Last week at the inaugural 2015 Fresno State Talks, lecturer Jes Therkelsen talked about “The stories we weave, the stories we believe, and the stories we leave behind.” A conversation on the entirety of human knowledge is based around our brain’s ability to think and remember in narrative structure. After nourishment and love, it seems as though a need to tell and hear stories is essential in any culture. We learn, understand, and recall knowledge in story form and this talk explores our most basic means for sharing and interpreting life’s experiences and discoveries.
This week, Dr. Ignacio Hernández & Dr. Susana Hernández, will be discussing “Degrees of Connection: Familia, Educación, and Success.” Where they will discuss how marching along the higher education landscape in the United States has afforded each of us opportunities to earn multiple college degrees while involving our parents and families in the process. In this talk they will dialogue with the audience to share their stories-individually and collectively. Given Fresno State’s designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution, audience members will have an opportunity to learn about our personal journeys, how perceived deficits have in fact served as assets, and a call to action to continue advancing student success.
This is a free and open event to all students, there will be a reception before the event at 6:30 p.m. followed by the talk at 7 p.m. in the Satellite Student Union. If you have any questions regarding Fresno State Talks, or need any assistance for the event be sure to call Student Involvement at (559)278-2741 or email the department at getinvolved@csufresno.edu.
And be sure to not miss the final Fresno State Talk next Thursday, February 26, with Dr. Sergio La Porta. Discussing, “Who Cares? Genocide, Historical Memory, and Moral Responsibility.” 2015 marks the centenary of the Armenian Genocide in which approximately 1.5 million Armenians were killed and countless others sent into exile by the Young Turk regime of the Ottoman Empire. This talk will explore how the Armenian Genocide represents a pivotal moment in the making of modernity, and thus constitutes an essential part of who we are as a world civilization today. It will also foreground the challenges the Armenian Genocide, along with other genocides, pose to our post-modern perspective which often views conflict as a series of competing narratives.