Upcoming Geek Speak at BHSU to explore the power of our perceptions

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Hailima Yates will hold an interactive presentation addressing the importance of our perceptions and how they shape our lives in the upcoming Geek Speak lecture "Recycling Perceptions." The discussion will take place Thursday, Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. at Jacket Zone store in downtown Spearfish and at 4 p.m. in Jonas Hall, room 110 at BHSU. Both events are free and open to the public.

Everything we do and the choices we make is affected by our perceptions. The upcoming Black Hills State University Geek Speak lecture will address the importance of our perceptions and how they shape our lives.

Hailima Yates, program assistant I with the BHSU University Advancement office, will hold an interactive presentation "Recycling Perceptions," to reveal how perceptions affect our relationships, and decision making.

Yates' presentation Thursday, Sept. 22, will "be the first Geek Speak to be presented at the Jacket Zone store in downtown Spearfish. She's scheduled to present at 11 a.m. in downtown Spearfish.  She will give her presentation on-campus at 4 p.m. in Jonas Hall, room 110. Both events are free and open to the public.

According to Yates, the source of everything that surrounds us comes from our views.

"The views we have - how we see ourselves and others - affect the way we treat ourselves and others, how we make connections, and what choices we make," says Yates.

Our views are constantly shaped by the environment, family, friends, religion, education and the media.

"Nowadays, the news and social media are on 24/7 so we have the access to information all the time," says Yates. "If we know what affects us, and how, we can be more aware of what mark we are leaving behind."

Yates believes that the choices we make tell a lot about how we feel about ourselves.

"People should realize that we are constantly evolving in order to be better and that no matter what we do, we impact the world around us," says Yates.

Yates' presentation will use illusions, brain teasers, videos, and images in a fun format to assist attendees to become aware of perceptions, where perceptions come from, and how they influence behaviors and attitudes.

The Geek Speak lecture series, sponsored by the BHSU University Honors program, features academic discussion and topics not normally discussed in the traditional classroom. The goal of the weekly lectures is to expose students to diversity within the disciplines.

For more information, contact Dr. Courtney Huse Wika, director of the University Honors Program and assistant professor of English, at 605-642-6918 or email Courtney.HuseWika@BHSU.edu.

In addition to the on-campus presentations, some Geek Speaks will also be presented at the Jacket Zone store in downtown Spearfish. The following on-campus Geek Speak presentations, which are held Thursdays at 4 p.m. in Jonas Hall, room 110, are scheduled for this semester:

  • Oct. 6, "LGBTQ+: Fleshing Out the Acronym," open discussion with Dr. William Cockrell, instructor of behavioral sciences, Dr. Lesleigh Owen, instructor of Sociology, and Terri Bruce, community member
  • Oct. 13, "I'm Like, Who Needs This Grammar Stuff?" Dr. Andrey Reznikov, associate professor of English
  • Oct. 20, "999 Mona Lisas in the Age of Digital Reproduction:  A Tribute to the Life & Work of Walter Benjamin," Dr. Tim Steckline, professor of speech
  • Oct. 27, "Lawyers, Home Runs, and Money: The Long and Ongoing Corruption of Professional Baseball, America's Past-its-Time," Dr. David Cremean, professor of English
  • Nov. 3, "Are We All Related? Race and the Embrace of The Other," Jace DeCory, assistant professor of history and American Indian Studies, and Dr. Tim Steckline, professor of speech
  • Nov. 10, "Violence Against Native Women Occurring at Epidemic Rates. What is Being Done?" Dr.  Nikki Dragone, assistant professor of English
  • Nov. 17, "Supersymmetry, Superstrings and the quest for the Theory Of Everything," Dr. Parthasarathi Nag, professor of math
  • TBA:  The University Honors Student Capstone Defense