(CHICAGO, IL) On the weekend of May 3 and 4, about a dozen juniors and seniors from Chicago Public High Schools, will gather on the Columbia campus to be mentored in their writing skills by two nationally recognized writers. Afro-Chicano poet John Murillo and Asian American memorist Bich Nguyen will conduct two full days of writing workshops for Columbia’s first Diversity in Writing weekend. Murillo and Nguyen will be assisted by several of the college’s top graduate students in the MFA Poetry program as well as a number of senior students in creative non-fiction.
The event is supported through a grant from Columbia’s Multicultural Affairs Office and seeks to enhance curricular diversity. It is also intended as a recruitment opportunity which will assist the college’s mission of attracting an increasingly diverse student population to the arts and media college.
English professor Sam Park came up with the concept for the Diversity in Writing weekend, which focuses on the genres of poetry and creative non-fiction, both degree tracks in Columbia’s English department. He worked closely with colleague Sheila Baldwin, who was instrumental in the writing of the successful grant proposal and in outreach to the Chicago Public Schools.
CPS students will be selected by Park and Nicole Nzinga-Darden, an MFA candidate in Poetry, who has been working as the coordinator for Diversity in Writing. Work has been submitted from students at Benito Juarez, Martin Luther King, Jr. College Prep, Kenwood Academy, Roberto Clemente Community Academy, Multicultural Arts High School and several others.
On Saturday, the young poets will work with Murillo and the aspiring creative non-fiction writers with Nguyen on issues of revision and they will attend master classes in either poetry or creative non-fiction. On Sunday the master authors will speak about the business of writing as well as mentoring students on the importance of reading good literature and doing skill-building work in analytical thinking. Sunday will culminate with public readings by participating students. Cash prizes will be awarded to outstanding students.
“This experience will provide students with a lot of support at a stage in their lives where they need a mentor to validate their goals and ambitions,” says Park. “Having a published, ‘real’ writer encourage you and read your writing can be a transformative experience.”
Nzinga-Darden, who moved to Chicago in 2004 after completing her undergraduate work at Pomona College, comes to the project with solid experience in educational outreach and enrichment. She worked for a Teen REACH after-school program in Bronzeville for two years, first as a tutor and later heading up the academic support team. “We had great results and were even asked by several CPS teachers to work exclusively with some students in lieu of class attendance,” she explains. “The program had – and still has – a 100% college attendance rate. I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with young people again through the Diversity in Writing weekend.”
Bich Nguyen is the author of Stealing Buddha’s Dinner (Viking 2007), for which she won the PEN/Jerard Award. Her work has also appeared in Dream Me Home Safely: Writers on Growing up in America, Watermark: Vietnamese American Poetry and Prose, as well as Jane magazine and Gourmet magazine. Her first novel, Short Girls, will be published by Viking Penguin in 2009.
John Murillo is an Afro-Chicano poet and playwright from Los Angeles, California. He is the 2002 and 2004 winner of the D.C Commission on Arts and Humanities’ Larry Neal Award for Poetry. A Cave Canem fellow and former instructor with DCWritersCorps, John was a coach for Washington D.C.’s 2001 and 2005 National Teen Poetry Slam Teams. His work has appeared in such publications as Ploughshares, Cave Canem VIII and IX, DC Poets Against the War, and the forthcoming anthology, Fear of a Brown Nation. He is the author of the chapbook, Aluta, and co-editor of the forthcoming anthology, B-Boy Infinitives: Poetry of the Hip-Hop Experience. John is the current New York Times Fellow in Poetry at NYU’s Graduate Program for Creative Writing.
Samuel Park is the author of Shakespeare’s Sonnets (Alyson, 2006). His forthcoming publications include reviews in Shakespeare Bulletin and Theater Journal as well as several scholarly articles and critical essays. He is a full time faculty member in Columbia’s English Department. Park holds his Ph.D. from the University of Southern California, where he wrote his dissertation on “The Performance of Race in Asian American Drama.”
-end-
(CHICAGO, IL) Columbia College Chicago undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies will extend over two days and three ceremonies. Ceremonies will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 17 and at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 18. All ceremonies will be held at the UIC Pavilion, Harrison Street and Racine. This year, the arts and media college will graduate more than 2,300 students.
Artists and communicators whose lives and work embody the college’s ideals and spirit will deliver commencement remarks and receive honorary doctorate degrees from the arts and media college, announced Columbia’s president, Dr. Warrick L. Carter. The honorees are: journalist Dan Rather, photographer Graciela Iturbide and Earth, Wind & Fire: Maurice White, Ralph Johnson, Philip Bailey and Verdine White.
