Contents of this page: Gyuto monks bring sacred music of Tibet to campus UCSC hosts college prep writing conference for youngsters New short-term parking spaces now available in Core West Parking Structure Social psychologist Pettigrew gives speech at EU conference Construction update	March 18, 2002 More Campus News Gyuto monks bring sacred music of Tibet to campus Gyuto Monks in concert Photo: John Werner and Susana Millman Arts & Lectures will present the Gyuto monks in concert on Wednesday and Thursday, March 27 and 28, at 8 p.m. in the UCSC Theater Arts Mainstage. The monks of Gyuto have perfected a special type of chant in which each monk sings not a single note but an entire chord, generating a sound of ethereal beauty that shakes listeners to their very core. After experiencing the unearthly multiphonic chanting of the Gyuto Monks in 1987, Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart resolved to make their unique music available to a wider audience. The resulting sold-out tours and acclaimed CDs (including the soundtracks to the films Kundun and Seven Years in Tibet) have given the world a rare glimpse of the spiritual practices of Tantric Tibetan Buddhism, much as they occur within the walls of Gyuto Monastery. "Without any question, [the Gyuto Monks] represent the spirit and culture of Tibet at its highest level," says composer Philip Glass, an enthusiastic past collaborator. For tickets or more information, call the Ticket Office Tuesday-Friday from noon to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at (831) 459-2159. Back to top UCSC hosts college prep writing conference for youngsters Nearly 300 middle and high school students involved with the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) college preparatory program will visit UCSC on Thursday, March 21, for a first-ever conference to celebrate and help build their writing skills. The AVID Writer's Conference will focus on the theme, "Writing to Save People from Oblivion." It is being sponsored by AVID, an international college prep program for underachieving, potentially college-eligible students from any ethnic or low-income group in middle and high school. Students from 60 AVID partner schools in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Santa Clara Counties will attend the conference, which will include workshops led by members of UCSC's Writing Program, including Jeffrey Arnett, Sarah Rabkin, Robin King, Judith Todd, and Sarah-Hope Parmeter. Donald Rothman and Robin Drury, director and academic coordinator, respectively, of the Central California Writing Project, will also lead sessions. Author and Yosemite National Park naturalist Shelton Johnson will give the keynote address. AVID is a school-based program that partners with universities to help get kids on track to attend four-year colleges and universities. The Region V AVID Program that serves schools in the Santa Cruz region is administered by the Santa Clara County Office of Education. Designed to support students "in the middle" who would otherwise be unlikely to attend college, the AVID program has been adopted by more than 700 schools in 13 states. The program has a strong track record: Since 1990, more than 10,000 students have graduated from AVID high school programs; 92.8 percent of AVID's graduates enroll in college, and 89 percent of them are still in college two years later. The four-year college-going rate for AVID graduates is more than 60 percent; the national average is 35 percent. Back to top New short-term parking spaces now available in Core West Parking Structure Guests, visitors, and others in search of short-term parking in the Science Hill area now have 19 new parking spaces for their use on the second level of the Core West Parking Structure. These spaces are available for up to two hours. When you park in any of the 19 designated "stall" spaces, note your space number, and then visit the pay station located by the elevator at the Steinhart pedestrian entrance. Payment can be made with coin, cash, or your MasterCard or Visa credit card. Once payment is made there is no need to return to your vehicle to place a validation on your dash; the pay station records your payment electronically. The pay station also makes change for $5, $10, and $20 bills. Departments located near the Core West Parking Structure will want to be sure to inform potential guests and visitors of this new parking option offered by TAPS. Please note that A and B permit holders need to pay the fee at the pay station to park in these spaces, as is required of permit holders when parking at meters on campus. Back to top Social psychologist Pettigrew gives speech at EU conference Thomas F. Pettigrew, research professor of social psychology, delivered an invited address at a European Union conference on racism and its measurement held in Vienna, Austria. He spoke on the unfolding during the 20th century of the study of racism by social scientists in the United States. The meeting took place March 8-9 under the sponsorship of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia. Back to top Construction update Currents provides regular updates on construction projects that have an impact on campus transportation and parking. Construction update story For more information, visit the Transportation and Parking Services web site and the Physical Planning and Construction web site. Back to top Return to Front Page