Editor's note (Aug. 30, 2023): Due to anticipated high winds, the screening of "The Grapes of Wrath" on Aug. 30 has been rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 6. The screening is planned to take place on the Arboretum lawn, however, in the event of rain or unsafe weather, will be moved to 114-116 Katz Building. The article below has been adjusted from its previous form to reflect this change.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Sustainability Institute at Penn State (SI) is offering “a night under the stars” to kick off the new academic year for students, faculty and staff and the public at the first film in its 2023-24 "Intersections" sustainability film program. This year’s program opens with the film version of John Steinbeck’s "The Grapes of Wrath" at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 6, screening outdoors on the main lawn of the Arboretum at Penn State. In the event of rain, the screening will be moved indoors to 114-116 Katz Building.
"Intersections" is a student-led sustainability film program that uses stories of people addressing the intersection of social, economic and environmental challenges to build a community around sustainability at Penn State and beyond. The program is comprised of three film series: "From Anxiety to Action," "Landscapes of Labor" and "Soundings." Beyond the individual themes of each series, all films highlight the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which serve as the basis for Penn State’s approach to sustainability. Most films feature post-film discussions with Penn State faculty and students and subject matter experts, and participants at all films are provided with “next step” handbills to guide them to further actions they can take to learn more and get involved with sustainability issues at Penn State.
This year’s program is co-created by Brooke Fledderman, SI's community connections intern and a fourth-year majoring in elementary and early childhood education, and Evan Gerard, community connections intern and a third-year majoring in energy engineering.
“We seek to inspire and promote an inviting space where students, faculty and community members can connect and voice their views on a wide array of global issues and sustainability topics,” said Fledderman. “The goal is to inspire the attendees to leave each event with newfound perspectives and strong incentives to positively help our planet and those who inhabit it.”
The first screening, "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940), is part of the ongoing "Landscapes of Labor" series, now in its fifth year, which highlights intersections between issues of worker rights and health with other social and environmental justice issues. The outdoor film screening — co-sponsored by the Center for Global Workers’ Rights, Arboretum at Penn State and the Ross Student Farm — will provide attendees with a memorable atmosphere to consider still-relevant issues raised by this classic film masterpiece.
“We chose the classic film 'The Grapes of Wrath' to highlight not only how agriculture has always been, and remains a cornerstone of this country, as well as to create a dialogue about the challenge and need for fair and sustainable rights for agricultural workers, who have been consistently marginalized and even today lack protections afforded to other workers," said Gerard. “'The Grapes of Wrath' encapsulates the way in which a changing climate can have a cascade of negative effects that directly impacts everyday working people — a challenge we will face repeatedly this century as climate change accelerates.”
For "The Grapes of Wrath," attendees are asked to bring their own blankets and chairs and a bowl for free popcorn, which will be provided. All events are free and open to students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members. All events, except for the first film, will be livestreamed online to allow participation from all Penn State campuses. Pre-registration for events is required and can be completed at intersections.psu.edu.
The 2023-24 "Intersections" program will feature one film screening per month:
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Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 7:30 p.m. – "The Grapes of Wrath" (in-person only at the Arboretum at Penn State)
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Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. – "Beyond Zero" (online)
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Wednesday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. – "Dear Mandela" (online)
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Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. – Appalachian Flooding short films (online)
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Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. – “The Climate of Labor” short films (online)
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Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. – "Saving Juliette/Wastewater: A Tale of Two Cities" (online)
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Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. – "The Bad Kids" (online)
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Wednesday, April 17, at 7 p.m. – Creating Constructive Climate Action - A Conversation (online)
"Intersections" is currently in its fifth year and has drawn more than 6,000 attendees to over 45 films since 2019. It is co-presented by University Park Student Fee Board and WPSU, with the "Landscapes of Labor" films co-presented by Penn State’s Center for Global Workers’ Rights and the "Soundings" water films co-presented by Penn State Water Council.
For more information about the films, or if you are interested in co-sponsoring future films or speakers, contact Peter Boger, SI's assistant director for community engagement, at pgb45@psu.edu.