President’s Video Update for Nov. 3

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The Dia de Los Muertos celebration, Veterans Day commemorations and the All-Steinway Initiative campaign highlight President Ortiz’s weekly video update.

The Cesar E. Chavez Center for Higher Education and the Ethnic & Women’s Studies Department have scheduled the 20th annual Dia de Los Muertos festivities for Friday, Nov. 7. The festival is a Latin American tradition that celebrates life and death. More than 1,000 people are expected to attend the event at the Bronco Commons.

The campus will commemorate Veterans Day throughout the week:

  • On Tuesday, soldiers from the Army’s 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment’s Horse Detachment will visit with our Arabian horses, paying tribute to the university’s heritage as a quartermaster depot during World War II.
  • Bronco Athletics will hold Military Appreciation Night at Wednesday’s volleyball game against UC San Diego at the Kellogg Gym. Admission is free to the 7 p.m. game for all current and veteran service members with military ID.
  • The formal Veterans Day ceremony will be held on Thursday during U-Hour at University Park.

The university will soon receive a shipment of 21 new Steinway pianos for students to learn and perform on. It is the result of the All-Steinway Initiative, a fundraising campaign to equip the university exclusively with Steinway pianos, which are considered the gold standard in the music industry.

A benefit concert on Sunday, Nov. 16, will help raise funds to purchase the remaining three Steinways and establish an endowment to maintain the instruments.

In other news:

  • The College of Environmental Design will bestow the Richard J. Neutra Medal for Professional Excellence to Los Angeles architect Michael Rotondi.
  • The men’s soccer team won its first conference title, beating nationally ranked Cal State L.A. last week at home in front of a record crowd of more than 1,600 fans. The team earned a first-round bye in the playoffs; its first playoff game is Friday in Turlock.
  • The women’s soccer team has advanced to the CCAA semifinal game against Chico State.
  • The men’s basketball team is ranked No. 3 nationally. The team’s first preseason game is against Stanford on Thursday. The Broncos then play Arizona on Sunday. The women’s basketball team is ranked No. 1 nationally and plays its first preseason game on Nov. 19 against Academy of the Arts.
  • The cross country teams compete this weekend in the CCAA championships.

To read the full video message, download a PDF of the transcript.