2005 American Language and Culture Session 2 (ALC2) Calendar

August 7 STUDENTS ARRIVE! Host group orientation & Dorm tour Welcome & Icebreaker Weekly Theme: DIVERSITY	8 9am: English Placement Tests & Orientation PM: Campus tour & Bike rental 5:30pm: Intro to VIA Host group meetings after dinner	9 9am-12pm: English Class PM: Host group meetings/ Icebreakers	10 9am-12pm: English Class 2:45-4pm: Volunteer at Lytton Gardens 6pm-8pm: Volunteer at the San Francisco Food Bank	11 9am-12pm: English Class 4-5:30pm: Host Presentations on "San Francisco" and "HIV/AIDS in the US " 7:30pm: Concert in Memorial Church AM: Meteor Shower viewing	12 8:30am: Group photo 9am-12pm: English Class (Due: Project proposal) 2-4pm: Visit Intel (group #1) PM: Bowlling at Palo Alto Bowl	13 Day in San Francicso
14 10:30am: Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco (Group #1) 2pm: Volunteer for Sunday Friends 7:30pm: Shakespeare in the Park "Much Ado About Nothing" Weekly Theme: IDENTITY	15 9am-12pm: English Class 2pm: Visit Google 2pm: Visit Stanford Life Flight 7:30-9pm: Host Presentations on "Asian Americans and Identity"	16 9am-12pm: English Class 2:15pm: Visit KQED 7:30-9:30pm: Movie Night - "Mississippi Burning"	17 9am-12pm: English Class 2pm: Broadway Musical "Wicked" 4-5pm: Visit Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center	18 9am-12pm: English Class 3:15pm: Kayaking 7pm: LGBT Panel	19 9am-12pm: English Class (Due: First draft) 1:30-2:30pm: Asian Americans in the US 3-5pm: Visit Intel (group #2) PM: Play pool at Shoreline Billiards 7pm: Jack Johnson concert	20 9am-12pm: SF Clean City Coalition Community Cleanup Event All day: Trip to Monterey
21 10am-5pm: Great America 7:00pm: Talk about Baseball in the US Weekly Theme: GLOBALI- ZATION	22 9am-12pm: English Class 2-4pm: Asian American Panel 2:30-4pm: Visit Sierra Club 7:15pm: Giants Baseball game vs. Philadelphia	23 9am-12pm: English Class 1:30-3pm: Visit NASA Ames Center 4-5:30pm: Host Presentations on "globalization and culture" and "Judaism" 7-8pm: Talk on families and inter-racial marriage 8-10pm: Movie Night	24 9am-12pm: English Class 2-4 pm: Basketball tournament with ALC1 5:30-8:30pm: ASL Final Event	25 9am-12pm: English Class 4:30-6pm: Graduate Study Panel 7:30-8:30pm: Host Presentations on "technology in society"	26 9am-12pm: English Class PM: Jelly Belly Factory Tour 7-8pm: Stanford Taiko Workshop 7:30-9pm: Job Panel	27 8:30am-4:15pm: Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity
28 10:30am: Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco (Group #2) Weekly Theme: ENVIRON- MENTALISM	29 9am-12pm: English Class (Due: Final draft) 7pm: Talk on asbestos litigation	30 9am-12pm: English Class (Oral presentations) 2-3pm: Slack Key Guitar lecture/ demonstartion	31 9am-12pm: English Class (Oral presentations) 2-4pm: Visit Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals	Sep 1 9am-12pm: English Class (Oral presentations) 1:30pm: Visit Chocolate factory 7pm: SFMOMA	2 Last day of classes! 12pm: Graduation Luncheon	3 Yosemite Trip
4 Yosemite Trip	5 Yosemite Trip	6 6:30pm: Farewell Banquet.	7 Students depart to Asia Sad Goodbyes!

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

August 7, Sunday

9:15 am: Japan Kansai students arrive
9:55 am: Japan Kanto students arrive
7:20 pm: Taiwan students arrive

August 8, Monday

9:00 am: English Class Orientation and Placement Tests (Room 260-113): Your first morning 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.

