Study Groups

Virginia Slep
Mondays, 10 a.m. to noon, via Zoom
10 weeks

In this writing group, the creative talents of the participants will be encouraged by their peers. Members are invited to write in any genre: memoir, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, essay, humor or play. Handouts will be provided to stimulate writing. Participants are given time to share their writings with classmates if they choose. Sometimes in talking about someone else’s writing, we are able to clarify our own thoughts and abilities. This is a light-hearted, supportive, welcoming group whose members enjoy writing for the fun of it and is a continuation from spring 2024.

Virginia Slep holds a BA and an MA in English and taught high school English for 35 years before her retirement. She has been leading this writing study group at LLARC since 2008 and was awarded the 2023 LLARC Bernie Shuster Award for excellence in teaching. She writes a regular column for the North Reading Transcript. Virginia has a PhD in Clinical Hypnosis and has a private practice in Wayland.

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Mary Nowak
Mondays, 9:15 to 10:45 a.m., via Zoom 
Five weeks, March 3 through March 31

Was this the book that led to the Civil War? All of us have heard of this book. How many have really read it? Could a book alone lead to a civil war? Why did Harriet Beecher Stowe write it?  This study group will read and discuss the original text in a short but fairly intensive study of all the elements from the historical perspective. We'll consider the influence of the book on North and South, the controversies about the facts and interpretations, the popular appeal or disdain, all the various adaptations and expressions of the original book in drama, literature and music.

Required: Reading Uncle Tom's Cabin (available on the Internet and all libraries).  Access to the Internet

Choice: Some 5-minute reports on people, compromises, other topics that arise

Class is not a lecture. It  is a cooperative venture where all contribute to the teaching and learning.

Mary Nowak has a BA and MA in American history from Boston University. She taught American history and U.S. and world geography in Brookline. She has led several study groups for LLARC on women in the Suffrage Movement, the Labor Movement, the Progressive Movement, the American Civil War, and America’s Internment of Japanese-American citizens during WWII.
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Mary Nowak
Mondays, 9:15 to 10:45 a.m., via Zoom
Five weeks, April 7 through May 5

Most of us know something about the Dust Storms which ravaged the Prairie States, but we are going to learn a whole lot more about the causes, results, and the lives of the people affected by these storms. Was anyone to blame and if so, who could it be? Were people or agencies guilty of action or inaction? Were all states affected in the same way? To what extent were they affected? What did people want of the government? Were other states or countries affected? Lots of questions. Together, we're going searching for answers. It's a really very compelling story and we have a great text (plenty of copies in the library}-The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan. Both the library and the Internet have a wealth of material.

Required: Reading the text. Access to the Internet

Choice: 5-minute reports as topics arise.

Mary Nowak has a BA and MA in American history from Boston University. She taught American history and U.S. and world geography in Brookline. She has led several study groups for LLARC on women in the Suffrage Movement, the Labor Movement, the Progressive Movement, the American Civil War, and America’s Internment of Japanese-American citizens during WWII.
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Karen Mallozzi
Mondays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in-person, Fine Arts Center, Room 301
10 weeks

The class will read and discuss regular length and short stories in the mystery genre. We will look at character, setting, plot, and format. Participants may get the assigned books from a library, used or new booksellers, or listen on audio. Note taking is recommended. **Short stories are provided by the leader. Each week a list of possible discussion questions are emailed ahead of the class so that we have a frame for our discussions. The format is discussion based so reading is done before arriving in class. The reading list is available ahead of time as soon as you register.

Karen Mallozzi has led 10+ sessions of the Mystery discussions as well as a two-week summer Intersession on the book North Woods by Daniel Mason. She graduated from URI in 1981 with a BA in history with minors in English and Political Science. In 2012 she completed her MA in religious studies from Andover-Newton Theological School. In her free time, she gardens, bakes, and volunteers, and reads, reads, reads!

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Jim McLaren
Mondays, 1 to 2:30 p.m., via Zoom
10 weeks

We will cover the history of the idea of organic evolution.  Both the evidence that it has, in fact, occurred and, more importantly, the impact of Charles Darwin who provided an explanation for how it might have occurred.  A mountain of evidence collected since Darwin’s time confirms both the fact of evolution and its mechanism.  Darwin himself would be in awe of the success of his theory - particularly that coming from the world of molecular biology and DNA. We will also examine many of the social impacts of the theory - both positive and negative.

