An image of a couple writing and smiling, a couple using a computer, and a couple doing yoga.

Center for Lifetime Study

Menu Display

Spring 2022

Tuesday Classes

Time

Course ID & Title
 

Class Dates

9:15 a.m.
LLS1 – If It’s Tuesday It Must Be…
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24
9:15 a.m.
AL1 – The Art & Craft of Writing Series
April 5, 12, 19, 26 
May 3, 10, 17, 24
11 a.m.
AL2 – Great Books: More Immigrant Stories
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24
11 a.m.
GS1 – Ascent of 20th Century Science
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24
11 a.m.
SS1 – Fun Factoids of History
May 3, 10, 17, 24
11 a.m.
AL3 – The Art of Public Speaking
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24
1:15 p.m.
LLS3 - The History of Local Colleges, Part 2
April 5, 12, 19, 26
1:15 p.m.
SS2 – The Life of Eleanor Roosevelt
May 3, 10, 17, 24
1:15 p.m.
AL5 – Drawing from Observation
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24
1:15 p.m.
SS3 – Great Decisions 2022
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24
2:45 p.m.
AL6 – Bela Bartok
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24
2:45 p.m.
SS4 – The Greatest Players of America’s Game, Part II
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10
2:45 p.m.
LLS4 – America’s Greatest Foods
April 5, 12, 19, 26
2:45 p.m.
GS2 – Astronomy from Galileo to Spitzer and Beyond
April 5, 12, 19, 26
May 3, 10, 17, 24

Time: 9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, 17 & 24

Description: Do you enjoy Traveling? If so, come join with us as some CLS members talk about their trips to various places in North America, Europe and Asia. Emphasis will be on travel by car, bus and ship, as well as family trips and guided tours. Please note that the weekly presentation order is subject to change, and that this is a travel course of first-hand experiences, not an in-depth look at a given county or region.

Time: 9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, & 17
Presenter: Esther Kando Odescalchi, Ph.D., CLS Member

Description: This course examines the pope in his capacity as universal sovereign, who for centuries made and unmade the emperors and kings of Europe, and who divided the continents of the world among European powers.  The lecture does not discuss religion or ecclesiastical history, but world politics and international relations. For centuries the Pope was the world government.

Time: 9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, 17 & 24
Presenter: Linda Rappaport, CLS Member

Description: If you are like me, then you have promised yourself many times that you would write personal narratives or memoirs to your family for posterity. That time is now! Each session, we will gather as a group. We will then share in small groups and give each other feedback for development and clarity. Finally, we will come together to share selections with the whole group.  Each week we will focus on a different element of craft, such as prose, voice, point of view, etc. I will provide clear instructions on critique protocols.

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, 17 & 24
Presenters: Lydia Bauman and Sharon Steinvurzel, CLS Members

Description: Join us as we discuss the experiences, concerns, and aspirations of recent immigrants as reflected in the short stories they have written. All are 21st century tales, and the authors come from many different countries and traditions. Our text is Immigrant Voices published by the Great Books Foundation and available at greatbooks.org.

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, 17 & 24
Presenter: Stanley Schmidt, CLS Member

Description: This course will emphasize the science following the seminal discoveries of Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, and Max Planck that led to the developments of a unifying model of the universe. We will look at the structure of atoms and their constituents, quantum ideas, nuclear power, computer electronics, as well as particle accelerators and detectors. Video professors from the "Great Courses" Teaching Company will be included.

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – May 3, 10, 17 & 24
Presenter: Robert (Bob) Ulrich, CLS Member

Description: I bought it “Lock, Stock, and Barrel”. He was “Just a Flash in the Pan”. Why do we tell our children to “Sleep Tight”? Who “Let the Cat Out of the Bag,”? There are so many phrases and idioms in our vernacular that we take for granted. We know how to use them, but what do they really mean? Bob Ulrich compiled a list of phrases while teaching his course in early American History.