August 10, Wednesday

2:45 - 4:00 pm: Volunteer at Lytton Gardens (limited to 15 students): Lytton Gardens is located in Palo Alto and is a vibrant community of health care and Senior care professionals, staff, volunteers, and most importantly, over 500 Senior residents who call Lytton home. Students will learn about elderly care in the U.S., and then they can push wheelchairs for and interact with residents outdoors. Information about Lytton Gardens can be found at www.lyttongardens.org.

6:00 - 8:00 pm: Volunteer at the San Francisco Food Bank (limited to 17 students): The San Francisco Food Bank works to end hunger in San Francisco. They provide donated and purchased food to over 450 non-profit agencies, enabling them to give nutritious meals or supplemental groceries to thousands of low-income families and individuals in our community. The volunteer activities often involve sorting community food donations, stocking pantry shelves, labeling cans, gleaning produce, packing food boxes, and other food sorting projects. More information about the San Francisco Food Bank can be found at www.sffoodbank.org.

August 11, Thursday

4:00 - 5:30 pm: Host Presentations

Coral Taylor "Introduction to San Francisco"
San Francisco is the closest city to Stanford University at about a 45 minute drive from campus. With an estimated population of 799,263 people living on about 47 square miles of land, San Francisco has the highest population density of any major city in the United States aside from New York City. I will take you through a brief history of the city starting from when the first Europeans (Spanish) settled in SF in 1776, to present day. Since we will be visiting San Francisco, I will also talk about the many fun activities and interesting things you can do in San Francisco, like ride the Famous San Francisco Cable Cars (one of the only moving National Monuments), cross the Golden Gate Bridge, or tour the infamous Alcatraz Prison where the worst convicts were detained.

Leigh Davenport "The Social Impact of HIV/AIDS in the United States"
The goal of this presentation is to discuss some of the social issues in the United States that are associated with the global problem of HIV/AIDS. I will begin with a brief history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States. Then, I will discuss the impact of the virus on different segments of American society. Finally, I will talk about current strategies and challenges in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in the United States.

7:30 pm: Concert at Stanford Memorial Church (Cost: Free, any number of students): "Sister Cities in Song: Deux Choeurs, One Heart” The Assou-Lézert Chorale from Albi, France, Emmanuelle Izquierdo, conductor, and the Palo Alto-based Aurora Singers, Dawn Reyen, conductor, join forces for a powerful concert featuring an eclectic assortment of music ranging from Handel and Fauré to Bernstein, Berlin and traditional American spirituals. FREE!

Meteor Showever viewing (any number of students): The meteor shower will peak late at night around 1:00 am - 4:00 am. You can join a hike to the Dish, but make sure to get some sleep so you won't be late for class the following day.

August 12, Friday

8:30 am: Group Photo: Before your classes, we will all gather by Stanford's main quadrangle to take a group photo. You will receive a copy of the photo the last night of the program.

2:00 pm: Visit Intel (Cost: Free, limited to around 25 students): Students will visit the Intel Museum which showcases Intel’s history and operations through unique exhibits and presentations designed to let you explore Intel technology first hand.

August 13, Saturday

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 14, Sunday

10:30 am: Glide Memorial Church (limited to around 15 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: Sunday Friends (limited to 10 students): Since 1997, Sunday Friends has provided a safe place where homeless and very-low-income families come together with volunteers in a community setting. Five students will have an opportunity to help with a cooking project and five will help with an art project. To learn more about Sunday Friends, visit http://janis.bizland.com.

7:30 pm: William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing"(Cost: Free, limited to 14 students): "Much Ado About Nothing" is one of Shakespeare's famous comedy plays. Although his language is difficult to understand even for native English speakers, his plays involve simple and universal themes that are easily understood. Interested students will be attending San Francisco Shakespeare Festival's Free Shakespeare in the Park in the city of San Mateo and will enjoy the play outdoors.

