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Under the Arch October 11, 2004 Volume VI, Number 7
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WASHABAUGH LECTURE TO EXAMINE DECLINE IN LITERARY READING Do Americans read “enough” literature? A noted researcher and expert in the field will offer her thoughts during a guest lecture at Gannon University. Dr. Karin L. Dahl will be the featured speaker for the 2004 Washabaugh Lecture at Gannon. She will discuss the findings of Reading at Risk, a comprehensive assessment of American literary reading trends issued by the National Endowment for the Arts. Dahl also will present arguments why literary reading remains critical for American society. Dahl’s lecture is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21 in room 104 of Zurn Science Center, 143 West Seventh Street. The lecture is free and open to the public. “Dr. Dahl’s work promoting literacy, especially with children, is fundamental for any civilized society,” said John T. Young, associate professor and chairperson of the English Department at Gannon University. “We have much to learn from her.” Gannon’s annual Washabaugh Lecture focuses on a topic related to language and literature. The lectures are endowed by the late Honorable and Mrs. William B. Washabaugh, Jr. in honor of their son. For more information on the lecture, call the English Department at 871-7725 or 871-7528.
More about Reading at Risk Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, located in Washington, D.C., wrote the preface of the report. Gioia notes that Reading at Risk is “not a report that the National Endowment for the Arts is happy to issue” because it presents a “bleak assessment of the decline of reading’s role in the nation’s culture.” According to Gioia, Reading at Risk is a survey of national trends in adult literary reading. While it offers a comprehensive look at the reading patterns of more than 17,000 adults in most major demographic groups, Gioia notes that its conclusions largely can be summarized in a single sentence: “Literary reading in America is not only declining rapidly among all groups, but the rate of decline has accelerated, especially among the young.” Among the report’s findings:
In large part, the decline appears to be based on what Gioia terms a “massive” societal shift toward electronic media for entertainment and information. “Reading a book requires a degree of active attention and engagement,” he writes. “By contrast, most electronic media such as television, recordings, and radio make fewer demands on their audiences, and indeed often require no more than passive participation. “Even interactive electronic media, such as video games and the Internet, foster shorter attention spans and accelerated gratification,” he concludes. More information is available at http://www.nea.gov.
More about Dr. Karin L. Dahl Dahl earned a doctorate from the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University, where her areas of academic concentration were language education and composition. Dahl has served as an elementary and secondary school teacher and as a researcher at Ohio State University. Much of her work has focused on investigating the literacy development of inner-city children and documenting the children’s experiences. She has trained teachers in Uzbekistan and Thailand in areas such as critical thinking methods for reading and writing. Dahl has authored four books. Her honors include receiving the Distinguished Researcher Award, given by the National Conference on Research in Language and Literacy. Dahl is one of only 11 researchers to have received the award.
OUR FOLKS Please remember all in your prayers as regretfully we announce the death of:
OUR EVENTS
CURRENT BIRTHDAYS Joanne Carlburg. Kathy Lieb. Deborah Nellis. Ram Sundaram. Mary Vagula. Connie Stahon. Albert Richey. Judith Mochoskay. Curtis Waite. Susan Carnes. Matthew Wolford. Cindy Mancini. Mary Bruck. Julie Fitzpatrick. Sister Min-Shik Kim. Dana Kosko. Chet LaPrice. Christine Lundt. Kathy MacMurdy. Ann Oshlick. Barbara Roberts. Robert Rawding. Nick Pronko. Nicholas Madjerick. Tim Laher. Mary Draghi. Michael Latzer. Christine Rudzinski. Patricia Marshall.
THE PRESIDENT'S SCHEDULE Monday, October 11 – Business Ambassadors’ Breakfast; Liberal Studies Forum. Friday, October 15 – Council of Independent Colleges and Universities Executive Committee Meeting. Saturday, October 16 – GLIAC football: Gannon vs. Indianapolis; Gannon University Scholarship Celebration.
HEARD ON CAMPUS
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