On Thursday September 26th Stockton hosted a convocation with guest speaker Mary Roach. Roach is the author of multiple science based books including Stiff and this year’s required freshmen reading, Spook. At the convocation Mary Roach discussed a wide variety of topics ranging from the disputed ending to her book, the perks of being curious, and even some interesting facts about hyenas. Roach used a combination of comedy, inspirational advice, and a wide variety of intriguing subjects to keep the audience attentive and entertained.

During the extended question and answer session Roach discussed the premise behind her book stating, “It wasn’t a book to say there’s no such thing as the afterlife.” Many readers, including fellow students, have questioned the purpose behind her book. At the convocation I believe she made it clear that her book was not about finding an answer to a seemingly unanswerable question so much as investigating the beliefs and methods of others in a simple attempt to learn more about that which we know very little. Roach claimed that she is a very curious person by nature and is constantly questioning how things work and where they come from. With this notion in mind, Spook makes more sense. After hearing her discuss her curious nature and the intent of her book, claims made by students that the book did not make sense and went off on tangents seem invalid.

In my opinion, this book was not written to prove or disprove the afterlife; however, it was simply Roach’s investigation of the methods and opinions of professionals in the field, believers and skeptics. Many people expected her to give a clear answer on whether or not she believed in the afterlife and were upset by her statement at the end of the book. At the convocation she stated, “I don’t want to be in a world with no possibility of ghosts.”  Her statement at the end of Spook reaffirms the fact that her book was written with the idea of acquiring knowledge and still choosing to believe in what makes people comfortable or happy. Overall the convocation was an informative, entertaining, and eye opening experience.