Dean of Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs Anne-Marie Slaughter will deliver a lecture entitled "A New World Order, Part II: How to Fight Terrorism, Help Developing Countries and Govern the Global Economy" this week. Slaughter, a highly regarded expert on international law, was the founder and faculty director of the Harvard Colloquium on International Affairs and is currently the president of the American Society of International Law. (Wed., 4:30 p.m., Alumni House.)

The Amherst English Department and the Center for Creative Writing will co-sponsor authors Danzy Senna and May-lee Chai to speak on Feb. 25 and March 1, respectively. Senna's bestselling novel, "Caucasia," is about a young girl who must deal with familial disintegration in the face of racial tension. Chai will read from her debut novel, "My Lucky Face," which offers an examination of family life in contemporary Chinese society. (Wed., 4:30 p.m., Babbott Room and Tues., 4:30 p.m., Porter Lounge.)

Hip-hop artist Ursula Rucker is set to deliver a spoken-word performance at Smith College. Rucker, one of the premiere spoken-word artists in the music industry, is known for her poetry's soft-spoken eloquence and abrasive honesty. She has collaborated with groups such as The Roots and has performed throughout both the United States and Europe. (Fri., 8 p.m., Stoddard Auditorium.)

The Frugal Environmentalist group will host the first annual Northampton Environmental Film Festival at Smith College from Feb. 27 to 29. The scheduled films include "The Shaman Apprentice" and "We are Traffic!" on Friday, "In the Light of Reverence," "Culture Jam" and "Divining Mom" on Saturday and "This is Nowhere" and "Wilderness and Spirit: A Mountain called Katahdin" on Sunday. (McConnell Auditorium. Tickets $7 for general public and $5 for students at the door.)

Editor's Movie Pick of the Week

"The Passion of the Christ" is finally here-one of the most controversial films not only of the year but in the entire history of movie-making. Protest against the film, which stars James Caviezel ("The Count of Monte Cristo") as Jesus and Monica Bellucci (the "Matrix" series) as Mary Magdalene, began months ago, not only from Christian groups who disagree with Director Mel Gibson's interpretation of the last few hours of Jesus' life, but also from those who believe that the film unfairly blames the Jewish people for Jesus' death. Gibson himself is an ultraconservative Roman Catholic and adheres to an unusually strict interpretation of the New Testament. "The Passion" may or may not turn out to be worth the hype, but regardless, it's sure to extend the controversy that it's already provoked. And when's the next time you're going to be able to see a movie spoken entirely in two dead languages-Latin and Aramaic?