SAC STATE TO BUILD NEW RESIDENCE HALL NEXT TO THE RIVER

Sacramento, California - Sacramento State will break ground this summer on a 416-bed residence hall with spectacular views of the American River. The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees approved the $54.9 million project today.

The four-story structure, to be built alongside the river levee on a parking lot south of Desmond Hall, will house 252 freshmen and 164 sophomores. It will join the existing American River Courtyard as centerpieces of the University’s newly named North Housing Village.

Construction is scheduled for completion in May 2017, with the first student-occupants moving in for

CSU Trustees appoint Robert S. Nelsen as president of California State University, Sacramento‏

Announcement from the CSU, Office of the Chancellor:

Sacramento, California - The California State University (CSU) Board of Trustees has appointed Robert S. Nelsen, Ph.D., as president of California State University, Sacramento. Formerly the president of the University of Texas-Pan American (UTPA) in Edinburg, Texas (2010-14), Nelsen has most recently served in an advisory capacity for the University of Texas System. He will assume leadership of the University in July.

“Sacramento State has truly become a destination campus where students receive a transformative educational experience that prepares them for success in the future,” said Nelsen. “The opportunity to work alongside the many dedicated faculty and staff who guide students along that journey and prepare them for achievements beyond the classroom is incredibly exciting.”

Nelsen will become the eighth permanent president of Sacramento State and will succeed Alexander

Mathew Shepard's mom to speak on campus‏

Sacramento, California - Judy Shepard, the mother of murdered gay college student Matthew Shepard, will speak at Sacramento State on Thursday, April 2. The sold-out community forum will commemorate the fifth anniversary of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate-Crimes Prevention Act.

Her appearance, at 5:30 p.m. at The WELL, is being presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California and Sacramento State’s PRIDE Center. She will be available for media interviews beginning at 4:30 p.m.

Matthew Shepard, 21, was a University of Wyoming student in October 1998 when he was robbed, tortured, tied to a fence and left to die by two men who had offered him a ride home from a bar. He died a few days later.

Judy Shepard has since dedicated herself to advocating for LGBT rights, and she and her husband, Dennis, founded the Denver-based Matthew Shepard Foundation to carry on their son’s legacy as a champion for social justice, diversity awareness and equality.

She will share the story of her son’s life and talk about her work with the foundation and the creation of the Shepard-Byrd Act. Afterward, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner will emcee a question-and-answer session featuring Chiraag Bains, senior counsel to the assistant U.S. attorney general; Monica Miller, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Sacramento field office; and Judy Shepard.

Earlier in the day, Shepard will be guest speaker at a law enforcement seminar on hate crimes.

USC Receives $50 Million Gift to Name and Endow the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute‏

Visionary investment will expand understanding of the human brain, enabling researchers to discover new ways to treat, prevent and cure brain disorders

Sacramento, California - Longtime USC benefactors Mark and Mary Stevens have generously donated $50 million to endow and name the USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, accelerating the institute’s already dramatic progress toward solving one of biology’s most complex and important puzzles: the brain.

The visionary gift from the Stevens promises to improve the lives of millions of people worldwide by quickening the translation of basic research into new therapies, preventions and cures for brain injury and disease, including Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia and traumatic brain injury.

The institute unites scientists from around the world to understand the brain at an unprecedented

Regional Workshops Aim to Help Schools Apply for Energy Upgrade Funding

Bay Area, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield and North Coast trainings complement online tools available at www.energy.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO, California - California school districts and charter schools seeking Proposition 39 money for energy-related projects can get hands-on help and guidance with their application and expenditure plans at upcoming Energy Commission workshops throughout the state.

Fresno: Tuesday, March 4, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Fresno County Office of Education, 1177 Van Ness Avenue. RSVP to Prop39@energy.ca.gov or (855) 380-8722.

Bakersfield: Wednesday, March 5, 9 a.m. to noon, Kern County Superintendent of Schools, Larry E. Reider Education Center, 2000 K Street, Room 101. RSVP to Scott Fieber, (661) 852- 5863 or scfieber@kern.org.

Eureka: Monday, March 10, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Humboldt County Office of Education, 901 Myrtle Avenue. RSVP to kcarpenter@redwoodenergy.org by March 5.

Sacramento: Wednesday, March 12, 9 a.m. to noon, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, 6301 S St. RSVP to Prop39@energy.ca.gov or (855) 380-8722.

Hayward: Thursday, March 20, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Alameda County Office of Education, 313 West Winton Ave. RSVP to Carol Houps (510) 670-4555 or carol@acoe.org.

