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Winter 2017 Catalog

Lifetime Learners Institute

At Norwalk Community College


For People Over Fifty

Winter 2017 ~ Lifetime Learners Institute at NCC

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2017 Winter Catalog

Welcome to the Winter Session of Lifetime Learners Institute!

Our Winter 2017 session again offers a selection of paid and free courses for our members. Last

winter, we adopted this successful arrangement to provide additional learning opportunities over

the cold winter months. The paid courses run for two-hours, for four consecutive weeks, on a single

subject. The free courses for members are single, two-hour lectures and are available on a first

come, first served basis.

Please note, the Winter session is for LLI members only—no guests please.

Also please note, the format is the same as last winter’s session and is listed below.

FREE COURSES: LLI continues to offer members FREE courses, which will be held

only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, with no registration required.

Friday Lunch & Learn sessions will continue to be FREE to LLI members.

PAID COURSES: On Wednesdays and Thursdays all courses are PAID and require

advance registration and payment of $30 for each four-week PAID course.

HOW TO REGISTER: Consult the course calendar to determine which PAID or FREE

courses you wish to take. The PAID courses are shaded on the calendar. To take a PAID

course, complete the application form at the back of the catalog and send along with your

payment by check. FREE courses do not require registration and entry is on a first come,

first serve basis.

Required for all courses: NCC Photo ID, with current LLI sticker or current LLI membership card.

IMPORTANT: When a class is full, no additional members may enter.


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FREE COURSES – Winter 2017

Arctic Overview

Tuesday, January 31, from 1:10pm to 2:50pm

This presentation offers a comprehensive overview of “All Things Arctic” –

accompanied by extraordinary imagery, video footage and authentic hands-on

artifacts and items from the Far North. The interactive lecture also cover

atmospheric phenomena such as the northern lights, the unique properties of sea ice, amazing facts

about the region's distinctive animals as well as indigenous cultures, their mythology and traditional

lifestyles.

Moki Kokoris is the first Ukrainian woman to reach the Geographic North Pole. A life-long

advocate for the environment and UN representative, she is the founder of “90-north” and the Polar

Film Festival. Past Arctic Editor of The Polar Times and contributing author at The Arctic Institute,

she has written many articles for leading print and online publications. She firmly believes that

everywhere is walking distance…if you have the time.

Car Savvy: Fundamentals


Learn about the systems that make up our cars—engine, brakes, electrical,

suspension and drive train. Learn fundamentals of how the systems work,

common maintenance requirements, alarms and their meaning and noises that warn of potential

safety issues. Bring your owner’s manual, if available.

Frank M. Phillips is a retired mechanical engineer who has worked on cars since he was 12 years

old. He has owned over 20 cars and performed his own maintenance, from engine rebuilding to

brake discs to clutch replacement.


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Collage and Beyond

Friday, January 20, from 10:10am to 11:50am

Have you ever want to create artwork from images, decorative papers

and art materials? Let mixed media artist Ellen Gordon show you

how to combine materials to create fascinating artwork. Drawing and painting will be integrated

with collage. No experience necessary – just a willingness to try!

Ellen Gordon is the recipient of many awards in mixed media artwork. Her artistic creations are

exhibited regionally, nationally and abroad. She holds degrees from Boston University and Baruch

College. She is the President of the Loft Artists Association and currently serves on the board of

the Greenwich Art Society. Her creative and artistic talents lend to her impressive educational

programs for adults as well as children.

Conflict Resolution: Examples and Strategies

Monday, January 30, from 1:10pm to 2:50pm

Can conflicts be resolved? Many models have been used to positively resolve

conflicts in countries, communities, the justice system and elsewhere. This is a

conversation about global, community and person-to-person conflict, and actual

and potential means that have been used or could be used to solve these conflicts. We discuss

Rwanda, South Africa, indigenous communities, and racial conflict, and different schools of

thought on conflict resolution.

Jackie Labatt-Simon has been facilitating conflict resolution workshops for fourteen years. These

workshops are held in prisons, schools, communities and Habitat Community, to create conflict

free communities. She speaks at NCC classes and at community forums on conflict resolution.

Connecticut in the American Revolution


Despite being one of the smaller states, Connecticut played an extraordinarily large

role in the American War for Independence. Connecticut government, people,

industry and inventiveness helped pave the way to a remarkable victory against the

superpower of the 18th Century. But it was not without cost, as Connecticut was repeatedly invaded

by British forces during the war. This lecture reviews the importance of Connecticut and those

whose actions proved significant during the eight years of conflict. So grab your cocked hat,

buckled shoes and quill and paper for a visit to Connecticut’s Revolutionary past.


