Arts & Literature, series S21-040
S21-041, Sherlock Holmes: Books and Beyond
Mon, Jan 25, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional dates: Jan. 28
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dan Sherman
Description: The game Is afoot! Since being introduced to the world in 1887, Sherlock Holmes has populated countless short stories and novels and is the most portrayed character in film and television. An industry of Sherlockian scholarship exists that treats him as a real person. This course will first describe the writings of Arthur Conan Doyle and some of the adventures of Holmes and Watson written by others. It will then detail the long history of the pair on stage, film, and television. The multimedia class will present many great portrayals of Holmes and Watson, including the recent Sherlock series set in modern London.
Biography: Dan Sherman is a recently retired economist who earned his doctorate at Cornell University. He has taught more than 25 courses to lifelong learning groups in the Washington area, mostly on topics related to musical theatre. He gave his first LLI-Manassas class in April 2018, on “Hamilton: The Man and The Musical.” Since then he has given us classes on Frank Lloyd Wright, Oscar Hammerstein, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and early movie musicals.
LLI Coordinator: Lynn Hoffman
S21-042, Sex and Death in the Ancient Americas
Fri, Feb 12, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates: none
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Jeanette Nicewinter, Ph.D.
Description: Images of sex or death may be deemed immoral or inappropriate in current culture; however, ancient American cultures viewed these acts in a different manner. From the Aztecs of Mexico to the Moche of Peru, sex and death were the bookends of life with one representing conception and the other termination. Instead of being in contrast, these ideas were intimately linked within a cosmology that included ancestors, mythological beings, and inanimate objects. This lecture will explore the images of sex and death on artworks from ancient Mesoamerican and Peruvian cultures.
Biography: Dr. Jeanette Nicewinter is an assistant professor of art history at Northern Virginia Community College’s Annandale Campus. She earned her doctorate degree in art historical studies from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2016. Her area of specialization is ancient American art with a focus on ceramics from the northern highlands of present-day Peru. However, she frequently identifies as a “generalist” and enjoys teaching a broad spectrum of art-historical topics. In November 2020, she presented the Manassas LLI talk “Introduction to French Impressionist Painting.”
LLI Coordinator: David Pace
S21-043, Humor in (Mostly) Classical Music
Wed, Feb 17, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional dates: Feb 18
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dan Sherman
Description: Although some would say classical music is very serious, there is a great deal of humor in many works, including those written by the great composers. This course will explore the question of what makes something funny and show the many ways in which music can be funny, both in content and in performance. The instructor will offer many examples of humor from the classical repertoire, including presentations by Anna Russell and Professor Peter Schickele, along with excerpts from the country-western version of the Ring Cycle (no kidding!).
Biography: Dan Sherman is a recently retired economist who earned his doctorate at Cornell University. He has taught more than 25 courses to lifelong learning groups in the Washington area, mostly on topics related to musical theatre. He gave his first LLI-Manassas class in April 2018, on “Hamilton: The Man and The Musical.” Since then he has given us classes on Frank Lloyd Wright, Oscar Hammerstein, George Gershwin, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and early movie musicals.
LLI Coordinator: Lynn Hoffman
S21-044, Seeing the Story: A Writing Workshop
Mon, Mar 08, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional dates: Group A March 8, 15, 22, 29 and Group B April 5, 12, 19, 26
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: Group A 9 and Group B 9
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Mary Winsky
Description: Stories exist for us as just-out-of-focus horizons of meaning. As writers we approach them, hoping to shape them into poems, essays, short stories, letters, and other forms in our own unique ways. To help us do just that, we will use Ursula K. LeGuin’s Steering the Craft: A 21st Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story.
Please get the 2015 paperback edition and read the introduction and chapter 1, “the sound of your writing,” for the first class. Try reading the four examples aloud, listening to their sounds in your own voice. We will try her exercises and/or more in this class, noticing with pleasure the sounds we create together.
Biography: Mary Winsky will facilitate as she has learned to do from writers of all ages and stages in her many collaborative years as a teacher.
LLI Coordinator: Elizabeth Crawford
S21-045, An Afternoon with PWCounty’s Poet Laureate
Thu, Apr 08, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Kim Miller
Description: On October 24, 2020, at a Zoom meeting sponsored by the Prince William County Art Council, Ms. Kim B. Miller was announced as the 2020-2022 PWC Poet Laureate. She’ll explain the Poet Laureate program and how she was selected for this honor among the six nominees. Each Poet Laureate has various projects relating to poetry, and Ms. Miller will relate her projects to us. She will describe her background and accomplishments as a poet, read several of her poems and open the class for discussion.
Biography: Kim Miller is the current Poet Laureate for Prince William County, Virginia. As both a spoken-word poet and motivational speaker, Ms. Miller has performed at The National Black Theater, the Hylton Performing Arts Center, Northern Virginia Community College, and numerous other venues. Her poems have been published in newspapers, books, and an interfaith anthology. Her goal is to connect people to their strengths and to open their minds to new perspectives through her poetry.
LLI Coordinator: Ann Cain
Current Events, series S21-050
S21-051, Emergency Preparedness: Are you ready?
Wed, Feb 03, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Robert Keller
Description: There will be an overview of critical emergency situations that may occur around the home and how to prepare for them.
Bob will answer any questions after the presentation.
Biography: In 2010, Bob was chosen to lead the new Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), for the City of Manassas. During the time he held the position, the CERT increased its volunteer membership from seven to twenty-five members.
In 2016, the Manassas City Council appointed Bob to the Manassas Historical Resource Board, and he is currently serving as its Vice Chairman.
In 2018, Bob was appointed by the Manassas City Council to the Parks and Recreation Committee.
In 2020, Bob was appointed to represent the City of Manassas on the Prince William County’s Community Criminal Justice Board.
LLI Coordinator: Lianetta Ruettgers
S21-053, Great Decisions 2021
Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates: 03/18, 03/25, and 04/01
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dan Leahy
Description: Great Decisions is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching the DVD, and meeting in a Discussion Group to discuss the most critical global issues facing America today. The 2021 program will discuss the following topics: Global Supply Chains and National Security; Persian Gulf Security Issues; Brexit and the European Union; Struggles Over the Melting Arctic; China’s Role in Africa; The Korean Peninsula; Roles of International Organizations in a Global Pandemic; and The End of Globalization. We will cover the first four topics this semester. The remaining topics will be discussed during the Fall 2021 semester.
NOTE: The briefing book can be purchased directly from the Foreign Policy Association at www.fpa.org
Biography: Dan Leahy is a retired federal government employee with over 30 years of public service in the area of international trade. Dan is a longtime member of LLI and taught the Current Events Discussions and Great Decisions classes for several years. He is a past president of LLI and currently is a member of the program committee.
