By: Kyra Velock

On November 10, 2021, the 2021-2022 World Cinema Series continued with its second virtual analysis and discussion of the 2019 supernatural romantic drama, Atlantics. Directed by Mati Diop, the film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or Award at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival. The film premiered at Cannes, where Diop made history as the first Black woman to direct a film featured in competition at the festival. The film won the Grand Prix, which is the second highest prize awarded at this prestigious film festival.

This haunting refugee story draws on elements of romance, loss, grief, family struggles, and the supernatural. It follows a young girl named Ada living in Dakar, Senegal, an Atlantic port on the Cap-Vert peninsula in West Africa. Ada wrestles with her feelings as she is in love with Souleiman, a construction worker who seeks a brighter future in Spain, yet she is betrothed to a wealthy man named Omar.

One night, Souleiman and the other construction workers decide to leave the country and travel to Spain via the Atlantic Ocean, which is used in many ways throughout the film as it symbolizes change, growth, life, and death. Things take a turn when Omar’s bed mysteriously catches fire in a suspected arson attack on their wedding day, and Ada falls under suspicion and succumbs to multiple interrogations. Ada anxiously awaits for Souleiman’s return after his abrupt departure, but as the film progresses, strange and unexplained incidents begin to occur throughout town.

The first panelist was Dr. Julius Adekunle, a professor in the Department of History and Anthropology at Monmouth, and a specialist in sub-Saharan African history, culture, politics, and religion. Dr. Adekunle offered a brief history of Senegal, first discussing its colonization by the French. He emphasized that this country remains deeply poverty stricken, as an estimated 46.7% of the population lives in poverty in Senegal, and continues to grapple with economic challenges, as economic growth is very slow. Dr. Adekunle also discussed the inequality between the rich and poor, which is the driving force for why the construction workers end up haunting the business tycoons later in the film. The spirits of the workers terrorize the rich to get revenge, forcing them to dig their graves so the spirits can finally rest in peace.

Dr. Lisa Vetere, an associate professor in the Department of English at Monmouth, focused her remarks on ghosts, witchcraft, and the supernatural in this film. She discussed the three main figurations in the film: (1) ghosts, specters, and spectrality, (2) The Atlantic Ocean, and (3) The Muejiza Hotel. Dr. Vetere commented on the metaphoric power of ghosts and hauntings in the film, as a ghost can serve as a metaphor for many different things. It is often hard to describe such things that exist in the “in between” reality – anthropologists may call it a “liminal figure.”  Ghosts can serve as a way to bridge the gap in the relationship between absence and presence.

This installment of the World Cinema Series was a great success. Approximately 40 attendees enjoyed an evening of stimulating discussion of the film and many other global issues that the film represents, including inequality, migration, poverty, and social justice issues.

By: Kyra Velock

On Wednesday, October 13, 2021, the Institute for Global Understanding (IGU) and Urban Coast Institute (UCI) commenced the second season of their Global Ocean Governance Lecture Series with a panel addressing “Current Issues in Global Governance of Whales.” This panel consisted of three experts in whale management science, law, and policy presenting on cutting-edge topics concerning global protection of whales.

Moderated by IGU Director, Professor Randall Abate, the panel included two U.S. marine scientists and one Canadian law professor. Dr. Howard Rosenbaum, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society Ocean Giants Program Director, set the stage with his presentation on “Ensuring the Continuing Recovery: Protecting the Great Whales in the Context of 21st Century Challenges.” Dr. Rosenbaum addressed the pressing challenges great whales face in the 21st century, including bycatch, vessel strikes, sonar and underwater noise pollution, coastal and offshore wind developments in critical habitats, and the impacts of oil spills and other ocean pollutants. He also discussed how science, technology, and innovative approaches can aid in the recovery of great whales, focusing on whales in the New York Bight and Mid-Atlantic region.

