Acclaimed Cuban filmmaker Miguel Coyula will visit Arizona State University’s West campus Oct. 27-28 to interact with students and make public presentations. A highlight of the visit will be a screening of Coyula’s award-winning film “Memories of Overdevelopment (Memorias del Desarrollo)” on Oct. 28.

The film event begins at 6 p.m., with Coyula leading a discussion focusing on “50 Years of Cuba: Looking In, Looking Back.” The discussion will explore influences and scenes from other films that have marked Coyula as a director. “Memories of Overdevelopment” wil then be screened at 7 p.m. The discussion and screening will be held in the Kiva Lecture Hall at 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix. Download Full Image

The public is also invited to hear Coyula address “Digital Audiovisual Grammar: Understanding Independent filmmaking as a One Man Crew” at 3 p.m., Oct. 27 in Second Stage West, in the lower level of the University Center Building.

The events are free and open to the public. Visitor parking on campus costs $2 per hour.

Coyula was born in Havana in 1977. He was part of a new wave of independent Cuban filmmakers working outside of the mainstream using digital technology on shoestring budgets. Early on, he came to the attention of the critics through his shorts, which garnered many awards at various Cuban film festivals. After graduating from the prestigious International Film School of San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba, in 1999, Coyula went to New York to study at the Strasberg Theater Institute and to direct his first feature, “Red Cockroaches.” The film gathered more than 20 awards.

For his second feature film, Coyula embarked on the challenging job of directing “Memorias del Desarrollo,” a follow-up to the Cuban film classic “Memorias del Subdesarrollo,” and also based on a new novel by Edmundo Desnoes. He received a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in support of his work on the film.

“Memorias del Desarrollo” premiered at Sundance 2010 and has won 19 awards around the world. The International Film Guide chose it as the best Cuban film of the year. The film centers on an intellectual who leaves the Cuban Revolution and “underdevelopment” behind only to find himself at odds with the ambiguities of his new life in the “developed” world. It is a portrait of an alienated man, an outsider with no clear-cut politics or ideology – a stranger in a strange land struggling with old age, sexual desire and, ultimately, the impossibility for the individual to belong in any society.

“It’s an honor to bring such a talented filmmaker to campus, and we are pleased to offer the public the opportunity to meet Miguel and experience his work,” said Ilana Luna, assistant professor of Latin American studies in ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, the core college on the West campus. New College is sponsoring Coyula’s visit along with its academic programs in Latin American studies and interdisciplinary arts and performance, and Undergraduate Student Government on the West campus.

“Faculty members in a range of disciplines within New College’s School of Humanities, Arts and Cultural Studies have collaborated to make this experience possible for our students and the community,” Luna said.

Details about other upcoming cultural and artistic events at ASU’s West campus may be found at https://campus.asu.edu/west/events.

Maria Tallchief was considered America’s first major prima ballerina, and was the first Native American to hold the rank.

Tallchief’s innovative role as the first sugar plum fairy in "Nutcracker" and her passionate dancing revolutionized the ballet, but offstage, her life was filled with personal struggles and discrimination. Download Full Image

Sandy Osawa’s documentary, "Maria Tallchief," will be screened at 7 p.m., Oct. 16, as part of the Simon Ortiz and Labriola Center Lecture on Indigenous Land, Culture, and Community. The lecture will take place at the Heard Museum, 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix.

A collaboration between Simon Ortiz, Regents' Professor of English at Arizona State University, and the Labriola Center, part of the ASU Libraries, the lecture series seeks to create and celebrate knowledge that evolves from an inclusive indigenous worldview and that is applicable to all walks of life.

Osawa will follow the free screening and lecture with a Q&A about her one-hour documentary, which aired on PBS from 2007-2010. Osawa broke media barriers in the 1970s by launching the first 10-part national television series to be entirely produced, acted and written by Native Americans. She was also the first Native American filmmaker to produce a documentary for network television, called "The Eighth Fire," first broadcast on NBC stations in 1992.

Osawa spoke to ASU News from her home in Seattle about her landmark documentary and the life of one of the most brilliant ballerinas of the 20th century.

What drew you as a filmmaker to Maria Tallchief's story?

What drew me to her story was the fact that there's a shocking lack of Native American stories, and she had been on my mind for some time. I first heard about her when I was in college, so that had always stayed in the back of my mind. Then, years later, I met her grown daughter, Elise Maria Paschen, at a writer's workshop in Oregon. I asked Elise if there had ever been any full-length documentaries on her mother. She said, 'No, there isn't.' Elise then gave me her mother's number and I called her up. When I asked Maria Tallchief about the possibility of doing a documentary she said, 'Let's do it.'