LLI Coordinator: Dan Leahy
Experience Buffet, series S21-060
S21-061, One Heritage, Four Fates
Wed, Mar 03, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Joyce Johnston
Description: The indigenous people in the Baltic states share almost identical, healthy genetic pools, ancient cultural traditions, plentiful fishing and farming. Each has functioned as an open highway for invasions from the East and retaliation from the West. All have been swept by plagues, famines, waves of violence and cultural domination.
Yet they have done what we have not–at least, not yet. Each of the four subgroups has defined the one thing over which they have complete control. From complete abandonment to fierce embrace, each has chosen a different resolution to the tension between their ancient self–religiously and culturally–and the world of today. In doing so, they have asked themselves the questions that can inform our future as well.
Biography: A lifetime of travel as an Army brat has given Joyce Johnston a special love for unexplored places and their fascinating peoples. Now retired from public school teaching after 37 years, she has extended her love of diverse cultures to her multinational students at George Mason University and to frequent pre-covid travel with her husband Craig. Previously, Joyce has shared multiple experiences throughout Europe, insights into Shakespeare, and discussion of Beowulf as a window into aging and the end of life. Now she is excited to evoke for LLI members the unique indigenous population of Europe’s Baltic states.
LLI Coordinator: Kathy Marsh
S21-062, It Really IS Rocket Science
Fri, Apr 16, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 AM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Jerry Fisher
Description: This class will explore the early history of rockets and missiles in the United States. It will concentrate mainly on defensive systems but will also discuss some of the offensive weapons like the German V-2.
Biography: Jerry Fisher is a physicist with a graduate degree in systems engineering. He has worked on military systems for 52 years. His experience includes anti-aircraft missiles, anti-missile missiles, satellite systems, and anti-submarine warfare systems. He is a fellow of the International Council on Systems Engineering.
LLI Coordinator: Jerry Fisher
S21-063, A Life in Shipbuilding
Fri, Feb 19, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Warren Lundblad
Description: Warren Lundblad will discuss his life in shipbuilding and his experiences on the Gulf Coast. He will look back upon the 25 years he worked in U.S. Navy ship acquisition, construction and repair. During that time, he worked on nine destroyers, two cruisers, and two large-deck amphibious ships, including numerous ship repairs. He had an opportunity to oversee the construction of the USS Makin Island (LHD-8) in Pascagoula, Mississippi from 2003-2006. During that time, the ship was delayed because of the after-effects of hurricane Katrina.
Biography: Warren Lundblad earned a bachelor’s in industrial engineering from North Dakota state University, a master’s in mechanical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, a master’s of business administration from Virginia Tech, and completed his doctoral degree at The George Washington University in 2019. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1985-2010 and retired at the grade of Captain. Currently he works at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C. and is pursuing a master’s of divinity at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.
LLI Coordinator: Lianetta Ruettgers
Health & Fitness, series S21-070
S21-071, Spinal Stenosis
Tue, Feb 02, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dr. Deeni Bassam
Description: Spinal stenosis, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is “the narrowing of one or more spaces” within a person’s spine. The disease usually occurs in people over the age of fifty. Wikipedia reports that spinal stenosis occurs in as many as 8% of the population. Dr. Bassam will present and discuss the variety of options available to treat spinal stenosis.
Biography: Dr. Deeni Bassam is a pain management physician and anesthesiologist who has sixteen years of experience treating back pain in the Washington, D.C. area. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia School of Medicine with an internship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He completed his residency at Cornell Medical Center, and further study included fellowship training in pain management at Texas Tech Health Science Center, one of the most respected interventional pain management programs in the nation. Following his fellowship he served as the Director of Pain Management at a teaching hospital in New York City. A native of Northern Virginia, Dr. Bassam returned to Manassas and founded the Spine Care Center in 2005. His extensive experiences and skills allow him to focus on the most effective approaches to care and to deliver medicine directly to the sources of pain. He was the first doctor in Virginia to perform a mild procedure for lumbar spinal stenosis. The Spine Care Center currently includes four physicians and three physician assistants.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne
S21-072, What Is Acupuncture and How Can It Help?
Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dr. Glennie Rodford
Description: Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of natural healing known to mankind. It is safe, drug-free, and effective. Originating in the Far East more than 5000 years ago, it is the insertion of fine, sterile needles into certain points on the body to remove energetic blockages and restore the flow of qi (pronounced “chee”) or the vital energy which enlivens the body.
Dr. Rodford will discuss how the blockage of qi can manifest into various signs and symptoms such as pain, stiffness, swelling, etc. She will describe the various types of acupuncture including auricular, scalp, and full body, as well as complementary modalities such as moxibustion, cupping, and gua sha.
Biography: Dr. Glennie Rodford completed a Doctor of Acupuncture degree from Maryland University of Integrative Health in Laurel, Maryland after retiring from the Army. She now owns “Healing Glen Acupuncture” located in Manassas. She is nationally certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM), a member of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA), and is licensed to practice acupuncture in Virginia.
LLI Coordinator: Christina Cinalli
S21-073, Coping With Uncertainty: Being Healthy in the Pandemic
Wed, Feb 10, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Cindy Suarez, LCSW
Description: Learn how the pandemic has impacted both our mental health and the mental health of our loved ones. Discuss tools for staying healthy during this time of uncertainty.
Biography: Cindy Suarez has worked as an On Site EAP (Employee Assistance Program) Counselor for ComPsych Corp. since 2014, after retiring from 26 years in the field of Child Welfare Services. Cindy presents psycho-educational workshops on a wide range of issues including: Communication Skills, Relaxation, and Handling Stress and Change. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she has also had her own Private Practice since 1993, first in Virginia, and now in California. She has experience working with adults, couples, adolescents and children. ZOOM has made it possible for us to connect with her in California.
LLI Coordinator: Jo Anne Renton
S21-074, Learning to Relax: Tools & Techniques for Living Well
Wed, Mar 17, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Cindy Suarez, LCSW
Description: Relaxation is a vital tool for both physical and mental health. In this class you can learn tools to use to relax now and for the rest of your life.
Biography: Cindy Suarez has worked as an On Site EAP (Employee Assistance Program) Counselor for ComPsych Corp. since 2014, after retiring from 26 years in the field of Child Welfare Services. Cindy presents psycho-educational workshops on a wide range of issues including: Communication Skills, Relaxation, and Handling Stress and Change. A Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she has also had her own Private Practice since 1993, first in Virginia, and now in California. She has experience working with adults, couples, adolescents and children. ZOOM has made it possible for us to connect with her in Calilfornia.
