LIRIC is run by a group of dedicated, creative volunteers. We govern ourselves through an executive board and formulate our own by-laws, policies and procedures. The LIRIC board is made up of the officers and the chairs of our standing committees. Our curriculum committee designs our programs and arranges for presenters from among our members, Iona faculty and the community at large. All members of LIRIC are encouraged to suggest courses, speakers and presenters and to assist in arranging for them. Our Hospitality committee provides us with daily coffee and cookies, and arranges several luncheons each year, some of which are free. Other volunteers edit or write articles for our newsletter, collect membership checks, arrange trips and special events, even stuff envelopes for mailings. LIRIC also has a paid director who is our liaison with Iona University and oversees daily operations.

Director

• Suzanne Page, Ph.D.

Officers

• President: Shirley Radcliffe
• Vice Presidents: Viviane Ponslet & Linda Levine
• Secretary: Rosemary McDonough
• Treasurer: Bob Kent

Committee Chairs

• Communications: Lew Koflowitz
• Curriculum: Linda Whetzel
• Hospitality: Gail Apfel
• Membership: Lorraine Rosano
• Trip Coordinator: Dianne Heim
• Member Liaison: Teddi Cerino

Representatives at Large

• Lori Blumenfeld
• Greg Koster
• Chris McCormick
• Jeanne de Saint Ouen

Course Descriptions: Monday

Newsworthy Topics

7 sessions
October 17, 24, 31;
November 7, 14, 28;
December 5.
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

Each session will delve into recent news stories within a specific field such as geopolitical concerns or scientific advances. Newsworthy Topics is similar to News and Views, a LIRIC class on current events offered in prior semesters, in that the presenter will leave plenty of time for what is sure to be a lively and informative discussion.

• October 17 The Middle East
  • Presenter: Jim O’Neill
• October 24 U.S. in the South Pacific: Australia & China
  • Presenter: Jim O’Neill
• October 31 Medicine
  • Presenter: Joyce Kent
• November 7 China, Taiwan and the U.S.
  • Presenter: Muhammad Saleem
• November 14 Outer Space
  • Presenter: Kobie Thakar
• November 28 Science
  • Presenter: Joyce Kent
• December 5 Technology
  • Presenter: Kobie Thakar

Mah Jongg

7 sessions
October 17, 24, 31;
November 7, 14, 28;
December 5.
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

Mah jongg, a tile-based game thought to have originated in China several hundred years ago, spread throughout the world during the twentieth century. While it involves a degree of chance, it is a game of skill, strategy and calculation – all of which you will learn in this class which is open to beginners who want to learn the fundamentals and to members who took the class in the 2021-2022 sessions and would like to refresh their skills.

Since we will be meeting in the small room and observing whatever COVID restrictions are still in place, attendance will be limited. A 2022 Mah Jongg card can be purchased from Amazon, the Mah Jongg League or at a local store.

Please call instructor Linda Levine at (914) 235-9878 before October 12 to register or for more information about the class.

Fall Cornucopia

7 sessions
October 17, 24, 31;
November 7, 14, 28;
December 5.
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.

Join us for one or all of these single presentations on a variety of topics – but don’t miss the first one if you want to meet tour LIRIC classmates!

• October 17 Getting to Know You
  • Presenter: Linda Creary
• October 24 African Tribal Art
  • Presenter: Jack Rosenbluth
• October 31 Adventures in the Wild: Darwin and The Galapagos Islands
  • Presenter: Dianne Heim
• November 7 T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” at 100
  • Presenter: John Mahon, Professor Emeritus, Iona University
• November 14 The Story of Hudson Yards
  • Presenter: Neill Murray, Managing Director, Hudson Yards
• November 28 New Books You Won’t Want to Miss
  • Presenter: Tracy Wright, Director, Eastchester Public Library
• December 5 Westchester County: A History in Postcards
  • Presenter: Patrick Raftery, Westchester County Historical Society

Play-Reading

7 sessions
October 17, 24, 31;
November 7, 14, 28;
December 5.
2:00 – 3:15 p.m.

Play-Reading is a fun activity open to all members of LIRIC who enjoy reading aloud or listening to plays being read—both entertaining activities. Last year our group read British plays by Noel Coward, George Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde and others. For both terms this year we will be focusing on American dramas and comedies. In the fall we will be reading comic and dramatic classics of the theater from the 1930s to the 1960s that deal with ethical issues related to family, social classes, finance, industry, war, and politics. Scripts will be provided.

Presenter: Iona University graduate and Carnegie-Mellon M.F.A. recipient in Drama, Len Poggiali spent his 33-year career teaching mostly high school English and theater arts and directing college, community, and school productions in Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Westchester.

• October 17 & 24 Arsenic and Old Lace (1941), by Joseph Kesselring, is a murderously funny mystery comedy about a pair of elderly sisters who take in friendless male boarders and have a unique way of dealing with them.
• October 31 & November 7 An Inspector Calls (1945), by J. B. Priestley, deals with members of a wealthy British family who are questioned by an unusual police inspector as to each person’s involvement in the death of a young, working-class woman.
• November 14 & 28 The Mousetrap (1952), by Agatha Christie, is the longest running play in theatrical history. Need we say more?
• December 5 Twelve Angry Men (1954) is a teleplay by Reginald Rose about a jury determining the guilt or innocence of a non- white man charged with the knifing murder of his father. This script for television was later lengthened and turned into a well-known feature film starring Henry Fonda.

Art Workshop

7 sessions
October 17, 24, 31;
November 7, 14, 28;
December 5.
2:00 – 3:15 p.m.

