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Don’t miss registering for our Summer semester that runs from Monday, June 6 through Friday, June 10, 2022
10 classes available at one low fee
All classes will be offered in-person with coffee and snacks before the first class. In addition, if you are unable to come in person, most of the classes will be offered via a live Zoom stream, and some will be available for up to 30 days afterward via on-demand.*
*Availability of Zoom and On-demand is at the discretion of the instructor.
Summer Lecture dates Start: Monday, June 6, 2022 End: Friday, June 10, 2022
How do I become a member of Senior University? To be eligible for classes, you must be a registered member of Senior University. The cost for an annual membership is $50.00. As an annual member, you can enroll for any of our three semesters (Summer, Fall, Winter) at an additional cost. Register by clicking below.
How do I enroll in the Summer lectures? You can enroll online by clicking below. The cost for the Summer lectures is $50.00.
How do I access online and on-demand classes? Live online lectures are presented using Zoom. A link to attend the online class will be provided prior to the start of the Summer session. Some courses will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing. Watch for future emails with details on which courses and how to access them. On-demand courses will be available for 30 days from the last classes are given. Members registered for courses marked “Hybrid” will have the option to attend either in-person or through Zoom simulcast. A link to attend via Zoom will be sent prior to the first class.
The Vagabonds, Rocky and Sandi, are back in-person at Senior University to begin a new trilogy. Over the next three winter semesters, they will select a region of the country, look at the geology that formed and is still changing the area, study the special places that have been discovered there, the history of the people, and events that shaped their development, and the joy of traveling to these special American sites. Our first semester will highlight the ancient geologic wonder that is the Colorado Plateau with its native American archeological sites and its many extraordinary national parks. Bring along your walking stick and sunscreen, you’ll feel like you’re already hiking the trail!
The Vagabonds, Sandi Phillps and Rocky Romero, met in 1996 in Angola while working in oil exploration for a major oil company. Sandi is a geophysicist and Rocky is an engineer. Both hold advanced degrees in their fields. Since retirement they have traveled the world studying the impact of geology on human history.
Location: In-Person – Sun City Activities Center Rm 1&2 Time: Mondays, beginning January 24, 2022 | 8:30 am to 10:00 am
Each week, Dr. Bobby Hulme-Lippert will provide the class with open-ended prompts, two 10-minute sessions to write, and time to share what has been written. It is a simple format, but it is a process that inevitably opens us to far more than we knew was there. Stories long-forgotten, insights previously obscured, new vision, and more are all part of what gets uncovered in this space.
Click here for a map to the Sun City Activities Center
About the Instructor:
Dr. Robert (Pastor Bobby) Hulme-Lippert attended Fuller Thological Seminary, US Army Chaplain Captain Career Course, Clinical Pastoral Education, , Davidson College and University of Edinburgh. He has been an Associate Pastor, and Pastor in Virginia and Georgia. Army Chaplain and 9th and 10 grade High School English Teacher. He became the pastor of First Presbyterian Church Georgetown in 2019.
Location: In-Person – Sun City Atrium |HYBRID/ON-DEMAND Time: Mondays, beginning January 24, 2022 | 9:00 am to 10:00 am
The Information Age brought about many new inventions and innovations. Information now ranges from text to video and allows the world to share more information than ever before. However, the accuracy and authenticity of information is now of more concern and harder to determine than ever before. This course is an updated version of the one I taught in Winter 2021 and will cover a range of topics from What Is Information, How Information is Disseminated, How Frauds and Disinformation were Spread, and How it is Spread Today. We will review how various countries are addressing both Mis and Dis Information and then look at the future of laws and regulations.
This course will be taught hybrid/on-demand. Participants may attend in person, live over zoom, or by watching the recorded session.
COL (ret) Fred Stein served 27 years active duty Army, and commanded at all levels from company through brigade. Over 18 years with MITRE, a federally funded research and engineering corporation that supports the Armed Forces and other sections of the government. He served on the Swedish National Science Board for two years providing advice on Network Centric Defense. Recently COL (ret) Stein has been involved in debriefing returning Army and Marine forces to better understand the impact of information on warfare.