In addition to the granting of honorary doctorate degrees, each ceremony will – for the first time – feature recognition of “Alumni of the Year.” The 2008 Alumni honorees are producer Len Amato, actress Tonya Pinkins and choreographer Eduardo Vilaro.
Saturday afternoon ceremonies at 1:30 p.m. include the graduate and undergraduate divisions in the following academic departments: Arts, Entertainment & Media Management, ASL-English Interpretation, English (Poetry), Fiction Writing, Interactive Arts & Media, Journalism and Television. More than 700 graduating students are expected to attend.
During the Saturday ceremonies Columbia will award the Doctoris Honoris Causa to award winning broadcast journalist Dan Rather. Mr. Rather will be introduced by Columbia Trustee Joseph F. Peyronnin, III.
Len Amato (’75 B.A. Film/Video) is Senior Vice President, HBO Films, whose producing credits include Iron Jawed Angels, Blood Diamond, Analyze This, Possession and The Astronaut Farmer. He will be presented with the Alumni of the Year Award by Professor Chap Freeman of the Film/Video department.
Sunday morning ceremonies at 10:00 a.m. include the graduate and undergraduate divisions in the following academic departments: Dance, Dance Movement Therapy & Counseling, Film/Video, Liberal Education (Cultural Studies), Marketing Communication, Music and Theater. More than 800 graduating students are expected to attend.
During the Sunday morning ceremonies Columbia will award the Doctoris Honoris Causa to members of the iconic band Earth, Wind & Fire. Columbia President Warrick L. Carter, Ph.D. will introduce founding band members Maurice White, Ralph Johnson, Philip Bailey and Verdine White.
Tonya Pinkins (’96 B.A. Theater) is a Tony Award winning actress, known widely to TV viewers for her role as Livia Frye on All My Children. She will be presented with the Alumni of the Year Award by Sheldon Patinkin, chair of the Theater department.
Sunday afternoon ceremonies at 3:00 p.m. include the graduate and undergraduate divisions in the following academic departments: Art & Design, Audio Arts & Acoustics, Education, Interdisciplinary Arts, Photography and Radio. More than 600 graduating students are expected to attend.
During the Sunday afternoon ceremonies Columbia will award the Doctoris Honoris Causa to internationally renowned photographer Graciela Iturbide. She will be introduced by Rod Slemmons, director of Columbia’s Museum of Contemporary Photography.
Eduardo Vilaro (’99 M.A. Interdisciplinary Arts) is the founder and artistic director of, and principal choreographer for, the critically acclaimed Luna Negra Dance Theater. He will be presented with the Alumni of the Year Award by Bonnie Brooks, chair of the Dance department.
HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT BIOS:
Dan Rather
Born October 31, 1931 in Wharton, Texas, Rather began his career in journalism at Sam Houston State Teachers College in Huntsville, TX, where he was editor of the school newspaper and worked part-time at a local radio station. Before he graduated from college, he worked for the Associated Press and United Press International as a field reporter. In 1961, he became a network correspondent when his coverage of Hurricane Carla for the local CBS station in Houston won him the attention of network affiliates. Working as a CBS correspondent at the time of the John F. Kennedy assassination, his steady, professional brand of journalism helped ease Americans through the tragedy. After covering such historical landmarks as the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the Watergate Scandal, Rather succeeded Walter Cronkite as anchor of the CBS Evening News. Rather held that position for a record 24 years while also serving as a correspondent for 48 Hours and 60 Minutes II. He is currently Chief Global Correspondent for HDNet, where he is Anchor and Managing Editor of the weekly news program “Dan Rather Reports.” Rather has won virtually every prize in broadcast journalism, including numerous Emmy and Peabody Awards. He currently resides in New York City with his wife Jean, with whom he has two children.
Earth, Wind & Fire: Maurice White, Ralph Johnson, Philip Bailey, & Verdine White
The legendary band, Earth, Wind & Fire is among the most influential, commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the last three decades. Formed in 1969 in Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire’s 39-year history resulted in millions of albums sold worldwide and distinguished awards and accolades. Founding members: Maurice White (leader, vocalist, songwriter); Philip Bailey (lead vocalist, percussionist); Verdine White (bassist); Ralph Johnson (drummer and percussionist) have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and are credited with eight Grammy Awards, four American Music Awards, honors from the NAACP, the BET Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. To this day, Earth, Wind & Fire remain one of the top globally popular touring attractions. Earth, Wind & Fire’s signature sound and distinctive musical styles fuse pop, soul, jazz, rock n’ roll, psychedelic, African roots music and disco with a base in funk. Hit songs include “September,” “Shining Star,” “Fantasy,” and “Let’s Groove.”’
