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New Americans in Androscoggin County
with Marina Chakmakchi
IN PERSON at APL and ZOOM
Everyone who registers will receive a link to ZOOM in their email on the morning of the class, and may attend either in-person or by ZOOM if desired.
New research from the American Immigration Council shows that immigrants in Androscoggin County from faraway places such as Burundi, Somalia, Djibouti and Brazil paid over $24.0 million in taxes and held over $74.0 million in spending power in 2019. Marina Chakmakchi works with immigrant-origin students at USM to ensure that they reach their potential and enrich our community at the same time. She will provide a general overview of the report and talk about immigrant-origin USM students residing in Lewiston-Auburn.
Marina Chakmakchi is a multilingual international professional. She has worked as a women’s rights lawyer in Russia, a student advisor in England, and an ESL teacher in Turkey. Marina first came to Maine in 2003 as an international student to study law. She now guides immigrant-origin students and internationally trained professionals as a Global Talent Navigator at the University of Southern Maine.
Will run
Art Party!
with Anita Poulin & friends
ZOOM
Each week Anita Poulin, and other artists, will present a different, fun and easy art project that can be completed during the class. Participants will be sent a list of supplies ahead of time so they will all be ready to go!
Anita Poulin is a member of Senior College and has taught many courses over the years. She, along with her friends, enjoys sharing her love of art with students, especially seniors. Come relax and enjoy!
What is Philosophy?
with Anita Denis
ZOOM
We will be discussing how to define Philosophy with its characteristics and importance in our every day life. We will also examine the beginnings of philosophy in Ancient Greece. Suggested text: Does the Center Hold? by Donald Palmer
Anita spent her career teaching in overseas schools from 1973 to 2012 when she retired to Maine, where she grew up. In her last school, Seoul Foreign School, she taught Philosophy of Religion and many Social Studies courses to high schoolers. Anita will be zooming this class to us from sunny Portugal, while we weather wicked winter winds!
Chicago World's Fair 1893
with Alan Elze
IN-PERSON at SCHOONER ESTATE
What do Milton Hershey, L. Frank Baum, Frank Lloyd Wright, Frederick Law Olmsted, Thomas Edison, Nicola Telsa, Walt Disney, and Buffalo Bill Cody have in common? They were all at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. What made this Fair so special? Come and find out.
Alan has been at Senior College for 20 years and has taught many courses, including some quirky ones!
The Wonder of Birds
with Catherine Hunter
ZOOM
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates more than 45 million Americans are bird watchers. To learn more about birds we look to scientists and artists. Scientists search for facts while artists introduce visual and visceral components; both offer paths for the curious to learn. We will examine birds in nature and artwork including illustrations, murals, photography, sculpture and music. You will hear directly from artists in videos. Topics will include the Evolution of Field Guides, Nests and Eggs, Portraiture, Extinction and Species Recovery, and the role of art in advocacy for birds.
Catherine Hunter was a museum curator, educator, and consultant for over twenty years in New England. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History of Art from Cornell University and began her career in the Department of Textiles at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. Hunter’s courses reflect the connections one can discover while studying art, science, and culture. Research for this course included attending programs at Audubon's Hog Island, Bremen, Maine. Hunter lives in Massachusetts.
2025 Foreign Film Fest
with Beardsley, Hierstein
IN PERSON at APL and ZOOM
Everyone who registers will receive a link to ZOOM in their email on the morning of the class, and may attend either in-person or by ZOOM if desired.
LASC will partner with APL to present uplifting films from across the continents. Expect cinematic excellence, breathtaking scenery, and insights into human nature across cultures so different yet so universal. Films this year include:
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - Feb. 4, 1:00 – 3:30
My Donkey, My Lover & I - Feb. 11, 1:00 – 3:30
Delicious - Feb. 18, 1:00 – 3:30
The Women on the 6th Floor - Feb. 25, 1:00 – 3:30
Tortilla Soup - Mar. 4, 1:00 – 3:30
The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared - Mar. 11, 1:00 – 3:30
Mary Jane and Judy have always liked to travel, but when you can't get there in person, visiting through film is the next best thing!
Will run
Remarkably Bright Creatures
with Laura Sturgis
ZOOM
This novel was on the New York Times Best Seller list. Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, author of Good Company and The Next , had this to say about the book. "Wry and wise, charming and surprising. I defy you to put it down once you've started." Recommended reading: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
Laura is a retired English teacher who enjoys sharing interesting books with members of Senior College.
Food: The Secret Sauce of History
with Sandy Garson
ZOOM
Many of those seemingly innocuous items in your pantry or fridge have been the root cause of most of world history: New England was discovered because Catholics needed more fish for Fridays, the Dutch sold Manhattan to get into the sugar and spice trade, Columbus discovered Central America accidentally while seeking the shortcut to black pepper. So we’ll look at how powerful food really is.
Sandy Garson has been a caterer, cookie biz owner and cooking teacher who studied Food History at Radcliffe and began writing about food for magazines and in two cookbooks using her professional journalism skills. Now she’s sharing all the fascinating food history she’s learned in the last 35 years, bragging about inventions more powerful than the IPhone.