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​Please take note whether instruction will be conducted via Zoom or In-Person.

​ZOOM CLASSES - LINKS will be sent 5:00 pm ET evening before class.  ​Please check your spam folder if not received. 

IN-PERSON - ​Physical Address:
Rehoboth Baptist Church, 2997 Lawrenceville Hwy., Tucker, GA 30087

Each Class Meets Once Per Week for one hour unless otherwise indicated.  
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​Once you have become a member, please register for desired courses below:

Interested in learning more about our instructors? 

​Click on the image to the right to find our Instructor Bios!






​
​ZOOM Options 

Tuesdays - ZOOM

9:30 AM - ZOOM
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DOCUMENTARY FILMS BY HAL JACOBS
Hal Jacobs, Atlanta filmmaker
 
For over the last decade, documentary filmmaker Hal Jacobs from DeKalb County has been telling stories of Georgians involved in the arts, environment and social justice. His work, featured on Georgia public television, has been described by The Atlanta Constitution as "thoughtful boutique affairs that keep it local while exploring big ideas.” In this online class, he will introduce you to a selection of his films, go behind the scenes of making them, and invite special guests to join the conversations. 
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11:00-Noon - ZOOM
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OPPENHEIMER: FACT, FICTION, AND SIDE STORIES ABOUT THE BIRTH OF THE BOMB
Bill Fisher, Business Consultant, retired BellSouth senior manager, Member, SUGA
 
The popularity and acclaim of the movie “Oppenheimer” was well-deserved. But as good as it was, this topic movie left aside some interesting stories and salient facts. This class means to fill in these gaps and paint a comprehensive picture of the development of the atomic bomb and its first uses. My recent second visit to Hiroshima provides more perspective from the Japanese side.  I will also incorporate material from visits to Los Alamos and Alamogordo, NM, including:
  • the woman who actually discovered nuclear fission but her male boss got the Nobel
  • who typed the famous Einstein letter to FDR and why was he there?
  • how close really were the Nazis to building a bomb?
  • the baseball player authorized to kill Nazi physicist Werner Heisenberg

​Thursdays - ZOOM

9:30 AM - ZOOM
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PUBLIC HEALTH: DIFFERENT TYPES/DIFFERENT VIEWS – FROM GLOBAL TO LOCAL
William R. Elsea, M.D., M.P.H.  Professor of Community Health, Emory Medical School (retired). Member, SUGA
 
This course will include eight different speakers, all with experience and varied views from local and national positions, primarily with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and academia, who will discuss epidemiology and other public health investigations.  Bill Elsea will give an introduction, including his experiences as an epidemiologist in both local and international settings, and also as a local public health director and as a Peace Corps physician in Africa.
Jan. 16:  William R. Elsea, M.D., M.P.H.  Epidemiology & Public Health
Jan. 23:   Jim Ingvolstad, M.D.                Haiti   
Jan 30:  Philip Verhoef, M.D., PHD       Physicians for National Health Plan
Feb. 6:  Steven Jaffe, M.D.                       Addiction
Feb. 13:  Peter Elsea, M.D.                       Primary Care
Feb. 20: Winter Break
Feb. 27:  Nancy Knight, M.D.                 Task Force for Global Health
March 6:  Amanda Cohn, M.D.              Vaccines
March 13:  Mary Hilpertshauser             CDC History
11:00 AM - ZOOM
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A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT
Sal Depasquale, MCJ (Criminal Justice), MBA
 
“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” After “the right of the people,” the Heller Decision essentially inserted the words “and each individual.” This decision is said to be based upon history and tradition. This class examines the history leading up to writing of the Second Amendment. Suggested reading:
  • U.S. Supreme Court Decision on DISTRICT OF COLUMBA, et al. v. HELLER Kindle Edition  https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep554/usrep554570/usrep554570.pdf
  • Bogus, C.T. (1998) The hidden history of the second amendment 31 U.C. Davis L. Rev. 309 U.C. Davis Law Review Winter 1998
  • Bogus, C.T. (ed) (2023) Madison's Militia: The Hidden History of the Second Amendment Kindle Edition Oxford University Press
  • Dunbar-Ortiz, R. (2018) Loaded: A Disarming History of the Second Amendment (City Lights Open Media) Kindle Edition