LLI Coordinator: Jo Anne Renton
S21-075, Developmental Psychology
Mon, Feb 08, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates: Feb.15, Feb. 22, March 1
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dr. Christopher A. Hafen
Description:
Session 1: A Life Well Lived According to Developmental Psychology.
This lecture will cover some theories in developmental psychology that help us to understand how to live a ‘healthy and happy’ life. The lecture will tap into common experiences all humans go through and how they shape our perspective. Material in the lecture will combine concepts from infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood into a discussion of how connection to others, autonomy, and competence all play a key role in the human condition.
Session 2: How Others Shape Our Thinking
This lecture will cover key theories in social psychology that help us to understand how living in a social world impacts our thinking and behavior. It will illustrate common pitfalls we make as our brains process information on ‘auto-pilot’. We will also discuss some strategies to overcome this common error.
Session 3: The Structure and Function of Memory Through the Lifespan.
This lecture will seek to explain the key role that memory plays throughout our lifespan. We will begin by discussing memory formation and the role that sleep plays. Then we will consider how memory processes change as we get older. Finally, we will discuss strategies that are beneficial in maintaining a strong memory throughout adulthood.
Session 4: Developing and Adapting a Coherent Identity.
This lecture will wrap up the series by looking at the concept of identity–how it begins to form early in life, how it is shaped throughout adolescence and early adulthood, and finally how it solidifies as we move through our adult lives. In this discussion, we will also consider the role that personality plays in shaping identity, and why social isolation caused by COVID-19 has impacted people differently.
Biography: Dr. Christopher A. Hafen is currently an Associate Professor of Psychology at Northern Virginia Community College. He received his Ph. D. in Developmental Psychology from Florida Atlantic University in 2010 and has authored more than 30 articles on the development of close relationships. His research interests include understanding the development and function of close relationships throughout the lifespan. His life interests and enjoyment center around raising his five children with his wife Ashley.
LLI Coordinator: Karen Waltman
History, series S21-080
S21-081, The Girls of Atomic City (Reprise)
Thu, Mar 04, 2021, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Mike Ahern
Description: (This class was originally presented by Mike and Elaine Ahern Spring 2015)
Oak Ridge Tennessee was the site of a key installation in the Manhattan Project — the World War 2 effort to build the atomic bomb. The names of the atomic scientists are well known, but equally important were the thousands of civilians, many of them young women from small towns, who were recruited to this “secret city” by the promise of solid wages and work that was vital to the war effort. Sworn to secrecy and kept “in the dark” as they worked in the factories, labs and offices, few would ever guess the true nature of the tasks they performed until the end of the war. This class, with a title based upon the 2013 book by Denise Kiernan, will tell the story of how this town came to life in the middle of Appalachia and the young women whose pluck, courage and humor contributed to this important effort.
Biography: Mike is the president of LLI-Manassas and has presented many LLI classes. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry and served 26 years in the US Army. He has taught at the US Military Academy at West Point; 12 years with Prince William County Schools; and as an adjunct for George Mason University’s College of Education. He is a former Washington Post Teacher of the Year for Prince William County Schools.
With a son who worked as a computer scientist at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Mike has visited and toured “Atomic City” many times and looks forward to reprising this amazing story.
LLI Coordinator: Mike Ahern
S21-082, Those Little Green Stamps – How Americans Got Hooked on Trading Stamps
Wed, Apr 07, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dennis Van Derlaske
Description: We will take a look at how merchants in this country from colonial times sought to instill loyalty on the part of their customers, culminating in the heyday of trading stamps in the 1950’s and 60’s. As these little wafers of paper had monetary value, the concept of imposing value and officiality on paper will be explored along with the invention of the postage stamp. Finally, we will consider the societal impacts of trading stamps in the context of mid-20th century American life.
Biography: Dennis Van Derlaske is a member of the county historical society, Historic Prince William, and serves on the Prince William County Historical Commission. He regularly lectures on topics of vernacular history at the University of Mary Washington ElderStudy in Fredericksburg.
LLI Coordinator: Dan Leahy
S21-083, Ken Burns: Brooklyn Bridge
Wed, Apr 21, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dan Leahy
Description: The “Great East River Bridge” was the largest bridge of its era, a technical achievement of unparalleled scope, marked by enormous construction problems, equally ingenious solutions, and heroic human achievement. In unexpected and wonderful ways, the Brooklyn Bridge captured the imagination of all Americans, and in the process it became a symbol in American culture of strength, vitality, ingenuity and promise. Brooklyn Bridge, Ken Burn’s documentary, first tells the dramatic story of the larger-than-life men who imagined and built it, and the immense charm this granite and steel structure has exerted on generations of city dwellers.
Biography: Dan Leahy is a retired federal government employee with over 30 years of public service in the area of international trade. Dan is a longtime member of LLI and taught the Current Events Discussions and Great Decisions classes for several years. He is a past president of LLI and currently is a member of the program committee.
LLI Coordinator: Dan Leahy
S21-084, A Tale of Two American Cities: Racial Conflict in Wilmington NC. and Tulsa, OK
Wed, May 12, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Ann Cain and Dan Leahy
Description: What happened to the newly freed African Americans after Reconstruction ended in 1877? Did the attempts of black Americans to exercise their freedoms both socially and economically succeed ? How did white citizens respond to efforts by blacks to attain full citizenship? This class will examine the struggles, successes, and defeats of each group as shown in the Wilmington coup d’etat and the Tulsa Race Riot. We will also consider the part “Jim Crow” played in these times of violence.
Biography:
Ann Cain spent 39 years teaching American history and government to high school and community college students in several states including Virginia. She received her undergraduate degree in history from Duke University and her master’s degree in history from the University of Tulsa. She is a James Madison Foundation Fellow with a special interest in the creation of the United States and the U.S. Constitution. Ann is a member of the LLI program committee.
Dan Leahy is a retired federal government employee with over 30 years of public service in the area of international trade. Dan is a longtime member of LLI and taught the Current Events Discussions and Great Decisions classes for several years. He is a past president of LLI and currently is a member of the program committee.
LLI Coordinator: Ann Cain
S21-085, When Hollywood Crafts History
Thu, Apr 22, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Alicia Tucker
Description: In this class we will use clips from films as historical documents to explore and examine important themes in U.S. History. Although we will be using film to think about history, this is not a film history class. Instead, we will be discussing how Hollywood shapes our understanding of controversial issues in American History.
Biography: Alicia Tucker has been teaching American History in the Virginia Community College system for over 20 years and is currently teaching US History I, US History II, and Women in US History. She is passionate about US history and loves to create classes that help students make connections between the past and today. She places a strong emphasis on historical methodology that encourages students to ask critical questions about historical evidence and the past. Professor Tucker recently advanced to candidacy as a PhD student at George Mason University and is currently writing her dissertation, “A Small, But Well Chosen Library: Women and Rural Reading Communities in the Age of the Early Republic.” Her fields of study are U.S. History, Early American History, and Race and Gender in the South, and she has presented at several conferences, including the American Historical Association.