August 15, Monday

2:00 pm: Google (Cost: Free, limited to 25 students): Google is recognized as the world's largest search engine. The company was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin who were students at Stanford University. They developed a new approach to online search that took root in a Stanford University dorm room and quickly spread to information seekers around the globe. 27 students will have chance to visit their headquarters which is close to the Stanford campus. To learn more about Google, go to www.google.com/about.html.

2:00 pm: Stanford Life Flight (Cost: Free, limited to 18 students): Meet a helicopter pilot and emergency nurse of Stanford Life Flight. They will tell you what it's like to work for Stanford's emergency helicopter service. You will also get a tour of the helicopter! Click here to learn more about Life Flight.

7:30 - 9:00 pm: Host Presentations

Yvonne Chan "Children of immigrants"
The goal of this presentation is to illustrate the diverse environment in the United States and how it affects the lives of the descendants of immigrants. First, I will illustrate how this diverse environment came to be by noting the major periods when “foreigners” immigrated to the United States and how the interactions between cultures came to affect the descendants of the immigrants. Finally, I will talk about how this diversity has helped shape a new identity for second generation Americans.

Rina Chang "Living with two cultures/Biculturalism"
This presentation is to highlight some of the differences in Asian and American cultural values.  I will begin by going through some of the major differences that have historically been a “problem” for immigrants, and then talk about the issues that Asian Americans face growing up bicultural.  Finally, I will talk about the different ways in which Asian Americans have learned to deal with their dual identity.

August 16, Tuesday

2:15 pm: KQED (Cost: Free, limited to around 25 students): KQED is the broadcasting station for public television and radio in Northern California. Students will tour the station and learn about public broadcasting in the United States. To read more about the current debate concerning funding for public broadcasting in the U.S., visit
www.kqed.org/about/newsevents/budgetthreat062305.jsp. To read more about KQED, visit www.kqed.org.

7:30 - 9:30 pm: Movie Viewing (Room 260-113) (Cost: Free, all students): Raphaël Lambert, a research fellow with the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science and the Faculty Advisor for ALC1, will be showing Alan Parker’s award-winning Mississippi Burning (1988). After viewing the movie, Raphaël will explore racial discrimination and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s in America. He will also discuss relations between facts and fiction since the film was severely criticized for distorting reality. Finally, he will talk about today’s America as the events related in Mississippi Burning resurfaced this spring with the conviction of an ex-Klansman involved in the murder of civil rights workers in 1964.

August 17, Wednesday

2:00 pm: Musical "Wicked" (Cost: $32.50, limited to 19 students): This is a new Broadway musical about the untold story of the Witches of OZ.

Synopsis: Long before Dorothy dropped in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two unlikely friends end up as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for the most spellbinding new musical in years. More information about this musical can be found here.

3:15 - 4:15 pm: Asian & Pacific Islander (A&PI) Wellness Center (Cost: free, number of students to be announced later): Founded in 1987 as a grassroots response to the HIV/AIDS crisis in communities of color, A&PI Wellness Center is the oldest nonprofit organization in North America focusing on A&PI communities around sexual health and HIV/AIDS services. Students will have a chance to visit the A&PI Wellness Center and learn more about the services they provide. The AP&I Wellness Center's website can be viewed at www.apiwellness.org.

August 18, Thursday

3:15 pm: Kayaking (Cost: Free, limited to 5 students): Five lucky students will receive a private kayak lesson outdoors at Bair Island Aquatic Center with Gina Sanchez, coach of the Stanford Canoe and Kayak Team. If you cannot swim, don't worry. We have quality lifejackets and beginner boats, and the water is very calm and still. Coach Gina will teach you all of the important beginner skills.

7:00 - 9:00 pm: LGBT Panel (organized by Leigh)

August 19, Friday

7:00 pm: Jack Johnson Concert (Cost: $42.50, limited to 7 students): This musician is a very talented singer-songwriter, and he is popular among American college students. You can read his lyrics and listen to samples of music at www.jackjohnsonmusic.com.

