Raphael and Spada explore the intersections of astronomy, evolution, mythology and countless other subjects. Like latter-day alchemists, they transmute a diverse selection of visual materials into rich, multi-layered perspectives on the nature of the universe.

Last summer, Raphael and Spada began to explore the libraries' rare holdings in fields ranging from Kabbalism to geometry. Inspired by their discoveries, the Southern California artists created "From Zero to Infinity," a series of digital prints that confront the eternal principles — creation and destruction, harmony and strife, infinity and void — that define our existence.

"From Zero to Infinity: The Story of Everything" traces Raphael and Spada's creative journey in three exhibitions: the objects that inspired their work, the multi-layered digital prints of "From Zero to Infinity," and visual materials that continue the artists' explorations of these exotic mysteries. Complementing Raphael and Spada's digital artworks, the libraries present "Notes from the Story of Everything," an exhibition of rare books and other materials from the special collections that partly inspired their creative journey.

An opening reception is scheduled for September 3, 5:30-7 p.m. Please RSVP by going to www.usc.edu/esvp and entering the code ARTSCIENCE, or by calling (213) 740-1744.

Daily: Thursday 09/03/2009 - Sunday 12/13/2009; All day

University Park Campus Doheny Memorial Library

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An exhibit follows each step in the selection of a new justice, highlighting historical figures, famous incidents and recent events.

With the recent confirmation of Justice Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, the USC Gould School of Law takes a closer look at the nomination and confirmation of new justices.

The exhibition “The Path to the Supreme Court: The Nomination and Confirmation Process of a Justice” explains each step of the process, using photographs, political cartoons, news clippings, and the official Supreme Court Justice bobbleheads.

Daily: Thursday 09/03/2009 - Friday 12/18/2009; All day

University Park Campus Musick Law Building Foyer

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Achieve specific weight-loss goals in an intimate group setting, with co-workers to help motivate and support your efforts.

An open house on September 3 will introduce the Weight Watchers at Work program

When you start losing weight and notice the difference in your health, appearance and energy, you will most likely become a strong supporter of the statement, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

Fees and the length of series are dependent on the number of participants.

Call Nazeen Sayeed at (323) 442-8354 for information about the Health Sciences Campus Weight Watchers at Work program.

Weekly: Thu 09/03/2009 - 01/07/2010; 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

University Park Campus Gould School of Law, Room 2

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The exhibition will include pieces from the ongoing Space Field series, as well as work from Japan, Paris, Turkey, Mexico and Alaska. It will also feature work from several collaborations between Raphael and other artists.

Victor Raphael (born 1950) works in a wide range of media, spanning painting, photography, filmmaking, printmaking and digital technology. He creates complex and beautiful images that expand conventional views of time and space. For the past three decades, Raphael has produced a unique body of work by merging traditional media such as painting, photography and printmaking with modern electronic media, including video, digital printing and interactive technologies. In addition to his central themes of the exploration of the cosmos and aspects of travel — through space or time — and their visual records, the artist has developed an important body of paintings, in which water and its protean and timeless qualities form an important part.

Raphael's photography process of digitally manipulating NASA photographs of planets and other natural celestial phenomena into Polaroid prints, and next altering them by hand with metallic paints and gold and metal leaf, earned his work inclusion among the 50 best examples of Polaroid photography in Polaroid 50: Art and Technology, a 1996 international touring exhibition that commemorated the company's 50th anniversary.

Related Events

October 15
Songs in the Earth and Air, a concert of vocal improvisations inspired by Raphael's work.

October 23, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Artist talk. Raphael will discuss his body of work. Refreshments will be served.

October 29
Videos by Victor Raphael, a screening of six Raphael videos, and a discussion with the artist and David Wilson, director of the Museum of Jurassic Technology.

Weekly: Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat 09/09/2009 - 12/19/2009; 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

University Park Campus USC Fisher Museum of Art Harris Hall

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Children from the USC Family of Schools express themselves artistically using only one color.

Each academic year, the USC Fisher Museum of Art plans, curates, and professionally installs four temporary student art exhibitions at the University Village Shopping Center food court for the Art in the Village program.

For this year's first exhibition, elementary school kids belonging to the USC Family of Schools (32nd Street/USC Magnet, Alexander Science Center School, Foshay Learning Center, John Mack Elementary, Norwood Elementary, St. Agnes Parish School, St. Vincent Parish School, Vermont Avenue Elementary and Weemes Elementary) were invited to create and submit artwork fitting the theme "Color Me..."

Each exhibition kicks off with an opening reception honoring the forty students with the best artwork. The children have the opportunity to speak with family, friends and community members about their artwork. They are congratulated for their achievements during an award ceremony, where they receive a certificate signed by Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks. 

Funded in part by a USC Neighborhood Outreach Grant, Art in the Village represents a partnership between the USC Fisher Museum of Art the University Village Shopping Center and the USC Family of Schools. 

Daily: Tuesday 10/27/2009 - Friday 12/04/2009; All day

University Village Shopping Center Food Court 3375 South Hoover Street Los Angeles CA 90007

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In this comedic chamber opera, the Thornton Opera takes an affectionate look at a cast of characters in a small English town.

The townsfolk struggle to pull off their annual May Festival, befuddled by the changing mores of their young people.   

Ken Cazan, resident stage director
Brent McMunn, conductor

November 19, 20 and 21, 8 p.m.
November 22, 2 p.m.

Daily: Thursday 11/19/2009 - Sunday 11/22/2009; All day

University Park Campus Bing Theatre

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This American classic, rich in language and bold of vision, is adapted by Lydia R. Diamond and directed by Anita Dashiell-Sparks.

Thursday, November 19, 7 p.m.
Friday, November 20, 7 p.m.
Saturday, November 21, 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, November 22, 2:30 p.m.

Daily: Thursday 11/19/2009 - Sunday 11/22/2009; All day

University Park Campus Scene Dock Theatre

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The clashing sounds and pulsing rhythms of New York City underscore this work, considered by many to have inaugurated the modern era of musical theater.

Company follows our antihero, Robert, as he makes his way through a series of encounters with April (the stewardess), Kathy (the girl who's going to marry someone else), Marta (the "peculiar" one).

On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor Robert contemplates his unmarried state. In vignette after hilarious vignette, we are introduced to "those good and crazy people," his married friends, as Robert weighs the pros and cons of married life. In the end, he realizes being alone is "alone, not alive."

Thursday, November 19, 7 p.m. (Cast 1)
Friday, November 20, 7 p.m. (Cast 2)
Saturday, November 21, 8 p.m. (Cast 1)
Sunday, November 22, 2:30 p.m. (Cast 2)

Director: Dan Fishbach

Robert: Sean Kranz
Sarah: Katie Leyva (Cast 1) and Megan McGarry (Cast 2)
Harry: Chris Narrie
Susan: Eileen O'Donnell (Cast 1) and Lauren Barker (Cast 2)
Peter: Michael Conoscenti
Jenny: Monica Klimczak
David: Burke Mohan (Cast 1) and D.J. Blickenstaff (Cast 2)
Amy: Olivia Lane (Cast 1) and Kim Dalton (Cast 2)
Paul: Conor Tibbs
Joanne: Jacquelyn Crinnion
Larry: Zach Kaufer
April: Lexie Lowell (Cast 1) and Giana Bommarito (Cast 2)
Kathy: Katherine Goldman
Marta: Ingrid Werner

Dates: 11/19/2009, 11/20/2009, 11/21/2009, 11/22/2009: All day

University Park Campus Martin Massman Theatre

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The triumphant return of action-cinema master John Woo, who reunites with international superstar Tony Leung.

Written by John Woo, Khan Chan, Lup Cheng and Sheng Heyu
Directed by John Woo

Admission is free and open to all.

About Red Cliff

Red Cliff pairs John Woo with Tony Leung for the first time since the 1992 classic Hard Boiled. A breathtaking war epic, Red Cliff brings to the screen the legendary tale of the Battle of Red Cliff, which took place in China in 208 A.D.
 
The film opens with power hungry Prime Minister-turned-General Cao Cao (Zhang Fengyi) seeking permission from the Han dynasty emperor to organize a southward-bound mission designed to crush two troublesome warlords that stand in his way: Liu Bei (You Yong) and Sun Quan (Chang Chen). As the expedition gets underway, Cao Cao's troops rain destruction on Liu Bei's army, forcing the latter to retreat. Liu Bei's military strategist, Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro), knows that their only hope for survival is to form an alliance with rival warlord Sun Quan, and reaches out to Sun Quan's trusted adviser, war hero Zhou Yu (Tony Leung). Vastly outnumbered by Cao Cao's fast approaching, brutal army, the rebel warlords band together to mount a heroic campaign unrivaled in history, one that will change the face of China forever.

The Battle of Red Cliff was first immortalized in the classic Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Although written more than seven hundred years ago, the novel is still widely read all over Asia and has spawned more than a dozen video games and numerous comic books. Thus John Woo created two versions of the film: a two part, five-hour version for Asian audiences, and a single, two-and-a half hour version for other territories. When the first part was released in Asia in July 2008, it went on to gross more than $124 million and broke the box office record previously held by Titanic in mainland China. With an estimated budget of $80 million, Red Cliff is the most expensive Asian-financed film to date.

"We wanted to make a Hollywood blockbuster in Chinese that would appeal to non-Asian audiences as well. We worked very hard to create a version of the film that maintains the integrity of the action and character development of the story, while excising some of the cultural details that could be considered unnecessary for Western audiences not intimately familiar with the historical mythology," notes Producer Terence Chang, Woo's longtime collaborator. 

Provided courtesy of Magnet Releasing.

Rated R. Running time: 146 minutes. In Mandarin with English subtitles.

Opening at select Los Angeles theaters on November 25.

To learn more about the film and to view the trailer, click here.

About Outside the Box (Office)

Outside the Box (Office) is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases, highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. Recognizing a need for greater diversity on campus, the series will draw from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain. The weekly screenings will be on Wednesday nights (and other select dates, as they arise) in the School of Cinematic Arts Complex, George Lucas Building.

To view the calendar of screenings, click here.

About Check-In and Reservations

The theater will be overbooked to ensure capacity, and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or printout of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your email account after you successfully RSVP through the Web site. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Sunday 11/22/2009: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

University Park Campus Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre

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Undergraduates explore the end times through painting, drawing, photography, videography, printmaking, and mixed media installation.

