2026 SPRING TERM CLASS DESCRIPTIONS
see bottom of page for Zoom information
MAY / JUNE CLASSES
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Week of MAY 4
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Monday May 4
— 10 – 11 am
Title: Curiosity Cafe: Portland Street Medicine
Presenter: Warren Karmol, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Dr. William Toepper, M.D. will review, on video, how the pioneering practice of street medicine has changed the lives of patients, mutual aid organizations, and healthcare workers in general. The practice of street medicine questions the rigidity of traditional healthcare practices. Discussion to follow.
Bio: Dr. Toepper is a retired physician and co-founder of Portland Street Medicine.
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Tuesday May 5 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: Matinee Madness: Movie Time!
Presenter: Warren Karmol and Sandy Miller, 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 May 6 — NO CLASS
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Thursday May 7 — 10 am – Noon
Title: Theodor Anghel: Rooted in Abstraction
Presenter: Alice Cotton, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Theodore Anghel says his art is a way to communicate experiences and emotions. He allows
each piece to unfold rather than having predetermined outcomes. Bring your pencils, colors and paper to see
what we can do inspired by this 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 May 11
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Monday May 11 — 10 – 11 am
Title: Curiosity Cafe: Populism
Presenter: Warren Karmol, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: What is populism? Are there different kinds of populism? Can it be a mechanism for reforming democracy by challenging ossified political institutions, or do its claims to renovate democracy inevitably lead to anti-democratic movements, parties, and governments? Discussion to follow.
Bio: Jeff Seward, on video, has a PhD from Stanford. He has had a career in public television as a political reporter, news anchor, and film producer. A retired professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Pacific University.
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Tuesday May 12 — 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Title: Street Library
Presenter: Laura Moulton
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Come and write with Ben Hodgson and Laura Moulton, the authors of Loaners: The Making of a Street Library. They will talk about their longtime project, Street Books (a bicycle-powered mobile library serving people who live outside) and discuss the “Life Stories” writing class they now lead at the Street Roots newspaper. Bring paper and pen and get ready to capture your own life stories.
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Wednesday May 13 — NO CLASS
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Thursday May 14 — 7 – 8:30 PM (Evening)
Title: Understanding Musical Form: A Journey Through Classical Structures
Presenter: John C. Mery
Location: Zoom only
Class description: This presentation offers a concise tour of the major frameworks that shape classical music. It explores how composers organize musical ideas to create balance, contrast, and narrative flow, using clear explanations and engaging examples to illustrate each structural approach. Attendees will gain insight into how form guides the listening experience and reveals the architecture behind many of classical music’s most
enduring works.
Bio: John Mery, Program Dean of Arts and Design at Portland Community College, has been on staff since 1999. He is a classical guitarist, performing and recording with the Oregon Guitar Quartet, featured with the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, Portland Opera, and streaming worldwide. John is dedicated to advancing arts education, performing and composing.
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Week of May 18
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Monday May 18 — 10 – 11 am
Title: Curiosity Cafe: Evolution of Religious Beliefs
Presenter: Warren Karmol, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Religious beliefs appeared quite late in evolutionary history. Why so recently? What benefits did they confer? We have ways of inferring their origins. On video Gordon Orians, PhD, an evolutionary biologist and student of human evolution, offers evidence that parental care, adoption of the intentional stance, shamanism, and cooking offer clues into the evolution of this uniquely human trait. Discussion to follow.
Bio: Orians is Professor Emeritus of Biology, University of Washington. He has served as its Director of Environmental Studies. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1989 and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1990.
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Tuesday May 19 — 1 - 2 pm
Title: Opportunities for Early Cancer Detection at OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
Presenter: Olivia Monestime, MPHB, & Team
Location: Zoom only
Class description: 1) Lung cancer screening in Oregon and how to protect your lungs- plus Q&A; 2) Cancer early detection clinical trials at OHSU: Updates on the Pathfinder 2 Study (closed to enrollment) and Introduction to the REACH Medicare Study (currently enrolling).