There were some parallels between you and Maria Tallchief in that you are both Native American women who were underrepresented in your respective professions. Did that help you relate to her?

I actually did feel that there were layers, a lot of levels that existed between us. One of them was the fact that Maria Tallchief said she was shy growing up … painfully shy. I also suffered with that aspect of being shy. I went to school in Port Angeles, Washington, and although there was a tribe nearby, there really weren't any Native Americans at my school. Every summer I would go back to the reservation, and that was very much a coming home period, and it felt positive. Going back to school was the reverse feeling. Maria said she had that same feeling when balancing the Indian and non-Indian world. Maria was also very quiet about her own accomplishments, and was reticent to say anything about her amazing career, which meant I had to resort to some of her friends, associates and family to fill in those gaps. Many people who are raised in a traditional Native American setting are not fond of bragging.

Maria Tallchief was extremely bright, talented at many things and could have been a concert pianist had she chosen to do so.

She was very smart. Extremely perceptive and a quick study of people in terms of who you are, what you can do and what you're all about. She was quiet and could be outspoken, but certainly not about her career. When she was a ballerina and when people around her weren't doing the right thing – her partners, colleagues or extras – she would definitely let them know. She was very exacting and pure in how she danced.

I was surprised to discover there were factions in ballet and Tallchief was an outsider in terms of where she fit in this world.

When she started her career, the only star ballerinas that existed were Russian and English, no Americans. For example, she was asked to change her name to Maria Tallchieva to sound Russian. It's kind of hard to fathom this now, but this was in the 1940s and 1950s. She was America's first prima ballerina. It's a huge milestone and people are always asking, 'Why didn't we know about her then?' It all boils down to who writes our history and whose story gets told.

In addition to having to overcome hurdles in the ballet world, Maria Tallchief also had some personal issues – a broken engagement, an annulment, multiple marriages with one husband going to prison for tax evasion. Seems like she had constant struggles throughout her life?

I think with any artist there are always going to be obstacles in the way, and she certainly faced her share of them. Even when she was born there was turmoil. In the film we focus on a time period when she was young, where her relatives were being murdered for oil. Being born a girl in that era and in that environment of murder, it did not look like a very good start for Maria. We show that in the beginning to demonstrate the stress that exists in most Native Americans lives. There are difficulties, there's hardships, and if you happen to be born into oil money, like her family was, there were tremendous obstacles.

What was Maria Tallchief like away from the camera?

Very regal, dignified, good sense of humor. Could easily laugh at herself. She loved her grandkids. In many ways she was a very normal human being. But in other ways, not normal. She could look at you and examine who you are. Very perceptive and very aware of who you were. She asked my husband, who was the cameraman on this film, if he could wrap some Christmas presents for her. I thought it was interesting that she would ask him and not me, but she had a very strong sense of who could do what. That's just a small example but it was interesting to me.

Maria Tallchief died in 2013 but was alive when your film first premiered in 2007. What was her reaction to the documentary?

We set up the premiere at the Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago so that we could be with her in the audience. She was actually living in a nursing home when we screened the film but was able to come that night and she sat in the front row right next to me. When it ended, she got up and publicly thanked us and was very happy with the film. Her daughter later confirmed how appreciative Maria was. It was very nerve wracking for me because when you're dealing with a legend, you're very nervous if you've nailed it or not. It was a great final affirmation that she was happy and that we had done a great job.

For more information on the free screening of "Maria Tallchief," call 480-965-7611 or visit diversity.asu.edu/node/584.

Indigenous scholars, sustainability scientists and tribal leaders gathered in Tempe, Arizona, Oct. 6-7, to discuss and debate indigenous sustainability and environmental issues during the Arizona State Unviersity “Conference on Indigenous Sustainability: Implications for the Future of Indigenous Peoples and Native Nations.”

Leaders from throughout the world who shared their insights included Linda Tuhiwai Smith, who discussed indigenous knowledge in her keynote address – teachings that she noted are often seen as controversial when compared with knowledge presented by scientists. Download Full Image

Smith, professor of education and Maori development and pro-vice chancellor at the University of Waikato, New Zealand, said that indigenous knowledge has been tested by controversy and what is forced to be revealed through the legal system, but it still persists. She has examined the relationship between indigenous knowledge and science in her research and found that it was hard to find a bridge between the two areas, except when specific areas are addressed.