Also in Sacramento, the 2014 California Green Summit is sponsoring a workshop, Leveraging Prop 39 for

State Schools Chief Tom Torlakson Announces Release of $38 Million to Local Educational Agencies Under Proposition 39

SACRAMENTO, California — School districts will soon receive about $38 million from the state in the second round of planning funds from voter-approved Proposition 39, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.

Proposition 39 will direct up to $2.5 billion in new revenues over five years to fund projects by California's local educational agencies (LEAs), including school districts, charter schools, county offices of education, and community colleges. Future years' funding will go toward the projects themselves, and first-year awards that were not used for planning can also go toward projects.

"The funding voters provided with Prop 39 will go a long way toward supporting our schools as they create stronger learning environments for our students," Torlakson said.

The first round of funding—totaling approximately $106 million—went to LEAs last November to begin assessing needs and planning projects. As part of the application to request energy planning funds, LEAs have certified that these funds will be used for authorized energy planning expenditures.

The complete list of recipients and amounts can be found on the California Department of Education's funding results Web page for Proposition 39. For additional details, visit the California Department of Education's Proposition 39 - California Energy Jobs Act Web page or the California Energy Commission's The California Clean Energy Jobs Act  Web page.

G Hannelius Radio Disney Sacramento Meet & Greet

Sacramento, California - Fifteen year G Hannelious looked adorable during her Radio Disney meet and greet apart of Magic Healthy Living. Miss Hannelious had a chance to meet with her fans.

G. Hannelius of Disney's Dog with a Blog hosted a special holiday party for underprivileged children from WHEDco (a local outreach program in the South Bronx) at Planet Hollywood Times Square back on December 22, 2013 in New York City.

Genevieve Hannelius born December 22, 1998, known professionally as G. Hannelius, is an American actress and singer. She currently stars as Avery Jennings in the Disney Channel sitcom Dog With a Blog. Prior to this, she had recurring roles in the Disney Channel series Sonny with a Chance and Good Luck Charlie She has also done voice work as Rosebud in the Air Buddies films.

Crocker Art Museum February Exhibitions, Events, and Programs

Sacramento, California - The Crocker Art Museum has released their events that will be taken place during the month of February 2014.

“The Shape of Things: Warren MacKenzie Ceramics”

Through February 23, 2014

Few artists have enjoyed as devoted a following as ceramist Warren MacKenzie. His philosophy of making and decades of teaching have made a lasting impact on the development of American studio pottery—an influence extending to generations of students and collectors. Throughout his sixty years of making he has explored the shape of things and the interplay of the intentional with the unexpected. His solidly built forms enhance daily rituals of serving, eating, and drinking, showcasing not only his mastery of material and artistic intuition, but the ceaseless work ethic behind his success. This exhibition pays tribute to this much-honored pioneer with objects from the collection assembled by Susanna and George Grossman, a recent gift to the Museum.

“Sam Francis: Five Decades of Abstract Expressionism from California Collections”

Through April 20, 2014

This exhibition celebrates internationally acclaimed California native Sam Francis, one of the state’s most historically significant artists. Featuring a colorful range of the artist’s paintings and unique works on paper, this survey highlights different periods of the artist’s oeuvre as represented in extraordinary public and private California collections, starting from the early works the artist made in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1940s leading up to the artist’s influential and expansive body of work created between the 1950s and the 1990s. Represented are works made in the artist’s California studios in Palo Alto, Point Reyes, Santa Monica, and Venice, as well as those made when Francis was living in New York, Switzerland, and Japan. The exhibition is organized by the Sam Francis Foundation in collaboration with the Pasadena Museum of California Art and the Crocker Art Museum.

OPENING EXHIBITION

“Jules Tavernier: Artist and Adventurer”

February 16 through May 11, 2014

This is the first museum exhibition to survey the work of early California artist Jules Tavernier (1844–1889). Born in Paris and trained in France, Tavernier adapted his native country’s Barbizon aesthetic to scenes of the American West. This exhibition surveys the artist’s entire career through 100 paintings and works on paper, from his early transcontinental illustrations for “Harper’s Weekly” and paintings of Native American subjects to scenes of the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Peninsula, where he founded the local art colony in 1875. Also featured are the artist’s signature paintings of erupting volcanoes, which he painted in Hawaii before his untimely death at age 45. The exhibition is accompanied by a full-color catalogue—the first

With Exciting New Elements, the 14th Annual New Year’s Eve Sky Spectacular Will Dazzle & Delight!

