Zarqa Nawaz knows something about crossing cultures. Born in England of Pakistani immigrants, raised in Toronto, and now living in Saskatchewan, the Muslim writer, producer and filmmaker will give the annual Olin Fellows lecture at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 3 in Graham Chapel. The talk, “Crossing Cultures” is free and open to the public. A panel discussion featuring Nawaz as well as other panelists will continue the discussion from 2 – 4 p.m. in the Women’s Building Lounge.
The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and conductor David Robertson will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 25, on Art Hill in Forest Park. Five members of the symphony orchestra currently teach violin, bass, bassoon and trombone through the Department of Music in Arts & Sciences.
“It is unlikely that a dispute over proper ownership of sports memorabilia would receive this sort of attention if it did not involve O.J. Simpson,” says Christopher A. Bracey, associate professor of law and of African and African-American studies at Washington University in St. Louis. “If the past is prologue, his celebrity status may also prove to be his ‘get out of jail free’ card, reinforcing his reputation as a man who operates ‘above the law.’ On the other hand, recent celebrity cases suggest that celebrated athletes and entertainers will no longer receive a free pass when it comes to the criminal justice system. In the case of Michael Vick — and perhaps OJ — one might argue that celebrities are now, in some sense, being targeted for prosecution.” Bracey is following the Simpson case and is available for interviews.
Due to construction, the #1 WUSTL Gold eastbound bus, operated by Metro, has been rerouted. This change only pertains to the eastbound bus route and will be in effect through Friday, Sept. 28.
In science, it’s best to be good, but sometimes it’s better to be lucky. Ecologist Owen Sexton, Ph.D., professor emeritus of biology in Arts & Sciences, had just completed a census of snakes at a conservation preserve northwest of St. Louis when the great flood of 1993 deluged the area, putting the preserve at least 15 feet under water. The flood provided Sexton with a rare opportunity: His collected data and the flood would combine to make “the perfect study” of how an area rebounds from natural disaster.
Joe Angeles/WUSTL Photo ServicesThree aspiring playwrights will present staged readings of their works Sept. 25 and 26 as part of the 2007 A.E. Hotchner Playwriting Festival, sponsored by the Performing Arts Department in Arts & Sciences. Named in honor of alumnus A.E. Hotchner, the festival consists of an intensive two-week workshop that culminates in the staged readings. Each of the participating plays — which are selected by jury — also will be eligible for a full production as part of the PAD’s 2008-09 season.
Julie Thornton (left), director of student activities, gets a snack after giving blood during the University-wide blood drive Sept. 11. The drive was a huge success — 908 people attended and produced 690 units of blood compared with 609 units collected during the entire 2006-07 academic year.
“I always thought the fashion police were a myth, but they seem to be real,” Richards says.A growing number of cities have enacted laws that would make wearing saggy or low-slung pants indecent exposure. “It’s an interesting question whether these laws would violate the First Amendment as currently understood,” says Neil Richards, professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. “Saggy pants laws form a hybrid case. They are regulating in terms of indecent exposure but seem to be directed at the expression of identity through clothing.” Richards is available to discuss the constitutional issues surrounding these laws.