August 20, Saturday

9:00 am - 12:00 pm: SF Clean City Coalition Community Cleanup Event (number of students to be announced later): Students will join a volunteer cleanup event sponsored by the San Francisco Clean City Coalition (Clean City) which is a community-based environmental organization that focuses on cleaning and greening the city. This event is at Joe DiMaggio Playground - volunteers will work on gardening and beautification projects at the playground, as well as in other North Beach parks. All supplies are provided, and lunch is served after the event. Volunteers should wear long pants and closed-toed shoes. Visit www.sfcleancity.com to learn more about the SF Clean City Coalition.

August 21, Sunday

Great America (Cost: $27.00, for all students): Great America is a fun theme park located not too far from the Stanford campus. You can find out more about Great America at www.pgathrills.com.

August 22, Monday

2:00 - 4:00 pm: Asian American Panel (organized by Rina): Join us for an informal talk about growing up Asian American -- our varied cultural experiences, our interests, our concerns, and our views on being bicultural. Come with questions to ask if you'd like!

2:30 - 4:00 pm: Sierra Club (Cost: Free, limited to around 18 students): The Sierra Club is an organization dedicated to protecting the natural environment and wildlife in the US and throughout the world. Students will have an opportunity to learn about the organization and also about its relationship to Yosemite National Park from Michele Perrault who was the National President for the Sierra Club during 1984-86 and 1993-94. You can learn more about the Sierra Club at www.sierraclub.org.

7:15 pm: San Francisco Giants Game (Cost: Free, for all students): The San Francisco Giants is one of the Bay Area's two professional baseball teams (the other team is the Oakland Athletics). The Giants star player, Barry Bonds, is one of the greatest professional players of all time. He is currently third in history for number of career home runs. Giants Home Page

SBC Park, the Giants' home stadium, was designed five years ago and is a wonderful place to watch baseball. The stadium is on the waterfront, and some home runs are hit into "McCovey Cove" in the bay. To get to the Giants game, we'll be taking the CalTrain commuter train.

August 23, Tuesday

4:00 - 5:30 pm: Host Presentations

Christopher Cornute"Globalization, Facilitating a Mixture of Cultures"
I will be discussing how issues of cultural identity, authenticity, and hybridity (hybrid cultures) are being complicated by the globalization process, and how sub-cultures and larger cultures are being forced to re-negotiate identity both internally and externally.  American culture for example encompasses a vast variety of sub-cultures, and so to say that American culture has influenced Chinese culture for example is complicated by the fact that American culture is comprised of several sub-cultures, including Chinese Americans. The implications of such a statement are not so naively put as believing White Americans influence other cultures (or that they are not influenced by other cultures as well).

Rachel Torres "Judaism in USA"
American Jews have recently celebrated the 350th anniversay of the first American Jewish settlement in New Amsterdam in 1654. American Jews have shaped our history in many ways, such as through the waves of immigration at the turn of the 20th century, which is symbolized greatly through the Statue of Liberty, and the Jewish poet Emma Lazarus. Jews have also shaped America's expansion into the wild West, and also the quest for civil rights. This presentation will review the contributions of notable Jewish Americans throughout history and
today, while also introducing the broader themes and values of Judaism in general.

August 24, Wednesday

5:30 - 8:30 pm: ASL Final Event (Cost: Free, limited to around 10 students): Participants from VIA's American Service-Learning (ASL) Program will be sharing their experiences and reflections with non-profit leaders, former VIA volunteers, and interested members of the public. Each group will give a short presentation and several keynote speaches will emphasize the main themes of the program. More information about the ASL Program can be found here.

August 25, Thursday

4:30 -6:00 pm: Graduate Study Panel (organized by Kazutoh): Taiwanese and Japanese 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.

