Why is it so difficult to sell a plummeting stock or end a doomed relationship? Why do we listen to advice just because it came from someone "important"? Why are we more likely to fall in love when there's danger involved? In this year’s book Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior, renowned organizational thinker Ori Brafman and his brother, psychologist Rom Brafman, answer all the questions and more. Drawing on cutting-edge research from the fields of social psychology, behavioral economics, and organizational behavior, Sway reveals the many dynamic forces that influence our personal and business lives, including loss aversion (our tendency to go to great lengths to avoid a perceived loss), the diagnosis bias (our inability to reevaluate our initial diagnosis or a person or situation), and the 'chameleon effect' (our tendency to take on characteristics that have been arbitrarily assigned to us). This year’s Preface events provide opportunities to reflect further on these aspects of our decision-making process.

August 28, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Chuck Reback, “Money matters: How we manage our money and why.”

September 6, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Andrew Beer, “In the face of the unknown: A look at how we perceive people we don’t know.”
 

September 13, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Katherine Gibbs, “Our life in their hands: How health care professionals make critical decisions.”

September 20, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Frances Jarratt-Hortis, “Breaking up is hard to do: A closer look at intimate relationships.”

October 8, 2:30-3:30, CLC 309
English 101 students interview Rom Brafman: 
 

October 8, 7-8 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Rom Brafman, “Keynote Address.”

October 25, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Allison Pingley and Trevor Rubenzer, “Swaying the voters: How political elections are decided abroad and at home.”

November 5, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Mark Ritter, “I saw daddy spit on the umpire: An umpire discusses sport fans’ behavior.”

January 23, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Lizabeth Zack, “Crazy or Committed?: Explaining suicide bombings, hunger strikes and setting yourself on fire.”

January 31, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Louisa Ericson and Oliver Triettenwein, “Head games: A talk about athletes and how they cope with the pressure of competition.”

February 7, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Lisa Johnson and Peter Caster, “Throwing like a girl, catching like a boy: A talk about men, women, and how they’re expected to behave.”

February 19, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Susan Davis, “Under the sway of the inexplicable: A look at our relationship with music.”

March 7, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
An international students panel. “Making the strange familiar: A discussion of cultural shock and the aftermath.”

March 26, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Shannon Polchow and Araceli Hernandez-Laroche. “There’s this funny saying: What other languages tell us about human behavior.”

April 9, 6-7 p.m., CLC Ballroom
David Damrel. “Why do we believe the unbelievable?: A discussion of how different religions deal with the inexplicable.”

As you enter USC Upstate this fall, you’ll be a part of a special reading, writing, and discussion experience. In every English 101 class, first-year students will read the highly acclaimed best seller, How Does it Feel to Be a Problem? (Being Young and Arab in America) by author Moustafa Bayoumi. The entire USC Upstate community, from Student Affairs to academic departments, will offer a range of activities to help you meet staff, faculty, and fellow students as you learn more about the PREFACE book's theme. Videos and images from events will be posted online throughout the semester. 
Just over a century ago, W.E.B. Du Bois posed a probing question in his classic, The Souls of Black Folk: "How does it feel to be a problem?”  -- he asked. Today, Arab and Muslim Americans, the newest minorities in the American imagination, are the latest “problem” of American society, and their answers to Du Bois’s question increasingly define what being American means today. 
In a wholly revealing portrait of a community that lives next door and yet a world away, Moustafa Bayoumi introduces us to the individual lives of seven twentysomething men and women living in Brooklyn, home to the largest number of Arab Americans in the United States. Through telling real stories about young people in Brooklyn, Bayoumi jettisons the stereotypes and clichés that constantly surround Arabs and Muslims and allows us instead to enter their worlds and experience their lives. We meet Rasha, Sami, Lina, Akram, Yasmin, Omar and Rami and discover through them often-unseen entanglements: government surveillance and detentions, workplace discrimination, warfare in their countries of origin, threats of vigilante violence, the infiltration of spies and informants into their midst, and the disappearance of friends or family. Their richly told stories connect us to their quests for meaning, from falling in love to finding God, and we feel their triumphs and watch them stumble along the way. As their lives turn on the winds of global conflicts, these young Arab Americans manage the major issues of our day while forging the contours of our future society. What the stories in this book prove is that the fight for equality and the commitment to compassion are as necessary today as ever, if not more so. 
Moustafa Bayoumi immerses his reader in a reality at once inconceivable and achingly familiar to unveil an unforgettable American story of race, religion, and civil rights, full of struggle, promise and hope.

August 23, 4:30-5:30 p.m., CLC 310
“All About Halal.” 
A representative from Holy Land International Grocery Store, which offers the Upstate area meat prepared according to halal specifications, explains and answers questions about this practice. 
For more information about halal, see this list of some of the websites that Ibrahim Hanif mentioned during his presentation.

• Islamic Food & Nutrition Council of America
• Comparison of Islamic and Jewish Dietary Laws
• Green Zabiha
• Saffron Road Foods
• Whole Earth Meats
• Muslim-Christian business collaborations for wholesome halal beef and chicken, including:
  • Baldwin Family Farms
  • Crescent Foods
  • Online international guide to halal restaurants and products

September 1, 6-7 p.m., CLC 310
Spotlight on Members of Our Community: Mr. Mohamad Sultan
Drawing on the principle of the PREFACE text, this talk will provide an opportunity to get to know better Mr. Mohamad Sultan, Principal Engineer of Wind Systems at General Electric.

September 11, 8-9 p.m., Amphitheater (in event of rain CLC 310)
Candlelight Vigil and Interfaith Forum 
This will be an opportunity to remember the victims of 9-11 and also reflect on how to build a better future. Speakers from Morningside Baptist Church of Spartanburg, Congregation B’nai of Israel in Spartanburg, and the Islamic Society of Greenville will explore how to build better relations between members of different faiths in our communities.

September 13, 6-7 p.m., CLC 310
Introducing Islam - Muslims in America 
Dr. David Damrel, Assistant Professor of Religion at USC Upstate, discusses the tenets of Islam and the practices of Muslims in the United States.

September 19, 1 p.m., URC Greatroom
Documentary for Students Enrolled in English 101: What Do Muslims Really Think? 
Inside Islam: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, a new documentary film from Unity Productions Foundation, explores the expertly gathered opinions of Muslims around the globe as revealed in the world’s first major opinion poll, conducted by Gallup, the preeminent polling organization.