Share your creativity when you join our expanded multi-media Art Workshop. Bring your own pencils, paints, pastels, crayons and paper, canvas, even coloring books. Try a new medium or refine the one you have been using. Paint, draw or color with other LIRIC members. This is the place to express yourself. All levels are welcome. Need more information? Call Gail at (914) 961-5661.

Instructor: Gail Apfel is a graduate of the High School of Music and Art and has participated in classes at the Westchester Art Workshop as well as art classes through Road Scholar and the Hudson River Museum. She chairs LIRIC’s Fine & Performing Arts Committee.

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Course Descriptions: Tuesday

Tai Ch

Pre-registration and an additional fee of $65.00 are required for this class. The registration form is in the catalog. Please contact Suzanne Page at spage@iona.edu for more information.

8 sessions
October 11, 18, 25;
November 1, 8, 15, 29;
December 6.
9 – 10 a.m.

Tai Chi, as it is practiced in the west today, can perhaps best be thought of as a moving form of yoga and meditation combined. In Chinese philosophy and medicine, “chi” is a vital force that animates the body; thus one purpose of Tai Chi is to enhance the health and vitality of the practitioner. Tai Chi also fosters a calm and tranquil mind by focusing on the precise execution of the exercises. Learning to do them correctly provides a practical method for improving balance, posture, alignment, fine-scale motor control, rhythm of movement, and breathing. Tai Chi has been recommended as an adjunct therapy for chronic pain, arthritis, insomnia, asthma, high blood pressure, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and fibromyalgia.

Instructor: Domingo Colon is the owner of the Tai Chi School of Westchester in Bronxville. He has been practicing Tai Chi since he was fifteen, and is the teacher of other Tai Chi masters as well as a frequent judge at Tai Chi competitions.

Writers’ Workshop

7 sessions
October 11, 18, 25;
November 1, 8, 29;
December 6.
9 – 10:15 a.m.

There is a writer within each of us. Join us and explore your untapped talent. Interested? Email csm611@aol.com to register for this limited enrollment class. First come, first served!

Course Leader: Chuck Miller has led the Workshop for a number of years. He gets as much enjoyment out of it as do the participants.

Environment Issues of New York State

4 sessions
October 11, 18, 25;
November 1.
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

Join Dean Joseph Stabile and faculty from Iona University and New York University for this four-session course. Each week a different presenter will discuss an environmental issue of importance in New York State.

• October 11 The history of the environmental/civil rights movement in NYC and the impact of recent environmental policies under Mayors Bloomberg, De Blasio and Adams.
  • Presenter: Joshua Leon, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Political Science, Iona University; New York Historical Society, 2022-23 Robert David Lion Gardiner -Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellow University.
• October 18 Phytoremediation: How can plants be used to restore the environment?
  • Presenter: Yourha Kang, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biology, Iona University
• October 25 Toxic Effects of Pollutants on Hudson River Biota
  • Presenter: Isaac Wirgin, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Medicine, New York University
• November 1 Invasive Exotic Species and their impact on native species in New York State
  • Presenter: Joseph Stabile, Ph. D. Dean & Professor of Biology, Iona University
• Class Representative: Joyce Kent

America at the Crossroad of Modernity and Change: The Progressive Era, 1901–1918

4 sessions
November 8, 15, 29;
December 6.
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

As the United States transitioned to an industrial economy during the Gilded Age (the latter half of the 19th century), the nation was challenged by many problems. A heterogeneous group of reformers, which included Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, local politicians, muckrakers, suffragists, and others, attempted to address these problems and subsequently changed the social, economic, and political landscape of our nation at the turn-of-the-century. The arts of the period and how they ushered in an “Era of Modernity” will also be discussed.

Presenters:

Rick Leibert is a retired adjunct professor of marketing at Iona University, an educator at the Holocaust Museum and Study Center at Rockland Community College, and a course leader at Collegium at Westchester Community College. A man of many parts, he has offered LIRIC classes on the Holocaust, American and World history, and even sports, in addition to leading literary discussion classes.

Lucy Leibert majored in history at Skidmore College and received an M.A.T. in history from Columbia University where she studied American history and research methods. She has taught middle school and high school history as well as English and English skills. Most recently, she helped students prepare for the SATs and compose college admission essays.

Healthy, Wealthy and Wise

8 sessions
October 11, 18, 25;
November 1, 8, 15, 29;
December 6.
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.

Join these professionals as they advise us about staying healthy, wealthy and wise.

• October 11 Promoting Your Health
  • Presenter: Deidra G. Brown, Ph.D., RN New York Presbyterian Iona University School of Health Sciences
• October 18 Living With Chronic Pain
  • Presenters: Occupational Therapy Department of Iona University Dr. Tripta Velamoor and Adjunct Professor Alice Massa, Advisors
• October 25 Living Safely
  • Presenters: Occupational Therapy Department of Iona University, Adjunct Professor Alice Massa, Advisor
• November 1 Acupuncture in Modern Medicine
  • Presenter: Dr. Rubina Heptulla, M.D.. M.S., LaC
• November 8 What Every Grandparent Should Know: Pediatric Medicine
  • Presenter: Adrienne Weiss-Harrison, M.D.
• November 15 Beyond the Smile
  • Presenter: Lois Dreyer, M.S. Associate Professor, Department of Dental Hygiene
• November 29 Plan Today for Tomorrow: Estate and Eldercare Planning
  • Presenter: Salvatore Di Costanzo, Attorney-at-Law
• December 6 The Library Today: Research and Resources
  • Presenter: Jennifer O’Neill, Library Director, Mamaroneck Public Library

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

4 sessions
October 11, 18, 25;
November 1.
2 – 3:15 p.m.

