Center for Senior Citizens' Education to offer short courses this fall
The University of St. Thomas Center for Senior Citizens' Education again will offer several short courses this fall on the university's campuses in St. Paul and Minneapolis.
The courses are designed especially for those 55 and older and are taught by faculty members and experts from the community. The cost for each course is $60. Scheduled this fall are:
"Vintage Short Stories: Old Favorites and New Friends" will be offered from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Mondays, Sept. 8 to Oct. 20, in the auditorium of O'Shaughnessy Educational Center on the university's St. Paul campus. Dr. Kelli Larson of St. Thomas' English faculty will lead this program that will welcome audience participation.
"The Spirituality and Politics of Islam" will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. Mondays from Sept. 8 to Oct. 27 in O'Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium on the university's St. Paul campus. Dr. Noreen Herzfeld of St. John's University in Collegeville will examine the origins, beliefs and traditions of the fastest growing religion in both Europe and America.
"Conversations About Music and Jazz" will be offered from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays from Sept. 10 to Oct. 29 in the auditorium of O'Shaughnessy Educational Center on the university's St. Paul campus. Musician and composer Joan Griffith, who teaches at three St. Paul colleges, will lead conversations with some of the big names in the Twin Cities' jazz scene. Each session will feature a jazz performance, and the series will conclude with a don't-miss concert with Griffith and her friends.
"The Spirituality of Jesus and His Earliest Followers" will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, Sept. 10 to Oct. 29, in O'Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium on the St. Paul campus. The Rev. Jan Michael Joncas, a noted theologian and composer from St. Thomas, will lead this series on how Jesus and his followers adopted, adapted and rejected spiritual practices of the time to forge distinctive early Christian spiritualities.
"Your Memory: Learning to Forgive It (and not Forget!)" will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. Tuesdays, Sept. 23 to Nov. 25, in Thornton Auditorium on the university's downtown Minneapolis campus. Dr. Gregory Robinson-Riegler, co-author of a cognitive psychology textbook and member of the St. Thomas faculty, will cover a range of topics related to memory, including what happens as we age and tips for improving memory.
"Becoming European: Central Europe's Entry Into Europe" will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, Oct. 7 to Nov. 25, in Thornton Auditorium on the university's downtown Minneapolis campus. Dr. John Patrick Dale, a native of Liverpool and a specialist in Soviet politics at St. Olaf College, will examine the countries of Central Europe as they turned westward following the collapse of the Soviet Bloc and Soviet Union.
"Lunch 'n Learn" Returning to downtown Minneapolis this fall are three "Lunch 'n Learn" programs sponsored by the Center for Senior Citizens' Education.
- Dr. Christine Thalhammer, chair of the Political Science Department at St. Olaf College, will discuss " Latin America's New Left-Right Political Polarization" on Friday, Sept. 26.
- Former U.S. Sen. David Durenberger, of St. Thomas' National Institute for Health Policy, will discuss "Looking for Value in Health Care" on Thursday, Oct. 16.
- The Rev. John Estrem, head of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, will discuss "For the Life of the World: Eliminating Poverty" on Thursday, Nov. 6.
Each luncheon program runs from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Room 201 (the Great Hall) of Opus Hall on the university's Minneapolis campus. Cost of each lunch and talk is $25.
The Center for Senior Citizens' Education also offers one-to-one peer consultation services and a program that allows senior citizens to attend regular undergraduate academic courses on a space-available basis. The fee to attend courses is $25 per semester.
For more information about the short courses or other programs, call the center at (651) 962-5188 or visit the center's Web site at https://www.stthomas.edu/csce/ .
