Gator greatness in a gift
December
8, 2009 -- This
holiday season, choose a gift with a Gator connection. Bookworms, foodies,
shutterbugs and Beethoven buffs are among those who would
delight in one or more of the following gift suggestions that have been
made possible by SF State faculty and alumni.
Top notch entertainment
Treat friends and family to an acclaimed film produced by alum Jonas
Rivera (B.A., ‘96, cinema). Disney
Pixar’s summer hit "Up," is
now available on DVD.
Musical magic
SF State’s resident Alexander String Quartet (pictured) has released
a nine-disc CD set. "Beethoven:
Complete String Quartets" includes recordings
made over the past 15 years (2009, Foghorn Classics).
Give a holiday favorite, the CD soundtrack to the classic TV special,
“A
Charlie Brown Christmas,” which features the original smooth jazz
compositions by alum Vince Guaraldi (attended ‘48-‘49).
Good reads
Enjoy one of Shakespeare's most obscure sonnets in Morse code, as a
lounge singer's lament or in 54 other forms in award-winning poet and
Creative Writing Professor Paul Hoover's entertaining "Sonnet
56" (2009, Les Figues Press Poetry).
Getting rave reviews in The New York Times and The Los Angeles Times
is "A
Bomb in Every Issue: How the Short, Unruly Life of Ramparts Magazine
Changed America," Humanities Lecturer Peter Richardson's
account of the radical and short-lived 1960s publication, (2009, The
New Press).
Discover acclaimed poet Kim Addonizio's (M.A., '86, creative writing)
new collection of poetry, "Lucifer
at the Starlite," (2009,
Norton) and some of the secrets of her success in "Ordinary Genius,
A Guide for the Poet Within." (2009, Norton).
Canyon Sam (M.F.A., '98, creative writing) traveled the world's highest
and most controversial railway route to visit with extraordinary women
in Tibet. Heralded by Alice Walker, Maxine Kingston and others, "Sky
Train: Tibetan Women on the Edge of History" is a 50-year
oral history of the country with a forward by the Dalai Lama.
Excellent eats
Beach and Park Chalet restaurant owners Lara and Gar
Truppelli (M.A., ‘93, psychology, M.B.A., ‘94 respectively) have created
another top spot for dining. The Lake
Chalet Seafood Bar and Grill, located in the 100-year-old boathouse
on Lake Merritt in Oakland, is receiving rave reviews for its menu
and romantic location overlooking the lake and authentic Italian
gondola rides.
Aziza restaurant chef and owner, Mourad Lahlou (B.A., ‘93, economics)
has racked up another prestigious nod for his Moroccan cuisine. Aziza is
only one of 40 restaurants to receive a one-star rating or better in
the latest edition of The
Michelin Guide.
According to the foodies at KGO/ABC TV's “View from the Bay,” alum
Chad Newton (attended ‘03, business), Chef at Fish & Farm
Restaurant in Union Square, makes the "Best Burger in SF."
Better photography
End the nightmare of indoor photography and free shutterbugs from external flash
fixtures and expensive lighting equipment with the Lightscoop.
Invented by Professor of Photojournalism and award-winning photographer Ken
Kobre, the small, lightweight device facilitates soft light over subjects to
even out skin tones and banish red-eye.
Charitable
giving
Consider a gift to the San Francisco
Food Bank in a loved one's name
and make the holidays memorable for those who are less fortunate.
Executive Director Paul Ash (M.S., '84, Business Administration)
is an Alumni Hall of Famer for his dedication to ending hunger in
San Francisco.
Purchasing power
SF State students, faculty and staff can find what they need just a
few steps away from their classroom or office at the campus bookstore.
One of the store's colorful gift
cards can make anything -- iPods to
paper clips, flip flops to ancient wisdom -- possible.
Alumni membership
Give the SF State alum a key to the campus in the form of an Alumni Association membership. They will enjoy a multitude of benefits including Library and Career Center access, discounted medical benefits and interesting events at which to reminisce and reconnect with fellow Gators.
For Gator gift suggestions from previous years, see Holiday Gifts 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.
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