The First-Year Experience Office will host a co-experience speaker series, including 2022 Texas Poet Laureate Lupe Mendez.
This will be Mendez’s second appearance after his first visit to Texas A&M University San Antonio in April. Poetry Reading and Q&A Or his book “Why I Love Tequila”.
The event will take place on October 5th from 5:30-7:30pm. 4 in the auditorium. The event can also be visited virtually on Zoom.
Mendes will read some of his poetry, discuss his journey as a poet and activist, and talk about his experience working in education.
“Students will have the opportunity to learn about his work as a poet, but also to really learn about his own life and what brought him here and what motivated him to continue his role as a poet, educator and activist,” Meyer said Myrna Garza, coordinator of the First Year Experience Office.
While Mendez’s first visit focused on his poetry, students can look forward to learning more about him at upcoming events.
“There will be a poetry reading section, but we also want to delve deeper into his identity and other works outside of him (poetry),” Garza said.
Peer leaders and student workers from the Office of First-Year Experiences will also have a Q&A with Mendez about racial literacy, how this relates to his role as a poet, activist and educator, and how it affects his position today.
Garza said the event will include reading the university’s land confirmation statement, an acknowledgement of the racial origin and historical significance of the land.
Garza said the university’s land confirmation had not yet been part of an event organised by the Office of First Year Experience, but she Excited to include it in this event and possibly others in the future.
“Our goal is to start incorporating it into other activities in our program,” Garza said.
Students can RSVP in person or on Zoom on JagSync.