September 22, 6-7 p.m., CLC 310
Getting to Know Arabic 
Ms. Susan Hodge, Director for Community Engagement and ESL tutor, provdies an introduction to Arabic Language

• Getting to Know the Arabic Language: PowerPoint
• Getting to Know the Arabic Language: Supplementary Notes

September 29, 6-7 p.m., CLC 310
How Does it Feel to Sound Like a Problem?
Dr. David Marlow, Associate Professor of Linguistics at USC Upstate, discusses how the way a person speaks affects their standing in our society, and the discrimination faced by those who speak non-standard English (International, Black, Country, etc.)

October 5, 6-7 p.m., CLC 310
Muslim Impact/Attitudes in the U.S. - What Women Want 
Ms. Megali Rheault tackles the issues Muslim women in the United States face.

October 10, 7-8 p.m., CLC 310
Invisible by Design: The Absence of African-American Muslim Voices in the National Conversation About Islam as Religious ‘Other’ 
Mr. Ibrahim Hanif, Collection Development Librarian at Wofford College, discusses the absence of African-American and other convert voices in the post 9-11 conversation on Islam.

October 12, 2-3 p.m., CLC 310
Interview with Moustafa Bayoumi, author of the 2011-2012 Preface text. 
Moustafa Bayoumi, author of “How Does It Feel to Be a Problem” gives an interview to a group of English 101 students. 
October 27, 6-7 p.m., CLC 310
Ethical Considerations Within and Outside Islam 
Dr. Richard Combes, Associate Professor of Philosophy, identifies and discusses the ethical concerns inherent in the public discourse about Muslims in America.

This fall, as a member of the first-year class enrolled in English 101, you will read a highly acclaimed best seller, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Rebecca Skloot learned about Henrietta Lacks in a biology class in an alternative school. It became a story she couldn’t forget, and she spent 10 years reading, researching, and writing this book. As we come together to read, discuss, and write about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, we hope you discover ideas and learn to form questions that stay with you far beyond your first year at USC Upstate. 
Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer in 1951, but she lives on today. Cells from a biopsy of her cervical cancer - taken without her consent - became the first immortal cell culture, the HeLa cells. Her cells, one of the most important tools in medicine, were vital for developing the polio vaccine, uncovering secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects, and leading to advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping. 
But the woman for whom the cells are named is virtually unknown. She was a tobacco farmer who is buried in an unmarked grave. Although HeLa cells have been bought and sold by the billions, he rfamily has never seen any of the profits, and one of her adult sons cannot afford treatment for his own cancer. 
This fall you will read her story, and think and write about issues such as bioethics, scientific development, and the effect of race, class, and gender on medical care.The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is an especially appropriate study as our country debates health care and the expanding possibilities of scientific research which hold more promise and raise more concerns about privacy and human dignity than ever before.

September 7, 6:00 p.m., HPAC 120
“Medical Research and Vulnerable Populations: The US Health Service Study at Tuskegee.” 
Dr. Lynette Gibson will discuss the infamous study conducted by the US Public Health Service at Tuskegee University, in which 400 poor black men were studied to learn more about the syphilis virus. The men were not informed of their disease, and they were not treated. In 1997, President Clinton formally apologized to African Americans for the study.

September 14, 6:00 p.m., URC Greatroom
The Way of All Flesh Film Screening 
Students will watch the 1997 BBC documentary The Way of All Flesh by Adam Curtis, about Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cell line. This one hour film includes interviews with family members and many of the researchers covered in Rebecca Skloot’s book. This event will be repeated on September 28.

September 15, 6:00 p.m., HPAC Theatre
“Ain’t I A Woman”: A Historical Dissection of the African American Female Experience 
In this dynamic Preface event, Dr. Carmen Harris, associate professor of history, will guide students through the long and troubling history of the unauthorized appropriation and use of black women’s bodies.

September 21, 6:00 p.m., CLC 310
An Ounce of Prevention: Cancer and College Students 
Glaydeane Lee from the Cancer Association of Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties will discuss cancer prevention for college students.

September 23, 6:00 p.m., Tukey Theater
HeLa Live 
Dr. Jeannie Chapman will show students live HeLa cells that she has grown from culture and discuss the implications of the cell line on cancer research.

September 28, 6:00 p.m., URC Greatroom
The Way of All Flesh Film Screening 
Students will watch the 1997 BBC documentary The Way of All Flesh by Adam Curtis, about Henrietta Lacks and the HeLa cell line. This one hour film includes interviews with family members and many of the researchers covered in Rebecca Skloot’s book. This event is a repeat of the September 14 event.

September 29, 6:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Power of the Pen: Preface Letter Writing Night 
Writing instructors will lead students through the steps to write letters to individuals involved in the issues raised by The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Students will have the choice of writing letters to the author, Rebecca Skloot, the Lacks family, South Carolina legislators, and others. Snacks provided! Sponsored by Student Life.

October 7, 6:00-7:30 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Great Conversations: Dinner and Discussion 
First-year students will join USC Upstate faculty and staff, student leaders from Upstate colleges, and community leaders from throughout South Carolina for dinner and roundtable discussions concerning topics related to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Modeled on the College of Arts and Science’s Evening of Great Conversations, this event brings together good food, good company, and good ideas to foster new friendships across campus and to promote thinking about the complex issues in the PREFACE text. No lectures, no quizzes, just great ideas shared around the dinner table. Seating is limited to 120. Free tickets for the event are avaialble beginning September 22 in HPAC 222. Sponsored by Student Life.

October 20, 6:00-7:30 p.m., CLC Ballroom
The Henrietta Lacks Case: A Medical Ethicist’s Perspective 
Events described in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks raise obvious philosophical questions, and the answers are anything but clear. Some of the more controversial topics surrounding HeLa will be discussed by USC Upstate professor of philosophy Dr. Richard Combes.

October 26, 6:00-7:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
The Immortal Life Meets Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
An Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks game show contest that tests students on their knowledge of the book and issues related to it. Brock Adams, English instructor, will lead this interactive event. Prizes! Sponsored by Student Life.

