.
Another workshop led by HR Hegnauer, a poet and book designer specializing in independent publishing, covered the crucial aspects of book cover design and invited participants to design their own book covers.
Poet Mathias Svalina, founder of Dream Delivery Service, which delivers personalized poems by bicycle to subscribers, taught participants to write with dream logic.
Clark’s own Joe Pitkin shared industry knowledge, including using the resource Duotrope to connect with publishers.
Other workshop leaders included:
Sara Jaffe
Lisa Bullard (Clark instructor)
Emily Chenoweth
Michael Guerra (Clark instructor)
Debra Gwartney
Meredith Kirkwood (Clark instructor)
Pauls Toutonghi
Claire Vaye Watkins
About Clark Creative Writing
Clark Creative Writing, part of the English department, offers a creative writing associate of arts track with electives in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, graphic fiction, and publishing. Clark Creative Writing:
Panelists (left to right) Ezekiel Wells, Chishayla Kimmons, Dr. Debi Jenkins, and Chris Smith answered questions about their experiences in college and at Clark.
Clark College graduate, social worker, and restorative justice champion Ezekiel Wells presented an inspiring keynote address at Black Student and Family Night on May 14 in Gaiser Student Center. The event was presented by the college’s Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Guided Pathways.
The purpose of the free event is to provide opportunities for Black students, and folx of the African diaspora, of all ages, their families, and community to learn about the ways Clark College can be a pathway to college, careers, and beyond. Students and their families learned about Running Start, financial aid, various programs at Clark, and career opportunities. Attendees also learned about available community resources, such as the NAACP and iUrban Teen, among others. A delicious catered dinner of soul food was served. Entertainment for the youngest potential penguins was provided by Nikki Brown Clown.
Dr. Debra (Debi) Jenkins, a tenured professor in the Department of Early Childhood Education/ Psychology and department chair of Early Childhood Education, was an honored presenter. She shared her journey that began as a student at Clark, where she earned an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. She then achieved a bachelor of arts degree and her first master’s degree in Human Development specializing in Developmental and Bicultural Development. Next, she acquired a second master’s degree in Psychology and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration.
She was first hired at Clark as an adjunct faculty member in the Psychology, Sociology, and Early Childhood departments. Now she is a tenured professor and chairs the college’s Early Childhood Education department. Dr. Jenkins has been an influential member of Clark College for 32 years and was the first African American woman to receive tenure at Clark College.
The event’s emcee was Kevin Thomas, Director of Workforce Education Services. In attendance were Clark College Board Vice Chair Denise Gideon and Trustee Marilee Scarbrough as well as Clark College President, Dr. Karin Edwards, Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Vanessa Neal, and Vice President of Student Affairs, Dr. Michele Cruse.
Other presentations included:
Professor Earl Frederick (a.k.a. “Chef Earl”) represented the college’s culinary programs. He shared his own story, the grandson of Black sharecroppers whose education ended in fifth grade. He applied for 150 scholarships and told the students: “Don’t think you can’t get scholarships. Apply for every scholarship you can.”
Gaby Posteuca, an admissions recruiter, discussed Clark College programs and told the high school students: “Your story matters.”
Professor Carol Hsu presented an overview of Clark’s engineering specialties and encouraged students to register for Clark’s free Guided Pathways STEM camp June 27-28.
Hernan Garzon, a recruiter for the Automotive Technology program, talked about the program’s hands-on learning opportunities, paid internships at local dealership shops, and the 100% employment rate for the program’s graduates.
Lisa Barsotti, a recruiter for Allied Health programs, gave an overview of Allied Health programs and said, “We really need more people of color in the health care field. If you want a job in high demand that pays well, go into health care.”
Chelsea Perrone explained the various types of financial aid and encouraged students and their parents to complete either a FAFSA or WASFA.
Dany Depuy-Grobbel talked about Running Start and invited the students to check out Clark’s new Penguin Early Center (PEC).
Panelistsprofessors, alumni, and students: Dr. Debi Jenkins, Chris Smith, Chishayla Kimmons, and Ezekiel Wells answered questions about their experiences in college and at Clark.