LIRIC begins to celebrate our 30th Anniversary with classes that combine Brazilian culture, delicious food and drink, and pure entertainment.

• October 11 A Taste of Brazil
  • Brazilian born Carolina Figueiredo, chef and owner of the Boleria Brazilia Bakery and Café in Mamaroneck, speaks about Brazilian cuisine and brings along treats for your delectation.
• October 18 Samba!
  • Professional dance instructors Karen Schneider and Carlos Sampelayo teach us that most famous of Brazilian dances – the samba. Bring your dancing shoes!
• October 25 The Music of Brazil
  • Performing the works of famous Brazilian composers are Maria Tiscia and David Oliver, members of the Brazilian band Rio Bound which specializes in jazz. You’ll have a chance to practice those samba steps you learned!
• November 1 Wine & Cheese Tasting
  • Nothing Brazil here, as Greg Koster puts on his non-musical hat to talk about – and help us appreciate – some excellent wines.

All That Jazz: In-Concert Performances

4 sessions
November 8, 15, 29;
December 6.
2 – 3:15 p.m.

The lucky thirteenth semester of All That Jazz will once again enjoy classic performances filmed in Europe. The line-up will include: John Coltrane – Live in 1965; Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers – Live in 1959; Thelonious Monk – Live (solo) in 1969; and Johnny Griffin – Live in 1971.

Presenter: Gregory Koster has been a Jazz fan since the early ‘60s, was a Jazz DJ in college, contributed Jazz reviews and surveys to The Sensible Sound magazine for over fifteen years, and is a Past President of the PJS Jazz Society in Mount Vernon

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Course Descriptions: Wednesday

Wednesdays are special at LIRIC. Classes are suspended that day to allow for additional intellectual and artistic pursuits off site. The familiar is intertwined with the new in often off-beat adventures. The goal is to expose our members to things and places that enrich and feed the mind as well as the soul. Space is limited, so LIRIC members receive first priority. One trip will be to Kykuit, the Rockefeller Estate in Pocantico Hills pictured be- low. Look for information about other trips in your welcome packet or in a separate mailing.

Trip planner Dianne Heim likes to travel far and near. With so many things to see in the world, Dianne would like to share with you some of those in our own backyard.

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Course Descriptions: Thursday

The World’s Greatest Paintings

8 sessions
October 6, 13, 20, 27;
November 3, 10, 17;
December 1.
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

Participants in last semester’s course on The World’s Greatest Paintings voted to continue with an additional 8 weeks of great art, but no prerequisites are needed to enjoy this semester’s offering! Come to one session or all eight. The class consists of a 25-minute video talk by the Great Courses professor, William Kloss, who discusses an art work he has nominated as “great” – for reasons he explains. The remainder of each session is a live (and lively) presentation by Shirley Radcliffe, one of our favorite presenters. She adds historical context, biographical sidebars, and examples of art from the same period but by other artists – women – and from other cultures besides the West.

Countries of the World

3 sessions
October 6, 13, 20.
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.

In these three sessions we will learn about some very different countries, starting with Iran and tracing its history from the Persian Empire to the present. Then we move from the Middle East to Europe where we examine Yugoslavia’s creation and collapse. Finally we visit six of the smallest countries in Europe: Andorra, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City, discovering how they were created and how they survive – and thrive.

Presenter: Lois Lovisolo is a frequent presenter at LIRIC – her most recent classes introduced us to troubled countries of the world – and is a member of the Curriculum Committee as well as LIRIC’s Comptroller.

Kent’s Comments

3 sessions
October 27;
November 3, 10.
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.

The first lecture on October 27 will focus on significant Supreme Court cases decided during the term that ended in June. The second session will be divided between additional court rulings and a look at the upcoming congressional and state elections. The final installment will examine the election results, the implications for the presidential election in 2024 and the possible future impact they may have upon our increasingly fragile democracy.

Presenter: Bob Kent is an attorney specializing in health care and human re-sources. With a JD from Harvard Law School and an MBA from NYU, he has, over the years, worked with NBC Universal, Lifetime Entertainment Services and TWA among others. In the last few years he has spoken to LIRIC primarily about supreme court cases and the presidency.

Hate: A History of Anti-Semitism

1 session
November 17.
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.

Presenter Steve Goldberg is the retired chair of the Social Studies Department at New Rochelle High School, where he was interim principal last year. He is presently Co-Director of Education at the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center in White Plains.

Literary Discussion: Exploring Brazil

7 sessions
October 6, 13, 20, 27;
November 3, 10, 17.
2 – 3:15 p.m.

We’ll begin our exploration of Brazil with The River of Doubt, Candice Millard’s riveting account of Theodore Roosevelt’s journey through the Amazon. The River of Doubt has widespread appeal for history buffs, nature lovers, and all of us who like a thrilling adventure story. Our exploration continues with some of Brazil’s greatest literature, including short stories by Clarice Lispector and Machado de Assis. Our last selection, The Air You Breathe, is a sweeping historical novel that takes the reader from a sugar plantation in the 1930s through twenty years of Brazil’s culture and history.

The Westchester Library System owns many copies of The River of Doubt, The Caregiver, and The Air You Breathe. Some are available as an eBook or audio book on Libby. Paper copies of short works will be distributed a week before the session in which they will be discussed. Most attendees will read the works in advance, but all are welcome; listening to the discussion may be of interest.