Graciela Iturbide
Since entering the world of photography in 1970, Graciela Iturbide has been a leading influence on the world’s vision of contemporary Mexican culture. Born in Mexico City, Iturbide came to photography after marrying at the age of twenty and having three children, fulfilling the pressures of an upper-middle class family. She began her career with an apprenticeship under Manuel Alvarez Bravo, considered by many to be Mexico’s greatest photographer. His influence can be seen in her work with the indigenous people of her country. Her images focus on the balance of power between the ancient world and the modern one, exploring aspects such as identity, sexuality, rituals, death, and the role of women in daily life. Iturbide has recently expanded her work to include other cultures, bringing her understanding of the clash between rural and urban landscapes to the American South. Among her many honors and awards are Guggenheim Fellowship Award (1988) and the Premio de Acquisicion in the First Photography Biennial (1980).
-end-
CHICAGO—Pulitzer prize-winner John H. White has been a “Chicago Sun-Times” photojournalist and a photography professor at Columbia College Chicago since 1978. On Saturday, April 12th at Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Columbia College students, alumni and faculty, as well as peers and photography aficionados will join White in celebrating 30 years of photojournalism love (PJ Love) at the History of ‘The Photojournalist’ seminar.
Columbia’s photography department began its photojournalism seminar in 1983. The one-day seminar grew out of a desire to maintain the inspiration and the creative bond students experienced in John White’s photojournalism classes. On any given Monday and Thursday evening during each semester that White had class, office hours or was just on campus, students always stopped by for a ‘visit’ with John. It became apparent that there was a need for a class or workshop to use as a platform for current, former and future students to present their work, receive critique and feedback, share experiences and be inspired.
“Photojournalism is the bridge that connects current events, people and cultures by capturing what we see and feel and sharing that vision through the medium of photography,” said White.
This year’s featured speakers include Erik Unger, staff photographer, “Crain’s Chicago Business”; Adrian Burros, Rev. Jesse Jackson/Rainbow PUSH photographer; Jon Stall, video manager, “Chicago Sun-Times”; Bob Davis, wedding photojournalist; Stacie Freudenberg, freelance photojournalist; Pablo Martinez-Monsivais, AP White House photographer and Pulitzer Prize winner; and John H. White.
Attendees can sign up for portfolio reviews and register for two-minute presentations. The two-minute presentations are open to anyone attending the seminar. Photographers will have an opportunity to present six images in two minutes. A digital shootout competition at the noon lunch break is limited to 25 college and high school students selected by lottery. Photographers will have one hour to shoot and submit one digital image on a designated topic. The winner will receive a $200 gift card.
At the end of the day the winners of the John H. White Keep in Flight Scholarship will be announced. The award is available to two high school students and is valued at $250. To apply for the scholarship, students must present a photojournalism portfolio, written essay and a letter of recommendation from a teacher. The winner of the Keep in Flight award (available to Columbia photojournalism students only) will receive a signed 16 x 20 original print from White’s Pulitzer portfolio and a paid internship to “Crain’s Chicago Business.” To apply, current students must submit a portfolio of at least 20 images. The winning portfolio will best reflect the spirit of photojournalism.
From June through October 1973 and for a brief time in the spring of 1974, John H. White, then a 28-year-old photographer with the “Chicago Daily News,” worked for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) photographing Chicago, in particular the city’s Black community. The photos were for the EPA’s Documerica project. White’s photos portrayed the difficult circumstances many of Chicago’s Blacks faced in the early 1970s.
White purchased his first camera at age13 for 50 cents and 10 bubble gum wrappers. A North Carolina native and son of a reverend, he has photographed many historical moments throughout the world, including the first trip John Paul II made to Mexico as Pope, Nelson Mandela’s release from prison, Elvis’ funeral, the administration of six U.S. presidents and Jesse Jackson’s peace mission to the Middle East.
He captured smaller, every day moments, such as the births of New Year’s babies and coloring the Chicago River green for St. Patrick’s Day. White was the first photographer inducted in the Chicago Journalism Hall of Fame in 1993. He is the recipient of more than 300 awards from local, national and international organizations.