Some highlights of the panel discussion:
“When we talk about motivation, we consider hopes, wants, and needs. In Black and brown communities, hopes and wants are not something we get to. It was about survival. What would bring me the biggest paycheck?”
“My mom always said: ‘They can’t take away your education.’”
“My advice to someone who is afraid to speak in class is: Speak up! Be bold.”
Roman Eliezer Gonzalez talked to students about opportunities with Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement (MESA).
The event’s success was immediately apparent. A high school student approached Professor Hsu and asked for details about the STEM camp. Professor Hsu offered her a flyer about the camp and then gave her several more to take to her friends.
A woman who has worked in her field for more than 22 years told Vanessa Neal that listening to the speakers had impacted her so deeply that she was inspired to go back to school to learn about STEM fields. She told Neal: “I know a lot of people in the community, and I can’t wait to tell them about tonight and the programs Clark offers. There are many people I work with hoping to finish their education, and I will bring them to Clark.”
Another high school student stepped up to Gaby Posteuca’s table and asked how to apply for Clark College. Posteuca smiled and was happy to oblige.
About Keynoter Ezekiel Wells
Ezekiel Wells responded to adversity by vowing to be the change he wanted to see in the world. First, he got an education. He is a first-generation college graduate who earned an associate degree at Clark College and then a bachelor’s degree in social work from Eastern Washington University. Learn more about his work in restorative justice here.
Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish
Spring Career Connect
Chelsea Jacobson and Mayra Najera of Educational Services District 112 talk to Clark student Yaki and future student Leticia about job opportunities.
Clark students, alumni, community members, and local employers participated in Clark’s Career Connect event geared for students enrolled or interested in programs in the college’s Public Service, Society and Education area of study on May 7 in PUB 161.
Advising Services, Career Services, and Student Success Coaches worked together to staff the event and assist students. These departments partnered with faculty to coordinate timing for the event that would make the most sense for Education student participation. Faculty also participated in the event as one of the important supportive resources for students in this area of study.
The Career Services team organized the event: Emily Meoz, Trisha Haakonstad, Niira Krupnick, and Alex Kison, with support from student employee Liz Knapp. Kison led logistics.
In 2023, the Career Services team hosted a large-scale Career Fair in Gaiser Student Center that included all the college’s departments and programs. This year, the team is creating smaller events called “Career Connect” focused on only one or two areas of study per event. The first Career Connect in March focused on the Business and Entrepreneurship area of study.
Emily Meoz, director of Advising and Career Services, said, “After hosting two Career Connect events in the last few months, we are optimistic that the format of these smaller scale and more focused area of study events will create tangible opportunities for students and community members to make meaningful career and academic connections. We plan to offer Career Connect events for every area of study at Clark during the 2024-2025 academic year.”
Connecting with Clark’s services
BASTE Student Dana Bunnell talks with Student Success Coach DJ Scates.
During the Career Connect event, Clark student Dana Bunnell chatted with DJ Scates, one of Clark’s three Student Success Coaches who work with students on time management, study skills, goal setting, and more.
Bunnell graduated from Clark College with an associate degree in early childhood education in June 2023. Now she has nearly completed her first year in Clark’s Bachelor of Applied Science in Teacher Education (BASTE) program. It’s the next step on her career path to become a teacher.
Like most Clark students, Bunnell has become an expert multitasker who squeezes time for schoolwork between caregiving for family members, household responsibilities, and more. But even an experienced multitasker can learn new practices to make her more productive and her life less stressful. Scates stepped up to help.
Connecting with employers
As students checked in, they were given a list of sample questions that make it easier for students to practice talking with a potential employer about opportunities. Questions include:
What qualifications do you typically look for in candidates?
What type of college major or degree/certificate is valuable in this industry or typical positions you hire for?
Are there professional organizations or connection events/opportunities that you suggest I know about?
Students also received a Career Connect BINGO card that identified specific tasks to complete at the event. These included having a conversation with an employer, learning about a job opportunity, and receiving guidance from an academic advisor.
Then, with questions and BINGO cards in hand, students entered PUB 161, where local employers were ready to talk with students about job opportunities. The following employers participated in Career Connect:
Simone Thomas of iUrban Teen spoke with students about opportunities in early education via its Future Teacher Pathways Fellowship.