• October 6 The River of Doubt, by Candice Millard
  • Presenter: Roseanne Klein
• October 13 Short Stories of Clarice Lispector
  • Presenter: Barbara Hickey
• October 20 The Caregiver, by Samuel Park
  • Presenter: Paulette Gabbriellini
• October 27 Selected Short Works
  • Presenter: Jeanne de Saint Ouen
• November 3 Selected Short Works
  • Presenter: Kobie Thakar
• November 10 Short Stories of Machado de Assis
  • Presenter: Rick Leibert
• November 17 The Air You Breathe, by Frances Peebles
  • Presenter: Beth Hofstetter
• Class Representative: Linda Creary

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Course Descriptions: Friday

Lecture Series: Brazil

7 sessions
October 7, 14, 21, 28;
November 4, 18;
December 2
1 – 2:15 p.m.

Murphy Auditorium:
October 7, & 14;
November 4 & 8;
December 2.

Romita Auditorium in Ryan Library:
October 21 & 28

If all that comes to mind when you hear “Brazil” is soccer (and Pele), Carnival, the samba, and the Amazon rainforest, like most of us you have a great deal to learn – and this is just the place to do it.

• October 7 (Murphy) Latin America’s Giant: Brazil’s Journey from the Nineteenth Century until Today
  • Presenter: Dr. Jimena Perry, History Department, Iona University
• October 14 (Murphy) An Introduction to Brazil: Its History, Places, and Culture
  • Presenter: Ines Rodrigues, author
• October 21 (Romita) Race and Representation in Brazil
  • Presenter: Dr. Nereida Segura-Rico, Arts & Languages Department, Iona University
• October 28 (Romita) The Brazilian Northeast
  • Presenter: Dr. Galen Barry, Philosophy Department, Iona University
• November 4 (Murphy) The Amazon Rainforest
  • Presenter: Dr. Christina Andruk, Biology Department Iona University
• November 18 (Murphy) The Music and Dance of Brazil
  • Presenters: Hannah Park and Adam Rosado, Arts and Languages Department, Iona University
• December 2 (Murphy) Brazil’s Economy
  • Presenter: Dr. Arif Qayyum, Associate Professor of Finance LaPenta School of Business, Iona University
• Class Representative: Linda Creary

Film Course: Brazil

All classes meet in Romita Auditorium in Ryan Library.

7 sessions
October 7, 14, 21, 28;
November 4, 18;
December 2.
2:30 – 4:45 p.m.

Although Brazilian movies and performers have deservedly garnered some major awards worldwide, Brazil is not a major player on the silver screen. Inconsistent government support, funding, and a lack of tax incentives have often made investments in Brazilian films precarious. In spite of this, there have been some stellar successes.

The early 20th century “silents” ushered in the “bela época,” the golden age of Brazilian cinema. This era was followed by a combined comedy and musical revue genre, “chanchada,” featuring stars like Carmen Miranda. The ‘60s birthed “Cinema Nôvo,” focusing on the underclass, especially poor Afro-Brazilians. Ironically, the most repressive political regime in Brazil became the most successful period in the country’s film history as it created the National Film Institute (INC) and sponsored production subsidies. Paradoxically, in 1989 under the most democratic election in Brazilian history, the movie industry collapsed overnight.

In 1993, amid continuing financial and political turmoil, the new Ministry of Culture catapulted Brazilian films to international recognition. The Academy Award for Best Actress went to Fernanda Montenegro and Best Foreign Language film and Golden Bear to director Walter Salles for the mega hit Central Station. Miramax and Disney’s distribution of director Fernando Meirelles’s much praised City of God in 2003 was a major international success, raking in ten times the initial 3 million dollar investment. Today with streaming, Brazilian films have a wider audience and are available through YouTube, Netflix, and the Amazon marketplace among others.

• October 7 The Edge of Democracy, 2019, documentary (121 minutes)
• October 14 The Mission, 1986, Oscar for Best Cinematography (125 minutes)
• October 21 Black Orpheus, 1960, Best Foreign Language Film Oscar (107 minutes)
• October 28 The Emerald Forest, 1985, directed by John Boorman (114 minutes)
• November 4 Central Station, 1998, won two Oscars 110 minutes)
• November 18 City of God, 2002, set in the slums of Rio (130 minutes)
• December 2 The Year My Parents Went on Vacation, 2006 (110 minutes)
• Instructor: Cheryl Passavanti is a learning facilitator and lecturer on current topics about and through film. A frequenter of film festivals and film clubs, she has brought her expertise to the New Rochelle Resource Center, the Adult Education program in New Rochelle, and, in the last few years, to LIRIC.
• Class Representative: Lorraine Rosano

Four Thursdays:
July 7, 14, 17, 28

Classes meet at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church located at the intersection of Mill Rd. & North Ave. in New Rochelle.

Class Overview:

• 11 a.m.—12:15 p.m.
  • LOOKING BACK
• 12:15 p.m.—1 p.m.
  • LUNCH BREAK
• 1 p.m.—2:15 p.m.
  • LIRIC LIGHT!
    OR
  • COLOR ME HAPPY
    • Class begins July 14

LOOKING BACK

11 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

Start your day with a look at the past, both abroad and here at home.

July 7

• The More Things Change: Ukraine in the ‘30s
  • Presenter: Rick Leibert

July 14

• Novel Inspiration: Westchester Authors, Westchester Settings
  • Presenter: Barbara Davis, Co-Director, Westchester County  Historical Society

July 21

• The Strange But True Story of Three Gravestones from the Bronx  
  • Presenter: David Osborn,  St. Paul’s Church

July 28

• The Battle of White Plains
  • Presenter: Stephen Paul DeVillo
  • (His newly published book of the same title is available for $22.00 cash or check)

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Lunch Break

12:15-1 p.m.

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LIRIC LIGHT!

1-2:15 p.m.

Learn in the morning and play in the afternoon with art, music, antiques and trivia on the agenda.