“I think this is where the answer is,” Smith said. For example, when indigenous people and scientists work together on specific issues, such as saving a river, they can come up with solutions to fix problems, such as replanting with native plants and working on erosion issues.

During a discussion on "Sustaining Indigenous Knowledge and Culture," panelists talked about an integral part of sustaining indigenous nations that lies within the realm of climate change and the disproportionate impact that changing climatic conditions are having on tribal peoples. The discussion included moderator Bryan Brayboy, ASU President’s Professor of Indigenous Education and Justice in the School of Social Transformation; ASU Foundation Professor of History Don Fixico; Valmaine Toki, senior lecturer, Te Piringa Faculty of Law, University of Waikato, New Zealand; and Ann Marie Chischilly, executive director, Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, Northern Arizona University.

Chischilly is a member of the Federal Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Natural Resources Science appointed by Department of Interior Secretary Sally Jewell.

As part of the committee, she has worked on guidelines that examine the significance of traditional knowledge systems in relation to climate change, and the potential risks to indigenous peoples in the United States in sharing knowledge in federal and other non-indigenous climate change initiatives. Guidelines cover areas such as understanding key concepts related to traditional knowledge, recognizing that traditional knowledge does not need to be shared, and establishing clear, transparent and culturally appropriate terms of reference, particularly in regard to formal research agreements.

The conference also featured a panel titled “Tribal Energy and the Environment.” Moderated by Fixico, the panel featured Rebecca Tsosie, Regents' Professor at ASU’s Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law; Bill Rice, associate professor of law at University of Tulsa College of Law in Oklahoma; Harvey Bryan, professor at The Design School at the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts; and Clark Miller, associate professor at ASU’s School of Politics and Global Studies.

The panelists highlighted the importance of indigenous people’s right to self-determination and navigated the issue of sustainability of natural resources, such as energy, land and water, with the help of indigenous knowledge that has always included sustainable principles as a core philosophy.

Tsosie pointed out that law, economics and science are often presented as systems of knowledge built on “neutral” principles, when, in fact, national and international policies are clearly designed with instrumental goals in mind that sometimes work against tribal interests. Rice commented that non-indigenous people need to build stronger relationships with their resources, ones that go beyond treating resources as commodities.

Miller and Bryan stressed comprehensive, systematic approaches that reinvent educational, scientific, technological and innovation systems in a way that connects back to communities – indigenous and non-indigenous. They said that a larger conversation regarding the kinds of societies we want to live in and build in the future cannot be had if such systems are not built with communities in mind.

“We are all connected, so what we do now to build better energy and other systems will have an effect across the world,” Miller said. “Indigenous and non-indigenous people have had different perspectives on many issues, but we will have to come together, listen to each other’s perspectives and find common solutions to common problems.”

In addition to the panel on energy, discussions on native science and sustainability, the stories of traditional human knowledge, and the future of sustainability and educating the next generation sparked discussions among the audience.

With election season upon us – not only for the state and federal government, but for tribal nations such as the Navajo Nation – ASU Libraries are highlighting campaign material from their donated political manuscript collections.

The Chicano/a Research Collection and the Labriola National American Indian Data Center spotlight historic political firsts in their new exhibit, "Political Trailblazers on Campaign." The exhibit will be on display through fall 2014 and can be seen at the Hayden Library Rotunda, the Labriola Center (Level 2), and the Luhrs Gallery (level 4). Download Full Image

"Political Trailblazers on Campaign" celebrates the political drive and campaigns of local leaders and politicians. The exhibit also presents a brief history of American Indian voting rights in Arizona and highlights the first female Chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller.

The exhibit spotlights “trailblazers” such as:

Senator Manuel “Lito” Peña, a veteran and civil rights advocate, served three terms in the House of Representatives and 12 terms in the State Senate District 22. When his brother Rudolph "Danny" Peña was elected to office in 1972, they became the first brothers to simultaneously hold office at the state level.

Roberto Reveles, a passionate advocate for worker and immigrant rights, was a congressional staffer for five congressmen between 1956 and 1980. In 1972, he ran a strong but unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the U.S. Congress District 4.

Senator Alfredo Gutierrez, former legislator, Vietnam veteran and community activist, has played a prominent role in Chicano/a and Arizona history. Between 1972 and 1986, he served in the State Senate, where he was both the majority and minority leader. At 27 years old, he was the youngest person ever elected and rapidly became one of its most distinguished leaders.

