Posted by Kyle Frink, Poetry reader for issue 4.2
Mariposa Fernandez at the McVittie Union Ballroom during All- College Hour January 20th
In mid-January of this year several students participated in the Real World Geneseo class taught by Professor Becky Glass, Executive Assistant to the President, and Mrs. Fatima Rodriguez, the Assistant Dean of Students, Multicultural Programs & Services. Even at a school where the majority of students are white, it’s important to note that there are people dedicated to providing resources and support for those who are marginalized and/or underrepresented. The four-day class focused on intersectionality, and the heart of it was a writing seminar lead by Mariposa Fernandez. Fernandez is a Puerto Rican author, poet, and performance artist born and raised in the Bronx. She is the author of Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001), and has been featured on the HBO series Habla Ya! and in the HBO documentary Americanos: Latino Life in the United States. She lives in New York City. She, along with Dr. Broomfield, Assistant Professor of Dance Studies, prompted the students to divulge their inner most feelings and share intimate stories about their backgrounds. Some of these students weren’t writers, or familiar with creative nonfiction, and had not ever shared these stories before.
In mid-January of this year several students participated in the Real World Geneseo class taught by
Jenny Soudachanh, Liz Boateng, Seung Yun Kim, Nana Boakye, Momo (Jawad) Tazari, and Skyler Susnick during the performance February 28th.
Professor Becky Glass, Executive Assistant to the President, and Mrs. Fatima Rodriguez, the Assistant Dean of Students, Multicultural Programs & Services. Even at a school where the majority of students are white, it’s important to note that there are people dedicated to providing resources and support for those who are marginalized and/or underrepresented. The four-day class focused on intersectionality, and the heart of it was a writing seminar lead by Mariposa Fernandez. Fernandez is a Puerto Rican author, poet, and performance artist born and raised in the Bronx. She is the author of Born Bronxeña: Poems on Identity, Love & Survival (2001), and has been featured on the HBO series Habla Ya! and in the HBO documentary Americanos: Latino Life in the United States. She lives in New York City. She, along with Dr. Broomfield, Assistant Professor of Dance Studies, prompted the students to divulge their inner most feelings and share intimate stories about their backgrounds. Some of these students weren’t writers, or familiar with creative nonfiction, and had not ever shared these stories before.
The script to the full New Vistas performance is archived in the Theatre department. Video recordings of the performance can be purchased for $25. I went and saw it twice. The powerful message Geneseo’s student artists have to share is more than meaningful; it’s their everyday reality. This performance says, “This is who we are. We are proud. We demand respect. We are the voices of this generation. We are the change.”
