The Big Read schedules second meeting; guest speaker

Attention F-M Big Readers: The F-M Community Big Read follow-up meeting will be held during the first week of January, and the organizers have lined up a special guest speaker for later in the month.  

In October, a group of Fayetteville-Manlius High School teachers and staff invited community members to join them in reading “How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success” by Julie Lythcott-Haims, which centers around supporting children in becoming independent and emotionally strong adults. 

The kickoff event featured an introduction of the book and its topic and included discussion to set the stage for the read.

Now, the group is ready to bring readers together for a second meeting, 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 7 at F-M High School, 8201 E. Seneca Turnpike, Manlius. Participants will break up into small discussion groups and share their thoughts about the first 11 chapters. Participants can RSVP online

Guest speaker invited

Big Read organizers have also lined up a special guest speaker for 6:30-8 p.m. Jan. 21 in the F-M High School auditorium. In November, Dr. Kevin Antshel presented to F-M staff on the topic of student stress and anxiety. He  plans to share similar messages during his January talk with the community, focusing on the mental health and well-being of students.

Antshel is a Syracuse University psychology professor and director of its Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program. He also is an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He plans to cover such topics as:

  • The differences between stress and anxiety;
  • Why anxiety is on the increase;
  • The emphasis on performance outcomes and perfectionism;
  • Overprotective adults; and
  • Social media.

Both Big Read events are free. For more information, visit The Big Read website.