Symposium Investigating Film and Society

     The Student Council has announced that the 29th annual
Milton S. Eisenhower Symposium will look critically at the movies
and their relationship to society. This year marks the 100th
anniversary of the cinema's birth.  
     Christopher Aldrich, president of the Reel World film
series, and Matthew Gross, director of the Snark film series, and
symposium co-chairmen, are planning a series of lectures, panel
discussions, movie screenings and special events that will
provide a comprehensive understanding of cinema's role in the
world.
     The Aldrich/Gross proposal was one of 18 submitted for
consideration.
     As part of the symposium's planning, Dean of Homewood
Student Affairs Larry Benedict has agreed to renovate and upgrade
the Shriver Hall film projection facilities. Although details are
not yet final, upgrades are expected to include a 40-foot-wide
screen (bigger than the one at the historic Senator Theatre) and
Dolby surround sound. These and other changes would make Shriver
Hall one of the 20 best movie theaters in the country, Aldrich
said. 
     The MSE Symposium is completely run by undergraduates.
Proposals for a wide range of ideas are submitted in the fall to
a Student Council committee. The chairs of the winning proposal
then take responsibility for fund-raising--Aldrich expects their
budget will  top $55,000--formalizing the program, selecting and
inviting speakers, dealing with lawyers and agents, organizing
the event and arranging publicity.
     The MSE Symposium is scheduled to begin the last week in
September.