It took more than two decades, four unpublished manuscripts, and scores of rejection letters before Laura Warrell brought her first book into the world—the acclaimed novel Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm, which was published by Pantheon Books last year and recently issued in a paperback edition. A lecturer in the English department at CSUDH since 2017, Warrell discussed the challenges she’s faced as a writer, her approach to the craft, and the inspiration for her debut novel during an evening of conversation on Oct. 4 at the Marvin Laser Recital Hall. The event, co-hosted by the departments of English and Women’s Studies, was introduced by Debra Best, professor of English, and featured a ... Read More
Immigrant Justice Center Celebrates ‘Reopening’
The Toro Dreamers Success Center has provided critical resources for CSUDH’s undocumented community since 2017. Going forward, that support will continue under a new name that better aligns with its core mission and values—the Immigrant Justice Center (IJC). A formal ribbon-cutting event was held at the center’s office on the first floor of Loker Student Union and upstairs in the Palm Courtyard. Students, alumni, faculty, and staff celebrated the reopening with food, music, cultural experiences, and an open house that highlighted key services available to CSUDH’s undocumented community. The center offers undocumented students a range of services and amenities, from academic and ... Read More
Partnership Aims to Strengthen Health Sector
Educational leaders and healthcare professionals from South Los Angeles met on the CSUDH campus this week to sign the Compton Community Health Professions Partnership that will promote healthcare careers among secondary, undergraduate, and graduate students, and address persistent disparities in healthcare outcomes for local communities of color. Representatives from Compton Unified School District (CUSD), Compton College, Charles Drew University, St. John’s Community Health, and Kedren Health joined Assemblymember Mike Gipson (CA-65) and CSUDH President Thomas A. Parham for a signing ceremony at the Leo F. Cain Library. “I’m a firm believer that without vision, the people will ... Read More
New Exhibition Explores Alternative Journalism
The exhibition "Alternate Takes: Community, Underground and Alternative Newspapers, Zines, & Comix at the CSUDH Gerth Archives & Special Collections," is now open in the Library Cultural Arts Gallery. The exhibition is focused on alternative and community newspapers and publications, and the history told and preserved within their pages. Through these periodicals, the Gerth Archives aims to showcase how communities in Los Angeles and across the world documented their lived experiences through an array of publications, ranging from newspapers to comics, zines, and more. An opening reception will be held on Oct. 5, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. "This exhibition reflects the ... Read More
Emerita Professor Wins Prestigious NEH Grant
CSUDH Emerita Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies Patricia Kalayjian has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for her work creating a digital archive of the letters of 19th-century American author Catharine Maria Sedgwick. Kalayjian is the project director of the endeavor, and is working with fellow Sedgwick scholars Deborah Gussman, professor of American Literature at Stockton University in New Jersey, and Lucinda Damon-Bach, professor of English at Salem State University in Massachusetts. With the help of a small team of assistants, they are working to transcribe, verify, annotate, and cross-reference each of the thousands of letters ... Read More
