One more week of classes, and then we will all be done (for only two weeks...)! Some of you will be gliding through the last week, having finished all majors assignments; for those of you who are in a slightly more unfortunate position like I am, good luck surviving.
In any case, here are some highlights of cool events this upcoming week.
Davis Projects for Peace Competition
Monday, Dec 14, 5:00 PM – – Other
Princeton undergraduates are invited to participate in the fourth annual Davis Projects for Peace competition, sponsored by philanthropist and internationalist Kathryn Wasserman Davis. A grant of $10,000 will support successful applicants’ projects developed with the aim of building world peace. The competition encourages creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Individual projects can take place anywhere in the world and should focus on achievable, grassroots action.
The competition is open to all undergraduates, including seniors. The application deadline for the summer 2010 competition is Monday, December 14 at 5 pm, EST. Projects to be implemented during the summer of 2010 may be proposed and undertaken by individual students or by a group of students.
For more information, see http://pace.princeton.edu/projectsforpeace. Please direct all questions to the Pace Center at pace@princeton.edu , 609-258-7260.
Frist Campus Center Winterval
Wednesday, Dec 16, 3:00 PM – 2 hours – Other
Frist Campus Center
University students, faculty, staff, and their families are invited to celebrate the winter season and the end of the fall semester at the annual Frist Campus Center Winterval. Participate in fun activities and enjoy delicious refreshments. Cosponsored by the Frist Campus Center, Dining Services, International Center, and LGBT Center.
Sinfonia Concert
Thursday, Dec 17, 8:00 PM – 1 hour, 30 minutes – Arts/Performance
Richardson Auditorium
Diverse concert featuring Mozart's Overture to "La clemenza di Tito," Debussy's Petite Suite, Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 2, "Little Russian," and Mozart's "Misera, dove son!" with Margaret Meyer '05, soprano. Ruth Ochs conducts.
$5 general admission
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Figures of Speech: Last Week of Classes!
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Figures of Speech: Thanksgiving Week!
Not many events are coming up this week, but it doesn't matter because THANKSGIVING weekend is coming up!
In the meantime, you may want to consider entering this contest:
Water Art Contest
Monday, Nov 23, 12:00 AM – 23 hours, 45 minutes – Arts/Performance
Butler Art Gallery
Submissions of any media (film, photography, 2-D, 3-D, etc.) that relate to water are welcome: water scarcity, water rights, water pollution, etc. etc. BE CREATIVE!
Submissions are due by December 15th, 2009. All artwork will be displayed in the new Butler art gallery at the beginning of spring semester. Art work will be reviewed by a panel and awards given (judging will be based on quality of artwork, creativity, and innovative response to water issues).
To register: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dFNDSDBJUXNwU3F4WlNheTlJVVJyc2c6MA
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Figures of Speech: As winter approaches...
Goldman Sachs Summer Firmwide Information Session Presented by Lloyd Blankfein
Monday, Nov 16, 6:30 PM – 1 hour, 30 minutes – Careers
Nassau Inn
At this session, you will have the opportunity to hear from CEO Lloyd Blankfein about Goldman Sachs and its future. Also, representatives and school alumni from various divisions will be there for the networking portion of the event.
Student Dinner with President Tilghman
Wednesday, Nov 18, 6:30 PM – 2 hours – Other
Lowrie House, 83 Stockton Street
President Shirley M. Tilghman extends an invitation to students to join her for dinner at Lowrie House on Wednesday, November 18 at 6:30 p.m.
RSVP by November 17 to Susan Kovach at skovach@princeton.edu.
"Social Entrepreneurship: A Rising Generation Changing the World"
Thursday, Nov 19, 4:30 PM – 1 hour – Lectures
Carl A. Fields Center
Professor Gordon Bloom, the Keller Center's Dean’s Visiting Professor in Entrepreneurship, will give a lecture titled “Social Entrepreneurship: A Rising Generation Changing the World” on Thursday, November 19 at 4:30 p.m. Select students from Professor Bloom’s class, A Collaboratory for Social Entrepreneurship (SE Lab), will also present their entrepreneurial endeavors during the lecture. The event will be held in the new Carl A. Fields Center.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Figures of Speech: Welcome back!
"Is Israeli-Palestine Peace Possible?"
