Last Lecture: Jamila Michener

Assistant professor of government Jamila Michener is featured in the Spring 2019 Last Lecture, May 3 at 5 p.m. in G64 Goldwin Smith Hall.

Michener’s teaching and research focus on poverty, race and public policy in the United States. Her lecture will tackle topics she rarely gets to discuss with her students: “dreams, faith, possibilities and living a life that is more than you can imagine.”

Presented by the Mortar Board Der Hexenkreis Senior Honor Society, the Last Lecture is modeled on a series in which top academics are asked to deliver a lecture to students based on issues that matter deeply to them.

Prison Pro Bono Gala

The Cornell Democrats will host their annual Prison Pro Bono Gala, May 3 from 8-10 p.m. in the Willard Straight Memorial Room.

The event includes food and desserts, and a Polaroid photo booth.

The gala benefits the Prisoners Legal Service of New York, a nonprofit organization that provides free legal assistance to incarcerated people.

Imaging the American Dream

Students from the American Studies course Photography and the American Dream will share their thoughts on photography and the meaning of the American dream in an evening of public talks, May 7 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.in the Lynch Conference Room on the sixth floor of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art. A catered reception will follow.

The course, taught by Bill Gaskins, associate professor of art, explores the ways poverty is represented in America and seeks to expand the visual, social and historical literacy of students at Cornell.

Slope Day 2019

Slope Day is Wednesday, May 8, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Libe Slope. SlopeFest activities on Ho Plaza and food service begin when gates open at 11 a.m. The concert with EZI, Cousin Stizz and Steve Aoki begins at noon.

Ticketing procedures for the annual end-of-school-year event have changed this year. All eTickets, including guest passes and alumni tickets, will be available at cornellconcerts.com.

Currently registered Cornell undergraduate students (including December graduates), faculty and staff will be admitted free with a valid Cornell ID. December 2018 graduates do not need an eTicket to enter but will need to present a Cornell ID. Students on leave are not considered current students and will need to purchase an eTicket before collecting a wristband.

All Slope Day attendees (except faculty and staff with valid ID) are required to collect a wristband from designated distribution stations, which will be set up beginning May 6 at locations around campus. NonCornell students must have a guest eTicket and a government-issued ID showing they are at least 18.

Approximately 800 volunteers are needed to assist in operations on and around Libe Slope. Interested Slope Day volunteers including student volunteers can email slopeday@cornell.edu for information.

Jazz concerts

The Cornell Jazz Program, under the direction of Paul Merrill, will hold two end-of-semester concerts on campus May 9-10.

Credit: Savanna Lim/Provided

The Jazz Ensemble performs May 9 at 8 p.m. in Barnes Hall Auditorium. The concert includes music by Weather Report, Pat Metheny, George Gershwin, Neal Hefti, Francy Boland, Toshiko Akiyoshi and others. The program is free and open to the public.

The Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Repertory Ensemble host their annual Swing Fling, May 10 at 8 p.m. in B20 Lincoln Hall, featuring big band arrangements with dancing and refreshments. Dance instruction is offered at 7 p.m. Admission is $5 at the door.

For all ages: Cats!

CatVideoFest returns to campus May 10-11, at 7 p.m. both days, with a compilation reel of the best and latest cat videos culled from hours of unique submissions, sourced animations, music videos and internet classics. Advance tickets are available at CornellCinemaTickets.com.

The screenings in Willard Straight Theatre include cat trivia and door prizes, and are emceed by Leah Shafer ’94, M.A. ’99, Ph.D. ’08, a scholar of this online phenomenon and associate professor in the Media and Society Program at Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

The festival is recommended for all ages and raises money for cats in need; 10 percent of proceeds will go to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals of Tompkins County. The event is cosponsored with the Cornell Feline Health Center, Cornell Vet Feline Club and Cat’s Pajamas.

Cornell Cinema also presents the Ithaca premiere of “Shadow,” May 9-12. The military strategy thriller, based on the “Three Kingdoms” saga of Chinese legend, is directed by acclaimed action director Zhang Yimou (“Hero,” “House of Flying Daggers”).