Published August 25, 2023
The Dodge City Community College (DC3) Library will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a host of related events scheduled throughout September.
Up first, at 3 p.m., on Sept. 7, is Piñata and Poetry, which is an event where students will make a piñata together, and then place poems inside. After the piñata is opened, at an event later in the month, the poems will be read and placed on display in the library.
“The piñata should be a fantastic event,” Deanna Hays, DC3 Instructor of Speech/Communication, said. “The students will select lines of poetry, write those on of slips of paper, and then stuff them in the piñata, which will also have candy.”
Hays, who helped plan the month’s activities, also was in charge of selecting the library’s Read and CONQuer program book for the month of September. And her choice, “The Hurting Kind,” is a collection of poems by Ada Limón, Poet Laureate of the United States, which will be discussed at 3 p.m. on Sept. 13.
“I feel her style allows the reader to appreciate the world we live in and the small details within it that we often overlook,” Hays said. “Also, her work can be enjoyed by people from any generation, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, and so on. She shares the everyday-life activities we all can participate in, which is extremely relatable.”
In addition to Limón’s writing, Hays said she also likes watching her videos on YouTube, because of how well she connects with her audience, which is something Hays values as a public speaking instructor.
“Ideally, I hope they gain an appreciation for Limón’s work and it will maybe inspire them to write their own poetry,” she said. “I hope, the event, will inspire the DC3 student body, to participate in future book discussions, as well.”
To close out the month, the library will host Poetry Jam, at 6:30 p.m., on Sept. 26, which Holly Mercer, DC3 Library Director, said will be a night of poetry reading.
“The piñata will be opened, and the poetry will be read/performed,” she said. “We encourage creativity by the participants in how the poetry will be shared.”
Mercer said the library also is planning a prize drawing at its monthly Read and CONQuer activities this fall, which are open to all DC3 students, faculty, administration and staff—as well as the community.
“Individuals who attend the Read and CONQuer events will be able to put their name in for a basket drawing,” she said. “And we will draw the winners in December.”
By Lance ZieschDC3 Assistant Director of Marketing and Community Relations