The second annual Sparkle and Scholars event, part of the LGBTQ+ History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month Series, will take place this week in the Old Champlain Atrium from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 9.

The event is hosted by the Q Center and Binghamton University Libraries, in conjunction with the women, gender and sexuality studies program and the theatre department. Attendees will view a reading by a drag queen and faculty lightning talks, followed by an interactive Q&A. Food and refreshments will be served.

The reading will be hosted by Samantha Vega, a Rochester-based drag queen. Last year, she read a chapter from “Ambientes: New Queer Latino Writing,” edited by Lázaro Lima and Felice Picano. Jillian Sandy, a subject librarian for the women, gender and sexuality studies department, said Vega will likely select another chapter that addresses how Latin and LGBTQ+ identities intersect.

“I had a blast last year when we hosted Sparkle & Scholars for the first time, and Samantha Vega was truly a highlight,” Sandy wrote in an email. “I’m looking forward to her presence again and excited to see what she chooses for her reading. And her outfit, of course!”

“I’m also really intrigued by the faculty lightning talks and the topics they will choose,” she continued. “I have a rough idea of the focus of their talks, but I don’t know the specifics. I expect I will learn something new!”

The faculty lightning talks will be about ten minutes each. Two faculty presentations have been confirmed so far: Bridget Whearty, an associate professor of English and the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and Sean Massey, an associate professor of women, gender and sexuality studies.

Sandy explained how the organizers approached selecting faculty speakers for this year’s Sparkle and Scholars event.

“We reached out to professors who we know are interested in topics related to LGBTQ+ history and/or activism,” Sandy wrote. “These are faculty members I have worked with before or know through other campus connections who are both extremely knowledgeable and excited to share their expertise in engaging ways.”

Next, there will be a 30-minute Q&A, where audience members can ask questions to the faculty and drag performer panel. Attendees are encouraged to bring thoughtful questions to share with the panel.

Along with audience questions, the panel will hear pre-selected questions from the moderator, touching on topics like the LGBTQ+ community’s underrepresentation throughout history, book bans and the relationship between queer scholarship and activism.

Sparkle and Scholars is an event that will continue to encourage dialogue about the LGBTQ+ community and inform students and community members on intersectional issues. Overall, it is an informative event that many different sectors of the campus have come together to produce.