​​In-Person Options

Wednesdays - In-Person

9:30 am - In-Person
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SHAKESPEARE’S THE WINTER’S TALE
Steven May, Adjunct Professor of English, Emory University
 
Shakespeare wrote plays to make a living, and at this he was, in his lifetime, incomparable. In this course I, therefore, want to treat The Winter’s Tale as what Shakespeare meant it to be, a work of art. It comes toward the end of his career when, it seems to me, he was at the height of his powers as both poet and playwright. We will try to determine how he designed it to work as theatre, to entertain an audience, and thus to make money. I will ask you to read carefully a part of the play before each class and I look forward to your participation in our collective effort to understand it. Please work from an authoritative, annotated edition of the play: the Folger edition (ed. Werstine and Mowatt), and the New Arden edition, for instance, are affordable and readily available on line. One volume editions of the complete works of Shakespeare that you can rely on include the Riverside edition (ed. Evans), and the Complete Works (ed. Bevington). 
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PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR BIRDS
Rev. Arch Baker, retired Presbyterian minister
 
Rev. Baker will offer experienced advice on attracting, identifying, observing and photographing of common bird species in the southeastern United States. No previous experience is necessary. This course is suitable for beginners to serious hobbyists.
11:00 AM - In-Person
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THE BAROQUE PERIOD
Marilyn Morton, BS and MS, Art Education, PhD, Interdisciplinary Studies, Emory Univ.
 
The cultural production of the late 1500s to the early 1700s is often referred to as Baroque.  This must necessarily be considered a period term encompassing European styles and values both at home and wherever else its influence had spread. The map of Europe changed drastically during this period, a result of religious conflicts triggered by the Protestant Reformation and its Catholic response.  The result of the (mainly religious) 30 Years War was an increasing secularization of nation-states, and a new freedom of religious choice throughout Europe. There were stunning developments in science that ushered in the soon-to-be Enlightenment.  The new science with its emphasis on empirical data will further materialize the former mysteries. The presence of a new world across the Atlantic with both supplier and consumer potential, led to the development of systematic trading networks and a world-wide mercantilism.
 
In the midst of all this creative activity, each culture produced its own art.  Certainly, innovative techniques spread among artists, and the objectives of the patrons were respected; however, art reflected its time, place, and artist.  In this period, the new prosperity brought by international trade created a newly wealthy class that showered artists with expanded patronage sources. The Church as primary patron for artists was now replaced with patronage commercially sourced.
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SENIOR ISSUES TO THINK ABOUT TOGETHER
Deborah Butler, Professor Emerita, Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University. Member, SUGA
 
This course will consist of both presentations from experts and discussions with classmates. We will explore issues that we all have in common with our friends and acquaintances at SUGA. The topics for this course will include:
  • Clarifying our current goals and pursuits.
  • Sharing perspectives on ways that we understand our daily lives through the use of metaphors and inspirational quotes.
  • A presentation from an expert on the gut brain connection.
  • A presentation from an expert on ways to engage with being mindful.
  • A presentation from an expert on preparing for and managing our best living arrangements.
  • A presentation from an expert on making sure that we have our affairs in order through good estate planning.
 