July 7

• A Mandala Workshop (No artistic talent necessary!)
  • Linda Creary will guide you in this workshop that allows you to express yourself and let others know who you are.  Bring your own crayons or colored pencils if you can.

July 14

• Sing-A-Long  (Even if you can’t carry a tune!)
  • Rosalie Hollingsworth leads us in these Oldies but Goodies, including pop songs, show tunes, and the blues.

July 21

• Antique Roadshow
  • Bring in your antiques and have appraiser Alan Kaplan tell you what they’re worth!

July 28

• Trivia Reigns Supreme
  • In a reprise of last fall’s popular trivia game, Joyce Kent has concocted a whole series of new questions to test your knowledge of trivia – with old and new friends as your teammates.

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COLOR ME HAPPY

Class begins on July 14 to allow you to participate in the July 7 Mandala Workshop in the big room.

1-2:15 p.m.

Remember when you were a child and loved to color? Adult coloring books have become popular in recent years, believed to reduce stress, alleviate anxiety and even improve sleep. The summer seemed the perfect time to experiment with a new form for an art workshop. Come and see if it works for you!

Bring your crayons, pencils, pastels, or water colors from home – and of course a coloring book if you can get your hands on one. (Try amazon.com, artiza.com, pennydellpuzzles.com, Barnes & Noble, Michaels or a store where art supplies are sold.)

We’ll put together a few pages for those of you who can’t find a book yourselves. Call Gail Apfel at (914) 961-5661 before the first class to tell her you need a set.

Those of you who have been in the traditional art workshop are welcome to come and continue to work on your own projects.

Course Descriptions: Monday

7 sessions
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 4, 18
May 2
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

Great Decisions

Great Decisions is a course sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association that encourages people to learn about and discuss U.S. foreign policy. Each session includes a 30-minute DVD for background and then a discussion led by LIRIC members. Although it is not required, participants who wish to get the most from the course should purchase a copy of the Great Decisions Briefing Book ($35.00 + shipping) and do the readings for each class. Copies may be ordered directly from The Foreign Policy Association by calling 1-800-477-5836 between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by ordering online at www.fpa.org/great_decisions.

• March 7
  • Biden’s Agenda, Presenter: Bob Kent
• March 14
  • Industrial Policy, Presenter: Roseanne Klein
• March 21
  • Russia and the U.S., Presenter: Jim O’Neill
• March 28
  • Drug Policy in Latin America, Presenter: Arlyne Zwyer
• April 4
  • Myanmar and ASEAN, Presenter: Lois Lovisolo
• April 18
  • Quad Alliance, Presenter: Jim O’Neill
• May 2
  • Changing Demographics, Presenter: Bob Kent

Mah Jongg Part Two

7 sessions
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 4, 18
May 2
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.

This class is a continuation of the Fall 2021 class. It is open to beginning Mah Jongg players, those who were in the Fall class, and those who would like to learn. We will be using the 2021 card until the new cards come out in April. If you do not have a 2021 card you can order one from the Maj Jongg league.

Since the class will be meeting in the small room and we will be observing whatever COVID restrictions are still in place, attendance will continue to be limited. Please call Linda Levine at 914-235-9878 before February 15 to register or if you have any questions.

Instructors: Linda Levine and Cheryl Millman are both long-time mah jongg players who will share their expertise.

Spring Salmagundi

7 sessions
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 4, 18
May 2
12:30 – 11:45 p.m.

Join us for this series of seven totally unrelated – and thoroughly engaging – talks.

• March 7
  • Getting to Know You, Presenter: Linda Creary
• March 14
  • Our Health Care System: Is Rationing Coming?, Presenter: Jack Rosenbluth
• March 21
  • New Sights in Old Pompeii, Presenter: Phyllis Manner
• March 28
  • New York Courts and The Vigilante, Presenter: The Honorable Barry Salman, NYS Supreme Court Judge, Retired
• April 4
  • Cognition, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics: Can we create machines that think, reason, and learn?, Presenter: Professor Raj Korpan, Iona University, Computer Science Department
• April 18
  • The Brain and the Future of Psychiatry, Presenter: Dr. Robert Sussman
• May 2
  • Creating a Family in the Animal Kingdom, Presenter: Dianne Heim

Play-Reading

7 sessions
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 4, 18
May 2
2 – 3:15 p.m.

Play-Reading is an enjoyable activity open to all members of LIRIC who enjoy reading aloud or listening to plays being read. Participants are not a group of actors but simply friends and friendly acquaintances sitting around, enjoying each other’s company and reading. Members do not need to be present for every session, and they may attend whenever it is convenient for them.

This semester we will be reading plays by American women playwrights, some topical and some just plain fun. For once, our female members will not have to read so many male roles, as these plays are mostly full of large female casts. Scripts will be provided.

Presenter: Iona University grad, Len Poggiali spent his 33- year career teaching mostly high school English and drama and directing college, community, and school productions in Pittsburgh, Syracuse, and Westchester.

• March 7 & 14
  • Harvey (1944) by Mary Chase is a well-known and very funny comedy in which a likable eccentric (played by Jimmy Stewart in the 1950 film) has an invisible, six-foot rabbit as a friend and companion.
• March 21 & 28
  • Goodbye, My Fancy (1948) by Fay Kanin tells the story of a congresswoman and former WWII correspondent who encounters an attack on academic freedom when she returns to her alma mater to screen an anti-war film. This play is a comedy with some very serious overtones.
• April 4
  • “Opening Night” (1952), was adapted from a story by Cornelia Otis Skinner, who was a well-known author, actress, and humorist. This one-act play deals with Skinner’s annoying distractions as she is trying to prepare herself for the ordeal ahead on the opening night of a Broadway premiere.
• April 18
  • “Trifles” (1916) and “Woman’s Honor” (1918) are two one- act plays by Susan Glaspell. Glaspell is considered the first great American female playwright and one often dealing with feminist issues. Her works were mostly set in her native Midwest.
• May 3
  • To be determined.