LLI Coordinator: Bob Marsh
S21-086, The Anglo-Irish in Restoration Britain
Mon, May 10, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 AM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dr. Rebecca Hayes
Description: The seventeenth century Anglo-Irish existed in a world “between.” Neither fully English nor Irish, they dwelt within a societal and political space that one might describe as liminal, that is occupying a position on both sides of a boundary or threshold. Their initial migrations and settlement into Ireland from the twelfth century onward and their Protestant identity marked them as “other.” and while seen as “lesser” by Englishmen. they were resented by their Irish Catholic brethren. Though never completely accepted by English politicians, high ranking Anglo-Irish families, such as the Butlers, Boyles and the Annesleys, managed to carve out a place of ascendancy within both Ireland and England. They established networks and political factions that helped to shape and define Restoration British history, although historians have often overlooked them. When examining the political, economic, and social networks that connected Restoration England and Ireland, one can trace overlapping circles of Anglo-Irish families, both allies and rivals, whose interactions and struggles to obtain power provide an interesting narrative of patronage and factionalism. This presentation will discuss those networks and ask how did Anglo-Irish migrations between England and Ireland and the networks they established in both kingdoms lead to the creation of a new identity? Moreover, we will trace the movements of several families between England and Ireland to demonstrate how migrations, even those of a seemingly short distance, can have long lasting effects on multiple kingdoms, particularly in the case of the British Isles during the Civil War and Restoration eras.
Biography: Dr. Rebecca Hayes is currently serving as a Director for the College Board overseeing the AP World History-Modern course as part of the Curriculum and Assessment division. She was a full Professor of History, and the Honors Chair, at Northern Virginia Community College in Manassas. While at NOVA, she was the Assistant Dean of Social Sciences from 2013 to 2015. She has also taught at Mississippi College from 2003 to 2008 and at the American University in Dubai from 2015 to 2016. Her Ph.D. from Florida State University focused on early modern British history with minors in medieval Europe, classical Greece, and Rome, as well as the Middle East. Dr. Hayes’s research and publications focus on political factionalism and the Anglo-Irish during the Restoration period. Although she no longer teaches at NOVA, she enjoys presenting classes for LLI, something she has done since 2010. Dr. Hayes loves to travel and has led many study abroad programs for both students and adults, believing that everyone should experience other cultures and get the chance to see history come alive.
LLI Coordinator: Bob Marsh
Lifestyle, series S21-090
S21-091, Hottest Food Trends
Thu, Feb 25, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Lynn Hoffman
Description: Like most fads, food trends can come and go at the drop of a hat. Often dictated by the economic, social, and cultural influences of their time, it is nearly impossible to pinpoint what will take off during any given year and what will fade into obscurity. Join me from my kitchen as we take a trip down memory lane to revisit top food trends that have become classics including the ever-popular Caesar Salad, the Brown Butter Sauce craze, the iconic Cosmopolitan, and the newest trend–Basque Cheesecake.
Biography: Lynn Hoffman earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut and a master’s from Fairfield University. She was director of marketing communications for several high-tech companies including Hyperion Software, now Oracle. Lynn has enjoyed cooking and entertaining family and friends since at age five she pulled her first cake out of her Easy-Bake oven. Lynn is on LLI’s Board of Directors and is a member of the program committee. She has taught over 20 cooking classes for LLI.
LLI Coordinator: Lynn Hoffman
S21-092, Spring Gardening
Tue, Feb 09, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Speaker: Nancy Berlin
Description: A presenter from Virginia Cooperative Extension – Prince William will offer research-based information for getting your lawn and landscape ready for the best gardening season ever. Topics covered will include building soil; pruning; eliminating weeds; lawn care; plant selection and maintenance; and integrated pest management.
Biography: Nancy Berlin, the Natural Resources Specialist and Master Gardener Coordinator for Virginia Cooperative Extension – Prince William, holds a graduate degree certificate in natural resources management and policy from Virginia Tech and has been with the Cooperative Extension office since 2007.
LLI Coordinator: Valerie Kenyon Gaffney
S21-093, Downsizing and Decluttering: You Can’t Take It with You
Thu, Apr 15, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Martin Bailey
Description: Having too much stuff can impede people from relocating or getting health care personnel into their homes. This entertaining and interactive presentation explores why things are so important for some people and teaches practical, easy-to-follow tips on downsizing and decluttering. Cleaning out your house while you can is a gift you can leave to your children. Learn how to get started!
Biography: Martin is currently a member of Virginia’s AARP Fraud Watch Network and the Northern Virginia’s Speaker’s Bureau. As a Bureau member he does presentations on Social Security , Medicare and Downsizing & Decluttering. He also does presentations concerning Cyber Security, Identity Theft and Fraud. Martin is a member of the Virginia’s Senior Medicare Patrol doing educational presentations dealing with the detection, prevention and reporting of fraud and abuse in the Medicare System.
LLI Coordinator: Jo Anne Renton
S21-098, Ranger Talks: Sites on the northern and southern extremes of National Parks in Middle America
Thu, Feb 04, 2021, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Additional dates: none
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Ranger Katie Keller and Ranger Allyn Rodriguez
Description: This talk will invite your attention to two US National Parks that span the north and the south of Middle America. Isle Royale National Park is on an island in Lake Superior, and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is at the southern end of the Mississippi River where it approaches the Gulf of Mexico.
Isle Royale National Park consists of Isle Royale and hundreds of adjacent islands, as well as the surrounding waters of Lake Superior, in the state of Michigan. It is a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve. It is a rugged, isolated island, far from the sights and sounds of civilization. Surrounded by Lake Superior, Isle Royale offers unparalleled adventures amid stunning scenic beauty. The park’s northern boundary is essentially Canada, and the island itself is the largest island in Lake Superior. There are no roads to Isle Royale, and the park is accessible only by ferries, floatplanes, and passenger ships during the summer months. Isle Royale is the only US national park to entirely close from November 1 through April 15 due to extreme weather conditions and for the safety and protection of visitors. Due to the winter closing, lack of road access, and the distance across Lake Superior to reach the park, Isle Royale is the least-visited national park in the contiguous United States. Wildlife in the park includes wolves, moose, ermines, martens, minks, and snowshoe hares. These species, and others found at Isle Royale National Park, call this remote archipelago surrounded by Lake Superior’s cold, deep water home. For many species that have made the crossing, the park’s isolation has changed them in intriguing ways. Together with your fellow learners you will embark upon a virtual adventure to investigate how Isle Royale’s isolation changes not only park species, but also the ~25,000 visitors lucky enough to visit this Northwoods paradise each year.
