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Building community through knowledge is a big part of what staff at the Cardinal Cushing Library does, and the Thursday Thoughts series has become a focal point of that activity in recent years.
The weekly event series launched in 2020 as a way for the library staff to continue community programming during the pandemic. It caught on, and has become a hub for showcasing the best of Emmanuel.
“We try to bring people together through ideas, and provide some cross-disciplinary learning,” said Associate Dean of Library and Learning Resources Karen Storin Linitz. “It’s also usually online, so it’s a little more accessible for everyone.”
The focus of the hourlong event varies from week to week. It can include faculty leading a discussion about research or students sharing a recently completed project. Sometimes it’s both; this was the case for a recent Thursday Thoughts titled #OptOutside: Connecting with Nature in an Increasingly Mediated World.
The event was the result of several fortunate coincidences—the type that tend to happen in a tight-knit community.
It started with a train ride and chance meeting between colleagues. Associate Librarian for Reference, Instruction, and Outreach Diane Zydlewski sometimes rides the same commuter rail as Associate Professor/ Coordinator of Communications and Media Studies Dr. Mark Flynn.
They started talking, and Dr. Flynn mentioned he’s finalizing a research manuscript about how people perceive nature and technology. He’d interviewed more than 50 adults who identified as “moderate” to “enthusiastic” nature enjoyers in an effort to unpack what they consider nature and where to find it.
It’s an interest that dated back to the pandemic. The 2020 zeitgeist had a strong element of “nature: good, technology: bad,” and Dr. Flynn decided to take a closer look.
Some of the results were surprising: Just over half of respondents (52%) defined nature as a wilderness setting, accessed through weekend getaways to places such as the White Mountains. Dr. Flynn once held a similar view, but was intrigued by more nuanced perspectives—such as the 15% who said nature is where you find it—even in a city like Boston.
“This project really forced me to reconsider what nature is,” said Dr. Flynn. “I was seeking those wilderness experiences and viewing nature as something to test your will and drive; I see the value in that, but there are a lot of different categories of experiences.”
The discussion was of great interest to Zydlewski, who produces the Thursday Thoughts series. She offered Dr. Flynn a spot on the schedule. He accepted and quickly recognized an opportunity to spotlight a relevant production from a recent film class.
Titled Reclaiming Time, the documentary short examines challenges of reconnecting with nature in an increasingly tech-driven world. The story is told by three student filmmakers—Avaleigh Cunningham ’25, Dafne Burgos ’26, and Mariam Hoblos ’26—who discussed the topic with experts at the Arnold Arboretum and Muddy River.
“We knew we wanted to focus on nature, because that’s where we feel the most relaxed and at peace,” said Burgos. “We wanted to show how it’s possible to balance nature and technology.”
The film was inspired by Dr. Flynn’s “Ethics in Documentary Film” course, which requires examining a social issue through that medium. They brought the idea to Dr. Flynn—completely unaware he was conducting relevant research—and he suggested resources to help them get started. The students were first-time filmmakers, and they appreciated Dr. Flynn providing support and guidance to keep things on track.
“We didn’t know exactly where the story was going, and Dr. Flynn compared it to a train,” said Cunningham. “He said we didn’t need to know at the beginning where the train will end up; it’s a process and things will keep changing.”
The film dovetailed perfectly with the technology aspect of Dr. Flynn’s research, which explores if technology can be helpful in connecting with nature. Idealization is often an issue with portrayals of nature in media, but 81% of people he interviewed said it’s better than nothing. The documentary short seems to take a silent position on that question, with the closing scenes lingering over nearby natural beauty after the narration ended.
Two of the student filmmakers were among the 70 people who attended the screening. They received a great deal of virtual applause from the audience and fielded questions afterward.
“It made me feel proud of myself and the group—seeing people appreciate our hard work,” said Hoblos.
Dr. Flynn said the students did a great job. He was grateful for their participation and to Zydlewski for facilitating that opportunity to shine.
“That presentation was an added learning experience for them,” said Dr. Flynn. “As a communication professor, I was so delighted to see them enthusiastically take on this challenge and to present in such an insightful and effective manner.”
Interesting stories are at the heart of Thursday Thoughts, and Zydlewski makes a point of reaching out across campus to seek them out. But sometimes things come together organically, through community.
“I think that’s one of the ways Emmanuel stands out,” said Zydlewski.
Thursday Thoughts is hosted weekly during the school year, and usually starts at 12:30 p.m. The events are open to all, but registration is required. Visit the events page of the Emmanuel website for more information about upcoming Thursday Thoughts.