The New Art Workshop

7 sessions
March 7, 14, 21, 28
April 4, 18
May 2
2 – 3:15 p.m.

This “new” workshop brings back to LIRIC a place to work with various forms of artists’ materials. Participants are encouraged to continue working in their favorite media as well as experimenting in media out of their comfort zone. Suggested media might include watercolor, acrylic, oil paint, pastels, charcoal, crayon, conte crayon, drawing ink. Bring your materials to the first class. All levels of experience are welcome. Please call Gail at 914-961-5661 if you have questions.

Instructor: Gail Apfel, a NYC High School of Music and Art graduate with a concentration in Textile Design, studied art at Buffalo State College and the Westchester Art Workshop. She has taught photography and arts and crafts and has worked as a custom framing designer. Gail chairs LIRIC’s Fine and Performing Arts Committee.

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Course Descriptions: Tuesday

Tai Chi

8 sessions
March 8, 15, 22, 29
April 5, 19, 26
May 3
9–10 a.m.

Pre-registration and an additional fee of $65.00 are required for this class. The registration form is at the end of this catalog.

Tai Chi, as it is practiced in the west today, can perhaps best be thought of as a moving form of yoga and meditation combined. In Chinese philosophy and medicine, “chi” is a vital force that animates the body; thus one purpose of Tai Chi is to enhance the health and vitality of the practitioner. Tai Chi also fosters a calm and tranquil mind by focusing on the precise execution of the exercises. Learning to do them correctly provides a practical method for improving balance, posture, alignment, fine-scale motor control, rhythm of movement, and breathing. Tai Chi has been recommended as an adjunct therapy for chronic pain, arthritis, insomnia, asthma, high blood pressure, Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and fibromyalgia.

Instructor: Domingo Colon is the owner of the Tai Chi School of Westchester in Bronxville. He has been practicing Tai Chi since he was fifteen, and is the teacher of other Tai Chi masters as well as a frequent judge at Tai Chi competitions.

The World’s Greatest Paintings

8 sessions
March 8, 15, 22, 29
April 5, 19, 26
May 3
10:30–11:45 a.m.

This eight week Great Courses video class will be moderated by Shirley Radcliffe, one of our favorite presenters. Each session, she will introduce a video, add some comments and slides of her own, then lead a discussion on paintings from the 14th through the 19th century that have cultural significance.

The New Deal — A Lesson in Public Policy Innovation

5 sessions
March 8, 15, 22, 29
April 5
12:30–1:45 p.m.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal was the most creative public policy undertaking in American history. Most of us are familiar with its social security and labor protections, but to gain a new appreciation for the New Deal and its innovative vision, this course will examine two lesser recognized areas in which the New Deal opened up new understandings of what government in the service of its people can do:. the New Deal’s approach to the environment and the New Deal’s approach to the arts. For an understanding of the New Deal’s approach to the environment we will look at Roosevelt’s own ecological vision and how it was implemented in three New Deal programs: the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Soil Conservation Service, and the Tennessee Valley Authority. The New Deal’s approach to the arts will be examined through five programs: the Federal Arts Program, the Federal Writers’ Program, the Federal Theatre, the Federal Music Program and the Farm Security Administration Photography Program. Class participants will receive a Map and Guide to a sampling of the over 1,000 New Deal projects in New York City alone.

Presenter: Sheila D. Collins is emeritus Professor of Political Science at William Paterson University, where she served as Department Chair and Director of its Graduate Program in Public Policy and International Affairs. She has taught, written and lectured widely on the New Deal and serves on the National Advisory Committee of the Living New Deal Project

The Family in Shakespeare

3 sessions
April 19, 26
May 3
12:30–1:45 p.m.

Family relationships are a factor in virtually every play Shakespeare wrote. In order to explore the nature of family in Shakespeare’s world, we will discuss in some detail three of Shakespeare’s plays where family relationships are the focus of attention.

Considering these plays in order of composition, we will examine Hamlet first. This play is one of the few in Shakespeare that has a mother. In this play, the relationships between fathers and sons drive the plot forward. The hero’s father demands revenge for his murder, committed by his brother, Hamlet’s uncle. Three other sons in the play also become involved in avenging their fathers’ deaths. In King Lear, the plot focuses on the tormented relationships between the hero and his three daughters, while a subplot follows the complicated relationship between a father and two sons. In The Winter’s Tale, two families and the relationships within them and between them are the focus. In one of the families, the husband wrongly accuses his wife of adultery.

Presenter: Dr. John Mahon, Professor Emeritus of English at Iona University, has given LIRIC both single lectures and courses over the years. A Shakespeare scholar, he’s offered us both an Off-Beat Shakespeare course and a Bard Blast! in the past.

Aging

2 sessions
March 8, 15
2–3:15 p.m.

• March 8
  • Bob Casey returns with sessions on The Aging Brain not covered in the fall. They will deal with Parkinson’s Disease and Stroke and The Science of Immortality.
• March 15
  • Join William Crawford, M.S., Executive Director of Monarch ~ Cooper’s Corner Assisted Living, as he offers observations and suggestions on Successful Aging.

The Ties That Bind: Family Poems

2 sessions
March 22, 29
2–3 p.m.

Often those loving connections – the ones we read in Hallmark cards – are more like constriction…and poets aren’t afraid to show it. Come read poems that are just as likely to be about bondage as they are about bonds and all in the name of family love.