Location: In-Person – Sun City Ballroom Time: Mondays, beginning January 24, 2022 | 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Faculty – Multiple Instructors
JANUARY 24: “History of Georgetown”: STEPHEN BENOLD, current Georgetown School Board member and former medical director of the Williamson County EMS, will cover the founding of the city of Georgetown in 1848, the situation during the Civil War, rapid growth with the coming of the railroad, stagnation during the 30s through the 60s, the second period of rapid growth and the rapid conversion from a democrat to a republican city in the 1980s.
JANUARY 31: “How Georgetown Stays Historic”: One of the most attractive features of Georgetown is its historic neighborhoods. With more than 1,600 historic assets citywide, the city has implemented several policies to protect these structures and promote preservation efforts. BRITIN BOSTICK, Georgetown’s Downtown and Historic Planner, will share photos of historic Georgetown, show the tools the city uses to promote preservation, and highlight resources you can access for your own research.
FEBRUARY 7: “Why a Film Festival, anyway?”: CINDY WEIGAND, GTX Film Board President, and members of the Board who are industry professionals, will show us what a film festival is all about including the crucial role they play in the marketing of films and in the filmmaker’s process. A successful festival can have a positive economic impact on local businesses and a positive community impact as a source of pride and way to showcase the host city. The presentation will include the screening of a few short films and clips from previous festivals.
FEBRUARY 14: “Georgetown Through a Mayor’s Eyes”: Where is Georgetown now and what does the future hold? Georgetown’ current mayor, JOSH SCHROEDER, will give us his views complete with an insider’s update about what’s happening. Georgetown is a dynamic place, and it’s hard to keep up with the different aspects of life here. Mayor Schroeder has a great vantage point and will share his views with us all.
FEBRUARY 21: “Library Stereotypes vs the 21st Century Library”: Be honest, what is the first image that appears in your mind when you hear the word “librarian”? Is it a stern looking spinster with glasses, a tight bun in her hair, wearing a sweater holding a book? ERIC LASHLEY, Executive Director of the Partners Library Action Network (PLAN) and former Director of the Georgetown Public Library, will show us how these stereotypes came to be and what librarianship is really like in the 21st century.
FEBRUARY 28: “Georgetown EMS at Your Service”: Georgetown Deputy Fire Marshall, JONATHON GILLIAM, will give an historical update on Georgetown Emergency Medical System (EMS) and why it separated from Williamson County EMS, how firefighters get qualified, the 9-1-1 system, what your tax support means, and the do’s and don’ts when you use EMS.
This course will relate how human relationships in sports foretell social change. We will cover baseball, football, tennis, basketball, the Olympics, and hockey. We will touch upon economic shifts between teams and players.
This course is hybrid. Participants may attend in person or live over zoom.
Stephen A Sutter, Esq is admitted to practice in the US Supreme Court, the Federal Court of Appeals, all New York State Courts and the Courts of Connecticut. A graduate of NYU Law School and Queens College-BA-Economics cum laude, he has participated in several well-known venues. This experience includes federal criminal law, civil trials, surrogate court trials, family law trials, representation of minors in special courts, and various real estate, tort, contract and trust matters. He was appointed a member of the National Economics Honor Society and is a skilled poet.
Location: In-Person – Sun City Activities Center Rm 1&2 Time: Mondays, beginning January 24, 2022 | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
If you believe that it is important to know something about your family roots, this course will introduce you to the tools and techniques needed to begin your genealogical research journey. You will find out what it takes to be a researcher. You will hear ideas about how to plan and implement your research and where to find information. You will then learn about ways to organize and document your findings, create tree diagrams, and ultimately pass this heritage on to others. Finally, you will see demos of the various free and for-fee online and offline data resources available to you.
Click here for a map to the Sun City Activities Center
About the Instructor:
Ken has spent 18 years doing in-depth family history research. He has researched numerous immediate and allied families resulting in a large family tree, an extensive picture library, and a web site with his many writings about those families. In his career he was a corporate technical instructor and manager.
