EAL 110C - Seminar Room

East Asian Library Seminar Room

One-time class meetings or events sponsored by USC faculty, staff or student organizations may qualify for use of the East Asian Library Seminar Room. Preference is given to requests related to East Asian Studies. Faculty and staff who need a regular classroom space should contact classroom scheduling or their department about finding appropriate spaces to meet their needs. The East Asian Library Seminar Room can hold 18 to 20 people.

Room reservations are required and should be made at least 7 business days in advance. Walk-in reservation requests may not be accepted. The USC Libraries reserve the right to approve or deny a request.  It is the user's responsibility to obtain approval for use as directed below. 

To make a reservation: Please contact Stephanie Rideau at srideau@usc.edu or (213) 740-2543. Please indicate:

• Your name and USC affiliation
• The purpose for the request
• The date and time needed
• The number of people expected

We will respond to a reservation request within 48 hours, excluding weekends and holidays.

On the day of your reservation, please present approval of your request to the Doheny Library Access Services front desk, so that you can be let into the Seminar room.

EQUIPMENT OPERATIONS: It is the full responsibility of the Client organizing the meeting to arrange for any audio-visual support. Contact your department's IT Help Desk for assistance.

CLEAN-UP: Please leave the Seminar Room in clean and in good condition. All areas must be properly restored after the event and the equipment switched off. If cables or equipment have been moved, please return to original positions. 

ARTWORK: The four panels of calligraphy on the Seminar Room's east wall represent the first few lines of "A Prose Poem on Red Cliff," written by Su Shi (Su Dongpo) in the year 1082. In hearkening to a famous battle fought by Cao Cao in the third century CE, Su Shi blends historical reference and literary style to reflect on time and the human condition. 

The portion on the wall, evocative of the full poem, reads:

"In the autumn of the year jen-hsu, the seventh month, when the moon had just passed its prime, a friend and I went out in a small boat to amuse ourselves at the foot of the Red Cliff. A fresh breeze blew softly across the water, leaving the waves unruffled. As I picked up the wine jar and poured a drink for my friend, I hummed a poem to the moon and sang a phrase on its strange beauty. In a little while, the moon rose from the eastern hills and wandered across the sky between the Archer and the Goat. White dew settled over the river..."  

                                                                                           (translation by Burton Watson, 1965)