2026 SPRING TERM CLASS SCHEDULE
APRIL CLASSES
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Wednesday Apr. 1 — NO CLASS
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Thursday Apr. 2—10 am - Noon
Title: Artificial Intelligence: Where It Came From, What It Is, And Where It's Going
Presenter: Michael Trigoboff, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: An introduction to the history, technology, and social implications of this new 21st Century stage of the Industrial Revolution.
Bio: Michael has a PhD in Artificial Intelligence, 30 years of experience as a software engineer, and 20 years teaching Computer Science at Portland Community College. Michael creates and performs music, usually rock and jazz, but recently also including rap/hip-hop. His music creation process uses computers extensively.
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Week of April 6
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Monday Apr. 6 — 10 – 11 am
Title: Curiosity Cafe: Bioethics of Gene Therapy
Presenter: Warren Karmol, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Mary Hickman discusses, on video format, modern clinical applications of predictive and diagnostic genetic testing, the role of genetic counselors, and emerging advancements shaping the future of genomic medicine. Discussion will follow.
Bio: Mary is a board-certified genetic counselor specializing in hereditary cancer and precision medicine, now practicing as a clinical liaison for a diagnostic genomics laboratory, and has served in graduate programs at Northwestern and the University of Connecticut.
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Tuesday Apr. 7 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: Matinee Madness: Movie Time!
Presenter: Sandy Miller and Warren Karmol, SSI Members
Location: In Person only
Class description: A film from Kanopy, chosen by popular vote by SSI members, will be screened.
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Wednesday Apr. 8 — NO CLASS
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Thursday Apr. 9 — 7 – 8:30 PM (Evening)
Title: Exploring 2001: Lake Baikal, The Pearl of Siberia, Russia
Presenter: David D. Lonsdale
Location: Zoom only
Class description: A follow up to the recent Great Lakes presentation: Lake Baikal, a spectacular lake by all measures, is the largest freshwater lake by volume, while Lake Superior (one of the five Great Lakes) is globally the largest freshwater lake by surface area.
Bio: David Lonsdale was born in the British Dependent Territory of Bermuda and has 50+ years of experience in the field of Marine Biology. He was a leader in public aquariums for over 32 years. David has directed aquarium operations at the Bermuda Aquarium, Museum and Zoo; Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium, and Duluth’s (MN) Great Lakes Aquarium. He has also taught college-level courses in General Ecology, Aquatic Biology, and Introductory Marine Biology.
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Week of April 13
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Monday Apr. 13 — 10 –11 am
Title: Curiosity Cafe: CryptoCurrency (the adventure continues) - Class 102
Presenter: Warren Karmol, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: This is the second in a possible series on CryptoCurrency. This time we will explore the following aspects of this fascinating but somewhat complicated subject. What Are Stablecoins? What is Blockchain and how does it work? What is a "crypto wallet"? How to get started investing in crypto currency? And more....
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Tuesday Apr. 14 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: Minding Our Future, A Global Perspective: Scaling Our Efforts, Taming Some Elephants (3 of 8)
Presenter: P. Leslie Haggard, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: We will address carrying capacity, the problems of entropy, populations, and pollution. We will recap Sessions 1 and 2, especially for newcomers. There will be a guest to briefly address the population. Discussion to follow.
Bio: Leslie is a retired U.S Forest Service Ranger, a lifelong naturalist and humanist.
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Wednesday Apr. 15 — NO CLASS
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Thursday Apr. 16 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Jean Dominique Antony Metzinger: French Cubist Painter
Presenter: Alice Cotton, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Jean Metzinger wrote the first theoretical work on Cubism. His earliest works from 1900 to 1904 were influenced by the neo-Impressionism of Georges Seurat and Henri-Edmond Cross. Bring your pencils, colors and paper to see what we can do with this early 20th century artist!
Bio: Alice was a practicing musician, house artist, author and adjunct art teacher in schools for many years. Now she teaches art for us and loves to have fun with her students.
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Week of April 20
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Monday Apr. 20 — 10 – 11 am
Title: Curiosity Cafe: Do It Willingly!
Presenter: Warren Karmol, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: What if psychology were harnessed not for health but for wisdom? If instead of aiming for a healthy life, a fulfilling one? Dr. Hank Robb will provide, on video, psychological practices that aid individuals to more effectively pursue those experiences that most deeply move them independent of their health. Discussion to follow.