7:30 - 8:30 pm: Host Presentations

Anand Subramani "Technology in society in the US" (tentative title)
This presentation is about how technology is integrated into our daily life. I would like to focus mostly on student use of technology to help the VIA students understand how their peers here work and play. I'll start with our normal interactions with technology, specifically at Stanford. I'll move on to the generation gap and discuss that a little. I will talk about our intuitive level of technological understanding, from menus to displays, and how that understanding deteriorates as you move up the generation ladder. I would also like to talk about the contributions of technology to society, from sequencing the genome to mapping and predicting hurricanes.

August 26, Friday

PM: Jelly Belly Factory Tour (time and number of students to be announced later): This visit will give you a chance to see a real working factory where they cook up over 150 different sweet treats. Learn the secrets to how they create the legendary Jelly Belly bean, and discover why it takes more than a week to make a single bean. You will also have a chance to taste any of their candies and Jelly Belly beans at their Sampling Bar. More information can be found here.

7:30 - 9:00 pm: Job Panel (organized by Kazutoh): Taiwanese and Japanese 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 27, Saturday

10:00 - 11:30 am: Stanford Taiko Workshop (Cost: Free, limited to around 25 students): Stanford Taiko is a collegiate performing ensemble devoted to bringing the awareness of taiko to the greater community. Composed of fifteen to twenty Stanford students, it is an entirely student run group with an all-original repertoire and the sponsorship of the Stanford Music Department. Members are selected through a one-month audition process that commences at the beginning of each academic year. The group performs regularly at major campus events; has toured in Japan, Maui, and Thailand; and contributes to the Department of Music's academic curriculum through its support of Stanford's research seminar Perspectives in North American Taiko.  Workshop attendees will learn about the history of North American taiko, the basics of how to play taiko, and how to play a piece from Stanford Taiko's core repertoire.  More information about Stanford Taiko can be found online at www.stanford.edu/group/stanfordtaiko/.

August 28, Sunday

10:30 am: Glide Memorial Church (limited to around 15 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.

August 29, Monday

7:00 pm: Talk on asbestos litigation: San Francisco based lawyer, Steve Snyder, is a partner in Snyder
Miller & Orton, LLP. He has extensive experience in litgation and civil trials He currently manages one of the largest financial trusts in America, which gives money to settle claims against the negative health and environmental effects of asbestos, an industrial toxin. Asbestos litigation is very controversial because of the stresses it has placed on the judicial system. Mr. Snyder will be talking about how his experience with asbestos litigation reflects many of the nuances of the American legal system. You can see his firm's website at www.smollp.com.

August 30, Tuesday

2:00 - 3:00 pm: Ki ho'alu / Slack Key Guitar (Cost: Free,number of students to be announced later): Conductor, Director of Choral Studies, and Associate Professor of Music at Stanford University, Steve Sano discovered his connection to the music of Hawai'i many years ago when he was drawn to the innovative ki ho'alu style of Ozzie Kotani. Steve began studying with the slack key master, and Ozzie's deep respect and love for the art form touched Steve's own reverence for musical traditions. Through the years, Ozzie's artistry has continued to inspire Steve's exploration of ki ho'alu.  This lecture-demonstration will expose students to this art form as well as its historical, socio-cultural, and political context.  More information about Professor Sano can be found online at www.stanford.edu/~sano/.

August 31, Wednesday

2:00 - 4:00 pm: Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals (limited to around 23 students): This is one of the federal appeals courts that is just below the Supreme Court in importance. You will tour the historic courthouse architecture, visit the courtrooms, learn about the important cases decided here and have a chance to talk to Judge Michael Daly Hawkins who was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit by President Clinton in 1994.

September 1, Thursday

7:00 pm: SFMOMA (Cost: $3, limited to around 18 students): Students will have a chance to visit San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) which is one of the worlds most innovative museums of modern and contemporary arts. For more information, visit www.sfmoma.org.

September 3, Saturday

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.

September 4-5, Sunday & Monday

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!

September 6, Tuesday

11:00 am: Depart for hotel near San Francisco Aiport

6:30 pm: Farewell Banquet

September 7, Wednesday

12:50 pm: Japan Kansai students depart
1:35 pm: Taiwan students depart
1:40 pm: Japan Kanto students depart

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