Three Westminster Professors Presented Papers

Delores Natale, lecturer of public relations, Dr. Suzanne Prestien, assistant professor of English and public relations, and Dr. Richard Sprow, professor of English, recently attended the 17th annual meeting of the Far West Popular Culture Association in Las Vegas.

The "Images of Popular Culture in Film and Literature" panel was moderated by Sprow.  This panel heard Prestien present "It's Better to Burn Out Than It Is to Rust: Rock N' Roll Biopics and the Making of Modern Mythology," which examined several film versions of rock and roll singers' lives, examining the way in which film mythologizes real life. 

The panel also received a presentation, "From Typist to Tyrant: Film's Portrayal of Women in Journalism," from Natale.  This paper studied several film depictions of female journalists and examined the differences in the ways they were treated compared to male journalists.

Sprow presented "Louisville Sluggers, Tight Ends, and the Full Nelson: Images of Sports in John Irving."  This paper showed examples of sports imagery in several Irving novels and examined the importance of sports as a theme in his fiction.

Natale, who has been with Westminster College since 2001, earned her undergraduate degree from Westminster College. Contact Natale at (724) 946-7349 or e-mail nataleda@westminster.edu for more information.

Prestien, who has been with Westminster College since 1997, earned her undergraduate degree from Kent State University, her master's from the University of Toledo, and her Ph.D. from Case Western Reserve University.  Contact Prestien at (724) 946-7029 or e-mail prestos@westminster.edu for more information.

Sprow, who has been with Westminster College since 1976, earned his undergraduate degree from St. Lawrence University, and his master's and Ph.D. from Purdue University.  Contact Sprow at (724) 946-7346 or e-mail rsprow@westminster.edu for more information.

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