Maine Senior College Network news & updates

January 2023

January 2023

Happy New Year to you all. Please dive into this issue and sign up for some great lectures and classes! York County SC and Penobscot Valley SC currently have some excellent lectures rolling out via Zoom. And, if you live near Brunswick, Midcoast SC has organized in-person lectures that you can join. If you would like more details on these events, please take a look at the information below.


This issue will also give you an overview of all the senior college winter classes around the network. There are still openings in many courses, and it is always fun to see what is available across Maine. You may pick up ideas for future classes! Many of our instructors are open to teaching via Zoom or traveling to nearby colleges. Please let me know if you want to contact a particular instructor.


Anne Cardale

Program Director

Maine Senior College Network

Wikimedia Image:

Love of Winter

George Bellows

Newsletter Menu

Please scroll down the page to see each article!


Learn Comfortably with OLLI

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York County Senior College

Gary Sullivan Lecture Series

Winter 2023

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Penobscot Valley Senior College

One-Day Presentation:

Where have all the Birdies Gone?

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OLLI Social Events & Popups!

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Midcoast Senior College present: Winter Wisdom Lecture Series 2023 (in person)  

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MSCN Winter 2023

Links to online catalogs

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Book Review

by Pat Davidson Reef:

The Light We Carry

by Michelle Obama


Stay up to date!


Click on the blue box links below!

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Visit our website
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OLLI at the University of Southern Maine


Learn Comfortably with OLLI

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: It is the time for home.”

Edith Sitwell

Comfort is a concept that has two variations: to bring cheer and to provide consolation. The idea applies to human relationships as well as our physical environment. Comfort also connects to our core concept of home; physical comfort in our domestic spaces was vastly improved in the mid-1700s when the Earl of Chesterfield commissioned an upholstered sofa where people could lounge together. Before that time, most people sat on movable benches or chairs, which would be moved closer to windows for light or huddled near the fireplace during cold times, with comfort coming mostly in the form of human companionship and body heat. We now associate home with joy, safety, and well-being.


This winter, we have the best of both worlds—the connection and companionship of Zoom to bring us together and the convenience and comfort of learning from home. On even the coldest day, you can participate as you wrap yourself in a cozy sweater and wear your warm slippers. There is still time to register for one of our Winter Session courses or workshops, which will help to fill your days with conversation and ideas to challenge your perception of the world. More than one course celebrates good books and thoughtful writing, and Steve Urkowitz’s course on Romeo and Juliet will warm your heart as well. And don’t forget to check our website for news about social pop-ups to bring laughter and delight to your evenings.


This January, we understand the Paul Theroux quote “Maine is a joy in the summer. But the soul of Maine is more apparent in the winter.” Experience that soul by enjoying the winter landscape and by joining other Mainers through our programs.


Donna Anderson - OLLI


OLLI at the University of Southern Maine



Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Walter Crane - Woman Seated on a Sofa

York County Senior College present


GARY SULLIVAN LECTURE SERIES

WINTER 2023

(All lectures to be presented via ZOOM, on Wednesdays at various times)

YCSC Gary Sullivan Lecture Series 2023 is scheduled to begin Wednesday, January 11, via ZOOM.


The seven lectures, covering seven eclectic topics, will be on Wednesdays in January, February, and March at varying times of the day.


For more details about each lecture plus registration, please go to YCSC Course Storm.


The registration fee is $25 for the entire series!

First lecture

January 11 - 4:00 pm


Music of the 50's and 60's

with Lorraine Dutile Masure.  


Come explore and reminisce about the music of this important period which changed the music in so many ways: the birth of Rock and Roll, folk music, love ballads, doo-wop, country music, and Heavy Metal. Much of this music still has a great dea of influence today, transcending many generations.


Images Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

York Harbor, Coast of Maine

&

The Original Juke Box Company

York County Senior College

Penobscot Valley Senior College:


One-Day Presentation

"Where have all the Birdies Gone?"

Presenter: Barbara Snapp

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

"Where have all the Birdies gone?"

Presented by Barbara Snapp, Ph. D. Biology, Cornell University

Since 1970, we have lost 1 in 4 birds across the globe. In Maine, some of the biggest declines have occurred among wood thrushes, white-throated sparrows, and rusty blackbirds. What has caused the losses? Why are some species more affected than others? What is the role of climate change? And last but not least, what can be done to reverse the trend?