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve lies within the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, along with five other locations surrounding this incredible city. This park offers its visitors many opportunities such as passing through swamps and preserves at Barataria, immersing yourself in the culture of the Louisiana Mississippi River Delta region in the French Quarter, visiting Wetlands and Acadian Cultural Centers, and learning about the Battle of New Orleans at the Chalmette Battlefield. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve protects and preserves significant examples of the rich natural and cultural resources of Louisiana’s Mississippi River Delta region. The park, named after the pirate Jean Lafitte, who played a major role in Andrew Jackson’s victory at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, also interprets the influence of environment and history on the development of the unique Cajun regional culture. The six sites of Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve represent a treasure trove of south Louisiana’s historical and cultural riches. People from nearly every country, ethnic group, language, and religion have come to the lower Mississippi River delta and left traces of their passing. The story of the park features pirates, voodoo, alligators, bayous, a little trip down the Mighty “Mississip” 1814-15, Cajun and Creole culture, unique French Quarter architecture and culture, prohibition era private rooms in restaurants, Storyville and jazz, Tennessee Williams and A Streetcar Named Desire, and most famously Mardi Gras. But Mardi Gras is not only about beads, bacchanalia and Bourbon Street. In the Cajun and Creole cultures, Courir de Mardi Gras is a festive rural event related to gumbo as much as to drinking and costumes. This talk will explore this unique cultural experience.
Biography:
Katie Keller started her career with the National Park Service as a Conservation Intern at Isle Royale National Park in 2010. That first season on Isle Royale’s isolated archipelago captured her heart and mind, and ever since she has called the Upper Peninsula of Michigan home. In the past ten years she has worked as a Park Ranger at both Isle Royale and its neighboring park in Michigan, Keweenaw National Historical Park. Katie has a Master of Natural Resources degree with an emphasis on Interpretation and Environmental Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. When not “rangering”, she can usually be found outside doing something fun, or cooking something delicious with her husband Corey.
Allyn Rodriguez is a National Park Service Park Ranger. She is assigned to the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve and the Acadian Cultural Center, Louisiana.
LLI Coordinator: David Pace
S21-099, Ranger Talks: Sites on the George Washington Memorial Parkway
Fri, Mar 05, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates: none
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Kevin Patti, National Park Service Ranger
Description: A National Park Service Ranger discusses two sites along the George Washington Parkway in our local area.
Glen Echo Park. This park has a remarkable history of being a place for people to wonder, have fun, and create. It also has been the site of protest for greater rights for African Americans. This talk will tell the story of how Glen Echo Park morphed from Chautauqua Assembly to Amusement Park and then finally to Art Park and a part of the National Park System.
Clara Barton National Historic Site. How did a shy girl born on a New England farm in 1821 break through the barriers that so often confined women to the domestic sphere? How did she go on to have a sixty year career of public service that touched people all over the world? This illustrated talk will use photographs from Clara Barton’s life and times to answer these questions and describe the development of her remarkable career that culminated in her founding of the American Red Cross. The talk will also describe Miss Barton’s legacy as an advocate for the expansion of rights for African Americans and women.
Biography: Kevin Patti, a twenty-four year veteran of the National Park Service, has served as a Park Ranger at Clara Barton National Historic Site since 2005. At the request of the State Department in 2012, he traveled to Armenia to speak about Clara Barton and the relief effort she led in 1896 to help Armenians who were affected by massacre. In 2014 he was featured on CSPAN leading a tour of Clara Barton National Historic Site. Mr. Patti has also worked at Glen Echo Park in Maryland, Great Falls Park in Virginia, and Theodore Roosevelt Island and the Old Post Office Tower in Washington, DC.
LLI Coordinator: David Pace
Our Neighborhood, series S21-100
S21-101, Worrier to Warrior: Achieving Authenticity
Mon, Apr 19, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Rabbi Shmuel Perlstein
Description: When praised for a good deed, 70% of people admit to squirming because they feel their act lacked authenticity. This class is designed to help you discover a place of objective authenticity within yourself that can weather any self-doubt and help you build confidence in your genuine goodness.
Biography: Rabbi Shmuel Perlstein (aka Rabbi Shmuly), together with his wife Goldie, runs the Chabad Jewish Center of Greater Gainesville & Manassas. Established in 2017, it is the only Jewish center in Western Prince William County and serves the local Jewish community with religious, social, and educational programs. He was born in Chicago, where he attended private religious schooling through high school, continuing his studies in YLM (Youngsters’ Lives Matter) Manchester, United Kingdom, and earning his bachelor’s degree at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, New Jersey. He completed a year of advanced studies at the Mayanot Institute in Jerusalem and then spent some time as an assistant Rabbi in Knoxville, Tennessee, before moving to the Gainesville area. Rabbi Shmuly has enjoyed getting to know the PWC community and is excited to share his knowledge and a Jewish perspective in his teachings.
LLI Coordinator: Jo Anne Renton
S21-102, Medical Missionaries
Wed, Mar 03, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dr. Gilbert Irwin
Description: In this class you will learn about a Manassas-based non-profit organization that serves the poorest of the poor around the world and in the United States. Medical Missionaries is a group of 200 doctors, nurses, dentists and a variety of other workers from different disciplines who volunteer to improve the health of the underserved. Dr. Gilbert Irwin and one or two volunteer colleagues will give the history of Medical Missionaries and discuss the current programs offered by the organization. There will be time available for responses to your questions.
Biography: Dr. Irwin is a graduate of the New Jersey College of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at the D.C. General Hospital and a fellowship from Yale Medical School in the area of infectious disease. He pursued further study in internal medicine at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and hepatitis B at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. As founder and president of Medical Missionaries, Dr. Irwin has worked with people of all faiths to serve the poor for twenty-three years, as well as at his forty-four year old practice of internal medicine in Manassas.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne
S21-103, Continued Current Issues with the Police and Understanding the Virginia Criminal Justice System
Fri, Apr 23, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom , PWC Judicial Center
Maximum Class Size: 197
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Honorable William E. Jarvis, General District Court Judge, Prince William County
Description: Judge Jarvis returns, by popular demand, to continue discussing current issues involving our police and the Virginia Criminal Justice System. He plans to be joined again by a member of the defense bar. Judge Jarvis has given us multiple classes, but each one is unique and fresh, discussing events that have recently occurred. Participants in his classes have appreciated his presentations and the question/answer periods that followed.
