April 20, 2021

Media Contact: 

Joan Qazi, WVC sustainability coordinator, jqazi@wvc.edu
Derek Sheffield, WVC English faculty, dsheffield@wvc.edu
Libby Siebens, WVC community relations executive director, 509-682-6436

In celebration of Earth Day, Wenatchee Valley College will be hosting two celebrated Earth writers, Ross Gay and Scott Russell Sanders from 1-2 p.m., Thursday, April 22. The event is free and open to the public. It will be held virtually on Zoom. Register for this free Zoom webinar at wvc.edu/Sustainability under the Events section.

The event will feature a poetry reading and conversation with Derek Sheffield, Dr. Joan Qazi, and other members of WVC’s Sustainability Committee. They will explore our connections with nature and practicing sustainability in our lives.

Gay is the author of four books of poetry: “Against Which,” “Bringing the Shovel Down,” “Be Holding,” and “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude.” He currently teaches at Indiana University. Ross is also the co-author of chapbooks "Lace and Pyrite: Letters from Two Gardens" and "River."  He is a founding editor of the online sports magazine “Some Call it Ballin'” and a founding board member of the Bloomington Community Orchard, a non-profit, free-fruit-for-all food justice and joy project. He also works on The Tenderness Project with Shayla Lawson and Essence London. Learn more at rossgay.net.

Sanders earned his undergraduate degree from Brown University and his Ph.D. in English from the University of Cambridge. He spent his teaching career at Indiana University, where he was a Distinguished Professor of English. Sanders has published more than twenty books, including novels, collections of stories and works of personal nonfiction. His works include, “Staying Put,” “Writing from the Center, “Hunting for Hope” and “A Private History of Awe.” His writing examines the human place in nature, the pursuit of social justice, the relation between culture and geography, and the search for a spiritual path. Learn more at scottrussellsanders.com.

This event is sponsored by Chelan-Douglas Land Trust, Sustainable Wenatchee, A Book for All Seasons, Wenatchee Naturalist, Humanities Washington, North Central Washington Audubon, The Good Life, Associated Students of WVC, WVC English Department, WVC Director of Facilities and Operations Rich Peters, and WVC Vice President of Administrative Services Brett Riley.

Learn more about WVC’s commitment to sustainability and other Earth Day 2021 events at wvc.edu/Sustainability.

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Wenatchee Valley College enriches North Central Washington by serving educational and cultural needs of communities and residents throughout the service area. The college provides high-quality transfer, liberal arts, professional/technical, basic skills and continuing education for students of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Visit our website, wvc.edu.

Wenatchee Valley College is committed to a policy of equal opportunity in employment and student enrollment. All programs are free from discrimination and harassment against any person because of race, creed, color, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability, age, parental status or families with children, marital status, religion, genetic information, honorably discharged veteran or military status or any other prohibited basis per RCW 49.60.030, 040 and other federal and state laws and regulations, or participation in the complaint process. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies and Title IX compliance for both the Wenatchee and Omak campuses:

• To report discrimination or harassment: Title IX Coordinator, Wenatchi Hall 2322M, (509) 682-6445, title9@wvc.edu.
• To request disability accommodations: Director of Student Access, Wenatchi Hall 2133, (509) 682-6854, TTY/TTD: dial 711, sas@wvc.edu.