Senator Joe Eddie and Rose Marie Lopez, community activists and leaders, were the heart and soul of the Chicano/a Movement in Arizona. Senator Lopez began his political career in 1972 when he was elected to Maricopa County Board of Supervisors. Then, in 1991 and 1996, he served on the House of Representatives and State Senate until 2013. In 1999, Rosie ran a passionate but unsuccessful campaign for Phoenix City Council in District 7.

Congressman Ed Pastor became Arizona's first Mexican American to be elected into U.S Congress in 1991. After 23 years of serving the people of Arizona, Congressman Pastor will be retiring from office in November 2014.

Senator Virginia Leticia Yrun, an advocate for health care reform and women’s rights, became Arizona’s first Mexican American woman to run for U.S. Congress in 1991. She ran a strong but unsuccessful primary campaign against fellow Democrat Congressman Ed Pastor. In 2001, she was appointed by Pima County Board of Supervisors to fill the vacant seat of Arizona Senator Andy Nichols in the State Senate.

Peterson Zah served as chairman of the Navajo Tribal Council from 1983 to 1987, and in 1990 he became the first elected president in the new Navajo Nation.

Wenona Benally Baldenegro ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Arizona's 1st District. She's a member of the Navajo Nation and her campaign was historic, as her election would have made her the first Native American woman to serve in Congress.

The ASU Libraries is hosting an opening reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Oct. 9, in the Luhrs Reading Room, Hayden Library (level 4). The event is free of charge and open to the public. At 6 p.m., opening remarks will be made by Daniel R. Ortega, Jr., of the Ortega Law Firm, Inc., and Michelle Hale, of ASU American Indian Studies, an expert in Indigenous governance.

For more information, contact Joyce Martin, ASU Libraries, at joyce.martin@asu.edu.

Arizona State University’s West campus will host a workshop performance of “Lost Boys Found,” a play under development by ASU faculty member Julie Amparano, at 6 p.m., Oct. 8. The performance will be presented in the Kiva Lecture Hall on the West campus, 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix. Admission is free; visitor parking costs $2 per hour.

The play sheds light on the story of the Lost Boys of Sudan, who defied daunting odds to survive a brutal civil war that left many of them orphans. There is now a Lost Boys refugee population in metropolitan Phoenix, and Amparano launched an oral history project to document their remarkable stories. She has successfully competed for grants for her Lost Boys Found project and offers students the opportunity to become involved in the process of creating the oral histories. Download Full Image

“I’m hoping the play will make the words of the Lost Boys more accessible to a wide audience,” said playwright Amparano, a faculty member in ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences. “Arizona has the largest number of Lost Boys of any state in the country, so this is a story that is particularly relevant for residents of our state.”

Amparano plans to complete a full-length version of the play by the end of the year.

“This play and these oral histories go beyond the story of the Lost Boys of Sudan,” she said. “This is the stories of children in the war and the resilience of the human spirit.”

The Oct. 8 performance will be followed by a talkback with two Lost Boys, Jany Deng and Kuol Awan. Awan just returned from a trip to South Sudan. “Jany and Kuol are from different tribes – Nuer and Dinka,” Amparano said. “These two tribes are at war in South Sudan right now. But Jany and Kuol are working hand-in-hand here in the Unites States to spread the word of peace and the greater brotherhood.”

The workshop performance of “Lost Boys Found” was presented in May at the Herberger Theater Center in downtown Phoenix, and seeing the production inspired ASU graduate student Arthur Morales to bring it to the West campus. Morales is pursuing New College’s master of arts in interdisciplinary studies degree and serves as president of the Interdisciplinary Student Association (ISA) on the West campus.

“ISA focuses on the importance of interdisciplinary studies,” Morales said. “Today’s world is one of increasing connectedness, and we are finding that viewing that world through multiple lenses or perspectives can help address and solve problems. ISA wants to share this awareness of our increasingly interdisciplinary world, allowing people working in all disciplines to join together and showcase the research questions driving them.”

Patrick Bixby, director of graduate studies in New College, serves as adviser for the Interdisciplinary Student Association. He will introduce the workshop performance of “Lost Boys Found.”

The event is sponsored by Undergraduate Student Government at the West campus, with support from the Interdisciplinary Student Association and New College. For more information, contact Arthur Morales at aamoral2@asu.edu or (602) 543-6295.

