March 2013 Classes

The Day the Mesozoic Died

Instructor: Dr. Fred Webb, ASU Geology, Retired

The Mesozoic Era ended about 65.5 million years ago and with its end the dinosaurs and many other animals and plants became extinct. The cause of the extinctions has been the subject of many studies, but the two most generally accepted theories are based on environmental changes related to (1) a major asteroid impact and (2) massive volcanic activity. This program will concentrate on evidence that supports the asteroid impact theory as well as recent evidence that favors the volcanic eruption theory.

Lois E. Harrill Senior Center

Monday, March 4 2:00-3:30PM

Members: Free Nonmembers: $10

Ernie Pyle and Stories of G.I. Joe

Instructor: Dr. Sandra Olendorf, App State Department of Curriculum and Instruction

To Ernie Pyle, the popular war correspondent, the typical World War II infantryman was a hero. His heroes were ordinary people trying to survive in extraordinary circumstances. Ernie won the Pulitzer Prize for his writing about real people who survived the unglamorous, gritty, boring, sometimes humorous, and often terrifying reality of war.

Lois E. Harrill Senior Center

Wednesday, March 20 2:00-3:30PM

Members: Free Nonmembers: $10

Readers’ Theatre: The Late Romances of Shakespeare (6 Classes)

Instructor: Dr. Richard Rupp, App State Department of English, Retired

Dr. Richard Rupp will be leading participants in a reading of three of Shakespeare’s late romances: Cymbeline, The Winter’s Tale, and The Tempest. Two classes will be spent on each play and participants will be assigned roles if you wish to help with the readings. Discussion will be welcome throughout the classes. A Bantam Classics paperback edition Shakespeare The Late Romances is available on Amazon.com for only $7 and contains these three plays. It can be identified by ISBN-10: 0553212885 and ISBN-13: 978-0553212884.

Lois E. Harrill Senior Center

Thursdays from March 21 to April 25 10:00-11:30AM

Members: Free Nonmembers: $30

What a Geologist Sees…

Instructor: Dr. Fred Webb, ASU Geology, Retired

Here's your chance to find out what geologists see when they look at rocks and unravel the geologic history they record. The way this will work is a photo of geologic interest will be shown for several minutes giving each participant the chance to make a very simple sketch of what seems to be of geological interest. Afterwards the geologist's sketch will be shown and discussed before the next image is shown. Participants can either bring their own sketch pad and crayon, etc. or use paper and crayons provided by the program. There is absolutely no need or requirement for prior experience in sketching.

Lois E. Harrill Senior Center

Thursday, March 21 2:00-3:30PM

Members: Free Nonmembers: $10

Sweet Connections: Honeybees and Computer Science

Instructor: Dr. James Wilkes, App State Department of Computer Science

Over the past several years, honeybee losses in the US have reached unsustainable levels and have included a new phenomenon called Colony Collapse Disorder that has no clear cause even after several years of research. Several current projects in the Department of Computer Science at Appalachian are attempting to use computing solutions to help address the problem of honeybee winter losses. This talk provides a glimpse of the connections being created between honeybees and computer science.

Lois E. Harrill Senior Center

Wednesday, March 27 2:00-3:30PM

Members: Free Nonmembers: $10