2007 American Language and Culture Session 1 (ALC1) Calendar

* time and dates are subject to change
* events in black are for all participants
* events in pink are optional and limited

July 29 , Sunday (back to top)

AM: Japanese students arrive
PM: Taiwanese students arrive
TBA: Korean students arrive

July 30 , Monday (back to top)

English Class Orientation and Placement Tests: Your first day at Stanford, you will be introduced to the English for Foreign Students Faculty and curriculum and then take brief written and oral examinations to determine your appropriate class level.

Japanese Students		Taiwanese Students
9:00 am - 10:30 am	English class interviews	9:00 am - 10:30 am	Orientation with hosts
10:30 am - 12:00 pm	English class orientation	10:30 am - 12:00 pm	English class orientation
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm	Lunch	12:00 pm - 1:00 pm	Lunch
2:00 pm - 2:45 pm	Money collection	1:00 pm - 3:00 pm	English class interviews
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm	Bike rental	2:45 pm - 3:30 pm	Money collection
		3:30 pm - 4:30 pm	Bike rental

Korean Students: Depending on your arrival time, you will join either the Japanese or Taiwanese students.

5:30pm-6:00pm: Intro to VIA: Meet VIA's founder, Dwight Clark, and VIA's executive director, Scott Suguira

July 31 , Tuesday (back to top)

2:00 pm: Stanford Landmark Tour: This tour will be conducted by the Stanford hosts. They will take you on an in-depth tour of Stanford University that will include athletic facilities (like tracks, the baseball diamond and the stadium), the Art Museum, Sculpture Garden, Hoover Tower, Medical School, Hospital, Cactus Garden, and Mausoleum.

August 1, Wednesday (back to top)

8:00pm-Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry plays Thursday, July 19 through Sunday, August 5 in the Pigott Theater, Memorial Auditorium on the Stanford campus. This classic play deals with the revolt against colonialism in an unnamed African state, and the dilemmas facing blacks and whites when rebellion challenges personal loyalties. For a more information about the play, please visit this page.

(Cost: Free, Open to all students): Reserved seats are $20, but there is a "pay what you like" system in place at the door (meaning that if you don't want to pay, the show is free).

August 2, Thursday (back to top)

1:30pm-3:00pm: Visit Facebook (Cost: Free, Limited to 18 students)

"Facebook is a social networking website. As of July 2007, it is the second most visited website of its kind on the World Wide Web, with over 28 million members. It is surpassed only by MySpace...It is also the seventh most visited site in the United States." (Wikipedia)

You will have a chance to meet some of the people who work at Facebook, hear about their latest projects, and learn how you could work at Facebook!

6:00pm -7:30 pm: Jazz at Stanford Shopping Center (Cost: free): Students can enjoy a performance by Pamela Rose.

8:00pm-Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry (see August 1 for more information)

August 3, Friday (back to top)

1:30-3:30pm: Volunteer for the Opportunity Center (Cost: Free, Limited to 10 students)

Play with children who will visit Stanford from the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto. You will have a chance to teach them fun outdoor games from your country!

The Opportunity Center is a facility in Palo Alto that was founded by Stanford faculty to provide services and housing to homeless men, women and children in our community - and those at risk of becoming homeless.

2:00pm-3:00pm: Visit SUN Microsystems (tentative) (Cost: Free, Limited to 25 students)

"Sun Microsystems, Inc. is an American vendor of computers, computer components, computer software, and information-technology services, founded on 24 February 1982. The company is headquartered in Santa Clara, California (part of Silicon Valley).

Sun is known as the developer of innovative technologies such as the Java platform and NFS, and as a key promoter of open systems in general and UNIX in particular; it has recently emerged as one of the leading proponents and contributors of open source software." (Wikipedia)

7:00pm - 9:00pm: (Limited to 6 students): Come for a leisurely evening with VIA's founder, Dwight Clark, at his apartment in Palo Alto.

8:00pm-Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry (see August 1 for more information)

August 4, Saturday (back to top)

All Day: Day in San Francisco: You and the hosts will be taking the CalTrain commuter train to San Francisco and explore the city in host groups. You will have a chance to visit various famous places such as Pier 39, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, China Town, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco etc. This will also be a good chance for you to know your hosts and fellow students better.

 

August 5, Sunday (back to top)

11:00 am: Glide Memorial Church (Cost: Free, Limited to around 13 students): The Sunday Celebration at Glide Memorial Church is quite unique. The Glide Ensemble will clap, sway and blast out the spirit of empowerment though singing a variety of songs, including jazz, blues and gospel. More information about Glide can be found at www.glide.org.