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! These familiar words acknowledge the current sense of alarmism, while evoking the potential for real danger. Based on real or perceived fears, the Apocalypse takes form as a shared social psychosis. The work in "Apocalypse Wow!" reconsiders this phenomenon by questioning the role of dominant structures and irreverently injecting humor into the veins of a serious subject. Working with issues as diverse as environmental vulnerability, the digitization of everything, future dystopia, and the complexity of connectedness, the young artists of "Apocalypse Wow!" are examining a more nuanced set of possibilities for their existence in a time of great uncertainty... while you run for the hills!

The opening reception will be held November 19, 5-8 p.m. The exhibition will run through November 27 and will be open Monday through Friday, 12-5 p.m.

The show will feature the work of Janelle Carabajal, Heber Rodriguez, Isabelle Alford-Lago, Renata Popenhagen, Jen Wohlner, Betsy Lastar, Jon Wingo, Katie Martinez, Nicole Arnell, Mor Germezi, Robin Hextrum, Senna Chen, Max Skeen, Martin Benson and Sydney Mills.

Dates: 11/19/2009, 11/20/2009, 11/23/2009, 11/24/2009, 11/25/2009, 11/26/2009, 11/27/2009: All day

Pacific Design Center B239 8687 Melrose Avenue Los Angeles CA 90069

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The University Park Campus Health Center, Residential Education and Recreational Sports offer presentations on living well.

Beyond Pizza: Eating Well at EVerybody's Kitchen and Parkside Restaurant
Just because it's "all you can eat" doesn't mean you have to!

SCuisine: Eating Well at USC
Making healthy food choices on campus and selecting snacks to energize you throughout your busy day

Energize Your Workout: Food to Fuel Your Inner Athlete
Understanding calories, proteins and carbs so that you can make healthy choices for your workout — all about sports drinks, energy bars and protein supplements

Eating for As: The Best Foods for Exams, Midterms and Finals
Choosing the foods for concentration, creativity and productivity — understanding the impact of coffee, tea, soda and energy drinks

Healthy Holiday Eating
One session about American holiday foods (international students welcome), and another about maintaining a healthy diet during the holidays

Dates: 10/09/2009, 10/12/2009, 11/13/2009, 11/20/2009, 11/23/2009, 11/30/2009, 12/14/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Join students and faculty for a presentation by James Fowler of the Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems and UC San Diego.

Fowler is associate professor in the Center for Wireless and Population Health Systems at CALIT2 and the political science department at the University of California, San Diego.

From Dr. Fowler: “I present intriguing evidence to show that our social networks drive and shape virtually every aspect of our lives. How we feel, whom we marry, whether we fall ill, how much money we make, and whether we vote all depend on what others around us — even those distantly connected to us — are doing, thinking and feeling. I show that these connections have an ancient evolutionary past, and describe how this will affect our new life as technology moves our networks online.”

Lunch will be served.

Monday 11/23/2009: 12:00 PM

University Park Campus Annenberg School for Communication 207

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Smith was the silver medal winner in the 2004 USA International Harp Competition. She made her National Symphony Orchestra debut in 2003 and has been honored in numerous competitions throughout the country. She performs as both an orchestral musician and concert artist.

Monday 11/23/2009: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

University Park Campus Ramo Recital Hall

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Author Russell Banks and filmmaker Atom Egoyan discuss the challenges and excitement of using history as a subject for literature and film.

Russell Banks is a novelist whose work spans the bleakest of contemporary stories (The Sweet Hereafter, Affliction) and a dazzling piece of historical recreation, Cloudsplitter, his novel recounting John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry. Banks’ novels turn on the understandings and misunderstandings brought by time, as characters challenge each other’s versions of the truth. Atom Egoyan’s films powerfully evoke the treachery of memory. His eerie and haunting visual style, particularly in his stunning adaptation of The Sweet Hereafter, uses our confidence in what we see to make us doubt what we know. Where Banks plays with the voices of four narrators, each undoing what came before, only to be deconstructed in turn, Egoyan, in films like Calendar, Exotica and Ararat, obsessively transforms vibrant images into memories before our eyes, moving us in and out of time, bringing the dead back and making the old young, just for a moment. 

Bringing these two geniuses of time construction together will open a new conversation about how we learn, forget and lie in time — and how history returns only to mock and mourn for us all.

The two will speak about their individual work, and then we will open a larger conversation about the particular challenges and excitement of using history as a subject for both literature and film and moving between the two media.

Organized by the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Monday 11/23/2009: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Bovard Auditorium

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In this holiday race, the participant with the finish closest to his or her estimated time wins a prize pie donated by the University Club.

The race categories will be: Male Student, Female Student, Male Staff/Faculty, Female Staff/Faculty.

Walkers are welcome. All walkers who complete the 1.5-mile walk will be eligible for an opportunity drawing.

Tuesday 11/24/2009: 12:00 PM

University Park Campus General William Lyon University Center

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On November 24, 1859, the world changed. With the publication of a small volume, the modern world unfurled its banner.

Charles Darwin's The Origin of Species sold out instantly, and it has never been out of print since. It is that rare book to be celebrated in everything from T-shirts to bumper-stickers to "monkey trials."

Join USC College faculty and graduate students to celebrate the publication of The Origin of Species with cake, speeches, poems. Perhaps read your own favorite passage from Darwin, or your own favorite modern rewriting. And by all means, wear your Darwin T-shirts!

To RSVP, visit www.usc.edu/esvp and enter the event code "CC1124".

Tuesday 11/24/2009: 4:00 PM

University Park Campus Doheny Memorial Library LiteraTea Teahouse

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Daily: Monday 11/30/2009 - Wednesday 12/02/2009; 5:30 PM - 12:00 AM

University Park Campus Alfred Newman Recital Hall

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USC College's Laurie Brand and other Middle East scholars explore the meanings of charisma and liberation in the Muslim world.

The Arabic word for charisma, baraka (the source of our president's name), refers to a god-given power to lead people on a holy struggle for liberation. While Islamic liberation has reached the West primarily as a war against "American imperialism," it is also present in such disparate practices as Sufi dances and whirling dervishes, the spiritual quest for transcendence.

Tuesday 12/01/2009: 12:00 PM

University Park Campus University Club

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Get a great workout and improve your stroke with the help of our on-deck coaches.

Sign up online at usc.edu/recsports, or just come and check in with the lifeguard.

Dates: 10/01/2009, 10/27/2009, 11/17/2009, 12/01/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

University Park Campus General William Lyon University Center McDonald's Swim Stadium

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Join Journalism School director Geneva Overholser for a discussion with autobiographer Tim Page.

Page, a professor in both the USC Annenberg School of Journalism and the Thornton School of Music, is author of 2009's Parallel Play: Growing Up with Undiagnosed Asperger's.

Tuesday 12/01/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

University Park Campus Annenberg School for Communication Room 207

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New faculty members are invited to reflect on the delights and challenges they have faced in their first 100 days at USC.

The discussion will be led by Sarah Banet-Weiser (School of Communication), Margaret Rosenthal (French and Italian) and Stephan Haas (Physics).

Have you already been here three months? Now that you've settled into some kind of routine, it's a good time to reflect and share your experiences as a new faculty member at USC.

What have been the most rewarding moments for you so far? Have your colleagues been helpful in getting you started? Are there issues you wish someone had told you about in advance? It’s not too late! A team of diverse and experienced faculty members is ready to discuss the challenges you are currently tackling, ranging from teaching to getting grants to preparing for the tenure process.

RSVP to usccet@usc.edu with "100 Days" in the email subject line.

Tuesday 12/01/2009: 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM

University Park Campus Doheny Memorial Library Room 233

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A conversation about texts and power in the Ottoman, Habsburg, Holy Roman, French and Russian empires.

Moderated by the USC College’s Robert English (International Relations) and Sarah Pratt (Slavic Languages and Literatures), this event offers a unique intra-USC colloquium that brings together faculty and graduate students from three different College departments. They will discuss texts and types of discourse that elucidate ambiguities of power and subordination involving the Ottoman, Habsburg, Holy Roman, French and Russian empires.

How do these struggles continue to shape our world?

Speakers will include Azade-Ayse Rorlich (associate professor of History and Slavic Languages and Literatures), Mehmet Sinan Birdal (International Relations graduate student), Antonia Szabari (assistant professor of French and Italian and Comparative Literature) and Yuliya Ilchuk (Slavic Languages and Literatures graduate student).

Tuesday 12/01/2009: 4:00 PM

University Park Campus Social Sciences Building 250

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About Dream Weavers: Beijing 2008

Seven years of filming, five Olympic stories, one nation's preparation for the biggest sporting event in the world. The crew of Dream Weavers: Beijing 2008 took seven years to research, investigate, pursue and film five Olympic stories, leading to China's first Olympic Games.

About Gu Jun

Gu Jun graduated from the Beijing Film Academy in 1991. With a strong interest in anthropology and sociology, Gu took on a directorship position at China Central Television in 1993 and focused on documentary filmmaking. As she researched, interviewed and filmed people, places and events, her knowledge on social practices and social investigation increased. When it was announced in 2001 that the 29th Olympic Games had been awarded to Beijing, Gu began to divert her attention to the impact of the Olympics on Beijing; she dedicated herself to up-close research and investigation, documenting preparations for the Games.

For more information, please contact the USC East Asian Studies Center at (213) 740-2991 or easc@usc.edu. Please RSVP with your name and number of guests to eascrsvp@usc.edu.

Tuesday 12/01/2009: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

University Park Campus Leavey Library Auditorium

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Featuring a panoply of characters who speak with abandon, Michael Kearns’ landmark piece is theater that will rock you.

Twenty years ago, Michael Kearns, an openly gay and publicly HIV-positive theater artist and activist, wrote and performed Intimacies. Join us this World AIDS Day for the 20th anniversary production of this groundbreaking theatrical piece.

In Intimacies, we meet Fernando, a macho flamenco dancer; Big Red, a black female street hooker; Patrick, a Hollywood pretty boy; Phoenix, a homeless man living under the freeway; Marilyn (as in Monroe); and Father Anthony, a Catholic priest who confesses and then some.

In 2002, Kearns received the prestigious Playwrights’ Arena Award for Outstanding Contribution to Los Angeles Theatre, which acknowledged three decades of work as an actor, writer, producer, director and teacher.

Organized by David Román (English and American Studies and Ethnicity) and Richard Meyer (Art History). Co-sponsored by the LGBT Resource Center.

