LAB PROGRAMS for Fall 2025 and Spring 2026
Conservation Storytelling Through Film: A Good Wolf
- Date: September 17, 2025
- Time: 4–6:30 p.m.
- Location: Graf 120
Film screening followed by Q&A with filmmaker Ramey Newell.
“I Live to Tell the World: Real Life Stories from Survivors”
- Date: September 25, 2025
- Time: 6–7:30 p.m.
- Location: Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium
- Admission: Free and open to the ÃÛѨÊÓƵ community and public
A conversation with Elizabeth Mehren led by Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt, followed by Q&A.
Refugees from Rwanda, Myanmar, Bosnia, Cambodia, Syria and beyond share powerful stories of resilience, survival and courage.
Immigrant Story LIVE with Sonia Ticas and Liani Reeves
Date: October 7, 2025
Time: 6–7:30 p.m.
Location: Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium
Admission: Free and open to the ÃÛѨÊÓƵ community and public
Immigrants share live, heartfelt stories that celebrate resilience, identity and community. Q&A to follow.
A Pilot Program on Bringing Storytelling to ÃÛѨÊÓƵ
A workshop with storyteller Will Hornyak
- Date: October 23, 2025
- Time: 4–7 p.m.
- Location: Jonasson Hall
- Admission: Open to all ÃÛѨÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff (Pre-registration will be required)
We all have stories to tell and a unique voice and style of telling them. During this initial workshop, participants will learn some of the fundamentals of finding and crafting a brief personal narrative. This is an experiential workshop with time for developing a short story and sharing it in a small group. There will be simple exercises and activities for continuing to shape and refine your story in the future. No previous experience in storytelling is required. This will be a welcoming and enjoyable environment for sharing a meaningful moment in your life through the art of storytelling. The first large-group interactive session will be open to all students, faculty, and staff and will be capped at 50 participants. The session will be approximately 3 hours, and refreshments will be provided.
The second element of the storytelling workshop, scheduled for the spring, will provide sessions to deepen and refine a 7-minute story for performance. This is only open to those who participated in the initial interactive workshop. In this second workshop, Will Hornyak will work with six to eight individual storytellers from ÃÛѨÊÓƵ and prepare them to tell their stories (on stage) in Spring 2026.
About the Instructor: Storyteller Will Hornyak has been a professional storyteller and teacher of storytelling for 30 years. He has performed at festivals and theaters throughout the United States and taught classes in personal storytelling at Portland State University, Lewis and Clark College and Marylhurst University. Will has also worked with the Portland non-profit “Open Hearts, Open Minds” to integrate storytelling, theatre and dialogue into Oregon penitentiaries. He is a strong advocate for storytelling as a change-agent in personal and collective life. For further information:
Art of Personal Narrative Workshop
- Date: April 21, 2026
- Time: 4:30 p.m.
- Location: T.J. Day 222
- Admission: For participants of the initial workshop
A deeper dive into personal storytelling. Six to eight storytellers will prepare to share their stories on stage in spring 2026.
Students Telling Their Stories: LIVE
- Date: May 1, 2026
- Time: 7–10 p.m.
- Location: Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium
- Admission: Free and open to the ÃÛѨÊÓƵ community and public
A live event featuring ÃÛѨÊÓƵ students performing personal stories developed through the workshop series.
Omar El Akkad
Workshop
(for ÃÛѨÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff only)
- Date: April 8, 2026
- Time/Location: TBA
In conversation with Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt and Rachel Norman
(open to the public)
- Date: April 8, 2026
- Time: 6–7:30 p.m.
- Location: Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium
- Format: Lecture followed by Q&A
Spring 2025 Events
March 19 | “Crossing Borders” Speaker Panel
The “Crossing Borders” Speaker Panel brings Molly Chew ’12, who leads the , and multimedia artist .
VECINA’s ReUnite Project facilitates the swift release and reunification of detained unaccompanied immigrant children with their family members and other loved ones, known as “sponsors,” through pro bono legal services and individualized support. Since the project’s launch in March 2021, ReUnite has supported over 1,400 unaccompanied children in the release and reunification process. As project director, Chew serves as an expert and consultant on issues concerning unaccompanied minors, family separation and reunification.
Vázquez Gómez’ investigates the social functions of art, the intersections between aesthetics, ethics and politics and the expansion of community-based art practices. Her multimedia work includes painting, printmaking, video and music, among others. Her work is informed by her experiences working in the immigrant rights and other social justice movements.
Photos from the event
April 2, April 4, April 30, May 2
Faculty/Staff Reading Group Meetings on Javier Zamora’s Solito
Led by Dr. Sonia Ticas and Katie Higinbotham
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Dillin NW Room
April 24
An Interactive Campus-Wide Discussion on Solito and Border Crossings
Led by LAB Student Fellows Sofia Paredes and Alondra Briseno Monje
Time: 4:15 – 5:30 p.m.
Location: Jonasson Hall
May 1
Opening and Reception for Transitions/Transgressions
Pop Up Art Gallery An Interdisciplinary Collaboration on Crossing Borders
Time: 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Nicholson Library
(ÃÛѨÊÓƵ students, faculty, staff are all welcome)
May 1 – May 7
Transitions/Transgressions
Pop Up Art Gallery: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration on Crossing Borders
(An all-campus interdisciplinary collaborative exploration of “crossing borders” as conceptualized culturally, politically, artistically, symbolically and metaphorically)
Location: Nicholson Library
(Open to Public)
May 7
Javier Zamora in conversation with Dr. Sonia Ticas & Dr. Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt
Book signing to follow
Time: 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium
(Open to ÃÛѨÊÓƵ Community and Public)
Professor Swap: All throughout Spring 2025
Faculty from two different disciplines will be paired and they will either teach each other’s classes from their own disciplinary perspectives or observe each other’s teachings or co-teach a combined class session.
Fall 2024 Events
Breaking the Silence: Belonging and Alienation on a Liberal Arts Campus
Wednesday, Oct. 2
Book Discussion – Breaking the Silence: Belonging and Alienation on a Liberal Arts University Campus
Interactive discussion led by students on Anthony Jack’s “The Privileged Poor: How Elite Colleges Are Failing Disadvantaged Students”
Note: Open to ÃÛѨÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff only
Riley 201
4:15 - 5:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 10
Book Discussion – Anthony Jack Reading Group
Led by Professor Robin Barklis, Department of Political Science
Note: Open to ÃÛѨÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff only
Walker 203
4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 16
Keynote: Class Dismissed: When Colleges Ignore Inequality and Students Pay the Price
Keynote lecture and book signing by renowned author Anthony Jack.
Richard and Lucille Ice Auditorium
5:30 - 7 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 17
Conversation and Workshop with Anthony Jack
Note: Open to ÃÛѨÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff only
Jonasson Hall
4:30 - 6 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct 30
Debate - The rise of Gen Z social media activism has negatively impacted U.S. democracy
Six students from ÃÛѨÊÓƵ’s award-winning Speech and Debate Team will present a public debate on the motion, “The rise of Gen Z social media activism has negatively impacted U.S. democracy.”
For more information, contact communication arts Professor Jackson Miller.
Note: Open to ÃÛѨÊÓƵ students, faculty and staff only
Riley Hall, Fred Meyer Lounge
4:30 - 5:30 p.m.