Biography: The Honorable William E. Jarvis graduated from Old Dominion University in 1985 with bachelor degrees in philosophy and criminal justice. After doing graduate work at the University of Virginia, he attended George Mason University School of Law and graduated in 1991. He served as a prosecutor in Pittsylvania County, Virginia, from 1992 to 1998 and in Marion County, Florida, from 1998 to 2002. Upon his return to Virginia in 2002, he prosecuted in Prince William County until 2012, when he was appointed to the PWC General District Court Bench. Judge Jarvis has taught search and seizure as well as right to counsel legal updates to police, attorneys and judges throughout his legal career.
LLI Coordinator: Bob Marsh
S21-104, Local Museums: Hidden Treasures
Thu, Apr 29, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dr. Barbara Platten Lash
Description: Washington, DC has the luxury of having multiple art museums. This class will explore a few of the lesser known gems such as Glenstone Museum in Potomac, the Kreeger Museum in Washington, DC, and the Freer Gallery of Art also in Washington, DC. You will be introduced to the history behind these fabulous museums and their collections as well as learn about some other little-known masterpieces scattered around Washington, DC.
Biography: Professor Barbara Platten Lash has taught art history at Northern Virginia Community College for the past 27 years. She holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in art history with advanced research in museum studies, architecture, and stone carving. Prof. Lash has a passion to draw students into the fascinating study of their world through art history as art reflects the period in which it was created. Her approach has resulted in numerous awards for teaching.
LLI Coordinator: Valerie Kenyon Gaffney
Religion & Philosophy, series S21-1100
S21-111, The Parables of Jesus: a Galilean Rabbi and his Bible.
Thu, Jan 28, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates: 02/11/2021 and 02/18/2021
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: The Rev. James Hughes
Description: This class will focus on how Jesus used and interpreted the scriptures of his time. Jesus’s parables are stories that teach a moral or spiritual lesson, and He effectively used parables to give a feeling and/or insight into spiritual concepts that words could not easily convey.
Biography: The Rev. James Hughes holds bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and the classics and a master’s in biblical studies and systematic theology from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1982. More recently he studied at the Virginia Theological Seminary, which led to being received as an Episcopal priest in December of 2016. Currently he serves as an associate priest at Trinity Episcopal Church in Manassas. Father Jim has taught 11 classes for LLI-Manassas. His first two classes were about the Library of Congress, where he worked for 23 years in the Visitor Services Office. Since then he has taught classes on The Book of Job, Biblical Issues including Inspiration, Inerrancy and Canonicity, and a variety of Preacher Stories and Biblical Portraits. LLI-Manassas is very fortunate to have Father Jim Hughes, always willing to teach those of us eager to learn from him.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne
S21-112, The First 100 Years of Christianity
Thu, May 06, 2021, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates: 5/27/2021
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: The Rev. James Hughes
Description: In these two-hour classes, Father Jim will begin a series of presentations that will extend over the next two years. He will examine history, literature and culture in the first century AD and explore how Christianity developed and flourished as it did.
Biography: The Rev. James Hughes holds bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and the classics and a master’s in biblical studies and systematic theology from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He was ordained a priest in the Roman Catholic Church in 1982. More recently he studied at the Virginia Theological Seminary, which led to being received as an Episcopal priest in December of 2016. Currently he serves as an associate priest at Trinity Episcopal Church in Manassas. Father Jim has taught 11 classes for LLI-Manassas. His first two classes were about the Library of Congress, where he worked for 23 years in the Visitor Services Office. Since then he has taught classes on The Book of Job, Biblical Issues including Inspiration, Inerrancy and Canonicity, and a variety of Preacher Stories and Biblical Portraits. LLI-Manassas is very fortunate to have Father Jim Hughes, always willing to teach those of us eager to learn from him.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne
S21-117, Getting to Know the Different Faiths in Our Community: The Coptic Christian Church
Mon, Feb 01, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Father Mark Aziz
Description: The series on “Getting to Know the Different Faiths in Our Community” continues on Zoom. Instructors for each faith will cover their history, their concept of God, the texts that they use, their worship service, their mission in the community, the role of women, and their religious holidays.
The Coptic Orthodox Christian Church was established by Saint Mark, an apostle and evangelist, during the middle of the 1st century (c. AD 42). Due to disputes concerning the nature of Christ, the oriental churches including the Coptic Church split from the rest of Christendom after the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, resulting in a rivalry with the Byzantine Orthodox Church. Founded in Egypt, the church serves a growing number of Coptic Christians who now call the United States home.
Biography: Father Mark Aziz has a master’s in Theology and has been an ordained priest for the past 24 years, serving both in Scotland and now in Fairfax. He was elevated to protopriest in 2008. He is also a published author, with two books in English and three in Arabic. Father Mark is married and has two daughters and a grandson.
LLI Coordinator: Jo Anne Renton
S21-118, Getting to Know the Different Faiths in Our Community: Judaism
Mon, Mar 15, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Rabbi Shmuel Perlstein
Description: The series on “Getting to Know the Different Faiths in Our Community” continues on Zoom. Instructors for each faith will cover their history, their concept of God, the texts that they use, their worship service, their mission in the community, the role of women, and their religious holidays.
Judaism is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion, dating back nearly 4,000 years. Followers of Judaism believe in one God, who revealed himself through ancient prophets. The history of Judaism is essential to understanding the Jewish faith, which has a rich heritage of law, culture, and tradition.
Biography: Rabbi Shmuel Perlstein (aka Rabbi Shmuly), together with his wife Goldie, runs the Chabad Jewish Center of Greater Gainesville & Manassas. Established in 2017, it is the only Jewish center in Western Prince William County and serves the local Jewish community with religious, social, and educational programs.
Rabbi Shmuly was born in Chicago, where he attended private religious schooling through high school. He continued his studies in YLM (Youngsters’ Lives Matter) Manchester, United Kingdom, and earned his bachelor’s degree at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, New Jersey. He completed a year of advanced studies at the Mayanot Institute in Jerusalem and then spent some time as an assistant Rabbi in Knoxville, Tennessee, before moving to the Gainesville area. Rabbi Shmuly has enjoyed getting to know the PWC community and is excited to share his knowledge and a Jewish perspective in his teachings.
LLI Coordinator: Jo Anne Renton
S21-119, Getting to Know the Different Faiths in Our Community: The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church
Tue, Mar 23, 2021, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Reverend Etoria V. Goggins
Description: The series on “Getting to Know the Different Faiths in Our Community” continues on Zoom. Instructors for each faith will cover their history, their concept of God, the texts that they use, their worship service, their mission in the community, the role of women, and their religious holidays.
The African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church has a unique history in that it is the first major religious denomination that had its origin over sociological rather than theological beliefs and differences. This class will focus on the historic evolution of the AME Church and its intersection with major social movements over time. We will explore the traditional and contemporary worship practices, mission in the community, trailblazing women in the church, and its global reach.
