Kendall R. Phillips, professor of communication and rhetorical studies at Syracuse University, will present a lecture titled “This is how it ends. Everything goes: Heroes and Horrors in an Age without Hope.” The talk will focus on both horror and superhero movies, addressing how these films reflect current social, political, and economic contexts and invite audiences to think about the world and their place in it. It will be held Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium, and it is free and open to the public.
What does Halloween mean to you? Costumes, candy, and trick-or-treating? Hayrides, haunted houses, and horror stories? Penn State Berks will bring the truth to light on what many consider the most mysterious holiday of the year when the college presents “The Truth About Halloween” at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 25, in the Perkins Student Center Auditorium. This presentation is free and open to the public.
Penn State Berks will hold its Fall Fest on Friday, Oct. 21. The event has two-parts — a "family fun" program from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Perkins Plaza and the ‘witching hour’ haunted tours for adults from 7 to 10 p.m.
Velvet Brown, 2022-23 Penn State Laureate, will visit Penn State Berks and give a live presentation at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24. The event, which will take place in the Perkins Student Center Multipurpose Room, is free and open to the public.
"Gender and Domestic Violence: Contemporary Legal Practice and Intervention Reforms," a new book edited and authored by Brenda Russell, professor of psychology at Penn State Berks, and John Hamel, licensed clinical social worker, practitioner, researcher, and editor-in-chief of the journal Partner Abuse, presents empirical research findings and reform recommendations for prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, policymakers, and intervention providers with the aim of rectifying shortcomings in legal and law enforcement responses to domestic violence.
The Penn State Berks kinesiology department is putting out a call for local sport and fitness teams that would like the opportunity to complete free performance assessments, ranging from biomechanics to physiology to strength and conditioning. This opportunity is open to high school and college teams and local clubs.
The Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction recently hosted the first annual Substance Use Disorder Stigma Reduction Summit at University Park. The event brought in researchers, practitioners and government partners from across the nation to consider research, policy and practice around the issue of stigma reduction in numerous fields like criminal justice and healthcare.
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.
