Harrisburg Region

This will be a 4-session Zoom discussion of the book: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande. You will need to obtain and read the book on your own. The class will cover two to three chapters of the book each week. In order to facilitate good discussion, specific discussion questions will be assigned in advance for each week. We encourage you to take part in all four sessions, do “homework” between sessions, and share your thoughts, concerns, and personal plans for the end of life with other participants.

Fueling your body with the proper nutrition and getting the right amount of daily exercise matters. Allie will present how nutrition and the level of activity directly influence your mental health.

When we wake up the first morning after retiring, we realize that we are no longer defined by the work we do. We ask ourselves, “Who are we now?” We need to find another identity and outlets that give us purpose. It is time to reflect on our skills and interests, and search for how that can be expressed in new ways. We can find meaning in deeper friendships, volunteering, service projects, continued learning, hobbies, or even part-time work. Any of these can bring us a purposeful identity. If we missed this opportunity in pre-retirement, the time to start is now.

The tides of the Bay of Fundy and other places around the world with massive tides: A discussion on how the tides work and why the Fundy tides are some of the highest in the world. How the motions of the sun, moon, and earth cause the tides and how some places have different types of tides.

Each week the instructor will choose four wonderful songs from the Great American Songbook to discuss. We will listen to each song by one singer, learn about the songwriter and the background behind the song, learn about the singer, and then listen to another incredible interpretation of the same song by another great singer, and then learn about that singer. 24 celebrations of amazing music.

The instructor will describe the Doomsday Clock and why it is so important. The dangers to civilization will be reviewed including what can be done about them.

Join us in watching (or re-watching) a series of classic Hollywood films. The instructor will select one film a week being shown on Turner Classic Movies (TCM). You will be given a schedule listing when the films will be shown (mostly at 6:00 pm or 8:00 pm). During the class session, Roger Godin will do a 45-minute presentation about the film, discussing the filmmakers, the stars, and the significance of the film in American film history. He will also analyze the film utilizing stills from the movies and clips of certain key scenes. A question and answer session will follow during which class participants can offer observations about the movie or ask questions.

A faith, a culture, and a political movement – Islam has represented all of these throughout history. Many Americans find the subject of Islam mysterious, even worrisome, as they reflect on the rise of terrorist movements across the globe. This two-part course seeks to promote a broad, objective understanding of the world’s second-largest religion. Among the topics to be covered are the life of its charismatic founder, the Prophet Muhammad; its core rituals and beliefs; its sectarian diversity; the rise and fall of Muslim power and influence, from the 7th through the 19th centuries; and the issues posed by a reinvigorated Islam today.

Get a jump on the holiday spirit as we explore the origins of many of the popular toys and games that brightened our childhood years (and those of our grandkids, too). From Barbie dolls and Teddy Bears to Legos and Lionel trains, they serve as wonderful emblems of creative inspiration and marketing genius. Bring your own favorites along, and share your own stories of why they meant so much back then and why they continue to evoke fond memories today!

This two-session course will explore the procedures of electing the American president in 2020, including the caucus and primary process leading up to the nominating conventions, the general election in November, and the vote of the Electoral College. The course will give special consideration to the Electoral College because of the possibility that the College can, as happened in 2016, select an individual for the presidency who did not receive the most votes in the general election.