“Spring Training” Workshop Series Introduces Women Candidates and Campaign Volunteers to What They Need to Know to Run for Office February 2, 2023 (Columbia, South Carolina) – SC Women in Leadership (WIL) is hosting their annual Spring Training multi-partisan campaign training for women as a four-workshop series in six locations around South Carolina, as well as virtually, beginning February 11, 2023. Multi-partisan presenters with extensive campaign experience will introduce women candidates and campaign volunteers to what they need to know to run for office including choosing your office, building a campaign team, finance and fundraising, messaging and the media, helping with a campaign, and practical advice from former and current female candidates and elected officials. WIL is a statewide multi-partisan organization working to increase the number of women in elected office and on public appointed boards and commissions in South Carolina. While women represent 51% of the population of South Carolina, the state dropped to 48th in the nation for the proportion of women in the state legislature after the November 2022 election, with only 14% of our General Assembly composed of women and only one woman elected to a statewide position. From the school board to the Governor’s Mansion, we need more qualified women to run for elected office in the 2023 and 2024 election cycles. “Women don’t run for a lot of reasons,” says S.C. State Senator Katrina Shealy. “Women don’t run because of the financial part. It’s hard to raise money. Women don’t run because of their family. … You know, they’re the ones who know what a budget is, buy the groceries, teach the kids. Why don’t you (men) go home and do that, and let your wife come up here?” Research also shows that women don’t run because no one asks them to. Women are less likely than men to be recruited to run for office, so WIL is asking and providing training, resources, and information to help women overcome real and perceived social and cultural barriers to leadership. WIL encourages all women who have thought about running for office to attend, even if a run is a ‘maybe’ in the distant future. Spring Training will help potential women candidates decide if a run for office is the right move and help them plan, if the answer is ‘yes.” Schedule Saturdays, 9 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. February 11, 2023 – Organizing Your Campaign: Choose Your Office & Build Your Team February 25, 2023 – Campaign Finance & Fundraising March 11, 2023 – Crafting & Managing Your Message March 18, 2022 – Panel Discussion with Former Women Candidates & Elected Officials Locations The workshops will be offered concurrently at multiple regional locations across South Carolina, as well as virtually. Participants are encouraged to attend in person to take advantage of the opportunity to network with other potential candidates and campaign volunteers in their geographic area. Columbia Cathy Novinger Girl Scout Leadership Center 1107 Williams St, Columbia, SC 29201 Charleston The Citadel – Bastin Hall 79 Hagood Ave, Charleston, SC 29403 PeeDee Area The Continuum 208 W. Main St, Lake City, SC 29560 Greenville Furman 101 101 N. Main St, Greenville, SC  29601 Greenwood Piedmont Technical College – James C. Self Conference Center 620 Emerald Rd N, Greenwood, SC 29646 Spartanburg One Spartanburg 105 N Pine St, Spartanburg, SC 29302 Registration is $25 per session, or bundle all four sessions for $100. Registration includes refreshments and a t-shirt. Some scholarships are available. Visit scwomenlead.net/event/spring-training-2023 for full session descriptions, presenter bios, and to register. Spring Training is made possible through the support of Duke Energy, BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina, Ready to Run at the Center for American Women in Politics, and Pivotal Ventures. About SC Women in Leadership SC Women in Leadership (WIL) is a statewide multi-partisan group of women working together across differences to move South Carolina forward by informing, inspiring, and involving women in leadership. WIL’s work sharing information about, making connections to, and encouraging women’s engagement in local and state civic leadership is moving South Carolina forward socially, economically, educationally, and environmentally.  SC WIL believes that as talented women with diverse and inclusive backgrounds step up to lead and to govern, gender and racial equality, as well as community equity can, at last, become a reality. SC WIL’s vision is for women to be represented at every level of leadership including elected officials, appointed government boards and commissions, and as active volunteers and advocates in the community. Visit scwomenlead.net to see how SC WIL is working to fill the pipeline with women, increase fair voting, and reduce polarization.

Southern Studies Fellow Desiree S. Evans will conduct a three-hour workshop open to African-American community members exploring the role of oral history in recording and documenting Black communities and Black families in the American South.

For many African Americans, Black history is often a complicated space to work in. There are some stories our families don’t share with us about their lives and their pasts due to trauma. For this reason, the Black community and the Black family can be a tricky place to start our work as budding oral historians. Yet as Black people we understand that recording our stories and lives is so vital when so much of our history has been hidden from us, having been purposefully left out of the historical archive and erased in public histories. Oral history interviews can offer us much- needed access to our past, to stories they may not have been heard otherwise, and to important stories in danger of being lost forever.
In this introductory workshop, participants will learn the basic techniques for using oral history to document and preserve their community and family stories. We’ll discuss common challenges: convincing people to participate, delving into sensitive subjects and secrets, and working with interviewees who may suffer from trauma. We’ll also discuss the potential for oral history to repair and transform relationships.