Tuesday 12/01/2009: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Ground Zero Performance Cafe

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Braided Sorrow had its world premiere at El Centro Su Teatro in Denver, was developed at the Bay Area Playwrights Festival and [Inside] the Ford Summer Reading Series, and won the UC Irvine Chicano/Latino Literary Prize in Drama.

Another Trevino Orta play, American Triage, was commissioned by the Marin Theatre Company and received a workshop production last year.

Currently, Trevino Orta is a resident playwright at the Playwrights Foundation in San Francisco. She has taught playwriting at the San Francisco School for the Arts and holds an M.F.A. in Writing with a concentration in Poetry from the University of San Francisco.

Tuesday 12/01/2009: 8:00 PM - 9:30 PM

University Park Campus Waite Phillips Hall 206

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James G. Ellis is holder of the Robert R. Dockson Dean's Chair in Business Administration at the USC Marshall School of Business.

Panelists

• Warren Bennis, Ph.D., University Professor and distinguished professor of business administration; founding chairman, The USC Leadership Institute; author of The Essential Bennis and the forthcoming Still Surprised: A Memoir of a Life in Leadership
• John Hope Bryant, founder, chairman and CEO, Operation HOPE Inc.; vice chair, U.S. President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy; author, Love Leadership
• William G. George, professor of management practice, Harvard Business School; former chairman and CEO, Medtronic; author, 7 Lessons for Leading in Crisis

8 a.m. Breakfast reception and book signing. (Books will be available for purchase.)
8:30 a.m. Program and Q&A
9:30 a.m. Book signing and event conclusion

Due to limited space, RSVP is required by November 30. USC students, free; click here to RSVP. General public, $20; click here to RSVP.

Wednesday 12/02/2009: 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

University Park Campus Town and Gown

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Make your own aromatherapy lotions, and plant herbs and flowers. Practice deep breathing and meditation and take advantage of massage classes. Also on hand: stress-relief crafts, a yoga stretch/relaxation session, and free food.

For more information on healthy living, visit wellness.usc.edu.

Wednesday 12/02/2009: 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

University Park Campus General William Lyon University Center Lobby

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Dr. Larabee oversees student organizations, leadership programs, the GPSS, the USG, the Program Board, and campus traditions like Conquest!, Homecoming, and the Order of the Torch. She has spent more than half of her career at USC, where she earned her doctorate in educational leadership. Larabee's extraordinary dedication to USC earned her the Student Affairs division award for Outstanding Dedication and Service.

Wednesday 12/02/2009: 12:00 PM - 12:50 PM

University Park Campus Ground Zero Performance Cafe

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A lecture by Rudi G.J. Westendorp, M.D., Ph.D., professor at the Netherlands' Leiden University Medical Center.

Wednesday 12/02/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

University Park Campus Andrus Gerontology Center Room 224

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The program will feature carols and tunes from around the world. The festivities will culminate in memorable arrangements of Ding! Dong! Merrily on High; Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella; and O Holy Night! — sung by the combined choirs of the USC Thornton School with brass, piano four-hands, and percussion.

Wednesday 12/02/2009: 7:30 PM

University Park Campus Bovard Auditorium

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While traditional lecturing methods dominate in most classrooms, passive student learning has been shown to be far less effective than "active learning." But what is "active learning," and how can you use it in your classroom?

Research shows that students learn best when they actively participate in the learning process. Active learning methods include a variety of strategies which make the student responsible for creating and applying knowledge, rather than simply being a vessel receiving material from the instructor; they acknowledge that learning is an active process, and that different students learn in different ways. In a traditional classroom, teachers are typically expected to lecture and give out assignments and exams, and students are expected to listen to the lecture and take notes. In an "active learning" environment, on the other hand, multilayered, thought-provoking and challenging methods are introduced so that students participate in more interactive, nontraditional ways.

While Active learning techniques can be extremely beneficial for students, they present some challenges for instructors — from creating collaborative activities, to managing students through projects, to designing exercises that encourage students to think critically and analytically. Other challenges include knowing when to employ Active learning techniques, and when a traditional lecture style may be more suitable.

Join us for a workshop to help you develop your own active methods for creating excitement in the classroom.

Lunch will be provided.

October 28, 12-1 p.m.
University Park Campus, Ahmanson Center, Room 238
RSVP to usccet@usc.edu with "Active Learning UPC" in the email subject line.

December 3, 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Health Sciences Campus, Keith Administration Building, B21/23
RSVP to usccet@usc.edu with "Active Learning HSC" in the email subject line.

Dates: 10/28/2009, 12/03/2009: All day

Multiple Locations

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Pizza will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Thursday 12/03/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Health Sciences Campus Hoffman Hall, Hastings Auditorium

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Located in the intimate and casual setting of Ground Zero, USC Thornton’s Jazz Night series features a variety of student jazz ensembles, directed by some of the top names in the music industry. Styles range from classic New Orleans swing to up-tempo Bebop, from fusions of jazz, funk, and soul to the hippest modern jazz around the country.

Dates: 10/08/2009, 10/29/2009, 11/05/2009, 11/12/2009, 11/19/2009, 12/03/2009: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Ground Zero Performance Cafe

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The performance, directed by Miranda Garrison, will range from celluloid classics to some current flicks that you've never imagined as dance films.

Daily: Thursday 12/03/2009 - Friday 12/04/2009; 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Bing Theatre

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Thursday 12/03/2009: 8:00 PM

University Park Campus Alfred Newman Recital Hall

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A daring Indonesian film about a couple separated by their differing names for God.

Directed by Sammaria Simanjuntak
Written by Sally Anom Sari and Sammaria Simanjuntak

The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Simanjuntak.

Admission is free and open to all.

About Cin(T)a

Cina (Sunny Soon), an 18 year-old college freshmen, is ready to conquer the world with a strong yet naive faith, since it has never been tested by failure. Annisa (Saira Jihan) is a 24-year-old college senior whose education was held back because of her career in the movie industry. Her fame and beauty leave her so lonely that she draws a sad face on her finger to serve as her companion. One day, another "finger" comes, and she is no longer lonely.

(T) is the most unpredictable character. Everybody tries to describe Him. Everybody thinks they know Him. Every art tries to represent Him. But nothing is really like Him... or Her? (T) loves Cina and Annisa, but Cina and Annisa can't love each other because they call (T) by different names.

The growth of Indonesian filmmaking in recent years has seen the theme of love reduced to a level that is too often exploited and simplified. With a love story that is seen through a different lens, Cin(T)a serves up a menu of various dialogues that peel apart the differences with honesty and wit. In reality, it is the acknowledgment and working through of our differences that spur our world to move forward; our differences must not be a reason for us to obstruct each other. Screenwriters Sammaria Simanjuntak and Sally Anom Sari have created a story that is simple, yet evocative of the multicultural conditions of Indonesia.

Provided courtesy of Semilan Matahari Film. Not rated. Running time: 79 minutes. In Indonesian, with English subtitles.

To learn more about the film and to view the trailer, click here.

About Sammaria Simanjuntak

Simanjuntak was born in Bandung, Indonesia. She grew up in various places in that culturally diverse country, which exposed her to the beauty of differences.

Simanjuntak went to architecture school. After enjoying a year of a secure life as an architect, she realized that moviemaking was her personal destiny. She decided to give faith a fighting chance and pursued her dream.

About Outside the Box (Office)

Outside the Box (Office) is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases, highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. Recognizing a need for greater diversity on campus, the series will draw from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain. The weekly screenings will be on Wednesday nights (and other select dates, as they arise) in the School of Cinematic Arts Complex, George Lucas Building.

To view the calendar of screenings, click here.

About Check-In and Reservations

The theater will be overbooked to ensure capacity, and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or printout of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your email account after you successfully RSVP through the Web site. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Friday 12/04/2009: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

University Park Campus George Lucas Instructional Building Albert and Dana Broccoli Theatre

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The performance will take advantage of the beautiful acoustics of St. John's Episcopal Church, just beyond USC's main campus.

Friday 12/04/2009: 7:30 PM

St. John's Episcopal Church 514 West Adams Boulevard Los Angeles CA 90007

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The Thornton Baroque Sinfonia presents an evening of sacred music from 17th century Italy.

Friday 12/04/2009: 8:00 PM

University Park Campus Alfred Newman Recital Hall

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Set in Cape Cod, a tale of two daughters surprised by the romantic affairs of their widowed father.

Directed by Gwen Wynne
Written by Gwen Wynne and Mary Beth Fielder

Free to all USC students, faculty, staff and alumni.

About American Primitive

Everybody in Dennis, Cape Cod thinks that Harry Goodhart (Tate Donovan) is quite the catch. Harry, a handsome Englishman, has just moved to this seaside destination with his teenage daughters, Madeline (Danielle Savre) and Daisy (Skye McCole Bartusiak). Madeline and Daisy, however, are determined to keep their recently widowed father away from the swarm of female suitors, such as the beautiful journalist, Joy (Stacey Dash), and the manic matchmaker, Mrs. Brown (Anne Ramsay). That is, until one night, when Madeline's new high school friends give her a taste of a racier Cape Cod. They take her to a notorious underground disco in Provincetown. Through the throngs of drag queens and gay men, Madeline sees her father dancing with a man. The double shocker is that the man is Mr. Gibbs (Adam Pascal), recently introduced by her father as his new business partner and who just moved into the back of their house.

Provided courtesy of Cape Cod Films. Unrated. Running time: 83 minutes.

To learn more about the film and to view the trailer, click here.

About the School of Cinematic Arts Alumni Screening Series

During fall 2009, the series will host a wide array of film screenings and filmmaker Q&As, highlighting recent work by School of Cinematic Arts alumni. All screenings are free to the public but will require an electronic reservation, which can be made through the Web site for each individual screening. Many screenings will be overbooked to ensure that capacity is met in the theater. Some screenings will be run from digital sources.

To view the calendar for the Alumni Screening Series, click here.

About Check-In and Reservations

The theater will be overbooked to ensure capacity, and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or printout of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your email account once you have successfully made an RSVP through the Web site. Doors will open at 3:30 p.m.

Sunday 12/06/2009: 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre

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Pedro Almodóvar and Penélope Cruz reunite for a new drama about the dual personalities of a film director and screenwriter.

Written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar
Starring Penélope Cruz

Admission is free and open to all

About Broken Embraces

Official Selection, 2009 Cannes Film Festival

A man writes, lives and loves in darkness. Fourteen years before, he was in a brutal car crash on the island of Lanzarote. In the accident, he not only lost his sight, but Lena (Penélope Cruz), the love of his life.