Presenter: Dr. Amy Stackhouse, long-time member of the Iona University English Department, has offered LIRIC poetry courses in the past, and never fails to inspire.

Music Hath Charms

4 sessions
April 5, 19, 26
May 3
2–3:15 p.m.

...and charm us it will, as we sample music of different genres from different countries.

On April 5 and 19 retired teacher and LIRIC member Rosalie Hollingsworth will take us to Visit Latin America Through Music. Join her as she explores Latin America through its music and leads us in a Sing-a-long of Spanish songs she says we already know. The focus in the first class will be on Argentina, Peru, and Ecuador, in the second on México, Cuba and Puerto Rico.

On April 26 Alex Eodice, our favorite Iona philosophy professor, shares his other passion with us - music. In a class called Style and Stuff: The Blues as Musical Expression and Everyday Philosophy, he will combine dialogue and performance to explore the expressive character of the blues along with its ability to capture universal aspects of human experience.

On May 3 diva and teacher extraordinaire Joan Mallory will treat us to another of her interactive classes on opera, this time featuring Tosca. Come ready to join in, or just to listen.

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Course Descriptions: Wednesday

Writers’ Workshop via Zoom

8 sessions
March 9, 16, 23, 30
April 6, 20, 27
May 4
9–10:15 a.m.

An open invitation to those among you who love to express themselves through writing – and need a little nudge to get started! Sign up early (csm611@aol.com) since there will be a limit on the number of students in the class.

Course Leader: Chuck Miller is both leader and participant. He enjoys writing, and especially enjoys working with the participants of the Workshop.

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Course Descriptions: Thursday

Bioethics in Contempory Society

4 sessions
March 10, 17, 24, 31
10:30–11:45 a.m.

Ethical issues emerge from the advances in medicine, technology and biology. As a result, we may be confronted with making choices that are in conflict with our values. This series will examine current issues as well as several historical ethical dilemmas. The audience will be invited to share its perspective on theoretical cases.

Presenter: Joyce Kent is the retired chairperson of Science at New Rochelle High School where she introduced a course on Bioethics. Her class at LIRIC on bioethical issues has become a spring tradition. Joyce chairs the Science and Technology arm of the Curriculum Committee in addition to arranging field trips to the planetarium and occasional nature walks.

Planetarium Trip

Thursday, April 7
10–11:15 a.m.

New Rochelle High School is fortunate in having a state of the art planetarium that is used for student instruction. Under the guidance of its director, Bruce Zeller, it offers programs to the community as well. LIRIC members are invited to meet at 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 7 to attend a special class at the planetarium. Directions on how to get to the high school and where to enter the building, as well as suggestions for parking (consider car-pooling!) will be available the week before the trip.

Venturing into Outer Space

3 sessions
April 21, 28
May 5
10:30–11:45 a.m.

The Washington Post has suggested that “for Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson and Elon Musk, rocket ships have become the new superyachts”. This three-session class begins with biographies of the billionaires engaged in building commercial spacecraft. The second session covers space tourism, expected to be a billion-dollar industry by the end of the current decade. The third session describes the ways in which the United States, China, Russia, and Japan are competing for dominance in outer space.

Presenter: Kobie Thakar chairs LIRIC’s Humanities and serves on the Curriculum Committee. She has given single lectures on cryptocurrency, artificial intelligence, and disruptive technologies and has led Literary Discussion sessions. Kobie has master’s degrees in psychology and computer science.

Troubled Countries

3 sessions
March 10, 17, 24
12:30–1:45 p.m.

The United Nations lists more than 190 countries in our world, many with severe problems: These classes will look at three of these countries: Pakistan, on March 10, Lebanon on March 17, and Haiti on March 24. Pakistan was created in 1947 as Muslims separated from Indian Hindus in a brutal diaspora for both sides. There have been years of unstable governments in this nation that is now a nuclear power. Lebanon, always in the crossroads of history, gained its independence from France in 1943, and is a very small country with a very big footprint. Haiti occupies an island with the Dominican Republic. How did this happen? Has it ever recovered from a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in 2010? Join us to learn more about these troubled countries.

Presenter: Lois Lovisolo is a frequent presenter at LIRIC – her most recent class introduced us to other troubled countries – and is a member of the Curriculum Committee as well as LIRIC’s Comptroller.

The End of the American Century: From Watergate to 9/11

4 sessions
March 31
April 7, 21, 28
12:30–1:45 p.m.

We will examine the last three decades of the 20th Century and how they were impacted by the fundamental challenges that arose in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Among the topics addressed are the crises of political leadership, wrenching economic challenges, and the uncertainty over the role that our nation was to play in an altered world. Special attention will be given to the cultural and social landscape amidst the rise of the “new conservatism”, the end of the Cold War, the emergence of “neo-liberalism,” and the immediate challenges of 9/11.

Presenter: Geoffrey Cahn has a Ph.D. in History and is Chair Emeritus of the History Department at Yeshiva University High School in New York City. He has been teaching at both the university and high school level for over forty years, and last semester offered us a course on Postwar America from LBJ to Watergate.

Literary Discussion

7 sessions
March 10, 17, 24, 31
April 7, 21, 28
2–3:15 p.m.

To the author Alex Haley, our families are “a link to our past, a bridge to our future.” This spring we’ll read works on the topic by several contemporary American authors.

We’ll begin with The Dutch House, Ann Patchett’s tale of the unbreakable bond between siblings. In Everything I Never Told You, Celeste Ng describes the devastating consequences of keeping family secrets. In Richard Russo’s That Old Cape Magic, a middle-aged man comes to accept the shortcomings of his parents. The last full length work we’ll read is Educated, in which Tara Westover describes her struggle to learn despite growing up within a family that is “off the grid”. We’ll round out the semester with selections of short works.

