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Lifelong Learning Offers Educational and Fun Fall Lectures
and Hot Topics
The Lourdes University Lifelong Learning program has
compiled a great lineup of Fall Lectures and Hot Topics. The
events are held on select Fridays at the Franciscan Center
of Lourdes University, 6832 Convent Blvd., in Sylvania.
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Lectures begin at 10 a.m. with refreshments offered at
9:15 a.m.
Free for members and first-time visitors.
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Hot Topics are offered from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
$10 for members and $15 for non-members per meeting
except “Treasures by the Wayside” which is $18 for
members and $25 for non-members. Reservations are
strongly encouraged at least one week prior.
Friday, September 16
Backgrounds of America’s Presidents
Featuring Gerry Bazer, PhD, an emeritus of the Ohio
Humanities Council Speakers Bureau
What does it take to become president? Are there common
stepping stones on the career path to the White House? A
survey of previous presidents will shed light on the
importance of factors such as age, wealth, military
experience, party affiliation, and more. Are there
particular background factors that foretell whether a
president will attain greatness in office? Dr. Gerry Bazer
served as Dean of Arts and Sciences at Owens Community
College. He has delivered many lectures on the American
presidency, including presentations at the William McKinley
Presidential Library, the James Garfield Presidential
Library, Bowling Green State University, The University of
Toledo, Northwest State and Terra Community College.
Hot Topic: Water Everywhere – But is it Safe to Drink?
Featuring Regional Environmentalist Marya Czech
How can a city in a state surrounded by four Great Lakes
have a water crisis? How can it happen in Toledo, located in
the largest watershed of the Great Lakes? What role does the
"human factor" play in these and other crises impacting our
water supply? Please bring a bottle of water to a discussion
of these and other questions about our liquid assets.
Presenter Marya Czech is a regional environmentalist.
Friday, October 21
Deadly Doodle
Featuring Kimberly Venuk, Forensic Scientist for the
Michigan State Police
On television, forensics allows crimes to be solved quickly
and without ambiguity. Real life isn’t always so easy.
Forensic scientist Kimberly Venuk will use the following
real life example to illustrate the differences between fact
and fiction in using science to solve crimes:
On Friday Nov. 12, 2010, in the small town of Yale,
Michigan, the parents of a 17-year-old girl were brutally
attacked with knives by two masked suspects. It was later
revealed that the suspects not only knew the girl, but she
was dating one of them. The story gets stranger when a hand
drawn map is found only steps away from the home and it is
titled “My House.” During this presentation, you will relive
the astonishing story of how one girl paid to have her
parents killed and how she orchestrated the entire murder
during youth group meetings and over text messages.
Kimberly Venuk has been working as a Forensic Scientist for
the Michigan State Police (MSP) for 14 years in the
Controlled Substances Unit and on the Crime Scene Response
Team. Her other responsibilities at the lab include
coordinating the internship program, laboratory tours, the
fitness program, and onboarding new employees. Outside of
the MSP, she is an active member of the Midwestern
Association of Forensic Scientists (MAFS), a member of the
Disaster Assistance Recovery Team (DART), and a past
instructor of Introduction to Forensic Science at Oakland
Community College.
Hot Topic: Gleaning for Hunger Relief
Featuring George “Tater” Jensen, a Hunger Relief Advocate
“We waste 96 billion pounds of food a year which could feed
all the hungry of the world.” George "Tater" Jensen
advocates for a different approach known as “gleaning” to
feed hungry
Americans. Tater brings together growers/farmers and
volunteers to bridge the gap between wasted food and people
who are hungry. Tater is a Hunger Relief Advocate with the
Society of St. Andrew.
Friday, November 18
Vintage Cookbooks
Featuring Becky White, Co-Owner of Schooner Farms and
Inspired By Nature
Cookbooks of old were more about how to be a "good wife”
than just a collection of recipes. Manners were stressed,
including how to keep a home, how to catch a husband and
keep him happy. See, not just a cup of flour and a pinch of
salt! You will be surprised and maybe even
shocked at the information in vintage cookbooks. We will
explore cookbooks from the 1800's to now and see how these
books helped to shape homes across America. Becky White is
co-owner of Schooner Farms, a non-conventional,
self-sustainable organic farm and Inspired By Nature, a
natural pond and lake management company. She has degrees in
art and history from Syracuse University and Bowling Green
State University. A self-described gypsy, she loves art,
organic farming, cooking, history, reading and her
community.
Hot Topic: Sustain Your Brain
Featuring Lynn Ritter of the Alzheimer’s Association
Increasing evidence suggests that healthy lifestyle habits,
such as being physically and cognitively active, eating a
healthy diet, and staying socially engaged contribute to
healthy aging. This program focuses on simple lifestyle
changes that individuals may be encouraged to embrace which
may have a positive impact on brain health. Presented by
Lynn Ritter of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Friday, December 16
Native American Culture
Featuring Jamie K. Oxendine, Director of the Black Swamp
InterTribal Foundation
Jamie K. Oxendine will discuss many facets of Native
American culture, from the past to the present, with an
emphasis on native peoples of the Great Lakes region. Of
Lumbee/Creek ancestry, Jamie is a member of the Lumbee Tribe
of North Carolina. He is a professional educator, musician,
writer, storyteller and civil rights activist. Jamie is also
director of the Black Swamp InterTribal Foundation.
Hot Topic: Treasures by the Wayside
Featuring Professional Storyteller and Author Csenge Virág
Zalka
Buffet lunch included
Cost: $18 for members; $25 non-members
Lessons learned from talking animals, wisdom found in wells,
advice traded for a piece of bread – in folktales, one can
find knowledge in the most unusual places. These
breathtaking, bone-chilling, age-old stories, spiced with
humor and truth, exist like treasures along the road, to be
found by the right person just at the right time.
Hand-picked by a traveling storyteller from various cultures
around the world, this selection of stories is for people
who are on a life-long quest for new discoveries.
Csenge Virág Zalka is a professional storyteller and author
from Hungary; she travels the world, telling and translating
tales for all ages. After earning an M.A. in Archaeology and
one in Storytelling, she is currently working on her Ph.D.
in Culture Studies at Bowling Green State University. Her
first story collection in English, “Tales of Superhuman
Powers,” was published by McFarland in 2013.
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Lifelong Learning is an exciting educational program at
Lourdes University. Open to all interested men and women,
the only requirement for participation is an interest in
ongoing learning. Lifelong Learning participants enjoy
classes on a wide variety of academic subjects, educational
field trips and monthly lectures featuring guest speakers.
All activities are open to both members and non-members. For
more information on upcoming classes and becoming a member
of Lourdes University’s Lifelong Learning program, visit
www.lourdes.edu/lifelong.
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