Courses

Reminder!

SUGA will be on Winter Break March 6-10.

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

***NOTE : COVID-19 protocol for In-Person classes are available HERE, as applicable.

Each Class Meets Once Per Week for one hour unless otherwise indicated.

BECOME A MEMBER Today!

Calendar Version

Once you have become a member, please register for desired courses below:

Online Course Registration

ZOOM Options

Tuesdays - ZOOM

HAZARDS OF AGING IN PLACE / LET'S GO WEST
ZOOM
9:30 a.m.
Brandt Ross
Story teller and folk singer

Part One- 4 classes “AGING IN PLACE IS AN ILLUSION” – THE FOUR HAZARDS OF AGING IN PLACE
Everyone loves their home – but, your home does not love you. It will trip you, and cause other accidents. And, it will demand landscaping, new gutters, roof, HVAC, etc. Learn how to plan an orderly transition from your home into a senior residence. But, you say… “I’m not ready yet!”. Remember that when you transition, you can be early or late……you cannot be on time. And when you are “late,” your life is no longer in your hands. This series is being taught by someone with no professional credentials. Brandt Ross and his wife Ginny transitioned to a senior residence in 2014 and again in 2021 and never looked back. He believes that the senior experience is best lived in a safe and secure environment with good food, activities, and socialization.

Class #1 - 1/10/23 – “The four hazards of Aging in Place”
Class #2 - 1/17/23 -- “Let’s talk about your stuff”
Class #3 - 1/24/23 – “Let’s talk money!”
Class #4 - 1/31/23 -- “Living with strangers – moving to a senior residence”

Class presentation includes folk songs and guitar.
Part Two – 4 classes “Let’s Go West”

Class #1 – 2/07/23 - Davy Crockett – “Larger in life or larger in legend?”
Class #2 – 2/14/23 - “Remember the Alamo”- Why is the Alamo so important?
Class #3 – 2/21/23 - James Polk – “The least known consequential President in our history”
Class #4 - 2/28/23 – Bass Reeves – “The greatest Western Lawman”

Class presentation includes folk songs and guitar.

CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS
ZOOM
11:00 a.m.
Bill Fisher
Business consultant, retired BellSouth senior manager, Member, SUGA

What we call the Cuban Missile Crisis took place between October 16-28, 1962 and some weeks beyond. The Russians called it the Caribbean Crisis, and the Cubans had yet another name, the October Crisis. No matter what you call it, it was the closest the world ever came to nuclear war. The Soviets secretly installed medium and intermediate range nuclear missiles that could strike virtually anywhere in the continental US, Caribbean, and much of South America. President John F. Kennedy was determined to have them removed, and without a full-scale nuclear war. This class is based on now-declassified secret recordings from the Cabinet Room at the White House, and recollections of US, Soviet, and Cuban participants in the crisis. It has been significantly revised since its creation in 2011 based on newly-released documents from the former Soviet archives. It is a great exercise in decision making under extreme pressure and shows how leaders’ knowledge of history makes a difference in their abilities to manage a crisis of this magnitude.

Thursdays - ZOOM

NEIGHBORING FAITHS
Zoom
9:30 a.m.
Dave Schoenberg, Chair, Interfaith Speakers Network &
Ann Levine, Curriculum Chair, SUGA

The Interfaith Speakers Network (ISN) is an educational program provided by Interfaith Atlanta in cooperation with an array of faith traditions and organizations. In this 8-week class we will hear from a variety of local practicing representatives from the following faith traditions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism (the Abrahamic faiths) and Buddhism, Hinduism and Sikhism (the Eastern faiths). In addition we will have speakers from the Bahà’i faith and from Unitarian Universalism. The classes are designed to be educational and interactional to facilitate dialogue and understanding between different religions.

THE TRUMP LANDSCAPE
ZOOM
11:00 a.m.
Sal Depasquale, MCJ (Criminal Justice), MBA

Focusing upon daily news events obscures observation of a broader landscape in which multiple events and issues are discernible, establishing a foundation for current events. Since 2015 American news has been riveted on the outlandish and provocative behaviors of Donald Trump. Perhaps there should be no surprise. Drawing upon the historical context established in previous classes, the Trump Landscape emerges from events over the past century delivering us to the here and now. Trumpism is another event in the conflict between a government serving the Common Good and a government serving the interests of an elite few.
A recommended reading list of nine books will be sent prior to class including an essential text for this class: Phillips-Fein, K. (2010) Invisible Hands: The Businessmen's Crusade Against the New Deal. W.W. Norton (Kindle Edition).

ARTISTS IN PARIS AND EAST AFRICAN ADVENTURE WRITERS
ZOOM
1:30 p.m.
Ellery McLanahan, Member, SUGA

Ellery McLanahan is back and looking forward to finishing his American Artists in Paris/The Lost Generation series in his first 3 classes; this will include the poets, the enablers post WW2, and a review of the “greatest of the greats” of that period. His 5 remaining classes will cover East African historical writers including Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936: Cairo, Letters of Travel,
The Jungle Books), Rider Haggard (1856-1925: King Solomon’s Mines, African Adventures), Laurence Durrell (1912-1990: The Alexandria Quartet), Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961: The Green Hills of Africa), and Bartle Bull (1939 – still writing and may join the class: The White Rhino Hotel, A Café on the Nile, The Devil’s Oasis).