Class Handout:

Time: 11:00 - 12:15 PM
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, 17 & 24
Presenter: Fred Wolinsky, CLS Member

Description: Would you rather have dental work than speak in public? Or are you an experienced speaker seeking to improve your skills? This class offers proven and practical tools everyone can use to communicate effectively, overcome stage fright, capture an audience’s attention, successfully use body language, structure an exciting presentation, clearly support your ideas, and use stimulating visual aids. Participants commit to research, prepare, and present a five-minute speech on a topic of your choice.

Handouts:
The Art of Public Speaking - Speech Outline Format
The Art  of Public Speaking - Sample Speech Outline

Time: 1:15  - 2:30 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26

Description: The history of our local colleges was well received in the Fall. This is an extension of the same course with different local colleges: Culinary School of America, Bard College, Mount Saint Mary College, and the retired Bennett College. Presenters have a vast knowledge of the colleges and their history. For our community, taking advantage of these opportunities is vital and invigorating.

 

Topics, Presenters & Affiliations:
History of Culinary Institute of America 
Rachel Birchwood, Assoc. V.P. Enrollment Management

 

History of Bard College
Helene Tieger, College Archivist

 

History of Mount Saint Mary College
Sr. Catherine Walsh, Professor Emerita of Communication Arts

 

History of Bennett College in Millbrook  
Anthony Musso, Professional Writer

Time: 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – May 3, 10, 17 & 24
Presenter: Sandra Opdycke, History Professor (retired) and Author

Description: Eleanor Roosevelt's achievements as a pioneering First Lady and internationally recognized human rights advocate would be impressive no matter what her background. But they are all the remarkable when we consider her difficult childhood, her complicated marriage, and the formidable obstacles facing many of the reforms she worked to achieve. In this class we will explore the interplay of character, personal choices and historical events that shaped Eleanor Roosevelt’s extraordinary career.

Time: 1:15—2:30 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, 17 & 24
Presenter: Marilyn Price

Description: This is for people with or without an art background. We will be drawing with color from observation of still life material and hopefully an occasional volunteer model [perhaps one of your friends, who only needs to sit in a chair while you draw]. Required materials for the class are a drawing pad for charcoal and pastel, 11’’x17’’ or larger, a kneaded eraser, and a set of pastels, [not oil pastels] which include primary and secondary colors [red, yellow, blue, green, orange, and purple]. Individual guidance and instruction will be offered throughout the course.

Time: 1:15—2:30 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, & 17
Presenters: Martin Charwat, CLS Member and David McNary, Hyde Park Zoning Board of Appeals

Description: This course will focus on the challenges confronting the United States and the world in coming decades. It will involve readings by class members, viewing videos, and class discussion of, among other topics: climate change, Russia and the U.S., the "Quad Alliance," and Drug policy in Latin America. Class members are encouraged to purchase the Great Decisions book from the Foreign Policy Association [www.fpa.org]. 

Class Handout: Personal Climate Options 4-12-2022 (David McNary) 

Time: 2:45—4:00 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, 17 & 24
Presenter: Leslie Gerber, Parnassus Records

Description: Bela Bartok was one of the great composers of the 20th century. We will explore his life and music, particularly his innovations in making the folk music of Eastern Europe into the basis of new styles of composition. We will concentrate on hearing his own performances and those by musicians who worked with him.

Time: 2:45—4:00 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3 & 10
Presenter: Arnold Serotsky, Vassar LLI

Description: Picking up where we left off in the spring of 2021, Arnie Serotsky, baseball aficionado, will reveal his selections of the greatest MLB players since 1965 into the millennium, with a close-up examination of their lives and careers.

Time: 2:45—4:00 p.m.
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26
Presenter: Barbara Van Itallie, CLS Member

Description: We’ll countdown a list of 50 of America’s best foods. From processed to homemade, from regional specialties to American classics, from comfort food to restaurant favorites, we’ll touch many of them. Food has history too, and we’ll explore some of it and its relation to American industry, agriculture, people and culture. The list may be controversial, so be prepared to bring your own classics.

