The Commons
TALK OF THE CLUB
Zoom and the Art of Proper Lighting
W
hen you come to an in-person Commonwealth Club event, what you see on stage has a story behind it. From the lighting and the sound projection to the screen behind the speakers and the placement of the chairs—it has all been put together by our staff and volunteers to ensure the best possible experience for the speaker and the audience— whether they’re in the room or watching and listening thousands of miles away. In the digital-only era, we also try to control as much of the presentation as possible, but some things are out of our control. Such as CNN’s automatic lighting. In early September, CNN’s chief media correspondent, Brian Stelter, was interviewed for a Club program by Mother Jones editor Clara Jeffery. Jeffery participated in the online program from her California home, while Stelter was in CNN’s New York City office, which he reported was practically empty. So few people were there, in fact, that the motionactivated lighting in his office turned off, and Stelter jokingly rolled his seat back and waved his arms in an attempt to activate the ceiling lights. You saw it here first.
below of Joe and his wife, retired judge Judi Epstein, in front of some fine outdoor dining. Our next door neighbors at legendary San Francisco restaurant Boulevard have expanded into outdoor dining so they can continue serving customers while also giving people the room to do so safely. The Club is pleased to offer them some virtual dining space, and we’re in conversations with other neighbors to find ways our building can help them safely reopen for business. Stay tuned.
Take a Number
O
ur home at 110 The Embarcadero in San Francisco has also been a good citizen lately. In July, the building’s Toni Rembe Rock Auditorium was used as a training space for Census workers, all socially distanced and wearing masks. And come November 3, our building will once again serve as a polling station. Both are apt uses for this 117-year-old civic institution.
Good Sidewalks Make Good Neighbors
T
he entrance to the Club’s beautiful waterfront home in San Francisco might be covered by a mural and all of its programming is taking place online, but our building is still a site for gathering and conversation—socially distanced, of course. Commonwealth Club Board member Joe Epstein recently visited the waterfront with his family, and his daughter snapped the picture
Joe and Judi Epstein pose before the Boulevard seating on the sidewalk in front of the Club’s headquarters. (Photo by Laura Rosenthal.)
LEADERSHIP OF THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB CLUB OFFICERS Board Chair Evelyn Dilsaver Vice Chair Martha Ryan Secretary Dr. Jaleh Daie Treasurer John R. Farmer President & CEO Dr. Gloria C. Duffy BOARD OF GOVERNORS Robert E. Adams Willie Adams John F. Allen Scott Anderson Dan Ashley Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman Harry E. Blount John L. Boland Charles M. Collins Dennis Collins Kevin Collins Mary B. Cranston LaDoris Cordell Susie Cranston Dr. Kerry P. Curtis Dorian Daley James Driscoll Joseph I. Epstein Jeffrey A. Farber Dr. Carol A. Fleming Leslie Saul Garvin Paul M. Ginsburg Hon. James C. Hormel Mary Huss Lata Krishnan John Leckrone Dr. Mary Marcy Lenny Mendonca Michelle Meow Anna W.M. Mok DJ Patil Donald J. Pierce Bruce Raabe Skip Rhodes Kausik Rajgopal Bill Ring Richard A. Rubin George M. Scalise Charlotte Mailliard Shultz Todd Silvia George D. Smith Jr. David Spencer James Strother Hon. Tad Taube
Marcel TenBerge Charles Travers Kimberly Twombly-Wu Don Wen Dr. Colleen B. Wilcox Brenda Wright Mark Zitter PAST BOARD CHAIRS AND PRESIDENTS * Past Chair ** Past President Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman* J. Dennis Bonney** John Busterud** (deceased) Maryles Casto* Hon. Ming Chin** Mary B. Cranston* Joseph I. Epstein** John Farmer* Dr. Joseph R. Fink** Rose Guilbault* Claude B. Hutchison Jr.** Dr. Julius Krevans** (deceased) Anna W.M. Mok* Richard Otter** Joseph Perrelli** Toni Rembe** Victor J. Revenko** Skip Rhodes** Renée Rubin** Richard Rubin* Robert Saldich* (deceased) Connie Shapiro** Nelson Weller** Judith Wilbur** Dennis Wu** ADVISORY BOARD Karin Helene Bauer Hon. William Bradley Dennise M. Carter Steven Falk Amy Gershoni Jacquelyn Hadley Heather Kitchen Amy McCombs Don J. McGrath Hon. William J. Perry Hon. Barbara Pivnicka Hon. Richard Pivnicka Ray Taliaferro Nancy Thompson
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020
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