What's happening at Penn State? Here's a look at some of the cultural events taking place at the University this weekend and next week:
Performances
"Legally Blonde the Musical" — Oct. 2-11, Playhouse Theatre, University Park campus. Penn State Centre Stage presents the musical based on the hit movie of the same name.
Ezekiel Forum — 7 p.m., Oct. 5, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. Way Truth Life Radio brings international Christian apologists Ravi Zacharias and Vince Vitale to discuss the theme "You Shall Know (That I am LORD)."
Blue Band Bandorama — 4 p.m., Oct. 6, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. The Blue Band's signature showcase event moves the the Jordan Center for the first time.
Trevor Noah — 8 p.m., Oct. 7, Bryce Jordan Center, University Park campus. The comedian and host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" brings his global perspective to American culture.
Joshua Bell — 7:30 p.m., Oct. 11, Eisenhower Auditorium, University Park campus. Acclaimed classical violinist will perform with pianist Sam Haywood.
Events
"Blocos de Carnaval — Dance through the Flavors of Brazil" — Oct. 4, Cafe Laura, Mateer Building, University Park campus. Students in HM 430 Advanced Food Production and Service Management prepare a series of themed dinners throughout the semester to be served in the student-run Cafe Laura restaurant. Reservations required.
"Bugs, Boulders, Beakers: The Materiality of Artists' Colors" — Oct. 5-6, Palmer Lipcon Auditorium, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The symposium examines the impact of color throughout society. Free.
Arts Day — 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Oct. 8, Palmer Museum of Art plaza, University Park campus. An open house featuring performances, art installations and information tables from the College of Arts and Architecture. Free.
Energy and Environmental Sustainability Laboratories open house — 4 p.m., Oct. 11, Atherton Hotel, State College. The laboratory will host its annual wine-and-cheese open house to discuss work being done in energy and the environment. Free.
Lectures
Research Unplugged: "Climate Change and National Security: People not Polar Bears" — 12:30 p.m., Oct. 4, Schlow Centre Region Library, State College. David Titley, founding director of Penn State's Center for Solutions to Weather and Climate Risk, will cover the basic science and greatest challenges of climate change from a variety of perspectives. Free.
2018 Robert M. Pockrass Memorial Lecture: "Who's the Bully and Who's the Victim in Masterpiece Cakeshop" — 5:30 p.m., Oct. 10, Foster Auditorium, Paterno Library, University Park campus. Rhonda Gibson, the James H,. Shumaker Distinguished Associate Professor and director of the master of arts in digital communication program at the University of North Carolina will discuss the challenge of framing conversations about marriage equality and religious freedom. Free.
Research Unplugged: "Children's Food Preferences: Raising Healthy Eaters in an Unhealthy Food Environment" — 12:30 p.m., Oct. 11, Schlow Centre Region Library, State College. Kathleen Keller from the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Food Sciences will discuss children's eating habits. Free.
Institute for CyberScience Seminar Series: "Digital Human Data Research: Critical Law, Policy and Business Considerations" — 1:30 p.m., Oct. 11, 134 HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. Anne Toomey McKenna, Dickinson Law's distinguished scholar of cyber law, will moderate four panelists discussing how researchers reconcile privacy concerns as they deal with personal information such as health data in their work. Free, but seat reservations are encouraged.
Ben Bradlee Jr. — 7 p.m., Oct. 11, 1 Kostos Building, Penn State Hazleton. Author and investigative journalist Ben Bradlee Hr. will discuss his book, "The Forgotten: How the People of One Pennsylvania County Elected Donald Trump and Changed America." Free.
Exhibits
"Gravity Schmavity" — Through Oct. 29, the Arboretum at Penn State, University Park campus. Repurposed plastic sculptures by artist Aurora Robson will be on display at the Arboretum's H.O. Smith Botanic Gardens. Free.
"Overlap: Life Tapestries" — Through Nov. 15, Robeson Art Gallery, HUB-Robeson Center, University Park campus. A group exhibition of self-identified women artists of different social and professional backgrounds and generations will be on display. Free.
"Instinctive Gestures" — Through Dec. 18, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. This exhibition features contemporary works recently gifted to the Palmer by collectors Marilyn Fishman and James MacElderry. Free.
"A Small Radius of Light: G. Daniel Massad, A Retrospective" — Through Dec. 9, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. A display of G. Daniel Massad's detailed still lives rendered in pastel. Free.
"Object Lessons: American Still-Life Painting in the Nineteenth Century" — Through Dec. 16, Palmer Museum of Art, University Park campus. The show highlights the rich tradition of still-life painting in the United States with an emphasis on Pennsylvania's influential role in that history. Free.
"Transitions" — Through fall semester, Freyberger Gallery, Penn State Berks. As part of the campus' 60th anniversary, Penn State Berks is hosting an interactive exhibit that allows visitors to step back in time and view key moments in the campus' history. Free.
"Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World" — Oct. 1-Dec. 21, Penn State Schuylkill. The Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History exhibit marks the 100th anniversary of the Great Influenza pandemic with an exhibit that explores the origins of zoonotic disease and humans' role in spreading animal-borne viruses. Free.
"A Full Course: Encounters with Food" — Through Jan. 13, 2019, Pattee Library, University Park campus. An exhibit featuring appetizing books, award-winning cookbooks, manuscripts and archive materials. Free.
"Into the Woods" — Through Feb. 11, 2019, Pattee Library, University Park campus. The exhibit explores the eastern U.S. forest, its wildlife and botanical wealth, while also paying tribute to early women naturalists and conservationists. Free.