Upcoming Events
Hispanic Heritage Month
Dine and Learn: Race, Sex, and Science
Dr. Melina Packer
Thursday, September 18 | 5:30-7:00 pm | NRC 101
Attendees will learn what it means to be a scientist feminist, do feminist science, and why it matters as Dr. Packer share her scholarship in the field of "critical feminist science studies." Dr. Melina Packer is Assistant Professor of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.
Dr. Packer received her PhD in Society and Environment, with a Designated Emphasis in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, from the University of California, Berkeley, on Ohlone land. She is author of Toxic Sexual Politics: Toxicology, Environmental Poisons, and Queer Feminist Futures (NYU Press, 2025) and co-author of Feminism in the Wild: How Human Biases Shape Our Understanding of Animal Behavior (MIT Press, 2025).
Registration required. Viterbo students can register for FREE courtesy of the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Sponsored by the Greater La Crosse Area Diversity Council.
Sr. Thea Bowman Series: Everyone Has Constitutional Rights: Know Yours!
Dr. Michelle Pinzl
Wednesday, September 24 | 5:15-7:00 pm | NRC 195
¡Vamos a Bailar! Salsa Night at Viterbo
Instructor: Eliseo (Cheo) Hernandez Salinas
Saturday, September 27 | 4:00-7:00 pm | FAC 129
This is a beginner-friendly salsa night open to everyone. The salsa dance class is taught by Eliseo "Cheo" Hernandez Salinas. Cheo is originally from Mexico and trained in Cuba in Son Cubano, a foundational Cuban music and dance style often called the father of salsa. He will help you hear the conga, the hand drum that anchors the salsa beat, and feel the rhythm so you can move with confidence. No dance experience is needed.
Schedule
4:00 pm –5:00 pm: Salsa basics (learn core steps and timing)
5:00 pm –7:00 pm: Social dancing and practice
The event is free and open to all students, staff, and the wider community. Come solo or with friends, no partner needed. Please bring comfortable shoes and a water bottle, and get ready to sweat and have fun!
Co-sponsored by the Division of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, CREW, and WAVU.
Lapiztola Master Artists from Oaxaca, Mexico
Master Artists Workshop and Lecture at the Pump House
Monday, September 29 | 10:30-12:30 pm | The Pump House
Reception
Monday, September 29 | 3:00-4:00 pm | NRC Lobby
Co-sponsored by the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and LOUD.
Hispanic Heritage Month Community Networking and Mariachi Celebration
Wednesday, October 1 | 5:00-7:00 pm | FSPA Lobby
Featuring Mariachi San Jose.
Past Events
Celebrating Black History Month
Annual Black History Month Lecture:
Professor Emeritus Keith Knutson
Slavery in Maryland: What Keith Knutson Didn't Know When Teaching U.S. History 111
February 12 | 6:30 PM | NRC 196
This engaging and education lecture will explore how enslaved families helped to build the Catholic Church in Maryland, from the colony's founding in 1634.
Co-sponsored by DEI, the Sister Thea Bowman Center, and BSO (Black Student Organization)
Coffee and Conversation: Allyship
February 12 | 3:30-4:30 PM | The Inclusion Center, NRC 447
Join Professor Emeritus Keith Knutson and leaders from Viterbo's Black Student Organization for a dynamic discussion about what allyship means in our modern world. Part of the Black History Month Lecture event.
"Just Mercy" film screening
February 15 | 7 PM | NRC 196
"Just Mercy" (2019) is the powerful true story that follows lawyer Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan) as he fights to overturn the wrongful conviction of Walter McMillian (Jaime Foxx), a man sentenced to death despite evidence proving his innocence. Based on Bryan Stevenson's 2014 memoir, "Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption."
Co-sponsored by DEI, Sister Thea Bowman Center, WAVU, and BSO
Viterbo's Black History Month Community, Networking, and Trivia Celebration
February 26 | 4 PM | NRC Lobby
This free event is the perfect opportunity to connect with friends, enjoy great food, and test your knowledge of Black history for a chance to win prizes! Gather a team or come solo—everyone is welcome to celebrate, learn, and have fun together.
4-4:45 pm: Social Hour and Soul Food
4:45 pm: Welcome, Sponsor Recognition, and Raffle
5-6:30 pm: Trivia and Prizes
Co-sponsored by DEI, the Sister Thea Bowman Center, and BSO (Black Student Organization)
March
Viterbo Céilí: Irish Heritage through Trivia
Monday, March 17 | 9:30-11 AM | The Inclusion Center, NRC 447
Stop by between 9:30-11 AM for a lively social gathering where you can enjoy Irish baked goods and test your knowledge of Irish trivia for a chance to win great prizes!
Sr. Thea Bowman Lecture Series presents: Lysne Tait
Lysne Tait is a nationally recognized leader in the fight against period poverty. In 2015, she co-founded Helping Women Period, a Michigan-based nonprofit that has since provided over six million menstrual products to those in need across the state. Under her leadership as Executive Director, the organization addresses period poverty through partnerships, advocacy, donations, and education. Her first book, Instigator! Creating Change without Being the Loudest Voice in the Room (2024), explores how ordinary people can drive meaningful change through small yet powerful actions, proving that leadership isn’t about being the loudest voice in the room.
Thursday, March 20 | 2-3:30 PM | The Inclusion Center, NRC 447
Coffee and Conversation. Chat with Lysne Tait about her work with Helping Women Period, nonprofit leadership, and advocacy. Everyone is welcome!
Thursday, March 20 | 4-5:30 PM | Nursing Center 101
Keynote: Instigator! Featuring Sr. Thea Bowman Lysne Tait will explore Sr. Thea Bowman's profound impact as a social justice leader through the framework of Instigators!, highlighting how her advocacy exemplifies the power of small yet transformative actions in creating lasting social change.
Sr. Thea Bowman Lecture Series presents: Dana Maya
Poet, essayist, and educator Dana Maya descends from a line of single Mexican mothers and was educated with an orientation in Chicanx, Queer, and Race Studies. She has taught literature and writing at UT-Austin, Madison College, public schools, and community organizations. She collaborates with artists on projects for social change and facilitates ekphrastic poetry through poema [] pintura. Her poems and essays appear in Feminist Formations, the Volta, and numerous collections including Basta: 100+Latinas Against Gender Violence, Listen to Your Mother, and Migrations and Home: Elements of Place. She is at work on a memoir in poems called lineage.
Tuesday, March 25 | 3-4 PM | The Inclusion Center, NRC 447
Coffee and Conversation. Chat with Dana Maya about storytelling, poetry, and the power of language.
Tuesday, March 25 | 6 PM | The Inclusion Center, NRC 447
Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop featuring Sr. Thea Bowman. Join poet Dana Maya for an interactive Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop, where she will guide participants through the process of creating poetry inspired by visual art. Using Sr. Thea Bowman as a source of inspiration, attendees will have the opportunity to explore her legacy and craft their own poetic responses.