Final Report SCWSJ

8/7/2019 Final Report SCWSJ

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2011 SLCC Student Conference onWrit ing & Social Justice

F i n a l R e p o r t - M a y 2, 2 0 1 1

100+ conference attendees

26 student presenters

12 students volunteers; 54.5 hours ofservice

720 students, faculty, staff and

community members at Kristof’s talk

70+ books purchased and signed

4,128 views of the SLCC conferencewebsite

20+ community members inquiredabout the conference and expressedgratitude for bringing Kristof to SaltLake

I n  a  t i m e  w h e n  t h e   p o l i t i c a l  c l i m a t e  s e e m s  t o  

b e  a  o n e  s i d e d  fi r e s t o r m , i t ̓      s  r e f  r e s h i n g  t o  

s e e  t h a t   p o s i t i v e  i d e a s  f  o r  c h a n g e  a r e  

a c t u a l l  y  b e i n g  e x  p l o r e d . – S t u d e n t  c o m m e n t  o n c o n f e r e n c e  e v a l u a t i o n 

Student Conference: Writing as

ActivismThis year’s conference showcased SLCC students

exploring how writing can be used as a tool for activism

and change. Students participated in a number of events

leading up to the conference, and on April 11, 2011

students presented academic papers and creative works.

Nicholas Kristof, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the

New York Times , was the keynote speaker for the

conference.

2011 Conference EventsProfessional Development Day WorkshopJanuary 7: “Connecting Communities: Academic andCivic Opportunities for Students”Facilitated by Brittany Stephenson, Allison Fernley andStephen Ruffus of the English Department

Online Student Roundtable DiscussionsFebruary 2: “Human Trafficking”March 2: “Poverty”March 30: “Freedom Writers”

Facilitated by students Jasmin Miller and Steven Butler,and English faculty Brittany Stephenson

Conference Day, April 11• Student presentations• Keynote speaker, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist

Nicholas Kristof• Private reception with students and Kristof• Book signing and community conversations with

Kristof

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Student PresentationsIn their conference presentations, students addressed a range ofcritical community issues such as euthanasia, human trafficking, samesex marriage, homelessness, indigenous identities, and writing as apolitical act. Outstanding student presentations included,

• Steven Butler, “Mental Health Care: Convincing Veterans TheyNeed It”

• Jason McFarland, “Art as Activism”

• Ashley Rackl, “Invisible Chains: Sex and Slavery in Cambodia”

• Katie Zastrow, “Write to Fight”

2011 SLCC Student Conference on Writing & Social Justice Final Report

I sat with s everal of my students, an d we were all inspired by the speech.

Several bought Kristof ʼ   s book,and we ̓   ve had great 

discussions a bout his speech  i n class this we ek…What a gift to SLCC and the community! 

–Charlotte Howe, SLCCFaculty

SLCC Support

Academic Affairs Office of the PresidentArts & Cultural Events Phi Theta Kappa Honor SocietyBookstore Publication CenterCommunity Writing Center School of Humanities and Social SciencesEnglish Department School of Professional and Economic DevelopmentInstitutional Marketing Speaker’s BureauLearning Resources Student Writing Center

Miller Business Resource Center Thayne Center for Service & Learning

Student Participation

This year students were deeply engaged with the planning of the conference. Five students served on theorganizing committee: Jasmin Miller, Steven Miller, Elizabeth Henline, Rebecca Stuart, and Irina Slaughter.Those students conceived of and led roundtable discussions, reviewed and gave feedback on proposalsubmissions, helped organize volunteers, and were integral to conference day planning.

The ex pe rience that I had serving on the planning committee has been my m ost rewarding college experience s o far. Being able to have hands on experience as to how a function lik e this is executed was very informa tiv e. It also helped to build my confidence and belief that 

individuals can come together and make an im p act where social issues are concerned.

–Elizabeth Henline, Student Organizer