Vancouver Public Schools talked with students about paraeducators to work with children in a variety of settings, from classroom to playground.
Educational Services District 112 spoke with students about job opportunities including special education paraeducators, bus drivers, secretaries, and more.
Washington DSHS Behavioral Health Administration talked about 250 positions the agency will hire to work at a new residential treatment center opening in spring 2025 near WSU Vancouver.
Educational Opportunities for Children & Families (EOCF) talked to students about positions including Early Head Start teacher assistant, preschool bus driver, preschool teacher assistant, and more.
iUrban Teen shared their Future Teachers Pathway Fellowship program with students. This paid work-based learning opportunity for young adults to provide academic support and mentorship to elementary and middle school students is in partnership with the Cowlitz Tribal Foundation, Vancouver Public Schools, and other local school districts.
Make connections
Advising Services: advising@clark.edu or (360) 992-2345 or GHL 108 Career Services: careerservices@clark.edu or (360) 992-2902 or GHL 108 Student Success Coaches: Schedule a session here
Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish
Columbia Writers Series
Left to right: Authors Andrew Leland and Justin Taylor discussing Leland’s work and process at the spring Columbia Writers Series event.
Andrew Leland quoted Georgina Kleege’s Sight Unseen to explain his own relationship to his work: “Writing this book made me blind.”
Authors Andrew Leland and Justin Taylor discussed Leland’s new memoir, The Country of the Blind, at the Spring Columbia Writers’ event. It was attended by Clark creative writing students, students from the nearby Washington State School for the Blind, and staff from Cannell Library and Disability Support Services (DSS).
Leland’s book shares his experience of slowly losing his sight due to a degenerative eye disease, Retinitis Pigmentos (RP). More than a description of his life, his memoir explores history, disability justice, and what it means to identify as blind.
With emotion, Leland said a blind reader described his memoir as “the story of our people.” Leland added, “it’s incredibly moving for me that it might have value.”
Writing the book helped Leland process his recently accepted identity as a blind person. At the beginning of his journey, “blindness did not feel like a word connected to me.” As he wrote, he evolved from using third person to describe the blind community (they) to using the first-person plural (we).
The book covers some of the history of innovation driven by blind people. The first typewriters, audiobooks, and LP records were adaptations designed for blind accessibility. Adaptations can become their own form of art as blind people experiment with how to communicate information within the world’s inaccessible design. As Leland put it, “Alt text is poetry.”
An early form of Optical Character Recognition was the Kurzweil Reading Machine, which scanned print books and turned them into computer-spoken words. The inventor designed it for blind people, working closely with the National Federation of the Blind.
When Xerox purchased the machine, the company laid off the blind sales staff. The technology then became a foundation for the internet, which today remains largely inaccessible to the blind. Only 2% of home pages are fully accessible to screen readers.
Leland said, “Often, after it [the technology designed for accessibility] gets coopted into the mainstream, the accessibility falls away.”
According to Leland, information access is one of the biggest barriers affecting blind people. The disability justice movement seeks to change barriers to access for blind people and for all those experiencing disabilities — including multiple disabilities. Key to the movement is understanding how experiences of disability intersect with other identities such as race, class, and gender.
He shared his own experience of diving into disability justice, and how his views started out as naive but became more complex as he talked with more people. “My privilege is intact and will continue to be intact as a blind person… to be a blind person of color is a radically different experience.”
He advised college students to be unafraid to engage with the disability justice movement even if their knowledge is incomplete. “It’s an important first step to be like, ‘I think it’s like this’ and then you take the tires off.”
Leland also shared his advice on writing. He advocates for a regular writing practice — even if you’re not writing with a goal of being published — to prepare you to write when you have something important to say.
“The butt-in-chair principle I think is really important,” Leland said and added “don’t be a hermit… it’s important to be sharing your work with readers.”
Find books by Andrew Leland and Justin Taylor at Clark’s Cannell Library or local independent bookstores.