Biography: Reverend Etoria V. Goggins is an ordained Itinerant Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. She is a native of Nashville, Tennessee. She earned a Master of Divinity from the Howard University School of Divinity, Washington, D.C. and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C.
In April 2016, Rev. Goggins was appointed Pastor of First AME Church in Manassas, Virginia. She is the first woman to lead the congregation and has been recognized for inspirational leadership in helping to improve the well-being of her congregation and community. Rev. Goggins has held many leadership positions in the church and community and is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
LLI Coordinator: Nancy Osborne
Science & Technology & Nature, series S21-120
S21-121, The American Chestnut Tree
Tue, Mar 02, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Warren Laws
Description: The American Chestnut: the tree that made America. This is a session on the life, death and rebirth of a perfect tree. It will include The American Chestnut Foundation’s breeding program and the use of genetic engineering to bring back the American chestnut tree from near extinction.
Biography: Originally from western Connecticut, Warren Laws graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1969. After serving as a USAF pilot and intelligence staff officer for 21 years, he retired in 1990. He then flew for American Airlines for 13 years. He has been involved in The American Chestnut Foundation since 2008, participating in orchard planning, planting, pollination, harvesting, orchard maintenance, and outreach programs. Currently he is the president of the Virginia Chapter.
LLI Coordinator: Valerie Kenyon Gaffney
S21-122, When Are We Getting Back to Normal?
Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Dr. Michael Dennis
Description: When this class begins, we will have been living for a full year under the pressures of a pandemic known as a coronavirus or Covid-19. During that time, we have been inundated with knowledge from expert after expert focused on the aspects of this pandemic. Through it all we have been looking for that light at the end of the tunnel – an effective antivirus vaccine.
At this writing at least four anti-virus vaccines have traversed successfully through a new drug application and pre-licensure clinical trials. They have obtained their biologics license and passed through the manufacturing facility acceptance and certification for distribution by the FDA as well as the Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC).
This amazing accomplishment has been guided by a government program named Operation Warp Speed. This Operation’s goal is to have 300 million doses of a vaccine that is safe and effective by January 2021. Current at this writing, candidate vaccines are offered by Moderna, Pfizer, Novavax, and AstraZeneca as well as five other pharmaceutical organizations. At the proposed time of this lecture, millions of doses are planned to be distributed to various priority groups across our nation.
In this update lecture, Dr. Michael Dennis, will cover the current (March 2021) status of the vaccines and herd immunity as well as a look in his crystal ball for a time to getting back to normal.
Biography: Dr. Michael Dennis retired from the practice of neurosurgery after 30 years in the Washington area. He graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree and earned his master’s from Yale University. He completed his surgical internship and his neurological residency at George Washington University Hospital. He became clinical professor of neurosurgery at George Washington University in 1980, where he served until December 2003. He has been on the staff of George Washington University Hospital, Washington Hospital Center, INOVA Fairfax Hospital and Reston Hospital. Dr Dennis is a long-time member of LLI and has presented several classes on various subjects.
LLI Coordinator: E. Perley Eaton or Christina Cinalli
S21-123, Solutions for Reducing Global Warming – the Policies and the Politics
Fri, Mar 19, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Warren Beeton and a panel of four
Description: The year 2020 was filled with wild fires in California and Colorado; sea surges and destructive winds along our Gulf Coast; dangerous tornadoes ripping through our southwestern states; massive floods along our major rivers and across our low lands; desertification of some of our most productive western pacific farm lands; and climatic phenomena, which according to the world’s scientists and environmentalists, are directly resulting from global warming. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (as of October 7, 2020), there have been 16 weather/climate disaster events, each exceeding $1 billion in losses to the United States.
But even with our national government withdrawing from the “Paris Agreement,” organizations dedicated to many levels of climate reduction have formed across our nation and are searching for, or organizing in support of, solutions to reduce global warming.
Class discussions will focus on four such solutions supported and endorsed by different organizations with proposed paths to lessening climate changes caused by global warming: local government plans, federal legislation advanced by lobbyists, conservative Republican views, and the new federal executive branch’s goals.
At the time of gathering this panel, much of the nation’s political structure had been in flux. Consequentially, the policies and political solutions offered by these different organizations are being tailored to fit the future. However, each invited group has assured our moderator, Warren Beeton, that they will provide a high level, fully informed panelist.
Biography: The panel’s moderator will be LLI’s Warren Beeton, co-leader of the Prince William County Chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby and a frequent lecturer at LLI-Manassas. Warren retired in 2012 as VP of Engineering for Emerson Climate technologies. During his 45-year industry career, Warren worked on both technology and policy solutions to Stratospheric Ozone Depletion and Climate Change.
LLI Coordinator: E. Perley Eaton
S21-124, Search for the Smallest Things, Part 2
Fri, Feb 05, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates: Feb 12, Feb 19, Feb 26
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Mark Dodge
Description: For thousands of years, people have wondered what the Universe is composed of and if there is a “smallest thing” from which everything else is made. Today, we call this area of science “Particle Physics.” In the late 19th and 20th centuries, research led to major new understandings of the way atoms work. In the process, hundreds of new subatomic particles were found, but the way in which these particles behave is often very strange.
This course is the story of these discoveries and understandings, which led to the development of quantum physics and the standard model of particle physics. We’ll meet lots of interesting people, explore their experiments, and see how the current understanding of what the smallest thing is began to develop.
Biography: Mark Dodge earned a bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of California Berkeley and a master’s in engineering physics from the University of Virginia. He worked at IBM as an engineering scientist for 12 years and as a high school physics teacher for 24 years. He has been fascinated by astronomy ever since he gazed through his first telescope when he was in seventh grade. Mr. Dodge is also fascinated by ancient cultures and how they still influence us today. This class is a compilation of several of his most popular presentations from his high school teaching.
LLI Coordinator: E. Perley Eaton
S21-125, Are You Smarter than Your Smart Phone?
Fri, Apr 09, 2021, 1:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 40
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: NVCC Honors Club
Description: This class has been repeated over several semesters because each year Smart Phone manufacturers add more effective and helpful functions to their products. Users often need an update to keep abreast of these improvements. Again, this class will be offered using a Zoom Meeting, and participants will be placed in selected Zoom Rooms depending upon their smart phone or skill level.
Instructors (NOVA Honors Club members and other NVCC students) will guide users to become competent in the latest functional operations on their devices. Based on their experience from the last semester, NVCC student mentors have suggested topics such as: establishing calendars, increasing photography skills, using special apps to find a misplaced smart phone, working with health apps, and reading eBooks including audiobooks.
