Three USC Alums Win Oscar Gold
Photo/AMPAS
Whitaker won for his extraordinary portrayal of Ugandan despot Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Sandel won for his 21-minute USC School of Cinematic Arts thesis film, West Bank Story, a finger-snapping musical modeled on West Side Story that involves competing Israeli and Palestinian falafel stands. Knoll was one of four visual effects artists who won for their work on Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.
Sandel gave an unusually eloquent acceptance speech, noted the Los Angeles Times. “To be able to get this award just goes to show that there are so many people out there that support the notion that when it comes to the situation between Israelis and Palestinians, hope is not hopeless,” Sandel said as he addressed the glamorous audience at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.
Whitaker also gave a memorable speech. In part, he said: “When I first started acting, it was because of my desire to connect to everyone. To that thing inside each of us. That light that I believe exists in all of us. Because acting for me is about believing in that connection, and it’s a connection so strong, it’s a connection so deep, that we feel it. And through our combined belief, we can create a new reality.”
Latest stories
- Professor's Analysis Followed in Prop. 8 Court Ruling February 9, 2012 7:52 AM
- Two USC Schools Go Mobile February 9, 2012 7:42 AM
- MSW Student Takes Leadership Role February 9, 2012 7:36 AM
-
For Journalists »
-
USC in the News
for 2/8/2012 »-
The Chronicle of Higher Education mentioned USC’s $6 billion fundraising campaign. The story noted that USC had already raised $1 billion in a “quiet phase,” including the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College.
The Guardian (U.K.) highlighted two major gifts to USC in a list of the 10 biggest philanthropic benefactors in America. The list included the $200 million naming gift from USC Trustee and alumnus David Dornsife and wife Dana Dornsife to the USC Dornsife College, and the $110 million gift from USC Trustee and USC Viterbi School alumnus John Mork and wife Julie to create the USC Mork Family Scholars Program.
The New York Times featured the USC U.S.-China Institute documentary “Assignment: China — The Week that Changed the World.” The documentary, part of a series, examines media coverage of the 1972 Nixon trip that reshaped U.S.-China relations after a quarter century of isolation and hostility. “People look back now and take it for granted that the outcome was preordained,” said the institute’s Mike Chinoy, who produced the documentary. Voice of America also featured the story.
Los Angeles Times featured the Oscar Senti-meter, a tool developed by the USC Annenberg School, Los Angeles Times and IBM that analyzes thousands of tweets about the Academy Awards nominees. The story noted that Mexican actor Demian Bechir received an enormous boost on Twitter the day of the nominations, with a total of 6,893 tweets mentioning him, a 47-fold increase from the day before. The story noted the tool uses language-recognition technology developed in collaboration with USC Viterbi School’s Signal Analysis and Interpretation Lab.
The Times of India (India) featured a three-day medical emergency training workshop organized in association with USC. At the workshop, held at GCS Medical College in India, 50 doctors and more than 100 paramedics learned how to improve emergency support systems. William Mallon of the Keck School of USC said that discussion topics included the use of portable ultrasonic devices to scan patients. “The ultrasound applications help physicians make accurate and timely decisions,” he noted. Daily News & Analysis (India) also featured the workshop.
-
-
Campus News
- Capital Connections
- USC faculty, staff and alumni in Washington, D.C., and Sacramento
- In Print
- New and recent books written or edited by USC faculty and staff
- Family Matters
- Achievements and awards
- Obituaries