Free Community Celebration Includes Two Sky Concerts Originating from Multiple Launch Sites, Entertaining Live Music Line-Up & More
Sacramento, California - With exciting new elements and entertainment plans in place, visitors to Old Sacramento will be dazzled and delighted during the 14th Annual New Year’s Eve Sky Spectacular celebration along the historic waterfront.  Produced by the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau and sponsored by Sacramento365.com, the free community celebration will include two stunning firework shows at 9 p.m. and midnight, interactive family fun and games, food and drink vendors, and live musical acts on both the streets and the stage throughout the evening from 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

The 2013 New Year’s Eve Sky Spectacular event will offer kid-friendly programming, lively street entertainment and live music provided by the popular Radio Disney Road Crew, the ever-energetic Natomas Drumline, Nashville Recording Artist McKenna Faith and the Northern California-based funk and soul phenomenon, Joy & Madness band. In addition, the magical and electrifying “Theatre of Lights” will wrap up the holiday season with two final – and free – performances at 7 p.m. and again at 8:30 p.m. on K Street (between Front & 2nd Streets).

And for the main events, the highly-anticipated firework sky concerts will hold some real surprises this year with multiple launch sites and exciting new choreography elements. Guests will enjoy two memorable yet different firework shows as part of the high-energy community celebration.  The 9 p.m. show, lasting just over 15 minutes, will be choreographed to this year’s biggest hits while the midnight show will bring in the New Year rocking out with classic rock favorites. This year’s shows promise to be the best yet with new multiple launching locations as well as structural based displays that will wow the senses!

The New Year’s Eve Sky Spectacular will take place rain or shine.  In preparation for the evening activities, the Tower Bridge will be closed to vehicle traffic from 7:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.  For additional safety, the bridge will be closed to pedestrian traffic for 30 minutes leading up to and after each of the two firework shows.

Also, the midnight sky concert will be simulcast live on The Eagle 96.9FM. For more information about times, locations, hotel recommendations or other event details, call 916-808-7777 or visit www.nyesacramento.com.

Railroad Museum to Debut Compelling New Exhibit Titled “California State Parks, 150 Years” on December 21

Sacramento, California - California State Parks and the California State Railroad Museum are proud to debut an all-new exhibit titled “California State Parks, 150 Years: A Gift from the People, to the People” on Saturday, December 21, 2013.  Timed to coincide with the 150th anniversary of California State Parks in 2014, the exhibit will feature compelling and diverse historic images of parks along with a variety of cultural and natural history objects of importance to State Parks.

The 150th anniversary exhibit will be located in the front lobby of the Railroad Museum – North America’s most popular railroad museum – and will offer an opportunity for visitors to gain a greater appreciation for historic milestones and the important role State Parks plays in California's history and identity.   In fact, on June 30, 1864, and in the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act, protecting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove and ceding them to the State of California as the nation's first State Park. While Yosemite is now a National Park, it did mark the beginning of the State Parks movement. The landmark act -- the first instance of park land being set aside specifically for preservation and public use by action of the federal government -- created a legacy for California and the nation, and the entire world.

Through numerous name changes the Department of Parks and Recreation has continued to grow. It now oversees 280 units including parks, historic parks, beaches, recreation areas, vehicular recreation areas and natural reserves. The parks serve more than 70 million visitors annually from throughout California, the U.S. and around the globe, making California State Parks the biggest and most visited state park system in the world.

The “California State Parks, 150 Years” exhibit will remain on display at the Railroad Museum through 2014.  For more information about the California State Railroad Museum, please visit www.csrmf.org or call 916-445-6645.

What:  
“California State Parks, 150 Years” Exhibit

Where:  
California State Railroad Museum
Old Sacramento State Historic Park
           
When:      
December 21, 2013 through December 2014

Time:      
Museum open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Cost:      
$10 adults, $5 youths ages 6-17, free for children ages 5 and under
           
For More:  
916-445-6645 or www.csrmf.org

GOVERNOR BROWN ISSUES STATEMENT ON DEATH OF NELSON MANDELA

Sacramento, California - Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued the following statement regarding the death of Nelson Mandela:

“Nelson Mandela fought heroically for freedom and a truly democratic society. His courageous life shows what’s possible when one acts on his convictions.”

In honor of Nelson Mandela, Capitol flags will be flown at half-staff.

