Everyone has a story to tell, said Dr. Raymond Lauk, EKU education professor. Stories that help us think, those that inspire and others that relate common experiences. Lauk is the host and curator of a monthly storytelling event called, Talking out of School: Stories that celebrate teaching, learning, and growing, that will be held Monday, November 15, 7 p.m. at Apollo’s Pizza in downtown Richmond.
Headlining the November 15 event is Frank Romero, a decorated Vietnam veteran, artist and educator who completed a 750-mile, three-month walk across New York State to bring attention to veterans' issues, especially the problems of homeless and PTSD.
The purpose of the storytelling event is to help the audience have a deeper understanding and appreciation of those around them. It is open to anyone in the EKU and Richmond communities.
“I hope that audience members learn that we all have stories to tell and share about our experiences,” Lauk said. “Those experiences have value, are important and bring meaning to our lives. Audience members often identify with a storyteller’s experience — and that tells them they are not alone in their struggle.”
One example of shared experience is from a professor who spoke at an event earlier this semester.
“Undergraduate students in the audience heard a faculty member with a Ph.D. talk about her early undergraduate college experiences that almost resulted in failing out of school. But she persevered and is a university professor now,” Lauk said.
Lauk is a storyteller and stand up comic who trained at the Second City Theatre in Chicago. He spent his professional career in the Illinois public school system, serving as superintendent before joining the EKU faculty in 2019. He started the Talking out of School storytelling event to help reflect the full diversity of the campus community.
“It is the purest form of communication practiced by human beings that connects us, touches our hearts and facilitates understanding,” he said.