Unique ‘fireside’ talks by SUNY Fredonia faculty set at Westfield library
Patterson Library in Westfield will host monthly "Faculty at the Fireside" talks by faculty from the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Presentations by five faculty members from SUNY Fredonia will be held in, “Faculty at the Fireside,” a unique five-part lecture series at Patterson Library in Westfield on the fourth Tuesday of each month, beginning in January.
“Public libraries, in general, are about discourse, conversation and sharing knowledge, and SUNY Fredonia is a wonderful regional resource that we have,” explained Library Director Megan Hegna. She developed the series so the library can provide opportunities for area residents to interact with people who are scholars in their respective fields of study.
The series, free and open to the public, will be held in the library’s reading room, beginning on Tuesday, Jan. 24 with Dr. Hegna’s talk, “Evolution & Creationism,” at 4 p.m.
“The debate between evolution and creationism looms large in the public consciousness and a number of ramifications ranging from education to medicine,” Hegna said. “In this lecture, I will briefly explore what evolution is, and what everyday observations support it.” The implications of a sound understanding of evolution for the evolution and creationism conflict will be explored in the Q/A session.
Department of Biology Associate Professor Courtney Wigdahl-Perry, an aquatic ecologist, will present the Feb. 28 lecture at 4 p.m., on algae, a plant-like organism of increasing concern in Chautauqua Lake.
In addition to Dr. Hegna and Dr. Wigdahl-Perry, individual presenters and their lectures include: Department of Communication Associate Professor Roslin Smith, “Classical Hollywood Narrative Cinema;” Department of Psychology Associate Professor Darrin Rogers, “Sexual Aggression and Sexual Offenders: Research-based Facts” and Adjunct Lecturer Emeritus of World Languages and Cultures Diane Everett, “Yoga is for Everyone.”
Ms. Smith will help attendees discover how to “read a film” by examining a plethora of basic shots that are the filmmaking building blocks. Clips from movies, such as “The Great Escape,” “Cool Hand Luke” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” will be examined and discussed in her talk on March 28 at 5 p.m.
“Many facts about sex offenders and sexual aggression are not quite what the public has been led to believe,” Dr. Rogers explained. Research has been transforming what is known about these subjects over the last 50 years. In his talk, on May 23, at 5 p.m., Rogers will share what information has been discovered. Some information will surprise, he noted, and some information certainly won’t.
A brief talk about yoga and the various styles that exist will be given by Ms. Everett on April 25 at 5 p.m. “I’ll also talk about the benefits of yoga for health and well-being, as well as fitness,” she said. Attendees will be invited to participate in a yoga class following Everett’s remarks. Those who choose not to participate are invited to watch.