2:00 pm: Stern Grove Festival (Free): Hugh Masakela and Goapele-

"Legendary South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela brings his smooth style to Stern Grove. One of the earliest proponents of world fusion, Masekela blends styles ranging from jazz and R&B, to pop, disco, and Afropop.

Goapele brings soul to Stern Grove with a fresh energy and perspective on R&B music. Known for her social activism and lush, soulful ballads, the Oakland-based singer has earned the praise of critics and adulation of fans nationwide."

5:00 pm: Free Shakespeare in the Park:"A Midsummer Night's Dream" (Cost: Free, Limited to around 13 students): Students will be attending San Francisco Shakespeare Festival's Free Shakespeare in the Park in the city of San Mateo and will enjoy "A Midsummer Night's Dream" outdoors.

8:00pm-Les Blancs by Lorraine Hansberry (see August 1 for more information)

August 6, Monday (back to top)

 

1:30-3:30pm: Volunteer for the Opportunity Center (Cost: Free, Limited to 10 students)

Visit the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto and teach the children there about the culture of your country! You will have a chance to teach them how to make sushi!

The Opportunity Center is a facility in Palo Alto that was founded by Stanford faculty to provide services and housing to homeless men, women and children in our community - and those at risk of becoming homeless.

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm: (Limited to 6 students): Come for a leisurely evening with VIA's founder, Dwight Clark, at his apartment in Palo Alto.

7:00 pm: Africa On Stage— Africa Onstage features an eight-week film series examining the struggle for economic and political justice on the African continent. Films are shown at Cubberly Auditorium in the School of Education on Stanford's campus.

This week: Sometimes in April. (Cost: Free, Open to all students) Debra Winger, Oris Erhuero and Idris Elba star in this drama framed by the Rwandan genocide.

August 7, Tuesday (back to top)

2:00pm-3:30pm: Visit Genentech (Cost: Free, Limited to 14 students)

Genentech's mission is to be the leading biotechnology company, using human genetic information to develop novel medicines for serious and life-threatening diseases.

2:30pm-5:30pm: Volunteer with Sacred Heart Community Service (Cost: Free, Limited to 14 students)

Sacred Heart Community Service offers various services for immigrant, homeless, and impoverished communities. Participants will learn about this organization and help with sorting food donations, packing family and homeless food bags, distributing groceries and produce, or sorting and hanging clothing donations. Students are requested to wear closed-toe shoes for safety purposes.

August 8, Wednesday (back to top)

7:00pm-9:30pm: Film Night- "Bowling for Columbine"

ALC2 Faculty Advisor Raphaël Lambert will introduce, screen, and lead a discussion about the film "Bowling for Columbine." This film, which explores the social causes of gun violence in the United States, was written and directed by Michael Moore and has received numerous awards, including an Acadamy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

 

August 9, Thursday (back to top)

7:00 pm: Outdoor Science Talks at the Cantor Arts Center-Drugs: One Size Does Not Fit All with Professor Russ Altman. (Cost: Free, Open to all students)

This lecture is part of the Summer Science Lecture Series at the Cantor Arts Center. You are invited to come early and wander through the art museum and then settle on the lawn outside to hear an informal lecture about cutting-edge research from one of Stanford's most esteemed professors, Dr. Russ Altman. Please visit this page for a summary of his lecture.

8:00 pm: Farewell to a Cannibal Rage by Femi Osofisan plays Thursday, August 9 through Sunday, August 12 in the Pigott Theater, Memorial Auditorium, on the Stanford campus. This infectious comedy, by award-winning Nigerian playwright Femi Osofisan, offers an upbeat treatment of the archetypal tale of family-crossed lovers.

(Cost: Free, Open to all students): Reserved seats are $20, but there is a "pay what you like" system in place at the door (meaning that if you don't want to pay, the show is free).

August 10, Friday (back to top)

1:00pm-4:00pm: Volunteer with Save the Bay (Cost: Free, Limited to 12 students)

Help restore local wetlands:
• Plant native plants in local Bay wetlands
• Remove non-native weeds
• Collect native plant seeds
• Work in one of our two Native Plant Nurseries
• Help with shoreline cleanup
These fun restoration activities improve habitat for wildlife,
enhance our region's quality of life, and build connections
between people and the Bay. All equipment and
instruction is provided & these are fun, free events.

August 11, Saturday (back to top)

8:30am-4:30pm: Volunteer with Habitat for Humanity in San Francisco (Cost: Free, Limited to 8 students)

"Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit organization that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat for Humanity is currently building homes in partnership with families of low-income in over 3,000 communities around the world.

