Inside SDSU with Seth Mallios
The Celebrating Aztec Faculty and Staff Committee invites faculty and staff to go Inside SDSU with Seth Mallios.
The Celebrating Aztec Faculty and Staff Committee invites faculty and staff to go Inside SDSU with Department Chair and Professor of Anthropology Seth Mallios at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 23 in the Theatre of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union.
President Elliot Hirshman will introduce the talk, titled “Rock at State: A History of Live Popular Music at SDSU from 1931 to Now.” The presentation is a preview of a five-volume set of books covering music across the decades – from the 1960s to the 2000s – that Mallios is set to publish in September of 2015, along with the unveiling of the recently preserved “Rock 'n' Roll Mural,” also called “The Back Door Mural.”
Inside SDSU was created to showcase the expertise of faculty and staff. In his presentation, Mallios, who is often referred to as the “campus historian,” will discuss the unparalleled, yet unknown history of live popular music at San Diego State University. He will give an overview of the performances that have taken place on campus and how music was the vehicle for social change in terms of racial, gender, and sexual equality over the decades.
“The lecture offers an unfiltered glimpse into popular culture and artistic expression at SDSU over the last half century,” Mallios said. “From local up-and-comers to big-name mega-stars, Montezuma Mesa has been the epicenter of the region’s most memorable folk, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, punk, new wave, rap, reggae, and electronica performances.”
Mallios said his talk will emphasizes how music moves us, that history matters, and the intersection of song and society is profound and eternally relevant.
Faculty and staff interested in attending are asked to RSVP here.
Saving Aztec history
Including the “Rock 'n' Roll Mural,” Mallios has been a part of the restoration projects of two other SDSU murals painted by students in the 1930s. The “NRA Packages” and “San Diego Industry” murals were previously restored and relocated to the Reference Services area of the SDSU Library. They had been found above a lowered ceiling in Hardy Tower.
He is currently working on a similar mission with the “Alice in Wonderland” mural, which had been hidden behind a coat of paint in a stairwell in Hardy Tower.
Mallios researched and examined at least a thousand SDSU-related items for his book, “Hail Montezuma: The Hidden Treasures of San Diego State,” which investigates many of the university’s archaeological finds and is available at the SDSU Bookstore.
Celebrating Aztec Faculty and Staff Committee
As part of the SDSU Strategic Plan, a working group was created with the goal of identifying and recommending celebratory experiences to recognize institutional and individual excellence of the university’s faculty and staff.
The Celebrating Aztec Faculty and Staff Committee is made up of members from across campus. The group sponsors events and works to put on programs that encourage faculty and staff to celebrate each other.
For more information on the Celebrating Aztec Faculty and Staff Committee or to submit suggestions for upcoming events to the committee, please contact Jessica Rentto.