Dr. Francine Kershaw, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) Staff Scientist, presented next on “Saving the Critically Endangered North Atlantic Right Whale: Challenges and Opportunities.” She incorporated oceanographic findings to explain how anthropogenic climate change is causing distribution shifts of the North Atlantic right whale. Dr. Kershaw discussed how the widening Gulf Stream in Maine over the past decade (as a result of climate change) is directly correlated to whale migration patterns. As the Gulf of Maine warms, the North Atlantic right whale’s main source of food—plankton – shift to unfamiliar areas to survive in a cooler environment. This pushes whale migration closer to the coastlines, opening up more chances for them to interact with anthropogenic activities such as offshore wind farms and other projects, boating collisions, and marine pollution. Fortunately, new technological advancements, such as ropeless fishing systems, have the potential to mitigate some of these whale migration challenges to prevent fishing line entanglement.

Dr. Cameron Jefferies, Associate Professor at the University of Alberta Faculty of Law (Canada), delivered the final presentation on “Modernizing the International Whaling Commission’s Approach to Aboriginal Subsistence Whaling.” He introduced the Canadian perspective on ocean policy and law, including perspectives on the Indigenous right to whaling. Dr. Jefferies noted that Canada is an outlier when it comes to its approach to international whale management, as it holds 37 cetacean species within its waters but is not a member of the International Whaling Commission (IWC).

Since 1946, when the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling came into force, the main challenge at the IWC has been the future of internationally sanctioned commercial whaling. In 1985, the IWC placed a moratorium on commercial whaling, which has helped aid the recovery of whale species but has escalated tensions between pro- and anti-whaling nations, and has raised concerns in other parties to the treaty.

Dr. Jefferies then focused on aboriginal subsistence whaling, which is another contentious issue under the treaty, especially for Canada. In an effort to respect Indigenous communities that have practiced whaling for centuries as a cultural, nutritional, and social tradition, the IWC has grappled with allowing exceptions for these Indigenous rights. This process led Canada to withdraw from the IWC in 1981 because the IWC dismissed Canada’s need to protect whaling rights for indigenous communities.

By Anna Gwiazda

On Tuesday, October 12, 2021, Monmouth University’s School of Social Work Growing Together as Allies (GTAA) hosted guest speaker, Anjanette Young, for her presentation titled, “Living Beyond the Trauma of Racism: #Iam Her.” The event was co-sponsored by the Institute for Global Understanding and was partially funded by the Diversity and Innovation Grant from the Intercultural Center. GTAA is a committee of faculty, students and alumni working to advance anti-racism within the school, university, and community.

Anjanette Young is a graduate of Jane Addams School of Social Work at The University of Illinois Chicago and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker . She is the President/CEO of Cafe Social Work, and the author of the book, 30 Days Until the Finish Line. The focus of this session was on the trauma caused by the United States’ broken criminal justice system, which disproportionately victimizes and inflicts violence on Black individuals and communities, and how to take action and get involved in addressing it.

Ms. Young courageously shared with the audience the most traumatic day of her life. She explained that on February 20, 2019, twelve white male police officers wrongly raided her house on a no-knock warrant based on incorrect information. The police officers forcefully entered her house with guns drawn at her and failed to acknowledge her humanity when they refused to allow her to cover her naked body before being handcuffed. Ms. Young highlighted that this was not only a failure on the part of the Chicago Police Department but a social issue that is deeply rooted in the racist criminal justice system. Ms. Young explained that she is a survivor, unlike Breonna Taylor and many other Black people, who faced the same situation but were shot and killed. All twelve police officers currently walk the streets of Chicago without any repercussions, while Ms. Young was left feeling traumatized.

Fighting for social justice is Ms. Young’s legacy, in the footsteps of her grandmother who marched beside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. during the Civil Rights Movement. She explained that after the events of the night with the Chicago police her faith guided her to step into the public arena and advocate for policy change within the criminal justice system. She has been speaking out through events like these and is working on passing legislation through the Chicago City Council called the Anjanette Young Ordinance to ensure that no one else endures the inhumane treatment that she received.

