Moraine Valley Community College Library Podcast

Frankenstein is many things: a novel with themes of science, hubris, nature vs. nurture, God vs. nature, the list goes on. But, at its heart, it is also a cautionary tale for us. Faculty member, Ann Webb will discuss these questions; What happens when we value power instead of people?

Come meet one of our new members of the Board of Trustees Jaclyn O’Day. Trustee O’Day is a lifelong Palos Park resident and has a wealth of knowledge of local, state, and national politics.

What do we mean when we say someone is a monster? Who are the monsters in literature and why are they labeled that way? This discussion will explore social taboos, norms, and collective fears. This event is part of our One Book, One College series on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

We are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness at the same time we have a crisis in democracy, marked by rising political polarization, disinformation, and political extremism. Join Psychology Professor Dr. Laura Lauzen-Collins, Sociology Professor Dr. Alison Lacny, History Professor Merri Fefles-Dunkle and Political Science Professor Kevin Navratil for a discussion on the importance of belonging to groups, institutions, and modern society and possible negative implications for society when individuals lack a sense of belonging.

Kristen Radtke's graphic novel Seek You builds connections between the rugged individualism embedded in American culture and the loneliness that we see around us in post-pandemic America. We often idealize the self-reliance, independence, and personal responsibility rooted in American history but at what cost? This faculty panel will explore this idea using literature, philosophy, and other disciplines as lenses through which to view this aspect of our culture. This event is part of our One Book program.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing advocate Michele Cunningham will discuss the struggles of growing up in a language-exclusive community of hearing family members. As the only deaf person in her family, Michele learned how to adapt when the rest of the world won’t. Eventually, she rediscovered herself, community-wise and personally, and reconnected to her culture.

Attend this intriguing discussion with women representing the Arab American and Muslim American professional community. The panelists, representing an array of professions, reclaim their narrative as they share their personal, educational and career journeys and provide insight about how they navigate a professional world that has preconceived notions about the communities they represent. This event is organized by the Arab Student Union as part of Arab Heritage Month.

Yemeni-Americans are a growing segment of the population in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. Kipp Cozad, a Middle East scholar and former Peace Corps Volunteer in Yemen will discuss what makes Yemenis unique among the Arab population using Yemen’s vast history to reveal an identity that is both highly cosmopolitan and, at the same time, static and isolated. These qualities present a fascinating culture that few get a chance to experience. Finally, Cozad will place Yemeni mobility in historical context, explain how Yemenis ended up in America, and how the current conflict in the Arab nation has interrupted modern patterns of movement. We encourage Yemeni-Americans to attend to gain a better understanding of their rich history and to ask Cozad about his experiences in Yemen. We invite all to attend to learn about Yemen and to engage in the discussion at lecture’s end.

During this panel discussion, 3 faculty members from different parts of the world: Nickolas Shizas, Anni Rasmussen and Shanya Gray will discuss American loneliness from their global perspectives. These faculty members will share their own lived experiences with loneliness as either a first generation American or an immigrant to the United States. They will also discuss some cultural value differences between their country of origin and the USA, and in turn how those differences impacted their experiences of loneliness. During this discussion, they will also facilitate an interactive discussion with the audience about how we individually and collectively can begin to address loneliness, what Kristen Radtke calls “A silent epidemic in America”.

Once the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June, states quickly made changes to their laws that have had serious impacts on women. Hear about these changes and steps many women now need to take to get safe reproductive health care. This event is organized by MVCC's Women's History Month Committee.

Dr. Nadine Naber, associate professor in the Gender and Women’s Studies Program at University of Illinois at Chicago, will illustrate how forms of state violence that currently shape the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are feminist concerns and how feminist movements have helped expand the possibility of building alternative futures. Drawing on examples from Egypt, Iran, Lebanon and Palestine, she will focus on activist frameworks such as radical mothering, activism and coalitional consciousness.

In 1908 the Tunguska explosion in Siberia knocked down an area of forest larger than London. Most scientists believe that a fragment of an asteroid or a comet caused the blast, but neither a crater nor unmistakable remnants of a meteorite have ever been found. Over the last century, the mysterious nature of the event has prompted a wide array of speculation and investigation, including from science fiction writers and voluntary researchers. Some have even explained Tunguska as a nuclear explosion triggered by aliens. Join us for a presentation by Dr. Andy Bruno from Northern Illinois University, where he will recount the intriguing history of the Tunguska event and the investigations into it.

Justin Kapelinski is a former Moraine Valley student and a current graduate nurse practitioner student from Loyola who is meeting with GASP to discuss topics of sexual health, STI prevention strategies, and LGBTQ healthcare disparities. This event is organized by the GASP club.

What are some challenges Muslim youth face and responsibilities we strive to take on in our personal lives and in our communities? Please join Muslim Student Association as we hear from Dr. Seem Imam and discuss our roles as Muslims in our institutions and community.

Dr. Cricel Molina is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at DePaul University with over 20 years of public health research and teaching experience. She will be discussing the public health response to Covid-19, lessons learned as the world navigates a new normal, and why public health experts were not entirely surprised by (nor entirely prepared for) the pandemic. She will also share some tips on exploring a career in the vast field of public health.

Through this talk, story tellers will be better able to appreciate graphic novels as an artform.

An examination leading up to the 2022 Election. Which party might control the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate? Who is running in key statewide races in Illinois including for Governor?

Learn more about types of abuse, identify early warning signs, understand the cycles of abuse, and become an advocate and save lives.

In this lecture we’ll discuss the background of Vlad Dracula’s life, the environment into which he was born, and his past and present status as a Romanian hero. We will also discuss the unusual way Dracula was seen as a vampire shortly after his death as well as the origins of his current fictive status as a vampire.

This panel discussion will deal directly with loneliness. What is it? How does technology and modern library make it worse? What can we do to avoid it?