From the People’s Temple to the Branch Davidians to Heaven’s Gate to NXIVM, cults have held the public’s fascination for decades. So how does an artist become a cult deprogrammer? Joseph Szimhart has been a cult information specialist since 1980. He will discuss his career when he visits Penn State Berks on Thursday, Oct. 20. This event is free and open to the public.
The new augmented reality exhibition has arrived at Penn State Berks and it sounds like something out of a science fiction movie. In reality, the "Zombie Ant Experience" is part interactive art installation, part teaching method that illustrates spore trajectories. Visitors are transformed, through augmented reality, into ants, living peacefully beneath the forest canopy. They are soon attacked by a simulated fungus, which turns them into “zombie” ants, who spread the fungus to other ants — all in an effort to extend the life of the fungus.
In observance of the American National Standard Institute’s World Standards Week in October, Penn State University Libraries is planning an afternoon of activities Oct. 12 with the theme “Imagine a World Without Standards.” The event will focus on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which project to address social imbalances, develop a sustainable economy and slow the rate of climate change.
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Penn State Berks will hold its 10th annual Latino Forum from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14. This special event is free and open to students from all Berks County high schools, and will be held live and also virtually.
The Penn State Berks Freyberger Gallery will present ‘The Magic Broccoli Forest,’ an immersive, interactive solo exhibition by Melbourne-based artist, Rosa Nussbaum, that explores themes of friendship and depression. The exhibit runs Oct. 10–28, with an opening reception on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m. This event is free and open to the public and light refreshments will be served.
Penn State Berks will host the traveling exhibit "With Open Heart and Open Arms: LGBTQ+ Cuban Refugees and the LGBTQ+ Community's Response to the Mariel Boatlift of 1980" in the Thun Library from 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10, until Oct. 17. The exhibit is sponsored on campus by the Penn State Berks DEIB Committee, The Rainbow Alliance student organization, and the Thun Library.
Penn State Berks will hold its annual Unity Day celebration, the largest diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) event at the college, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 7, on the Perkins Student Center lawn. This year’s theme is "Bring your home to Berks: Let's create our village." All Unity Day activities are free and open to the public.
Prospective students and their families are invited to a visitation program at Penn State Berks on Saturday, Oct. 8, in the Perkins Student Center, located just off Broadcasting Road in Wyomissing. The event is part of the University's "Penn State Day," in which Penn State campuses throughout the state host visitation programs during the months of September and October. Attendees must register in advance.
Penn State Berks alumni and family members of students are invited to the college’s annual Family and Homecoming Weekend, Friday, Oct. 7, to Sunday, Oct. 9. This year’s theme is "Home Sweet Homecoming."
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, Penn State Berks will hold its 10th annual Latino Forum from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. This special event is free and open to students from all Berks County high schools, as well as members of the local Hispanic and Latino community. There will also be a virtual option. Advanced registration is required.
