Learning in Retirement
Programs offer special learning opportunities for retirees
Activities and Classes:
Once again, the Curriculum Committee has organized a series of one time lectures/ discussions which should be of interest to LIR members and non-members. Remember members, these “Cabin Fever” lectures are a part of your membership! You may attend one or all of them; however, you will need to register in advance, as these lectures fill quickly.
Cabin Fever Series for 2012:
2012 Cabin Fever Newsletter (2 page PDF) | 2012 Cabin Fever Registration Form (1 page PDF)
Healers at Wounded Knee
It's hard to imagine, but just 650 miles from La Crosse in South
Dakota people are living in third world conditions. The
unemployment rate on the Pine Ridge Reservation is well above 80
percent. Close to half of all the people living on Pine Ridge
live below the poverty level. Life expectancy on the Reservation
is the lower than anywhere in the western hemisphere except for
Haiti. Women live on average 52 years; men just 48. Access to
quality health care is extremely limited. Indian Health
services, which is run by the Federal government, is
under-funded and understaffed. In May 2010, News 19’s Amy DuPont
traveled with a team of health care professionals from Gunderson
Lutheran to Pine Ridge. These doctors and nurses use their
vacation time and pay their own way to provide free health care
on the Reservation for one week, each month. Amy’s special
report “Healers at Wounded Knee,” won an Emmy award, describes
the health care crisis on Pine Ridge and how volunteers from the
La Crosse area are making a life-saving difference for the
Lakota people.
Speaker: Amy Dupont, WXOW News Anchor
Feb. 10, 10 a.m. - noon | 332 Cartwright Center, UW-L
Justice Sanctions
La Crosse County has spent 15 years trying to develop a more
integrated, data driven criminal justice system. Jane Klekamp,
Justice Sanctions Manager, will describe the Criminal Justice
Management Council, the principles of evidence based practice
for correctional clients, and the implementation of evidence
based practice in La Crosse County. Find out how La Crosse
County has reduced the jail population without decreasing public
safety.
Feb. 24; 10 a.m.-noon | 332 Cartwright Center, UW-L
Public Health Team Experience to
Nicaragua
The Nicaraguan experience is a part of the Global Partners
initiative created by the Gundersen Lutheran Health System in
2008. The overall purpose of this initiative is to “develop
long-term, sustainable relationships and community-to-community
partnerships that expand beyond our typical borders. In doing
so, the Global Partners model will improve the overall health of
the region, education of the citizens and quality of life for
people in our partner communities,” (Gundersen Lutheran Health
System, 2010). It is important that the leaders and citizens of
Santa Celia, Nicaragua feel involved and engaged in the process,
as well as supportive of the overall effort.
Speaker: Gary Gilmore, Community Health and CEE
March 30, 10 a.m.-noon |102 Wing (State St. entrance),
UW-L (Rescheduled from Feb. 3)
2012 Spring Newsletter:
2012 Spring Newsletter Brochure (4 page PDF) | 2012 Spring Registration Form (1 page PDF)
Starting with this spring newsletter, current members with email addresses on file can register/pay online!
America’s National Parks: Part 2
The development and
preservation of the National Park System is one of the greatest
gifts to America. Together this class will watch the brilliant
Ken Burns DVD series to learn the process behind the formation
of the National Park System. After viewing each segment of the
series, Bob will conduct class discussion leading to a better
understanding of the National Park Movement that gave the
American people this crown jewel. This is a continuation from
Spring 2011 though previous participation is not required.
Facilitator: Bob Wingate, emeritus UW-L faculty
Tuesdays, March
20, 27, April 3 and 10; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Ward Room, Cartwright
Center, UW-L
Golden Age of Radio
Turn off the television, turn on your imagination and return
with us to the “thrilling days of yesteryear.” Whether you are
too young to remember radio at its peak or wish to reminisce
about shows you once heard, “The Golden Age of Radio” is for
you. On two Wednesdays, you will have a chance to step back in
time to listen to some of the shows that captivated the American
public during the 1930s, ’40s and ’50s. There will be something
for everyone—comedy, adventure, mystery, drama and soap operas.
During these sessions we will listen to Jack Benny, Fibber McGee
and Molly, Captain Midnight, Stella Dallas, Suspense and One
Man’s Family, among others.
Presenter: Harry Gardiner, UW-L Professor Emeritus, with
more than 3,000 programs in his collection, will conduct the
tour into radio’s past. There will be a slide show, trivia
questions and an opportunity to listen to several complete
shows.
Wednesdays, March 28 and April 4; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. |
339 Cartwright Center, UW-L
An Inside Look at the Life and Times of a
Journalist
Terry Rindfleisch, whose journalism career spanned four decades
and five newspapers, talks about his career, his memorable
stories, his worldwide travels and controversies and challenges
in reporting. He will take you behind-the-scenes in his coverage
of the Cuban refugee crisis and the fall of communism in Russia.
This four-session course will give an inside look at a
journalist’s life and an understanding how newspaper stories are
put together and how decisions are made as to what will be
printed.
Session One: The education of a journalist and
stumbling upon a career in journalism, why journalism and
journalists matter and their role in society.
Session Two: The daily grind of the
journalist’s work (the ups and downs).
Session Three: Special stories that matter, a
look at some of his award-winning projects and how they were
developed, as well as a look at some never reported.
