Donnajean Ward

All the President’s Men (40th Anniversary Edition)

by Bedrosian Center

Bernstein and Woodward published All the President’s Men a mere three months before Nixon’s resignation. We’re revisiting (or visiting for the first time) this classic work of political journalism in the wake of the many callbacks since the 2016 Presidential election. Are dirty tricks just part of politics? What role does the press play? Are there parallels to the Trump administration?

Featuring host Jeffery Jenkins (@jaj7d ‏), and guests Aubrey Hicks (@AubreyHi), Lisa Schweitzer (@drschweitzer), and Donnajean Ward (@DonnajeanWard).

To listen to the Bedrosian Book Club discussion of All the President’s Men click the arrow in the player on this post. Or you can download it and subscribe through ApplePodcasts, Soundcloud, Google Play, Stitcher or your favorite podcasting app!

The Underground Railroad

by Bedrosian Center

*Warning: Spoilers!*

In Colson Whitehead’s award winning novel The Underground Railroad, Cora, daughter and granddaughter of slaves, flees her plantation after a horrific punishment. She heads out with a fellow slave Caesar, who takes her to the underground railroad – in this novel, a real RR. She is passionately pursued by Ridgeway, a slave catcher while she experiences the horrors of American racism and the courage of the RR personnel. The book compares a mythological Southern narrative of slavery with Cora’s truths and Ridgeway’s version of the “American imperative.” Beautifully written, full of horrific incidents, the book reminds us of the power of racism, the government’s complicity in its implementation and persistence, and reminds us freed African Americans carried with them the legacy of violence, oppression, suppression, and more violence whether from the police, physicians, or any other institution.

To listen to the Bedrosian Book Club discussion of The Underground Railroad click the orange arrow in the Soundcloud player here – or you can download it and subscribe through iTunes, Soundcloud, or Google Play

Richard II

by Bedrosian Center

Featuring Raphael Bostic, Carla Della Gatta, Lisa Schweitzer, and Donnajean Ward Richard II, the first of four Shakespeare plays known as the “Henriad,” is the tale of strife between Richard II, the rightful but terrible king, and his cousin Henry Bolingbroke. Followed by Henry IV Part 1, Henry IV Part 2, and Henry V, Shakespeare explores the question of political…

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

by Bedrosian Center

Featuring Raphael Bostic, Colin Marshall, Donnajean Ward, and Aubrey Hicks In this edition of the Bedrosian Book Club Podcast, we’re looking at the scifi classic, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick. One of Dick’s more accessible novels, DADES follows bounty hunter Rick Deckard on a mission to find and destroy 6 state of the art,…

Undergrad Lab: Detroit (photos)

by Anne Johnson

May 17-23, 2015, 15 undergraduates from USC Price traveled to the City of Detroit as part of academic lab focused on social, environmental, and urban issues. The program , Learning to Excel Academically and Professionally (LEAP/PPD431) is designed to provide “immersive, experiential, real-world training to Price students” by visiting and working in the places they…

Policy at the Playhouse

by Donnajean Ward

January 27, 2015 A new initiative, Policy at the Playhouse, at Bedrosian Center recognizes that conversations about governance take place in many different fora and are voiced by many different communities. We said an enthusiastic “Yes!” to the opportunity to lead a post-show discussion at the historic Pasadena Playhouse after a performance of The Whipping Man, a play…

Why Don’t They Teach Civics Anymore?

by Donnajean Ward

At our most recent Bedrosian Center board meeting we talked about the disappearance of civics from school curricula.  So I wasn’t surprised when I typed “civics” into Google that the first thing to pop up was an offer from my local SoCal Honda dealer – an Accord LX for only $199/mo. for 36 months ($1,999…