SAC STATE HELPS WITH BROADWAY ART PROJECT

Sacramento, California - A major municipal art project that will create works in “augmented reality” along Broadway has brought Sacramento State together with the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission (SMAC), the Greater Broadway Partnership District and the Urban Land Institute.

Through this alliance, 11 artists have been commissioned to create virtual public artworks as part of the project called “Broadway Augmented.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
A year ago, SMAC Director Shelly Willis was invited by the Partnership and the Urban Land Institute to advise them on public art in the neighborhood along Broadway from Interstate 5 to Highway 99. The groups were studying how to infuse new vitality into this eclectic stretch of restaurants, businesses and a historic theater.

At the same time, Willis recently had met with Professor Rachel Clarke, who teaches New Media Art at Sacramento State and has exhibited her work in Europe and throughout the United States.

Clarke described a project in which artists would create works that can be experienced through “augmented reality” using smartphones and other devices such as tablets. Linked to a physical site through GPS or image recognition, a sculpture or mural appears on a building’s wall or on the street when viewed with the smartphone or tablet. The environment on the device’s screen accurately changes perspective as the viewer walks around the physical structure.

“There are lots of capabilities,” Clarke says. “It’s basically a customized virtual art experience that changes with the viewer’s location and position.”

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission a $20,000 grant to fund the project.

Willis and Clarke commissioned 11 artists to design public artworks that will be translated into this technology as part of the continued exploration of what public art could look like in the Broadway District.

“Augmented reality will give the participating artists the opportunity to imagine what might be possible without having to actually make it physically,” Willis says.

For Sacramento State, the project will serve as an educational tool. Students and recent graduates from Clarke’s Electronic Art courses are making virtual mockups to illustrate how the technology may be used, and they will assist some of the artists to convert their designs into 3D models for the “augmented reality” platform.

During the past few weeks, participating artists have been touring the Broadway area, learning about the technology and determining where their virtual work will be placed. The design process is expected to take most of the winter. The grand “unveiling” of the project will take place during the Second Saturday art event Sept. 13.

“A project like this can really help visitors, residents and community leaders envision what’s possible,” Willis says.
And members of the Greater Broadway Partnership are enthused about being part of such an innovative project.

“We look forward to meeting the selected artists, showing them how Broadway is today, sharing the area’s history and then seeing how they will capture and express that sense of place in their art,” says Teresa Rocha, the Partnership’s executive director. “This is something not only area residents will value, but something that will bring people from around the region to experience and enjoy.”

The participating artists are: Clarke (new media), Jose Carlos Casado (multimedia), Malcolm Cochran (sculpture and public art works), Michael Rees (sculpture and digital media), Mark Emerson (paintings and works on paper), Ben Hunt (sculpture), Janet Zweig (installations, public artworks), Joseph Delappe (new media), Sabrina Ratte (video), Gioia Fonda (mixed media) and Rebecca Krinkez (multimedia, sculpture, installations).

For more information on the project, contact Shelly Willis at swillis@cityofsacramento.org, Teresa Rocha at greaterbroadwaypartnership@gmail.com or Rachel Clarke at rclarke@csus.edu. For media assistance, call Sacramento State’s Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156 or Jan Burch at the Greater Broadway Partnership, (916) 501-5594 (cell).

Celebrate Holiday Magic at the Sacramento Zoo

Watch as the animals open their holiday gifts!

WHAT’S HAPPENING: The holidays are here and it’s time to enjoy the season! Bundle up the family for Holiday Magic at the Sacramento Zoo on Saturday, December 14th. Throughout the day, special gifts will be delivered to the animals. See them pounce, tear and stomp into their one-of-a-kind holiday gifts.

New this year will be a special holiday feast with all the fixings for the Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, including the four young ones born this past spring.

WHERE: Sacramento Zoo, near the corner of Land Park Drive and Sutterville Road in William Land Park.

WHEN: Saturday, December 14th from 10 am to 4 pm. The special Black and White Ruffed Lemur holiday feast will happen at 11:30 am.


Schedule of Enrichments
All enrichments will happen at the animals’ exhibits.