This man uses two names: Harry Caine, a playful pseudonym with which he signs his literary works, stories and scripts; and Mateo Blanco, his real name, with which he lives and signs the film he directs. After the accident, Mateo Blanco reduces himself to his pseudonym, Harry Caine. If he can't direct films, he can only survive with the idea that Mateo Blanco died on Lanzarote with his beloved Lena.

In the present day, Harry Caine lives thanks to the scripts he writes and the help he gets from his faithful former production manager, Judit García, and from her son Diego, his secretary, typist and guide. Since making the decision to live and tell stories, Harry has been an active, attractive blind man, one who has developed his other senses in order to enjoy life, on a basis of irony and self-induced amnesia. He has erased from his biography any trace of his first identity, Mateo Blanco.

35mm print provided courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics. Rated R. Running time: 128 minutes. In Spanish, with English subtitles.

Opening in Los Angeles theaters on December 11.

To learn more about the film and to view the trailer, click here.

About Outside the Box (Office)

Outside the Box (Office) is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases, highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. Recognizing a need for greater diversity on campus, the series will draw from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain. The weekly screenings will be on Wednesday nights (and other select dates, as they arise) in the School of Cinematic Arts Complex, George Lucas Building.

To view the calendar of screenings, click here.

About Check-In and Reservations

The theater will be overbooked to ensure capacity, and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or printout of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your email account after you successfully RSVP through the Web site. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Monday 12/07/2009: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

University Park Campus Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre

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Children from the USC Family of Schools artistically express ways in which they can make a difference.

Each academic year, the USC Fisher Museum of Art plans, curates and professionally installs four temporary student art exhibitions at the University Village Shopping Center food court, for the Art in the Village program.

For this year’s first exhibition, elementary school students belonging to the USC Family of Schools (32nd Street/USC Magnet, Alexander Science Center School, Foshay Learning Center, John Mack Elementary, Norwood Elementary, St. Agnes Parish School, St. Vincent Parish School, Vermont Avenue Elementary and Weemes Elementary) were invited to create and submit artworks on the theme “Making a Difference.”

Each exhibition kicks off with an opening reception honoring the 40 students with the best work. The children have the opportunity to speak with family, friends and community members about their art. They are congratulated for their achievements at an awards ceremony, where they receive a certificate signed by Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard C. Parks.

Funded in part by a USC Neighborhood Outreach Grant, Art in the Village represents a partnership between the USC Fisher Museum of Art, the University Village Shopping Center and the USC Family of Schools.

Daily: Tuesday 12/08/2009 - Friday 02/12/2010; All day

University Village Shopping Center Food Court 3375 South Hoover Street Los Angeles CA 90007

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Dr. Gonghuan Yang presents on China’s new disease burden and the shift from infectious disease to a global chronic disease epidemic.

Dr. Gonghuan Yang, deputy minister of Health at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is a pioneer in China’s work on tobacco control and its chronic disease transition. She earned her medical degree from West-China Medical University in 1982, and studied epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health from 1987 to 1988. Yang has published more than 70 academic papers in international and national journals and has written more than 10 monographs and books.

December 8
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

December 9
University Park Campus, Davidson Conference Center

Dates: 12/08/2009, 12/09/2009: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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The film tells the inspiring true story of how Nelson Mandela joined forces with the captain of South Africa's rugby team to help unite their country.

Newly elected President Mandela knows that his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.

Guests are invited to a reception prior to the screening.

Proceeds benefit the USC School of Social Work.

To receive an invite, contact swevents@usc.edu or call (213) 821-1297.

Tuesday 12/08/2009: 6:30 PM

Warner Bros. Studio 4000 Warner Boulevard Burbank CA 91522

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Director Franco Zeffirelli's breathtaking production of Puccini's last opera is a favorite of the Met repertoire.

The USC School of Cinematic Arts, The Metropolitan Opera and Visions and Voices: The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative invite you to a special HD broadcast of Turandot, presented in HD and 5.1 sound.

About Turandot

Maria Guleghina plays the ruthless Chinese princess of the title, whose hatred of men is so strong that she has all suitors who can't solve her riddles beheaded. Marcello Giordani sings Calàf, the unknown prince who eventually wins her love and whose solos include the famous Nessun Dorma.

Conductor: Andris Nelsons. Production: Franco Zeffirelli.

In Italian with English subtitles. Approximate running time: three hours 21 minutes, with two intermissions. This presentation is a delayed rebroadcast of a live performance from the Metropolitan Opera in New York.

About Check-In and Reservations

This screening is presented free of charge and is open to all. Seats must be reserved electronically through the link above, with the RSVP list opening November 23 at 12 p.m.; please do not attempt to reserve via phone or email. The theater will be overbooked to ensure capacity, and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or printout of your reservation confirmation, which will be automatically sent to your email account after you successfully RSVP through the Web site. Check-in will begin at approximately 6:30 P.M. Doors will close 15 minutes into the performance. Food and drink are strictly prohibited in the auditorium.

Tuesday 12/08/2009: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

University Park Campus Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre

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Hossein Jadvar, associate professor of Radiology and Biomedical Engineering, weighs the expanding role of imaging in translational and clinical research.

This workshop will identify new research opportunities and techniques. It will detail the resources available at USC to foster imaging studies and ways to develop collaborative relationships to advance imaging research. It will survey various funding sources and assess elements of successful proposals for imaging-related awards in clinical and translational sciences.

Wednesday 12/09/2009: 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Health Sciences Campus Norris Medical Library East Conference Room

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It will also be a chance to learn more about the School of Social Work's new military social work program. Meet Dean Marilyn Flynn, faculty, veterans and students in this exciting new specialization. Experience simulated wartime scenarios in virtual reality settings created by USC's Institute for Creative Technologies. Network with fellow Trojans and enjoy a taste of San Diego aboard the USS Midway.

Proceeds from the night will support scholarships for students in the military social work program.

Ahoy, Trojans!

Thursday 12/10/2009: 6:30 PM

USS Midway Museum 901 North Harbor Drive San Diego CA 92101

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For more information, please call the Thornton Development Office at (213) 740-6474 or visit www.usc.edu/music/giving.

Friday 12/11/2009: 7:30 PM

Millennium Biltmore Hotel 506 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles CA 90071

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Sunday 12/13/2009: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Alfred Newman Recital Hall

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A Romanian film about a cop who shows mercy on a young offender, not wanting the boy's fate to burden his conscience.

Written, directed and produced by Corneliu Porumboiu

Admission is free and open to all.

About Police, Adjective

From the writer/director of 12:08 East of Bucharest

Winner, Un Certain Regard, 2009 Cannes Film Festival

Cristi is a policeman who refuses to arrest a young man who offers hashish to two of his schoolmates. "Offering" is punished by the law. Cristi believes that the law will eventually change and does not want the life of a young man he considers merely irresponsible to be a burden on his conscience. For his superior, "conscience" has a totally different meaning...

35mm print provided courtesy of IFC Films. Not rated. Running Time: 113 minutes. In Romanian with English subtitles.

Opening in theaters and on video-on-demand on December 23.

To learn more about the film, click here.

About Outside the Box (Office)

Outside the Box (Office) is a weekly showcase for upcoming releases, highlighting world cinema, documentary and independent film titles. Recognizing a need for greater diversity on campus, the series will draw from around the globe to present movies that may challenge, inspire or simply entertain. The weekly screenings will be on Wednesday nights (and other select dates, as they arise) in the School of Cinematic Arts Complex, George Lucas Building.

To view the calendar of screenings, click here.

About Check-In and Reservations

The theater will be overbooked to ensure capacity, and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or printout of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your email account after you successfully RSVP through the Web site. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.

Wednesday 12/16/2009: 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM

University Park Campus George Lucas Instructional Building Room 108

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Dr. Judith Mackay discusses the epidemic's challenges, successes and future direction as they apply to emerging world health threats.

Dr. Judith Mackay, visiting USC as part of the Provost Distinguished Visitors Program, is known for her personal charm and fervor. She was named one of Time’s 100 People Who Shape Our World for her tireless efforts on the global crusade against smoking. Dr. Mackay is senior adviser to the World Lung Foundation/Bloomberg Initiative To Reduce Tobacco Use; director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control, and senior policy adviser to the World Health Organization. She earned her degree in medicine from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, and has lived in Hong Kong since 1967, initially working as a hospital physician and later concentrating on broader issues of public health, especially tobacco control. Dr. Mackay has authored and published atlases on tobacco, cancer, and human sexual behavior, among other works.

January 19
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

January 20
University Park Campus, Town and Gown

Hosted in partnership with the USC U.S.-China Institute and the School of Social Work 

Dates: 01/19/2010, 01/20/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Explore the music of the African diaspora in this entertaining, informative evening of music and conversation.

Scholars, students and celebrity guests will come together to present the historical evolution of bebop, doo-wop and hip-hop, three genres that emerged from the black experience.

Take a musical journey as students perform compositions from the three genres, including songs by the fathers of bebop, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie; the vocal-based R&B stylings of doo-wop; and contemporary selections of hip-hop.

Discussions will be interspersed throughout the night, exploring the unique and powerful history of these musical traditions. The evening will culminate in a rousing performance of an original composition incorporating aspects of all three genres.

Thursday 01/21/2010: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Bovard Auditorium

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The fifth annual symposium will include three student speakers and two poster sessions, with free breakfast and lunch.

Dr. Tad Blair of UCLA will be giving the keynote address.

Friday 01/22/2010: 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM

University Park Campus Davidson Conference Center

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A moving and provocative event explores the legacy of the Vietnam War, through two new Vietnamese films.

Schedule

2 p.m. Screening of Don’t Burn!
4 p.m. Panel Discussion
4:45 p.m. Reception
5:15 p.m. Screening of Oh, Saigon!
6:15 p.m. Discussion with filmmakers Doan Hoang and Dang Nhat Minh and author Andrew X. Pham

Join us for a screening and discussion of two new Vietnamese films, Don’t Burn! by Vietnam’s most acclaimed filmmaker, Dang Nhat Minh, and Oh, Saigon! by award-winning documentary filmmaker Doan Hoang. 

Don’t Burn! is based on the Vietnamese best-seller Last Night I Dreamed of Peace: The Diary of Dang Thuy Tram, written by a young female doctor from North Vietnam who was killed during the war. The film tells the moving story of her personal experiences as well as the tale of how her diary, discovered by an American serviceman, narrowly escaped burning and was eventually returned to Vietnam, where it became an international publishing sensation. This is the first Vietnamese film shot in part in the United States. 