About Andrew Leland
Andrew Leland’s debut book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, about the world of blindness (and figuring out his place in it), was published in July 2023 by Penguin Press. His writing has appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, McSweeney’s Quarterly, and The San Francisco Chronicle, among other outlets. From 2013-2019, he hosted and produced The Organist, an arts and culture podcast, for KCRW; he has also produced pieces for Radiolab and 99 Percent Invisible. He has been an editor at The Believer since 2003. He lives in western Massachusetts with his wife and son.
About Justin Taylor
Justin Taylor is the author of the novel Reboot, the memoir Riding with the Ghost, the novel The Gospel of Anarchy, and two collections of short fiction: Everything Here Is the Best Thing Ever and Flings. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper’s, Bomb, and Bookforum, among other publications. He has taught writing at the graduate and undergraduate levels in programs all over the country, including Columbia University, N.Y.U., the University of Southern Mississippi, and the University of Montana. He is a contributing writer to the Washington Post’s Book World and the Director of the Sewanee School of Letters. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
About the Columbia Writers Series
The Columbia Writers Series has been a part of Clark College since 1988, bringing local, national and international authors to the college throughout the year. Writers who have visited Clark College through the series include Ursula Le Guin, Donald Justice, Sherman Alexie, Marvin Bell, William Stafford, Jamaica Kincaid, Gerald Stern, Carolyn Forchè, Natalie Diaz, Karen Russell, Jess Walter, Dana Spiotta, Mitchell Jackson, and many others.
Folkloric Ballet of SW Washington performed at the annual event.
Near the stage in Gaiser Student Center, a preschool girl wearing a polka dot dress and neon yellow rain boots jumped up and down and clapped her hands to the lively music that filled the air. Mesmerized as she watched the Folkloric Ballet of SW Washington dancers on stage twirling in their colorful skirts, she mimicked their twirling movements.
She was joined by many other young children who danced, stomped, and twirled during Clark College’s ¡Celebración de Primavera! / Día del Niño (Celebration of Spring/Day of the Child) on the evening of April 26. Clark’s annual community event offered an evening of free, family-friendly activities that celebrates Latiné culture, children, literacy, and Earth Day.
Students in Clark’s Spanish Club volunteered all around the center to assist dozens of children, from toddlers to young teens. Clark students painted faces, helped children make sock puppets, created tissue paper flowers, designed aluminum foil artwork, drew on reusable cloth bags with markers, and helped kids play the apple game. Without using their hands, kids tried to take a bite from an apple suspended in the air by a string.
Micheal Scheidt and Jonathan of Clark’s Spanish Club delighted children with puppets.
Spanish Club students Michael Scheidt and Jonathan Gauna became puppeteers for the evening. As they worked colorful marionette birds, they talked with children who edged closer to watch. A curious but cautious toddler watched the puppets as she kept a firm grip on her mother’s leg.
At a nearby table Clark student Emily Subroto, who was helping a girl create a sock puppet, asked, “How do you want to decorate your puppet?”
The girl chose a purple sock for the puppet body, a lime green felt tongue, a purple pom pom nose, and wooden buttons for the eyes. Then the girl chose the most colorful hair for her puppet: bright blue, curly yarn. With a hot glue gun, the Clark student attached the elements to the colorful sock puppet. Perfect!
Then the girl gently put her hand into her puppet and moved the mouth. Open and close. Open and close. She looked at her puppet, thanked Subroto, stood up, and headed to the next activity.
Activities included:
Tammy Boyer from Cannell Library brought Spanish-language children’s picture books to be checked out.
Songs by Harney Elementary students
Reading by author Christopher Cousins
Games and crafts
Dancing by Vancouver Ballet Folklórico
Tammy Boyer from Cannell Library brought Spanish-language children’s picture books
City of Vancouver Urban Forestry staffed a booth with Friends of Trees
Dinner provided by Los Amigos in Milwaukie, Oregon
Dance lessons and dance party
Clark College Spanish Club did the first of three presale tabling events for its tamale fundraiser. Follow the Spanish Club’s Instagram profile @clarkcollege.spanishclub
There was so much to do, listen to, and experience. But the event’s focal point was the dancing by Vancouver Ballet Folklórico. Folklórico is a type of traditional dance, music, and colorful costume that highlights regional Mexican cultures.
