It Was the Best of Times

An Evening With Charles Dickens was sponsored by Coastal Senior College last December 13th. It was a huge success with 110 people attending. Eleanor Poe Barlow (pictured below) of Friendship, author of “The Master’s Cat”, a Dickens biography, told how the great writer created his “ghost story” and explained the reasons for its widespread popularity and immortality. 

The evening upheld  the warmth of the season with a “Carol” reading by noted character actor Foner Curtis (pictured above) and music by the Baroquen Consort, an ensemble made up of recorders and a violoncello, which has been playing in the Midcoast area for over twelve years.  The group is made up of professional and amateur musicians who enjoy playing baroque, renaissance, folk, and other types of traditional music.

Eleanor Poe Barlow of Friendship, author of The Master’s Cat, a Dickens biography, told how the great writer created his “ghost story”

The first Maine Senior College statewide course to be delivered over the ITV system.  Entitled Hope and Despair, the course instructor is Rabbi Harry Sky This course will analyze, discuss and consider the two basic human feelings of hope and despair. The study will combine Biblical and Jungian psychological vantage points, using the biblical Book of Job; Psalms 1-40, and Answer to Job by Carl Jung.  Harry will teach from 8:15-9:15 a.m. on  June 3, 5, 6 and 10, 12, 13  

Harry Sky serves as Senior Consultant to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and the Maine Senior College Network, where he provides advice and counsel to the Senior College initiative in the state. Sky was instrumental in the founding of the Senior College movement in Maine and was the Rabbi of Portland’s Temple Beth El for 30 years before his retirement in 1989. He later returned to Beth El and retired again in 1995. In addition, each participating Senior College will also have a local group discussion for up to an hour on-site following the TV time. The discussion will be led by a local facilitator from themes suggested as they occur from Harry’s lectures. There will be lots to talk about! 

Delivered via the University of Maine ITV System located at the University College Locations and Centers across the state. Course fee is $25.00 For More Information and Registration: Contact your local Maine Senior College. The Jung book will be available through your local Senior College.

Senior College Summer Conference is July 13-15
Many leaders of Senior College participated (or heard about) last year's statewide Maine Senior College Leadership Summit held in June in Northport. We are planning to host another Summer Conference event this year on July 13-15 at the University of Maine in Presque Isle.  And this year we are inviting the membership at large to attend as well.  As part of the Summer Conference we plan to offer enrichment classes to members called "Senior Scholars."  For more information visit  Summer Conference on this site.

Senior Colleges around Maine are very busy now that spring has finally arrived in the state.  Here's a roundup of activities and courses:

Downeast has two canoe trips planned with a naturalist. With an appropriately academic sounding moniker of Watershed Studies, the group will explore the Pleasant and Narraguaugis Rivers.

The verdict is in on Acadia's successful short course titled Court is in Session which explored the criminal justice system and featured lunch with the judge after a morning in court.

Farmington's Gold Leaf Institute sponsors an weekly current events group.

A number of Senior Colleges, including Belfast, Presque Isle, and Portland's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute are beginning to offer Service Learning Courses which pair members with community volunteer opportunities

One of the unique aspects of Senior College is that faculty are students as well as instructors.  Sister Eleanor LaForge (above)  learns Drawing in the morning, and teaches Watercolor in the afternoon at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Portland.

A popular spring course at Coastal Senior College is "Memories of WW II"