Locally, Habitat for Humanity San Francisco (HHSF) was founded in 1992 to provide a solution to San Francisco's critical need for decent, safe and affordable housing. Since 1996 HHSF has built 29 homes in San Francisco, housing 65 adults and 89 children." (www.habitatsf.org)

The following is a typical workday schedule:

8:30-8:45 Volunteer sign-in

8:45-9:00 Orientation, safety overview and task assignments

9:00-12:00 Workday tasks

12:00-1:00 Lunch

1:00-4:00 Workday tasks

4:00-4:30 Cleanup

2:00 pm-4:30 pm: Broadway Musical "Jersey Boys" (Cost: $51, $76, $100): Jersey Boys is a new musical based on the life story of the famous Frankie Valii and the Four Seasons. The show is about lives of a hugely popular group of blue-collar boys who went on to become the great and one of the biggest pop music sensations of their great time.

August 12, Sunday (back to top)

11:00 am: Glide Memorial Church (Cost: Free, Limited to around 13 students): The Sunday Celebration at Glide Memorial Church is quite unique. The Glide Ensemble will clap, sway and blast out the spirit of empowerment though singing a variety of songs, including jazz, blues and gospel. More information about Glide can be found at www.glide.org.

2:00 pm - 4:30 pm: Broadway Musical "Avenue Q " (Cost: $46, $61, $76, $91): Avenue Q is Broadway's smash-hit 2004 Tony Award® winner for BEST MUSICAL, BEST SCORE and BEST BOOK. The show is about trying to make it in NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account.

2:00 pm: Stern Grove Festival (Free): San Francisco Ballet - America's oldest professional ballet company - returns to Stern Grove Festival with the innovation and exuberance that has sustained its standing as one of the premier ballet companies in America. The afternoon performance will feature artists of the Company performing a selection of works from their current repertory.

12:00 pm - 4:00 pm: San Jose Jazz Festival (Cost: $5): Hang out in sunny San Jose, listen to jazz and experience one of America's largest music festivals.

 

August 13, Monday (back to top)

2:00 pm - 5:30 pm: Dance rehearsal by Margaret Jenkins Dance Company (MJDC) (Cost: transportation to SF and dinner in SF): Students will have a chance to watch a dance rehearsal for "Slipping Glimpse" which is a cross-cultural and cross-continental collaboration with the Tanusree Shankar Dance Company (TSDC). The performance integrates eleven MJDC dancers and four TSDC dancers and includes the accomplished artistry of poet Michael Palmer.

2:00pm-7:00pm: Volunteer at Urban Ministry (Cost: Free, Limited to 8 students)

Urban Ministry provides many services for the homeless community in Palo Alto. One service is providing hot meals every day of the week at different churches around Palo Alto. Students will help prepare and serve food to the Palo Alto community.

6:30 pm - 8:00 pm: Volunteer for Lytton Gardens (Cost: Free, Limited to 10 students)

Lytton Gardens is located in Palo Alto and is a vibrant community of senior care professionals, staff, volunteers, and over 500 Senior residents . Students will do performances (e.g., singing, dancing, etc.) for the residents and then casually meet and talk with them afterwards.

7:00 pm: Africa On Stage— Africa Onstage features an eight-week film series examining the struggle for economic and political justice on the African continent. Films are shown at Cubberly Auditorium in the School of Education on Stanford's campus.

This week: Tsotsi. This Oscar winning film outlines six days in the violent life of a young Johannesburg gang leader

August 14, Tuesday (back to top)

2:00pm-7:00pm: Volunteer at Urban Ministry (Cost: Free, Limited to 8 students)

Urban Ministry provides many services for the homeless community in Palo Alto. One service is providing hot meals every day of the week at different churches around Palo Alto. Students will help prepare and serve food to the Palo Alto community.

2:00-4:00pm: Film, "American Pastime". This film was produced by Kerry Yo Nakagawa and is related to the topics he will talk about later in the afternoon. The film focuses on the Japanese-American internment & baseball.

4:30 pm- 6:00 pm: Talk about Nisei Baseball by Kerry Yo Nakagawa (Cost: Free, Open to all students)

Kerry Yo Nakagawa, the author of Through a Diamond: 100 Years of Japanese American Baseball, will give students a background about major league baseball focusing on the history of Japanese American baseball. A talk he gave recently can be reviewed here.

August 15, Wednesday (back to top)

Major League Baseball Game (Cost: Free, for all students): You will have a chance to see a Oakland Athletics vs. Chicago White Sox game!

 

 

 

 

August 16, Thursday (back to top)

4:00 pm-6:00 pm: Graduate Study Panel: Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese graduate students will come to share their experience studying in the US. They will talk about why they decided to study in the US, the process for applying for graduate school, and some benifits and challenges studying in the US.