The evening ended with salsa lessons and a dance party. To prepare for the dancing, members of the college’s Spanish Club had taken two salsa lessons at O’Connell Sports Complex recently. Advisor Felipe Montoya said the students were ready to salsa!
Event organizer, Michelle Golder, offered many thanks to the event’s planning committee: Betsy Ubiergo and Erika Nava, Spanish faculty; Felipe Montoya, Spanish Club advisor; and Rosalba Pitkin, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion representative.
Clark College Spanish Club
Spanish Club tamale fundraiser. Left to right: advisor Felipe Montoya with students Stephanie Wagner, Javier Castro Sanchez, and Eduardo Ramirez.
Spanish Club promotes the Spanish-language culture around campus and its communities through events, fundraisers, and activities that provide an active learning experience for students and the community. To learn more, contact Advisor Felipe Montoya at fmontoya@clark.edu
Photos: Clark College/Susan Parrish
May Art Talks
Archer Gallery is bringing three artists and multiple events to campus in May. All events are free and open to the public, so invite your colleagues, friends, and family to attend with you. Except where noted, all talks take place in Archer Gallery, located at the lower southwest entrance of the Penguin Union Building. See you there!
Originally from Honolulu, Kanani Miyamoto practices art, teaches, and curates in Portland, Oregon. An individual of mixed heritage, she most identifies with her Hawaiian and Japanese roots, which are celebrated in her artwork. Miyamoto holds a Master of Fine Arts in Print Media from the Pacific Northwest College of Art and a Bachelor of Arts in Art Practices from Portland State University. She is the arts coordinator at p:ear.
Important to Miyamoto’s work is sharing and honoring her mixed cultural background to represent her community and the beauty of intersectional identities. She hopes to create critical conversations around cultural authenticity in the arts. She uses traditional printmaking techniques to create large-scale print installations and murals. She also is an advocate for art education and a passionate community worker.
Miyamoto said about her work: “I’d like to tell the story of survivance and resilience through reclaiming this tradition. I want to recognize our ancestors and feel their hands through my hands.”
David Eckard utilizes diverse materials, techniques, and presentational strategies in his studio practice. Futility, function, authority, queer masculinity, and persona are the primary notions investigated, critiqued, and exploited in his work. Eckard fabricates fictive artifacts and enigmatic objects with various materials and techniques. These sculptures exist as singular objects, installation components, and performance props.
His rendered works on panels and paper are biomorphic, sexualized schematics that address the body as a carrier of histories, fantasies, potential, and trauma. Through performance, Eckard orchestrates transient theatrics and deploys temporary monuments in civic spaces for incidental audiences.
Eckard has exhibited internationally. His work has been reviewed in Art in America, Sculpture, Flash Art, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, and Artnews. He is the recipient of multiple fellowships and awards including the Individual Artist Fellowship (2015, Regional Arts and Culture Council, Portland, Oregon), the Hallie Ford Fellowship in the Visual Arts (2010, Ford Family Foundation, Portland), and the Bonnie Bronson Fellowship (2010, Portland).
Nicole Seisler
Tuesday, May 7 from 9 – 11:20 a.m. Frost Art Center, Room 011 Ceramics Studio https://nysprojects.com/
Nicole Seisler is a Portland-based ceramic artist whose practice comprises making, educating, and curating. Her sculpture, installations and public art investigate time, materiality, process, psychology, and the overlapping roles of artist, viewer, participant and collaborator.
Seisler received her master’s in fine arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her bachelor’s in fine arts from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Her work has been exhibited at Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Museum of Fine Arts Tallahassee, Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago and Craft Contemporary in Los Angeles and American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California. Her work is featured in the “In Hand” exhibition at Kennedy Museum of Art at Ohio University. During the pandemic she published the book Recipes for Conceptual Clay (in the time of Covid-19)”.
She has taught ceramics for more than ten years at universities including School of the Art Institute of Chicago, University of Washington, Scripps College, and UCLA. She is an assistant professor and head of ceramics at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. As founder and director of the contemporary ceramics platform A-B Projects, she has curated over 30 exhibitions and offers alternative educational programming that reevaluates and redefines the trajectory of contemporary ceramics.