Location: In-Person – Georgetown Library, Hewlett Room |HYBRID Time: Mondays, beginning January 24, 2022 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
The title of this course (and the book by Richard Wightman Fox) might be off-putting to the reader for two reasons: either that it seeks to disparage its subject, or that it attempts to proselytize on his behalf. Neither is the case. Mr. Fox states his purpose very succinctly: “the book is for believers and unbelievers alike. It is not about whether one should believe in Jesus, but how Americans have believed in and portrayed him.” The 16th and 17th centuries, for example, saw and presented him differently than the 18th and 19th, or the 20th and now the 21st (although the book was published in 2004). The importance of reading the book cannot be overstated. Good used and inexpensive copies of “Jesus in America” can be obtained through Amazon, AbeBooks or other internet outlets. Prior to our first class, reading Chapter 2 (pp 29-67) will be very helpful.”
This course is hybrid. Participants may attend in person or live over zoom.
Dr. Kenneth Peters received his BA degree from Southwestern University and his MA and PhD from the University of Texas. After teaching history at Texas A&M University, he received a Masters of Theology from Austin Presbyterian Seminary.
Location: In-Person – Georgetown Library, Hewlett Room |HYBRID Time: Mondays, beginning January 24, 2022 | 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Since planet Earth formed over 4.6 billion years ago, the physics of our Solar System and of our planet, have constantly been changing Earth’s climate between glacial (cold) and interglacial (warm) periods. The more recent evolution of human life, just a few million years ago, added new variables to nature’s work. Now, both human and non-human factors compete for control of our climate. Can geoengineering bring Earth into a human-livable balance for the long-term, and if not, how will it all end? This course will take you on a deep-dive journey into the causes of climate change and provide you with insight into how this competition might end.
This course is hybrid. Participants may attend in person or live over zoom.
Hank is a retired Air Force officer and IBM Executive Project Manager. He is a former Mission Director for low altitude intelligence satellite operations, and Department of Defense related Space Shuttle missions. Hence, his interests since retirement have been directed towards the heavens, to astronomy, cosmology, and space exploration. Hank has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M and an MBA from the University of Dayton.
Tuesdays
Location: In-Person- First Baptist Church, E3-300, Collide Rm |HYBRID /ON-DEMAND Time: Tuesday, beginning January 25, 2022 | 9:00 am to 10:00 am
Faculty: Multiple Instructors
Week 1: Jan. 25 Bill Thornton introduces us to unusual sites in FRANCE, from the historic fortress and monastery at Mt. Saint Michel to the soaring Alps to beautiful sites on the leisurely Marne-Rhine Canal. Europe in a time of Covid has changed as Bill made this venture in September of 2021 (along with tours of Ireland and Scotland) and will update us on the latest international travel situation.
Week 2: Feb. 1 Bill Nicholas takes us to sites that have played an important role in developing SPAIN as we know it today. We begin with the Roman period (Merida) and the Arab occupation (Granada) and then move on to the Golden Age of the empire (the Escorial and La Mancha) and conclude with the Valley of the Fallen (Spanish Civil War.) On the way we sample tapas and the importance of family in Spanish culture.
Week 3: Feb. 8 Ken and Mary Lou Stubert take us on a tour of the POLYNESIAN ISLANDS both past and present. We will visit Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, and remote islands such as Fakarava and Fanning where life is much as it was 100 years ago. We will be inspired as Herman Melville was by the Marquesas Island of Nuka Hiva where he wrote his first novel, “Typee”.
Week 4: Feb. 15 Carolyn Schluckebier and Ginny Garvic cruise along the western coast of ITALY with stops in Pompeii and Sorento to see historic Roman architecture and ruins. In Crete, we will explore vibrant Chania, one of the oldest cities in Europe. After a visit to Ephesus, we sail on to Athens, GREECE, and the famous Acropolis. En route, we can observe different cultures and foods.
Week 5: Feb. 22 Mark Nissen, an avid traveler, and professional photographer share his knowledge of ALASKA–its native culture and natural history. Prospectors moved in to take from the land furs, lumber, gas, and oil. Ride on his truck camper and see animals, birds, the aurora borealis, and endless stunning scenery. The road trip includes Prudhoe Bay to the north, Homer to the southwest, and Juneau to the southwest.
Week 6: March 1 Ellen Davis relates her experience on a llama-assisted hiking trip in UTAH sponsored by the Sierra Club. Grand Staircase Escalante is one of three National Monuments recently restored by President Biden. While hiking and camping she absorbed views of the spectacular scenery, the interesting history of the Monument, and “some very cute llamas.”
This course will be taught hybrid/on-demand. Participants may attend in person, live over zoom, or by watching the recorded session.
