For immediate release: Oct. 31, 2011

BLOOMSBURG — “Reel Big Bullies,” a program on the negativity of bullying and its role in society, will be presented Monday, Nov. 7, from 7:30 to 9 p.m.in Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania’s Andruss Library, Schweiker Room. The event, sponsored by the Fredrick Douglass Institute for Academic Excellence, a BU Living Learning Community, is free and open to the campus community.

According to Brian Johnson, director of the Frederick Douglass Institute, the lecture will incorporate clips from Hollywood blockbusters like “Knocked Up,” “The Emperor’s New Groove” and “Benchwarmers” to help students understand the toll bullying can take on its victims and to encourage them to stand up for their classmates who are being harassed.

“American movies have long utilized bullying themes to entertain audiences,” said Johnson. “This has fueled the ‘bullying as normal’ belief and has created a bystander culture where we are voyeurs who lack the skills to stand up and take action against bullying.”

For more information on the event, contact Johnson at bjohnson@bloomu.edu.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 10,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Education, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.