The workshop will provide a basic overall introduction to oral history fieldwork, theory, and practice. Participants will learn best practices for planning a project, choosing interview questions, and conducting an interview, and receive tutorials on recording techniques and the basics of using audio equipment.

There is no cost to attend the workshop, but registration is requested in advance. RSVP at the link below to let us know you’re coming!

For the safety of all participants, masks are encouraged.

Raymond McAnally will lead a virtual writing workshop titled “Using Acting Techniques to Write Clear Characters.”

Have you ever had trouble differentiating one character’s voice or reactions from another on the page? Do characters with strong or surprising points of view seem to evade you? Then spend a workshop with writer/actor Raymond McAnally to learn how he uses his experience as an actor to write new characters and find the decisions and actions that draw us to them.

This workshop is open to writers of all skill levels and is a fun way to find inspiration from a new prompt or revise current work. It is hosted by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara and will use Microsoft Teams for the virtual connection. A link will be emailed to participants the day before the workshop.

Raymond McAnally is an award-winning actor, a produced writer, and university lecturer.  Television acting credits include a supporting lead role in Black Mirror: San Junipero, winner of the 2017 Emmy for Best TV Movie; Guest starring roles on Better Call Saul, Modern Family, Chicago Fire, Rizzoli & Isles, Law & Order SVU, Royal Pains, and 30 Rock; as well as roles on Boardwalk Empire, Nurse Jackie, Mozart in the Jungle, among others.  He has film credits too numerous to mention here.

As a playwright, Raymond’s full-length solo-play, “Size Matters,” received its world premiere at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati in May of 2014.  Directed by Tony Award-winning former Cincinnati Playhouse Artistic Director Ed Stern, the show ran for three weeks; garnering outstanding reviews, standing ovations, and sold-out performances.  The show was filmed before a live audience in 2015 and is now a comedy special available for streaming on Amazon Prime.  Raymond’s short plays, “The Odd Ball” and “Homeland”, have been produced at festivals on both coasts and his short play, “The Next”, will be published the Winter of 2019 in an anthology by New World Theatre.  In 2018, Raymond completed a playwriting fellowship with New World Theatre in Concord, New Hampshire.  In 2019, Raymond’s full-length play “The Cruelty of Children” was a semi-finalist at the O’Neill Center.  From 2010 to 2014, Raymond was the head content writer for the online production company Daily Fiber Films, which produced and distributed over sixty online comedy shorts, written by Raymond, and featured by FunnyOrDie.com, Fullscreen, CNN, New Media Rockstars, and The Food Network.  His short comedies also screened at festivals from coast to coast and earned “Best of the Fest” awards at L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival and the New York Friar’s Club.  In 2017, Raymond’s independent pilot “DPW” was filmed on location in Tupelo, Mississippi.

Raymond is currently a part-time lecturer for the Rutgers Arts Online department, Mason Gross School of the Arts.  He has been a lecturer at universities and guest artist at professional training programs since 2005.  He holds an MFA in Acting from MGSA, Rutgers University and a BA in Philosophy from Sewanee.

What is oral history, and what purpose does it serve? What makes oral history different from other interview styles and traditions and how might we apply these best practices in our lives and work? And how can you begin your own oral history project? In our social-media obsessed era, what does oral history offer to researchers, writers, artists, students, activists, journalists, and teachers?
In this Oral History 101 workshop, participants will be introduced to the basics of oral history theory, methods, and practice, with an emphasis on the practical skills and techniques needed for taking oral histories. Participants will learn guidelines for recording the stories of people in their family and community. Participants will be introduced to best practices for planning a project, choosing interview questions, and conducting an interview. They will also receive introductory tutorials on recording techniques and the basics of using audio equipment.
There is no cost to attend the workshop, but registration is requested in advance. RSVP at the link below to let us know you’re coming!

For the safety of all participants, masks are encouraged.

Pope Francis referred to human trafficking as an “open wound on the body of contemporary society.” It is a serious affront to human dignity, preying upon the most vulnerable and further dehumanizing them through exploitation. Join Bon Secours St. Francis Health System for a half-day of presentations by internationally recognized experts on human trafficking to learn what role you can play in our community’s response to this humanitarian crisis.

This seminar is a multidisciplinary event open to all who seek to make our community and world a better place for God’s people. It is intended to educate and increase awareness of human trafficking, highlight the necessity of community collaboration, and give hope to those being victimized and exploited.

The event is free to attend, but registration is required.

Free CME/CEU/CLE credit available

PART 1: PLAY A GAME!
Hosted by Bruce, LAST FAN STANDING is not your father’s trivia contest. As the only interactive game show created exclusively for fans of pop culture, LAST FAN STANDING tests your knowledge about the things that really matter: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-Fi, Superheroes, Gaming.

Everyone in the audience gets to play. Fans answering the most questions correct in the fastest amount of time will come up on stage with Bruce for the FINAL FACE-OFF and one player will be crowned Last Fan Standing!

PART 2: WATCH A GROOVY BRUCE MOVIE!
Bruce will introduce a cult favorite he’s been in and take questions before the screening. It’s a lively half hour of anecdotes, insults and random cash giveaways.