Class Handouts:
America's Greatest Foods  - Foods So Far, 04/12/2022
America's Greatest Foods - Dana Joseph's Top 50 Foods
Americas Greatest Foods - Top 50 Foods List

Time: 2:45—4:00 PM
Day and Dates: Tuesdays – April 5, 12, 19 & 26 and May 3, 10, 17 & 24
Presenter: Jack Chastain, Mid-Hudson Astronomical Association (MHAA)

Description: History and physics of astronomy, visual observation, telescope types and construction, radio and gravity-wave observation, locating objects in the solar system, galaxy and beyond. Get to know the night sky and how to find and observe some of the more interesting objects. Learn to use Stellarium astronomical software and several personal device apps.

Class Handouts:

Wednesday Classes

Time

Course ID & Title

Class Dates

9:15 a.m.

SS5 – How Our Present Culture Colors Our Understanding of the Past

April 6, 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11
9:15 a.m.

LLS5 - Chair Yoga 

April 6, 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11, 18, 25
9:15 a.m.

GS3 – Your Brain, Your Spine, Your Health

April 6, 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11, 18, 25
11 a.m.

AL7 – Poetry: Three Women Poets

April 6, 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11, 18, 25
11 a.m.

AL8 – Warner Brothers Cartoons: Not Really Kids Stuff

April 6, 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11, 18, 25
11 a.m.

LLS6 – Potpourri

April 6, 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11, 18, 25
1:15 p.m.

LLS7 – An Inside Look at the Vassar Bros. Med. Center Medical Residency Program

April 6, 13, 20, 27
1:15 p.m.

SS6 – Afghanistan and Its Wars

May 4, 11, 18, 25
1:15 p.m.

LLS8 – Exercise Sampler

May 4, 11, 18, 25
2:45 p.m.

LLS9 – Lost Languages and Writing Systems

April 6, 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11
2:45 p.m.

AL9 – Opera as Politics: Diversity of Composers

April 6, 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11, 18, 25
2:45 p.m.

GS5 – Science Potpourri

April 6, 13, 20, 27
May 4, 11, 18, 25

Time: 9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27 and May 4 & 11
Class Manager: Martin Charwat
Presenter: Nicholas Marshall, Ph.D., Assoc. Professor of History, Marist College

Description: This course will review how our current cultural environment shapes (and distorts) historical events of our nation's history, from the Civil War to the present. Understanding this will help us to see the past in its own terms, thereby lessening our often-skewed view of it.

Time: 9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27 and May 4, 11, 18 & 25
Presenter: Mary Ellen Bialosuknia, Independent Yoga Instructor

Description: Chair Yoga provides the benefits of traditional yoga: relaxation, flexibility and improved balance. There are no physical requirements for this class. Each student's efforts will be directed by his or her abilities or limitations. Participants should wear loose comfortable clothing. Each class will include: breath and centering work, warm-up, six directions of the spine, warrior sequences, standing sequences and other movements.

Time: 9:15 – 10:30 a.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27 and May 4, 11, 18 & 25

Description: Diseases of the nervous system can quickly disable. Advances in diagnosis and treatment have significantly improved outcomes. This lecture series will provide updates on major brain and spine disorders. It will discuss topics of most interest to those who are proactive in managing their health.

 

Topics, Presenters & Affiliations:
Neurological Evaluation - Look at Your Brain
Dr. Jack Fein, CLS Member

Dementia
Dr. Christopher Medina & Dr. Paul Wright, Nuvance Neurosciences

Parkinson's Disease
Dr. Paul Wright, Nuvance Neurosciences

Spine Surgery
Dr. Michael Cho, Nuvance Neuroscience

Cerebrovascular Surgery
Dr. Elie Dancour, Nuvance Neuroscience

Brain Tumors
Dr. Adesh Tandon, Nuvance Neuroscience

Psychiatry of Aging
Dr. Kimberly Robinson, Riverview Psychiatric Medicine

Adult Head Trauma
Dr. Michael Cho, Nuvance Neuroscience

Time: 11:00 a.m. — 12:15 p.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27 and May 4, 11, 18 & 25
Presenter: Judith Saunders, Professor of English, Marist College