October 27, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Tukey Theater
Beyond the Color Line: “The South” 
Students will watch “The South” from the 2007 PBS documentary Beyond the Color Line, in which renowned scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., examines the future of race relations. Dr. Benita Dillard, instructor of English and African American Studies, will lead discussion after the film.

November 9
Student Essay Contest Awards 
The best student essays on The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks will be nominated for this award by SEGL 101 instructors, and winners will be selected by the USC Upstate Composition Committee. The first place winner will receive $250. The runner-up will receive $100.

November 9, 6:00-7:25 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Student-Led Conference 
Designed and presented by upper-level USC Upstate students, this event will bring together students of all ages and majors to discuss the first-year reading, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Students pick the topics; students run the discussions. Relate to the reading in ways that are meaningful to you. Dr. Celena E. Kusch, assistant professor of American literature, will coordinate this interactive event. The conference will include great refreshments, 25-minute discussion sessions with student leaders, and a 25-minute panel discussion that brings together all participants. Sponsored by Student Life.

Throughout the Semester
Community Opportunities 
Organized student groups will have opportunities to donate their service to local cancer research facilities or to participate in fundraising activities for causes related to the text–cancer research, the Henrietta Lacks Foundation, etc.

In every English 101 class, first-year students will read Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America by journalist Barbara Ehrenreich. This provacative, heartfelt - and often funny - account of life in the low-wage trenches challenges our assumptions about American prosperity and hardship. Millions of Americans work for poverty-level wages, and one day Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. She was inspired in part by the rhetoric promising that any job equals a better life. But can anyone survive, let alone prosper, on $6 to $7 an hour? To find out, Ehrenreich took the cheapest lodgings available and went to work as a waitress, hotel maid, house cleaner, nursing-home aide, and Wal-Mart salesperson. She soon discovered that these low paying jobs require exhausting mental and physical effort, but minimum wage is not a living wage. Nickel and Dimed is especially appropriate for study as the USC Upstate community, our nation, and our world face the challenges presented by economic uncertainty.

September 15, 5:00 p.m., Tukey Theater
The Bicycle Thief: Film Screening and Discussion 
This film was given an honorary Oscar in 1949 and is routinely listed among the best films of all time. It is the story of Ricci, a man who needs a job and a bicycle in order to get a job. Ricci loves his family, wants to protect them and provide for them, but society makes his goals almost impossible. Dr. Peter Caster, Assistant Professor of English, will lead a discussion following the screening.

Septermber 17, 4:00 p.m., HPAC First Floor Lobby (Meet and Greet) 
September 17, 7:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom (Reading and Question and Answer)
Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Nickel and Dimed, visit to USC Upstate 
Students are invited to enter a raffle for an opportunity to join Barbara Ehrenreich for dinner before the evening event. Students should pick up free raffle tickets in HPAC 222. The drawing will be held on Monday, September 14, and winners will join the author for dinner at 5:00 pm on Thursday, September 17. All Barbara Ehrenreich events sponsored by Student Life.

October 1 & October 3, 8:00 p.m., HPAC Main Stage Theatre 
October 4, 3:00 p.m., HPAC Main Stage Theatre
You Can't Take It with You: Shoestring Players Production 
This popular play offered escape for its Depression-era audience, and it can lighten our spirits today. Full of witty one-liners and physical antics, this over-the-top portrayal of an eccentric family and its encounter with the class-conscious family of their daughter's boyfriend celebrates nonconformity. Admission: USC Upstate students $4, General admission $6. Presented by the Shoestring Players, directed by Professor Rich Robinson.

October 22, 5:30 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Who Wants to Be a Minimum-Wage-ionaire? 
A Nickel and Dimedgame show contest pitting students against their instructors. Brock Adams, English instructor, will lead this interactive event.

November 3, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Roundtable Discussions 
First-year students will join USC Upstate faculty and staff, student leaders from Upstate colleges, and community leaders from throughout South Carolina for dessert and roundtable discussions concerning topics related to Nickel and Dimed. Modeled on the College of Arts and Sciences's Evening of Great Conversation, this event brings together good food, good company, and good ideas to promote global thinking and foster new friendships across campus. No lectures, no quizzes, just great ideas shared over desserts. Seating is limited to 200. Pick up free tickets for the event in HPAC 222. Dr. George Williams, assistant professor of English, will lead this interactive event. Sponsored by Student Life.

November 5, 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., CLC Room 309
Blueprint for Financial Success: How Not To Be Broke after College 
Terra Ayers and Rusty Rhodes of New York Life Insurance Company will share their experiences of being oblivious to saving money while in college, and they will offer tips on how to keep from falling into the same trap. They will also share information on New York Life's recruiting strategies for internships and careers. Sponsored by the USC Upstate Career Center.

November 10, 6:00 - 7:25 p.m., CLC Ballroom and Meeting Rooms
Student-Led Conference - A Conspiracy of Silence: The Working Class in America 
Designed and presented by upper-level USC Upstate students, this event will bring together students of all ages and majors to discuss the first-year reading, Nickel and Dimed. The theme of the conference ("A Conspiracy of Silence") focuses on issues that Barbara Ehrenreich covered briefly or ignored entirely and explores those issues in greater depth. Students pick the topics; students run the discussions. Relate to the reading in ways that are meaningful to you. Student presenters will lead conference discussion sessions on the following topics:

• The Cycle of Poverty: Is There a Way Out?
• What Is in a Workplace? Is There Such a Thing as Good Minimum Wage Job?
• Minimum Wage Work and Students: The Workers Ehrenreich Ignores
• Gender Issues in Working Class Life: Women Workers--Victims or the Backbone of Family and Economy?

Dr. Celena E. Kusch, assistant professor of American literature, will coordinate this interactive event. The conference will include great refreshments, 25-minute discussion sessions with student leaders, and a 25-minute panel discussion that brings together all participants. Sponsored by Student Life.

Planetwalker By: Dr. John Francis
Events -

In 1971, John Francis stopped riding in motorized vehicles and started walking. A few months later, he stopped speaking. For 22 years--17 of them in silence--he hiked 25,000 miles across North and South America and parts of Cuba and Antarctica. In the process he earned three college degrees, including a Ph.D. in Land Resources. 
What would prompt someone to undertake such a journey? After witnessing the devastating effects of an oil spill in San Francisco Bay, Francis made the life-altering decision to begin a pilgrimage on behalf of the environment, earth stewardship, and world peace. Planetwalker chronicles both his geographical journey and his interior journey from youth to manhood, from wondering about the environment to his deep conviction that each of us, taking small steps, can change our lives and better our world.