Oh, Saigon! tells another side of the war story, focusing on a Vietnamese family who fled Saigon on the last civilian airplane to leave in 1975. After 30 years in the United States, the family returns to visit relatives, some of whom fought on the other side of the conflict, and to make amends with one daughter left behind.

A discussion about the legacy of the Vietnam War will feature filmmakers Dang Nhat Minh and Doan Hoang and author Andrew X. Pham. Minh, Vietnam’s premier film director, has made more than a dozen films, featured at festivals throughout the world. Hoang is a Vietnamese-born filmmaker whose film Oh, Saigon! won the Best Documentary award at the Asian Pacific Film Festival in Los Angeles. Pham is the Vietnamese-born author of two acclaimed memoirs, Catfish and Mandala and The Eaves of Heaven, and translator of Last Night I Dreamed of Peace. 

Organized by Janet Hoskins (Anthropology) and Viet Nguyen (English and American Studies and Ethnicity). Co-sponsored by the Diasporic Vietnamese Artists Network, Asian American Studies, the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the Center for Trans-Pacific Studies.

Saturday 01/23/2010: 2:00 PM - 6:45 PM

University Park Campus Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre Frank Sinatra Hall

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Learn about the California Board of Behavioral Sciences, which is responsible for consumer protection through the regulation of Marriage and Family Therapists (M.F.T.s), Licensed Clinical Social Workers (L.C.S.W.s), Licensed Educational Psychologists (L.E.P.s), M.F.T. Interns, and Associate Clinical Social Workers (A.S.W.s) in the state of California.

Attendees will hear how to apply for registration as an A.S.W., the requirements to become a L.C.S.W. and exam preparation strategies, as well as the USC M.S.W. courses that meet CEU requirements.

Monday 01/25/2010: 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM

USC San Diego Academic Center 16870 West Bernardo Drive San Diego CA 92127

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At this event, learn about ongoing service-learning projects for USC English Department courses.

We will also introduce plans for new community-based learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.

Our panel will include students, instructors and community partners:

• Alice Villaseñor, English graduate student and Joint Educational Project (JEP) director of Humanities Initiatives
• Cecilia Woloch, English lecturer and co-creator of English 404: "Writer in the Community"
• Margaret Russett, professor of English and chair of the USC English Department
• Stephanie Norman, English major and JEP placement coordinator
• Kirsten Giles, Writegirl Workshop director and past JEP program assistant

Wednesday 01/27/2010: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

University Park Campus

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The acclaimed performance artist offers his newest show, a saucy, sharp-knifed look at the queer state of the union during a time of trial.

In Lay of the Land, Miller takes on the fight for marriage equality, charting the reality of gay folks’ being perpetually on trial, on the ballot, and on the menu! The performance is a fiercely funny and emboldening exploration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered identity lived out loud.

Tim Miller’s work explores the artistic, spiritual and political topography of his identity as a gay man. Hailed for his humor and passion, Miller has performed all over North America, Australia and Europe, in such prestigious venues as Yale Repertory Theatre, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (London), the Walker Art Center (Minneapolis) and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He is the author of the books Shirts & Skin, Body Blows, and 1001 Beds (which won the 2007 Lambda Literary Award for Best Book in Drama/Theater). His solo theater works have been published in the play collections O Solo Homo and Sharing the Delirium. Miller has taught performance at UCLA, NYU, the School of Theology at Claremont, and universities all over the United States. He is a co-founder of two of the most influential performance spaces in the United States: Performance Space 122 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, and Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica.

Organized by David Román (English and American Studies and Ethnicity) and Richard Meyer (Art History). Co-sponsored by the LGBT Resource Center.

Wednesday 01/27/2010: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Ground Zero Performance Cafe

Burtynsky is one of Canada’s most respected photographers, and an advocate for sustainable living practices.

Burtynsky’s remarkable photographic depictions of global industrial landscapes are included in the collections of more than 50 museums around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Bibliotèque Nationale in Paris, and the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum in New York. His numerous distinctions include the TED Prize, the Outreach Award at the Rencontres d’Arles, three honorary doctorate degrees, and Canada’s highest civil honor: Officer of the Order of Canada.

Burtynsky takes us around the world in photographs, revealing places rarely seen. He makes beautiful yet terrifying images that illustrate a vital discussion about the colossal effects of economic and industrial growth upon our planet.

“During the course of my work — as the years have turned to decades — it has become clear to me that the plant, animal and mineral resources of the earth are overwhelmed by the robust wheels of economic progress. Cheap fuel in the form of oil, coupled with the internal combustion engine, has begun to tear at the edges of nature’s envelope. As my ideas have evolved, I’ve looked at railcuts, mines, quarries, oil fields and refineries, homesteads, farms, animal husbandry, taxidermy — all in search of images that describe our changing and complex relationship to nature.” — Edward Burtynsky

Organized by the USC Fisher Museum of Art

Thursday 01/28/2010: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Harris Hall Gin D. Wong FAIA Conference Center

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The USC arts schools offer an exciting array of hands-on workshops in art, photography, theater, dance, music, architecture and film.

In response to popular demand, the USC arts schools team up once again to present a daylong festival, an exciting opportunity to get your hands dirty with the arts. Learn how to salsa dance, make a sculpture, play guitar or take architectural photos. Join us, get your hands dirty, and experience the creativity and thrill of making art!

Organized by the USC arts schools

Saturday 01/30/2010: All day

University Park Campus

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The graduating M.F.A. in Acting students from the USC School of Theatre take on these works:

Pericles
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Andrei Belgrader

Orestes 2.0
By Charles Mee
Directed by David Bridel

Fisher King
By Don Nigro
Directed by Andrew J. Robinson

Daily: Saturday 02/06/2010 - Sunday 03/07/2010; All day

University Park Campus Scene Dock Theatre

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Established in 1988 and presented annually by the Friends of the USC Libraries, the Scripter celebrates with its 22nd annual black-tie gala, to take place in the historic Edward L. Doheny Jr. Memorial Library.

Eligible written works and films are reviewed by a committee consisting of Writers Guild of America members, Academy Award-winning and -nominated screenwriters, authors, film industry executives, faculty and select members of the Friends of the USC Libraries. This selection committee narrows down the year's eligible films to five nominees and then chooses the year's best cinematic adaptation.

Past Scripter winners have included the authors and screenwriters of Slumdog Millionaire, No Country for Old Men, Million Dollar Baby, The Hours, A Beautiful Mind, L.A. Confidential, The English Patient and Schindler's List.

Saturday 02/06/2010: 6:30 PM

University Park Campus Doheny Memorial Library Times Reference Room

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A lecture by Dr. Derek Yach, who has spearheaded several major efforts to improve global health.

Throughout his career, Dr. Yach has worked to place tobacco control, nutrition and chronic diseases prominently on the agenda of governments, non-governmental organizations and the private sector. He currently serves as senior vice president of Global Health Policy at PepsiCo, where he leads the internal Global Human Sustainability Task Force responsible for engagement with major international policy, research and scientific groups. Dr. Yach holds a degree in medicine from the University of Cape Town Medical School and a Master of Public health from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.

During his visit, Dr. Yach will outline his vision of the role of corporations in global health.  Prior to joining PepsiCo, he had headed global health at the Rockefeller Foundation and was an executive director of the World Health Organization (WHO). While at WHO, Dr. Yach led development of WHO's first treaty, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, and the development of the WHO Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity, and Health.

February 9
University Park Campus, Town and Gown, Ballroom

February 10
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

Hosted in partnership with the Marshall School of Business

Dates: 02/09/2010, 02/10/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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How can museums attract the public today? Join us for an important conversation featuring several star museum professionals.

With multimillion-dollar blockbuster shows a dying species due to the economic crisis, how can museums attract the public? Who will go to them, and why should they bother?

This talk will delve into the subject of the new book Beyond the Turnstile: Making the Case for Museums and Sustainable Values, edited by Selma Holo and Mari-Tere Alvarez. Three museum professionals will join Holo and Alvarez to discuss the crisis in museums today and the opportunities to rise above it.

Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) and one of our most dynamic and creative art museum leaders, will discuss the transformation he is leading to make LACMA more relevant to a vital contemporary life in Los Angeles. Donny George Youkhanna, who served as director of the Baghdad Museum during the American invasion of Iraq and was witness to the looting of some of civilization’s keystone culture monuments, will share his thoughts about archaeology collections and their future in an ever more globalized world. Dr. Jorge Wagensberg, scientific director of the Foundation “la Caixa” and creator of CosmoCaixa in Barcelona, one of the world’s most exciting science museums, will contribute his idea that, unlike any other institution, museums can provide an experience of authenticity — a way of learning that emanates not from the word, but from the world.

The event will be moderated by Selma Holo, director of USC’s Fisher Museum and its new International Museum Institute. It will also include remarks by Mari-Tere Alvarez, project specialist in the department of education at the J. Paul Getty Museum. Holo and Alvarez’s new book, Beyond the Turnstile: Making the Case for Museums and Sustainable Values, examines what museums — whether devoted to art or science or history — must do to be indispensable to society today and in the future. Their book is changing the conversation in the museum world from “How many came to the show, and how much money did we make today?” to “How did our museum serve and change society today? How did it help to make society better, smarter, more tolerant and more creative?”

Please join us and be a part of this new conversation.

A reception and book signing will follow.

Thursday 02/11/2010: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Doheny Memorial Library Room 240

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Family physician Dr. Howard Brody discusses the ethical implications of the widespread implementation of electronic medical records.

Touted as a prime tool to prevent medical error and cut health care costs, the electronic medical record (EMR) has been attacked by some as cumbersome and likely to cause — rather than prevent — errors. Professionalism requires that physicians put the interests of their patients ahead of profit-making. Dr. Brody, a bioethicist, considers how the EMR may enhance or detract from the physician-patient relationship.

Dr. Brody is director of the Institute for the Medical Humanities at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and author of The Future of Bioethics. Previously, he was the University Distinguished Professor of Family Practice, Philosophy, and the Center for Ethics and Humanities in the Life Sciences at Michigan State University, East Lansing. Dr. Brody has written numerous articles on medical ethics, family medicine and the philosophy of medicine. His current research interests include the importance of an interdisciplinary humanities base for bioethics, ethical issues in primary care, community engagement in bioethics, and professional integrity in both medical practice and clinical research.

A reception will follow in the Hoyt Gallery.

