As the world changes, there is increasing talk of globalization—but have we truly begun to be able to see the "Other" as ourselves, and yet to appreciate differences?

In this performance, the performers use their own, and faraway popular stories, to explore power structures in all our lives, to express different versions of reality, and also the possibilities of change.

This program is created by students of The Claremont Colleges and Professor Nita Kumar's class on Bollywood. The director, Irfana Majumdar, is a theatre artist based in Varanasi, India, and is funded by the Mellon Global Visiting Scholars Program.

The Claremont Chamber Choir will perform its annual holiday celebration. The choir, part of the Joint Music Program of Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, and Scripps Colleges, is an auditioned, mixed ensemble of 20 students and will be led by guest conductor David Rentz, associate professor of music at Chaffey College and music director of the Orange County Symphony.

The program will include a Missa fragmentata consisting of a cappella Mass movements and motets from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, as well as holiday favorites. Audio clips of the choir's previous performances are available online. A complete playbill will be available at the concert.

Please note that we will be collecting toys for the Center for Community Engagement’s holiday toy drive to benefit patients at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital. Unwrapped toys will be collected in the Athenaeum lobby before the dinner. Gift cards also welcome. Bringing holiday cheer to those in need is an important part of CMC’s outreach to the community. We thank you for your support.

Scott A. Schoettes, who is openly HIV-positive, is the HIV Project Director at Lambda Legal, the oldest and largest national legal organization dedicated to making the case for equality on behalf of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people, and people living with HIV, through impact litigation, education and policy work.

Schoettes litigates impact cases involving discriminatory denial of employment and services based on a person’s HIV status, as well as in the areas of HIV criminalization and access to care. He does a significant amount of amicus work on issues of importance to people living with HIV, notably twice co-authoring amicus briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court’s review of the Affordable Care Act.

On the policy side, Schoettes was the point-person for Lambda Legal's work on the repeal of the HIV travel ban, works on the legislative reform of laws criminalizing conduct based on HIV status, and was recently appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, where he co-chairs the Disparities Committee. He has presented on various topics related to HIV discrimination at forums across the country, including the White House.

Schoettes graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown Law and clerked for the Honorable J. Frederick Motz of the U.S. District Court of Maryland.

Read more about Scott A. Schoettes...

View Video: You Tube with Scott Schoettes