Jim McLaren is a retired science teacher and Department Head at Newton South High School. In the 80’s and 90’s he co-authored a middle school and a high school biology text that were adopted in schools nationally.  His interest in science in general and biology in particular is lifelong, as is his interest in infecting others, young and adult, with that passion.
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Dick Sullivan
Tuesdays, 9:15 to 10:45 a.m., in-person, Fine Arts Center, Room 301
Five weeks, March 4 through April 1

The Unemployment Insurance (UI) program is the social safety net in the United States that provides prompt compensation to workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Last year, in an economy of essentially full employment, states paid out $33 billion to over 5 million people who qualified for weekly benefits while they searched for a new job. At the same time, two of our largest states (California and New York) are relying on loans from the federal government to maintain the flow of cash benefits to people who worked in those states. The course of study will examine key components of UI from 1935 to 2024 and explore optional policy/missions and organizational changes for the second 100 years.

Dick Sullivan received an AB in psychology from the College of the Holy Cross; Master's in Education from Boston College; and Master’s in Public Administration from Northeastern University. He taught thirteen years at the Boston University School of Business in the Organizational Behavior Department.

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Dick Sullivan
Tuesdays, 9:15 to 10:45 a.m., in-person, Fine Arts Center, Room 301
Five weeks, April 8 through May 6

This is a course for beginners in their genealogy quest. And for those who are curious about or contemplating starting an organized search for their ancestors, cousins and other descendants. The course will cover:

• How would I start my research? When did most immigrants arrive in the U.S.?
• What kind of records should I search for? How can I assemble an organized, accurate data base?
• Who has the records that I would need to succeed in this effort? Can my family members help?
• How would I locate records in Massachusetts and in other states/other countries?
• How could I analyze and summarize my findings? Will family trees prepared by others help me?

Dick Sullivan received an AB in psychology from the College of the Holy Cross; Master's in Education from Boston College; and Master’s in Public Administration from Northeastern University. He taught thirteen years at the Boston University School of Business in the Organizational Behavior Department.

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Tom Hall
Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in-person, Fine Arts Center, Room 301
8 weeks, March 4 through April 22

This course is based on the acclaimed PBS series – “The Brain – The Story of You.” During the first six weeks we will watch an episode of the series highlighting a different aspect of the human brain, followed by a discussion of the video’s content. While we will explore some of the science behind how our brains function, the emphasis will be on how our brains shape our humanity. In session 7 we will explore the spectrum of brain differences, and in session 8 we will tackle the subject of age-related memory issues.

Tom Hall is a retired middle school and high school principal. He is also the author of seven published novels. When he is not writing or reading crime novels, he is playing senior softball.

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Ronna Frick
Tuesdays, 1 to 4 p.m., via Zoom
10 weeks

In this course we will examine ten films that members of the class deem their favorite—or at least one of their favorites! This eclectic mix ranges from a British film noir to a musical starring Gene Kelley to a coming-of-age film based on a Pulitzer prize-winning novel to a comic anti-war film to an American Western buddy film, to an unforgettable crime thriller to a rich drama about a mathematical genius who happens to be a janitor to a light-hearted comedy about death set in Ireland to a little known Natalie Portman film about a marriage to a Japanese film about a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo—and all will delight, entertain, and make you feel and think: what good films do best! (Or at least I hope they will!) Please join us for our discussions of The Third Man (1949), An American in Paris (1951), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), King of Hearts (1966), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Usual Suspects (1995), Good Will Hunting (1997), Waking Ned Devine (1998), The Other Woman (2009), and Perfect Days (2023). (These titles may change.) I will send out study guides before viewing the films.

We will meet on Zoom on Tuesdays at 1 for a viewing of the film. The discussion will follow afterward, ending at approximately 4 p.m. For those class members who prefer to view the film independently, the length of each film will be posted on the Course Syllabus, and you may join us just for the discussion.

Ronna Frick retired after teaching high school English for forty years, the last nine also serving as the English Department Head at Wellesley High School. Having previously been a SGL for numerous LLARC courses including many film classes and winner of the Bernie Shuster award, she looks forward to another meaningful and fun experience with other lifelong learners!

