His student’s papers and their love affair with cliches initiated the topic of Tuesday’s 33rd Annual Livingston Lecture given by Prof. Alexandre Kimenyi in the University Ballroom.

The cliche “if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, than it must be a duck” appeared over 15,000 times over the course of his research, Kimenyi said.

The Livingston Lecture, named after the late Sacramento State Government Professor, John C. Livingston, honors a distinguished member of the faculty who has displayed a special commitment to fellow colleagues, former students and to the governance of the university.

The Livingston Lecture recipient is chosen by the Faculty Senate and receives a $1,500 award.

John Livingston’s wife, Ethel Livingston, was present at the event and spoke of her husband contributions to the University.

“He couldn’t see leaving a college that was looking ahead,” Ethel said. She said her husband put time and effort into changing the University for the better and was “always looking to stimulate and give the students a voice.”

Kimenyi said he read the New York Times everyday for two years, compiling hundreds of famous cliches in preparation for the lecture.

Kimenyi, who is a professor of Linguistics, Ethnic Studies, and African Languages at Sacramento State, was praised for his outstanding teaching by by Ric Brown, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.

Brown said that Kimenyi was chosen to give the lecture because of his constant pursuit of excellence in his personal and public life in addition to his scholarly achievements.

“His community service reaches outside the university boundaries,” Brown said.

Kimenyi’s speech explored everything from the yin and the yang features of cliches to how they can affect people’s way of thinking.

“What makes cliches so popular is because they use very powerful metaphors,” Kimenyi said.

Metaphors help people understand concepts better because metaphors can help conjure the imagery of the events, Kimenyi said.

“Sky-rocketing prices,” “to gouge someone’s eye out,” and “to love another’s head off” are cliche metaphors that Kimenyi described as vivid.

Kimenyi cited contrast cliches such as “deafening silence,” and “an honest mistake” as well as expressive cliches like “skin deep” and “crystal clear.”

A couple in the front row kissed when Kimenyi said the cliche “love at first sight.”

Kimenyi said some cliches like “the dark African” are toxic and only based on myths, while others are a necessary part of society and help guard the collective memory.

“When we compare the brain to the computer, the computer has more space ?” that’s why we have to use cliches,” Kimenyi said. “It is about how we are able to do more with less.”

A native of Rwanda, Kimenyi came to the United States in 1971 as a Fulbright Fellow to pursue graduate studies at UCLA. He had intentions of returning to his country and contributing to its development, but the 1994 Tutsi genocide killed his family.

Kimenyi has been teaching in the Ethnic Studies Department at Sacramento State since 1976. He received his Ph.D. in linguistics from UCLA. Kimenyi created the Pan African Studies emphasis for minors and majors in the African Studies Department. He has also been awarded the Sacramento State 1994 Outstanding Scholarly Achievement Award, another of the University highest honors.

Professor John C. Livingston was the first to perform the lecture in 1959 under the title “Distinguished Faculty Convocation Address.” In 1986, the award was renamed after Livingston who is remembered for his leadership and the development of the character of the governance on the Sacramento State campus.

Cristy Jensen, Faculty Senate chairwoman, said that the annual intellectual event provides an opportunity to come together and honor a colleague.