Campus Connection

UWL celebrates with film, discussions, concert series and more

UW-La Crosse is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a presentation, film screening, round table discussion and concert series. All events are free and are at UWL.

Events:

What: Presentation on “Activism, Community and Academia: The Fight against Disaster Capitalism in Puerto Rico After Hurricane María” Who: María del Mar Rosa-Rodríguez, author and associate professor at the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4 Where: Hall of Nations,1300 Centennial Hall [caption id="attachment_52886" align="alignleft" width="150"] María del Mar Rosa-Rodríguez[/caption] Biography: María del Mar Rosa-Rodríguez grew up in Puerto Rico and received a doctorate in Hispanic studies from Emory University. She is an associate professor of Hispanic studies at the University of Puerto Rico in Cayey. She taught at U.S. universities for 10 years before returning to Puerto Rico in 2016. Her research has focused on the literature and cultural production of Muslims, Jews and Christians in 17th Century-Spain. She is the author of numerous peer-reviewed academic articles and a new book titled “Aljamiado Legends: The Literature and Life of Crypto-Muslims in Imperial Spain” (2018). Her overarching interests on hybridity, diversity and religious tolerance have extended to contemporary topics of social justice such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and community activism in Puerto Rico after Hurricane María. She admits to a little bit of anarchism, with few ounces of feminism and a whole lot of pride to be the mother of Tiago (5) and Lara (2).   What: Screening of the documentary, “Clínica de Migrantes” (2017), followed by a round table discussion. Who: Discussion will be lead by guest speakers Megan Strom, UWL assistant professor of Spanish, Department of Global Cultures and Languages; and Michelle Pinzl, director of the Community Interpreting Certificate at Viterbo University. When: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10 Where: 141 Cowley Hall Film description: Underserved, undocumented immigrants with medical issues often end up in emergency rooms as a costly last resort, and can be charged thousands of dollars for little more than an aspirin. “Clínica de Migrantes” paints a compassionate portrait of patients at Puentes de Salud, and similar clinics across the country, which are trying to address this issue and provide care for these men, women and children — many of whom left their families behind to perform physically exhausting labor in the U.S. “Clínica de Migrantes” goes beyond the politicized rhetoric to show the faces of real people in the middle of the immigration debate, asking if America can continue withholding basic necessities from an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. [caption id="attachment_52887" align="alignright" width="150"] Michelle Pinzl[/caption] Biographies: Michelle Pinzl is assistant professor of Languages and Interpreting Studies at Viterbo University and director of the Community Interpreting Certificate at Viterbo University. As a researcher in intercultural communication and language access, she teaches Spanish, French and Interpreting Studies, training students to communicate professionally and ethically in intercultural contexts. Pinzl has extensive experience as an interpreter in clinical settings and is a certified interpreter in the Wisconsin Courts System. Since 2009, the Viterbo Interpreting program has graduated dozens of students now working in healthcare throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest. [caption id="attachment_52888" align="alignleft" width="150"] Megan Strom[/caption] Megan Strom is an assistant professor of Spanish in UWL’s Department of Global Cultures and Languages. Her research interests promote more ethical and humane treatment of immigrants in the media. She has published on the representation of ideology in Spanish- and English-language media in the U.S., along with the ways in which the media perpetuate or challenge the negative representations of Latin@ immigrants. Her work also has examined the ways in which the U.S. Spanish and English-language media represent unaccompanied Latin@ child immigrants, as well as how U.S. Spanish-language media represent sexual assault. Strom has served as a volunteer medical and legal interpreter, ESL teacher, and community organizer to provide quality resources in Spanish to Latin@ immigrants.   What: A concert series featuring both classics and innovative works by Latin American composers. Who: Concert features Alfredo Isaac Aguilar (Piano) and Jonathan Borja (Flute). When: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16 and Friday, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m. Where: Annett Recital Hall, UWL Center for the Arts, 333 N. 16th St. [caption id="attachment_52885" align="alignright" width="150"] Alfredo Isaac Aguilar[/caption] Biographies: Born just outside of Mexico City, Alfredo Isaac Aguilar is professor of piano at the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City, as well as a fine arts concert artist (Concertista de Bellas Artes), part of an elite group of musicians selected by the National Institute of Fine Arts (INBA) in Mexico to promote the music of Mexico at the highest level. Aguilar studied at the National Conservatory in Mexico City, at the École Normale de Musique in Paris, “Alfred Cortot,” at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and at the National University in Mexico. He has appeared as concerto soloist with the most distinguished orchestras in Mexico (including the National Symphony and Mexico City Philharmonic) and with the Orchestra Academy in Sofia, Bulgaria. *Alfredo Isaac Aguilar comes to UWL as part of the UWL Visiting Scholar/Artist of Color Program and with the support of the Office of the Provost. [caption id="attachment_52889" align="alignleft" width="150"] Jonathan Borja[/caption] Jonathan Borja, an assistant professor of music in the UWL Department of Music, teaches flute and music history. Borja holds three graduate degrees from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance (Doctor of Musical Arts in Flute Performance, Master of Music in Flute Performance, a Master of Music in Musicology) and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Principia College. Before coming to the U.S., he studied at the National Conservatory of Music in his native Mexico City. Borja has performed throughout the U.S. and Mexico and has appeared in festivals devoted to the music of J.S. Bach, George Crumb, Gustav Mahler, Olivier Messiaen and Elliott Carter. He has performed at Steinway Hall, Helzberg Hall, Powell Symphony Hall, the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the National University of Mexico (Facultad de Música, UNAM), the National Conservatory in Mexico City, and the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Singapore.

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Hispanic Heritage Month at UWL is organized by the Institute for Latin American and Latino Studies (ILLAS), and the Department of Global Cultures and Languages. Events are made possible with the support from the Office of the Dean of the College of Liberal Studies. For more information, contact Omar Granados at ogranados@uwlax.edu or by phone at 608.785.5243.