Tuesday, Nov 10, 4:30 PM – 1 hour – Lectures
East Pyne 010
Dr. Gershon Baskin, the Israeli CEO and founder of the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information (IPCRI), will discuss the challenges our world faces regarding the on-going conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.
Full Court Press: the Supreme Court, the Media, and Public Understanding
Wednesday, Nov 11, 4:30 PM – 1 hour, 30 minutes – Lectures
Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall
This event will be a panel discussion with the following panelists:
- Jeffrey Toobin, staff writer for The New Yorker; CNN senior legal analyst; author of "The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court"
- Dahlia Lithwick, Slate.com senior editor and legal correspondent
- Adam Liptak, Supreme Court correspondent, The New York Times
- Emily Bazelon, Yale Law School senior research scholar affiliated with Center for Law and Media; Slate.com senior writer and editor
- Moderator: Paul Starr, Stuart Professor of Communications and Public Affairs in the Woodrow Wilson School; Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs, Princeton University
Productive Scholar: Introduction to Matlab
Thursday, Nov 12, 12:00 PM – 1 hour – Lectures
Frist Multipurpose Room A
May Jean Cheah, a graduate student in Chemical Engineering, will teach you some nifty tricks in MATLAB to show you what a an amazing tool it can be. Get over your fear of "programming" and go to this useful workshop!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Figures of Speech: As midterms loom...
Political Islam in Palestine: The Future of Hamas and the Gaza Strip
Monday, 4:30 p.m.
Jones 100
The lecture will be given by Professor Khalil Shikaki, founder and director of the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah and Associate Professor of Political Sciences at Al Najah National University in Nablus.
Interviewing the American Way
Wednesday, noon
Frist 243
This is for all you international students (and me!). Maximize your chance of employment by learning subtle American interview etiquettes!
Priceton University Orchestra Concert
Saturday, 8 p.m.
Sunday, 3 p.m.
Richardson Auditorium
Take your mind off studying for a while and enjoy some beautiful classical music performed by Princeton's amazing musicians!
Prokofiev's "The Ugly Duckling," featuring soprano Martha Elliot '82
Mozart's Piano Concerto in E-flat Major, featuring Jennifer Chu '06
Ravel's "Alborada del Gracioso"
Shostakovich's Symphony No. 9
Tickets are $18 for general admission, $8 for students and free with a Tiger Ticket!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Figures of Speech: Sex, Neurology, Graduate School Fair
Sex and the Soul
Tuesday, Oct 13, 7:30 PM – 1 hour, 30 minutes – Lectures
McCosh 46
Donna Freitas wrote a book called "Sex and the Soul," and she'll share her wisdom about college students' challenges in balancing sex with religious ideals.
What Neurology Can Tell Us about Human Nature
Thursday, Oct 15, 8:00 PM – 1 hour – Lectures
McCosh 50
Dr. V.S. Ramachandran, the director of the Center for Brain and Cognition at the University of California, San Diego, will be giving a lecture about how studying phantom limbs can help us understand brain functions and about synesthesia. If you are interested at all in neuroscience, this is an event you must attend!
Graduate & Professional School Fair
Friday, Oct 16, 12:30 PM – 3 hours – Careers
Dillon Gymnasium
Representatives from over 100 graduate and professional schools will be here to answer your questions regarding graduate studies! For pre-law, pre-med, or scholarly students hoping to do research as a career, this will be an invaluable source of information. And even for those who are primarily interested in working after graduation, let's face it: with the current economic crisis, it has become much harder for us to find jobs, and pursuing graduate studies can be a great way to develop more marketable skills while the economy recovers.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Figures of Speech: Blood, Money Edition
Town Hall Meeting on University's Financial Outlook
Tuesday, Oct 6, 9:00 AM – 2 hours – Other
Richardson Auditorium, Alexander Hall
Are we going to have to give up lawn parties again? Are we still gonna get a million free shirts this year? Did we lose more money than HARVARD? Come and listen about how present economic conditions are affecting the University's budget and the different types of cost-savings initiatives that the university is planning on. There will also be a Q & A period!
American Red Cross Pheresis Drive
Friday, Oct 9, 10:00 AM – 6 hours – Other
Dillon Gym Parking Lot
Help out those in need! Donate blood!
