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September 28, 2005

Value of clichés in language
topic of Livingston Lecture

Alexandre Kimenyi, professor of linguistics, ethnic studies and African languages, will discuss the importance of clichés in language and how the mind works when he delivers the John C. Livingston Annual Faculty Lecture at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 4 in the University Union Ballroom.

Kimenyi's talk, titled "The Cliché Paradox," will examine the double-edged sword of clichés. Although clichés contain preconceived ideas, Kimenyi says, they also play a crucial role in preserving a collective memory.

The talk will be followed by a reception.

The Livingston Lecture is among the most prestigious awards at Sacramento State. The lecture is named in honor of the late Jack Livingston, a respected Sacramento State government professor and faculty leader from 1954 to 1981, who is remembered as an inspiration to both faculty and students.

The annual lecture, organized by the Faculty Senate, recognizes a faculty member who has played an active role in the life of the University and has shown a strong commitment to students while remaining active in creative and scholarly activities.

Kimenyi, who joined the Sacramento State faculty in 1976, received the University's Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award in 1994. Among Kimenyi's many accomplishments on campus is the creation of the African Studies emphasis in Pan African Studies, which awards both a minor and a certificate in African Studies. On an international level, Kimenyi has been instrumental in organizing conferences on issues involving genocide, holocausts, refugees and survivors.