Indiana University East will present Alice Driver from 5-6 p.m. on Monday, September 22,  in the Whitewater Hall Community Room. Driver, a photojournalist in Mexico, will present on her upcoming book More or Less Dead. She will also talk about her work as a photographer and as a documentary filmmaker. Her documentary film is If Images Could Fill Our Empty Spaces.

The event is free and open to the public. The presentation is a part of Hispanic Heritage Month events at IU East. The event is sponsored by Mindful Explorations, courtesy of the William H. and Jean R. Reller Endowment, IU East Diversity grant, and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Driver will discuss issues related to border cities between Mexico and the United States including women’s issues, policing, violence, diversity, and culture. Driver researched these issues while a postdoctoral fellow at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City where she worked with the Centro de Investigaciones sobre América del Norte.

Driver received her Ph.D. in Hispanic Studies from the University of Kentucky. Her writing has been featured in publications such as Al Jazeera, Ms. Magazine, Women’s Media Center, Salon, and Vela, and her photography has appeared in National Geographic. She is currently a consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank where she serves as a writer for the United Nations sponsored project Sustainable Energy for All.

She will visit classes and talk with faculty and staff while at IU East September 22-23.  She will also appear live on WETV Channel 20 at 11 a.m. on Monday, September 22.

IU East’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration is September 13 to October 12 with several events and activities offered by the World Languages and Cultures department and the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Throughout the month WCTV will air the “Let’s Talk” discussion on Hispanic Health. The discussion covers common health issues and obstacles experienced by Hispanics in Richmond as well as provides information about local resources available to help overcome health related barriers. The “Let’s Talk” series includes a comprehensive presentation by IU East faculty and leaders in the community.

IU East Spanish students are visiting Richmond elementary schools for Huevos verdes y jamon (Bilingual Storytelling) September 16-18 as part of a joint venture with the Campus Library and literacy movements. Students read books to the elementary students and speak about Hispanic Heritage Month.

The storytelling program is in its third year. The Campus Library purchases books and packets for IU East students to work with the elementary school students. The students also examine works by Xavier Garza, children’s author and illustrator. Garza will visit IU East to speak with students about his writing on Monday, October 13, 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m., in the Whitewater Hall Community Room.

On Thursday, October 9, Spanish classes at IU East will create altars for Day of the Dead. Members of the campus are invited to contribute photos of loved ones. The classes will present their altars and speak about Day of the Dead via the Hispanicampus gallery project. The campus will vote for their favorite altar. The event begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Campus Library, located in Hayes Hall.

List of Hispanic Heritage Month Events at IU East

• Room 912 Exhibit: IU East students who studied abroad in Argentina exhibit their artwork and research projects at IU East’s Room 912, located at 912 E. Main Street in Richmond, Ind., September 13-October 15
• Hispanic Campus: Virtual Galleries feature Room 912 exhibit and Day of the Dead Altars, September 13-October 15
• Huevos verdes y jamon (Bilingual Storytelling): IU East students visit Fairview Elementary School and Elizabeth Starr Academy, September 16-September 18
• Alice Driver Visit: Alice Driver campus presentation, Whitewater Hall Community Room, Monday, 5-6 p.m., September 22
• Day of the Dead Altar Building Competition: IU East Spanish classes create altars for Day of the Dead, Hayes Hall Campus Library Atrium, 1:30 p.m., Thursday, October 9
• Xavier Garza Visit: Xavier Garza, children’s author and illustrator, will visit IU East to speak with students about his writing,  11:15-12:15 a.m., Whitewater Hall Community Room, Monday, October 13