Fall 2021

 

When You Get to Share Memes with Friends, But It’s Also a Scholarly Discussion

Join us on Wednesday, November 17th at 12:30 PM (late-comers welcome!) in ACD 304. for a discussion about forms of communication that have dominated social media during the last decade: memes, Tweets, and TikToks. Such brief and humorous forms of communication have come to define Millennials and Gen Z as well as to promote relatability or a sense of “I am not alone” that can be both validating and humorous.

Participants are encouraged to share their favorite memes, TikToks, or trending Tweets to help spur discussion. Why did you pick this content? Do you identify with it or find it relatable? Why? (School-friendly content, please!)

Please email sarah.shea@uconn.edu for questions about this event.

 

 

 

 

AMA (Ask Me Anything)

This is a Global Café Learning Community event based on this year’s theme of Defining Ourselves: An exploration of the many facets of identity.

Join us on Wednesday, October 20th at 12:15 PM (late-comers welcome!) in ACD 304. This event is in-person for the Avery Point campus only. Interested students, staff, and faculty from Storrs or other campuses are welcome to participate via live-stream.

This is your chance to ask Professor Frank Griggs any and all questions about politics! Questions can be submitted in advance (frank.griggs@uconn.edu) or at the event.

Everyone is also encouraged to complete the Pew Research Center’s Political Typology Quiz for an assessment of their social-political values before attending the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Defining Ourselves Through Poetry

This is a Global Café Learning Community event based on this year’s theme of Defining Ourselves: An exploration of the many facets of identity.

Share and hear poetry about how we describe our multiple identities. When sharing the poem, start by introducing yourself (more identity) and then give the title and author before beginning. It may be one line or a few minutes long. You may choose to take a minute or two at the start or end of the poem to explain its significance to you, or simply read the poem. As time allows, we will take a few minutes afterward to talk about what we all connected with in the poetry shared.

If you’d like some direction on where to find poetry or inspiration, check these websites out:

  •  Poetry Foundation – a general online poetry source.
  •  An example of a poem by Jonathan Rodríquez about how identity, as it is visible in a person’s name, may be complicated.
  •  Poetry Unbound – A website about poetry (often related to identity) that includes readings and discussion:

 

 

 

 

 

 

One Book, One Region Book Discussion: Interior Chinatown

Tuesday September 14, 2021
6:30 PM until 8:00 PM

Join us for a discussion of the 2021 One Book, One Region selection, Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. The discussion will be led by Laurie Wolfley, professor at UConn Avery Point.

Willis Wu doesn’t perceive himself as the protagonist in his own life: he’s merely Generic Asian Man. After stumbling into the spotlight, Willis finds himself launched into a wider world than he’s ever known, discovering not only the secret history of Chinatown, but the buried legacy of his own family. Infinitely inventive and deeply personal, exploring the themes of pop culture, assimilation, and immigration—Interior Chinatown is Charles Yu’s most moving, daring, and masterful novel yet.

Copies of the book are available at the library.

Zoom meeting information will be emailed to registered attendees and our newsletter subscribers. The Library is taking security measures to make this the best experience possible. Programming may be affected or cancelled due to COVID-19.

Click here to go to the Groton Public Library calendar.