Forbes Blackbox GRAND OPENING
Friday, Oct 9, 8:30 PM – 2 hours, 30 minutes – Arts/Performance
Forbes Blackbox
Another dance floor opens for you to jiggle and shake on! Bring your friends and have a wild Friday night!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
A diverse set of events coming up in the week
Several exciting events lined up for you this week to go and check out! Without further ado, here they are.
Hypnotize Your Roommate
Time:
Monday, Sept 28, 7~9 pm
Wednesday, Sept 30 7~9 pm
Place: 039 East Pyne
This past weekend, I got my roommate to do all my tedious ECO/ORF/MAT homework while I partied like a wild unrestrained horse. How did I do that? By hypnotizing my roommate, of course. Learn to do this yourself too by attending this event!
Professor Ed Steinfeld - "Playing Our Game: China's Rise and the West"
Time:
Thursday, Oct 1, 4:30~5:30 pm
Place:
McCosh Hall, Room 2 (Entrance B)
We all know that China is developing at a fierce rate and that there will most likely be problems as China and the US struggle for power. If you want to know more about this East vs. West issue, this is the event to attend!
2009 Post-Summer Internship Presentation
Time:
Tuesday, Sept 29, 7~9 pm (Education and Youth Services)
Wednesday, Sept 30, 7~9 pm (Policy Research, Law, and Legal Services)
Thursday, Oct 1, 7~9 pm (Community Outreach and Social Services)
Place:
Rocky-Mathey Classroom
Don't make the mistake I made last year, waiting for an internship to prance along my way in March! Find out what cool internships our peers did over the summer, so you can make summer 2010 one of the most memorable summers you have ever had.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Figures of Speech: This Week is the Reason Why You Came to Princeton
This is one week of lectures you will not want to miss - where else can you see John Nash and Ban Ki Moon in the same week? You know you're at Princeton when....AMAZING people come to give talks to undergraduates.
"Obama's War: Why We Are Stuck in Iraq" - Monday, Apr 13, 8:00 PM in McCosh Hall 10
Thomas Ricks, Pentagon reporter for the Washington Post, argues that the Iraq war is long from over, and that some of its most memorable events may in fact come during the new Obama presidency.
"Ideal Money and Asymptotically Ideal Money" - Tuesday, April 14th, 4:30 PM in Room 101, Sherrerd Hall - John F. Nash (known as the famous Princetonian from "A Beautiful Mind") is giving a talk on money as an artifact of civilization and the comparative natures of monetary systems. Come out if you like John Nash or if you like money. Hey, I'm there!
"Keynote Address: Prosperity or Peril? The Next Phase of Globalization'" - Friday, April 17th, 9:30 AM in McCarter Theater Center- U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is coming to Princeton's campus to speak on whether the increasingly interconnected forces of globalization will result in a more stable and prosperous society. Arrive early to make sure you get the chance to witness this memorable talk and to be in the same room as some of the most influential people on the planet.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Figures of Speech (Life after thesis)
Have no idea what to do when you turn in your thesis? Whether you're a senior or a freshmen, these talks are where the party's at this week! Don't miss them!
"Cornel West: What matters to me and why?" - Monday, April 6th, 5:00 PM in Murray Dodge - Cornell West gives a heart to heart talk about the experiences forming his life philosophy, as a part of RLC's "What matters to me and why?" talk series. Don't miss this chance to find out what has influenced one of the greatest minds on Princeton's campus, and snag some free dinner while you're at it.
"Ethics and Climate Change Lecture Series: Climate Justice and the Capabilities Approach: The Flourishing of Human and Non-Human Communities" - Tuesday, April 7th, 4:30 PM in Betts Auditorium, Architecture Building - David Schlosberg talks to us about "climate justice", climate change from an environmental and social justice perspective.
"Film Screening: 'Terra Estrangeira'" - Tuesday, April 7th, 7:00 PM in Wu Cafe, Wu Hall- A screening of this Brazilian film about the realities of Brazilian in the 1990s will be accompanied by a discussion with Prof. Nicola Cooney from the Spanish and Portuguese department, and Braziian food! Check out the trailer:
Monday, March 30, 2009
Figures of Speech: Spring is Here
Spring is here! April showers bring May flowers, and all of that good stuff, so while you're waiting out the rain, be sure to catch these lectures coming up next week:
"My Husband's Presidency: The Current View from the White House" on Wednesday, April 1st, 4:30 in Richardson - Michelle Obama, in a lecture about her perspective on her time at Princeton and the New Obama presidency..... APRIL FOOLS! Just kidding! Now, seriously, here are three amazing events going on this week:
Ken Loach's "Bread and Roses" with a Q&A by Patricia Fernandez-Kelly on Wednesday, Apr 1, 7:30 pm in McCormick 101 - As a part of the Labor Film Series organized by Princeton for Workers' Rights, this film tells the story of a young undocumented immigrant from Mexico and her role in unionizing her fellow workers. Be sure to stay for the Q & A with our sociology department's own Patricia Fernandez-Kelly to gain insight on some of the American labor issues brought to light in the film.