Description: In this class we’ll study work by three distinguished American poets: Abbie Huston Evans (1881-1983), Elizabeth Bishop (1911-1979), and Mary Oliver (1935-2014). Representing overlapping generations, the trio spans the twentieth century. We’ll consider their formal choices and examine recurrent thematic concerns, e.g., friendship, loss, art, and sexuality. Conflicts with societal expectations, particular gender-based expectations, emerge in a number of their poems. And all three establish profound relationships with the natural world.

Time: 11:00 a.m.—12:15 p.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27 and May 4, 11, 18 & 25
Presenter: Michelle Keeley, CLS Member

Description: This class is about the Warner Brothers cartoon studio from its beginning in the 1930’s through the 1940’s. Areas to be covered include: early cartoons, the wartime era, the directors and producers, the music that introduced many of us to classical music, animated characters, and voice characterizations - not just Mel Blanc.  Some cartoons may be objectionable to many for their content, stereotypes and violence featured.

Time: 11:00 a.m.—12:15 p.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27 and May 4, 11, 18 & 25

Description: A potpourri can be defined as a medley of subjects, as well as a mixture of flowers and spices. We'll do the medley of subjects with this course with some very different interesting topics each week. The order of the presentations may change.

Topics, Presenters & Affiliations:
Preventing and Correcting Identity Theft

David Lederman, NYS Attorney General's Office

Habitat for Humanity: Rebuilding of an 1850 Poughkeepsie House
Jim Holmgren, Habitat Build Captain

Eunice Hatfield Smith: Local Painter, American Painter
Candace Lewis, Ph.D., Art Historian

Photography for Non-Photographers
Jerry Goldberg, CLS Member

Moving Our Community Towards Sustainability: Town of Poughkeepsie's journey to certification as a Climate Smart Community
Susan Karnes Hecht, CSTF Committee Chair

Tour places in New York City which were instrumental in shaping the life and career of Alexander Hamilton
Ginny and Bob Nasser, CLS Members

Marist Mindset: What are students thinking; a cultural compass that tracks the challenges and accomplishments of each incoming class
Vanessa Lynn, Ph.D., Asst. Professor of Criminal Justice - Marist College

Preserving Music History with Sheet Music Collection
Robert Hoe and Polly Diane Hoe, Preservationists

Time: 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27

Description: Class members will get insights into the Nuvance and Vassar Brothers Medical Center medical residency program. We'll get an understanding of the impact of residency programs on the medical and local communities, hear details about the rigorous training programs and specifics about the various disciplines, and we will hear from actual participants in the program and is it really Grey's Anatomy?

Topics, Presenters & Affiliations:
Program Overview and the Important Impacts on the Community
Dr. Christopher Stenberg, Vassar Bros. Medical Center

Residency Program Specifics
Dr. Marc Borenstein, Residency Program Faculty Leader

Residency Programs and Advanced Research
Dr. Paul Wright, Neurologist and Sr. VP and System Chair of the Nuvance Neuroscience Institute

Panel of Residency Program Participants in the Nuvance/VBMC Residency Program
Multiple Participants

Time: 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – May 4, 11, 18 & 25
Presenter: Kristin Bayer, Assoc. Professor of History & Chair of the History Dept., Marist College

Description: This course gives an overview of Afghanistan's ancient history, delves into its role as a buffer state and semi-colonized region during the 19th century with a final focus on the major wars of the 20th and 21st centuries.  The rise of the Taliban, the US invasion, and the return of the Taliban are all connected to Afghanistan's Cold War experiences.

