Syracuse University Symposium: a look ahead at 'Listening'

The Syracuse University Humanities Center will host the annual Syracuse Symposium,  starting Thursday. This fall-wide event offers free presentations, talks, debates and exhibitions for the Syracuse community.

The first event features Misha Glouberman, a Harvard trained negotiator, a professor and an expert in theater improvisation. His talks often involve how human beings engage with each other, how to get along with people on every level and how to have an authentic presence and respect for others. He will speak on Thursday, Sept. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in 107 Hall of Languages.

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Misha Glouberman will be the opening speaker for the 2013 Syracuse Symposium, "Listening." His discussion will be at 7:30 p.m. Thursday in 107 Hall of Languages.

Dympna Callaghan is extremely excited to watch Glouberman’s opening lecture. Callaghan, a William L. Safire Professor in Modern Letters and also interim director of the SU Humanities Center, thinks that Glouberman’s presentation will blow all minds.

The following morning, Glouberman will also be available to talk to students at the Humanities Center, where free breakfast will be open to the public at 9:30 a.m. This event will not be a conventional lecture.

“We can ask anything we’d like,” Callaghan said. “He is a particular speaker able to involve with any audience.”

Through November, distinguished leaders from a variety of fields, including business, arts, religion and science, will come to Syracuse and engage in conversations about “listening.”

Callaghan explained on the university’s website that this year’s topic, “listening,” was proposed by the School of Education. She said that it’s important to uncover some important distinctions between hearing and listening; she believes we hear noise all of the time, but we rarely listen.

Each year, over 30 members of the Faculty Advisory Board collect opinions of staff and students to try and come up with a symposium topic that everyone will enjoy. It usually takes a year's worth of planning.

The symposium is divided into categories which include lectures, exhibitions and screenings, performances, readings, conferences, symposia and seminars.

Professor Callaghan can’t wait for the symposium to begin, and she encourages everyone to attend the events. All events are open to the public, and seek the engagement of the community. All events are free, unless otherwise noted.

Syracuse Symposium highlights

• Billy Collins, two-times U.S. Poet Laureate, speaking Wednesday, October 30
• Diane Ackerman, author of the Orion Book Award winner “The Zookeeper’s Wife”, speaking Tuesday, September 24
• Bhikkhu Bodhi, founder of Buddhist Global Relief, speaking Monday, September 16
• Carol Fadda-Conrey, Syracuse University English professor, speaking Saturday, October 26