Trojan Candy got caught in really bad traffic on the northbound 110, so I arrived at the Bing Theater much later than I had planned. That meant that I had to snap pictures of fellow TGLA members and their guests ASAP!
The performance of Grand Hotel was "grand." The acting was outstanding and the sets and costumes were of Oscar quality. The story was sad, though.
During intermission, Trojan Candy rushed out the theater door to get to the lobby, then I literally "ran" into two more "early bird" TGLA friends. I asked Jean Getchell and Cathy Beyer to pose in front of the Grand Hotel mini set in the lobby. This picture will be quite memorable for Jean and Cathy.
Then I rushed to the other side of the lobby to take a picture of Gloria and her grand children---Cassidy and Garrett.
One last picture now. I found Shirley Mitchell with her guests Tina and Jim Mitchell. We walked outside for a better background.
Trojan Candy wanted to include a picture of Patricia Dowling and her family, but they declined.
The second half of Grand Hotel was intriguing. The best part of the play is that all the actors are Trojans!
Co-chairs Lee and Sam did a magnificent job! Many kudos to them!
Trojan Guild of Los Angeles members and guests gathered outside of the Paley Center for Media to wait until the Center opened at 10:00 a.m. Trojan Candy had arrived thirty minutes earlier in order to take pictures of everyone. I am including pictures of the guests that were invited by TGLA members. All the pictures of the members will be included in my Google Plus album. Click here to view the album
Trojan Candy was finally able to photograph our two Co-Chairs of this event. Although they were very busy, Nikki Dana and Mary Hall smiled for this picture just before the Paley Center for Media opened up for our TGLA tour.
Even though it was a picture-perfect morning outside, all of the TGLA members and their guests quickly lined up to enter the center for our tour. We were not disappointed.
We were divided into two groups. My group saw the thirty minute documentary, "Great Women of Television Comedy" first. Famous women comedians such as Lucille Ball, Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett and Valerie Harper were interviewed. It was so nice to meet these ladies "up close and personal."
Next, our tour group went upstairs to the museum area. On display were wardrobes, artifacts and props from famous television shows and movies.
FIGHT ON, all TGLA members!
The meeting was called to order by our president Christine Ofiesh. The theme of our meeting was "Saluting the Past and Embracing the Future of USC."
Our meeting agenda went very quickly. Special guest Carol Mollett, President of Town and Gown of USC, spoke about the Third Annual Alumni Day of SCervice. She told our members that Town and Gown is partnering with Trojan Guild for the event. Carol brought sample necklaces that the volunteers will assemble and donate to lady patients at the USC Norris Hospital. Come and join us!
First Vice Presidents Special Event, Nikki Dana and Mary Hall, invited all members to attend the tour of the Paley Center for Media on Thursday, March 20th. Lunch after the event will be at McCormick & Schmicks in Beverly Hills.
First Vice President Theatre Event, Lee Harnish, invited all members to attend "Grand Hotel" at the Bing Theatre on Sunday, April 6th.
The last order of business was the Presentation of our 2014 Slate of Officers by former president Rosalee Pechersky. The slate was approved by the attending members.
Then, First Vice Presidents D'Arcy McLeod and Ann Palmer introduced our speaker for the day, Dr. Donal T. Manahan. He is the Vice Dean for Students of the Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Dean Manahan, who was born in Ireland, has been a professor at USC for thirty-one years.
His presentation began with a look back into USC's past. We saw the 1875 Old Plaza District when Los Angeles was the "Mecca" of the world. Then Dr. Manahan showed us an 1880 picture of our Widney Hall. Letters, Arts and Sciences was founded then. He proudly told us that USC is on the rise. Forty thousand high school seniors applied to USC and twenty-six thousand were in LAS.
After "Saluting the Past," Dr. Manahan "Embraced the Future of USC." In the future, Dr. Manahan believes that there will be no majors or minors. Universities will educate to solve these problems...energy, water, population and food. Students must be aware of the world and be able to exist in it. Finding "facts" is no longer the need, the need is "how to use the facts." We must move from STEM: science, technology, engineering, math to STEAM: the "A" being arts, humanities and social science.
Asking the question, "What is a good education?" Dr. Manahan's answer was as follows:
Dr. Manahan said that Dornsife is prepared for the future. One example that he gave was that forty languages are currently being taught at USC. Why? Dr. Manahan stated that the hottest job skill today is fluency in a foreign language. USC is already preparing our Trojans for the future!
What an impressive, thought provoking presentation. Dr. Manahan stayed the entire meeting and answered any questions that were asked of him.
Trojan Candy was able to take pictures of TGLA members and guests. Check out this ARRAY OF PICTURES IN A GOOGLE PLUS ALBUM.