Neal A. Lester, Foundation Professor of English in ASU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the director of ASU’s Project Humanities, will be given the 2014 Roy Wilkins Community Service award by the East Valley National Association for the Advancement of Colored People next month. This award is the organization’s highest honor.

Lester will be recognized at the NAACP’s 40th Freedom Fund Gala Awards Banquet on Oct. 4, at the Historic Crowne Plaza San Marcos Golf Resort-Pavilion in Chandler, Arizona. Download Full Image

“This is such an unexpected recognition that means so much because it was unanticipated. To know that others around the Valley are witnessing the impact of this work is gratifying, especially an organization with such a long and distinguished record of addressing issues of social injustice,” Lester said. “While my work as a scholar and citizen isn’t solely about social injustice, it is about the importance of 'talking, listening, and connecting' across communities, disciplines, generations and professions.

The Roy Wilkins award is presented to a person who has distinguished him or herself by making a significant contribution to their community in the area of civil/human rights, race relations, equal opportunity and public service. Lester is being honored for his outstanding work with ASU’s award-winning, university-wide Project Humanities initiative and for the public awareness campaign “Straight Talk About the N-Word,” which he delivers to students and community members alike.

Since 1964, the East Valley NAACP has been advocating for equality and social justice for disenfranchised citizens in the Phoenix area. Wilkins was a prominent civil rights activist serving in various roles in the NAACP, including editor of Crisis, the association’s official magazine, and the executive director who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1967. The Roy Wilkens Center for Human Relations and Social Justice was established in his honor at the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs in 1992.

“The East Valley NAACP felt that Neal Lester’s work with Project Humanities and the N-Word is more than work. It’s something that resonates deep inside him,” said Floyd Galloway, a member of the East Valley NAACP selection committee. “It’s easy to see Neal’s passion and the dedication he has in making a change in society, and the current society needs a change.”

Lester, whose teaching and scholarship focus on African American literary and cultural studies, including children’s literature, drama, folklore and popular culture, has been a professor of English at ASU since 1997, serving as chair of the department from 2004-2010, then later as dean of humanities and as associate vice president of humanities and arts at ASU.

ASU’s award-winning Project Humanities is a university-wide initiative that promotes and showcases the range, relevance and diversity of faculty and student humanities research and outreach. With both a national and international presence in conversations about the role, impact and importance of humanities study, content, courses and multidisciplinary collaboration, Project Humanities sponsors or co-sponsors approximately 100 programs a year. Themed bi-annual kick-offs, such as “Perspectives on Place;” “Are We Losing Our Humanity?;” “Heroes, Superheroes and Superhumans;” “Humor…Seriously;” and “Humanity 101: Creating a Movement” have featured high-profile guests and scholars, student and community participation, and have garnered national attention.

For more information on the 40th Freedom Fund Gala Awards Banquet and the East Valley NAACP, visit www.eastvalleynaacp.org.

Sometimes choosing to pursue a career or graduate education path comes down to imagination.

Most undergraduates probably have an idea of the day in the life of a nurse, doctor, teacher, firefighter or other careers they’ve likely been exposed to in their communities growing up. But what about a science policy analyst, a research ethicist, a science historian or an environmental justice researcher? Download Full Image

Few undergraduates, unless they have a parent or know someone in the field, are likely aware of – let alone able to imagine themselves in – these and the many other career possibilities available in science and technology studies and science policy fields at the intersection of natural and social sciences.

Because many students stumble into science and technology studies or science policy through an interest in science and engineering, issues of participation are compounded with underrepresented minorities, whose enrollment in graduate science and engineering programs fails to reflect their numbers in the overall population, according to the National Science Board’s annual Science and Engineering Indicators report.

To help increase participation by underrepresented minorities in science and technology studies and science policy fields, the National Science Foundation has awarded a $237,000 supplement to the Center for Nanotechnology in Society at ASU to create a program that targets mid-career undergraduate students who show an initial interest in these fields.

The program will create a cohort of 24 students across 11 universities, including ASU, and give them a broad understanding of how science and the government interact, how social science methodologies can be applied to questions concerning science and technology, and what opportunities for graduate-level training and careers in science and technology studies and science policy exist.

The program will target students nearing the end of their second year of undergraduate studies, and will combine coursework, two workshops in Washington, D.C., mentorship and a research project.

“Many graduate students arrive at STS (science and technology studies) or science policy after a search, after trial and error,” says David Guston, professor of politics and global studies and director of the Center for Nanotechnology in Society. “We want to connect with students early enough in their undergraduate careers that they’ll be able to do some training and preparation, and also be exposed to good mentors who have had interesting and successful career trajectories.”

