Sigourney Weaver had to try hard not to alienate her attentive audience last night when speaking about the potential of a seemingly excruciatingly dull subject: science.

The event, ‘A Conversation with Sigourney Weaver, Facilitated by Steve Kroft,’ was held for a near-full house in Hendricks’s Chapel. Weaver, the famed actress of such movies as the ‘Alien’ series and ‘Ghostbusters,’ was interviewed by Kroft, editor and co-anchor of the CBS News magazine ’60 Minutes’ and a member of the Syracuse University Board of Trustees and an SU alumnus. The interview lasted about 45 minutes and focused around the topic of the image and issues of science in today’s society. The event was the cornerstone of ‘The Day of Discovery: A Life Sciences Celebration and Site Dedication Ceremony,’ a day of programming focused on the site dedication of the $107 million Life Sciences Complex. The building, which is part of The College of Arts and Sciences, is scheduled to be completed in 2008.

The main focus of the interview was Kroft questioning Weaver about the present condition of science and its different aspects. The two verbally sparred back and forth on different topics ranging from women in science, animal rights, natural resources, new power sources and the need for all scientists to collaborate together for the greater good of humanity.

‘(In today’s society) problems are not … what does A plus B equal, but (are) about the state of our planet,’ Weaver said. ‘We have to start thinking as Earthlings instead of just Americans.’

The event allowed the audience to get information about science from people who are not directly part of the scientific community, but still have an educated viewpoint on the subject, said Cathryn Newton, dean of The College of Arts and Sciences.

‘It was really important that we focus on the interface between the arts and the media and the science. (This purpose of the event) was to get an opportunity to hear a conversation between two public intellectuals that were not necessarily themselves scientists,’ Newton said. ‘(The whole program) is about the training of scientist to be sure, but it’s about much more than that. It’s about educating journalists and artists and the works.’

Unlike other events scheduled throughout the day, the interview was not directly about any issue of science, but more on the general feel of how it is perceived and what the future seems to hold for it. Even Weaver, who had observed most of the day’s activities, knew that her talk was going to be a lot less technical than some of the other events.

‘(I heard) that I was going to cap the event by talking about the greatest breakthroughs in science, and I cannot do that,’ Weaver said.

What Weaver could do, though, is explain the views on science that she has perceived through her work in the media. A self-proclaimed ‘science junkie,’ Weaver has often taken serious roles that allow her to be educated in today’s issues. The most noteworthy of these was the lead in 1988’s ‘Gorillas in the Mist: The Story of Dian Fossey,’ where Weaver, playing the role of the famous scientist, traveled to Rwanda to film and do her own work with the apes. Weaver was so moved by the plight of these animals and the country, that she recently went back to make an upcoming Animal Planet special, ‘Gorillas Revisited With Sigourney Weaver,’ about both of those topics.

‘I thought (the event) was wonderful,’ said Nancy Cantor, chancellor of SU. ‘It’s been an incredible day. We’ve had major symposiums, students that presented, faculty, some of the leading scientists in the nation and now we’ve had people from the arts and Hollywood talking about what science means.’

One of the main aspects of the night dealt with the issue of former Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers’ comment on women’s supposed lack of ability in the field of science and math. Weaver argued many times throughout the night that it may not be a lack of ability, but a lack of desire for science or personal confidence in the subject that is stopping many people from entering the field.

‘I thought what she said was true. I’m a biochemistry major, and I don’t know any other girls who are biochemistry majors,’ said Kristen Rachfal, a freshman biochemistry major. ‘There’s an issue trying to get other people if they are interested in it to switch over majors.’

Weaver also took some time before the interview to talk about her involvement with the American Heart Association’s ‘Go Red for Women’ Campaign. The campaign helps to raise money and spread awareness about heart disease.

‘Everyone has a heart, so everyone is vulnerable,’ Weaver said.

There was also a question and answer period at the end of the night, where audience members were able to ask Weaver or Kroft questions, as well as offer their own solutions to issues raised throughout the night.

‘(The event) was different than what I thought it was going to be,’ said Marci Henderson, a Syracuse resident. ‘I thought it was going to be more focused on the sciences, and really it was in fact an actress talking about her personal thoughts on life in general.’

Overall, the event seemed to be a very informative session on the present state of science and a good reflection on how the arts and sciences can be put together to form a stronger educational system.

‘When I look around this beautiful university, I feel how passionate people are,’ Weaver said. ‘You want students from humanities to movie into the life sciences, they’ll bring new solutions. And there will always be someone in the world who knows how to use a calculator.’

Published on April 26, 2006 at 12:00 pm