Friday 02/12/2010: 3:00 PM

Health Sciences Campus Mayer Auditorium

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C.E.B. Reas gives a lecture and workshops exploring the history of Processing, the programming language he co-developed.

Lecture
Wednesday, February 17, 6 p.m.
Kerckhoff Hall

Workshops
February 19, February 26, March 5, 12-3 p.m.
Egg Company Building, Institute for Multimedia Literacy, Blue Lab
Reservations are required.

In 2001, C.E.B. Reas and Ben Fry developed a free, easy-to-use programming language called Processing, which allows artists and designers with little background in coding to experiment with the programming of images, animation and interactivity. The result has been an explosion of moving-image artworks and a community devoted to Processing’s use.

This series will explore the history and development of Processing with a presentation by Reas and several workshops designed to allow USC students and faculty to explore Processing as a kind of software sketchbook.

Based in Los Angeles, C.E.B. Reas focuses on defining processes and translating them into images. He is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Design and Media Arts at UCLA. Reas has exhibited his work internationally at institutions, independent venues, galleries and festivals, including LAboral (Spain); the Cooper-Hewitt Museum (New York); the National Museum for Art, Architecture, and Design (Oslo); Telic Arts Exchange (Los Angeles); <>TAG (The Hague); Egopark (Oakland); Bitforms (New York); [DAM]Berlin; Sónar (Barcelona); Ars Electronica (Linz); and Microwave (Hong Kong). With Ben Fry, Reas published Processing: A Programming Handbook for Visual Designers and Artists, a 736-page comprehensive introduction to programming within the context of visual media.

Wednesday 02/17/2010: 6:00 PM

University Park Campus

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A look at filmic works from Japan, by some of the most creative and accomplished filmmakers working today.

The recent Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for Departures, directed by Yojiro Takita, has given new international visibility to the rich and dynamic history and tradition of Japanese cinema. Often overshadowed by the celebrated directors of the past, such as Ozu Yasujiro and Akira Kurosawa, contemporary Japanese filmmakers in fact are among the most creative and accomplished practitioners of the art. Filmmakers like Hirokazu Kore-eda, Shinji Aoyama, Nobuhiro Suwa and Takashi Miike have established themselves as unique within a highly diverse film culture, reflecting changes in Japanese art, culture and society.

This festival will showcase a selection of these works and will include discussions with invited scholars and filmmakers.

Daily: Friday 02/19/2010 - Sunday 02/21/2010; All day

University Park Campus Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre Frank Sinatra Hall

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A native of Illinois, Bird is an accomplished singer-songwriter, violinist and guitarist also known for his other signature talents, from whistling to playing glockenspiel.

He’s what every independent music artist strives to be — a musician with a truly unique sound who has earned the enthusiasm and respect of each fan one at a time.

Trained by the Suzuki method from a young age, Bird released his first solo album, Music of Hair, in 1996. In the midst of the swing craze that swept the U.S. music industry in the mid-1990s, Bird began doing collaborative work with the band Squirrel Nut Zippers. He then took on the role of band leader in 1997 with his group Bowl of Fire, which released three albums — Thrills, Oh! The Grandeur and The Swimming Hour — before it disbanded in 2003.

Bird’s early work, which echoed gypsy jazz, blues, swing and traditional folk, has led to his current sound, which mixes rock with more broad compositions. Bird released two solo albums, Weather Systems (2003) and The Mysterious Production of Eggs (2005), both distributed through the label Righteous Babe Records. He switched to Fat Possum for 2007’s Armchair Apocrypha and 2009’s Noble Beast.

Bird has performed in a variety of venues, from major music festivals like Coachella, Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo to barns, churches and grand theaters. USC Spectrum welcomes Andrew Bird for his first performance at USC’s Bovard Auditorium.

Saturday 02/20/2010: 8:00 PM

University Park Campus Bovard Auditorium

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In a phenomenal show, America’s most acclaimed tap dancer reveals the essence of tap.

The trailblazing Savion Glover will present Bare Soundz, “a remarkable explosion of steel on wood” (The Washington Post). Glover and two additional dancers perform without musical accompaniment; the dancers themselves become the musicians, creating a thrilling and hard-hitting performance of music through dance.

Savion Glover is a Tony-winning winner, hoofer, choreographer and producer who has danced on stages throughout the world. His numerous credits include the Broadway shows The Tap Dance Kid; Black and Blue; Jelly’s Last Jam; and Bring in ’da Noise, Bring in ’da Funk, and the films Tap with Gregory Hines and Sammy Davis Jr.; Bamboozled by Spike Lee; and Happy Feet, an Academy Award winner choreographed by Glover.

Tuesday 02/23/2010: 7:30 PM

University Park Campus Bovard Auditorium

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Dean Qingyun Ma leads a conversation with city planners and administrators from four landmark cities: L.A., London, Mexico City and Shanghai.

As the world moves toward a global urbanism and centers issues of sustainability and international collaboration, cities are not so much planned as re-planned and reborn.

Qingyun Ma, dean of the USC School of Architecture, will moderate a conversation with city planners and administrators in which they discuss the present and future of urban planning in the flux of unpredictable, migrant forces and the shaping of iconic, livable cities. From the sprawl of Los Angeles to the expanding megacities of Mexico City and Shanghai, the juxtapositions of cultural, political and spatial differences will demonstrate how creative agents can transform a city physically and socially.

Wednesday 02/24/2010: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Bovard Auditorium

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Magician Ricky Jay and USC professor Howard A. Rodman come together for a dialogue on deception in magic, film and real life.

They will entertainingly explore many of the themes of Mr. Jay’s work, including the selective unreliability of memory; the ways in which the mechanisms of perception allow us to misperceive; and the cognitive and psychological bases of con artistry and magic.

One of the larger foci of the conversation will be what Mr. Jay calls “The Big Con” — the ways in which our own agendas create conditions of non- and misperception. This con is at the heart of most magic tricks, much governance and every Ponzi scheme, and is also the perceptual and narrative basis for cinema.

Mr. Jay and Prof. Rodman will explore the ways in which the human capacity for self-deception is at the heart of much that is enjoyable and essential in modern life (literature, cinema), and much that is execrable (e.g., Bernie Madoff). It is not always possible to know, in the moment, which of our self-deceptions are salutary and which are malign. More often than not, we are unaware of our own self-deception or, worse, eager participants in it.

This delightful and compelling conversation will parse these various cons, illuminating the fields of magic and screenwriting and some of the more bizarre and omnipresent aspects of contemporary life.

While Ricky Jay has long been considered one of the world’s great sleight-of-hand artists, his career is further distinguished by a remarkable variety of accomplishments as an author, actor, historian and consultant. His one-man show Ricky Jay & His 52 Assistants was directed by David Mamet and garnered Lucille Lortel and Obie awards for outstanding achievement. His most recent show, Ricky Jay: On the Stem, also directed by Mamet, just closed a seven-month, critically acclaimed run in New York. As an actor, Mr. Jay debuted in the Joseph Papp production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the New York Shakespeare Festival. He has appeared in the David Mamet films House of Games, Homicide, Things Change, The Spanish Prisoner, State and Main and Heist. He can be seen in many other films, including Boogie Nights, Magnolia and Tomorrow Never Dies. He has contributed to many publications and written several books, including Learned Pigs and Fireproof Women and Jay’s Journal of Anomalies, both of which were named “Notable Books of the Year” by The New York Times. He has hosted television specials for CBS, HBO and the BBC, and was the host and narrator of the first documentary miniseries on conjuring, The Story of Magic, for A&E.

Howard A. Rodman is a screenwriter, novelist and educator. He is a professor and former chair of the writing division at the USC School of Cinematic Arts. His films include Savage Grace, starring Julianne Moore, and August, with Josh Hartnett, Rip Torn and David Bowie. His work on Savage Grace was nominated for a 2009 Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. Rodman also wrote Joe Gould’s Secret, and his original screenplay F. was selected by Premiere magazine as one of Hollywood’s 10 best unproduced screenplays. He has worked with numerous filmmakers, including David Lynch, John McTiernan, Rodrigo García, Errol Morris, Clive Barker, Peter Bogdanovich, Maurice Sendak, Michael Lehmann, Chantal Akerman and Steven Soderbergh (who repaid the favor by giving the name Mr. Rodman to two of the sleazier characters in The Underneath and Traffic). His numerous publications include the novel Destiny Express and articles in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles magazine and The Village Voice (for which he was a monthly columnist). He currently blogs for The Huffington Post.

Friday 02/26/2010: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus School of Cinematic Arts, Room 108

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Alumnus Joe Cerrell returns to campus to share his experiences and views as a leader in global health policy and advocacy.

Cerrell is the director of Global Health Policy and Advocacy for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the world's leading funders for global health work in low- and middle-income countries. At the foundation, Cerrell oversees the foundation's work in global health communications, public policy and international finance. In this capacity, he manages a policy and advocacy grant-making portfolio, and oversees relations with governments, NGOs, the private sector, multilateral organizations, and other foundations. Prior to joining the Gates Foundation, he served as assistant press secretary to former U.S. Vice President Al Gore; Cerrell was a senior member of a team responsible for advising the vice president on energy and environmental issues, and was a White House liaison to the media, elected officials, and industry, environmental, religious and labor leaders.

March 2
University Park Campus, Town and Gown, Ballroom

March 3
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

Hosted in partnership with Hollywood, Health and Society

Dates: 03/02/2010, 03/03/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Based on the novel by John Steinbeck
Adapted by Frank Galati
Directed by Stephanie Shroyer

This epic tale of the Joad family's fated trip from the dust bowls of Oklahoma to the "promised land" of California captures Steinbeck's feeling that the generosity of spirit he saw in a brutal country was not so much lost as waiting to be rediscovered.
 
Thursday, March 4, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 5, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 6, 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 7, 2:30  p.m.

Daily: Thursday 03/04/2010 - Sunday 03/07/2010; All day

University Park Campus McClintock Building

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In rural Missouri just after the Vietnam War... A group of friends who spent their college years together as activists, joined in the idealistic fight for a more peaceful and better world, are now grown up and must reconcile real life with their dreams.

Thursday, March 4, 7 p.m.
Friday, March 5, 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 6, 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 7, 2:30 p.m.

Daily: Thursday 03/04/2010 - Sunday 03/07/2010; All day

University Park Campus Bing Theatre

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Gritty short films, music videos and docs from Kourtrajmé Productions, a Paris-based collective of emerging visual artists, filmmakers, actors and musicians.

