Institute for Mature Learning
900 N Benton Ave
Springfield, MO 65802
Office: (417) 873-6952
iml@drury.edu
Course Schedule for Summer 2012
Second Quarter 2012 – IML Courses
1st Tue each Month - Meet at 12:30 for lunch at Findlay Student Center
May 1 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Reed Auditorium in the Trustee’s Science Center 12:30 PM Meet at Commons for Lunch
Albert Einstein: the man who broke our preconceptions about the Universe.
Dr. Greg Ojakangas, Drury University Physics Professor will discuss: One of the great pillars of modern physics was developed by one lone man, ages ahead of his time: Albert Einstein. The theories of Special Relativity and General Relativity and their remarkable implications about reality will be discussed.
May 8 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
The Hindu Bible
Dr. Jack Llewellyn, MSU Religious Studies Chair will make this presentation. When you compare religions, sometimes you don’t find what you were looking for, because you can’t identify something comparable to Christianity in another religion. Though Hindu tradition has produced a great variety of holy books, there really isn’t one that is regarded as uniquely authoritative.The Hindu Bible? There isn’t one.
May 15 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
Genealogy! Why?
Victor Kohman, librarian with the Springfield-Greene County Library will make this presentation. Genealogy is one of the fastest growing pursuits worldwide. Discover the ins and outs of genealogy and why pursuing it might improve your mental social and physical health.
May 22 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
“Pea Ridge: The Most ‘What If’ Battle of the Civil War”
MSU’s Professor Dr. Bill Piston will tell us how Pea Ridge was the most significant battle in Arkansas during the Civil War. The Confederates under General Earl Van Dorn enjoyed superior numbers and the advantage of position, yet lost decisively to the Federals under General Samuel R. Curtis. Had any one of the 10 critical factors gone differently, however, Van Dorn might have won one of the South’s greatest victories of the war.
May 29 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
The Odd Couple
Our own Bob Bradley will be the director of this Tent Theater production and will make a presentation about this play and explain the ins and outs of directing it for this summer.
June 5 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library 12:30 PM Meet at University Plaza for Lunch
“1862: Rivers, Railroads, and the Fate of the Confederacy”
Dr. Bill Piston will discuss how 1862 saw some of the most significant battles of the Civil War. The major battles included Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Stones River in Tennessee; Iuka and Corinth in Mississippi: New Orleans in Louisiana and Perryville in Kentucky. He will discuss how rivers and railroads shaped Union and Confederate campaigns in a year that witnessed critical losses for the South.
June 12 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
The causes and consequences of the growing public debt
Dr. Tom Wyrick, MSU Economic Professor Emeritus will discuss the magnitude of the problem, the consequences of excessive public debt, why our political process promotes excessive debt and ways of addressing the problem.
June 19 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
Snapshots from the History of Religion in the USA: Truth is Stranger than Fiction
Dr. John Schmalzbauer, MSU Associate Professor of Religious Studies will make this presentation about the history of religion in our country.
June 26 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
Aspects of Biblical Law
Dr. Vic Matthews, MSU Professor of Religious Studies will present this discussion. Biblical Law ranges from terse statements in the Ten Commandments to legal precepts embedded in narrative. A variety of law statements and how they reflect ancient Israelite thinking and culture will be explored in this presentation.
July 3 – Meet at 2:00 PM in the Springfield Art Museum 12:30 PM Meet at University Plaza
A trip to the Springfield Art Museum to view Water Color Exhibits
The Museum will provide us with docents to explain the many exhibits on display.
July 10 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
From Tokens to Texting Part 1
Carol Lynne Freeman, MSU Emeritus Professor of Library Science will make this presentation about the transition from the use of mnemonic devices to the development of written scripts and the modern representations of the spoken word.
July 17 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
From Tokens to Texting Part 2
Lynne Freeman will continue her discussion about the transition process.
July 24 – Meet at 2:00 PM in Olin Room of Olin Library
Current Political Situation
Presentation by Dr. Brian Calfano, MSU Political Science Professor will lead this discussion about the current political situation in a Presidential Election year.
July 31 – Meet at 2:00 PM at the Nathaniel Greene Park
Field Trip to the Botanical Gardens
Peter Longley of the Botanical Gardens will meet us at the Nathaniel Greene Park to tour the Botanical Gardens. He will arrange for a presentation about the Gardens and a subsequent tour.