Let the good times roll at BRUCE-O-RAMA!

Get Off The Grid Fest Charrette
Free micro-festival
Musical Acts: The Get Down Junkies, Natti Love Joys, and BEMI Music.
Stilt-walking Gulf fritillary butterfly, attend a solar tour or
homesteading workshop, visit local vendors, and unwind in the health &
wellness zone. All ages are welcome.
Meet the team and learn how to get involved for our Solar Festival in
August at the local Music Camp.

Free micro-festival
Musical Acts: The Get Down Junkies, Natti Love Joys, and BEMI Music.
Stilt-walking Gulf fritillary butterfly, attend a solar tour or
homesteading workshop, visit local vendors, and unwind in the health &
wellness zone. All ages are welcome.
Meet the team and learn how to get involved for our Solar Festival in
August at the local Music Camp.

The Power Up Dialogues series continues with our next guest – Rita Revels, President & CEO of Employers Network. This long standing, not-for-profit organization formed in 1959 to provide trainings that equip businesses with sound business practices to grow and improve through recruitment, training, engaging, and retaining associates. At this event, Rita will chat about the importance of their work and the success stories behind investments in training opportunities.

Power Up Dialogues aims to connect small business owners or soon-to-be owners to local experts, success stories, and networking.

You want to get into horror but you don’t know where to start. This is your sign. This is an intensive, boot campy, crash course 4 week program that will throw you head first into reading, writing, talking, screaming, digesting, sweating, and bleeding horror content. It’s going to be a blast!

We will meet on the following Thursdays: May 4, 11, 18, 25 from 7-9PM EST. Over those 4 weeks, participants will read a number of stories from various subgenres with the intent to identify tools and techniques used by the author. Implementing lessons and notes from class, students will workshop one story they’re passionate about over the duration of the course. At the end you’re going to have a story you’re proud of, but also you will have had a little tapas of what horror can be. Welcome to the fold!!

Week One: Building the Scary Premise and Your Scared Characters

After introductions we’ll talk about what brought us to this class and what stories (if any) are something we want to pursue. Through a series of generative exercises we’ll make your protagonist and the scary thing for them to encounter.

Reading: TBD

Writing: The first draft of your story!

Week Two: Setting, Secondary Characters, and the Talking about the Monster

We’ll workshop our pieces. Then we’ll go over the role of setting, the importance of characters for your protagonist to interact with, and how information can build suspense about the monster.

Readings after Class: “The Willows” by Algernon Blackwood, “Bulldozer” by Laird Barron

Write: The second draft of your story!

Week Three: The Villain’s Perspective and Your Character’s Agency

We’ll workshop your pieces again. We’ll discuss the importance of the villain’s perspective and how nailing it down can make the conflict clearer. We’ll also go over agency and what it means for your character being agentic vs. passive.

Readings: “The Cabbit” by Maria Dong, “No Matter Which Way They Turned” by Brian Evenson, and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates.

Write: The third draft of your story!

Week Four: One More Workshop

This is the last class! What a doozy! We’ll workshop everyone’s pieces and talk about what techniques and tools we enjoyed, utilized, didn’t quite mesh with.

Should You Have the Time…

Read: “The Jaunt” by Stephen King, “The Boogeyman” by Stephen King, “Rainy Season” by Stephen King, “Hairy Legs and All” by Stephen Graham Jones, “The Moths” by Elina Hawkinsons, “The Coward II” by M. Gira, with more to come.

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Alex Gonzalez is a WGA screenwriter, author, and instructor. He teaches fiction writing at various platforms and teaches MFA level screenwriting at Long Island University. He is one of the creators of PoC satire site Flexx Magazine, horror-zine youarenotalone, and has been published in various magazines and anthologies, with his novel Land Shark debuting in 2020. He has been a consultant on novels, treatments, and screenplays. His feature script Negative Space is currently in development with Extra A Productions (The Giant, Little Woods) and his second novel is on submission through FinePrint Lit.

Make plans to attend this Power Up Spartanburg Workshop on How to Start Your Business and How to Access Capital. Offered every month in partnership with the SC Small Business Development Center, join Jay Jenkins, Director of Small and Minority Business Development, to learn about the topics below.

Training Topics: Business Start-up/Preplanning; Accounting/Budgeting; Business Financing
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You’re invited to the Black Women in Business Mixer!
This event was created to empower, uplift, teach and inspire Black women from all stages of life and business. Celebrate yourself and others who have the courage and tenacity to create their own brand.

Come indulge in this opportunity to connect with women from different industries and share stories. Soak up the knowledge while enjoying drinks and refreshments.

Shop food, gifts, and win giveaways with local businesses every second Saturday at this indoor pop-up market.

Make plans to attend this Power Up Spartanburg Workshop – Access to Capital. Offered every month in partnership with the SC Small Business Development Center, join Katrina Meeks to learn about the topics below.

Training Topics: Accounting/Budget, Business Financing, Cash Flow Management
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