Of course, participants will have an opportunity to request help with any concerns they may have dealing with their smart phones. Also a skilled NVCC Technical Instructor will update the features of the latest Smartphones
Biography: Instructors are drawn from members of the NOVA Honors Club and additional NVCC students. LLI students will be separated into several Zoom breakout rooms where they will be taught at the most appropriate level for their equipment and skill levels.
LLI Coordinator: E. Perley Eaton
S21-126, Social implications of Technology Innovations
Fri, May 14, 2021, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Guillermo Warley
Description: The class will discuss the concepts of Technology and Innovation and frame some of the ethical dilemmas they present. We will examine technology’s impact on society and its unintended consequences. Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning, and their presence in our lives, will be introduced in plain language, as well as the challenges, limitations, and ethical concerns they bring about. The basic principles, classification, and state-of-the-art of the technology behind Autonomous Vehicles (self-driving cars) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones) will be examined, with examples and discussion of the legal and ethical considerations of each one.
Biography: Guillermo Warley is an electrical engineer with undergraduate and graduate degrees in electronics and signal processing. He has more than 35 years of experience designing products that use some of the technologies discussed in this class and has previously taught a similar class at the Lifelong Learning programs of Shepherd, Johns Hopkins, and Towson Universities, and Anne Arundel Community College. Mr. Warley is also a Senior Life Member of the IEEE (Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers) and a member of the SSIT (Society for the Social Implications of Technology).
LLI Coordinator: Jerry Fisher
S21-127, NOVA Fab Lab Workshop: “Sewable Circuits & LED Emojis”
Fri, Feb 26, 2021, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 25
Fee: Class fee $20 paid after class registration via the web link to be sent to registered members.
Speaker/Host: Lance Lacey, Fab Lab Coordinator
Description: Participants will create and keep their own soft circuit in the form of an LED Emoji pin! Hand sewing using conductive thread will be used to create a circuit connecting an LED, switch, and battery. Additionally, participants will be able to see and learn how a laser cutter was used to cut out the detailed patterns. A materials kit will be mailed to participants in advance, so that they can create their project during the live virtual session. No previous experience is required. If needed, additional support will be given to those who are unable to finish their LED Emoji pins during the session. NOTE: Participants will need to have access to glue (hot glue gun preferred or liquid glue), scissors (fabric/embroidery preferred or regular), and a marker for this session. Mailing addresses for receipt of the materials kit will be required upon registration. Registration for this workshop will close 2 weeks prior to the class to allow time for the materials kit to arrive.
Biography: Lance Lacey grew up in upstate New York and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from SUNY Cortland. He taught high school science classes for 10 years in Florida and Virginia and also worked for the Virginia Department of Health. Currently he is the STEM Coordinator at the Fab Lab for NOVA Community College – Manassas campus. He loves DIY projects, spending time with family and friends, and anything pertaining to science.
LLI Coordinator: Christina Cinalli
S21-128, NOVA Fab Lab Workshop: “3D Printing & Building a Mini Greenhouse”
Fri, Mar 12, 2021, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 25
Fee: Class fee $25 paid after class registration via the web link to be sent to registered members.
Speaker/Host: Lance Lacey, Fab Lab Coordinator
Description: Participants will design a personalized name plate for their mini greenhouse. The name plate will then be 3D printed after the session and mailed to the participant along with a mini-greenhouse kit to build. Additionally, Fab Lab videos will demonstrate how the cover of the greenhouse was created using a plastic thermoforming machine and how the name plates will be 3D printed. No previous experience required. Live virtual session. Registered participants will be provided with a Fab Lab email address to which they send their mailing address in order to receive the 3D name plate and kit. NOTE: Participants will need to have access to a hammer and safety glasses to construct the greenhouse when it arrives with the personalized name plate.
Biography: Lance Lacey grew up in upstate New York and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from SUNY Cortland. He taught high school science classes for 10 years in Florida and Virginia and also worked for the Virginia Department of Health. Currently he is the STEM Coordinator at the Fab Lab for NOVA Community College – Manassas campus. He loves DIY projects, spending time with family and friends, and anything pertaining to science.
LLI Coordinator: Christina Cinalli
S21-129, NOVA Fab Lab Workshop: “Robots: Coding & Maze Challenges”
Fri, Apr 09, 2021, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Additional dates:
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 25
Fee: Class fee $5 paid after class registration via the web link to be sent to registered members.
Speaker/Host: Lance Lacey, Fab Lab Coordinator
Description: Have fun learning how to program a virtual robot to navigate a wall maze! Participants will be using free web-based software to learn block coding in order to control their own virtual robots. No previous coding or robotic experience is required. Participants can continue to use their virtual robots after the session to complete other challenges.
Biography: Lance Lacey grew up in upstate New York and earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from SUNY Cortland. He taught high school science classes for 10 years in Florida and Virginia and also worked for the Virginia Department of Health. Currently he is the STEM Coordinator at the Fab Lab for NOVA Community College – Manassas campus. He loves DIY projects, spending time with family and friends, and anything pertaining to science.
LLI Coordinator: Christina Cinalli
Clubs, series S21-140
S21-141, Mah Jongg Club
Tue, Jan 19, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM
Additional dates: Every Tuesday
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: $8 for mah jongg card annually
Speaker/Host: Facilitator: Kathy Fowler
Description: Every Tuesday, 1:30-3:30 p.m., we meet online for fun, laughter and a good time. All levels of experience are welcome from beginners through master players. To play online one can go on RealMahJongg.com and sign in for a 2-week trial. After 2 weeks there is a charge of $5.99 a month. For more information, contact Kathy Fowler at the link “Email a question to a coordinator” below.
Biography:
LLI Coordinator: Facilitator: Kathy Fowler
S21-142, Book Club
Wed, Jan 27, 2021, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Additional dates: Last Wednesday of every month
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Contact: Lianetta Ruettgers
Description: Books, both fiction and non-fiction, are selected by the members, usually one or two months in advance. The discussions are fun for all, including those who may not have finished reading the current book. Members are encouraged to lead discussions. During covid-19 restrictions, members have been agreeing on a topic, finding books to read on their own, and meeting on Zoom for animated discussions.
Biography:
LLI Coordinator: Contact: Lianetta Ruettgers
S21-143, Lunch Club
Fri, Feb 05, 2021, 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Additional dates: First Friday of every month
Location: Zoom
Maximum Class Size: 97
Fee: None
Speaker/Host: Facilitator: Mary Foster
Description: The purpose of the club is for LLI members to enjoy a meal together and become better acquainted with fellow members. There is no planned program or topic—we just chat about anything that comes to mind. In the COVID-19 era, participants have their own meals at home.
Biography:
LLI Coordinator: Facilitator: Mary Foster