Ms. Young advocates that people educate themselves on systemic racism and use their voice through voting in local elections. She urged the audience to reflect to expand their social circles to include a racially diverse network of friends, so in that way we recognize race. She explained that when you fail to acknowledge race you fail to acknowledge the person. Ms. Young concluded the session with questions from the audience and encouraged students to contact her. Please click here to learn more about Anjanette Young’s Ordinance.

To learn more about the other sessions hosted by the School of Social Work Growing Together as Allies Fall 2021 Speaker Series, please click here.

By Kyra Velock

On Monday, October 4, 2021, Dr. Megan Delaney hosted an event at the Third Annual Climate Crisis Teach-In at Monmouth University. Dr. Delaney addressed “eco-wellness,” a fairly new concept that refers to how the current climate crisis impacts mental health and overall wellness.

As a professional counselor, Dr. Delaney has years of experience using this therapeutic approach, which involves the concept of eco-therapy. This unique form of therapy focuses on integrating the natural world into emotional health and well-being. Dr. Delaney strives to incorporate the natural world into her counseling sessions by having her appointments outside in nature. She also makes an effort to have her clients focus on the present sounds, sights, and smells of the environment as a way to relax and clear the mind of the past and the future.

As eco-wellness correlates to the current climate crisis, this event discussed ways to cope with climate-related grief and anxiety. The group discussion touched on individual experiences about overconsumption and waste, especially in America, and how it correlates to mental health and well-being. Delaney also talked about the seven factors of eco-wellness and how we can use them to our advantage when confronting climate anxiety. These factors are physical access, sensory access, connection, protection, preservation, spirituality, and community connectedness.

Physical and sensory access involve the ability to interact with nature, as well as touch, smell, see, or hear nature in the absence of physical contact with nature. Connection refers to pleasant cognitions and emotions elicited by one’s relationship with nature. Protection, also known as “nature self-efficacy,” is feeling effective when navigating natural settings and having a sense of what might contribute to one’s survival and enjoyment when in nature. Preservation, also known as “environmental agency,” is acting on behalf of the natural world, such as doing one’s part with recycling or supporting environmental causes. Spirituality is feeling connected with one’s conception of a higher power and/or life-guiding principles elicited through one’s connection with nature – this could involve meditation, religion, yoga, journaling, coloring, etc.  Lastly, community connectedness refers to feeling connected with others in nature, perhaps coming together to support an environmental cause.

Climate-related grief and anxiety may be mitigated when practicing the seven factors approach to eco-wellness, but as climate change is an ongoing issue in the world that affects everyone, it is difficult to fully combat these feelings. The seven factors are simply ways to help cope with the climate crisis as the world continues to change. Dr. Delaney suggests that feeling connected to nature by spending more time outside and being active in the environmental community are some of the best ways to cope with climate grief.

According to EPA data, Americans spend approximately 90 percent of their time indoors. Because humans spend so much time indoors, it is easy to forget our role in nature and the ability nature has to heal us. Over the centuries, humans have become very disconnected from nature and feel that nature is something separate from us. Humanity is not separate from nature, but merely an extension of it. Spending time outdoors and with others is very healing as we remember our connection to nature and see ourselves as part of it instead of separate from it.

By Vicki Lekkas

The 2021-2022 World Cinema Series began on October 6 with an engaging analysis and discussion of the movie Sin Nombre. Sin Nombre is a harrowing and moving story about a young man who attempts to escape from a cycle of gang violence towards a better life in the United States. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the film follows a young man, Casper, and his exposure to an extremely violent gang environment. His desire to break free of his gang ties is propelled by his encounter and friendship with a young Honduran woman, Sayra, who is traveling with her family to cross the U.S. border and ultimately connect with relatives in New Jersey. The movie illuminates the unfortunate and incomprehensible circumstances that immigrants must endure as well as how gangs wield control of their youth members in a terrifying fashion.

