The Teach-In “Freedom of Speech: The Palestine Exception” features three powerful voices on the frontline of struggles to reclaim freedom of speech across US campuses:

• Natasha Lennard is a columnist at The Intercept. She is the associate director of the Creative Publishing & Critical Journalism program at the New School for Social Research in New York, and the author of “Being Numerous: Essays on Non-Fascist Life” (Verso Books).
• IIise Benshushan Cohen, Ph.D. is a Sephardic Jewish scholar-activist from Atlanta. She is active in human rights, transformative justice, and peace-building and is the co-founder Jewish Voice for Peace – Atlanta chapter.
• Momodou Taal is a Ph.D. student at Cornell University in the Africana department. His research focuses on conceptualizations of sovereignty. Momodou Taal is also the host of the Malcolm Effect podcast.

Sponsored by International Affairs Program, School of Social Work, the Department of Political Science, the History Department, the Department of Philosophy, Women and Gender Studies, the International Affairs Club, and Independent scholars from Gonzaga University, and others.

Hosted Thursday, November 2024 | 12-2pm -| HAR 201

Head over to this link to watch Freedom of Speech: The Palestine Exception

English Student Spotlight:
Drew Larson
BA in Journalism: News Editorial
BS in Journalism: Public Relations
2020 CALE Dean’s Student Excellence Award Recipient

Drew Larson is a student with a BA in Journalism, News Editorial Emphasis and the BS in Journalism, with a Public Relations Emphasis; he graduates in June, 2020.

How is the English program at Eastern shaping who you are as a professional?

I’ve been able to gain practical experience in the journalism department while learning key skills I need to enter the field successfully. I’ve been able to improve as a writer, designer, team leader and develop fringe skills in photography and other multimedia work. I’ve also learned a lot about the world of journalism, its set of ethics and a lot of keys to being a good reporter. 

What projects have you worked on that you would like to highlight?

Currently, I’m co-managing editor of The Easterner along with Malati Powell. I’m also the sports editor, a position I’ve held for this school year. I became co-managing editor at the beginning of winter quarter. Right now we are running The Easterner remotely, holding staff meetings through Zoom and communicating through the process of putting out solely digital content. Under our leadership, our staff grew from four people to 12 contributing students. 

I got my feet wet at The Easterner as a sports reporter last year, so I’ve been in sports coverage for almost two years. That’s been a great experience where I’ve gotten to cover basically every athletic sector at EWU you could imagine, from football to men’s basketball to the ice skating club. 

How have your EWU experiences shaped you?

I’ve become a more professional and forthright person during my time at college. I’ve learned to lead an organization and discovered a lot of the hidden responsibilities that come with a management position. I’ve also been able to more clearly define what I’d like to do for my career. 

What important lessons or tips do you have for future students?

Definitely work for The Easterner! It’s considered professional experience in the Journalism program, and you can get paid while getting your work published. It is experience in a real newsroom that you can’t get anywhere else on campus. Also, try not to procrastinate too much, or you could miss deadlines. The AP Stylebook really is your best friend.

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

I’m thankful for the opportunities I’ve had at EWU and the many former students and current faculty at The Easterner who have mentored and guided me along the way. 

Student Spotlight:
Colleen Ford
BS in Journalism: Public Relations

Colleen Ford is an EWU alumnus, who graduated June 2019 with a BS in Journalism and Public Relations.   She currently runs the blog for AMLI Residential, a nationwide residential development corporation

How has the English program at Eastern shaped who you are as a professional?

I worked for The Easterner for a year as the web editor. Learning Search Engine Optimization tactics and becoming familiar with graphic design, AP Style and the editing process gave me the qualifications needed to get my current jobs. I run the blog and Instagram for a nationwide residential development corporation, and I also do work for a nonprofit that protects endangered rhinos in South Africa.

What projects have you worked on that you would like to highlight?

I was part of the EWU Women’s Rugby team while I was at Eastern, and through doing that I got to volunteer for the 2018 Rugby World Cup in San Francisco as a media volunteer. I got to see behind the scenes of a global event, and I followed international media workers around as they interviewed players, wrote their stories, took photographs and created content in a variety of different languages. If you have a sport or event you want to go to, there are always ways to make that happen if you dig around a little bit. Plus, you’ll learn some really cool skills along the way!

Right now I’m running the blog and Instagram for AMLI Residential, and I’m having a blast writing about all sorts of topics. I think the high points so far have been getting to write about my own travel experiences, because I entered EWU wanting to learn how to become a travel writer. Now, I’m getting paid to write about my favorite experiences, and I can do that from anywhere in the world.

The AMLI Residential blog allows Colleen to write stories about local history, design and decor, recipes, fun facts and weird laws, and everything else in between.

How have your EWU experiences shaped you?

I learned that I can be good at what I do. I worked hard to learn and I saw the results of that hard work. My professors answered all the questions I had and pushed me to be the best I could be. I have the confidence to try new things and to push myself in my work, and I know that I can achieve anything I set my mind to.

What important lessons or tips do you have for future students?

Your likelihood of getting a job in your field is directly linked to how well you apply the skills you learn in class. When you graduate, employers are going to want to see examples of work you’ve already done. When I was interviewed for my current job, I never had to show my diploma, but I did have to show my portfolio of work. If you don’t get involved with clubs, organizations or the newspaper, you won’t have much to show. 

Find something you’re interested in, like I did with The Easterner and with rugby, and you’ll get so much more out of your college experience than if you didn’t! Plus, you’ll make some valuable friends along the way. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

Experience truly is the most important way to learn and improve! I’m so grateful for all the opportunities I had to try new skills at Eastern, and I wouldn’t feel nearly as confident in the “real world” if I never got to apply what I learned at The Easterner and through my internship.

Student Spotlight:
Aaron Hutchinson
BA Interdisciplinary Studies in Journalism, Creative Writing, and Screenwriting

Aaron Hutchinson is a student in the Interdisciplinary Studies program in Creative Writing, Journalism, and Screenwriting. He will graduate in Winter 2021.

What projects have you worked on that you would like to highlight?

I currently write two articles a week for The Easterner, covering the economic impact of COVID-19. I am also putting together a portfolio of my best work at EWU for the creative writing capstone.

How have your EWU experiences shaped you?

EWU has helped me learn to manage my time and work in unstructured environments, which are really important for writers. I spent a decade in the US Army, which is very structured, and I had a lot of trouble working in an unstructured environment when I first got to EWU. The creative writing program and professors have been great about teaching new writers how to work and manage deadlines.

What important lessons or tips do you have for future students?

Read a lot. Read things outside of your comfort zone and read things you think you might not like. If you want to write you have to read a number of different voices and styles. Also, creative writing is tough and requires study and hard work just like any other major. 

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

EWU has a number of opportunities to develop skills as a writer. There are classes in journalism, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting. The more skills you can develop the more opportunities you’ll have to work as a writer and improve as a writer.

Speech Acts in the Age of Normalized Violence: Understanding truth and meaning-making in the fight for social justice

Hosted Thursday, Feb 13th, 2020 | 12-2pm -| HAR 201

Natasha Lennard is a journalist and essayist. She is a columnist for The Intercept, editor for the Commune Magazine, and her work has appeared regularly in The Nation, Esquire, and The New York Times, among other.

She teaches critical journalism at the New School For Social Research in New York and is the author of Violence: Humans in Dark Times (City Lights 2018, with Brad Evans) and Being Numerous: Essays on Non-Fascist Life (Verso Books 2019)

The event was sponsored by the Political Science Dept. and International Affairs Program.

Head over to this link to watch the Freedom or Fascism Event