10:30 am

Orangutans: Fabric stocking with fruit, nuts & pumpkin

11:00 am

Bongos & Red River Hogs: Pumpkin bowls with fruit & vegetables, Christmas trees decorated with hay, carrots and lettuce

11:30 am

Black & White Ruffed Lemurs: Black & White Ruffed Lemurs Christmas feast with a paper turkey pinata, plates of food on a festive table and a cardboard gingerbread house

12:00 pm

Sumatran Tigers: Wrapped presents with spices, a Christmas tree, ice & a holiday-themed pinata

12:30 pm

Kangaroo & Emu: Christmas tree decorated with carrots, lettuce, greens & squash stars

1:00 pm

Anteaters: Toys with avocado & boxes with oranges

1:30 pm

Lions: Large boxes with scent & spice, ice & small pumpkins

2:00 pm

River Otters: Frozen ice ornaments & ice with treats

2:30 pm

Giraffes: Wreaths of browse, fruit & vegetables, Christmas tree & pinata

3:00 pm

Ground Hornbills: Holiday-themed pinata with crickets inside

Visitors’ Tip: Keep an eye out for off-schedule enrichments throughout the day.

Bring a new, unwrapped toy or non-perishable food item and receive $1 off your Zoo admission. Toy donations will go to Toys for Tots and food donations go to the River City Food Bank.

Searching for great holiday gift ideas? Sacramento Zoo has something for everyone on your holiday list, including Zoo memberships, Zoo Parent packages and unique items from the Zoofari Market. Visit saczoo.org to find out more.

Black & White Ruffed Lemurs  
Sacramento Zoo – Widly Inspiring!

Open since 1927, the Sacramento Zoo is home to more than 500 native, rare and endangered animals and is one of over 200 accredited institutions of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Located near the corner of Land Park Drive and Sutterville Road in William Land Park, the Zoo is wholly managed by the non-profit Sacramento Zoological Society. This Sacramento treasure inspires conservation awareness through education and recreation. Open daily from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, general admission is $11.25; children ages 2-11 are $7.25 and one and under are admitted free.  Parking is free throughout the park or ride Regional Transit bus #6. For information, call 916-808-5888 or visit saczoo.org.

Sutter's Fort "A Simple Emigrant Christmas" & "Candlelight Tours" -- 12/14!‏

Calendar Announcement

What:          
Hands on History:  A Simple Emigrant Christmas & Candlelight Tours -- Two Events in One Day!

Where:        
Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park
2701 L Street, Sacramento

When:          
Saturday, December 14, 2013

Times:          
A Simple Emigrant Christmas -- 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Candlelight Tours -- 6:30 to 9 p.m.
                                     
Cost:    
A Simple Emigrant Christmas -- $7 per adult, $5 per youth (ages 6-17), free for children 5 years and under
Candlelight Tours -- $17 per person

For Info:      
Call 916-445-4422 or visit www.suttersfort.org
 
To help get Fort visitors in a festive holiday spirit, Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park (SHP) has two interactive and fun “Hands on History” events scheduled on one very special day in December!  Throughout the day, Fort visitors will step back in time to holidays past with festive, hands-on activities such as dipping candles, making cornhusk dolls and crafting holiday ornaments as part of special “A Simple Emigrant Christmas” activities.   Friends and families are encouraged to visit the Fort to enjoy docents in period attire as they interpret and demonstrate a variety of early holiday traditions and cultural activities similar to what early emigrants did in the 1840s.  Then, when darkness falls and lends a bit of mystery to the Fort, guests will see Sutter’s Fort in a new light -- by candlelight! Providing an alluring new perspective for visitors, Sutter’s Fort offers evening tours by candlelight.  Guides will lead small groups of visitors into the Fort’s more intimate rooms for intriguing glimpses into the private lives of those who uprooted their families for a better life in early California.  Fort visitors will overhear conversations such as families discussing opportunity or possible devastation in their new homes, husbands debating with wives, mothers re-assuring their children about life in rough and tumble Sacramento, tradesmen negotiating business, all surrounded by the night sky allowing visitors to travel back in time as city lights fade from view. Don’t miss the two “Hands on History” events happening at Sutter’s Fort SHP on one special day in December.  For more information please call 916-445-4422 or visit www.suttersfort.org

About Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park

Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is operated by California State Parks with financial assistance from the nonprofit Friends of Sutter’s Fort.  Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Located in midtown Sacramento on L Street between 26th and 28th Streets, the Fort offers monthly “Hands on History” activities and special events throughout the year. Established in 1839 by Swiss immigrant John Augustus Sutter, Sutter’s Fort was at the center of a flourishing agricultural empire named New Helvetia (New Switzerland.) This empire established Sacramento’s earliest settlement and the first European settlement in California’s Central Valley. For more information, call (916) 445-4422 or visit www.suttersfort.org

Sac State to celebrate national Food Day‏

Sacramento, California - The third annual Food Day at Sacramento State, set for Thursday, Oct. 24, is an ambitious undertaking, with top food professionals from throughout California weighing in on hunger and the obesity epidemic in America – and Anna Lappé, a nationally known expert on food systems and co-founder of the Small Planet Institute, delivering the keynote address.