Dr. Pearson, the coordinator of the World Cinema Series, opened the event by providing context to the movie as it relates world events, anthropology, and the movement of peoples throughout the world. He discussed how the theme of this year’s series, “Living on the Edge:  Displacement, Identity, and Resilience,” focuses on people that are driven by war, political violence, poverty to migrate to new lands. He noted that the film contained scenes of extreme violence, which was thoroughly discussed by the group later in the evening. After this brief introduction, Dr. Pearson introduced the agenda for the evening, which included discussions from three panelists: Dr. Priscilla Gac-Artigas, Dr. Manuel Chavez, and Gustavo Gac-Artigas.

Dr. Priscilla Gac-Artigas, Professor of Spanish and Latin American Literature in Monmouth’s World Languages and Cultures Department, discussed the cultural and lingual context of the film. She explained that, even as a fluent Spanish speaker, there were linguistic details in the movie that she could not understand since the film did such an excellent job at displaying how the gangs in these environments invent their own language in a sense. She shared several examples of how words may be cross-lingual, often a combination of Spanish and English, and commented on the etymology of many of the key words in the movie.

Dr. Manuel Chavez, Lecturer and Director of the Philosophy Program at Monmouth, provided more context on the environment that the gangs create and how prevalent the violence can be. He also provided commentary on the geo-political circumstances that have led to the types of violence, corruption, and destitution that have been allowed to grow and have unfortunately continued throughout Latin America.

Finally, Gustavo Gac-Artigas, a writer, playwright, actor, theater director, and publisher, offered a poetic commentary on the humanity of these people and how that is an often-overlooked consideration when viewing the story of immigration. He discussed various groups of people that are seeking a better home throughout the world and possible solutions to advance their cause. He suggested that we need to consider the frame of mind of these individuals and how we ought to turn our hearts towards these people who need compassion more than anything.

This World Cinema Series event provided the approximately 40 attendees with an evening of thoughtful and inspiring discussion not only on the film, but also on the global circumstances underlying the immigration of so many people throughout the world.

By Anna Gwiazda

On Thursday, September 31, 2021, Monmouth University’s English Department graduate students from Craft Seminar (EN 615) and Literatures of Immigration (EN 533), along with Dr. Mihaela Moscaliuc, hosted a reading and discussion of Adrienne Su’s newly published poetry book, Peach State (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2021). Su is a critically acclaimed author of five poetry collections, and a Creative Writing professor at Dickinson College (PA). She earned a B.A. at Harvard and Radcliffe College and an M.F.A from the University of Virginia. Su has received many awards including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a Barbara Deming

Foundation Grant, as well as residencies at Yaddo, MacDowell, The Frost Place, The Virginia Center for Creative Arts, and the Fine Arts Work Center. Her poems can be found on websites such as the Poetry Daily and Poem-a-Day, and they also appear in several anthologies such as The Hungry Ear, The New American Poets, Asian American Poetry, and The Norton Introduction to Literature.

Dr. Moscaliuc introduced Professor Su’s newly published book of poems, Peach State. Su’s poems are often described as food-centric. The poet described the rationale behind the creation of Peach State. She explained how the poems were based on foods to reflect on how the Chinese American community has transformed her hometown of Atlanta, Georgia, throughout her lifetime. She also mentioned that her poems addressed deeper social issues such as her identity as a Chinese American, classism, food waste, and immigrant challenges.

Audience members were then fortunate to listen to Su read several poems from Peach State, including “Lychee Express”, “Kiwi Fruit”, “Maple Syrup”, and “Black Sesame.” The discussion concluded with Professor Su answering questions from the audience about crafting her poetry, advice for writing poetry, questions that were specific to poems she had written, and more.

Please click here to view Adrienne Su’s website.