Across her practice, Seisler creates dialogue and perspectives around ceramics that exist in the same conditions as the material: malleable, shifting, adaptable, and enduring; existing within, between, and beyond conventional definitions.
Are you a writer? Working on a book, sci-fi, or a screenplay? Do you dabble in poetry? Do you like being around other writers, and hearing about their craft? Excited about book launches or creating comics? If yes, there’s a week of literary events at Clark in May that you might enjoy!
The English department at Clark College hosts an inaugural Creative Writing Festival from May 6-11. The event, which is free and open to the public, features activities geared for writers at all levels. The festival allows writers to immerse themselves in literary workshops and readings by renowned authors.
The festival concludes with the annual Clark Spring Creative Writing Workshop on Saturday, May 11, with a full day of workshops for writers.
All events will be in the Penguin Union Building (PUB) on Clark College’s main campus, 1933 Fort Vancouver Way, Vancouver. Directions and maps are available online.
Creative Writing Festival Schedule
Monday, May 6
Writing from Lived Experience: A reading & conversation with author Peyton Marshall [event listing with more information] 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Penguin Union Building (PUB) 258B
Tuesday, May 7
Exit Black Book Release Party: A reading and celebration in honor of Clark English professor Joe Pitkin’s new sci-fi novel 10:00–11:00 a.m. Cannell Library (LIB) 101
Wednesday, May 8
Create Your Own Comic: A hands-on workshop led by Clark Art professor Grant Hottle 12:00–2:00 p.m. Cannell Library (LIB) 101
Thursday, May 9
The Swift Release Party: Student readings and a celebration in honor of the 2nd edition of Clark’s student-run literary journal [event listing with more information] 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Penguin Union Building (PUB) 161
English Department Awards Ceremony 4:00–6:00 p.m. Penguin Union Building (PUB) 161
Friday, May 10
Yoga for Creativity: A free yoga class focused on connecting the mind & body to nourish creativity [event listing with more information] 10:00–11:00 a.m. Penguin Union Building (PUB) 258B
Saturday, May 11
Spring Writing Workshop: A full day of writing workshops, readings, and community building – with free lunch, coffee, and pastries! Please sign up for this event at bit.ly/writing-24 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Penguin Union Building (PUB)
May 11 Spring Writing Workshop Schedule
Join us for a day filled with imagination and inspiration at the Penguin Union Bldg (PUB), Clark College. This in-person event is a fantastic opportunity for writers of all levels to come together, share their work, and learn from talented authors. Whether you’re a seasoned wordsmith or just starting your writing journey, this festival has something for you. Immerse yourself in workshops and readings by renowned authors. Don’t miss out on this incredible gathering of literary minds. Mark your calendars and get ready to unleash your creativity at the Clark Creative Writing Festival! Read on for visiting author bios and workshop descriptions!
Workshop Descriptions:
STEPHANIE ADAMS-SANTOS, “Dreamscape of the Altar”“You must give birth to your images.” — Rilke Through a blend of guided meditation and writing prompts, we will work to nurture a fertile soil for receiving sacred imagery from the depths of the psyche. Delving into the mysterious terrains of embodied inner life, we’ll explore the concept of an interior altar, using active imagination to connect with unconscious symbols and dreams. This process serves as a pathway to delve more deeply into our own creative material. Note: We will be working on the floor for part of the workshop, though this portion can be adjusted to accommodate any body; all materials provided.
LISA BULLARD, “Opening Another Door: Symbolism in Poetry” Symbolism opens the door for a poet to say more with fewer words, and a striking symbol adds depth and intrigue to a poem. In this workshop, we will look at models of how others have used symbols and create symbols of our own. The workshop will be group oriented: the more brains, the better! We’ll have fun and play with words.
EMILY CHENOWETH, “Disruption and Change in Character, Setting, and Plot”“There are only two plots in all of literature—a person goes on a journey, and a stranger comes to town.” So said celebrated writing teacher John Gardner (supposedly). Whether Gardner’s right is up for debate, but Arrivals and Departures are classic literary tropes for good reason. In this generative workshop, we’ll consider the three pillars of character, setting, and plot, and craft short prose pieces that have disruption and change at their heart.
