SSI FALL TERM CLASS DESCRIPTIONS 2023
November 2023 CLASSES
Wednesday Nov. 1 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Understanding Humor: Why we laugh and why it’s important that we do
Presenter: Carl Wolfson
Location: NHH; in person only
Class description: Carl will discuss why we laugh and the importance of humor in our lives. He will
tap his 43-year career as a standup to share insights, stories, and lessons from the world of comedy.
There will be jokes. Lots of them.
Bio: Carl has been one of the country's top headlining comedians. He is a veteran of more than
8,000 performances, including some 300 appearances on national television. Carl currently teaches
introductory, intermediate, and advanced standup comedy classes at Comedy Sportz in Portland.
From 2007 to 2016, Carl was the host of "Carl in the Morning"; on AM 620 KPOJ and FM 107.1
KXRY, Portland's progressive talk stations. He is the author of the bestselling memoir, Slide! The
Baseball Tragicomedy That Defined Me, My Family, and the City of Philadelphia -- And How It All
Could Have Been Avoided Had Someone Just Listened to My Lesbian Great Aunt. Carl received his
B.S. in Communications from the Univ. of Tennessee and his M.A. in Political Science from UCLA.
______________________________________________________________
Thursday Nov. 2 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Planet Ocean
Presenter: David Lonsdale
Location: WC; in person and by zoom
Class description: An introduction to what everyone should know about earth’s most abundant and
diverse environment–its oceans. It follows the “Seven Principles of Ocean Literacy” developed by the
National Marine Educators Association (NMEA). Content includes human interactions with the ocean,
the role of the ocean on earth’s weather & climate, geography of the ocean’s bottom & continental coastlines, how life probably evolved and is sustained by the ocean, and much more.
Bio: David has been a leader in public aquariums for over 32 years. He directed aquarium
operations, developed exhibits, and oversaw educational programs at the Bermuda Aquarium,
Museum and Zoo; Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and Duluth (MN) Great Lakes Aquarium. David has
taught college level courses in ecology, aquatic biology, and marine biology.
______________________________________________________________
Week of November 6
Monday Nov. 6 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Poetry Reading Fun!
Presenter: Trina Gaynon, SSI member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Know a lot about poetry? Know nothing about poetry? Somewhere in-between?
There’s a place for you in this very popular class led by Trina Gaynon. We read from a variety of
published works. Really FUN!
______________________________________________________________
Tuesday Nov. 7 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: TBD (If filled, info will be posted in newsletter)
Presenter: TBD
Location: CLIMB; in person and by zoom
Class description: TBD
______________________________________________________________
Wednesday Nov. 8 — 10 am - Noon
Title: "Tough Girl"
Moderator: Carolyn Wood, Author
Location: NHH; in person only
Class description: "Tough Girl" is a memoir of a woman who won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics as a teenager. At the age of 67 she walks the Camino de Santiago alone striving to accept the end of her 30-year marriage. And along the grueling 500-mile journey, her tough girl resilience is tested once again.
Bio: Carolyn lived in Oregon all but one year of her life -- the year she worked as the governess for
Senator Robert and Ethel Kennedy's children. Class Notes: A Young Teacher's Lessons from
Classroom to Kennedy Compound recounts the serendipitous path that led her to Hyannis in 1968,
months after the Senator's death and provides a glimpse into a world few of us encounter.
______________________________________________________________
Thursday Nov. 9 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Writing Workshop: Memoir - Persona Piece
Presenter: Trina Gaynon, SSI Member
Location: WC; in person only
Class description: How do you tell the story of your birth? At first your eyes weren’t even open. And
language? One way to tell that story is to write a letter from someone who was there. Come practice
being someone who knew you as a child. Please bring your preferred medium for writing: Paper, pen
or pencil, a tablet or laptop.
._____________________________________________________________
Week of November 13
Monday Nov. 13 — 10 am – Noon
Title: Curiosity Café: Immigrant and Refugee Experiences in Portland
Presenter: Jim Gradoville, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Oregon has one of the fastest growing refugee and immigrant populations in the
country. Forced to leave their home countries for fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality,
political opinion or membership in a particular social group, refugees and immigrants come to
Portland to begin new lives. This presentation will focus on how Portland is helping with this situation
and hear from a recent refugee from Afghanistan (on the last plane out of the country) about coming
to America and the Pacific Northwest.
_____________________________________________________________
Tuesday Nov. 14 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: Rene Magritte
Presenter: Alice Cotton, SSI Member
Location: CLIMB; in person and by zoom
Class description: René Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar
objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts. Sound fun? Let’s explore his art in our own way, You will
need colors, pencil, paper, and your imagination!