Click here for a map to the First Baptist Church Georgetown
Location: In-Person –First Baptist Church, Bldg. 2, E103-105 Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022 | 9:00 am to 10:00 am
You will learn of the evolution of dance in Texas from the Wild West Honkey Tonks to the Dance Halls of today. Dances included are: Texas Two Step, Waltz, Cha Cha, East Coast Swing (Jitterbug), Fox Trot and Salsa. We will discuss the influence of European countries and South American cultures and how they changed dancing in today’s Texas social venues.
Click here for a map to the First Baptist Church Georgetown
About the Instructor:
Peg received her BA from Illinois State University in Education, majoring in Dance and Physical Education. She taught in High Schools, Colleges and Adult Education courses before opening her dance studios concentrating on Physical Fitness through Dance Aerobics. Her master’s work was in Dance Therapy using dance as a medium to encourage residents of nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and disabled children that moving to music could be fun in their limited capabilities.
Location: In-Person – First Baptist Church, Bldg. 2, E207 Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022| 9:00 am to 10:00 am
This will be a continuing course in Conversational Spanish designed to increase students’ oral and written comprehension skills. The class is designed for those who have completed the entry and earlier level classes or who can demonstrate a basic proficiency in the language. Materials will include educational videos, books, and other written materials. This course will run 60 minutes each week; session 2 (at 10:30) will run 90 minutes per week.
Click here for a map to the First Baptist Church Georgetown
About the Instructor:
Gloria Gonzalez earned her MA in Spanish at North Texas State University and has had 14 years teaching experience. She has been a resident of Sun City 22 years and a Senior University faculty member for many years.
Location: In-Person – First Baptist Church, Bldg. 2, E109-111 Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022| 9:00 am to 10:00 am
This course examines French colonization in Southeast Asia, the rise of the Vietnamese nationalist movement and the establishment of the League for the Independence of Vietnam (Viet Minh), and the war that broke out in December 1946 in which the Viet Minh and French colonial forces battled for control. It begins with an examination of early Vietnamese history and discusses the role of conflict termination at the end of World War II and the escalating confrontation between the French colonials and the Vietnamese people. The course will also demonstrate how the Cold War caused the U.S. to support France in its efforts to maintain control. The course concludes with a discussion of the decisive battle of Dien Bien Phu and the signing of the Geneva Peace Accords that partitioned Vietnam at the 17th Parallel. In many ways, the First Indochina War set the stage for U.S. involvement in Southeast Asia that eventually led to our own war in Vietnam.
Click here for a map to the First Baptist Church Georgetown
About the Instructor:
Dr. James H. Willbanks is Professor Emeritus of Military History at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Dr. Willbanks joined the CGSC faculty in 1992, when he retired from the Army as a lieutenant colonel with twenty-three years’ service as an Infantry officer. He holds a B.A. in History from Texas A&M University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History from the University of Kansas. He is the author or editor of twenty books and served as a consultant to Ken Burns in the 10-part 18-hour PBS documentary on the Vietnam War.
Location: In-Person – First Baptist Church, Bldg. 2, E102 Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022 | 9:00 am to 10:00 am
Learn one of psychology’s best and most amazing skills as you will experience how to use your attention and focus to build new neural connections throughout your brain. Learn why mindfulness is quickly becoming one of the best ways for many people to reduce stress, increase happiness, and boost the efficiency of their brains. This is an interactive and experiential course with exercises and discussions.
Click here for a map to the First Baptist Church Georgetown
About the Instructor:
With 15+ years of experience working as a mindfulness and performance consultant for the military, doctors, and athletes, Erik’s education, long-term practice, and experience in training the world’s toughest careers, provides a rare combination of skills. He is certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher from The University of Massachusetts and received a Master’s in Psychology from University of Denver.
Location: In-Person – First Baptist Church, Bldg. 2, E207 Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022| 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
(This is a duplicate of 9am-10am Spanish session). This will be a continuing course in Conversational Spanish designed to increase students’ oral and written comprehension skills. The class is designed for those who have completed the entry and earlier level classes or who can demonstrate a basic proficiency in the language. Materials will include educational videos, books, and other written materials. This course will run 60 minutes each week; session 2 (at 10:30) will run 90 minutes per week.