We will finish our class with an open platform for all class members who wish to share their best advice.
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Fridays - In-Person

9:30-11:00 AM - In-Person
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NOVEL:  THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN
Shelley Scher, retired teacher, Member, SUGA
 
This course will cover one novel in detail, Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. This novel will be studied, and reading will be done on a weekly basis for each class. Some of the topics researched will include Romanticism and Naturalism. These philosophies will add to and enhance the purpose of the author. Discussion and lectures will be used to connect the author’s stylistic strategies to his purposes. Allusions in the book, along with symbolism, will provide understanding into the characters’ humanistic flaws and heroics.  In addition, we will take a look at JAMES by Percival Everett (2024) and analyze how realistic this new novel is compared to Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. A syllabus with required reading pages per class will be accompanied by questions that point out the significant strategies of the authors. You do not need to purchase JAMES as I will photocopy the relevant pages for discussion.
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CONVERSATIONS ON CLIMATE
Bill Witherspoon, Geoscience Educator, Organizer/Interviewer
 
Conversations on Climate will gather experts to discuss both the science of climate disruption and hopeful strategies for a future mostly powered by sunlight. Each session will open with a brief overview by the guest expert, followed by a dialogue between the course organizer and the guest.  Under each session’s focusing question, the dialogue will explore questions that course participants are invited to submit/upvote ahead of time.
  • Jan. 17 – “Appreciation: How have coal, methane, and petroleum helped humanity soar?” – Jacq-Marie Jack, environmental geologist, educator, and artist
  • Jan. 24 – “Disruption: How does carbon pollution disrupt climate and the oceans?” – Jean Lynch-Stieglitz, Georgia Tech paleoclimatologist and Head of School 
  • Jan. 31 – “Possibility: What are the technical and time dimensions for decarbonizing energy?” –  Marilyn Brown, Georgia Tech Regents’ Professor of Public Policy
  • Feb. 7 – “Catastrophes: Why is extreme weather more frequent and how does it hurt people?” – Mark Papier, meteorologist and broadcaster
  • Feb. 14– “Values: How can faith traditions spread an economics that protects people and Creation?” – Paul Knowlton Esq., MDiv., first author of Better Capitalism
  • Feb. 21 – No class
  • Feb. 28 – “Policy: What decarbonization paths work globally, and can they survive pushback?” – Stefano Carattini, GSU environmental economist and Assistant Professor
  • Mar. 7 – “Unraveling: Where are ecosystems at risk, and how can that affect people?” – Isaiah Bolden, Georgia Tech oceanographer and Assistant Professor
  • Mar. 14 – “Talk: How can you talk about climate to neighbors, co-workers, and policymakers?” – Flannery Winchester, VP of Communications at Citizens Climate Lobby
More detail on the series and its guests is at http://georgiarocks.us/ConversationsClimateOutline.pdf
11:00-Noon - In-Person
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WHAT’S IN YOUR HEAD?
Rosemary Woolfitt and Ann Levine, Hosts, Members of SUGA
 
Back for its 15th season, the game combines the love of trivia, cultural literacy, and the memories of what we learned in school into a team sport. You will work within a randomly selected group of five or six, putting your heads together to come up with more correct answers than the other teams. What you didn’t know, you will learn. Having fun is more important than being smart, but winners do get applause.
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INSIDE SUGA: INTERVIEWS
Judy Plecko and Roy Sobelson, Interviewers, Members of SUGA
 
This offering was a big hit when first offered in Spring, 2023, so we will continue with our member interviews. Senior University is a cross section of people from different occupations and areas of the country and the world. Did you ever wonder about some of your fellow members? This is your chance to learn more about them in a structured way.  Members will be interviewed with insights gained about how they came to SUGA and what they like most about it.  If you ever watched “Inside the Actors Studio” you will especially enjoy this class.

​Book Club

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Book club meetings are held at Rehoboth Baptist Church following class on each date listed below.  Meetings start around 12:10 pm (after bathroom break!); usually in room A/B, but “listen for announcement”.

Anyone is invited to join the club and should notify Kay so she will add you to the Book club email list.
Winter Term
January 15 * 
March 5
* Rescheduled from 2024.
Spring Term
March 26
May 14
Summer Term
July 16
August 20
Fall Term
September 17
November 5
​For more information, or if you would like to lead a discussion, please contact Kay Collins:
[email protected]
​SUGA does not promote, recommend or endorse any product, service of activity other than its educational offerings or activities approved by the Day Trip Committee or Board of Directors.
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