"The Green Ladder Out of Poverty: Accessing Clean Tech Through Microfinance" on Thursday, April 2, 4:30 pm in Robertson 002 - Betsy Teutsch, the 4th speaker in a Princeton Microfinance Organization talk series, is the Director of Communications at GreenMicrofinance.org, an organization which uses microfinance to address climate change and promote environmental justice. To stay for the dinner discussion afterwards with food from Thai Village, RSVP by emailing Ting-Fung Chan at tfchan@princeton.edu.
"Hinduism in the 21st Century" on Saturday, April 4, 7 pm in the Chancellor Green Rotunda - Dr. Uma Mysorekar, the President of the Hindu Temple Society of North America, will give the keynote address to this formal vegetarian banquet as one of the culminating events in the Hinduism in the 21st Century series taking place next week. Admission is free - all that is required is a willingness to learn about the Hindu community, but make sure to RSVP by April 3 to hindu@princeton.edu.
- Ruth Metzel '10
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Figures of Speech and then some...
It’s a really sad story, but I’m finding it difficult to get excited about any other lectures now that I know Ban Ki-Moon is coming to speak at Princeton. For lack of other Secretaries-General, however, I’ll present the following still-very-interesting lectures:
“The Politics of Sustainable Eating” on Tuesday March 24, 4:30 in McCosh 50 – Josh Viertel, President of Slow Food USA, will discuss “Ethics, Politics and the American Food System” in a lecture sponsored by Slow Food Princeton, The Princeton Farm to Fork Project, The High Meadows Foundation, and PEI. Viertel, a Harvard grad, was co-founder and co-director of the Yale Sustainable Food Project, which involved the creation and management of an organic farm on the Yale campus. Not bad (for New Haven).
“Eleanor Roosevelt: The Challenge and Future of Human Rights” on Tuesday March 24, 4:30 in Betts Auditorium, Architecture Building – Blanche Wiesen Cook, Professor of History and Women’s Studies at John Jay College and City University of New York, will draw from her latest book in this lecture sponsored by the Program in Women’s Studies and the Department of English. Cook won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for her earlier work, “Eleanor Roosevelt: Volume One 1884-1993.”
“Pakistan’s Current Crisis” on Thursday March 26, 4:30 in Bowl 016, Robertson Hall – Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistan advisor to the US and former fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, will discuss her eleven years of diplomatic experience in the US and Britain and her work on the UN Advisory Board on Disarmament Affairs from 2001 to 2005. In the lecture, sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School and the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination, Lodhi will draw on her diverse experiences in international affairs.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Go Figure...
Sometimes I like to mash together the titles of talks and imagine what the resulting hypothetical lecture would look like. This week’s one goes something like, “Congress and the Presidency: Imagining Homoerotic Desire in the Nearly Middle East, by Painter Chris Martin.” Now that is one lecture I wouldn’t want to miss, but, seeing as it doesn’t exist, we’ll just have to make do with:
“Congress and the Presidency: Dissonance in their Electoral Basis?” on Monday March 9, 4:30 in Dodds Auditorium, Richardson Hall – In the first of three lectures on politics and public affairs sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School, Princeton University Press, and the Center for the Study of Democratic Politics, distinguished Yale University Professor David Mayhew will discuss some of the most pressing issues in politics today. This opening talk will be followed by lectures on “What Happens to White House Legislative Proposals?” and “Reform as a Property of the System” on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Go because we’re all wondering if Obama can pull off the much-anticipated bipartisan miracle he promised during the election, and stay because Mayhew has studied this stuff way more than your average CNN pundit and he might actually have the answer.