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Pam Kyrka
Wednesdays, 9:15 to 10:45 a.m., in-person, Fine Arts Center, Room 301
10 weeks

We know novels can be thought-provoking, powerful, and sometimes even life-changing, but can short stories do this as well? Come explore the hidden power of this past year's best American  short stories to find out. Each story will reveal a bit of someone's life, a piece of which you've never had to explore. We will start right into discussion the first 2 short stories, so please have read "The Magic Bangle" and  "Jewel of the Gulf of Mexico".  Also, if you have had a chance to peruse any other stories in the book, feel free to share and we can join in a discussion after we all have a chance to read it.

Please purchase "The Best American Short Stories - 2024", Edited by Lauren Groff.

Pam Kyrka is a retired English teacher who also writes children’s literature, including picture books and one middle grade and one young adult novel. She is presently working on her third novel. Having taught poetry for years, she recognizes the power it holds and the thoughts it provokes. She has also led a short story study group at LLARC for several years.

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Jim Roman
Wednesdays, 9:15 to 10:45 a.m., via Zoom
10 weeks

Through a facilitated discussion, classmates express their ideas about recent happenings, while we listen, learn, and understand the basis for others’ opinions. The group discussion is facilitated with guidelines and suggested readings to enable people to feel comfortable participating. Robust exchanges can—and should!—happen within this framework. 

Jim Roman is a retired aerospace program manager. He is a current events junkie. Jim is interested in understanding other's viewpoints and in discussing today's complex issues in a civil, thoughtful manner. Jim grew up in Southern California where he left to begin his eastward U.S. migration. First stop was the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. After graduation he move to Massachusetts. He and his wife Anne have lived in Natick for 40 years. The have two grown children and two grandchildren.
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Dorothy Miller
Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in-person, Performing Arts Center, Room 301
10 weeks

Two women from completely different countries, cultures and ethnicities struggle to find their voices. What role does the environment they live in create their difficulties? Where are the differences and similarities?
Readings:  A Doll House by Henrik Ibsen and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

Dorothy Miller taught in the English Department at Boston College specializing in multicultural literature.  This will be her third year teaching at LLARC.  This will be Dorothy Miller’s sixth course she has taught at LLARC. Before that she taught English at Boston College for forty years.

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Frank Villa
Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., via Zoom
Five weeks, April 9 through May 7

Science has compiled a comprehensive and detailed natural history of our universe, our sun and earth, and life on earth, though there remain some gaps in our knowledge. Yet, the more we learn about the mechanisms of our creative universe, the bigger the philosophical and theological questions that result.
In this 5-week program, we will study the scientific creation story and explore some of the questions raised by theologians, philosophers, and scientific discovers about our human place in this mechanical universe. These questions include, among others, whether our human existence and consciousness have meaning or we’re just a fortuitous formulation of atoms; whether there is a moral arc to the universe or primarily randomness and chaos, whether there is special meaning to human existence.  In this program, we will study the science, but ponder the questions through discussion and interaction.

Frank Villa has a lifelong interest in the natural sciences. He finds great joy in explaining complex principles and processes and bringing the latest quests and discoveries of science to a general audience. He has developed curricula and taught science courses in many settings on a variety of topics.

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Joe Tennyson
Wednesdays, 1 to 2:30 p.m., via Zoom
10 weeks

In this class, we focus on EAI, Embodied Artificial Intelligence, the embedding of Artificial Intelligence into physical entities enhancing their social, cognitive, and physical capabilities, enabling EAIs to perceive, learn from, and interact with their physical environment potentially as well as, or better than, their human counterparts.  With an emphasis on interactions in the physical world, EAI integrates developments in multiple fields, including computer vision, natural language processing, environmental modeling, reinforcement learning, physics-based simulation, robotics, bio-computing, and evolutionary computing. We explore contributions from each domain as we unravel the history and current-status of EAI.

Joe Tennyson worked in the Information Technology field as a software developer, network engineer, and senior manager for forty years before retiring in 2020. He developed an on-going interest in Artificial Intelligence in the early 1980s and has followed developments in the field as they unfolded since that time. Joe holds a BA in Communication Theory and Methodology from Emerson College and an MBA from Boston College with a concentration in Operations Research.