MICHAEL GUERRA, “Tangible Objects: Developing an Inner Life for Your Character”This workshop will focus on the life of tangible objects that often define and shape our lives. Through this process of developing an inner life for our characters, we will discover patterns for shaping both knowns and unknowns that motivate our characters and push our stories in ways we never thought possible.
DEBRA GWARTNEY, “Who is Telling Your Story?” In this workshop, we will explore the role of the “I” in memoir writing. Both the “I” involved in the action, and the “I” remembering and reflecting upon the event at the center of your narrative. This “dual-I” is where the tension in memoir lives, and where readers engage and connect. Come prepared to write and, if you wish, to talk about the challenges of turning yourself into a character on the page.
HR HEGNAUER, “Judge a Book by Its Cover” It could be said that the phrase “don’t judge a book by its cover” seems to overlook the significant impact of book design. In this workshop, we’ll dive into key aspects of book design, covering topics such as cover design, interior layout, paper selection, printing methods, and the integration of eBook design. We’ll also envision our own future book covers, looking at your design ideas alongside logistical considerations.
SARA JAFFE, “Starting with Image: A Prose Workshop” What is an image? While conventionally defined as a visual representation or description, an image in writing can activate many senses at once. Transcending mere detail, an image electrifies and swirls up from the page, announcing to the reader that they are in this language-world and none other. In the words of cartoonist and writer Lynda Barry, “[An image is] alive in the way thinking is not, but experiencing is, made of both memory and imagination.” Because so much meaning and sensation accrues to them, images can be terrific starting points for works of fiction and creative nonfiction. In this workshop, we’ll mine our own personal image-banks for generative material, and work together to effectively bring the power of the image to the page.
MEREDITH KIRKWOOD, “Unexpected Arrivals: Writing Surprising Images” A poem is a series of departures and arrivals. A poet takes the reader to one image, then departs to another. Sometimes the reader arrives at the place they expected, but at its best, poetry can surprise—can take us to places the reader (and writer!) never anticipated. Those places offer us a sense of mystery and weirdness, a glimpse into other modes of consciousness and ways of being. This workshop offers tools for getting our poetry from the ordinary and predictable into some of those other places. Using as a guide the poem “4 Stars” by Oregon Poet Laureate and recent Columbia Writers Series guest Anis Mojgani, participants will write a poem by combining fragments of memory in unexpected ways. Then they will exchange images to create an even weirder, more surprising poem. Finally, they will try to break all the rules of grammar they can to arrive at unknown poetic terrain.
JOE PITKIN, “From Margins to the Center: How to Use Duotrope to Get Connected to Publishers” Do you have a story that you are proud of but have no idea how to get it published? Are you wondering what kinds of magazines and podcasts would be open to publishing your work? This session will explore how the online tool Duotrope can be used to get connected to publishers and agents!
MATHIAS SVALINA, “Writing with Dream Logic”Dreams cohere & dissolve in the same event; in this way the logics of dreams relate to the logics of emotional overwhelm & to the logics of the mass hallucinations of history or culture. This workshop will explore dream logic as a conscious & intentional writing tool, a writing strategy to employ to arrive at writerly truths beyond the rational. We will discuss the fugitive rationality in nonsense & the profundity in silliness as we look at some writers’ use of dream logics, & the forms & rhetorics of how we tell others our dreams. We will write to explore dream logic in narrative, lyric, & personal writing. The goals are to generate work that both bewilders & intimately engages the reader & writer alike.
PAULS TOUTONGHI, “Intention and Obstacle: The Use of a Time-Based Goal to Give Your Story Urgency” Fiction writers often struggle with plot—or at least the idea of plot. Writing can come from a place of deep imagination, which is often not harnessed to any kind of mechanical apparatus. In fact, the imagination—a dreamworld—often specifically resists thinking in terms of timeline and story container. We will work to open stories that have a clear sense of urgency or, if it’s missing, think about ways to get this urgency in existing stories.
CLAIRE VAYE WATKINS, “Writing Life and Death: How to Raise the Stakes of a Story” This workshop will be a generative session on how to raise the stakes in your story.