Food Day is a national movement created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest to encourage healthy, affordable and sustainably produced food, as well as a grassroots campaign for better food policies. Communities and campuses throughout the country celebrate the effort.

“I strongly believe that California – a leading agricultural supplier ¬– could spearhead the efforts in developing healthy and sustainable eating habits through increased food literacy and effective public policy,” says Kristin Kiesel, a Sacramento State professor of economics who helped organize Food Day at Sacramento State. “I am excited to engage our students and community partners in a dialogue about the food we eat, its health and environmental consequences, and what each of us can do to better the situation.”

Sac State will kick off its Food Day festivities two days early with a screening of the 2012 documentary A Place at the Table at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, in Hinde Auditorium at the University Union. A panel discussion follows, with Erik Kintzel (Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services), Randy Stannard (Soil Born Farms and Harvest Sacramento) and Andrea Bricker (California Department of Aging).

The daylong slate of activities Oct. 24 begins with a special 9 a.m. cooking demonstration for preschoolers who attend the Sacramento State Children’s Center.

“It’s a way for children to have exposure to healthy foods by preparing, tasting and smelling different foods,” says Jennifer Campbell, a nutritionist with the University’s Student Health and Counseling Services. “The idea is that, with more exposure, children will learn to eat healthier foods and the habit will carry over into adulthood.”

Food Day at Sacramento State is free and open to the public. Unless otherwise noted, all activities on Oct. 24 take place at various locations in the University Union:

• 1-3 p.m., California Suite – HBO documentary The Weight of the Nation: Challenges, followed by a panel discussion with Amber Stott (California Food Literacy Center), Robyn Krock (Sacramento Region Food System Collaborative), Esther Amato (Sacramento State’s Department of Family & Consumer Sciences), Liya Schwartzman (California FarmLink) and Shawn Harrison and Alicia Adams (Soil Born Farms).

• 1:30-2:30 p.m., Redwood Room – “What to Eat at Sac State,” a panel discussion featuring Steven Davis and Steve Rogers (Campus Dining), Linda Hafar (Facilities Services), Jennifer Campbell (Student and Health Counseling Services at The WELL) and Lauren Lombardo (Associated Students Inc.)

• 3:30 p.m. – Cooking demonstration in the Cove at The WELL (space is limited).

• 5:30-7 p.m., Redwood Room – Panel discussion on school food, with Stott, Jennifer LaBarre (Oakland Unified School District) Kirk Bergstrom (Nourish) and Gail Feenstra (Agricultural Sustainability Institute at UC Davis).

• 7-8 p.m., Redwood Room – Anna Lappé delivers the keynote lecture, “Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It,” based on her 2010 book of the same name. A book-signing follows.

“Food Day is a time to explore the many facets of our food systems, talk about what is working well and look for solutions to what is not,” says Lynn Hanna, a Sac State professor of nutrition and food. “Our most inexpensive foods are often the lowest in nutrient density, and the most obese among our nation are also the poorest.
“Our event this year continues the effort of bringing awareness to where our food comes from, who produces it and what environmental and social forces shape its quality and accessibility.”

To learn more about the national Food Day movement, go to www.foodday.org. For media assistance, contact Sacramento State’s Office of Public Affairs at (916) 278-6156.

Tokyo String Quartet includes Sac State on Farewell Tour

Sacramento, California - For 43 years the Tokyo String Quartet has toured the world, recorded 30
albums, won critical accolades, and been welcomed by sellout crowds at its concerts.

Now the group has embarked on a farewell tour, and has included Sacramento State on its list of stops.

The quartet – Martin Beaver and Kikuei Ikeda (violins), Kazuhide Isomura (viola) and Clive Greensmith (cello) – will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 19, in Capistrano Hall’s Music Recital Hall as part of the University’s New Millennium Series of concerts.

The program includes Haydn’s Quartet in G Major, Op. 77; Bartok’s Quartet No. 5, and Ravel’s quartet in F Major.

Their tour is drawing rave reviews. Vivien Schweitzer of The New York Times says that, as the quartet “nears the end of a major chapter in its history, it shows no sign of weariness. It played … with a commitment and a passion that rendered this performance a treat.”

The website Musical Toronto said, “Throughout this technically challenging music, the four men on stage played as one – sounding like one body and one soul possessing four perfectly coordinated bows.”