Click here for a map to the First Baptist Church Georgetown
About the Instructor:
Gloria Gonzalez earned her MA in Spanish at North Texas State University and has had 14 years teaching experience. She has been a resident of Sun City 22 years and a Senior University faculty member for many years.
Location: In-Person – First Baptist Church, Bldg. 2, E108-110 Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022 | 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Life is a mystery. What we do, individually and collectively, is make Models of the Mystery from which we create our Reality. This class will explore taxonomies of models and realities. Examples and discussions will come from the areas of Physics, Biology, Physiology, Philosophy, Theology, Technology, Literature, History, etc. We will also explore the critical thought processes of the creation of models and how they create different realities. This is an interactive, participatory experience, and the enrollment is limited to 15 participants.
Click here for a map to the First Baptist Church Georgetown
About the Instructor:
Dr. Herman Matthews has a PhD in Physics and was on the faculty at four major Universities in the US. He then resigned from academia and was self-employed for 35 years. He was a consultant, produced video and designed and facilitated several hundred workshops and seminars using experiential and non-traditional learning. Herman has worked with many, diverse corporations, organizations, cultures, traditions and individuals both in the US and India.
We regret that the Aftermath of World War I scheduled for Tuesdays from 10:30-11:30 has been canceled due to the instructor’s health. At this time, it is expected that the course will be rescheduled for the fall 2022 term. Thank you for your understanding. We hope that another of the courses offered in this time slot will be of interest to you. If you need help adding a course or have questions, please call the Senior University office at 512-863-1680 or email us at admin@lifelonglearnersgtx.com
Location: In-Person – First Baptist Church, E3-300, Collide Rm |HYBRID/ON-DEMAND Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022| 10:30 am to 11:30 am
The Mexican-American War is mostly a forgotten one. Today, if it is taught at all, it is taught as a prelude to the civil war. Ulysses Grant said that “The Southern rebellion was largely the outgrowth of the Mexican war. Nations, like individuals, are punished for their transgressions.” The war divided the nation and served as the school for the larger conflict to come: 336 Federal and Confederate Generals served in Mexico. The conflict also resulted in the United States seizing one-third of Mexico’s territory and extending the western frontier of the United States to the Pacific. This course will look at the causes, events, and results of the War.
This course will be taught hybrid/on-demand. Participants may attend in person, live over zoom, or by watching the recorded session.
Click here for a map to the First Baptist Church Georgetown
About the Instructor:
Dr. D. Clark Wernecke is the Project Director for the Prehistory Research Project at the University of Texas at Austin and Executive Director of the Gault School of Archaeological Research, a nonprofit dedicated to research and education regarding the earliest peoples in the Americas. Dr. Wernecke holds a degree in history from SMU, an MBA from Northwestern University, an M.A. in Anthropology from Florida Atlantic, and a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.
Location: In-Person – First Baptist Church, Bldg. 2, E-209-211 Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022 | 10:30 am to 11:30 am
Ever since man ventured forth in ships to discover new sources of wealth and commerce, there have also been pirates and privateers to ambush those ships and plunder cargo and crew. Patriots emerged to combat them and to rid the seas of the scourge of piracy. But one country’s patriot is often a pirate to another country. This series will cover the infamous pirates infesting the Caribbean, state-sponsored piracy along the Barbary Coast of the Mediterranean, and the resulting founding of the US Navy, and nation-sponsored commerce raiding of the America’s early wars up to the Civil War. We’ll end on piracy in the 21st century and how history informs us on managing the never-ending scourge of piracy.
Click here for a map to the First Baptist Church Georgetown
About the Instructor:
Todd Clayton was in the US Navy as an officer qualified in nuclear powered submarines. He has an MBA from the Harvard Business School and a BS Industrial Engineering from Northwestern University. He has 30 years of executive marketing experience in the high-tech industry in computers and communications.
Location: In Person- Southwestern University-Olin Hall, Rm. 105 |HYBRID/ON-DEMAND Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022 | 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Led by Dr. Barry Scott Williamson, Founder/Artistic Director of the Texas Bach Festival (TBF), this course will review the fascinating history and formation of Johann Sebastian Bach’s monumental Mass in B Minor, one of the greatest sacred choral masterworks in all of music history, and the highlight of TBF’s upcoming 2022 festival. We will discuss Bach’s 35-year genesis for completion of the mass, combining newly written and self-parodied source material. Additional insights will be offered from Dr. Williamson’s work with TBF’s weekly “Bach to the Future” radio broadcasts and his previous B Minor Mass performances.
