Through meditation, relationships improve, outlook brightens, and opportunities open up. Give it a try.

Loose clothing is recommended. Do not plan to attend immediately after dining. We will be sitting on the floor. Foam mats are provided; if you would like a softer mat, please bring your own.

Organized by the Zen Buddhist Association at USC

Weekly: Wed 09/23/2009 - 11/11/2009; 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM

University Park Campus University Religious Center Fishbowl

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Graduate Upperclassmen and Family Housing celebrates Graduate Student Appreciation Week with a visit to the land of the grape.

Since 1917, The San Antonio Winery has added flair and flavor to celebrations of friends and families throughout Los Angeles and the West. Today, it is the last of more than 100 producing wineries that once lined the Los Angeles River Basin. It is a popular restaurant and legendary banquet location, a comprehensive tasting room, and an international wine shop with hundreds of domestic and imported labels. The winery is an oasis of good living in the heart of the city.

We plan to take our graduate student community on a tour of the winery, with complimentary wine tasting followed by a relaxing lunch in the winery dining hall.

To RSVP, please email Pallavi Sharma at erpallavisharma@gmail.com with "San Antonio Winery" in the subject line. A mandatory payment of $5 is required to reserve your place for the event.

Saturday 11/07/2009: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM

San Antonio Winery 737 Lamar Street Los Angeles CA 90031

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Meet and mingle with your fellow grad and undergrad students, while enjoying good old-fashioned hamburgers and (kosher) hot dogs.

In conjunction with the Second Annual Graduate Research Fair, join Graduate Upperclassmen and Family Housing for our annual BBQ.

Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week will commence with the traditional barbecue — a chance for students to discuss research and socialize while enjoying a bite to eat.

If you have questions, email either Vivi Tolani at btolani@usc.edu or Celso Delgado at celsodel@usc.edu.

Sunday 11/08/2009: 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM

University Park Campus Parkside Residential College, Courtyard

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Since 1998, a brutal war has shaken the Democratic Republic of Congo. More than four million people have died. And there are the uncountable casualties: tens of thousands of women and girls kidnapped, raped, mutilated and tortured by soldiers from both foreign militias and the Congolese army. The world knows nothing of these women.

Join us for a viewing of The Greatest Silence, winner of the Sundance Special Jury Prize in Documentary and inspiration for a 2008 U.N. resolution classifying rape as a weapon of war.

Sponsored by the the Graduate and Professional Students Senate, the University Residential Student Community, the Viterbi Graduate Student Association, the Chemistry Department, the Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy Department, and the USC Center for Women and Men

Monday 11/09/2009: 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

University Park Campus Waite Phillips Hall B27

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Products are brands. Services are brands. And, yes, people are brands. You are your own brand steward — you decide who you matter to and why. You control how you're perceived by those you know and those you've yet to meet.

Strauss will discuss how branding applies to individuals and how you can build your own, personal, influential identity. This seminar is presented annually at the world's most prestigious business schools and is right for audiences young and old — only an interest in branding yourself is required.

Clients, agencies, media and academic institutions have called upon Strauss' award-winning brand strategy forums, presented throughout East Asia, Europe and North America. NPR, ABC Radio and The Wall Street Journal continue to seek his expertise on branding everything from presidential candidates to innovative startups and Fortune 500s.

Strauss is the managing director at Innovation Protocol, a brand strategy consulting firm that exclusively serves innovators. The firm's clients include global market leaders such as Johnson & Johnson, Korn/Ferry International and PayPal. Ten percent of the company's brand strategy services are donated to nonprofits; $230,000 in philanthropic work was delivered in 2008 alone.

Thursday 11/12/2009: 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM

University Park Campus Widney Alumni House

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Marie S. Torres of AltaMed Health Services Corporation analyzes the reform legislation before Congress and its benefits for underserved populations.

Designed for social workers and marriage and family therapists, this course will describe the principles underlying health care reform, encourage discussion among attendees about its impact to our communities, and derive strategies to communicate with elected officials.

Marie S. Torres, Ph.D., L.C.S.W., is senior vice president of Government Relations at AltaMed Health Services Corporation. With more than 30 years of experience in social work, gerontology, health services administration and legislative advocacy, she is a national speaker on integrated health, managed care, case management and public policy. Dr. Torres directed the expansion of senior services of the first Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly in Southern California, four new adult day health care centers, new case management programs targeting functionally impaired adults, and other home and community-based long-term care services in Latino and other multicultural underserved communities. A graduate of the USC School of Social Work, she is a founding member of the USC Latino Alumni Community Advisory Committee.

Proceeds will benefit the Margarita Mendez/Juan Ramos Endowed Fund in support of Latino research. Please make checks payable to the USC School of Social Work; in the memo portion of the check, please reference the Margarita Mendez/Juan Ramos Endowed Fund. Mail payment and registration form to: Casa Cardenas Senior and Family Counseling Center, P.O. Box 411141, Los Angeles, CA 90041. Payment must be received by November 6. Early registration with payment is strongly encouraged, since space is limited. Space permitting, same-day registration will be allowed beginning at 8:30 a.m. (only cash will be accepted).

Please arrive before the scheduled start time. Registrations are subject to cancellation after the scheduled start time. Registrants canceling up to 48 hours before a seminar will receive a refund, less a $10 administrative fee. A $20 service charge applies to each returned check. Nonpayment of tuition may, at the sponsor's discretion, result in the cancellation of CEU units issued.

Friday 11/13/2009: 8:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Casa Cardenas Senior and Family Counseling Center 4141 Maine Avenue Baldwin Park CA 91706

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Enjoy a dynamic performance that draws on the diverse talents of USC dance groups.

The evening, sponsored by the Undergraduate Student Government, will feature the Alosus Contemporary Dance Company, Break on 2 Latin Fusion, Chaotic 3, USC Traditional Chinese Dance, Vanguards Crew and the USC Chamber Ballet Company.

Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.

Sunday 11/15/2009: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM

University Park Campus Bovard Auditorium

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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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