Barbara Snapp has taught and researched in science for over 45 years since receiving her PhD in biology from Cornell University. Her research focused on the ecological and evolutionary adaptiveness of life – especially the ecology and behavior of birds. She enjoys interweaving basic themes to build a multidimensional understanding, and bring science into human life, history, and culture.


This free talk is part of Penobscot Valley SC's one-day Presentations on Zoom series.


Registration

MSCN sister college members

Members of other senior colleges should email Sheila and leave their name and contact information, including mailing address, email address, phone number, and the name of their college. PVSC Membership fees will be adjusted

PVSC Members may register online, email or call 207-659-1359.


Zoom links for each event will be emailed two days prior and on the day of each presentation.


Penobscot Valley Senior College website


Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Lin Liang "Birds in Bushes"

OLLI at USM

OLLI Social Events & Popups!

Free to attend, but you must register.

For a list of January 2023 social activities, please visit the MSCN What's Happening web page

You will be able to access a pdf list showing all the wonderful offerings!

How to register for the free OLLI Popups: 

Step 1: Go to the OLLI at the University of Southern Maine registration page to register. (Select Returning Customer or New to OLLI.)

Please provide your contact details if you are new to OLLI.


Need help signing up?

Send OLLI an email or call 207-780-4406


OLLI at the University of Southern Maine


Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Pierre Auguste Renoir The Boating Party Lunch

Midcoast Senior College presents


Winter Wisdom 2023

MIDCOAST SENIOR COLLEGE PRESENTS

WINTER WISDOM 2023

Wednesdays from 12:00—1:30 p.m.

Curtis Memorial Library and Unitarian Universalist Church, Brunswick


FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

All events are in-person. 


Winter Wisdom is sponsored by The Highlands in Topsham, Maine


January 11: The Transforming Maine Economy

A new economic model is emerging in Maine—new initiatives are gradually but inexorably reshaping Maine’s economy.

John Dorrer will highlight the significant developments that are the Maine economy of our future.

Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick


January 18: The Wondrous Winter Skies of Midcoast Maine

An introduction to the stars, constellations, planets, asteroids, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies that don’t need a telescope to be observed.

Russ Pinizzotto explains how to use the Big Dipper and the Great Winter Hexagon to navigate this magical tour of the heavens.

Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick


January 25: Bygone Songs of Maine

Julia Lane and Fred Gosbee of folk duo Castlebay and authors of Bygone Ballads of Maine Vol 1 - Songs of Ships & Sailors, folk songs from collections gathered from Maine’s international archives, museums and libraries, will present their findings with musical examples, exploring Maine’s social history through music.

Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick


February 1: The History and People of Maine’s Malaga Island

Kate McBrien provides an illustrated examination of the history of the community who lived on Malaga Island, off the coast of Phippsburg in the late 1800s. The program focuses on members of the community and the state’s actions to evict them through the complex history of racism and eugenics in Maine. Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick


February 8: Ice Harvesting on the Kennebec River

This illustrated lecture by Maine Maritime Museum’s Executive Director Christopher Timm will explore the harvesting and export of natural ice—an industry that was a staple of Maine’s (once) frigid winters.

Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick


February 15: Longfellow Days—Poetry and Travel: Longfellow in Europe

As a Professor of Modern Languages, poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow traveled in Europe, experiences that informed his poetry and poems he translated.

Gary Lawless European travels also enhanced his understanding of poetry as well as his own poems. He will speak about Longfellow, poetry, and the value of travel in strengthening the creative arts.

Morrell Meeting Room, Curtis Library, Brunswick


February 22: Snow makeup day


For more information, go to Midcoast SC Winter Wisdom


Midcoast Senior College


Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Eagle nebula


MSCN Winter 2023 Class Catalogs



Acadia SC 

Winter 2023 Term


Augusta Senior College

2023 Winter Lecture Series


Belfast Senior College

Winter 2023 Classes


Bridgton Senior College

Winter 2023 Classes


Coastal Senior College

Winter 2023 Classes


Gold LEAF Institute 

Winter 2023 Classes


Lewiston-Auburn Senior College

Winter 2023 Classes


Midcoast SC 

Winter Session 2023


Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)

Winter 2023 Classes


Penobscot Valley SC

One-Day Zoom Presentations & Winter 2023 Classes


SAGE at UMPI

Winter & Spring 2023 Classes


South Coast Senior College 

Fall 2022 - Winter 2023


Sunrise SC

Winter & Spring 2023 Classes


Western Mountains SC

Winter 2023 Classes


York County SC

Winter 2023 Classes & the Gary Sullivan Lecture Series


Visit the MSCN website for more information.

