More than 40 people attended the launch of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Brantford campus’ new Hawk Talk and Trivia Night series on Tuesday, September 22, 2026.
The series aims to offer accessible, intellectually engaging experiences beyond the classroom setting. With an open invitation to residents, alumni, students, faculty and staff, Hawk Talk and Trivia Nights are intended to strengthen connections between the university and broader community.
“Hawk Talk and Trivia Night creates opportunities for people to connect with Laurier in a relaxed and welcoming environment,” said Tarah Brookfield, Dean of Laurier’s Faculty of Human and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Liberal Arts. “We’re excited to bring together students, local residents, alumni and employees to learn something new, meet new people and experience our campus as a hub for community engagement and lifelong learning.”
The first of three planned events, Tuesday’s gathering featured a discussion of the life and legacy of the late Dolly Parton and her ability to offer lessons in happiness, purpose and human connection.
To complement the event, representatives from Kids Can Fly were on site sharing information about its Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program, with a life-size cardboard cutout of the musical icon adding to the fun.
Led by Judy Eaton, a psychology professor at Laurier’s Brantford campus, the talk, titled, “Dolly’s Legacy of Love,” examined how the singer-songwriter’s life, work and lyrics offer insight into living with authenticity, integrity and compassion.
Eaton told attendees that while many psychology students take courses around mental illness, people who are struggling and how to help them, they also learn about positive psychology,
“A lot of the theories that we can use to help people who are struggling, can also be used to help people who are doing fine, do even better,” she said. “I find as I teach this course, as with any, in order to make the material come alive for students, I like to tie it to real people. Over the years, as I’ve taught this course, more and more of my case studies are Dolly because she’s sort of the poster child for positive psychology. And Positive psychology talks about things like gratitude, resilience and authenticity, and so she sort of exemplifies all of those things.”
Eaton then went on to explore Parton’s life and work the PERMA model of flourishing, which focuses on positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning and accomplishment.
Discussing Parton’s career, song lyrics, relationships and compassions for others, Eaton said that Parton doesn’t just teach people how to flourish, she shows them.
“She shows us how to flourish, she’s not telling us how to do it. She’s showing us by being such a great example and an exemplar. Her consistency makes her relatable and also respected, and I think that is what helps unite us,” said Eaton. “Her gifts go beyond politics, beyond culture, beyond personality, or even musical tastes. With all those touch points, we can all see Dolly through our own lens, but we’re still seeing the same thing because she’s so consistent. So if we were to ask what Dolly’s legacy would be, I think she’s already told us what it should be. That speech where she told us all to dream more and to learn more and to care more and to be more like Dolly? She’s told us how to use her legacy in a positive way.”
Following the roughly 30-minute talk, Laurier psychology students Helen Vinod and Serena Galamini, said they enjoyed the event.
Noting that the two had never met before as Vinod is in her fourth year and Galamini is in her third, the pair agreed they were happy to have attended the event.
“It was really nice because I got to meet Serena,” said Vinod. “I also thought the talk was really interesting, and I liked that it was short and sweet, and easy to understand.”
“I feel like we were super engaged the whole time,” added Galamini. “I would definitely come again.”
After a short break, attendees settled in for a friendly pop culture trivia competition. Participants were all smiles as they eagerly scribbled down their answers across four different categories, racking their brains for the right answers, though many were stumped along the way.
For those who may have missed the first Hawk Talk, the series continues on Tuesday, October 27 with a talk on horror films and society, and on Tuesday, December 1, with a discussion on democracy’s modern challenges.
Both events take place at the Belmont restaurant and café from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
