BOOK DISCUSSION: THE EMPEROR OF GLADNESS BY OCEAN VUONG

Monday, October 6
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #48248

Cost: $3

Facilitators: Pam Asmus, Ph.D, Joanna Baymiller

Pamela Asmus did her graduate work in American Studies at Brown University with a specialty in American women, American social and intellectual history, and American literature. She has taught at the University of New Haven, SCSU, and Wesleyan University.

Joanna Baymiller is a writer who has been publishing her critical and creative work in newspapers and magazines for four decades.

This 2025 novel was written by Vietnamese American writer, Ocean Vuong. The story follows the relationship between a suicidal nineteen-year-old boy and an elderly woman suffering from war trauma and dementia.

STAYING PRESENT: LETTING GO OF WORRY, REGRET, AND DISTRACTION

Tuesday, October 7
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #48249

Cost: $3

Presenter: Gabriella DeLorenze, BS. M.Ed

Our speaker is a health coach and yoga rehab specialist. She has spent thousands of hours teaching body alignment, the mind body connection, and embodiment practices to yoga teachers, personal trainers, life coaches and body workers.

Program: Do you want to find calm, clarity and connection in daily life?  Through this sixty- minute workshop, learn simple effective tools to support your nervous system and ease everyday stress.

TRIP: NEW BRITAIN MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART

Wednesday, October 8
9:30 a.m. at SGC
Program #48250

Cost: $35

Presenters: Museum docents

A docent led tour of the general collection of this world-famous Museum of American Art.

Lunch on your own in the Museum Café. Following the tour we will shop at Roly Poly, an authentic Polish grocery store.

CUTTING THE CORD

Thursday, October 9
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #48251

Cost: $3

Presenter: Chris Vanderweide, MBA

The speaker has a BA in computer science as well as an MBA. He has been working with computers for over twenty years, making his first service call when he was twelve years old.

Program: How do you cut the cord? A discussion of cable, t.v. and streaming options for consumers.

BIG GOVERNMENT: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND PATHS TO PROGRESS

Tuesday, October 14
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #48252

Cost: $3

Presenter: Ray Lombra, Ph.D Professor Emeritus of Economics, Penn State University

Ray Lombra is the Professor Emeritus of Economics, Penn State University. He served as a senior staff economist at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. He is a specialist in monetary economics and macroeconomics with a focus on central bank policy, financial markets, and international finance. Ray is an award-winning teacher, author, and a consultant to the government and numerous financial firms

Program: From Roosevelt’s New Deal to Johnson’s Great Society, to Bush’s compassionate conservatism, to Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, we have witnessed an expansion in the size and scope of the Federal government. The speaker will trace the history of the expansion of the Federal government across Democratic and Republican administrations. What are the consequences and viable options to this expansion?

The QUILTERS, A DOCUMENTARY FILM AND DISCUSSION WITH DIRECTOR JENIFER MCSHANE

Wednesday, October 15
10:00 a.m. GCC
Program #48253

Cost: $3

Jenifer McShane is an independent film maker who began her career at CBS News. She has produced several award-winning documentary films. She is committed to using film to bridge understanding where structural, cultural, or religious divisions typically keep people apart.

Program: The Quilters, now on Netflix, is a documentary short film that follows a group of men incarcerated in a Missouri maximum-security prison who design and sew beautiful, personalized quilts for children in foster care.  The film explores how these inmates find purpose, expression, and even redemption through this creative outlet, transforming a windowless space into a place of community and collaboration.

TRIP: HISTORIC HOMES IN WETHERSFIELD

Thursday, October 16
9:30 a.m. SGC
Program #48254

Cost: $35

A docent led tour of the Hurlbut-Dunham House and the Cove Warehouse.

Lunch on your own at Heirloom Restaurant.

TRIP: STATE CAPITOL BUILDING IN HARTFORD

Monday, October 20
9:00 a.m. at SGC
Program #48255

A docent led tour of the Museum and State Capitol including a discussion of the history, art, and architecture of this historic building.  Lunch on site on your own.

Fee: $15 (This trip is being offered twice. See November 3rd)

THE WHY, WHERE, AND HOW OF CITIZEN SCIENCE

Tuesday, October 21
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #48256

Cost: $3

Presenter: Virginia Baltay, BA, MA

The speaker was a science teacher in New York and CT for forty years.  In retirement, she became a curriculum designer for the Stewart B. McKinney Refuge on Outer Island in Stony Creek, where she integrated Citizen Science activities into the visitor program.

Program: You don’t have to have a degree in science to make a significant contribution to scientific research. Last year more than half a million volunteers from 126 countries contributed to over a thousand scientific projects and events. Volunteers participate in data collection and become immersed in fields of botany, astronomy, and ecology as well as studies in bird migrations, and marine ecosystems. Learn how to join a citizen science project right here on the shoreline. Outer Island is an ideal spot to begin.

THE FUTURE OF THE HOME

Wednesday, October 22
10:00 a.m. at SML
Program #48257

Cost: $3

Presenter: Paco Underhill, Author and Inventor 

Our speaker has spent the past forty years as an inventor of tools to understand human behavior and predict the future. He is the founder and former CEO of Envirosell, Inc. a company that tested consumer behavior.

Program: According to the 2020 census, less than 25% of American households consist of a “traditional”  family. Learn how the evolution of the family, and the impact of technology have affected the future of our homes.

SHARKS IN L.I. SOUND

Tuesday, October 28
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #48258

Cost: $3

Presenter: MaryEllen Mateleska, Senior Director for Education & Conservation, Mystic Aquarium.
With over twenty years’ experience working in conservation education, MaryEllen has brought marine science, environmental conservation, and STEM topics to a variety of audiences. She is responsible for managing conservation messaging and environmental initiatives at the Mystic Aquarium.

Program: Join us for an engaging exploration of the shark species that are found in Long Island Sound, the role sharks play in the ecosystem, and how sustainable fishing practices can protect marine biodiversity.

Cost: $3

CIVIL LIBERTIES AND THE SUPREME COURT

Wedneday, October 29
10:00 a.m. at GFL
Program #48259

Cost: $3

Presenter: Andy Schatz, Esq.

The speaker is a retired lawyer, former president of the ACLU of CT, and a member of the national ACLU board and executive committee. He has litigated constitutional issues, including as cooperating counsel with the ACLU. He writes essays on the Constitution and the Supreme Court which have been published in regional and national media.

Program: For the past two years the now solidly conservative Supreme Court has reversed major Court decisions from the past fifty plus years. In civil liberties, the new approach, focused on “history and tradition,” promises (or threatens) significant further change.  The speaker will discuss some of the decisions and what they may mean for the future of civil liberties in America.

GREAT DECISIONS

Thursday, October 30, November 6, 13 & 20
10:00 a.m. at GCC
Program #48260

Facilitator: Tom Lee

Tom Lee has degrees in Physics, Math, and Engineering. He spent his career designing solid state power equipment.  He has been a member of the Great Decisions Discussion Group for the last six years, having moderated many of the programs.

Program: Great Decisions is a world affairs discussion program produced by the Foreign Policy  Association. We will discuss the last four topics from the 2025 Briefing Book.  Topics: 10/30, International Climate Cooperation in an Era of Geopolitical Turmoil, 11/6, The future of NATO and European Security, 11/13, AI and American National Security, 11/20, American Policy in the Middle East: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead.

Fee: $5.00 for all four sessions

New participants must purchase the 2025 Briefing Book for an additional $35.00