Rare books, research open house

Cornell students and families are invited to see the research facilities of Cornell University Library’s principal repository of rare books, manuscripts and archival materials, Oct. 25 from 2-4:30 p.m. in Kroch Library.

The Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections Open House is an opportunity to hear from curators and learn about the division’s research, instruction and outreach services for undergraduate students. Visitors can also view the exhibitions “Latitude: Persuasive Cartography,” “Cornell Commences” and “Robert Morgan at 75: A Celebration.”

Aztecs and chocolate

Cornell Botanic Gardens is celebrating the love of chocolate this weekend, along with other plants and foods related to Mexica/Aztec traditions and culture.

Credit: Provided

Michael Heralda discusses “Mexica/Aztec Connections to Plants and Foods” in Botanic Gardens’ annual Audrey O’Connor Lecture, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. in Statler Auditorium. The talk is free and open to the public.

Heralda presents the philosophy, language, ceremonies, traditions and foods of the Mexica/Aztec people from an indigenous perspective, and how their philosophy is interwoven with daily life. He also will discuss connections between humans and plants including the Xinachtli concept, its symbolism and importance, and the seven warrior foods of the Mexica/Aztec.

Heralda also brings music and storytelling to Cornell Botanic Gardens’ family festival Chocolatada!, an educational celebration of chocolate, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Nevin Welcome Center. Admission is $5 per person, children age 5 and younger free.

The festival shares the rich story and history of chocolate, starting from a tree – how the plant grows, and how cacao seeds are processed into smooth chocolate. Diverse chocolate samples are included. The Cornell Chocolate and Confections Technology Club is assisting with the event.

Live podcast recording

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art is hosting a live recording of “Citations Needed,” a podcast about the intersection of media, public relations and power, Oct. 26 at 5:15 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.

Hosts Adam Johnson and Nima Shirazi will be joined by special guest Shannon Gleeson, Cornell associate professor of labor, law and history, to discuss the ideology of open borders.

The event also includes refreshments at 4:30 p.m., and traditional world music by Ithaca group Journey West beginning at 7 p.m.

Halloween partici-pation

Cornell Cinema offers a few screenings in celebration of Halloween this week, starting with a costume party and screening of the ’70s rock musical “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” starring Tim Curry, Oct. 26 at 7:15 p.m. in Willard Straight Theatre. Come as your favorite character and follow along with the audience to the action on screen, but please note: Toast will be confiscated at the door. (The film also shows Oct. 25 at 9:20 p.m.) Admission is $5.50-$9.50, free for All Access Pass holders.

A free screening of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” the silent classic with Lon Chaney as Quasimodo, is Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in Sage Chapel, with live organ accompaniment by Dennis James.

And Cornell Recreation Connection presents Halloween Happenings at Cornell Cinema, Oct. 31 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The free, annual lunchtime Halloween party for Cornell employees features a costume parade, with judging at noon and prizes for individuals and groups; and pizza, apples and cake provided by Cornell Dining.

See the University Events calendar for more Halloween-themed events on campus.

Americana by train

Credit: Provided

Train imagery in early blues, folk, jazz and pop music is highlighted in “Mythology, Folklore, and Freedom,” a concert program performed by the Cornell Jazz Ensemble, Oct. 27 at 3 p.m. in Bailey Hall, featuring guest artist Miché Fambro on guitar and vocals. Admission is free.

Under the direction of Paul Merrill, the ensemble will perform music by artists including Lead Belly, Elizabeth Cotton, Henry Thomas, Duke Ellington, Mary Lou Williams, Thelonious Monk, Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, Bob Marley and The O’Jays.

The program is a thematic train ride from New York City to Orlando, beginning and ending with a cappella spirituals and visiting many musical styles at stations along the way.

“The invention of the steam engine transformed who we are as a nation and how we lived together as people,” Merrill says. “The train … became a symbol of migration and mobility, a metaphor for freedom, and a locomotive for social change. This concert explores these stories through the poetic and sonic imagery of popular music from the last century, focusing on the stories of African American musician-composers.”