Noche de Familia 2024
Clark College hosted Noche de Familia on April 23, a special night for Latiné families to learn about academic options and internal and external resources available at Clark College. Offered in the fall and spring quarters by the college and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the free event included activities for kids and dinner for all.
While the grownups were busy, the face-painting table was a popular destination in Gaiser Student Center. Siblings Rodrigo and Emma Hernandez and Xiomara and Lindsay Montalvo seemed pleased to show off their faces sporting sparkling dolphins, butterflies, and roses.
But the face painting was just one element in a night of family fun, food, and information that can change the trajectory of a family’s education, earning potential, and opportunities.
Clark employees presented useful information for potential Clark College students—including applying for financial aid, applying to Clark, and the many supports Clark offers to assist students. The entire program was presented in Spanish, including introductions and all presentations.
We were happy to welcome Silvia Mariscal as the keynote speaker, a 2017 Clark graduate who shared her story. Her grandkids inspired her to go back to college. She reminded the attendees that it is never too late to come back to school and continue learning. She will continue her studies at WSU Vancouver.
A panel of four current Clark students gave tips about how to be a successful student, including using Clark resources. They also talked about how parents can be supportive of their children and encourage them to graduate and attend college. The panelists were Maria Luisa Martinez, a returning Career and Academic Prep (CAP) student who wants to study business; Melissa Lopez Heredia, studying computer science and member of Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA); John Miguel, studying civil engineering and member of MESA; and Elver Castro Aguiniga, an English as a Second Language (ESL) student who is the parent of another Clark student.
Attendees also had opportunities to speak with Clark representatives from Financial Aid, Transitional Services, Workforce Education Services, Disability Support Services, Counseling and Health Center, Career Services and more. Personal appointments were offered to maintain student privacy and explain the processes of applying for Clark College and applying for financial aid.
“Noche de Familia is a fall and spring quarter event for our Latiné community to come to campus and learn about opportunities to attend Clark College—and so much more,” said Rosalba Pitkin, Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “By offering this event in their native language, we are promoting cultural diversity, preserving heritage, and ensuring that everyone has equal access to essential services and opportunities. We are pleased to invite our community to learn about so many resources available to those who want to attend Clark College and expand their horizons.”
At tables around the perimeter of Gaiser Student Center, several community nonprofits and organizations provided information about scholarships and other support and assistance.
Deanna Green, senior scholarship manager and development associate at Community Foundation for Southwest Washington, offered information about scholarships available for high school and college students.
During the event, Green posted on social media: “Promoting CFSWW scholarships at Noche de Familia at Clark College from 4-8 p.m. Education is a family affair! I love Clark College. Proud Penguin alum!”
While potential students learned more about Clark College, children busied themselves not only with face painting but also games and educational activities.
Pitkin added, “We are planting a seed in these children, so they will be ready to go to college. Perhaps one day these children will be Penguins.”
Left to right: Veterans Center of Excellence staff Megan Anderson, Eli Gonzalez-Roman, Monica Patton, and Donna Larson with Oswald (center).
The Clark College Veterans Center of Excellence welcomed student veterans and potential students during its spring open house on April 22.
The Clark College veteran is any military-affiliated student at Clark: veterans, active duty, or military dependent (spouse or child).
Often when students enroll at Clark College, they aren’t aware of the assistance they can receive at the veterans center. Even students who are not veterans themselves but have a parent or spouse who is or was a veteran may qualify for Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits.
VCOE staff can connect student veterans to agencies, programs, and support. Fostering a sense of belonging and space here at Clark is important, and the Veterans Club for students is starting up again.
We were excited to have a great turnout from our current VCOE students, college staff, the Clark College Foundation, and our VCOE advisor board members. We are working on creating a video with the Digital Media Arts 215 class, and we were so encouraged when half the class came to the open house to hang out and get to know our staff, and see our space.
Our veteran staff at the center can help military-affiliated students with their educational journey. We have an academic advisor, VA certifying official, veteran workstudy employees, and more. We offer free tutoring for math and English. We have programs for student success focusing on the whole health of the veteran. That includes help with books and calculators; offering useful workshops; providing a study area with computers and printers; lounge and games for relaxation; networking with other veterans and more.
