Vanderbilt Register:Project Dialogue focuses on dialogue among diverse groups

Project Dialogue focuses on dialogue among diverse groups

by:Staci I. Shipp

Project Dialogue's 1997-98 program, focusing on the theme "Barriers, Boundaries & Bridges," will take a close look at the problems and possibilities of group identity and separation, development of an inclusive community and dialogue among diverse groups.

The line-up will feature talks by actor and social activist Edward James Olmos; Gloria Naylor, author of "Mama Day," and astronomer and computer guru Clifford Stoll.

Events scheduled for the fall semester include Associate Professor of Fine Arts Michael Aurbach's interactive mixed-media installation, "The Institution," on display in Sarratt Gallery through Sept. 23. His work addresses the subject of institutional secrecy: the climate it creates and the power it generates. Aurbach will appear in an open forum at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, in Room 118 of Sarratt.

Best known as Lt. Castillo on "Miami Vice" and as Jaime Escalante in "Stand and Deliver," Olmos will visit the Vanderbilt campus Monday, Sept. 29. He will speak about self-discipline and determination as requirements for overcoming obstacles regarding race relations. The talk, scheduled for 7 p.m. in Langford Auditorium, is co-sponsored by the Vanderbilt Association of Hispanic Students.

Olmos recently starred and made his directorial debut in "American Me," a story about the life of a Hispanic American family in East Los Angeles. The movie will be shown at 3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 28, at Sarratt Cinema.

"Face to Face," a theatrical performance presented by a team of artist-educators from different ethnic backgrounds, unfolds in a series of monologues and dramatic vignettes. The performers will reveal their own personal stories involving history, stereotyping, speech and language, class, gender, interracial relationships and personal and group identity as elements influencing the racial picture. The performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2, at Underwood Auditorium. It will be followed by small group discussions.

Sarratt Cinema will present "In the Company of Men" at 7:30 and 9:25 p.m., Oct. 13-15. Winner of a Sundance filmmaker's award, "In the Company of Men" is a compelling descent into the heart of sexual and corporate darkness, as two junior executives boost their egos by seducing a deaf typist. The first screening on Tuesday, Oct. 14, will be followed by a discussion facilitated by Professor of English Vereen Bell and College of Arts and Science sophomore Sara Mead.

Project Dialogue Coordinator Jamillah Warner is excited about the program's events and the possibility of "honest dialogue," which she believes "is one of the primary steps toward identifying and attempting to overcome the destructive divisions that plague humans. It can lead to an understanding and a change in how we respond to one another."

Project Dialogue's recommended booklist includes "Snow Falling on Cedars," by David Guterson; "Life As We Know It," by Michael Bérubé; and "Silicon Snake Oil: Second Thoughts on the Information Highway," by Clifford Stoll. The books are available in the Vanderbilt Bookstore. Bérubé will be on the Vanderbilt campus Nov. 9 and 10 to discuss his book. Time and location of his appearance will be announced at a later date.

In addition to its regular programs, Project Dialogue is a co-sponsor of Vanderbilt's annual Holocaust Lecture Series, the longest sustained lecture series about the Holocaust at a college or university. The Oct. 20-Nov. 5 series will include testimonies of Holocaust survivors, films, readings, lectures and presentations.

Project Dialogue is a year-long University-wide program that seeks to involve the entire Vanderbilt community in public debate and discussion in an effort to connect classroom learning with larger societal issues. It serves to increase contact among students, staff and faculty, and to encourage interaction among student organizations. Held every other year since 1989, Project Dialogue aims to enhance the intellectual and moral life on campus.

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