About 20 BSLUGs gathered at the warm and inviting home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman in West Newton this past Friday evening, March 7, to hear Dean of Humanities, Georges Van Den Abbeele give a talk about "Ethics of Cultural and Historical Preservation." He was accompanied by Liz Sandoval, a UCSC Pioneer Class alum, and development officer for the Humanities Dept.
We were welcomed by hot hors d'oeuvres of empanaditas, and mushroom and cheese quesadillas. Although most of us who attended are old friends, it was great to have at least 5 new Slugs join us. Once we all had arrived, having braved the Greater Metro Boston Friday evening rush hour traffic, we enjoyed an absolutely delicious dinner of enchiladas, cornbread, green salad with oranges and jicama. Even after this feast, we still found room for a wonderful dessert of cornmeal pound cake with berries and butterscotch cream. This entire menu for more than 20 people was prepared and cooked by chef Mary Jane (and I'm sure ably assisted by Peter). Mary Jane's cookery skills and talent are, by all measures, astonishing.
Once everyone was ushered into the living room, Dean Van Den Abbeele gave an informal, fascinating talk about the areas of concern and professional debate related to preserving and interpreting significant places of our heritage. The Dean gave us vivid examples of historical preservation efforts in California which illustrated the difficulties involved such as those at: Angel Island , Manzanar , and Sutter Buttes . We could have gone long into the night, with our discussion, relating our stories and asking questions, but it was late Friday night, the end of a long week, and we had to call it a night to let people get home before the expected downpour.
The BSLUG Board would like to thank Dean Van Den Abbeele, Liz Sandoval,
Saturday, March 8, 2008
BSLUGs Enjoyed a Great Evening with Dean Georges Van Den Abbeele Friday, March 7
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Spring Speaker Dean Georges Van Den Abbeele, Friday eve., Mar. 7 at the Suzman's in West Newton, Mass.
Come join us Friday evening, March 7 for a delicious Mexican dinner by Mary Jane Suzman and a fascinating talk by UCSC Dean of Humanities, Georges Van Den Abbeele on:
"National Treasures: The Ethics of Cultural and Historical Preservation"
The fastest growing sector of the tourism industry today is in the cultural and historical area. Once the purview of talented amateurs and creative docents, sites of cultural/historical interest are increasingly coming under critical scrutiny by a new generation of tourists who are far more demanding and well-informed than past visitors. What are some of the key areas of concern and professional debate among those dedicated to preserving and interpreting the significant places of our heritage? Dean of Humanities Georges Van Den Abbeele is a leading expert in the history of tourism and travel literature, having both published scholarly research in the field and served as a consultant on a variety of preservation/interpretation projects.
Van Den Abbeele was appointed dean of humanities in July 2006. He began his career at UCSC as a visiting assistant professor of literature in 1981 and spent five years on the campus. Before returning to UCSC as dean, he spent 15 years at UC Davis where he was a professor of French and Italian and director of the Davis Humanities Institute and the Pacific Regional Humanities Center. Since 1999 he has served as president of the Western Humanities Alliance, a growing consortium of 23 west coast universities, that was founded at UCSC.
Check out the dinner menu!
Appetizers: empanaditas (small turnovers filled with a beef-chorizo filling, and a cheese and bean filling); guacamole and chips.
Main dish: chicken enchiladas, cheese enchiladas, cornbread, green salad with oranges and jicama.
Dessert: cornmeal pound cake with berries and butterscotch cream
ON THE AGENDA: a great talk, interesting discussion with fellow UCSC alums and a delicious light dinner cooked by our cherished host, Mary Jane Suzman.
WHEN:
Friday, March 7, 6:30-10 p.m. (7:30 p.m. dinner - 8:30 p.m. talk begins)
COST: $7
DEADLINE to RSVP: Wednesday, Feb. 27
WHERE:
At the home of Mary Jane and Peter Suzman, 14 Leonard Ave., West Newton, MA
RSVP and send your checks NOW made payable to "Erika Tarlin" to:
Erika Tarlin, 7 Bradford Ave., Somerville, MA 02145
Questions? Would like to share a ride? Contact Beata at tel. 617-496-1775 or by email: beata_panagopoulos@harvard.edu
Friday, January 11, 2008
Susan Else (BSLUG - Porter College) Soft Sculpture Exhibit , Lowell, Mass.
One of Susan Else's works will be exhibited at the New England Quilt Museum in Lowell, Mass. from Jan. 19 through March 29.
Exhibit name: Puzzled & Board
Susan's work: Your Move
New England Quilt Museum
