MONT ALTO, Pa. ― Penn State Mont Alto will host an Evening Talk and Star Party beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 9 in the General Studies Auditorium, with David Seitz, Mont Alto associate professor of communications, presenting “Speaking to the Heart: The Rhetorical Appeal of Pathos.” Following the talk, Kimberly Herrmann, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, will lead a “moonless” star party from 8:45 to 10 p.m. in the Perry field between Orchard Drive and the General Studies Building parking lot. Both the talk and star party are free and open to the public.
“Per Aristotle, emotions like fear, anger, joy and love, can be excellent motivators. Thus, when it comes to effective speech, a good rhetorician knows how to display appropriate passion and, through her or his words, put listeners into an emotional state that makes them more receptive to certain information, ideas and arguments,” said Seitz.
Among other things, Seitz’s talk will explain how to harness the power of pathos ethically and defend oneself against unethical manipulations of emotion.
The star party will include telescope viewing and night sky tours with green laser pointers. Multiple telescopes should be available, courtesy of the TriState Astronomers (www.tristateastronomers.org), a local amateur astronomy club.
If the skies are cloudy, a planetarium show will be held instead in the Multipurpose Activities Center’s Multipurpose Room from 9 to 10 p.m.
For more information, contact Debra Collins, director of public relations and marketing at 717-749-6112 or email [email protected].