This course will be taught hybrid/on-demand. Participants may attend in person, live over zoom, or by watching the recorded session.
Click here for a map to Southwestern University. Click here for the campus map.
About the Instructor:
Dr. Williamson has a lengthy and revered international history of conducting innovation and accomplishment. Dr. Williamson worked with renowned Bach scholar/conductor Dr Helmuth Rilling summers 1988-1990 at the Oregon Bach Festival, conducting several Bach and Mozart works, and was subsequently invited to compete at the 1991 European Music Festival in Stuttgart, where he finished as one of three finalist winners out of 63 conductors.
Location: In Person- Southwestern University-Olin Hall, Rm 105 |HYBRID/ON-DEMAND Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022 | 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm
This course will explore the six most influential Czars of Imperial Russia, including Peter I (Peter the Great), Catherine I (Catherine the Great), Alexander II, Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible), Michael I, and Elizabeth of Russia. Each week we will cover their lives and the impact they made on Imperial Russia and the world.
This course will be taught hybrid/on-demand. Participants may attend in person, live over zoom, or by watching the recorded session.
Click here for a map to Southwestern University. Click here for the campus map.
About the Instructor:
Anthony joined the New Hope Ranch team as the director of operations in September 2020 and has since become the executive director. A retired U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer Four (CW4), Anthony spent 25 years in active duty, with a total of 33 months in combat. Anthony holds a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Texas A&M University, Central Texas, and is also a graduate of the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Senior Staff Course.
Location: In Person- Southwestern University Fine Arts Building (FAC 235) Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022 | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
This will be an introduction to art from various cultures and time periods, taught by a select group of advanced Art History students at Southwestern University. Topics are chosen by the students, stemming from their Fall 2021 capstone research projects which focus on art and the body, from ancient Peruvian ceramics, to Impressionism and Expressionism in European painting and sculpture, to modern performance art.
Jan. 25 Zarine Parakh “Moche ‘Sex Pots’”
Feb. 1 AshLee Graves “Death Becomes Her”
Feb. 8 Lilian Hilliard “Impressionism”
Feb. 15 Sarah Emery “Expressivity of the Hands”
Feb. 22 Lauryn Brandon “Viennese Modernism”
Mar. 1 Megan McDonough “Performance Art and the Body”.
Click here for a map to Southwestern University. Click here for the campus map.
About the Instructor:
“Art and the Body” is advised by Dr. Patrick Hajovsky, Associate Professor of Art History at Southwestern University. The six instructors of the course together form the Art History Collegium, an elite group of advanced art history students that have been selected by the professors of this program. Classroom topics for Senior University represent the culmination of in-depth research and scholarship they have conducted during their Fall 2021 Capstone experience.
Location: Virtual- ZOOM Time: Tuesdays, beginning January 25, 2022| 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Asian Americans have been the fastest growing immigrant population in USA since at least the 1960s. Many of them have achieved great success as immigrants and American citizens. Like many immigrants Asian Americans encountered and experienced extremely restrictive laws against them as soon as they landed. Their struggles and survival have reflected discrimination, prejudice, and sometimes even hatred imposed by the laws, actions, and attitudes of American government, society, some communities, and people. This course will review some of the major Asian American immigration histories. These will include Japanese, Chinese, Philippines, Vietnamese, Indians, etc. Li-hua Yu will use her research and study of Chinese immigrants in early Idaho history from 1860s to 1970s to further illustrate specific details and stories. Discussions of contemporary issues concerning Asian Americans will be also discussed.
About the Instructor:
Sun City resident, Dr. Li-hua Yu, Professor Emeritus, taught Sociology and the History of Chinese Culture and Society for 25 years at the College of Lake County in Illinois. Born and raised in China she experienced the most turbulent changes in China in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s until she came to America for graduate study in 1984.