September 10
Dr. John Francis, author of Planetwalker, visit to USC Upstate 
All Dr. John Francis events sponsored by Student Life.

• 10:30 - 11:30 a.m., Book Signing, HPAC First Floor Lobby (open to the public)
• 12:00 - 1:00 p.m., Walk with John Francis, students, faculty, and staff, in front of CLC
• 7:00 - 8:30 p.m, Reading, Banjo Playing, and a Q&A with John Francis. Free Tickets are available through the Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition starting September 3.

September 17, 3:25 - 4:40 p.m., CLC 317
Start Where You Are 
Making enormous changes in the way you live your life is not required to start having a positive impact on the world. You can begin just by paying a bit more attention to some of the small decisions you make every day. How you wash your clothes or take a shower, what kind of coffee you drink, the food you buy at the grocery store, the way you get to and from school--all of these involve making decisions that can help or hurt the planet. Participants will take part in a fun and thought-provoking workshop to inventory the ways in which we can all start where we are. Dr. George Williams, assistant professor of English, will lead this interactive program.

October 1, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Global Thinking: Dinner and Discussion 
First-year students will join USC Upstate faculty and staff, student leaders from Upstate colleges, and community leaders from throughout South Carolina for dinner and roundtable discussions concerning topics related to Planetwalker. Modeled on th College of Arts and Sciences's Evening of Great Conversation, this event brings together good food, good company, and good ideas to promote global thinking and foster new friendships across campus. No lectures, no quizzes, just great ideas shared around the dinner table. Seating is limited to 200. Pick up free tickets for the event in HPAC 222. Sponsored by Student Life. 
Topics include the following:

• How Hot is Too Hot?: Fact and Fiction in the Debate Over Climate Change with Dr. Jack Turner, Professor of Biology and Director of USC Upstate’s Watershed Ecology Institute
• The Communicative Aspects of Silence in the US and Around the World with Dr. David Marlow, Assistant Professor of English, USC Upstate
• The Biodiversity Crisis: Global Decline of Reptiles and Amphibians as a Case Study with Dr. Melissa Pilgrim, Assistant Professor of Biology, USC Upstate
• Writing about Nature with John Lane, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Glendale Shoals Environmental Studies, Wofford College
• It's Not Easy Living Green: Overcoming Roadblocks to Green Living at Upstate with Ron Dalton, Director of Housing and Residential Life, and Wallesca Darce, Palmetto House Resident Manager, USC Upstate

October 28, 4:00 p.m., Stockwell Administration Building Lobby
Authors@Upstate Visiting Writers Series: John Lane 
This reading, reception, and booksigning will feature John Lane, writer, poet, and English professor at Wofford College. Lane is the author of five collections of essays and several volumes of poems and the editor of numerous anthologies. Lane’s interest in literature, place, and nature has won him a wide reputation and critical acclaim. Of Circling Home, Alison Hawthorne Deming said, “Whether building a sustainable home with his new wife, kayaking the flooded creek with his stepsons, walking the golf course with his naturalist’s eye, or unearthing local history in conversation with his neighbors, Lane writes with beautiful care and attention. This book makes very good company for anyone trying to live a more intentional life.” Please contact Ryan Boggs at 503-5218 (orrboggs@uscupstate.edu) if you plan to attend. Sponsored by the university’s Office of Advancement and the Honors Program with support from the Office of Student and Diversity Affairs.

November 6, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., USC Upstate Community Outreach and Education Center
Healthy Water, Healthy You 
Part One of a lecture series focuses on "Water Drops," drops in the amount of water available to us in the water supply due to changes in climate and weather patterns. The USC Upstate Community Outreach and Education Center is located at 325 S. Church St. in downtown Spartanburg. Sponsored by the Watershed Ecology Center.

November 10, 7:00 p.m., Sparty's Den
Film Screening: An Inconvenient Truth 
Sponsored by Student Life.

November 13, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., USC Upstate Community Outreach and Education Center
Healthy Water, Healthy You 
Part Two of a lecture series focuses on "Water Waste: Where Does the Water Go?" The program explores the difference between storm water and waste water systems and conservation methods to lower water bills. The USC Upstate Community Outreach and Education Center is located at 325 S. Church St. in downtown Spartanburg. Sponsored by the Watershed Ecology Center.

November 14, 5:00 - 7:00 p.m., Tukey Theater
Herps and Humans: How Humans Impact Populations of Amphibians and Reptiles 
Dr. Mike Dorcas of Davidson College will lead a seminar about the impact of human activity on animal populations. A dinner reception will follow. Contact Dr. Melissa Pilgrim at 864-503-5781 for more details. Sponsored by the Natural Sciences & Engineering Seminar Series.

November 18, 6:00 - 7:45 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Student-Led Conference 
The conference will include dinner, discussion sessions, and a panel discussion with all participants. Coordinated by Nick Lane, a junior USC Upstate biology major, this event will bring together students of all ages and majors to discuss the first-year reading, Planetwalker. Students pick the topics; students design the activities. Relate to the reading in ways that are meaningful to you. Student presenters will lead conference discussion sessions on topics related to Dr. John Francis's Planetwalker, including environmental issues, goal planning, hiking South Carolina, life journeys, and music and art as communication. This event is sponsored by Student Life, with support from the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Dinner is also included with this event.

Planetwalker By: Dr. John Francis
Events -
November 20, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m., USC Upstate Community Outreach and Education Center
Healthy Water, Healthy You 
Part Three of a lecture series focuses on "Water Crisis: What happens when we have too much or too little water?" This program will look at natural disasters such as flooding, hurricanes, and droughts. We will also look ahead into the future and examine our water issues 50 years from now when half the world’s population is expected to be without water access. The USC Upstate Community Outreach and Education Center is located at 325 S. Church St. in downtown Spartanburg. Sponsored by the Watershed Ecology Center.

November 20, 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m., CLC 1st and 2nd floor Lobby
Great American Smoke Out/Stress Free Zone 
John Francis quit smoking shortly after he started to walk instead of ride in cars. You, too, can join the Great American Smoke Out by participating in this campus event.