“Beautiful women, ugly illegal immigrants, Romanian sneaker pimps, coked-up fashion babes, down-and-out thugs eating shish kebab at 3 a.m. Welcome to our Paris.” — Kourtrajmé Productions, as quoted in Anthem magazine

Kourtrajmé Productions is a collective of emerging French and Francophone visual artists, filmmakers, actors and musicians. The brainchild of internationally acclaimed directors Mathieu Kassovitz and Vincent Cassel, this production house and artist collective has garnered increasing attention and acclaim after getting millions of hits on online sites like Dailymotion and YouTube. Founded by Kim Chapiron, Romain Gavras and Toumani Sangaré, Kourtrajmé produces playful innovations and cutting interventions in popular culture and society that represent the cultural dreams, lives and crises of transnational urban and peri-urban French youth today.

This is a chance to explore the short films, music videos and documentaries that represent what legendary French filmmaker Chris Marker calls a “nouvelle nouvelle vague” of French cinema. Directors from the collective, including Ladj Ly and Toumani Sangaré, will be on hand to answer questions and discuss the group’s history and work.

Organized by Edwin Hill (French and Comparative Literature). Co-sponsored by the Department of French and Italian and French Cultural Services, Los Angeles.

Friday 03/05/2010: 6:00 PM

University Park Campus School of Cinematic Arts, Room 108

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Dr. Ira Byock, an expert in hospice and palliative care, discusses the responsibilities and challenges of life’s final stages.

Death is central to the meaning and value of human life as experienced by individuals and by communities. While death does not give meaning to life, it does provide a backdrop against which life is lived. Acting on behalf of society, the clinical professions bear critical responsibilities for caring for those who are dying and bereaved. However, over-reliance on professionals as a means of distancing ourselves from death and grief can diminish the fullness and richness of living. Individuals and communities have the capacity to respond to the ultimate problem of death in a creative manner that can reflect and advance values of human work, dignity and enduring connection. Clinical professionals can lead by setting standards for excellence and providing care that is not only competent but unabashedly loving.

These issues will be explored by Ira Byock, M.D., director of palliative medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and author of Dying Well and The Four Things That Matter Most.

Dr. Byock has been involved in hospice and palliative care since 1978. At that time, he helped found a hospice-home-care program for the indigent population served by the university hospital and county clinics of Fresno, California. He is a past president of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. During the 1990s, he was a co-founder and principal investigator for the Missoula Demonstration Project, a community-based organization in Montana dedicated to research about and transformation of the end-of-life experience. Dr. Byock has authored numerous articles, and his first book, Dying Well, has become a standard in the field. His most recent book, The Four Things That Matter Most, is used widely as a counseling tool by palliative care and hospice programs, as well as within pastoral care.

Following the talk, there will be a reception in the Hoyt Gallery.

Organized by Pamela Schaff (Pediatrics and Keck Educational Affairs), Erin Quinn (Family Medicine and Keck Admissions) and Hilary Schor (English and Law). Co-sponsored by the Keck School of Medicine’s Program in Medical Humanities, Arts and Ethics and the USC Pacific Center for Health Policy and Ethics.

Friday 03/12/2010: 3:00 PM

Health Sciences Campus Mayer Auditorium

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As part of Visions and Voices’ new museum series, USC students visit the Norton Simon in Pasadena.

This trip is for current USC students only. You must use the provided transportation to participate. Space is limited, and advance registration is required. RSVP beginning Wednesday, March 3, at 9 a.m. Check-in for the event will begin at 11:15 a.m. on campus. Buses will depart at 12 p.m. and will return to campus at 5 p.m.

Lunch will be provided.

Los Angeles has a rich tapestry of museums with extraordinary collections, from the Getty Villa in Malibu and the Norton Simon in Pasadena to MOCA and LACMA in the heart of Los Angeles. The Museum Series — an exciting new take on the Visions and Voices experience — will offer students the opportunity to explore Los Angeles through its museums’ remarkable collections and the philosophies behind each world class institution.

The Norton Simon Museum is known around the world as one of the most remarkable private art collections ever assembled. Over a 30-year period, Norton Simon (1907–1993) amassed an astonishing collection of European art from the Renaissance to the 20th century and a stellar collection of South and Southeast Asian art spanning 2,000 years. Among the most celebrated works he collected are Branchini Madonna, 1427, by Giovanni di Paolo; Madonna and Child with Book, c. 1502–03, by Raphael; Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose, 1633, by Francisco de Zurbarán; Portrait of a Boy, c. 1655–60, by Rembrandt van Rijn; Mulberry Tree, 1889, by Vincent van Gogh; Little Dancer Aged Fourteen, 1878–81, by Edgar Degas; and Woman with a Book, 1932, by Pablo Picasso. Highlights from the Asian collection include the Buddha Shakyamuni, c. 550, India; Shiva as King of Dance, c. 1000, India; and Indra, 13th century, Nepal. Throughout the year, approximately 1,000 works from the permanent collection of 12,000 objects are on view in the museum’s galleries and sculpture garden.

Friday 03/26/2010: 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Norton Simon Museum of Art 411 West Colorado Boulevard Pasadena CA 91105

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A satellite broadcast of The Metropolitan Opera’s unforgettable new production of Hamlet, starring Simon Keenlyside and Natalie Dessay.

This event is part of an ongoing series of broadcasts presented in spectacular HD digital projection and 5.1 surround sound.

Simon Keenlyside and Natalie Dessay bring their extraordinary acting and singing skills to two of the Bard’s most unforgettable characters in this new production of Ambroise Thomas’ Hamlet. For the role of Ophelia, the French composer created an extended mad scene that is among the greatest in opera.

Conducted by Louis Langrée. Presented in French with English subtitles.

The opera will be preceded by a discussion hosted by the USC Thornton School of Music.

The opera is presented as a rebroadcast of a live performance taking place at The Metropolitan Opera in New York at 10 a.m. that day.

Organized by the USC School of Cinematic Arts in association with The Metropolitan Opera.

Saturday 03/27/2010: 12:00 PM

University Park Campus Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre Frank Sinatra Hall

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By the year 2020, will the seductions of virtual worlds triumph over our desires for communal forms of entertainment?

A panel discussion moderated by Martin Kaplan, director of the USC Annenberg School’s Norman Lear Center, will ask whether people will still go to the theater, movies and museums as home entertainment becomes more sophisticated. In turn, how will this affect the business of entertainment and our culture as a whole?

The discussion will feature Mark Murphy, executive director of REDCAT, an interdisciplinary arts center housed at Walt Disney Concert Hall; longtime Time movie reviewer Richard Schickel; and Tracy Fullerton, associate professor in interactive media at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and director of the Electronic Arts Game Innovation Lab.

Organized by the USC Libraries and the Los Angeles Institute for the Humanities

Monday 03/29/2010: 4:00 PM

University Park Campus Doheny Memorial Library Room 233

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Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Directed by John Rubinstein

A childless couple goes in search of the materials necessary to lift a witch's curse. A seamless fusion of fairy tale characters and what happens after "happily ever after," Into the Woods is a music lover's delight from start to finish, featuring songs such as Children Will Listen and No One Is Alone. What begins as a lively, irreverent fantasy becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.

Daily: Thursday 04/01/2010 - Sunday 04/11/2010; All day

University Park Campus Bing Theatre

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David Schweizer directs a darkly satiric musical based on Melville’s last novel, The Confidence-Man.

The richly imaginative work of the great American novelist Herman Melville has inspired numerous contemporary adaptations, from the opera of Benjamin Britten to the performance art of Laurie Anderson. At this event, USC students will perform a work-in-progress by USC professor Joseph Boone and composer Benjamin Boone, based on Melville’s The Confidence-Man: His Masquerade. This tale unfolds on a Mississippi riverboat on All Fools’ Day, just before the War Between the States threatens to explode and expose the empty promises that lie at the heart of the American Dream.

The play will be directed by David Schweizer, who has won widespread acclaim for his productions in New York City and Los Angeles.

Organized by Joseph Boone (English)

Related Event
September 10-11, 7 p.m. And God Created Great Whales. Rinde Eckert reprises his 2000 Obie Award–winning performance as a monomaniacal composer desperately attempting to complete an opera based on Melville’s Moby-Dick.

Thursday 04/01/2010: 7:00 PM

24th Street Theatre 1117 West 24th Street Los Angeles CA 90007

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Reporter Jon Cohen discusses his work documenting international disease funding and the role of investigative journalism in addressing global epidemics.

Award-winning journalist Jon Cohen has covered infectious diseases for 15 years, traveling extensively through the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa and Mexico. In addition to reporting on a wide range of scientific and medical topics for Science, Cohen has done in-depth, investigative stories about the National Institutes of Health, bio defense, tobacco industry funding of science, the vaccine industry, credit battles, the genomics revolution, and the science press itself. He has also written for The New Yorker, Atlantic Monthly, Talk, Discover, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Smithsonian, Slate, The New Republic, Surfer and other publications.

April 6
University Park Campus, Davidson Conference Center

April 7
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

Hosted in partnership with the Annenberg School for Journalism and the Center for Health and Medical Communication

Dates: 04/06/2010, 04/07/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Explore the utopian aspirations — and dreams of transcendence — in ’50s and ’60s automotive design and youth car-mod subcultures.

10 a.m.-5 p.m. Car Show
Trousdale Parkway

3 p.m. Panel Discussion
Alumni Park

Throughout the day, stop by Trousdale Parkway to check out a display of historic automobiles from the golden era of California car culture, including space age concept cars and vintage hot rods.

In the afternoon, join us for a panel discussion with Curtis Marez, professor of American Studies and Ethnicity and Cinematic Arts at USC; Leslie Kendall, curator at the Petersen Automotive Museum; and Beth Werling, collections manager of Material Culture at the Museum of Natural History.

In addition, the USC Libraries will present an exhibition of historic photographs showing the influences of futurist design and lowrider, hot-rod and street-racing subcultures on Southern California car culture, immortalized in such films as American Graffiti.

Wednesday 04/07/2010: All day

University Park Campus

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A dynamic multimedia presentation explores the exciting possibilities for using art and technology to explore humanity and create community.

