Provided

Insectapalooza on Oct. 25 features Comstock Hall's live Butterfly Room and a theme of 150 insects in honor of Cornell's 150 years.

Animation, horror and music

Cornell Cinema presents a live performance with animator, performer and installation artist Jodie Mack, Oct. 24 at 7:15 p.m. in Willard Straight Theatre.

“Jodie Mack: Let Your Light Shine!” features several of Mack’s short films and Mack performing a live soundtrack to her animated rock opera “Dusty Stacks of Mom.”

Cornell Cinema also offers a free Halloween screening with live music of the horror classic “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” in a new digital restoration, Thursday, Oct. 30, at 8 p.m. in Sage Chapel. The event is a joint presentation of Cornell Cinema, the Department of Music and the Wharton Studio Museum of Ithaca.

Nobel economist

Economist Rob Engle, Ph.D. ’69, will lecture on “The Prospects for Global Financial Stability,” Oct. 24 at 4:30 p.m. in 305 Ives Hall. The lecture honors Cornell economist Ta-Chung Liu’s 100th birthday.

Engle was awarded the Nobel Prize in economics in 2003. He is the Michael Armellino Professor of Finance at the Stern School of Business at New York University. Liu, Ph.D. ’40, was Engle’s adviser at Cornell and chaired the Department of Economics.

150 ways to bug out

The 11th annual Insectapolooza features hundreds of insects, spiders and arthropods that have played prominent roles in history, culture and even cuisine, Oct. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
 in Comstock Hall. Open to the public. Admission: $3 per person, children age 3 and under free.

A family-friendly, interactive hands-on experience, the 2014 event explores “150 Bugs, 150 Years,” celebrating the 150th anniversary of Cornell and the 140th birthday of John Henry Comstock, founder of the Department of Entomology with his wife, Anna Botsford Comstock. Cornell experts will be on hand to answer questions about insects.

“Insectapalooza is not like a visit to a museum. You’ll be able to see, hear and even touch many of the animals and displays,” said senior lecturer and chair of the Department of Entomology Linda Rayor, one of the organizers.

In addition to Comstock Hall’s live butterfly room and arthropod zoo, other displays will highlight plant-insect interactions, pollination, invasive insects, natural enemies, the inner workings of insects, and evolution and diversity.

‘Big Draw’

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art hosts “The Big Draw: It’s Our World,” a free family event, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. to close out Ithaca’s Big Draw month.

The event features drawing demonstrations and drawing activities throughout the museum; illustrators, comic book artists and zine makers showcasing their work; and a magic show.

The Big Draw is an international drawing festival for those who love to draw and those who think they can’t. It involves thousands of art centers including the Johnson Museum, Handwerker Gallery at Ithaca College and the Community School of Music and Art.

Skorton addresses staff

President David Skorton will deliver his annual address to Cornell staff Tuesday, Oct. 28, from noon to 1 p.m. in Bailey Hall.

Skorton’s remarks will be followed by a brief Q&A. Lunch will be provided at the end of the program.

The event is presented by the Employee Assembly.

Lisa Hilton performance

Jazz pianist Lisa Hilton will perform Oct. 29 at 7:30 p.m. in Barnes Hall Auditorium. Admission is free. A reception with the artist will follow the solo piano performance. Sponsored by the School of Hotel Administration.

Among other selections, Hilton will debut new material from her upcoming release “Horizons.” Classically trained, she explores jazz, blues and classical music and composes impressionistic original music that draws on minimalism, the avant-garde and traditional jazz.

Hilton last performed on campus in 2012. She is married to Steven M. Hilton, CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Chasing the dream

The American Dream has captured our collective imagination, but what is the price we pay for our individual pursuit of this ideal?

Professor of development sociology Tom Hirschl will offer insights about the importance of the “dream” and how it’s not only about wealth, but economic security and the pursuit of one’s passions, in a Chats in the Stacks book talk, Oct. 30 at 4 p.m. in 160 Mann Library.

In “Chasing the American Dream: Understanding What Shapes Our Fortunes” (2014, Oxford University Press), Hirschl and coauthors describe the ups and downs of a riskier and more unequal economy and reveal how personal success and economic well-being is becoming harder to reach.

Hirschl is director of the Population and Development Program, coordinator of the Program Work Team on Poverty and Economic Hardship, director of the Teen Assessment Program and director of graduate studies in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Chats in the Stacks are free and open to the public, with light refreshments and books available for purchase and signing.

Treats, no tricks

Cornellians looking for sweet Halloween treats on campus have some options Oct. 31:

• • Trick-or-Treat at Carol's Café on North Campus. Stop by in costume between 10 a.m. and noon for a free treat (while supplies last) from Cornell Dining's Sweet Sensations Bakery, at the café in the Carol Tatkon Center, Balch Hall. No purchase necessary.
• • FootPrints holds a Halloween Bake Sale fundraiser from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Willard Straight Hall lobby. The organization provides shoes and educational supplies to underprivileged students and communities in developing countries around the world. All proceeds from the sale will help FootPrints fund service trips to deliver shoes that members have collected.

• The Engineering Graduate Student Association hosts a Halloween Ice Cream Social open to the graduate community from 4:45 to 6 p.m. in the Upson Hall Lounge. Costumes encouraged.