Sacramento State Music Professor Andrew Luchansky, director of the New Millennium Series, describes the ensemble as one of the four great quartets of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

He notes that the farewell tour includes stops in Paris and Amsterdam and, while many bid for its appearance, the group included Sacramento State on the trip. “This was based on their reception here at Sacramento State back in 2008,” says Luchansky. “It’s a testament to our audience and the respect the New Millennium Series has garnered from the world’s finest artists.”

Tickets are $40 general, $20 seniors and $10 students, available at the University Ticket Office, (916) 278-4323 or www.csus.edu/sfsc/ticketoffice/.

For more information, visit www.csus.edu/music or call (916) 278-5191. For media assistance, call Sacramento State’s Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

BANK OF AMERICA DONATES $15K TO HELP PEOPLE WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES LIVE INDEPENDENTLY

Sacramento, California - Bank of America is helping people with developmental disabilities access
affordable housing and develop financial skills so they can live independently through a $15,000 Critical Needs grant to UCP of Sacramento and Northern California’s independent living program. UCP empowers people with developmental disabilities to live life without limits.

“Too often when someone is diagnosed with a disability, society assumes the only option is to forever lock that person into a life of dependency, which can be a drain on society and on the spirit of that person,” said Doug Bergman, UCP president and CEO. “We are grateful to Bank of America for recognizing that people with disabilities can live life without limits when they are empowered with the right tools.”

Serving 32 people each month, UCP’s independent living instructors provide individualized instruction tailored to each person’s specific goals. Instruction includes personal and social development, financial management, accessing affordable housing, health, nutrition, cooking, public transportation, navigating the health care system, safety, household management and self-advocacy. By helping people with disabilities live independently, the program reduces state costs by up to two-thirds.

Each month, UCP of Sacramento and Northern California serves 3,300 children and adults with developmental disabilities and their families in Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Shasta, Sutter and Yolo counties. Programs include Saddle Pals adaptive horseback riding, UCP’s Autism Center for Excellence at Sacramento State, adult day programs, independent living services, transportation and in-home respite care for families. For more information, visit www.ucpsacto.org.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation supports high-impact initiatives, organizations and the development of visionary leaders. Last year, the foundation contributed more than $200 million to address critical issues facing neighborhoods and communities. In June 2012, the foundation awarded more than $22 million in grants to more than 650 nonprofits addressing housing needs. Based on data provided by nonprofit partners, these funds are estimated to benefit more than 31 million people. The foundation’s Critical Needs grants focus on individuals struggling to provide basic necessities for their families. Support is focused on helping people at their point of need, from immediate human needs such as food and shelter to addressing financial wellness and stability issues facing low-income communities, such as access to benefits and resources. For more information, visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.

Annual luncheon benefits Civil Engineering students

Sacramento, California - Sacramento State’s Civil Engineering Department is hosting the fifth annual Ken

Kerri Endowment Fund Luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, at the Alumni Center.

More than 150 alumni, professionals and engineering community leaders – as well as Sacramento State President Alexander Gonzalez and local dignitaries – are expected to attend. This year’s keynote speaker will be Brian Maroney, Caltrans chief bridge engineer and project manager of the new San Francisco Bay Bridge project.

The cost is $25 per person; the registration deadline is Thursday, April 4. Register for the luncheon by completing a registration form at www.ecs.csus.edu/wcm/ce or by calling (916) 278-6982.

Proceeds from the luncheon help to support the recruitment of promising civil engineering students, undergraduate and graduate student scholarships, faculty research projects, visiting scholars, and laboratory equipment in the program.

Kerri was a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering for nearly 40 years. In 1972, he helped establish the Office of Water Programs, which is recognized as the leading national training program for the operators and managers of water treatment facilities, water distribution systems, wastewater collection systems, and wastewater treatment and reuse facilities.

For more information about attending or sponsoring the luncheon, contact Neysa Bush at 278-6982 or nbush@ecs.csus.edu.

Big Idea Theatre: a BIT more: Twilight Zone‏

Sacramento, California - Big Idea Theatre is excited to announce the opening of their new “a BIT more”
series. The inaugural production of the series, opening April 4, will include the live performance of two beloved episodes of the classic television show “The Twilight Zone.” Join Big Idea Theatre as they re-create live on stage the episodes: The Monsters are Due on Maple Street and To Serve Man. Twilight Zone creator, Rod Sterling, wrote both episodes which originally aired in the 1960s and featured actors such as Jack Weston, Barry Atwater and Richard Kie.

