Día de los Muertos originated in ancient Mesoamerica (Mexico and northern Central America) where indigenous groups, including Aztec, Maya and Toltec, had specific times when they commemorated their loved ones who had passed away. Certain months were dedicated to remembering the departed, based on whether the deceased was an adult or a child. Hear from Moraine Valley staff regarding the tradition and how you can participate in this year’s ofrenda.

Learn about NaNoWriMo. You can join our writing community.

Faculty member Carey Millsap-Spears illustrates the development of the Creature from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein in visual media including popular films and TV series.

The MVCC Library welcomes Argonne National Laboratory’s John T. Murphy who is an anthropologist, archaeologist, and computer scientist. Dr. Murphy will connect two great 19th-century thinkers, Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace.

Frankenstein is many things: a novel with themes of science, hubris, nature vs. nurture, God vs. nature, the list goes on. But, at its heart, it is also a cautionary tale for us. Faculty member, Ann Webb will discuss these questions; What happens when we value power instead of people?

Come meet one of our new members of the Board of Trustees Jaclyn O’Day. Trustee O’Day is a lifelong Palos Park resident and has a wealth of knowledge of local, state, and national politics.

What do we mean when we say someone is a monster? Who are the monsters in literature and why are they labeled that way? This discussion will explore social taboos, norms, and collective fears. This event is part of our One Book, One College series on Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

We are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness at the same time we have a crisis in democracy, marked by rising political polarization, disinformation, and political extremism. Join Psychology Professor Dr. Laura Lauzen-Collins, Sociology Professor Dr. Alison Lacny, History Professor Merri Fefles-Dunkle and Political Science Professor Kevin Navratil for a discussion on the importance of belonging to groups, institutions, and modern society and possible negative implications for society when individuals lack a sense of belonging.

Kristen Radtke's graphic novel Seek You builds connections between the rugged individualism embedded in American culture and the loneliness that we see around us in post-pandemic America. We often idealize the self-reliance, independence, and personal responsibility rooted in American history but at what cost? This faculty panel will explore this idea using literature, philosophy, and other disciplines as lenses through which to view this aspect of our culture. This event is part of our One Book program.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing advocate Michele Cunningham will discuss the struggles of growing up in a language-exclusive community of hearing family members. As the only deaf person in her family, Michele learned how to adapt when the rest of the world won’t. Eventually, she rediscovered herself, community-wise and personally, and reconnected to her culture.