“Modernist Re-Orientations: Imagining Homoerotic Desire in the Nearly Middle East” on Monday March 9, 4:30 in McCosh 60 – If the aforementioned political discussion doesn’t really do it for you, maybe this lecture from the Program in the Study of Women and Gender and the English Department will excite your interests. Joseph Boone, Professor of English and Gender Studies at the University of Southern California will speak. To be perfectly frank, I have no idea what this talk is about, but the title was catchy, and I’m all for judging a book by its cover. Go because of something about the phrase “homoerotic desire in the nearly middle east” sounds incongruous; stay … well, I don’t know. I guess you’ll just have to go and find out.
“Lecture by Painter Chris Martin” on Tuesday March 10, noon in Room 219, Lewis Center for the Arts – Don’t let the minimalist title fool you: Chris Martin’s paintings will get in your face. Varying from abstract, black-and-white murals that take over entire walls to smaller, strikingly realistic portraits, Martin’s works mash together colors, shapes, and the occasional slice of shellacked Wonder Bread. Disclaimer 1: I don’t know anything about art. Disclaimer 2: I know a lot about things that look cool to me. Martin’s paintings definitely look cool to me. Go because you a) get art or b) love things that look cool even if you don’t understand them; stay and let the artist himself explain what’s going on in the work.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Figures of Speech (and Finance?)
What do acclaimed animals rights activist and author Gary Francione, our own Provost Chris Eisgruber and gay, Palestinian fashion designer Rami Kashou have in common? Probably nothing, which just goes to show you what an eclectic bunch we get here at Princeton. Here’s a sampling of this week’s lecture buffet:
“Animals as Persons” on Tuesday March 3, 6:00 in the Whitman Common Room – In a dinner discussion sponsored by the Princeton Bioethics Forum, Gary L. Francione, a professor at Rutgers School of Law-Newark, will ruminate on the tricky issues of animal rights activism. One of the founders and pioneering forces in the abolitionist school of animal rights activism, Francione rejects the idea of animals as property and promotes veganism as a rejection of the use of all animal products. Drawing from his latest book, Animals as Persons: Essays on the Abolition of Animal Exploitation (2008), Francione will discuss his theories on cheese omelets, the ethics of turkey sandwiches, and his views on Peter Singer. He will be aided in his attempt to convert you to veganism with catered vegan Indian food. Go for the vegan fixings; stay because you’re wondering what kind of thinker finds Peter Singer too moderate in his demands .
“Town Hall Meeting on the Financial Outlook of the University” on Wednesday March 4, 3:00 in McCosh 10 – In a “town hall” style meeting popularized by the presidential elections (and centuries of use before that, probably), University representatives will provide audience members with an overview of Princeton’s financial situation and projections for the next fiscal year. A panel including Provost Chris Eisgruber, Executive VP Mark Burstein, VP of Finance and Treasurer Carolyn Ainslie and VP of Human Resources Lianne Sullivan-Crowley will also discuss the University’s long-term plans, followed by a Q and A session. Go because the University’s financial situation matters, no matter who you and how you are affiliated with Princeton; stay because, seriously, this is kind of a big deal.
“Rami Kashou: From Ramallah to Project Runway and Beyond” on Thursday March 5, 4:30 in Feinberg Café, Center for Jewish Life – This is definitely the funky, fun outlier lecture for the week. If you watch Project Runway (which I’m not ashamed to admit I do – or did back in the days when I had time to watch TV), you know that Rami Kashou is a young Palestinian fashion designer who gained fame on the hit Broadway show for his elegant forms and beautiful fabric draping. In a talk sponsored by the CJL, LGBT, and Pride Alliance, Kashou will discuss his childhood in Israel, immigration, his personal fashion style, and more. Go because he sounds like a fascinating personality; stay because you still think he should have won the fourth season of Project Runway.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Figures of Speech (and Art?)
When it comes to narrowing down all of the wild and fascinating lectures offered every week into three blurbs, sometimes I don’t even know where to start. This week’s attempt includes:
“Evaluating Climate Change Institutions: Justice or Legitimacy?” on Tuesday February 24, 4:30 in Betts Auditorium, Architecture Building – Continuing the Princeton Environmental Institute’s “Ethics and Climate Change” lecture series, Prof. Robert Keohane of the Woodrow Wilson School will explain why the idea of justice, a fluctuating moral compass that can never achieve universal uniformity, is so common in policy discussion but still almost entirely useless as a standard by which to judge the politics of climate change. Keohane will investigate the effectiveness of legitimacy, the idea that an institution should prove why it should lead and others should follow, as an ethical substitute for justice in the context of environmental policy. Go because you’re not entirely sure what this means (I definitely don’t), and stay to find out because it actually sounds pretty cool.