Session Four: More stories and examine their
impact on the community, specifically stories written for The La
Crosse Tribune. Each class will have a segment of “You be the
Editor,” where participants decide on stories covered.
Presenter: Terry Rindfleisch, retired after 32 years with
the La Crosse Tribune as a reporter, most recently covering
health and the arts. He also worked for The Wall Street Journal,
The Milwaukee Journal, The Wisconsin State Journal, and The Eau
Claire Leader- Telegram. He has received many journalism awards
including the Pulitzer Prize nomination and multiple reporting
awards.
Mondays, April 2, 9, 16 and 23; 1-3 p.m. | 337
Cartwright Center, UW-L
Women and Politics in Today’s World
During this election year, one wonders why the U.S. does not
have a woman presidential candidate. Other nations in the world
have had women leaders. What factors have prevented the
supposedly most democratic nation in the world from nominating
and even electing a woman to the highest office in the land? The
purpose of this course is to develop an understanding of the
role and status of women in political systems in today’s world.
The three sessions will cover the following:
1) Theoretical background of women’s role and status in politics
in general;
2) Why has the U.S. not had a woman president?
3) What other countries in the world have (had) women leaders?
Why? Class size limited to 20 participants.
Presenter: Cecilia Manrique, Ph.D., Professor and Chair of
the Political Science/Public Administration Dept., UW-L
April 4, 11, 18; 1-3 p.m. | Ward Room, Cartwright
Center, UW-L
Menu for the Future
This discussion book course explores the connection between food
and sustainability.
Session one will cover the topics of What’s
Eating America, where we will consider the effects of
modern industrial eating habits on culture, society and
ecological systems, and Anonymous Food, where we will
trace the historical shift from family farms to industrial
agriculture to present day questions surrounding genetically
modified organisms (GMO) and industrial organics.
Session two will cover Farming for the
Future, where we will explore the emerging food system
alternatives, highlighting sustainable growing practices and the
benefits of small farms and urban food production. This session
also covers You Are What You Eat, where we will explore
food systems from a human health perspective.
Session three will cover Toward a Just Food
System, where we will consider the role that governments,
communities and individuals can play in addressing issues of
hunger, equity and Fair Trade and Choices for Change
will offer inspiration and practical advice in taking steps to
create more sustainable food systems.
Purchase of Menu for the Future is required/part of
fee.
Class size limited to 15.
Presenter: Glen & Carolyn Jenkins
Wednesdays, April 11, 18, 25; 10 a.m.-12 p.m. | Ward
Room, Cartwright Center, UW-L
Potosi Brewery/Museum and Dickeyville
Grotto Tour
Join us as we visit the historic Potosi Brewing Company in
southern Wisconsin. Founded in 1852 as a small local brewery, it
climbed to the fifth largest in Wisconsin. The brewery closed
its doors in 1972 but began restoration in 1995 after a major
fire. With the support of the community, the Potosi Brewery
Foundation was formed in 2000. Potosi was selected over cities
such as Milwaukee and St. Louis to be the home of the national
museum of the American Breweriana Association. During our visit,
we will tour the brewery museum, the Potosi Company
Transportation Museum and the brewery. Dinner will take place in
the unique atmosphere of the restaurant that has the original
stone walls, cypress wood tables from the brewery vats and a
spring that converges under the see-through glass floor. Our
trip will continue south to the Dickeyville Grotto. These
shrines are the work of the late Father Matthias Wernerus, from
1925-1930. He used stone, mortar and bright colored objects
collected from around the world in his works.
Fee includes motor coach transportation, step-on guide,
tours, lunch.
May 17, depart UW-L football stadium parking lot 8:30
a.m.; return 6:30 p.m.
Great River Shakespeare
Festival's Two Gentlemen of Verona
SAVE THE DATE! JULY 21, 2012
In the NEWS!
New Ways to Visit Cuba — Legally
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/10/travel/at-long-last-legal-trips-to-cuba.html
| New York Times | July 10, 2011
La Crosse residents
earn rare approval to travel to Cuba
http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_1ff07142-a767-11e0-bdca-001cc4c03286.html
| La Crosse Tribune | July 5, 2011
Good News! LIR Offers a People to
People Tour to Cuba
(April
15-25, 2012)
Trip is full. l. ll.
Please contact Karen DeSchepper, 608.785.6508 or
kdeschepper@uwlax.edu
In May we received a letter from the U.S. Treasury Department approving our application to take a group of LIR members to Cuba in April 2012. We were thrilled that our application was approved because of the difficulty of obtaining such a license from the U.S. government. This license permits us, unlike other tour groups, to fly directly to Cuba from the U.S. A People to People tour is an experience that focuses on the lifestyle, institutions and issues associated with Cuba and allows participants to enjoy a great deal of direct contact the Cuban people. The study tour will leave from Miami on April 15 and return on April 25. We will be visiting the cities of Camaguey, the third largest city in Cuba and declared a national monument for its beautifully restored plazas, and Trinidad, Cuba’s best preserved colonial city. In addition, we will travel to Santiago, where Fidel Castro went to school and finally, Havana, Cuba’s capitol and a city with a flavor all its own. For a detailed itinerary and costs contact the Office of Continuing Education 608.785.6500. The number of tour participants will be limited. Burt and Norma Altman, Tour Directors