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Eric Chandler has been involved in American Revolutionary War Living History since 1974, and has

presented LLI classes on aspects of the American Revolution and early America. He is a retired land title

insurance underwriter of residential and commercial properties. His artistic endeavors have included

cartooning, working in local theater and decades as a saxophonist in area Rock & Roll and Blues bands.

To his credit (or shame), his likeness was used in an issue of MAD magazine.

Frank Sinatra: The Man and His Music


Dr. Joe will briefly survey Frank Sinatra’s famous life and his contribution to the Great

American Songbook. Sinatra recorded and performed more of the great songs than any

other singer, before or since. His greatest gift was his uncommonly beautiful voice, his

phrasing of a lyric and his “way” with a song. Sinatra was a unique force in American

music. It is, of course, impossible to do him justice in one class session, but Dr. Joe will hit many of the

high notes. He will play recordings, as well as perform on an electronic keyboard a selection from Sinatra’s

more than 500 famous recordings.

Joe Utterback received his MA in Piano Performance from Wichita State University and his Doctor of

Musical Arts from the University of Kansas. He has over 400 published jazz and classical compositions.

He has been Music Director and Organist of the First Congregational Church or Stratford for the past 20

years, and has taught music for 22 years at Sacred Heart University. He has taught 24 courses at LLI, and

continues to perform throughout the US and the world.

Genealogy Sampler, Janeen Bjork

Friday, February 3, from 10:10am to 11:50am

What do you know about your family tree? Is there a hero or a villain among your

ancestors? You may never know unless you find out how genealogy is done. In this

sampler class you will be introduced to the methods used—and especially internet

sources—to begin the genealogical search.

Janeen Bjork has combined her 30 years of experience as a television researcher and presenter with her

love of genealogy. She enjoys teaching others how to find and share their family histories. Her classes

and presentations include: Genealogy; DNA for Genealogy; Newspapers for Genealogy; and MS Word

and PowerPoint. Her sharing of these skills as a researcher and presenter has given fruitful joy and vital

information to those seeking their family history.


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Healthy Relationships: Personal, Professional and Platonic

Friday, January 13, from 10:10am to 11:50am

In a friendly atmosphere conducive to lively discussion, participants are able to

share their ideas about what makes for a successful personal, professional or

platonic relationship. We even tackle the age-old question “Can men and women

be friends?” With stimulating facilitation, individuals are encouraged to share what has “worked” for

them, and what changes need to be made for today’s society. Come join this interactive forum and leave

with a smile!

Kenneth Ormand has been a classroom teacher for over 40 years. He specialized in peer mediation in

which individuals were helped to resolve personal conflicts in a positive manner. He has organized and

facilitated group interactive sessions where relationships were discussed at every level.

The Long Journey Home for Albert Afraid of Hawk

Friday, January 27 from 10:10am to 11:50am

Albert was a handsome 20 year-old Lakota Sioux who was a rider with the Buffalo

Bill Wild West Program. In July, 1900, Albert was taken very ill, probably with food

poisoning. He died in Danbury Hospital and was buried in an unmarked grave in

Danbury’s Wooster Cemetery where he laid for 108 years, until evidence surfaced

showing his burial location. This lecture discusses finding the grave, searching for his

family, exhumation and his return to Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

Robert Young is a retired physician assistant and Viet Nam veteran. He attended Missouri State and

Wake Forrest Universities. He is also the past President of the Danbury Museum and Historical Society

and has participated in Colonial Apothecary portrayals.


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P.T. Barnum: America's Greatest Showman


Connecticut’s own Phineas Taylor Barnum! Conniving, manipulative,

exploitative, innovative, ingenious, jokester, humbug, con-man…Barnum was

all of these. Hear about the many qualities of this native son of Connecticut.

The Rev. Dr. Blaine Edele has been the Pastor of the Union Memorial Church, United Church of

Christ, in Stamford for the past 24 years. He received a Ph.D. from Duke University in Semitic

Studies and Old Testament, but since then he most enjoys researching and lecturing on American

and Connecticut history.

Redirecting Your Career


This session is designed for people considering redirecting their careers

into new pathways, or launching new careers. Especially for those who

have recently retired, or wish to move from the business sector to the

social service sector. We hold an interactive class exercise, designed to stimulate new insights

about appropriate career possibilities not considered before, and have a chance to discuss these

options with your classmates. This winter session is an excellent opportunity to explore career

possibilities before launching a focused search.