Students selected for the program will already have shown some interest in these fields. “They will have made some decisions about what they’re interested in, picked majors and already be on some sort of track,” says Ira Bennett, who, as the assistant director of education at the center, will lead the project. “We hope to put an inflection point in that track.”

Students in the program will participate in two summer workshops in Washington, D.C.

The first, after their sophomore year, will introduce them to the complexity of the science policy process and the key players in it. “They will get to see how the whole process works – the sausage-making of science policy and science funding, and the innumerable connections between science and society,” says Bennett, who for ten years has run Science Outside the Lab, a similar D.C.-based workshop offered by ASU’s Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes for graduate-level students.

Bennett says that both data and anecdotal evidence show that this workshop is often a turning point in participants’ careers, including his own when he moved from chemistry to science policy 12 years ago. “People find the space in that process that they want to be part of,” says Bennett.

After their junior year, students reconvene in Washington, where they will undertake research projects based on their individual interests. They’ll also receive training on how to communicate their ideas to various audiences. Beyond the educational benefits, the workshops will also help to promote networking among the geographically distributed participants.

Throughout the program and potentially beyond, a faculty member who is established in the field at the participant’s home institution will provide mentorship and support. “There are many places where people can get off the highway en route to a career in STS or science policy,” says Bennett. “Sometimes it’s because they’re making active choices to do something else, but sometimes it’s because they’re not sure how to keep going or what to do next.” Mentors will be able to guide students to not only figure out their specific interests, but to develop education and career plans to pursue those interests.

“Mentors can provide substantive engagement on topics that students might want to pursue,” says Gwen Ottinger, assistant professor of history and politics at Drexel University and one of the faculty mentors for the program. “If a student goes to the D.C. summer workshop and comes back jazzed about some idea, a mentor can help him or her construct independent studies or find classes to support that interest.” Ottinger began her own career as an engineering major before later becoming interested in environmental justice, including the distribution of environmental hazards.

Perhaps more important than the educational guidance, however, is mentors’ tacit knowledge from working in the field. “Students may not know, for example, that they shouldn’t be expecting to foot the bill for a PhD program. There are fellowships for that,” says Ottinger. “Mentorship is a way of making pathways visible to students that wouldn’t be visible otherwise.”

Another of the faculty mentors is Luis Campos, associate professor of history at the University of New Mexico. “I never in my life thought I’d be a historian of science,” says Campos, who initially majored in biology but was always attracted to electives that looked at the history of science.

“History offers a way to think about science with a different analytical lens. It’s a way to bring a richer, deeper understanding of science as a cultural and human thing,” says Campos. “This program is a great opportunity to bring more students into STS and show them how the history of science can play a key role in understanding science better.”

Other universities participating in the program are DePaul University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, North Carolina State University, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Maryland, University of Virginia and University of Wisconsin.

Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15-Oct. 15, celebrates the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans who come from from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Events across all four ASU campuses include salsa dancing, food tastings, cultural performances and the anticipated screening of "Underwater Dreams." The film documents the true story of how a group of young Hispanic students from Carl Hayden Community High School, located in an underrepresented, economically challenged part of Phoenix, learned to build an underwater robot, and then defeated teams from universities across the country, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in a national competition 2004. Download Full Image

More than 20 student organizations will kick off the celebration at a resource and information fair from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sept. 15, at the Memorial Union North Stage, Tempe campus. With entertainment provided by Univision Radio, the event will include information about upcoming events, voter registration and free paletas (ice cream bars) for the first 700 people.

All events are free and open to the public.

The following are the university-wide signature events during Hispanic Heritage Month:

"Underwater Dreams" documentary and panel
6-8 p.m., Sept. 26, MU Arizona Ballroom, Tempe campus
Brought to you by Fulton Schools of Engineering; Graduate Professional Student Association; Society of Hispanic Engineers; Latinos in Engineering and Science; and the NASA Space Robotics Club.