“Global Health and Development: Prospects in a New Administration” on Wednesday February 25, 4:30 in Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall – Michael Gerson, former Bush administration policy advisor and longtime senior speechwriter for the same, talks health, development, religion, foreign policy, and democracy in this lecture sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School and the Office of Graduate Career Services. As a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and a “Newsweek” contributor, Gerson knows his stuff. Go because anyone who writes a book called ““Heroic Conservatism: Why Republicans Need to Embrace America's Ideals (And Why They Deserve to Fail If They Don't)” is probably a little combative; stay because it’s always fun to watch combative people get upset about something they really care about.
“Small French Paintings: Bonnard and Vuillard” on Friday February 27, 12:30 in the Art Museum – Visiting the Art Museum isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you try to think of interesting lectures at Princeton, but it is definitely one of my favorite places to explore. In the intimate gallery talk presented by Caroline Harris, curator of academic and education programs, you’ll get to know the museum a little bit better (which is a lot more than many students). Go because you know nothing about small French paintings; stay because (knowing Prof. Harris) you will come out of there feeling (and sounding) like a connoisseur.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Figures of Speech, or "I wish I didn't have class so I could go to these sweet lectures."
“The World in Infra-Red: Optical Sensing for Health and the Environment” on Wednesday February 18, noon in Frist Multipurpose Room B – For the engineers (and the simply science curious) among us, Claire Gmachl and Jim Smith will discuss the research conducted at the Engineering Research Center based in Princeton, including last summer’s atmospheric field campaign in Beijing to monitor air quality, cloud cover, and precipitation during the Olympics, where researchers analyzed the impact of pollution reduction measures imposed during the Games. Go because we all remember the alarming news stories about athletes wearing surgical face masks to reduce inhalation of pollutants, and stay because those new stories never did say if the masks actually worked.
“Are You Who We Think You Are?” on Thursday February 19, 5:30 in McCosh 50 (simulcast in McCosh 28 and 46) – This is probably the main attraction for the week, starring the multitalented Glenn Close. Close, famous for her portrayal of Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction, will discuss her constantly evolving relationship with her audience and the importance of the dramatic arts. If you didn’t get tickets for this lecture already and watching it on a TV in another room during the simulcast doesn’t quite do it for you, prepare yourself for some quality standing-in-line time, because this lecture might just be worth the wait. Go because everyone else wants to go to awesome ticketed lectures like this; stay because some people just have really interesting lives that are worth hearing about, including Ms. Close.
“Seeing an Obscured Apartheid: Immigration, Civil Rights, and the Reconstruction” on Friday February 20, noon in the Carl A. Fields Center – For the lucky few who don’t have Friday classes, the Fields Center and the Davis International Center are co-sponsoring a lecture by Dr. William Westerman. A lecturer in the Writing Program whose latest project investigates the role of culture in refugee camps, Westerman will discuss the complex challenges facing President Barack Obama with an emphasis on issues inherited from the Clinton and Bush administrations. Go for a nice lunch; stay for a rare opportunity to talk to experts on global issues in an informal roundtable setting.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Figures of the Speech: The New Wave
One week into the new semester and campus is already awash with lectures, seminars, and meetings for all interests. Here are a few stand-outs from the lecture line-up for this week:
“Global Health: Sierra Leone’s Classroom” on Monday February 9, 4:30 in Dodds Auditorium– Part movie, part lecture, this event sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School features the premier of the documentary “Pride of Lions,” which tells the story of survivors of war in Sierra Leone, and a lecture by Dan Kelly ’03, the Founder and Executive Director of the Global Action Foundation, an organization which focuses on treatment for amputees. Go for the free food; stay for the warm and fuzzy feeling that people can still do good things in the world.
“Call+Response Screening and Panel” on Tuesday February 10, 4:30 screening and 6:00 panel in McCosh 50 – This is might be the one you stand in line for. The film, “Call+Response,” a critically acclaimed documentary about the plight of 27 million slaves around the world and the state of the modern abolition movement, will be screened first, followed by an expert panel featuring Professor Cornel West and the film’s director, Justin Dillon. Go for Cornel West; stay because you have to wonder, “27 million? How is that even possible?”