Erik Rambusch has assisted hundreds of people to launch or relaunch their careers in the private

and public sector. He has his own career practice, has worked with national consulting firms

supporting professionals in career transition, and most recently, assisted NCC students and

veterans select courses and initiate job searches. He has written two books: Conquer Resume

Objectives and Conquer Interview Objections.


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THE PAID COURSES– Winter 2017

Take a Walk on the Wild Side Paid course, requires advance registration Wednesdays from 1:10pm-2:50pm, January 11, 18, 25 and February 1

Have some winter blues? Cheer up with a walk on the wild side. Come to class

to get a taste of Numerology, Dream Interpretation, Séances and Spiritualism,

and Feng Shui. No need to be serious – just a little fun on the wild side.

Elissa Kaplan is the founder and director of Growing Projects, an educational

consulting company, whose vision is leadership through critical thinking and

compassionate choices. Elissa Kaplan earned two master’s degrees in Comparative Literature and

Language Arts as well as an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership from George Washington University

(District of Columbia). Over a seventeen-year period, Elissa Kaplan has served as Director of

Education at four synagogues in Maryland and Connecticut.

The Nazi Revolution: 1919-1934 Paid course, requires advance registration

Wednesdays from 1:10pm-2:50pm, January 11, 18, 25 and February 1

From the demise of Imperial Germany to the Night of the Long Knives, this

course chronicles the Nazi Revolution. Covered are the Versailles Treaty or

as it was known in Germany, the Diktat; the January 1919 Spartakus rising in

Berlin, led by Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg; General Hans von

Seekckt and the roots of Blitzkrieg; the Freikorps; the inimitable Ernst Rohm

and the S.A.; the 1923 Munich Putsch; Mein Kampf; origins and organization

of the Nazi Party; Adolf Hitler; the Night of the Long Knives. . .

Week 1: The Stab in the Back

Week 2: The Munich Putsch

Week 3: The Weimar Republic

Week 4: The Night of the Long Knives

Mark Albertson is the historical research editor at Army Aviation magazine. He has authored several

books including, On History: A Treatise.


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THE PAID COURSES– Winter 2017

Current Events Paid course, requires advance registration

Thursdays, from 1:10pm to 2:50pm. January 12, 19, 26 and February 2

Framed by the week’s trending news, this course relies on rigorous, yet

respectful, debate to enhance our understanding of divergent viewpoints in

the reporting of current events. Discussions address politics, sex, religion

and their effects on contemporary culture – issues that give life depth and

meaning. We focus on developing critical reasoning skills by examining the

pre-conceived biases that affect our personal objectivity.

Art Gottlieb is a local historian on subjects of political and military history. He is formerly a

Curator of Navel History and Technical Director of Exhibits at the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space

Museum in New York City, where he worked extensively to create displays which accurately

illustrate the history of 20th century warfare.

The Nude Paid course, requires advance registration Thursdays, from 1:10pm to 2:50pm. January 12, 19, 26 and February 2

The human body has always been a central topic for art. The nude has a unique role in man's

expression of himself. Greco Roman, Medieval leading to Renaissance, Rubens to Renoir, 20th

century and new view of 21st century. We will discuss sculpture, art, and photography. Four weeks

of cultural views of how we understand ourselves.

Week 1: Greco Roman

Week 2: Medieval - Renaissance

Week 3: Rubens to Renoir

Week 4: 20th Century and 21st Century

Darby Cartun is a passionate lover of the arts with a desire to share ideas and theories. Taking

the journey with others with interest in art is what it is all about. She holds a Bachelor’s degree

from Syracuse University and a Master’s degree from Sacred Heart University. She hosts a daily

radio talk show, Darby & Friends, on WGCH.


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FREE LUNCH & LEARN–Winter 2017

12:15 Light Refreshments 1:00-2:00 Presentation

Forum Auditorium, East Campus Please show your current NCC Photo ID card

January 13, Artistic Conversation Between Matisse and Picasso

These two 20th Century artistic giants spent their careers pursuing divergent artistic

goals. We show the works of both artists individually, as well as with side by side

comparisons, while exploring the curiosity and rivalry that existed between them.

They were always aware of what the other was doing. For example, Picasso's

"Les Demoiselle d'Avignon" is compared with Matisse's "Bathers with a Turtle". This presentation gives you

an opportunity to better understand the artistic conversations explored by these two artists.

