Fall lectures in Cazenovia and Manlius combines classroom and community

In cooperation with the Cazenovia Public Library and the Manlius Public Library, Cazenovia College has announced the 13th season of its Faculty Library Lecture Series: “Great Minds/Great Ideas.” The 2016-17 series features noted faculty members from Cazenovia College whose topics cover the breadth and depth of the liberal arts — from ancient Greece to the invention of photography to 20th century interior design to today’s Common Core educational standards.

Ample time for questions and conversation follow each presentation.

The first lectures will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13. Sarah Cross, assistant professor, photography, will present “Photography, Memory and Loss” at the Cazenovia Public Library, while Dr. Nancy Barno Reynolds, assistant professor, education, will present “The (Hidden) Agenda of Common Core and the Reign of King John: A Critical Look at Language Use and Positioning in an Era of Accountability” at the Manlius Library.

The next lectures in the series will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18, with Cross and Reynolds giving their respective lectures again at opposite libraries. Cross will speak at the Manlius Library and Reynolds will speak at the Cazenovia Public Library.

Since its invention, photography has been inextricably bound to death due to its tangible link to what has been. The photograph has and continues to function in multiple ways, as a trace, as memorial and as witness to what stood before the lens. In her lecture “Photography, Memory and Loss,” Cross will examine both the theoretical connection of photography to death and loss as seen in the writings of Roland Barthes and Susan Sontag, as well as the works of photographers who create art as a way to grieve.

The creation of the Common Core State Standards in 2010 sparked mixed reactions from the public. Parents were led to believe that schools and teachers were failing, creating a desire for accountability. Students’ successes — and failures — might now be eradicated by supplying sequential and seemingly comprehensive curriculum maps for learning, prepared instructions (modules) for teaching, and “more rigorous” standardized tests for assessing all students. However, stress for students and teachers subjected to the new agenda increased with alarming consequences. In her lecture “The (Hidden) Agenda of Common Core and the Reign of King John: A Critical Look at Language Use and Positioning in an Era of Accountability,” Reynolds will share how language and imagery were used to create an environment where excellence in education for all students was no longer promised.

The Cazenovia Public Library is located at 100 Albany St., Cazenovia, and the Manlius Library is located at 1 Arkie Albanese Ave., Manlius.

For more information, visit cazenovia.edu/greatminds or contact the Cazenovia Public Library at 655-9322; The Manlius Library at 682-6400; or the project director of the Cazenovia College Faculty Library Lecture Series, John Livermore, at 655-7232.