Noche de Celebración
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Sept. 15, Verde Dining Pavilion, West campus

Closing Reception – Salsa – Salsa Fiesta
6-7 p.m., Oct. 15, Sun Devil Fitness Complex, West campus

La Fiesta
6-9 p.m., Sept. 15, Civic Space Park, Downtown Phoenix campus

Media Perceptions of Latinos
noon-2 p.m., Sept. 17, Century Hall Multipurpose Room, Polytechnic campus

Screening of film, “Underwater Dreams”
6-8 p.m., Sept. 24, University Center Building, La Sala B & C, West campus

Latin Night
8-11 p.m., Sept. 26, MU North Stage, Tempe campus

Calle 16 Mural Project Painting
9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sept. 30, Sands Courtyard, West campus

Fiesta de la Noche
6-8 p.m., Sept. 30, Century Hall Courtyard, Polytechnic campus

Cafe Y Pan
1-3 p.m., Oct. 1, Student Union, Polytechnic campus

Tempe Tardead
noon-6 p.m., Oct. 5, Tempe Community Complex (3500 S. Rural Rd., Tempe)

Living in Higher Ed – Latinos at ASU, Learning, Growing, Sharing
noon-1 p.m., Oct. 7, Memorial Union, Gold Room. 207, Tempe campus
Brought to you by the Chicano/Latino Faculty Staff Association, El Concilio & The Chicano/a Research Collection
ASU Libraries.

Salsa Night
6-9 p.m., Oct. 7, Student Union Ballroom, Polytechnic campus

Meet the Greeks
6:30-9 p.m., Oct. 8, MU Arizona Ballroom, Tempe campus

Latin@s: Past, Present, and Future
6-8 p.m., Oct. 9, Cronkite First Amendment Forum, Second Floor, Downtown Phoenix campus

Lambda Theta Phi Taco Sale Fundraiser
6-10 p.m., Oct. 18, MU Arizona Ballroom, Tempe campus

For more information about upcoming events and Hispanic Heritage Month at ASU, visit eoss.asu.edu/student-engagement.

The Los Angeles-based troupe 24th Street Theatre brings its award-winning production of “La Razón Blindada (Reason Obscured)” to Arizona State University’s West campus Sept. 26-28.

“La Razón Blindada” is based on the classic novel “El Quijote” by Miguel de Cervantes, Franz Kafka’s “The Truth about Sancho Panza,” and testimonies by Chicho Vargas and other political prisoners held in the 1970s at the Rawson Prison during Argentina’s dictatorship. Download Full Image

In the play, two political prisoners, oppressed by physical and emotional abuse, find solace in meeting every Sunday at dusk to tell the story of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. Their storytelling unravels amid the extreme limitations imposed by their condition of inmates in a maximum security prison. It is fueled by the vital need to tell each other a story that could save them, that could transport them to a human adventure situated in the realm of imagination, where hardship and fear can't reach them, where the most intense pain can be mitigated by the act of imagining a different reality.

“We are extremely pleased to give Valley audiences the opportunity to see this important, critically acclaimed work,” said Claudia Villegas-Silva, assistant professor of Latin American studies in ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, the core college on the West campus.

Los Angeles Times reviewer F. Kathleen Foley said that “La Razón Blindada” produces an effect on audiences that is “hallucinatory, trance-inducing and surreal, an absurdist construct that hammers home man’s gross capacity for inhumanity – and his transcendent ability to endure.”

“La Razón Blindada” was written and directed by Aristides Vargas, considered one of the most dynamic and influential theater artists to emerge from South America. Born in Cordoba, Argentina, he was forced into exile at the age of 20 by one of the bloodiest dictatorships in Latin America and moved to Ecuador. In 1979, Vargas, along with a group of immigrant actors originally from Argentina and Spain, founded Grupo de Teatro Malayerba in Quito, Ecuador. Grupo Malayerba has since become one of the most important theater ensembles in Latin America. Over the years, Vargas’ works have expressed his ever-evolving social, political and artistic dissatisfaction with the status quo in his country. His works have been produced worldwide.

24th Street Theatre’s production of “La Razón Blindada won LA Weekly’s top honor, the 2011 Production of the Year Award, selected over 400 other Los Angeles productions. 24th Street won the 2012 national TCG Peter Zeisler Award for Innovation in the American Theatre. The company is also a leader in arts education. Its Enter Stage Right DVD features appearances by Jack Black and is in more than 50,000 classrooms nationwide. Since beginning its Teatro Nuevo Latino Theatre program in 2003, 24th Street’s Spanish language shows have toured to dozens of cities in Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia and the United States.

The production of “La Razón Blindada” at ASU’s West campus will be performed in Spanish with supertitle translation.