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Bernie Shuster
Thursdays, 9:45 to 11:15 a.m., in-person, Fine Arts Center, Room 301
10 weeks

How did a young transfer student at the University of Pennsylvania who immigrated from South Africa to Canada at the age of 17, become one of the wealthiest and most powerful businesspeople in history? From revolutionizing transportation both on Earth and in space, to founding the most popular and widely used financial platforms in existence, Elon Musk is without doubt one of the most successful individuals the world has ever seen. How did he do it?

Bernard Shuster earned a BA in History at UMASS Amherst and an LLD at Boston University School of Law. He practiced law for several years as a partner in a Boston Law firm. He founded and served as COO at a financial services firm. Bernie has led over 50 courses at LLARC and HILR. LLARC’s annual award for service is named in honor of Bernie Shuster.

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Mary Mahoney
Thursdays, 1 to 2:30 p.m., in-person, Fine Arts Center, Room 301
Five weeks, Starting April 10 

Let’s explore this pivotal time in U.S. history.  We will begin with a brief look at the end of the 1940s and the Eisenhower years.  Then, we will move on to explore the 50s and the rise of the teen and television!  Viet Nam exploded our way of life in the 60s as did hippies, anti-war protests, the women’s movement (which had been brewing for awhile) and the national civil rights revolution. JFK, Martin Luther King.  RFK. We will travel on to the 70s, 80s and 90s to see how technological changes effected the lives and livelihood of Americans, as well as, the economic boom and recession, the swing to conservatism, detente with Russia, a turn toward materialism and consumerism, the rise in satellite and cable television, hip-hop, Princess Dianna, JFK, Jr., impeachment…and more.

Mary Hawes Mahoney is a teacher at heart. She taught English Language Arts and history (all kinds, including ancient civilizations, world religions, American history from inception to present day, World War I and II, and Western civilization) in the Sudbury Public Schools for 37 years. Ireland and Irish history have been a particular interest because her mother’s ‘people’ were from Ireland. They had the misfortune to have traveled on ‘coffin ships’ and were refused entry at ports in Boston and New York. Subsequently, as a child, Mahoney was steeped in tales of the Irish and Irish history, but those tales did not always follow the history she was taught in school. Curiosity piqued, after she had gotten two degrees from Boston College and had been teaching history for years. Thus, she accepted an invitation to spend a summer studying at the National University of Ireland, Galway in the 1990s. She returned to Galway as well as spent another summer at Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland. She now would like to share the historical perspective gained, along with the music, myths and humor of the Irish.

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Bill Koehler
Fridays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., via Zoom
Five Weeks, March 7 through April 4

In 1848, the European continent was rocked by a series of political and social revolutions that shook the existing order and drove absolute monarchs from power in France, Italy, and Austria.  While few of these revolutions succeeded directly in bringing about long-lasting democratic change, the events of 1848-49 paved the way for the formation of modern Germany and Italy while giving rise to nationalist and independence movements from the Balkans to Ireland.

William Koehler, Dean of the Sloane School of Business and Communication at Regis College, holds a PhD in Modern European History from Brandeis University and has taught in higher education for over three decades.

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Bill Koehler
Fridays, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., via Zoom
Five Weeks, April 11 to May 16 (no class April 18)

In this course, we will start with the classics—Sun Tzu’s The Art of War and Carl von Clausewitz’s On War—and progress to discussing modern thinkers on the subject.  We’ll explore what aspects of military strategy are timeless and universal and which are specific to particular technologies, societies, political entities, or conflict types.

William Koehler, Dean of the Sloane School of Business and Communication at Regis College, holds a PhD in Modern European History from Brandeis University and has taught in higher education for over three decades.

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J. Adrian Zimmer
Fridays, 1 to 4 p.m., via Zoom
Five weeks, March 7 through April 4

In this online class we will watch and discuss five American films made through the past 70 years.  This will give us a chance to reminisce about and compare the different eras we have lived through, as well as to consider how filming techniques have changed through the decades.   Each of the five classes will be approximately 3 hours long.  After watching the film there will be a short break and we will discuss what we have seen.  The films are: Adams Rib (1949), Wild River (1960), Ordinary People (1980), American Beauty (2000), and The Half of It (2020).

J. Adrian Zimmer audited his first anthropology course when he was 13. Later he minored in sociology and went on through a postdoc in math.  Then he taught and wrote about computer science. Upon retiring he switched gears again and has led several film courses for Regis, Tufts, and H.I.L.R.

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