In Country By: Bobbie Ann Mason 
Theme: Legends, Lessons, and Legacies of the Sixties

It is an especially appropriate study this fall as USC Upstate celebrates its 40th Anniversary and its founding in the 1967—68 school year. Events in the PREFACE series will help us make connections between life in the 60’s—the music and fashion, the social movements, the war—and our lives today.

Events -

September 13, 6:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
60’s Murder Mystery 
Remember the groovy 60s as you watch your professors enact a 60s murder mystery. It's hippies v. the establishment in this fun, interactive event. Seating is limited to 200. Pick up free tickets for the dinner and show in HPAC 222. Sponsored by Student Life.

September 13, 7:00 p.m., HPAC 120
Film Screening: I Was a Teenage Feminist
Explore issues of gender and feminism "Then and Now" in the Upstate Feminists "Fall for the New 'F' Word" film series screening of I Was a Teenage Feminist. This documentary asks what happened to the powerful political movement that sparked passionate response and social revolution 40 years ago. Why did feminism become a bad word? Why do many young, independent progressive women in today's society feel uncomfortable identifying with the "New 'F' Word"? Filmmaker Therese Shechter takes a funny, moving, and very personal journey into the heart of Feminism from her involvement as a teenage nearly 40 years ago to the threshold of the 21st century. She questions whether the goals of an earlier generation have been accomplished or whether feminism's opponents appropriated and denigrated the movement beyond all recognition. Armed with a video camera and an irreverent sense of humor, Therese talks with feminist icons and superstars of the early movement and today's rowdy frat boys, liberated Cosmo girls, and Radical Cheerleaders, all in her quest to find out whether feminism can still be a source of personal and political power. Sponsored by the Center for Women's and Gender Studies and Upstate Feminists.

September 21, 12:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
International Day of Peace 
On this International Day of Peace we will gather to reflect upon past and present wars and to call for peace. Dr. George Williams, assistant professor of English, will lead this program to remember those lost in war and to honor those who seek peace, justice, and tolerance.

September 25, 4:00 p.m., HPAC 120
Create a Prize-Winning Photo 
HarperCollins, the publisher of In Country, is sponsoring aphoto contest exclusively for USC Upstate first-year students. Students submit photos of life at the University featuring the cover of the novel. Capture yourself or your friends reading the novel while engaging in USC Upstate activities. Winning photos earn prizes of $500, $250, and $100 and could be featured in the HarperCollins Books for the First-Year Experience catalog. Art instructor Judy Battaglia will offer strategies for creating and capturing a prize-winning shot.

September 25 and 26, 7:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Sex Signals 
In 1967, the Summer of Love marked for many the high point of hippie culture--a time when uninhibited young people flocked to free-spirited San Francisco to protest the war and enjoy the "free love" of the sexual revolution. Today we're more aware of the risks and often the high price of intimacy, and we recognize the need for thoughtful, accountable intimate behavior. Sex Signals combines improvisational comedy and audience participation in a 75-minute two-person play about date rape. Sponsored by the Division of Student and Diversity Affairs.

October 1, 7:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
60s Rock and Roll History 
In the 60s, the political turmoil, the social upheaval, the hippie movement, the Vietnam War and the generation gap were all reflected in the music of the day. Barry Drake hosts a tour of one of the most exciting decades in America's music history. Sponsored by CAB.

October 16, 6:00 p.m., Tukey Theater
Film Screening: The Graduate
Dr. Peter Caster, assistant professor of English, will lead a screening and discussion of this 1967 award-winning film. Dustin Hoffman stars as Benjamin Braddock, a recent college graduate who is seduced by an older woman and then falls in love with her daughter. Sponsored by the USC Upstate 40th Anniversary Celebration.

October 17
Bobbie Ann Mason, author of In Country, visit to USC Upstate 
All Bobbie Ann Mason events sponsored by Student Life.

• 12:00 p.m., Lunch with student winners of the essay contest, CLC 309
• 1:30 - 2:30 p.m., Book Signing (open to public), CLC 3rd floor lobby
• 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Reception for USC Upstate faculty and staff, CLC 309
• 7:00 p.m., Reading and Question and Answer session, CLC Ballroom

October 22, 3:30 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Then and Now Panel I: War 
Dr. York Bradshaw, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will moderate this interactive panel discussion. Led by Dr. Rob McCormick, assistant professor of history, a panel of students, faculty, and members of the community from the 60s and today will discuss their experiences and insights into Vietnam and Iraq.

October 31
Hippie Halloween 
Dress as a 60s Flower Child or come as a member of the establishment and join us for fun events across the campus. Sponsored by the USC Upstate 40th Anniversary Celebration

November 5, 3:30 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Then and Now Panel II: Women's Issues 
Dr. York Bradshaw, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will moderate this interactive panel discussion. Led by Dr. Lisa Johnson, director of the Center for Women's and Gender Studies, a panel of students, faculty, and members of the community from the 60s and today will discuss gender issues that shaped society then and influence us now.

November 13, 6:00 p.m., Tukey Theater
Film Screening: Cool Hand Luke
Dr. Peter Caster, assistant professor of English, will lead a screening and discussion of this 1967 award-winning film. Paul Newman won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a prisoner in a Florida chain gang who refuses to conform and submit to the system. Sponsored by the USC Upstate 40th Anniversary Celebration.

November 15, 6:00 - 7:45 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Student-Led Conference 
Students shaped the 1960s, now today's students will shape our first-year reading program. Coordinated by senior Secondary Education-English major, Anthony DeClue, this event will bring together students of all ages and majors to discuss the first-year reading program novel, In Country. The conference will include dinner, discussion sessions, and a panel discussion. 
Student presenters will lead conference discussion sessions on topics related to Bobbie Ann Mason's In Country, including gender issues, political activism and protest movements, war, the civil rights movement, and music. Student presenters include the following:

• Amber Smith and Bennett Marshall discussing gender issues
• Jason Funderburk, Ashley Armour, and Leondria Adams discussing music
• Angela Burke, Laura McCabe, and Lucy Sizemore discussing civil rights
• Chris Kowalczyk and Harrison Kaplan discussing war.

This is the final event of the PREFACE series for the fall semester. English 101 students who are required to attend a cultural event are strongly encouraged to participate in this program. 
Please pick up your tickets beginning Tuesday, November 13, in HPAC 222. This event is sponsored by Student Life, with support from the Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition, the Center for Research and Scholarship Support, and the Research Advisory Council.