_____________________________________________________________
Wednesday Nov. 15 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Breaking the Stigma Around Mental Health
Presenter: David Hunt
Location: NHH; in person only
Class description: Mental health impacts all aspects of our society, but almost all is treatable with the
right information and resources. How do we get there?
Bio: David was a 5-term Clackamas County Representative in the Oregon House of Representatives.
After meeting with NAMI Clackamas members while running for office, he successfully advocated for
passage of Oregon’s first mental health parity law in 2005. Under his leadership as Majority Leader
and Speaker of the House, Oregon enacted health insurance for 90,000 uninsured children and
30,000 low-income adults, the historic 2009 Jobs and Transportation Act, Oregon’s first affordable
housing trust fund, school-based health clinic expansion, creation of Oregon’s first Rainy Day Fund,
and new revenue to protect health care and other critical services during the Great Recession.
______________________________________________________________
Thursday Nov. 16 — 10 am - Noon
Title: The Supreme Court 2023: “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”
Presenter: Barry Bennett, SSI Member
Location: WC; in person and by Zoom
Class description: In its 2022-23 term, the United States Supreme Court issued rulings concerning
elections, affirmative action, LBGTQ rights, and more. The Court ended affirmative action and
allowed discrimination against gays, but pulled back on its prior assault on democracy (with a
much-noted caveat, that is). Hear about these cases and more as we delve into the
reasoning on both sides of these issues.
______________________________________________________________
NOTES:
● Weekly classes (one per week at each location) will be in-person (unless otherwise noted) at:
o PCC CLIMB Center (CLIMB): 1626 SE Water Ave., Portland; pay for parking.
o Neighborhood House (NHH): 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland; free parking but limited.
o PCC Willow Creek (WC) Campus, 241 SW Edgeway Dr, Hillsboro; free ample parking.
● For classes noted as “in-person & by Zoom,” the Zoom access information, as well as any
unforeseen changes, will be announced in the weekly email newsletter prior to the class.
● Please wear your name tag to all in-person classes; be sure to fill out the medical information on
the reverse side.
● Wearing a mask is optional at any of the locations.
_______________________________________________________________________________
November 2023 CLASSES
Wednesday Nov. 1 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Understanding Humor: Why we laugh and why it’s important that we do
Presenter: Carl Wolfson
Location: NHH; in person only
Class description: Carl will discuss why we laugh and the importance of humor in our lives. He will
tap his 43-year career as a standup to share insights, stories, and lessons from the world of comedy.
There will be jokes. Lots of them.
Bio: Carl has been one of the country's top headlining comedians. He is a veteran of more than
8,000 performances, including some 300 appearances on national television. Carl currently teaches
introductory, intermediate, and advanced standup comedy classes at Comedy Sportz in Portland.
From 2007 to 2016, Carl was the host of "Carl in the Morning"; on AM 620 KPOJ and FM 107.1
KXRY, Portland's progressive talk stations. He is the author of the bestselling memoir, Slide! The
Baseball Tragicomedy That Defined Me, My Family, and the City of Philadelphia -- And How It All
Could Have Been Avoided Had Someone Just Listened to My Lesbian Great Aunt. Carl received his
B.S. in Communications from the Univ. of Tennessee and his M.A. in Political Science from UCLA.
______________________________________________________________
Thursday Nov. 2 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Planet Ocean
Presenter: David Lonsdale
Location: WC; in person and by zoom
Class description: An introduction to what everyone should know about earth’s most abundant and
diverse environment–its oceans. It follows the “Seven Principles of Ocean Literacy” developed by the
National Marine Educators Association (NMEA). Content includes human interactions with the ocean,
the role of the ocean on earth’s weather & climate, geography of the ocean’s bottom & continental coastlines, how life probably evolved and is sustained by the ocean, and much more.
Bio: David has been a leader in public aquariums for over 32 years. He directed aquarium
operations, developed exhibits, and oversaw educational programs at the Bermuda Aquarium,
Museum and Zoo; Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium and Duluth (MN) Great Lakes Aquarium. David has
taught college level courses in ecology, aquatic biology, and marine biology.
______________________________________________________________
Week of November 6
Monday Nov. 6 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Poetry Reading Fun!
Presenter: Trina Gaynon, SSI member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Know a lot about poetry? Know nothing about poetry? Somewhere in-between?
There’s a place for you in this very popular class led by Trina Gaynon. We read from a variety of
published works. Really FUN!