Darby Cartun has been an LLI facilitator on the Arts for the last three years. She earned a BS degree from

Syracuse University, an MA in Teaching from Sacred Heart University and studied at the Metropolitan Museum

of Art. She hosts a daily radio talk show “Darby & Friends” on WGCH.

January 20, Culture, Customs and Chaos in Nigeria Today

Catherine describes significant traditions from her husband's ethnic group, the Igbo, as examples that teach

the sense of belonging and community as it exists in most sub-Saharan African countries. She describes the

political scene in Nigeria today. She includes references to Boko Haram, the missing Chibok girls, and the

unrest in the Delta region. She touches on corruption, a trait with which Nigeria is frequently associated.

Catherine Onyemelukwe graduated from Mount Holyoke College and was a Peace Corps volunteer in

Nigeria from 1962 to 1964. She met her husband in Nigeria and lived there for 24 years. She was there during

the Biafran War (Nigeria's civil war), raised three children, started a business and founded an organization

for foreign wives of Nigerians. Returning to the US in 1986, she now lives with her husband in Connecticut.

January 27, Is Privacy Dead?

Today's governments, companies and other organizations track, store and analyze almost

everything we do, both online and in the real world, and usually without our knowledge or

consent. Utilizing a short introductory film, local technology expert Richard Frisch explores the changing

world of privacy in the 21st century. He will review the past and present state of surveillance and provide

insight on whether we can protect ourselves from this omnipresent spying into all our lives.


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Richard Frisch is involved with local technology organizations. He co-chairs the CT PC Users Group

meetings and is the past president of the Fairfield County PC Users Group. He has more than 30 years’

experience as an executive in the financial services sector and now has his own company, RHFtech,

providing tech guidance and support to small businesses.

February 3, Traffic and Transportation Issues

This presentation will focus on our present and future traffic problems, congestion and

mass transportation issues. Sam Schwartz will present issues from his latest book, Street

Smart: The Rise of Cities and the Fall of Cars.

Sam Schwartz is a former Traffic Commissioner of New York City, and presently the head of a major New

York City transportation planning and engineering firm.

Lumina Quartet Spring Concerts

Save the dates! March 4, 2017 May 6, 2017

Full program to be announced


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Registration and Membership Information

Winter Session events are open to current LLI members only. Advance registration and payment

is required for the paid classes. No registration or fees are required for free classes. Class

attendance is limited to the space available. Members must present their NCC Photo ID with

current sticker or LLI membership cards to gain entrance to the classroom. All programs are held

at Norwalk Community College.

If you have not paid your dues for 2016-2017, please fill out the Registration & Membership

form below, and send it with your check to LLI.

Closures due to weather:

Please check the following website for updated closure information: www.Lifetimelearners.org.

If NCC is closed, LLI is closed. Winter cancellations will be announced on Cablevision Channel

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Class cancellations cannot be announced on the LLI Office phone message.

Make-up classes will be scheduled only for paid classes that are cancelled.

General and Contact Information

Lifetime Learners Institute, Norwalk Community College

188 Richards Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.lifetimelearners.org

Phone: 203-857-3330

Office: Room W102, West Campus

Hours: Monday–Thursday 10:00am–3:00pm. Closed Friday

http://www.lifetimelearners.org/

http://www.news12.com/


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REGISTRATION & MEMBERSHIP – WINTER 2017

Only current LLI members may attend the Winter Session. You can join us now.

Membership also includes the year-round use of the NCC Library, as well as the NCC Fitness Center.

LLI membership dues paid now will cover Winter 2017, Spring 2017 and Fall 2017.

Fill out the form below and send it with your check to:

Lifetime Learners Institute, Room W102

188 Richards Avenue, Norwalk, CT 06854

Name: _____________________________________ Male ___ Female ___

Address: __________________________________________________________

Telephone: __________________________

Email: __________________________________________________________________

(Email address is used for LLI communications only.)

Birth Date: ________________________ Important! Required by NCC

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED FOR PAID COURSES ONLY.

FREE courses do not require registration.

1st Course: ______________________________

Alternate (Only if the above class is closed) ____________________________

2nd Course: ______________________________

Alternate (Only if the above class is closed) ____________________________

Membership Dues $50 (Only if not a current member): $ _____________

Each PAID course is $30. Total Number of PAID courses: ______ x 30 = $______________

Contribution to LLI Scholarship Endowment $______________

Contribution to President David Levinson LEAP Scholarship fund $______________

Total Enclosed $______________

___ Send future catalogs to my email address, instead of US Mail (1 week earlier).

NOTE: All registrations will be processed in the order in which they were received.

You will receive confirmation of registration after December 25.

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