“National Teach-In on Climate Change” on Wednesday February 11, 4:30 in Robertson Bowl 001—I know everyone says that they are experts on climate change, but these people actually are. Rather than focus on obscure scientific minutiae or sweeping policy changes, this event breaks climate change down into three key topics: Economic Implications and the Role of Government, Media and Climate Change, and Climate Change and Global Development. Go for a crash course in the many ways in which climate change is rocking our world, and stay for Jon Braman, Ukulele-rapper extraordinaire. Yea, I said ukulele-rapper. Beat that.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Figures of Speech: Give Thanks with Some Lectures Edition
This week’s don’t miss (unless you already did):
At 4:30 on Monday, Prof. Cornel West will be holding a reading and book signing for his latest work, “Hope on a Tightrope: Words and Wisdom.” It’s in Prospect House, but tickets are required – don’t grouse. If right now you cry and wonder why, it may help to remember that Prof. West is an activist, critic, and rapper in addition to his work in academia.
Plus his rhymes are suitable for book titles.
Don’t despair, o readers fair. Also at 4:30 on Monday is a lecture by US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues, Clint Williamson. Ambassador Williamson will be delivering a lecture in 016 Robertson on “An Overview of U.S. War Crimes Policy at the Change of Administration.” Ambassador Williamson has previously served in Baghdad and at the Hague.
On Tuesday, once more at 4:30, Francois Burgat will lecture on “Islamism in the Shadow of al-Qaeda.” His book of the same title was recently released. The lecture is in 100 Jones.
Nothing rhymes with “Islamism” or “al-Qaeda.”
Monday, November 17, 2008
Figures of Speech: Big Names, Big Brains, Big Books Edition
On Tuesday at 8:00 in McCosh 50, Walter Isaacson will speak about “Einstein, Franklin, and the Role of Creativity in Today’s World.” He has relatively recently compiled massive biographies of both Einstein and Franklin. A number to look out for in his scholarship on the two men is 1536. No, it’s not a date. It’s the combined page total of the two biographies.
Isaacson is a noted writer, and has helped lead both CNN and Time magazine in the past. He currently serves as president and CEO of the Aspen Institute.
Thursday brings this week’s split decision. Daniel Markey '00, now of the Council on Foreign Relations, will be addressing policy options for the next four years concerning terror in the tribal areas of Pakistan. The lecture will be in Robertson 016 at 4:30. Markey is formerly of the State Department, as well as a former professor here at Princeton.
Also at 4:30 in Sherrerd Hall, Room 101 is Phil Weiser of the University of Colorado. Prof. Weiser will deliver a lecture entitled “What Should the FCC Do About Net Neutrality?” He is a former Justice Department lawyer.
If you’re using a lot of bandwidth right now, that’s just ironic.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Figures of Speech: One Last Election Panel Edition
The One You Can’t Miss
I know, I know. The 2008 presidential election has stretched on for well over a year. But here’s one final election panel worth hearing. It’s "Election ’08: The Aftermath" at 4:30 on Wednesday (that’s the day after Election Day) in 101 Friend Center. After all, the panelists are Wilson School Dean Anne-Marie Slaughter, Prof. Eddie Glaude, and Prof. Julian Zelizer. As if that’s not enough, Prof. Cornel West is also a panelist.
Split Decision
If this isn’t your scene, then there must be something wrong with your brain. Or maybe you’d prefer to go to “Ethics in Neuroscience: Lessons from Lobotomy” in 23 Robertson. It features Mariko Nakano of UCLA, Prof. Gross of Princeton’s Psychology Department, and Prof. Peter Singer of the University Center for Human Values.
And because when it rains it pours, also on Wednesday at 4:30 there’s a lecture entitled “The Coming Oil Supply Crunch” given by Paul Stevens of London’s famous Chatham House.
Also on the docket is “Empty Churches, Full Tents” at 8 on Monday in McCosh 10. It’s the first of three lectures from Ian Buruma of Bard College on “religion and democracy on three continents.”
Finally, on Thursday at 4:30 in East Pyne 10, there’s “Law and Economics: Enemy or Friend of Classical Liberalism?” The speaker is Michael Krauss of George Mason University Law School.
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