______________________________________________________________
Tuesday Nov. 7 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: TBD (If filled, info will be posted in newsletter)
Presenter: TBD
Location: CLIMB; in person and by zoom
Class description: TBD
______________________________________________________________
Wednesday Nov. 8 — 10 am - Noon
Title: "Tough Girl"
Moderator: Carolyn Wood, Author
Location: NHH; in person only
Class description: "Tough Girl" is a memoir of a woman who won a gold medal in the 1960 Olympics as a teenager. At the age of 67 she walks the Camino de Santiago alone striving to accept the end of her 30-year marriage. And along the grueling 500-mile journey, her tough girl resilience is tested once again.
Bio: Carolyn lived in Oregon all but one year of her life -- the year she worked as the governess for
Senator Robert and Ethel Kennedy's children. Class Notes: A Young Teacher's Lessons from
Classroom to Kennedy Compound recounts the serendipitous path that led her to Hyannis in 1968,
months after the Senator's death and provides a glimpse into a world few of us encounter.
______________________________________________________________
Thursday Nov. 9 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Writing Workshop: Memoir - Persona Piece
Presenter: Trina Gaynon, SSI Member
Location: WC; in person only
Class description: How do you tell the story of your birth? At first your eyes weren’t even open. And
language? One way to tell that story is to write a letter from someone who was there. Come practice
being someone who knew you as a child. Please bring your preferred medium for writing: Paper, pen
or pencil, a tablet or laptop.
._____________________________________________________________
Week of November 13
Monday Nov. 13 — 10 am – Noon
Title: Curiosity Café: Immigrant and Refugee Experiences in Portland
Presenter: Jim Gradoville, SSI Member
Location: Zoom only
Class description: Oregon has one of the fastest growing refugee and immigrant populations in the
country. Forced to leave their home countries for fear of persecution due to race, religion, nationality,
political opinion or membership in a particular social group, refugees and immigrants come to
Portland to begin new lives. This presentation will focus on how Portland is helping with this situation
and hear from a recent refugee from Afghanistan (on the last plane out of the country) about coming
to America and the Pacific Northwest.
_____________________________________________________________
Tuesday Nov. 14 — 1 - 3 pm
Title: Rene Magritte
Presenter: Alice Cotton, SSI Member
Location: CLIMB; in person and by zoom
Class description: René Magritte was a Belgian surrealist artist known for his depictions of familiar
objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts. Sound fun? Let’s explore his art in our own way, You will
need colors, pencil, paper, and your imagination!
_____________________________________________________________
Wednesday Nov. 15 — 10 am - Noon
Title: Breaking the Stigma Around Mental Health
Presenter: David Hunt
Location: NHH; in person only
Class description: Mental health impacts all aspects of our society, but almost all is treatable with the
right information and resources. How do we get there?
Bio: David was a 5-term Clackamas County Representative in the Oregon House of Representatives.
After meeting with NAMI Clackamas members while running for office, he successfully advocated for
passage of Oregon’s first mental health parity law in 2005. Under his leadership as Majority Leader
and Speaker of the House, Oregon enacted health insurance for 90,000 uninsured children and
30,000 low-income adults, the historic 2009 Jobs and Transportation Act, Oregon’s first affordable
housing trust fund, school-based health clinic expansion, creation of Oregon’s first Rainy Day Fund,
and new revenue to protect health care and other critical services during the Great Recession.
______________________________________________________________
Thursday Nov. 16 — 10 am - Noon
Title: The Supreme Court 2023: “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”
Presenter: Barry Bennett, SSI Member
Location: WC; in person and by Zoom
Class description: In its 2022-23 term, the United States Supreme Court issued rulings concerning
elections, affirmative action, LBGTQ rights, and more. The Court ended affirmative action and
allowed discrimination against gays, but pulled back on its prior assault on democracy (with a
much-noted caveat, that is). Hear about these cases and more as we delve into the
reasoning on both sides of these issues.
______________________________________________________________
NOTES:
● Weekly classes (one per week at each location) will be in-person (unless otherwise noted) at:
o PCC CLIMB Center (CLIMB): 1626 SE Water Ave., Portland; pay for parking.
o Neighborhood House (NHH): 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland; free parking but limited.
o PCC Willow Creek (WC) Campus, 241 SW Edgeway Dr, Hillsboro; free ample parking.
● For classes noted as “in-person & by Zoom,” the Zoom access information, as well as any
unforeseen changes, will be announced in the weekly email newsletter prior to the class.
● Please wear your name tag to all in-person classes; be sure to fill out the medical information on
the reverse side.
● Wearing a mask is optional at any of the locations.
_______________________________________________________________________________