MSC PRESENTS SUMMER WISDOM 2024

Four Tuesday afternoons from 1:00-2:00 p.m.
May 14, 21, 28, and June 4, 2024
Morrell Meeting Room at Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

All events are in-person. Seating is limited; reservations are not accepted. You may arrive up to 15 minutes before the program begins to get your seat. If all seats are taken, we will close the room. Please call 725-4900 or email: mscoffice@midcoastseniorcollege.org with any questions.

Summer Wisdom is sponsored by Thornton Oaks Retirement Community in Brunswick, Maine – Thank you!

May 14 “To Err is Human: Philatelic Errors and the Stories They Tell” with Richard Neiman
Since the appearance of the first adhesive postage stamp in 1840, hundreds of political entities have issued billions of such stamps. It is natural to expect that among these there would be errors in their production. This lecture will illustrate a number of blunders by a variety of postal entities, tell the unusual stories surrounding some of them, and relate how these stamps have become, pound for pound, among the most valuable items known. Although Richard Neiman has collected postage stamps since his childhood, he is perhaps better recognized as a retired physician and college professor who has taught many courses for MSC on medical- and disease-related topics.

May 21 “New Wine in Old Bottles—Conflict or Peace in the Middle East: The Gaza War”
with Kathleen Howard Sutherland
The October 7th Hamas attack on Israel climaxed a 75-year-plus conflict between Israelis and Palestinians over the question of the land of Palestine: Whose land is it? Palestinians’, Israelis’, or both? In this presentation we explore the historical basis for this conflict, as well as the colonial legacy, and the social, political, and religious issues involved. Where do we go from here? Kathleen Howard Sutherland is Associate Professor of Political Science and Women’s Studies Emerita at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She was born and spent 35 years in Egypt researching and teaching at the American University at Cairo, was a Fulbright Scholar in Morocco, and has taught courses on the Middle East and Africa at OLLI in Portland since 2005. She and her husband, John, reside in Portland.

May 28 “A Fulfilling Chapter: Happy and Healthy Retirement Years” with Chris Bowe
Dr. Bowe will speak about ways to make our lives happier, healthier, and more fulfilling in retirement and the healthcare system’s role in promoting wellness. He will be happy to answer questions about his first year as president of Mid Coast-Parkview Health. Chris Bowe, MD was named President of Mid Coast-Parkview Health in January 2023. Prior to that Chris was an Emergency Medicine physician at Maine Medical Center for ten years, served as ED Chair and Chief Medical Officer at St. Mary’s in Lewiston for four years, and as Mid Coast-Parkview Health’s Chief Medical Officer for two years. During his tenure as Mid Coast’s CMO, he distinguished himself by leading the organization’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including heading the Incident Command team and providing strategic and clinical leadership during the deployment of mass vaccination clinics. Chris is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin where he completed both his undergraduate studies and medical school. He is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians and certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine.

June 4 “Puppet-Making for Dummies” with Austin Phillips
With the art of ventriloquism making its way back into mainstream entertainment, Austin Phillips finds himself busier than ever meeting a unique demand. Based in downtown Portland, he is a builder and restorer of professional ventriloquist figures as well as puppets. Austin is also a ventriloquial history and Punch and Judy enthusiast possessing an extensive collection of antique figures and artifacts dating back to the 1800s. He is able to live out his passion each day working with his ventriloquist figures, and is happy to share and discuss that unusual passion with us.