February 5, 3:30 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Then and Now Panel III: Civil Rights 
Dr. York Bradshaw, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will moderate this interactive panel discussion. Led by Dr. Warren Carson, professor of English and chair of the Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition, a panel of students, faculty, and members of the community from the 60s and today will discuss the racial issues that shaped society then and define us now.

February 19, 6:00 p.m., Tukey Theater
Film Screening: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Dr. Warren Carson, professor of English and chair of the Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition, will lead a screening and discussion of this 1967 award-winning film. The groundbreaking story deals with the controversial subject of interracial marriage which historically had been illegal in most of the United States and was still illegal in 17 states in 1967. Sponsored by the USC Upstate 40th Anniversary Celebration.

March 6, Location TBA
Author Lecture, Reception, and Book Signing: Sarah Cotlon

• 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., Author Lecture
• 5:00 - 6:30 p.m., Reception and Book Signing

Tilt 68 is the story of Louisa Ellington, an 18-year-old freshman at a Southern women's college in the late sixties, a time when an entire generation experienced the momentum of social revolution. The story of Louisa’s personal quest for freedom unfolds against the backdrop of the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the sudden and widespread availability of the pill, and the arrival of drugs on college campuses. Published in May 2007, the novel has received five-star reviews from Amazon readers and praise from Kirkus Reviews which calls it “an enthusiastic, exuberantly chatty coming-of-age novel.” Sponsored by the Chancellor’s Office.

March 18, 6:00 p.m., Tukey Theater
Film Screening: Good Morning, Vietnam
Dr. Ray Merlock, professor of journalism and mass communication and director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, will lead a screening and discussion of this film set during the Vietnam War. Robin Williams plays Adrian Cronauer, a disc jockey on Armed Forces Radio Saigon who proves incredibly popular with the troops serving in South Vietnam, but who infuriates his superiors with what they call his "irreverent tendency." Sponsored by the USC Upstate 50th Anniversary Celebration.

April 17 - 20, Upper Quad
Traveling Vietnam Veterans Memorial 
This half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., known as The Wall that Heals, allows many thousands of veterans and others to "face the wall" in their own communities. The Wall that Heals features a Traveling Museum which chronicles the Vietnam War era and the unique healing power of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial as well as an Information Center which serves as a site for people to learn about friends and loved ones who died in Vietnam. Sponsored by the USC Upstate 40th Anniversary Celebration.

• Tuesday, April 15, 2:30 p.m.: The Wall arrives with an escort of 1,000 motorcycles. It enters the campus from East Campus Boulevard.
• Thursday, April 17
  • 10:00 a.m., Upper Quad: Opening Ceremonies, with the national and service anthems and posting of colors-color guard by Spartanburg High School Junior ROTC, music by Spartanburg High School Band; Wreath laying by various community groups.
  • Noon at the Wall: Reading of South Carolina names, followed by "Taps"
  • 5:00 pm: Dedication of USC Upstate/Rotary International Peace Park
  • 7:00 pm, CLC Ballroom: Nurses in Vietnam Roundtable and screening of Vietnam Nurses film, Dean Marsha Dowell, Moderator. Sponsored by the School of Nursing.
• Friday, April 18
  • Noon at the Wall: Reading of South Carolina names, followed by "Taps"
  • 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom: International Peace Symposium, with keynote speaker Kola Bedejo, Senior Advisor to the United Nations Global Compact, and panel discussions to follow.
  • 5:00 p.m., Upper Quad: White Table Ceremony, recognizing those who are Missing in Action (MIA) or Prisoners of War (POW).
• Saturday, April 19
  • Noon at the Wall: Reading of South Carolina names, followed by "Taps"
  • 5:00 pm, Upper Quad: Flag folding demonstration and Flag Retirement Ceremony by the South Carolina State Guard
• Sunday, April 20
  • 5:00 pm, Upper Quad: Closing Ceremonies with performance by the Chamber Choir; Retirement of Colors with Dorman High School Junior ROTC color guard; and bagpipe performance of "Amazing Grace"

April 22, 6:00 p.m., Tukey Theater
Film Screening: Romeo and Juliet
Dr. Cathy Canino, associate professor of English, will lead a screening and discussion of this 1960s film adaptation of Shakespeare's classic drama of ill-fated love. Known for its visual beauty, the film was directed by Franco Zeffirelli and won Academy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Costume Design. Sponsored by the USC Upstate 40th Anniversary Celebration.

Events -

September 6, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Diversity YOUniversity 
“We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now.”
--Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 
Greg Blake is nationally-known as a “live wire,” a magnetic trainer and speaker whose mission is to encourage people to get to know and respect others from different backgrounds. His interactive session will encourage all of us to go beyond appearance and fear of difference to establish a true university community. Sponsored by Staff Council.

September 14, 6:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
USC Upstate USO Show 
Prompted by patriotism, many of the brightest stars of theater and film performed in USO shows before audiences in uniform. They were a welcome respite for the U.S. forces and a reminder, in Bob Hope's words, "of what they were fighting for." Members of the USC Upstate faculty, prompted by a desire to welcome you to the University and to offer a respite from the usual university routine, will recreate the USO show and canteen experiences of the World War II era. Kilroy will be there and so should you! Hosted by the English Faculty and Sponsored by Student Life.

September 19, 3:00 p.m., Nursing Auditorium
Ethics in Action: Actively Creating a Just and Civil Society 
Do we want to live in a world in which people go hungry, are homeless, or are imprisoned because of race? The internment of Japanese Americans during World War II and many conditions in the world today are striking examples of social injustice. But creating a civil society requires more than our recognition of injustice; it requires our action. Dr. Theresa Ricke-Kiely, Director of the Center for Nonprofit Leadership, and Dr. Ron Romine, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, will lead a discussion exploring how individual actions can shape a civil society, and USC Upstate students involved in community service projects will explain the impact of their work. Workshop participants will learn about projects that offer hands-on opportunities to help balance the scale of social justice.