The extraordinary work of internationally acclaimed electronic artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is engaging, provocative and beautiful. Born in Mexico City and currently living in Montreal, Lozano-Hemmer develops large-scale interactive installations in public space, usually deploying new technologies and custom-made physical interfaces. Using robotics, projections, sound, Internet and cell phone links, sensors and other devices, his installations aim to provide, in his words, “temporary anti-monuments for alien agency.” His kinetic sculpture, responsive environments, video installations and photography have been shown in more than 30 countries, and his work has been commissioned for such events as the United Nations’ World Summit of Cities in Lyon (2003), the celebration of the expansion of the European Union in Dublin (2004), the 40th anniversary of the Tlatelolco student massacre in Mexico City (2008), and the Vancouver Olympics (2010).

In this multimedia event, Lozano-Hemmer will discuss his award-winning work.

Organized by Visions and Voices. Co-sponsored by the USC Fisher Museum of Art and the USC Roski School of Fine Arts.

Wednesday 04/14/2010: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Bovard Auditorium

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Scholars, musicians and musicologists describe how Wagner's Ring Cycle influences the way we think, feel and imagine the 21st century world.

How have The Ring themes and symbols permeated literature, philosophy, psychology, and even movies and cartoons? In collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art, the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences presents a panel that will take on the idea of the hero, violence and the cult of masculinity, "the mythic," the development of fascist theories (and governments), the power of the unconscious, the allure of death, and the mob.

No singing required. Mind-opening insights guaranteed.

Moderator

• James R. Kincaid, USC Aerol Arnold Professor of English

Speakers

• Leo B. Braudy, University Professor, Leo S. Bing Chair in English and American Literature, professor of English
• Roberto Ignacio Diáz, associate professor of Spanish and Portuguese and Comparative Literature
• John P. Nuckols, vice president, Advancement, L.A. Opera
• John Carlos Rowe, USC Associates Chair in Humanities, professor of English and American Studies and Ethnicity
  

Registration will open in Spring 2010.

Thursday 04/15/2010: 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM

University Park Campus

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Produced by the Center for International Business Education and Research (CIBER) at the USC Marshall School of Business and the U.S. Commercial Service, this conference will provide exceptional access to the information and people who will help you operate profitably in Asia.

Two hundred and fifty participants, 50 sessions, 15 economies, two days, in one event. Asia/Pacific Business Outlook (APBO) is an extraordinary opportunity to meet the people with the clout and contacts essential to your company's success. Meet one-on-one with Asia business experts, and have private appointments with senior commercial officers from American embassies/consulates in 15 economies.

Access a wealth of timely information in two days. APBO offers the latest, relevant information, all focused, organized and distilled. You'll get current intelligence on trade and investment opportunities in each country, and learn which sectors are hot, who's who, and how to navigate the different cultural, social and administrative barriers in each of the 15 economies. You will also get practical solutions to your logistical, legal, financial, marketing, planning and human resource needs from the experts who have been there... and succeeded.

Whether you're an experienced exporter to Asia, new to export, or new to the region, you can customize your conference experience by choosing the seminars, outlooks and workshops you want. More than 50 concurrent sessions let you focus on the topics that matter most to your business.

Some of the topics to be covered:

• Devising market entry strategies and building distribution networks; financing your operation in Asia/Pacific
• Refining communication and negotiation techniques; exporting to Asia for the first time
• Launching products and services in new markets
• Understanding cultural sensitivities and contexts
• Learning of opportunities in new sectors and industries
  

Go to www.apbo2010.com for the latest details.

Dates: 04/19/2010, 04/20/2010: All day

University Park Campus Davidson Conference Center

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Join us for a reading and book signing with Robert Pinsky, a world renowned poet, literary critic and translator.

Pinsky’s translation of Dante’s Inferno is among the most praised poetical reimaginings of our time, and his own poetry, including such prize-winning volumes as An Explanation of America, The Figured Wheel and Sadness and Happiness, continues to inspire a wide range of readers. In the book-length essay Thousands of Broadways: Dreams and Nightmares of the American Small Town, Pinsky travels seamlessly from personal history to literary analysis to film. The works of Preston Sturges and Alfred Hitchcock meet up with dazzling insouciance with such writers as William Faulkner, Willa Cather and Thornton Wilder. In his work as U.S. poet laureate and as creator of the Favorite Poem project, Pinsky makes us take literature more seriously and see the way the artistic imagination creates, recreates and transforms the world around us.

In this reading and book signing, Pinsky will bring together his work as a poet and essayist, just as he brings together the very different media of poetry and film, helping us to map the literary terrain of the contemporary world.

Organized by the USC College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Co-sponsored by The College Commons.

Monday 04/19/2010: 4:00 PM

University Park Campus Doheny Memorial Library Room 240

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Preeminent conductor James Conlon explores Wagner’s controversial personality in relation to bigotry, racism and prejudice.

James Conlon, the music director of L.A. Opera, will look at these issues as they relate to Wagner’s time and ours. The event will be presented in conjunction with the USC Thornton production of the Wagner opera Das Liebesverbot.

James Conlon has cultivated a vast symphonic, operatic and choral repertoire and has developed enduring relationships with the world’s most prestigious symphony orchestras and opera houses. Since his New York Philharmonic debut in 1974, Conlon has appeared as a guest conductor with virtually every major North American and European orchestra and has frequently been a guest conductor at the Metropolitan Opera. In addition to serving as the music director of L.A. Opera, he is the music director of the Ravinia Festival (the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra) and the Cincinnati May Festival.

In an effort to raise awareness of the significance of works of composers whose lives and compositions were suppressed by the Nazi regime, Conlon has also been devoted to extensive programming of this music in North America and Europe. At both the Ravinia Festival and the L.A. Opera, he continues to program works by these composers, including Alexander von Zemlinsky, Viktor Ullmann, Pavel Haas, Kurt Weill, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Karl Amadeus Hartmann, Erwin Schulhoff and Ernest Krenek.

In 2009, Conlon won two Grammy Awards (Best Classical Recording and Best Opera Album) for conducting L.A. Opera’s production of Kurt Weill’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. During the 2009–10 season at the L.A. Opera, Mr. Conlon will conduct Wagner’s Ring cycle, beginning this season with the first two installments of the cycle, Das Rheingold and Die Walküre. It will be Conlon’s first time conducting this work in the United States.

Tuesday 04/20/2010: 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Bing Theatre

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Finding themselves in situations that veer from the comic to the tragic, they try to make sense of the British way of life.

Thursday, April 22, 7 p.m.
Friday, April 23, 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 24, 2:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 25, 2:30 p.m.

Daily: Thursday 04/22/2010 - Sunday 04/25/2010; All day

University Park Campus McClintock Building

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This festival will present a wide selection of Corman’s work, interspersed with discussions between directors, producers and actors.

In an extraordinarily prolific career spanning more than five decades, Los Angeles–based independent filmmaker Roger Corman has produced more than 380 motion pictures and television programs and directed more than 50 films. Now in his 80s, he continues to be an active producer, having completed four projects in 2008 alone. Often called the “King of the Bs,” Corman prefers the term “exploitation” to describe his films. Shot quickly with very low budgets and themes ranging from horror to science fiction, nearly all of Corman’s films, he proudly notes, have made money.

In this festival, directors, producers and actors Corman nurtured at the beginning of their careers, along with others from the entertainment industry, will discuss his influence as an independent producer, as well as his successful business model of producing and distributing films throughout the world.

Screenings may include: Little Shop of Horrors (starring Jack Nicholson), House of Usher, Death Race 2000, Piranha, Boxcar Bertha (directed by Martin Scorsese), Caged Heat (directed by Jonathan Demme), Grand Theft Auto (directed by Ron Howard), The Trip (written by Jack Nicholson and starring Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper), X: The Man with X-Ray Eyes (starring Oscar-winning actor Ray Milland) and Dementia 13 (directed by Francis Ford Coppola).

Organized by the USC School of Cinematic Arts

Daily: Friday 04/23/2010 - Sunday 04/25/2010; All day

University Park Campus Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre Frank Sinatra Hall

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An exciting evening of dance by the award-winning School of Theatre Repertory Dance Company.

Daily: Thursday 04/29/2010 - Friday 04/30/2010; 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Bing Theatre

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Acclaimed scholar and lawyer Larry Gostin considers the ethical issues surrounding the health needs of the planet’s poorest citizens.

Professor Gostin teaches Global Health Law at the Georgetown University Law Center and directs the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law. He holds multiple faculty appointments, including professor of Public Health at the Johns Hopkins University and director of the Center for Law and the Public’s Health at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities — a collaborating center of the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Gostin is visiting professor of Public Health (Faculty of Medical Sciences) and research fellow (Centre for Socio-Legal Studies) at Oxford University. Professor Gostin is the Health Law and Ethics editor and contributing writer for the Journal of the American Medical Association. In 2007, the director general of the World Health Organization appointed Gostin to the International Health Regulations Roster of Experts and the Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health. Gostin currently chairs the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Health Informational Privacy, and has chaired committees on genomics and on prisoner research. The IOM awarded Professor Gostin the Adam Yarmolinsky Medal for distinguished service to further its mission of science and health. Gostin’s recent books include Public Health Law: Power, Duty, Restraint (University of California Press, 2nd ed., 2008); Biosecurity In The Global Age: Biological Weapons, Public Health, and the Rule of Law (Stanford University Press, 2008); Public Health Ethics: Theory, Policy and Practice (Oxford University Press, 2007); and The AIDS Pandemic: Complacency, Injustice, and Unfulfilled Expectations (University of North Carolina Press, 2004).
 
May 11
Health Sciences Campus, Aresty Auditorium

May 12
University Park Campus, Town and Gown, Ballroom

Hosted in partnership with the Gould School of Law and the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Dates: 05/11/2010, 05/12/2010: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

Multiple Locations

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Professor James Kincaid and guest speakers will lead discussions, small-group work and hands-on activities to explore questions such as: the origin of the Ring cycle story; the operas' political backdrop; literary influences upon Emerson, Whitman, Joyce, T.S. Eliot and others; and Wagnerian intersections with issues of gender, melodrama, anti-Semitism and popular culture.

Guest speakers will include USC faculty members in philosophy, art history, English, comparative literature, Italian and music, as well as representatives from the Los Angeles Opera, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and other cultural institutions.

There will be four sessions:

June 7, 7-9:30 p.m.
University Park Campus, Taper Hall

June 12, Time TBA
Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Backstage

June 14, 7-9:30 p.m.
University Park Campus, Taper Hall

Monday, June 21, 7-9:30 p.m.
University Park Campus, Taper Hall

Dates: 06/07/2010, 06/12/2010, 06/14/2010, 06/21/2010: All day

University Park Campus Multiple Locations

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