The comic book, Ms. Marvel is a kind of hero’s journey where the teenage Kamalah Khan becomes the superhero Ms. Marvel. The hero’s journey is a mythological template common across cultures. This panel will define this mythology and discuss what it teaches us in literature and popular culture. This event is part of our One Book, One College program on the book Ms. Marvel.
We were very excited to welcome G. Willow Wilson to campus last week. Wilson, who is the author of our One Book text Ms. Marvel, gave two lectures on campus. She had much to say about heroes, identity, pop culture, and much more. She is currently the writer for Wonder Women, one of DC Comic’s premier titles. She has a new comic series out called Invisible Kingdom, and a new novel called The Bird King.
Additionally, Wilson explores the background and development of the character Ms. Marvel. She talks about the difference in writing a new character and writing a legacy character (such as Wonder Women). She offers advice to writers and talks about her writing process.
These events were made possible by a grant from the Association of Performing Arts Professionals; Building Bridges: Arts Culture and Identity, a component of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
Ms. Marvel author G. Willow Wilson (first lecture), One Book, One College, April 10, 2019
G. Willow Wilson author of Ms. Marvel (second lecture), One Book, One College, April 11, 2019
Members of the Muslim Student Association and the Arab Student Union discuss their religion, serving others, life as students and challenging stereotypes. This event is part of our One Book, One College Programming.
Glossary of terms:
Allah: Arabic Word for God
Asalamo Alaikum: Arabic for Peace be upon you
Zikir: remembrance of God
Quran: Holy book of Islam
Hadith: Traditions, sayings and daily practices of Prophet Muhammad from his daily life (Sunna)
Ayb: Arabic term used to describe something that might be culturally inappropriate
Deen/Din: Arabic word that encompasses judgment, custom, and religion. This term is used by Muslims and Christian Arabic speakers.
Hero’s Journey & the Power of Myth Tuesday, April 23rd, 12:30pm-1:45pm, Library Lounge (Building L)
The comic book, Ms. Marvel is a kind of hero’s journey where the teenage Kamalah Khan becomes the superhero Ms. Marvel. The hero’s journey is a mythological template common across cultures. This panel will define this mythology and discuss what it teaches us in literature and popular culture. This event is part of our One Book, One College program on the book Ms. Marvel.
Pakistan’s history has impacted global events. This complicated story is often misunderstood. This talk will explore this history. This event is part of our One Book, One College Programming.
Immigrant-origin college students (those who have immigrated to the US themselves and children of immigrants) are a growing population. Currently, a third of all college-age young people in the US are first- or second-generation immigrants (Rumbaut & Komaie, 2010).
As immigrant-origin students come of age, they become keenly aware of the social and cultural reflections of themselves in the “social mirror” (Suarez-Orozco, 2004). With xenophobia, racism and discrimination on the rise, especially as directed towards immigrant groups in the US (Chavez, 2008), it is critical to understand how these students develop within contexts that give them complicated messages about how to belong.
Utilizing a strengths-based perspective, we will explore the ways in which immigrant-origin youth respond to such discrimination and how this might impact their developmental experiences. Drawing on a number of mixed-methods studies of immigrant-origin college students, this presentation will highlight the contributions of immigrant-origin youth to their families and communities as well as the ways in which they conceptualize and engage in resistance to social inequality.
Joined by Psychology Professor Dr. Amy Williamson and Sociology Professor Dr. Jeffrey McCully we will consider questions such as: Do individuals have responsibilities to society? If so, what are they? If not, what is the role of individuals in a society? What responsibilities do heroes and leaders have to society? Are individuals becoming increasingly egocentric, and if so, what are the implications of this? What is the social contract that we hold with each other? This event is a collaboration between One Book One College and the Democracy Commitment.
In preparation visit of author G. Willow Wilson, faculty and students will the significance of the award winning comic Ms. Marvel, which is the 2018-2019 One Book selection. This event is part of the One Book, One College program on Ms. Marvel and the Graphic Novel Symposium.
Iva-Marie Palmer, author of the Gabby Garcia’s Ultimate Playbook series, will talk about writing middle-grade novels with a graphic component. Attendees will hear about how this process differs from the typical novel, as well as the nuts and bolts of working with an illustrator. The illustrator of Gabby Garcia’s Ultimate Playbook, Marta Kissi, will join via Skype to talk about her side of the story. This event is part of the One Book, One College program on Ms. Marvel and the Graphic Novel Symposium.
Tommy Hensel, Director of the Fine and Performing Arts Center, discusses the program Mosaics: Muslim Voices in America. He discuses previous and upcoming programming with a special emphasis on This is part of our One Book programming and our Graphic Novel Symposium.
The Mosaics Program, G. Willow Wilson, and Ms. Marvel