September 20, 6:00 p.m., Sparty's Den, Palmetto House
Film Screening: Snow Falling on Cedars with Celia Weston, Award-winning Actress 
Spartanburg native Celia Weston has earned the respect of both film and stage audiences for her many touching, believable portrayals of women, be they down home or aristocratic. She first attracted attention as Jolene, slinging hash and one-liners in Mel’s Diner in the TV sitcom Alice and has received critical and popular acclaim for her roles in theatre and film. She has played pivotal roles in films as diverse as The Talented Mr. Ripley, M. Night Shymalan’s The Village, and Junebug. Her specific connection to our PREFACE series is her portrayal of the grief-stricken, prejudiced mother in Snow Falling on Cedars, a story of forbidden interracial love and murder in a town torn apart by the internment of the Japanese Americans. Ms. Weston will conduct a question and answer session and will attend the screening of the film hosted by Dr. Peter Caster, Assistant Professor of English. Sponsored by Student Affairs.

September 25, 4:00 p.m., URC Great Room
Out of the Box: An Art Creativity Challenge 
Dr. Marylou Hightower, Assistant Professor of Art Education, will lead a creative workshop. Show off your creative talents! Inspire others through your art! For this event, your challenge will be to solve a surprise problem based on When the Emperor Was Divine. A box of materials will be provided for you to use to create a piece of art based on the book. You can bring your own group of four or come solo and join a group. Prizes will be awarded.

October 2, 5:00 p.m., Sparty's Den, Palmetto House
Superman Goes to War: Truth, Justice, and the American Way? 
Dr. Cathy Canino, Associate Professor of English, will lead a workshop on propaganda. Propagandists love short-cuts – particularly those which short-circuit rational thought. By playing on emotions, exploiting insecurities, and bending the rules of logic, they can shape the way we think and act. As history shows, they can be quite successful. Dr. Canino’s analysis of World War II cartoons, posters, and images in film will expose the tricks that propagandists used and discuss their effects.

October 4, 6:00 p.m., Sparty's Den, Palmetto House
Screening History: Documentary, News, Propaganda 
Before television, the movie theater provided audiences not only with the feature; but with cartoons, newsreels, and other short films as well. Many of these focused on the Japanese and German fronts during World War II, and we will watch an assortment of them: the U.S. government’s official documentary Why We Fight, directed by Frank Capra, who would later make It’s a Wonderful Life; a documentary of life for Japanese children in 1941; several defenses of Japanese internment; newsreel footage of the jungle war in Burma and the bombing of Japan; and more. Dr. Peter Caster, Assistant Professor of English, and Dr. Rob McCormick, Assistant Professor of History, will discuss how these short films “tell” history. Sponsored by CAB.

October 10, CLC Third Floor
Tunnel of Oppression 
The Tunnel of Oppression presents the realities of oppression in an interactive, walk-through museum experience. Each room will present a multi-sensory view that will both educate and challenge us to think about our roles in various types of oppression. The experience attempts to break down a barrier that divides those who do not understand oppression and those who live it. Sponsored by Student Life.

October 10, CLC Third Floor
Tunnel of Oppression 
The Tunnel of Oppression presents the realities of oppression in an interactive, walk-through museum experience. Each room will present a multi-sensory view that will both educate and challenge us to think about our roles in various types of oppression. The experience attempts to break down a barrier that divides those who do not understand oppression and those who live it. Sponsored by Student Life.

October 11
Julie Otsuka, author of When the Emperor Was Divine, visit to USC Upstate 
All Julie Otsuka events sponsored by Student Life.

• 12:00 - 1:15 p.m., Lunch with 30 first-year student contest winners. See contest application on E-blast or in HPAC 222, CLC 319
• 1:30 - 2:30 p.m., Book signing (open to the public), CLC 3rd Floor Lobby
• 5:30 - 6:30 p.m., Reception with faculty and staff, CLC 309
• 7:00 - 8:30 p.m., CLC Ballroom: Reading and question and answer session.

October 24, 4:00 p.m., CLC 317
Trade Between the United States and Japan: An Elvis Impersonator in a Camry? 
Dr. Darrell Parker, Dean of the School of Business Administration, will discuss current issues in economic relations between Japan and the United States. Traditional goods and services are only a part of the exchange between these nations. After all, when the Prime Minister of Japan does an Elvis impersonation, it's clear evidence that U.S. exports go beyond traditional manufacturing goods; and the popularity of anime in the U.S. indicates that Americans want more than cars and CD players from Japan. Dr. Parker provides an economic perspective for considering both the pressures and the benefits of trade between America and Japan today.

November 2, 3:30 p.m., Nursing 101
The Legacy of Trauma: Mental Health Issues Affecting Survivors 
Imagine government officials detaining you for four to five years in a camp where freedom is nonexistent. This is the same country that prided itself in welcoming immigrants and sharing its freedoms – the United States of America. How is the mental health of these survivors of trauma affected and what lasting effects may occur for future generations of Japanese Americans? Helen West, RN, MSN, and Pat Clary, MN, will discuss these mental health issues and their relevance today.

November 8, 6:00 p.m., Sparty's Den, Palmetto House
Film Screening: Fog of War
Errol Morris refers to his film as a 20th century fable that looks at “history from the inside out.” It examines issues of war and peace through the lens of Robert McNamara, former Secretary of Defense for presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Dr. Peter Caster, Assistant Professor of English, will screen the section of the film in which McNamara discusses his World War II service in the logistical branch of the armed services coordinating the bombing of Japan. McNamara raises deep moral questions about winning the war against Japan by any means necessary. He asks: “In order to win a war, is a nation justified in killing 100,000 civilians in one night?” Sponsored by CAB.

November 13, 6:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Is Our History Our Destiny: Student-Led Conference with Dinner 
What kind of world do we want to create? The keynote address by Dr. Warren Carson, Chair of the Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition, and student-led conference sessions will examine the history of the World War II era, the internment of Japanese Americans, and their relevance today. The conference will reflect the goal of the study of When the Emperor Was Divine and the entire PREFACE series: not to determine what is “right,” but rather to discuss how a deeper understanding of the events can inform the way we make personal decisions and influence public policy today. The event is free, but tickets are required. Tickets can be picked up in HPAC 222. Sponsored by Student Affairs.

December 7, 12:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom and Arboretum
Commemoration of Peace 
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor was a defining moment in history. On this Pearl Harbor Day, we will gather to remember a time of war and to call for peace. The program will begin in CLC with a dedication of the paper cranes folded by members of the USC Upstate community before they are sent to the Children's Peace Monument in Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, Japan. Afterwards, the group will move to the arboretum where a tree will be planted to remember those lost in war and to honor those who seek peace, justice, and tolerance. Sponsored by the Center for Student Success.