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street tells the story of what happens to a group of neighbors who mysteriously lose electricity, after a shadow passes overhead, accompanied by a loud roar and  a flash of light. Panic builds when a shadowy figure is seen. Will hysteria get the better of this quiet community?

In To Serve Man, a linguist and his team attempt to decipher the language of an alien race that has landed on earth. This new alien race claims to be there to help humanity, but can we really know their true intentions?

Company member Wade Lucas directs both episodes for this upcoming production. He is “positively giddy
with enthusiasm to be able to bring two more episodes to life on the BIT stage! We have a group of talented and funny people on board who will really make for an enjoyable night of theater for all ages!"

Big Idea Theatre is passionate about telling stories and hopes that their new series “a BIT more” will give them an opportunity to tell more than ever before. Future productions of the "a BIT more" series will include a variety of "black-box" one acts, one man/woman shows, new works, and a regular recurring run of “Twilight Zones: Live on Stage!” The “a BIT more” series will run concurrently and in between Big Idea’s main-stage productions.

Make sure not to miss the beginning of this exciting new tradition at Big Idea Theatre. Performances will be April 4 - 7, Thursday and Friday at 8:00pm, Saturday and Sunday at 5:00pm and 7:00pm. Tickets are just $10. For more information about Big Idea Theatre, please visit their website or get connected via their mailing list, Twitter, Facebook, and blog.

Additional Information:

Who: Big Idea Theatre

What: The Twilight Zones: 2 Episodes of the Classic TV Series Live on Stage

Where: 1616 Del Paso Bvld. Sacramento, CA 95815. ph: 916.960.3036

When: Thursday, April 4th and Friday, April 5th at 8:00pm, Saturday, April 6th and Sunday, April 7th at 5:00pm and 7:00pm

How Much: $10

Director: Wade Lucas

Cast: Dan Beard, Dennis Beck, Bethany Hidden-Cauley, Christina Clem, Robyn Colburn, Jack Hastings, Jamie Kale, Raymond Keller, LeeMarie Kelly, Cyndi Lopez, Edward Nason, Daryl Petrig, Ariel Ryan, Ryan Snyder, Earl Victorine, Amos Wright

CSU Summer Arts helps students hone skills and develop contacts

Sacramento, California - Sacramento State students and other college students interested in furthering their artistic growth by immersing themselves in the arts are invited to attend the California State University Summer Arts program in July at CSU Monterey Bay.

During a pair of two-week sessions, students will get to work with professionals in their respective arts fields, develop contacts that could aid their careers, and meet other student artists. Public performance and exhibition opportunities also are provided.

Application deadlines are looming for the sessions, which run July 1-14 and July 15-28. Scholarships are available for most of the students, and all courses carry three units of transferable credit.

The sessions cover all facets of the arts. Professionals from DreamWorks will spend two weeks with students, animating a portfolio-quality CG piece; three landscape and travel photographers will teach a course exploring the uses of light; and top writers will guide students on writing for film, television and theater.

Sacramento State’s own Professor Kim Zarins, a published author of children’s books, will coordinate the class titled Writing Fantasy for Children and Teens, taught by professionals in writing and publishing. Zarins says she has had a number of students tell her they were writing fantasy novels. “I’m thrilled they are sharing their work and seeking an outlet,” she says. “This dream class was designed with those students in mind.”

Other Summer Arts courses include:

·           Contemporary Painting: Expanding Your Practice

·           American Classical Guitar

·           Stage Combat: Rapier and Dagger

·           (Dance) Dynamic Partnering: The Collaborative Creative Process

Sacramento State Theatre & Dance Professor Lorelei Bayne has coordinated three summer sessions in the past. She says the experience always enhances an artist’s career in a variety of ways. “Sacramento State students performed with the Joe Goode Performance Group in San Francisco, the Nicholas Leichter Dance Company in New York, and have made lasting connections with Diavolo Dance Theatre in L.A. as a direct result of these workshops at Summer Arts,” Bayne says.

The deadlines for applying are Friday, May 3, for the first session and Friday, May 17, for the second session. More than 70 percent of participating students receive scholarships. On-campus housing and meal plans also are available.

“We are incredibly proud of the transformation students undergo and the work they produce during their residence with us,” says CSU Summer Arts Business Manager Laura Schultz.

For more information and application forms, visit www.csusummerarts.org or call (562) 951-4060. For media assistance, call Sacramento State’s Public Affairs office at (916) 278-6156.