8:00pm: Oda Oak Oracle by Tesgaye Gabre-Medhin, directed by Aika Swai, plays Thursday, August 16 through Saturday, August 18 at 8:00 pm, and Sunday August 19 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm in the Prosser Studio Theater in Memorial Hall. Featuring an Afro-jazz orchestra and stunning visuals, Oda Oak Oracle is one of only two English-language plays by Ethiopia's foremost poet and playwright Tsegaye Gabre-Medhin Tsegaye revives an ancient Ethiopian story of the Oda Oak valley, a legend of black peoples confronting the role of gods and God, of hope and love, of fear and sacrifice in the life of their community.

(Cost: Free, Open to all students): Reserved seats are $20, but there is a "pay what you like" system in place at the door (meaning that if you don't want to pay, the show is free).

August 17, Friday (back to top)

1:30-3:30pm: Volunteer for the Opportunity Center (Cost: Free, Limited to 10 students)

Visit the Opportunity Center in Palo Alto and teach the children there about the culture of your country! You will have a chance to teach them how to write in Chinese, Japanese and Korean!

The Opportunity Center is a facility in Palo Alto that was founded by Stanford faculty to provide services and housing to homeless men, women and children in our community - and those at risk of becoming homeless.

8:00pm: Oda Oak Oracle by Tesgaye Gabre-Medhin (see August 16 for more information)

August 18, Saturday (back to top)

10:00am-5:00pm: Great America (Cost: around $32.00, for all students): You can have fun with your new ALC friends at Great America, an exciting theme park located not too far from the Stanford campus.

8:00pm: Oda Oak Oracle by Tesgaye Gabre-Medhin (see August 16 for more information)

August 19, Sunday (back to top)

9:00 am-2:00 pm St. Anthony Foundation (Limited to 8 students)

St. Anthony was founded in 1950 by Franciscan Alfred Boeddeker who gave the hope to his hungry and homeless neighbors, opening the doors Aaof St. Anthony Dining Room and serving 400 free meals. Since then, this foundation continued to serve not only meals but also clothing, housing and healing of both body and spirit to homeless people. Alfred's spirit of dignity is still alive in the foundation.

Your day at St. Anthony's will include:
- Justice Education Orientation
- Tour of the foundation
- Lunch in the St. Anthony Dining Room
- Reflection Session

2:00pm and 8:00pm: Oda Oak Oracle by Tesgaye Gabre-Medhin (see August 16 for more information)

August 20, Monday (back to top)

4:00pm-5:30pm: Lecture by Larry Diamond

Larry Diamond is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He is also founding coeditor of the Journal of Democracy, and co-director of the International Forum for Democratic Studies of the National Endowment for Democracy.

"In late 2003, Stanford University professor and democracy expert Larry Diamond was personally asked by his former colleague Condoleezza Rice to serve as an advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq, a position he accepted with equal parts "hesitation and conviction." He opposed the initial invasion of Iraq, but "supported building the peace," and felt the U.S. had a moral imperative to reconstruct Iraq as a democratic and prosperous nation." (www.stanford.edu)

7:00pm-9:00pm: Job Panel

Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese people share their experience working in the US. They will talk about why they decided to work in the US, the process for getting a job, and some benifits and challenges working in the US.

August 21, Tuesday (back to top)

PM: Visit Google (tentative)

"Google Inc. is an American public corporation, specializing in Internet searching and online advertising. The company is based in Mountain View, California, and has 12,238 full-time employees (as of March 31, 2007). Google's mission statement is, "to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful." Google's corporate philosophy includes statements such as "Don't be evil", and "Work should be challenging and the challenge should be fun", illustrating a somewhat relaxed corporate culture.

Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University and the company was first incorporated as a privately held company on September 7, 1998. Google's initial public offering took place on August 19, 2004, raising $1.67 billion, making it worth $23 billion. Through a series of new product developments, acquisitions and partnerships, the company has expanded its initial search and advertising business into other areas, including web-based email, online mapping, office productivity, and video sharing, among others." (Wikipedia)

August 22, Wednesday (back to top)

August 23, Thursday (back to top)

August 24, Friday (back to top)

August 25, Saturday (back to top)

11:00 am: Depart for Yosemite National Park
We will all be taking a bus together to one of the United States' oldest and most beautiful parks. The bus ride will take about 5-5 1/2 hrs.

August 26-27 , Sunday & Monday (back to top)

Relax and enjoy the many activities which Yosemite Park has to offer. Some suggested activities are, hiking, horseback riding, rafting, biking, nature walks, visiting museums, and hanging out with hosts and friends!

August 28, Tuesday (back to top)

11:00 am: Depart for hotel near San Francisco Airport
6:30 pm: Farewell Banquet

August 29, Wednesday (back to top)

Students depart

(back to top)