Class Handouts: Afghanistan and Its Wars - Presenter Slides

Time: 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – May 4, 11, 18 & 25

Description: This course provides the opportunity to sample four different forms of exercise, all adapted to the senior body. Topics include: SAIL (Stay Active and Independent for Life), Tai Chi/Qi Gong, Zumba Gold and Chair Yoga.

 

Topics, Presenters & Affiliations:
AIL: Stay Active and Independent for Life
Demetra Tsantes

Tai Chi/Qi Gong
Anne Lancellotti and Georgette Weir

Zumba Gold
Demetra Tsantes

Chair Yoga
Mary Platt, Peaceful Postures

Time: 2:45 - 4:00 p.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27 and May 4 & 11
Presenter: John Gavin, CLS Member

Description: When a culture's writing system and language are lost, the history of that culture is also lost. No one could translate Egyptian writing for 1,500 years. Mesopotamian languages were hidden for 2,000 years. Archaic Greek was silent for 3,000 years. The course will discuss these three language mysteries and the people who solved these unsolvable problems. The course will mix history, language, geography, literature, and biograph.

Time: 2:45 - 4:00 p.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27 and May 4, 11, 18 & 25
Presenter: Chuck Mishaan, Lecturer on Music and Opera

Description: This class will explore works by female, LGBTQ and PoC composers and artists. We will focus on 400 years of opera outside of the traditional repertoire, from Francesca Caccini in 1625 to Terence Blanchard in 2021. Analysis will include political and historical context as well as video excerpts and commentary.

Time: 2:45 - 4:00 p.m.
Day and Dates: Wednesdays – April 6, 13, 20 & 27 and May 4, 11, 18 & 25

Description: Science potpourri is a recurring course designed to introduce participants to a variety of topics of general interest in current STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) areas. Each week a presenter will cover a different area. A background in science is not necessary for participants, just a general interest in modern STEM topics.

Topics, Presenters & Affiliations:
Kiss the Ground
Arnold Most, CLS Member

Climate Change and the Spread of Pathogens
Joseph Bettencourt, CLS Member

What's the problem with plastics, and what can we do?
Jill and Ira Auerbach, CLS Members

The Beginning and End of the Universe
Frederick R. Chromey, PhD., Professor Emeritus of Astronomy (1981–2016), Vassar College

Asteroids, Meteors and Meteorites
Christopher Mlodnicki, Fort Worth Astronomical Society

The Role of the Physician's Assistant in Modern Medical Practices
Leslie Muldorf, CLS Member

The Development and Science of Messanger RNA (mRNA) Vaccines
Leathem Mehaffey, CLS Member

Cooling the Planet
Warren Buhler, CLS Member
 

Class Handouts: 

Science Potpourri - mRNA Vaccines (Leathem Mehaffey)
Science Potpourri - What's the Problem with Plastics (Jill & Ira Auerbach)

Thursday Classes

Time

Course ID & Title

Class Dates

1:15 p.m.

AL4 – Prodding Your Muse

April 7, 14, 21, 28
May 5, 12, 19, 26
2:45 p.m.

GS4 – Digging Up the Past, VII

April 7, 14, 21, 28
May 5, 12, 19, 26

Time: 1:15 - 2:30 p.m.
Day and Dates: Thursday – April 7, 14, 21, & 28 and May 5, 12, 19 & 26
Presenter: Barbara Mindel, CLS Member

Description: Memories are treasures. Many are keen; others await being prodded to the surface. That’s what this class is about: short writing exercises to prod recollections, then share, exchange coincidences of experience and best is the recapturing of the richness of our decades. Do join us “to leave your print in the sand.”

Time: 2:45—4:00 p.m.
Day and Dates: Thursday – April 7, 14, 21, & 28 and May 5, 12, 19 & 26
Presenter: Rolf Nijhuis, CLS Member

Description: Many great mysteries surround the remarkable achievements of our ancestors. In each class, we start with an overview, then show a video in which experts will answer the question "How did they do that?" You will see how our ancestors accomplished these feats based on modern forensics of the archaeological evidence. Each class will end with discussion. These adventures cover the globe.