Wednesdays
Location: In Person- The Delaney at Georgetown Village |HYBRID/ON-DEMAND Time: Wednesdays, beginning January 26, 2022 | 9:00 am to 10:00 am
This course will explore the early movement of indigenous people who settled in Central Texas over time, perhaps as long as 40,000 years ago. Mr. Smith will describe how early tribes settled in various locations and interacted with tribes from the North and South. With the advent of settlers into Central Texas, some tribes welcomed trade, but most resisted the intrusion. As the U. S. grew in power, it attempted to move outside tribes into the area and limit the lands of the existing tribes. With the surge of settlers, the Indians were driven into signing away their lands and freedoms. As a final blow the Indians were forced onto reservations, and the U.S. Government attempted to “educate” them in the same manner as white children. In the end they were overwhelmed by multiple waves of immigrants. Mr. Smith will also cover the treaties and agreements that are in place today and what tribes are still active.
This course will be taught hybrid/on-demand. Participants may attend in person, live over zoom, or by watching the recorded session.
Click here for a map to The Delaney at Georgetown Village.
About the Instructor:
Smith’s career in battery technology, involved establishing a battery factory in San Marcos, TX. Served as VP-technology, and financial adviser at Morgan Stanley & UBS. Served in the US Air Force in Asia & Europe. Holds degrees in engineering from U of Okla, and U of SoCal. Smith is an avid book collector.
Location: In Person- The Delaney at Georgetown Village |HYBRID/ON-DEMAND Time: Wednesdays, beginning January 26, 2022 | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
This course is partly, but not exclusively, based on Mark Kurlansky’s book “Salt – A World History.” Within the course we will visit a broad spectrum of topics that include the geology of salt, its many disparate uses, where it comes from, and some historical geopolitical issues and decisions that were driven by salt.
This course will be taught hybrid/on-demand. Participants may attend in person, live over zoom, or by watching the recorded session.
Click here for a map to The Delaney at Georgetown Village.
About the Instructor:
Dave’s geology PhD is from Texas A&M University working for 20+ years in the oil business. In 1995, he went to DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory. Starting in 2002, Dave spent 14 years in and consulting with the Department of Homeland Security. He has been teaching adult education classes since 2009.
Location: Online- ZOOM Time: Wednesdays, beginning January 26, 2022 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
We regret that Faith and Reason: Proofs of God’s Existence scheduled for Wednesday afternoons from 2:00-3:00 via Zoom has been canceled due to the instructor’s health. Thank you for your understanding. If you need help adding another course or have questions, please email us at admin@lifelonglearnersgtx.com
About the Instructor:
Matthew Daude Laurents, Ph.D., is a philosopher, teacher, and philosophy of life coach. He has taught philosophy and religion over thirty years, and currently serves as dean of Liberal Arts: Humanities and Communications at Austin Community College. He is also the philosopher in residence for Live Your Virtue (https://liveyourvirtue.com).
Location: Online- ZOOM | ON-DEMAND Time: Wednesdays, beginning January 26, 2022 | 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm
We will analyze and discuss the following recognized master artworks: DaVinci’s “Mona Lisa”, Velasquez’s “Las Meninas,” Vermeer’s “Woman Holding a Balance”, Van Gogh’s “Starry Night”, and Rothko’s classic paintings. Each will be featured in 6 consecutive sessions. The artist and the respective works will be examined in terms of composition and significance.
About the Instructor:
Beverly Dennis is not new to Texas. She spent her early college years at Southern Methodist University in Dallas and earned her M.F.A. at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, Mississippi. She taught art at University of Mississippi and Jones County Junior College until retiring and moving back to Texas. She has shown work extensively in the region and is currently represented at the Carol Robinson Gallery in New Orleans, LA.
Thursdays
Location: Online- ZOOM Time: Thursdays, beginning January 27, 2022 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
This Continuing Memoir and Biographical Writing Workshop will expand on what was started in the Fall Term Beginning Workshop, expanding the story of your life and times, in good company. Participants in previous memoir writing classes are welcome to attend. We will be exploring several new genres of memoir writing, descriptive, travel, opinion, heirlooms, historical, and more. In addition, we will work on a biographical memoir to serve as an introduction to a collection of stand-alone stories of your life and times. Memoir writing can be an enjoyable pastime and a valuable legacy to pass on to children, grandchildren and future generations.
About the Instructor:
Alan Dawes has been writing memoirs and teaching memoir writing for many years. Recently, he self-published a collection of memoirs based on his life in England before coming to the United States in 1960.
