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American love stories consist of an almost singular tale of chance meetings, defying the odds, and falling in love. As Americans, we are used to the notions of stolen kisses, romantic dates, and surprise proposals. But what happens if your culture does not approve of this? Join us for a wonderful Middle Eastern lunch and conversation with Huda Al-Marashi, author of First Comes Marriage. Huda is an American-born child of Iraqi immigrants who met the boy that she would ultimately marry when she was six years old. Discover the truth about arranged marriages and its entwined importance into Muslim families as Huda tells us of her life and her journey to find her true love.
Format: 50% Lecture, 40% Interactive discussion, 10% Hands-on activity
Presenter: Huda Al-Marashi
Huda Al-Marashi is the author of First Comes Marriage: My Not-So-Typical American Love Story, a book the Washington Post called “a charming, funny, heartbreaking memoir of faith, family, and the journey to love. If Jane Austen had grown up as a first-gen daughter of Iraqi parents in the 1990s, she might have written this.” Her writing has also appeared in the Washington Post, the LA Times, al Jazeera, VIDA Review, the Rumpus, and the Offing. She is the recipient of a Cuyahoga County Creative Workforce Fellowship and an Aspen Summer Words Emerging Writer Fellowship.
Have you ever wondered whether a news article you see online is accurate? This course provides students with a useful toolbox to help them navigate today’s digital media landscape. Students will learn how to identify fake news, find reliable news sources, and become a more informed news consumer.
Format: 30% Lecture, 30% Interactive discussion, 40% Hands-on activity
More than 15% of the U.S. population is over 65 and older adults represent the fastest growing segment of the consumer market. What is the mature palate? This course will explore the potential for brain imaging tools to probe changes in taste and smell that are related to sensory perception, reward value, and anticipation of and consumption of food. While health considerations play a role in food choice in older adults, those choices are increasingly good for consumers of all ages. Students will learn what the changes are in taste, smell, and flavor in older consumers and how this can influence healthy food choices.
Format: 60% Lecture, 20% Interactive discussion, 20% Hands-on activity
When do we die? Medically? Socially? Are these the same things? Is there any good reason to think there is life after death? Should we fear death? How can we cope with grief? This course will analyze various medical definitions of death; ponder the meaning of social death versus biomedical death; and explore various traditions of death and burial and how these reflect cultural and personal attitudes toward death.
Format: 75% Lecture, 25% Interactive discussion
Meet the forgotten members of the Greatest Generation: the military animals who guarded American coasts against submarine attacks, dug out Londoners trapped in bomb wreckage, and carried vital messages under heavy fire on Pacific islands during World War II. They kept up morale, rushed machine gun nests, and even sacrificed themselves picking up live grenades. Join Robin Hutton, the bestselling author of Sgt. Reckless: America’s War Horse, for a special tour of the Veterans Museum at Balboa Park. Uncover the experiences of veterans, both human and animal, during this unique museum tour and author talk.
Format: 60% Lecture, 20% Interactive discussion, 20% Museum tour
Presenter: Robin Hutton
Robin Hutton has spent her adult life working in major event productions and the motion picture business. She is the author of Sgt Reckless: America’s War Horse, a national bestseller that received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. She is president of Angels Without Wings, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation that spearheaded the development and dedication of a national memorial to hero horse Sgt. Reckless. Hutton was named Patriotic Citizen of the Year by the local chapter of the Military Order of the World Wars and the Military Order of the Purple Heart for her charitable work. She was awarded that honor at the Ronald Reagan Library in June 2014.
Learn economists’ take on the minimum wage in this lively lecture/discussion. We will discuss on the “Fight for 15,” an issue that is sure to be part of the 2020 election, while also learning a brief history of the minimum wage in the U.S., the economic theory economists use to analyze a policy proposals like raising the minimum wage, the difference between a minimum wage and a living wage, and the likely effects of raising the minimum wage in states like California. Students will come away from the class with a better understanding of why academic economists rely on the economic models to make predictions, as well as understand the difference between good politics and good policy.
Format: 50% Lecture, 50% Interactive discussion
Life stories and autobiographical memories, although deeply personal, have important political and psychological purposes — they allow us to reinsert ourselves into the narrative that is history. How do groups construct collective memories on the basis of individual experiences? How are individual memories influenced by collective understandings of historical realities? All of us have personal memories that intermingle with historical and political circumstances even though we may not have lived through dramatic events. Our personal memories of events are part of our individual autobiographical memories and collective historical memories. Some of us carry “memories” of events that happened before our birth. Indeed, the intergenerational transmission of memories has a significant psychological effect on many lives. In this class, we will aim to answer these poignant questions.
Format: 60% Lecture, 20% Interactive discussion, 20% Hands-on activity
William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is not usually associated with happiness. In this lecture, Rob explores the profound, funny, and fascinating aspects of Shakespeare’s greatest work, demonstrating that despite themselves the characters in Hamlet have much to say on the subject of how to live wise and happy lives. Rob takes us chronologically through the play, performing and discussing famous speeches by Claudius, the Ghost, Gravedigger, and — of course — the melancholy Dane himself. Whether you’ve never read Hamlet or have seen it numerous times, there is plenty to discover and enjoy about this “poem unlimited.”
Format: 70% Lecture, 10% Interactive discussion, 20% Hands-on activity
Explore and dispel myths and stereotypes about Nexters and Millennials. Learn how to connect with your grandchildren, mentees, co-workers, volunteers, and any other young person in your life.
Format: 40% Lecture, 30% Interactive discussion, 30% Hands-on activity
In this course, Buddhist nun Gen Kelsang Lhadron, will present Buddhist philosophy in a way that is informative and practical for those interested in personal development. The student will gain an understanding of the main principles of Buddhism such as formless consciousness, beginningless time, karma and the ultimate nature of reality. We will then experience how these principles are brought to life in meditations on patient acceptance, love, and compassion. Join us on a journey through Buddha’s teachings that is both intellectually stimulating and personally transformative.
Format: 40% Lecture, 30% Interactive discussion, 30% Meditation activity