Introductions

Some introductions, before we get to the good stuff:

My name is Brian Marcelo, and I'm the current Tomas Rivera Undergraduate Fellow. I'm currently a third year Creative Writing major, with an interest in fiction and playwriting/screenwriting.

Part of my duties included electronic promotion of the Tomas Rivera 22nd Annual Conference 2009 - this involved sending a massive amount of emails, not only to students on the UC Riverside campus, but to surrounding campuses in Southern California. I also dealt with helping to coordinate the conference, such as obtaining the appropriate permits, evaluating media services, finding volunteers and making sure the day of the event ran as smoothly as possible. Lastly, I am currently maintaining this newly created blog, which is dedicated to the Tomas Rivera Conference. Having these responsibilities allowed me to work closely with Professor Juan Felipe Herrera.

Professor Juan Felipe Herrera, a professor of Creative Writing at UC Riverside since 2005, is the current Tomas Rivera Endowed Chair. He has been involved with education for many years, graduating from UCLA and Stanford with a bachelors and masters degree, respectively, in Social Anthropology, as well as attending the University of Iowa (Writer's Workshop) and obtaining an MFA. He has written many books as well, his most recent one being 187 Reasons Why Mexicanos Can't Cross the Border.

As chair of the Tomas Rivera Committee, he deals in all aspects of the conference, from choosing the presenters and artists set to perform, budgetary aspects, promotional concerns, and many other things.

I must extend a special thanks to the Tomas Rivera committee, and the Creative Writing Department, especially to Tiffany Long, Yvonne Howard, and Janice Wilkins, as well as the Chicano Student Programs' Director Estella Acuna, for all of their hard work in making the 2009 conference such a success.

Coming up ahead will be pictures of the 2009 event! Up first will be pictures and some words regarding Adan Avalos' construction of a truck made up of burlap.

Here's a preview of things to come in the next few blog entries:


Photo by Michael J Elderman

Adan Avalos with volunteer Melissa Banez constructing the burlap truck.

Photo by Michael J Elderman

Rare photos of Tomas Rivera displayed on the fourth floor of Rivera Library.


Photo by Michael J Elderman

Screenwriter Ligiah Villalobos conducting a workshop geared towards writing for the screen.


Photo by Michael J Elderman

Students, faculty, and committee members enjoying the food.


Photo by Michael J Elderman

Waiting for the performance by Carlos Cortes, followed up by a screening of Under the Same Moon.

Photo by Michael J Elderman

Remembering Tomas Rivera.