The Westchester library system owns multiple copies of the full-length works, including some eBooks available on OverDrive. Paper copies of short works will be distributed a week before they will be discussed. Most attendees will read the works in advance, but all are welcome; listening to the discussion may inspire reading the work.

• March 10
  • The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett
    Presenter: Barbara Hickey
• March 17
  • Short Works presented by Kobie Thakar
• March 24
  • Everything I Never Told You, by Celeste Ng
    Presenter: Jeanne de Saint Ouen
• March 31
  • Short Works presented by Rick Leibert
• April 7
  • That Old Cape Magic, by Richard Russo
    Presenter: Paulette Gabbriellini
• April 21
  • Short Works presented by Teddi Cerino
• April 28
  • Educated, by Tara Westover
    Presenter: Beth Hofstetter

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Course Descriptions: Friday

Lecture Series: All in the Family

7 sessions
March 11, 25
April 1, 8, 22, 29
May 6
1–2:15 p.m.

Lectures will be in Romita Auditorium in Ryan Library on March 11 and 25, and April 1 and 29.

They will be in Murphy Auditorium on April 8 and 22, and May 6.

From Aristotle’s time to the present, families have been a subject for thinkers, writers, entertainers, politicians – virtually everyone! In this series of lectures, Iona faculty members give us their take on Family.

• March 11
  • Family-Based Crime Prevention
    Presenter: Dr. Paul O’Connell, Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology
• March 25
  • Family in the Era of Pandemic
    Presenter: Dr. Derese Kassa, Sociology Department
• April 1
  • Changing Faces: TV Families Through Time as a Reflection of Society
    Presenter: Dr. Nadine Barnett Cosby, Department of Media and Strategic Communications
• April 8
  • Pope Francis and Family Love
    Presenter: Dr. Teresa Delgado
• April 22
  • The Philosophy of Childhood: The Role of the Child in the Modern Family
    Presenter: Dr. James Stillwaggon, Philosophy Department
• April 29
  • The Family and the Mob in Film
    Presenter: Dr. Dean DeFino, English Department
• May 6
  • Changing American Families: Growing Diversity
    Presenter: Dr. William Egelman, Professor Emeritus Sociology Department

Film Course: Family Flicks

7 sessions
March 11, 25
April 1, 8, 22, 29
May 6
2:30–4:45 p.m.

Nowadays families are united by marriage, blood, adoption, or self-definition. Children and siblings may be his, hers, mine, or ours. There are nuclear families, blended families, extended families, single parent families, same-sex parent families, childless families, and even the family you choose. Regardless of how “family” is defined, however, society seems to benefit from its structure. We’ll start with where the story ends:

• 3/11
  • The Finale: The Farewell, 2019
    100 minutes
• 3/25
  • Dysfunctional Families: The Lion in Winter, 1968
    2 hours, 14 minutes
• 4/1
  • Mothers & Children: Secrets and Lies, 1996
    2 hours, 16 minutes
• 4/8
  • Working Moms: Entre Nos, 2009 (subtitled)
    81 minutes
• 4/22
  • Siblings: Children of Heaven, 1997
    89 minutes
• 4/29
  • Extended Families: The Secret of Roan Inish, 1994
    103 minutes
• 5/6
  • Fathers and Sons: Road to Perdition, 2002
    1 hour, 57 minutes

Four Thursdays: January 13, 20, 27 and February 3

Classes meet at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at the intersection of Mill Road & North Ave in New Rochelle.

• 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. THE ARTS & MONEY MATTERS
• 12:15-1 p.m. LUNCH
• 1-2:15 p.m. LOOKING BACK OR ART IN THE INTERSESSION

11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., The Arts & Money Matters

• January 13
  • The Arts in America: The Tumultuous Years, 1963-1974. Dr. Geoffrey Cahn delivers the lecture canceled because of weather this fall. An overview exploring the iconic art, literature, music and film of this turbulent era.
• January 20
  • Behavioral Finance. Anthony DeVito discusses how human emotions can lead people to make poor financial and investment decisions.
• January 27
  • The Future of Money – The End of Cash? Kobie Thaker considers cash and the rise of cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens.
• February 3
  • Greek Dance. (A lecture, demonstration and then a chance to dance!) Continuing our study of Greece from the fall semester, we are fortunate to hear more about Greek dancing from Nick Gregory, meteorologist at Channel 5 News, who is the instructor/leader of the Holy Trinity Dancers. You won’t be in your seats for long though, as dance troupe founder Eirini Metaxas and members will soon have you on your feet and dancing yourselves!

12:15-1 p.m. Lunch

1-2:15 p.m., Looking Back

For your enlightenment, we offer a series on a variety of historical subjects, with an opportunity to swap books on January 27. The authors presenting on January 13 and 20, will both will be offering their books for sale. We are grateful to Nathan Fisher for stepping in on February 3!

• January 13
  • The Bronx River in History and Folklore.
    Stephen Paul DeVillo, author
• January 20
  • Freedomland USA: a Definitive History
    Mike Virgintino, author
• January 27
  • Book Talks: Mysteries and Histories.
    Jo-Anne Weinberg
• February 3
  • Title TBA. Topic D-Day, June 6.
    Nathan Fisher

1–2:15 p.m., Art in the Intersession

In the Daskos room. Meets each week. Bring your own materials. Gail Apfel instructing.

Stormy Weather: In the event of bad weather, LIRIC closings will be announced by email and on WHUD 100.7 FM and Channel 12. On the Internet, search “channel 12 school closings,” or call our answering machine (914) 633-2675 for a message.