UW’s Vietnamese Scholars and Students Organization to Host Film Screening, Panel with Veterans and UW Faculty April 29

“Writing on the Story of Peace,” an academic-cultural event organized by the University of Wyoming’s Vietnamese Scholars and Students Association (VSSA), will feature a film screening and discussion panel including Vietnam War veterans, UW faculty members and the VSSA president as a way to foster dialogue, representation and pathways to peace and reconciliation.

“Writing on the Story of Peace” -- an America250 event, recognizing the 250th anniversary of the United States -- will run from 4:15-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, at the Alice Hardie Stevens Center, located at 603 E. University Ave. in Laramie.

“The program will feature a screening of the Vietnamese film ‘The Scent of Burning Grass,’ followed by a panel discussion with faculty members, community participants and Vietnam veterans,” says Hoang Nguyen, VSSA president and a master’s student in American studies. “The event aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue on war memory, representation and pathways toward peace and reconciliation.”

Nguyen will provide opening remarks at 4:30 p.m., with “The Scent of Burning Grass” screening beginning at 4:45 p.m. The film follows North Vietnamese student volunteers, and their sacrifices and emotional struggles, as they fight in the Quang Tri Battlefield.

At 6:50 p.m., following an intermission, there will be a discussion panel featuring veterans John Harrison, who served as a corpsman, and Siguard Johnson, who served as a senior airframe specialist. UW faculty members on the panel include Thomas Seitz, an associate professor of international studies, and Samantha Vandermeade, an assistant professor of American cultural studies. Nguyen also will be on the panel.

The event also will feature video screenings of “Hello Vietnam,” “The 50th anniversary of national reunification (1975-2025)” and “From Vietnam to the U.S.: A Message of Friendship.”

Vietnamese refreshments and a buffet will be available for registered attendees. To register, visit the registration page here.