Bios: Ann Spencer, RN, BSN: Lung Cancer Screening Navigator from the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute
Emily Neal, BS: Pathfinder 2 Study, Primary Coordinator from the Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research (CEDAR) Clinical Trials Team at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
Olivia Monestime, BS: REACH Medicare Study, Primary Coordinator from the Cancer Early Detection Advanced Research (CEDAR) Clinical Trials Team at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
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Wednesday May 20 — NO CLASS
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Thursday May 21 — 10 am – Noon
Title: Bermuda - The Isles of Devils (in 2 parts)
Presenter: David D. Lonsdale
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Visit the Islands in the Mid Atlantic Ocean and reflections & memories on Bermuda’s natural history, the Presenter’s homeland.
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 May 25
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Monday May 25 — 10 – 11:30 am
Title: Recognition of Memorial Day
Presenter: Diedre Cain, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Come learn about Memorial Day, reflect on what it means, and share your thoughts and insights about it with others. The presentation includes a slideshow as well as ample time for questions, discussion, and the sharing of personal stories.
Bio: Diedre Cain is a retired community college instructor who thinks it is important to devote time and energy to reflect on the meanings of holidays and what they have to teach us.
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Tuesday May 26 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: Great Decisions Series
Presenter: Steve Browning, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: The class will focus on Ukraine and the Future of European Security.
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 May 27 — NO CLASS
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Thursday May 28 — 7 – 8:30 PM (Evening)
Title: A Look at the Life of John Henry Holliday (1851-1887) commonly known as Doc Holliday
Presenter: David Gaynon; SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Who was Doc Holliday? This talk presents a different perspective from the one commonly found in popular media. Attendees will learn of a man born to a family of Georgia aristocrats with a serious birth defect who overcame this handicap, pursued professional education, looked forward to a life in the dental profession in partnership with a cousin he saw as a brother, and maintained lifelong connection with another cousin who became a nun (joining the Sisters of Mercy) When tuberculosis struck first his beloved mother and then himself he retreated to the frontier in hope of a recovery and return to his close extended family. But recovery eluded him and he adapted to a harsh world.
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Week of June 1
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Monday Jun. 1 — 10 am – Noon
Title: Improving Behavior: Personal, Corporate, International, and Capitalist (4 of 8)
Presenter: P. Leslie Haggard, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: We will address the problems of technology and growth. We will recap past sessions, especially for newcomers. Discussion to follow.
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Tuesday Jun. 2 — 1 – 2:30 pm
Title: Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Overview and Annual Report
Presenter: Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’ Donnell
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Sheriff Morrisey O’Donnell will give an overview of the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), present the 2025 MCSO Annual Report and answer questions about her service as sheriff and the work of MCSO.
Bio: For nearly 30 years, Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell has dedicated herself to public safety, since beginning her career with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office in 1996. As one of only two Multnomah County Sheriffs to hold dual certification in both police and corrections, she exemplifies leadership through knowledge and service. Nicole is a life-long Oregonian and a graduate of the University of Portland. Outside of
work, she enjoys running, golf, spending time with family, and supporting Special Olympics Oregon. She lives in Portland with her husband, Bob.
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Wednesday Jun. 3 — NO CLASS
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Thursday Jun. 4 — 10 – 11:30 am
Title: Faith Ringgold-Narrative Quilt Artist
Host: Alice Cotton, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: An American painter best known for her narrative quilts, Ringgold was born in New York City and earned her bachelor's and master's degrees from the City College of New York. Bring your pencils, colors and paper to see what we can create inspired by this 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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END OF TERM
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Guide to Attend SSI’s Zoom classes....
USE THE CLASS ID AND PASS CODE INSTEAD.
● Log in to your free Zoom app (https://zoom.us/)
● Click on “Join Meeting”
● Use the Class ID and Pass Code from the Zoom invitation in the Newsletter to join the class meeting.
Step 3: About 10-15 minutes before the start of class, click on the participation link in the Newsletter.
Step 4: If you have the Zoom application (app) installed, you will go directly to the Zoom Waiting Room and
wait to be admitted to the class. (Be sure your app is the latest version of Zoom. See the note below.)
Notes:
● If you do NOT have the Zoom application (app) already installed you will be asked to download the FREE
Zoom app before joining the class. (It is not necessary to have the Zoom app to participate in an SSI class -
however, you will have better tools to make the most of your class experience if you have the Zoom app.)
● Zoom customers are now required to keep their Zoom software no more than three months behind the
current version. If you are running an older version of Zoom, you will be prompted to perform an update.
This takes a little time--so if you suspect that your Zoom software is out of date, you may wish to log into
an SSI activity a few minutes early to ensure that you are admitted on time.