MCC students to perform “Fork Tales” January 29
1/16/20
Students enrolled in Muscatine Community College’s (MCC) English Language Acquisition (ELA) program will share stories about food experiences in their home country and
in the U.S. through “Fork Tales,” a one-of-a-kind performance organized by former
Iowa Poet Laureate Mary Swander. The public is invited to attend this free event Wednesday,
January 29 at 12:30 p.m. in the college’s Strahan Center, 152 Colorado St., Muscatine.
Students from Togo, Brazil, Ukraine, China, Mexico and Ivory Coast taking ELA classes at MCC spent several days working with Swander to craft their stories, focusing on the many ways in which food unites us all. While food ensures survival, it also represents ties to family, ethnicity, place, social settings, community and historical events. Students’ personal stories were recorded and then transcribed by Swander to help them create their monologues. In addition to the monologues, several students will be performing musical numbers with music and instruments from their home countries. Dumplings, which were identified as a universal food during the storytelling process, will also be served following the performance.
“We made a great connection with Mary Swander when she brought her play ‘Vang: A Drama About Recent Immigrant Farmers’ to campus last year,” said Naomi DeWinter, MCC President. “We knew we wanted to work together on a project and the ELA students were a great group for Swander to work with on storytelling.”
“We want students to have unique and memorable experiences and learn in a really great, hands-on and practical way,” DeWinter said. “This provided the perfect means to do that. It’s amazing how you can communicate across languages when you want to tell a story.”
In addition to the January 29 performance, Swander has invited the students to perform their work at an upcoming event hosted by Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) offers ELA classes in Clinton, Muscatine, Davenport, Bettendorf, Columbus Junction and West Liberty. ELA classes expand English communication skills for students who are not native English speakers. Classroom, small group and computer instruction promote reading, writing, listening and speaking skills. Students learn about personal communication, conducting business, work-related communication and civic engagement.
For more information about EICC’s ELA offerings visit eicc.edu/ela
For questions about the January 29 performance of “Fork Tales,” contact Lisa Wiegel at 563-288-6005 or lwiegel@eicc.edu
Toll-free 1-888-336-3907, email eiccinfo@eicc.edu
Questions? Call toll-free 1-888-336-3907, email eiccinfo@eicc.edu or contact the college nearest you and ask to speak to an advisor.
- Clinton Community College, 563-244-7000
- Muscatine Community College, 563-288-6000
- Scott Community College, 563-441-4000
It is the policy of Eastern Iowa Community College District not to discriminate in
its programs, activities, or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin,
sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual
or potential family, parental or marital status, as required by the Iowa Code §§216.6
and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d and
2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational
Amendments, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C.
§ 794), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et
seq.). If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy,
please contact Debora J. Sullivan, Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Equity Coordinator,
Eastern Iowa Community College District, 101 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801,
563-336-3487, djsullivan@eicc.edu or the Director of the Office for Civil Rights,
U.S. Department of Education, Citigroup Center, 500 West Madison Street, Suite 1475,
Chicago, Illinois 60661-7204, phone number 312-730-1560, fax 312-730-1576, OCR.Chicago@ed.gov.