Bio: Dr. Robb (Ph.D., ABPP) has practiced psychology for 40 years, is board certified in Counseling and Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, Supervisor in the Albert Ellis Institute, an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Trainer, and has widely presented papers and workshops, publishing "Willingly ACT for Spiritual Development" and over thirty articles and chapters.
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Tuesday Apr. 21 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: Great Decisions Series
Organizer: Steve Browning, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: The class will focus on The Third Nuclear Age: Trump, the Order, and the Bomb.
For more information see the FPA (Foreign Policy Association) website https://fpa.org and/or contact Steve Browning at [email protected].
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Wednesday Apr. 22 — NO CLASS
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Thursday Apr. 23 — 7 – 8:30 PM (Evening)
Title: Resolving Bioethical Dilemmas
Presenter: Erleen Whitney, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Advances in medicine and technology have enhanced our lives in many ways, but these advances have often led to difficult decisions when ethical principles conflict. Some issues that create bioethical dilemmas are our knowledge of and the ability to change genetics, end-of-life decisions, (e.g., physician assisted suicide, hospice, resource allocation) and beginning-of-life decisions (e.g., abortion, in vitro fertilization, embryo selection). The presentation will introduce philosophical and ethical theories used in making decisions when faced with such dilemmas.
Bio: Erleen is a professor emeritus, PhD, of Clark College in Vancouver, WA. She taught microbiology, botany, and bioethics there for many years and served as an ethical consultant at Peace Hospital.
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Week of April 27
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Monday Apr. 27 — 10 – 11 am
Title: Curiosity Cafe: Using the Hero's Journey to Navigate Change and Challenge
Presenter: Warren Karmol, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: The hero’s journey is a universal literary pattern that our favorite stories across time have followed. Popularized by Joseph Campbell in the 1940’s, the hero’s journey has been used by the likes of Tolkien, George Lucas, and Stanley Kubrick, to create some of the most iconic books and films in Western culture. Ellie Jacques, on video, is an educator from Southern Michigan. She recently served as Career Advisor at the largest public high school in Denver, Colorado, using the hero’s journey to help students explore future careers. Discussion to follow.
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Tuesday Apr. 28 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: Back in the USSR: Russia Under Putin
Presenter: Suzanne Parry
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Suzanne Parry will discuss Russia under Putin, focusing on the Who, What, and How of the Russian leader. Suzanne will talk about his background, his objectives, and the things that have shaped him to provide a picture of the man who, in many ways, is following in Josef Stalin’s footsteps.
Bio: A former US defense policy specialist, Suzanne studied Russian at Purdue University and in Moscow. After earning a master’s degree from Princeton, she worked at the Pentagon where she helped negotiate the Conference on Disarmament in Europe, an important Cold War security agreement. Suzanne raised a large family, taught university, and completed marathons around the world until landing in Portland where she has lived since 2001. She coached high school cross country at Lincoln High School for fifteen years before embarking on a writing career. Her first novel, the award-winning Lost Souls of Leningrad, focuses on a Russian family’s experience during the infamous World War II siege of Leningrad when Nazi Germany blockaded the city. Her second novel, The Communist’s Secret, chronicles the wartime journey of an unlikely Russian heroine. The third book in this trilogy will be released next year and tells the post-war tale of a patriot’s struggle against the Soviet system.
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Wednesday Apr. 29 — NO CLASS
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Thursday Apr. 30 — 10 am – Noon
Title: From Ukraine to the United States: Valeriia's Story
Presenter: Valeriia Heorhiieva
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Valeriia will share her personal story. First, you will learn about her life before, during, and after the Russian invasions of Ukraine in 2014 and 2022 and what led to her fleeing her country on the day the current war began. You will also hear about the journey she took with her husband and toddler through Poland and Mexico on their way to the United States. She will then share how she entered the U.S. under the humanitarian parole designation and has had to face ongoing challenges of a changing immigration status. Finally, you will get to hear about the cultural shifts she has encountered in the U.S. and how she has settled into a new life here. It is often easy to become overwhelmed and even numbed by what we hear regularly about displaced people all over the world. This presentation offers the opportunity to spend time with one of those people as she shares her story of loss and hope.
Bio: Valeriia is a 32-year-old immigrant from Ukraine who moved to Vancouver, Washington with her husband and two-year-old daughter in 2022. In Ukraine, she earned a B.A. degree in foreign economic activity management. She later worked as a journalist and television show presenter for a regional entertainment show featuring prominent leaders as well as celebrities. She is currently taking college classes to earn international certification as a lactation coach, and in the future, she plans to train to be a doula. Being a college student and a mother keeps her very busy, but she still finds time to do some serious baking.