Performances are set for 7:30 p.m., Sept. 26 and 27, and 3 p.m., Sept. 28, in Second Stage West. The theater is in the lower level of the University Center Building on the West campus, 4701 W. Thunderbird Road in Phoenix. Tickets are $10 general admission, $7 for seniors and $5 for students, faculty and staff. Visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/833282 to purchase tickets.

Information about this and other upcoming arts event at ASU’s West campus may be found at https://campus.asu.edu/west/events.

Arizona State University's award-winning Project Humanities will launch its fall 2014 kickoff series, “Humanity 101: Creating a Movement,” Sept. 11-21, with a star-studded lineup that includes world-renowned poet Nikki Giovanni, columnist and author Gustavo Arellano, a community tribute to the life and works of Maya Angelou; and a first-of-its-kind hackathon for the social good.

The popular initiative will offer diverse strategies for true dialogue, discovery and connectedness by focusing on principles essential to success and professional relationships across disciplines, cultures, communities and generations. Download Full Image

“We were able to do a soft introduction of it during the Spring 2014 semester with very enthusiastic feedback, and we are continuing to showcase opportunities for individuals and communities to focus on a common set of core values that represent humanity at its best: integrity, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, self-reflection, empathy and respect,” says Neal A. Lester, director of Project Humanities. "Particularly at this pivotal moment in our local, national and global climate of urgency in the need for 'talking, listening and connecting' are we inspired to create a suite of tools, programs and activities that promote continual focus on and awareness/discussion of these principles. We know that Humanity 101 – this movement – can bring positive change one person, one activity and one critical conversation at a time.”

Broadly speaking, Humanity 101 responds to the question: Are we losing our humanity? Project Humanities raised this question approximately two years ago in an op-ed piece that was featured in USA Today, a National Press Club Forum, a local community film series and multiple public lectures to diverse groups across the Valley and beyond. Humanity 101 will be a multi-modal toolbox of specific strategies and programs, hands-on activities, blogged interactions, workshops, a Hacks 4 Humanity hackathon, celebrity PSAs, an eBook and print, visual and virtual resources that add perspective and meaning to daily experiences.

During this campaign, Project Humanities will host a wide range of events and activities at the ASU campuses and at different community venues around the Valley; bringing together students, staff, faculty, alumni, emeriti and the public to engage critically with these seven values – respect, integrity, compassion, forgiveness, empathy, kindness and self-reflection. Many local, national and international speakers will help continue the #Humanity101 movement, which continues throughout 2014.

Events are free and open to the public.

Thursday, Sept. 11

“Seeking Humanity in Tragedy: Reflections and Memories of 9/11,” by ASU professor Aaron Hess, College of Letters and Sciences, 6:30 p.m., ASU Downtown Phoenix campus, Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 555 N. Central Ave., room 128, Phoenix

Monday, Sept. 15

“2nd Annual Project Humanities Funniest ASU Teacher Contest,” 6 p.m., Tempe campus, Memorial Union, room 230 (Pima Auditorium)

Tuesday, Sept. 16

“The Saving Grace of Mexican Food” by Gustavo Arellano, editor of O.C. Weekly and columnist of “Ask a Mexican!”, 6 p.m., Tempe campus, Memorial Union, room 220 (Turquoise)

Wednesday, Sept. 17

“Celebrating Maya.” Join in this community celebration by bringing your favorite Maya Angelou passages, poems or artifacts, 7:30 p.m., The Helen K. Mason Performing Arts Center, 1333 E. Washington St., Phoenix

Thursday, Sept. 18

“An Evening of Poetry and Conversation with Nikki Giovanni.” World-renowned poet, writer, professor, commentator, activist, 6:30 p.m., The Mesa Arts Center, One E. Main St., Mesa

Friday, Sept. 19

“Better Together Peacewalk and Banquet” by Johnny Martin, Anu Abbas, Seemer Kassab, SunDABT; Yash Kuma, International Coalition. International peacewalk starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by a 6:30 p.m. banquet. Peacewalk: Tempe campus, Hayden Lawn. Banquet: Memorial Union, room 242 (La Paz).

Saturday, Sept. 20 and Sunday, Sept. 21

“Hacks 4 Humanity.” This two-day, 36-hour hackathon encourages creative thinkers, artists, programmers, designers and anyone to hack for our collective social good. The event begins at 7 a.m., Sept. 20 and runs until 5 p.m., Sept. 21, at the Sun Devil Fitnes Complex, 400 E. Apache Blv., on ASU’s Tempe campus.

For more information about ASU Project Humanities and/or Humanity 101, visit http://humanities.asu.edu.