The MSCN Course Catalogs web page updates as new course catalogs become available.


Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Baling Qiao 26 Guan Yu Studying Spring

& Autumn Annals of Confucius



The Light We Carry

by Michelle Obama

Random House 2022

Pages 410 Price $32.50 for regular print $35. Large print

Reviewed by Pat Davidson Reef



Reviewed by Pat Davidson Reef

Humility, maturity, and wisdom came to mind as I read the new book, “The Light We Carry,” by Michelle Obama. This book explores the many roles Michelle has experienced in her life. It inspires women to think of how many roles they play in life too. Michelle Obama says,” I have been a lawyer, a Vice President of a Hospital, and a working-class black student in a fancy, almost all-white college. I have been a bride, a stressed-out mother, a daughter torn by grief, and most recently, the First Lady of the United States.” 


In stating these concepts in her book, she gives us a road map of where she has gone and is going and what areas of interest she will cover. The book is well-written with amazing candor and dignity. It is organized into three parts: 1.) “Decoding fear and starting kind, which deals with her childhood and the family’s care for her father, who had multiple Sclerosis, 2.) “Marriage and her mother”, which deals with her struggle to have children, and Barack’s entering politics, and 3.) Going High deals with being the First Lady of the United States. and dealing with political criticism.


Michelle talks of her parents and their influence on her. She states “My father taught me to work hard, laugh often, and keep my word. My mother showed me how to think for myself and use my voice. Together they helped me in our apartment on the South Side of Chicago to see the value of our story, in my story, in the larger story of our country, even when it is not pretty or perfect.” She implies everyone has a story of value to tell. She says,” Own your own story,” as she shares hers with you. Michelle believes everyone has a special light within and carries that light with them in making a better world.


Michelle’s writing is warm and personal. As you read the book, you feel you are in a room with her, and she is talking directly to you. It is amazing how honest and open she is in sharing her personal feelings about her many experiences.


She discusses experiences in Kindergarten, elementary school, college, working at Sidley and Austin law firm, and meeting Barack. She mentions the difficulty she has had in being the only person of color in a group at Princeton and how hard it was. Most of all, Michelle talks a great deal about her feelings of love for her husband and how impressed she was that he did not talk down to people. She states,” Listening to Barack, I began to understand his version of hope reached far beyond mine. It was one thing to get yourself out of a stuck place. It was another thing entirely to get the place itself unstuck.” she states. 

In discussing her position as First Lady, she said, “There is no handbook for becoming First Ladies of the United States.” She was in awe of the responsibility of being First Lady and had to adjust. After thinking about projects of significance, she decided to focus on looking into improving children’s health and nutrition, seeing that a vegetable garden was planted, participating herself, and honoring the support of wives of the military whom she had met during the campaign. 


“The Secret Service selected official code names for us in the White House,” she states. Barack was “Renegade.” I was “Renaissance.” Mahlia became “Radiance.” Sasha became “Rosebud.” My mother’s code name was “Raindance."


One of the happiest moments during her husband’s administration was meeting Mandella in Africa. Another awe-inspiring experience was visiting Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace. She was impressed at how down-to-earth the Queen was and how the Queen made her feel at ease. 


However, the challenges presented to Obama during his administration were overwhelming. Guarding her children’s privacy was the hardest task for Michelle. She wanted to give them independence but also protection. At the dining room table, she and her husband focused on what the children did that day at school, not world problems. They did not bring the pressures of their jobs into their children’s lives. However, they both were under great pressure.


Michelle’s spirit and philosophy of “When they go low, we go high” permeate her thinking and reflect her husband’s philosophy too. The most outstanding theme I found reading in this book is Michelle’s love for her husband and her ability to forgive others and move on. Another strong theme is the difficulty she had growing up as a person of color in America. The struggle to achieve excellence is a third theme, not only for her family but for her own dignity and self-worth.  


The importance of women and believing in their self-worth is a vital issue addressed in the book. An extra positive element at the end of the book lists resources on mental health and psychotherapy organizations available for further reading or help. There are also notes dealing with quotes from each chapter. One quote Michelle mentioned impressed me from John Lewis, who said, “Freedom is not a state. It is an action.” I recommend the book highly for all but especially for women. Its philosophy is that women can do anything they choose to do and never give up!



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