In-Person Options

Wednesdays - In-Person

CONCERTS FOR GROWN-UPS
IN-PERSON
9:30 A.M.
Art Slavin
Retired banking executive, Finance Chair and member, SUGA
No rap music, no metal bands, no punk rock, just good music with words you can understand and melodies that make you feel good. Let’s sit back and enjoy Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Diana Krall, the Everly Brothers, Il Volo, and Celtic Thunder.

ECONOMICS OF IMMIGRATION
IN-PERSON
9:30 a.m.
Shai Robkin
Behavioral Economics Educator, Social Entrepreneur, and Business Consultant
Immigration is a fraught and misunderstood topic in America’s social discourse, with much of what we believe based largely on myth. How different were the experiences of immigrants in the 19th and early 20th centuries from those of immigrants today? How different are the children of immigrants from countries like El Salvador, Mexico and Guatemala today from those who arrived on our shores from Great Britain and Norway 150 years ago? How do immigrants and their children compare educationally, professionally and economically with US born residents? We’ll dig into these questions and many others and discuss the policy implications of what we find.

AMERICAN COMMON LAW SYSTEM
IN-PERSON
11:00 A.M.
Roy Sobelson
Professor Emeritus, Georgia State University College of Law. Member, SUGA

The United States is one of about 40 countries with a “common law” legal system. About 10 of the 40 are major first world countries with long ties to Great Britain. Most other countries employ what is known as a “civil law” system. This course will examine the origins of our common law, how it developed and continues to develop, how the legal reasoning behind it works, and how many modern rights, privileges, immunities, claims and defenses have come to be. We will also focus on some current legal battles to see how they arose and how they will be sorted out by our common law system through public court opinions and precedent.

BEAUTY & SCIENCE IN HIGH RENAISSANCE
IN-PERSON
11:00 a.m.
Marilyn Morton
BS and MS, Art Education, PhD, Interdisciplinary Studies, Emory Univ.

The beautiful century of the High Renaissance was heavily indebted to the experiments and innovative methods of the art masters of Florence. The fortunate combination of rich patronage and an enlightened interest in Classical Humanism drew creative talent from all over Italy. This happy situation would not survive the century (1400-1500). In the 1490s, the patrons left or were exiled by the reforming priest-dictator, Savonarola. The traces of Humanism in books, scientific treatises, classical texts, and philosophical publications were destroyed in "bonfires of the vanities." Artists fled to Rome. Our story begins there with Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo, moves to Venice for Bellini, Titian, and Giorgione, and considers the movement called "Mannerism," a departure from Renaissance ideals, and a turn toward inspiration from other art, rather than nature.

Fridays - In-Person

GEOLOGY HODGEPODGE
IN-PERSON
9:30 a.m.
Chuck Hill
Freelance geologist in the environmental consulting industry

From how and why one becomes a geologist (2 classes) to what they do in the real world (2 classes); The Geology along two of America's Historic Transportation Corridors -- the Erie Canal and the Oregon Trail (2 classes); A Geologic Tour of Yellowstone & Grand Tetons (1 class); and a special “Geology at Any Scale” (1 class).

WESTERN CIVILIZATION ARCHITECTURE
IN-PERSON
9:30 a.m.
Jerome Cooper
Architect, Founding Principal of the firm Cooper Carry

Jerry Cooper will lead us in an exploration of the profiles that societies have left down through the ages, reflecting the political structures of those societies, their values epitomizing the laws they lived under, and the gods they worshipped. In addition, the technology that was available to these societies, and how the buildings that were built to serve those societies reflected these qualities as well. The survey will begin with Ancient Egypt and go through Ancient Greece to the Roman Empire up to the present day, with a view of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Modern structures. Discussion will center on the evolution of technology, the changing values and religious perspectives, the changes governing societal structures and the impact of these on their architecture. The class will conclude with a discussion of what buildings might look like today and why.

AROUND THE WORLD
IN-PERSON
11:00 a.m.
Allan Hing
Professor of Interior Design

Around the World in art, design and architecture in 8 sessions, not in 80 days. A look back to 2022 and the changes, contributions, and new ideas that will lead to a more responsible and beautiful world. Included will be updates from the previous Spring 2022 session.

FINANCIAL PLANNING IN RETIREMENT
IN-PERSON
11:00 a.m.
Mike Sullivan
Financial Planner, Edward Jones

Week 1: The Markets Today – Timely market updates related to current events.
Week 2: Rules of the Road – Fundamental concepts of investing and potential strategies to help build wealth.
Week 3: Ready or Not, Preparing for the Unexpected – Proactive strategies for protection and preparing for the unexpected, including having an emergency fund, establishing a line of credit and reviewing insurance/liability protection.
Week 4: Stocks, The Nuts and Bolts – Information on how stocks may fit into an overall strategy.
Week 5: Focus on Fixed Income – Basics of fixed income investment.
Week 6: Outsmart the Scammers – Learn tips to protect against scams.
Week 7: Tax-free Investing -- It’s not what you make, it’s what you keep - Overview of tax-advantaged investments such as muni bonds, IRAs and/or life insurance.
Week 8: Preparing Your Estate Plan – Basic overview of estate planning – beneficiary, will, trust, tax information, etc.

Book Club

The SUGA Book Club will meeting twice per quarter. Below are our 2023 selected titles.

For more information, or if you would like to lead a discussion, please contact Kay Collins:
kayjcollins@bellsouth.net

WINTER TERM