This week at USC Upstate...

http://www.uscupstate.edu/press/article.aspx?id=22148

USC Upstate's Shoestring Players will be performing Stop Kiss at USC Upstate's Humanities and Performing Arts Center Theatre. Stop Kiss, written by Diana Son, is about two young New York City women brought together by fate and cat-sitting. The progression of Sara and Callie's relationship as well as the after effects of their first defining relationship moment are explored. Ticket prices range from $4 for students, faculty, and staff to $6 for the general public. The play will be showing tonight, Friday, November 14, and Saturday, November 15 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, November 16 at 3:00 p.m.

USC Upstate's Ask a Mexican

http://www.uscupstate.edu/press/article.aspx?id=22368

Journalist Gustavo Arellano is coming to USC Upstate tonight at 7 to speak to students about his book ¡Ask A Mexican!, which is based on his syndicated column about the culture of Latinos and Latin-Americans. Students are free to ask the tough questions they always wanted to ask about the minority; the students are usually afraid to ask these questions. Gustavo will answer questions and discuss controversial topics in Mexican culture such as legal and illegal immigration, the impact Latinos have on our country (economically, politically, socially, culturally, and even sexually), and even why Mexicans often park their cars on their front lawns (Jared Weatherholtz, eat your heart out). He also discusses the stereotypes given to Mexicans by Americans, and how satire can humorously point out the flaws in these stereotypes. Gustavo appears on many daily news and talk programs such as Nightline, The Today Show, and The Colbert Report, as well as NPR programs Day to Day and Latino USA. Gustavo has been a finalist for the 2005 PEN USA Literary Awards for Journalism for his profiling of a disabled Latino veteran of the Iraq War.

By the way, my friend, Jared Weatherholtz, is a Belmont graduate finishing up a two-year stint as an English teacher/Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) minister in Mexico City. You can read his ministry blog and his more personal blog at the links below.

http://jaredinmexico.blogspot.com/
http://iammexico.blogspot.com/

Special thanks...

to all who contributed to USC Upstate's first Media Day!

http://blogs.uscupstate.edu/evanc/2008/11/winding-down-towards-winter.html

USC Upstate Midnight Madness

Well it appears that I am on a YouTube video that I had nothing to do with (directing, producing, writing, creating-wise). You can find my commercial debut in the clip at 1:44 to 1:47.

"The Senior Experience"

Want to understand what it is like being a senior nearing graduation at USC Upstate (or college in general)...and more? Check out The Senior Experience at http://blogs.uscupstate.edu/evanc.

The fall of Arcadia

For those of you who know me closely I grew up in a Spartanburg County neighborhood called Arcadia. One day for fun I was in the USC Upstate library, and I came across this neighborhood research analysis book for Spartanburg County. This census dated back to 1970.

Arcadia has so much potential. It is located near both I-85 and I-26, it is adjacent to the Westgate Mall/Westside shopping area, the Heron Circle area of fast food restaurants, three colleges (Spartanburg Community College, Spartanburg Methodist College, and USC Upstate), and is within a 10-15 minute drive to downtown Spartanburg and two other colleges (Wofford and Converse). I always said that there needs to be a park or community center in Arcadia so our youth will have something close-by (walking and biking distance) to do. There is the Salvation Army Community Center in nearby Saxon (which has a walking trail, park, and indoor game room), but Hayne Street is not the most walkable or bikable road. I learned recently that there was a park located by the former Mayfair Mills (before all the cotton mills went out of business). The park included a swimming pool, two tennis courts, a baseball field, and a picnic area. Why they got rid of this park is purely beyond me. I feel a bit cheated that I (and other area youth) missed out on this. I know children around here love being outdoors, as I see many of them biking or skating/skateboarding out on the streets and the Spring Street sidewalk. Even with cheaper gas prices, not everyone wants to have to drive to a park.