Additional Events

• The Origami Crane Project. Sponsored by Impact and the Library.
• PREFACE Essay Contest for First-Year Students. Sponsored by the Center for Student Success.
• Faculty Reading Groups led by Dr. Warren Carson, Chair of the Department of Languages, Literature, and Composition.
• Library Exhibits
• Japanese “Mini Cultural Events,” including sushi making and calligraphy classes. Sponsored by Student Life.

Events -
September 13, 7:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Who Done It? A Murder Mystery Game 
Plan to attend Big Daddy Sugarbaker’s birthday party – it may be his last! Big Daddy made his fortune selling the Southern Bell Containment Girdle and other products necessary to uphold the genteel lifestyle; but his worthless, crazy kin may want to speed up his death so they can reap the rewards of his keen business sense. Join for a grits buffet, a big birthday cake, and lots of laughs as we solve murders and make friends. Directed by Rich Robinson, Assistant Professor of Theatre Design/Technology. Hosted by the English faculty.

September 22, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., CLC 319
Infertility and Identity 
Driven by a personal longing and the shame of not fulfilling her destiny as a woman, One Foot in Eden‘s Amy Holcombedeclares she will “do any or everything to get a baby” – and she does. But creating that life sets a tragedy in motion and leads to death, guilt, and secrets. Why would a woman make such a choice? The inability to conceive and/or bear a child challenges a person’s self-image, sexuality, and hopes for the future. Associate Vice Chancellor Cindy Jennings will speak from her own experience and discuss the social and personal issues surrounding infertility.

September 29, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., CLC 317
Appalachian Voices 
Y'uns stop by for a spell an' I reckon we can do some jawin' 'bout mountain talk. In this workshop, Dr. David Marlow, Assistant Professor of English, will lead a discussion on the origins and distinctive features of Appalachian English. He’ll present examples from live and taped sources and discuss the place and value of dialects as a whole in today's society. Audience participation is welcome. So do come an' bring your kin!

September 29, 5:45 - 7:00 p.m., HPAC 120
Film Screening: The True Meaning of Pictures
Dr. Peter Caster, Assistant Professor of English, will lead a film screening and discussion. Canadian filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal’s The True Meaning of Pictures explores the work of controversial photographer Shelby Lee Adams. A native of Eastern Kentucky, Adams has devoted thirty years of his life to visiting and making portraits of families living in Appalachia. Do his photographs respectfully capture the experience of the people of Appalachia or does Adams’ work perpetuate negative stereotypes? As the film examines Adams and his art, it makes us question what

we say and do and think about “others.”

October 1, 8:30 a.m., HPAC 120
The Scene of the Crime: Hike to Whitewater Falls 
Get on the bus and head up to where it all happened. The trip will include a stop at the Bad Creek Pump Storage Facility to examine the environmental impact of dam construction, a hike to view Whitewater Falls and observe many of the plants mentioned in One Foot in Eden, and a visit to a rustic store. Led by Dr. Gill Newberry, Professor of Biology. Sponsored by the Center for Student Success.

October 6
All Ron Rash Events sponsored by CAB.

• 12:30 - 1:30 p.m., Lunch with 30 first-year student contest winners. See contest application on E-blast or in HPAC 222, CLC 319
• 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., Writing workshop for 15 students, CLC 317
• 7:00 p.m., Reading by Ron Rash, CLC Ballroom

October 10, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., CLC 319
The Blue Ridge and Their Peoples: The Interplay of a Land and Its Inhabitants 
Dr. Lyle Campbell, Professor of Geology, studies Appalachian geography and geology in his academic research; as a personal study, he is completing a book on the history, culture, and oral history of his family’s Blue Ridge roots. He will discuss some of the basic geologic and human history of our mountains and explore how a place and the people who live there both define and reflect each other.

October 19, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., HPAC 120
Collecting Treasures of Folk Art with their Oral History 
Is there a treasure in your attic? Even if your great grandmother’s quilt or your uncle’s walking cane has little monetary value, the stories these objects hold make them priceless. Dr. Mary Lou Hightower, Assistant Professor of Art Education, will discuss the art of collecting family stories, and her students will share oral histories they have collected and preserved interviewing folk artists in the upstate.

October 19, 7:00 p.m.
Moonshine Run, 5K Run/Walk 
Sponsored by Alcohol and Drug Education Program, Office of Student Life.

October 26, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., CLC 317
Cracking the Case 
Even though Sheriff Will Alexander is a clever, logical investigator, he can’t prove what his gut knows. Would modern methods of solving crimes have helped him prove Billy Holcombe guilty? Dr. Diane Daane, Professor of Criminal Justice, will reveal how technology and other advances help detectives solve crimes today. Even if you haven’t finished One Foot in Eden, you’ll be fascinated by how cases are cracked in the CSI era.

October 26, 5:00 - 7:30 p.m., HPAC 120
Film Screening: Roshomon
Dr. Peter Caster, Assistant Professor of English, will lead a screening and discussion. A man’s body is found in the forest. The story of how it happened is told from the perspectives of a woman, her husband, and others involved in the murder. Sound familiar? Roshomon, Japanese director Akira Kirosawa’s film of murder, crime, sex, and relationships, parallels the story and structure of Ron Rash’s One Foot in Eden. Reconstructing this crime leads to an understanding of more than just who committed the murder.

November 1, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m., HPAC 120
Dam a River, Drown the Land 
Rivers are alive. To understand, take a few steps to a nearby stream or just close your eyes to visualize it. The play of light and sound, the colors of the water, and the textures at the water’s edge all tell us something of the water-land relationship. Dams change that dynamic. Dr. Chip Green, Professor of Geology, will lead a workshop to help us understand how.

November 7, 11:30 - 2:00 p.m., CLC Ballroom
Aspects of Appalachia: Student-Led Conference with Luncheon
Student-led conference features luncheon and keynote address by George Brosi, Appalachian scholar and editor of Appalachian Heritage. Student-led sessions will begin at 12:45 pm. Hosted by LLC. Sponsored by the Center for Student Success and Multicultural Affairs.