Spring Class Offerings
WEDNESDAYS
April 8 through May 13
9:30 am – 10:45 am
In History’s Shadows—A Crash Course Across Africa’s Great Lakes Region
Leader: George Keteku, PhD in political science, SUNY Westchester Community College associate professor in department of social sciences, and part-time lecturer at SUNY Purchase
We will learn about where the story of humans on Earth began and where the world’s largest tropical lake and deepest and second-longest freshwater lake are. Where is Africa’s highest mountain range? The Great Lakes Region, covering ten countries in the East African Rift, holds answers to these questions and many more. We will explore this unique region with its diverse populations. Then we will examine the European expansion, the establishment of colonial settlements, and the wave of resistance. Finally, we will discuss its political history after the end of the Cold War, how various countries coped with the AIDS crisis, genocide as well as its attempt to transform its economies in the 21st Century.
The Most Important Issues You Will Vote On by 2035 and Beyond
Leader: Ken McGee has nearly 50 years of experience in telecommunications, investment banking, and IT research. He is also an avid history enthusiast with a strong interest in current events and civics, and has led lively discussion groups on these subjects
Over the next 10 years, voters will decide on some of the most important issues any citizen has ever faced. In fact, these decisions will be so significant that they will influence how grandchildren view their grandparents’ choices for generations to come. This class is designed to help you make the most informed decisions possible about 10 important issues. Among issues we will discuss are AI and the future of work, global food and water supplies, aging and emerging societies, and climate change and energy sources. The future demands an informed citizenry.
Death of a Salesman
Leader: Andrew Bausili, retired English teacher with 21 years of experience at the Bronx High School of Science
One of the great plays of the 20th century is Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. The play is often portrayed as a commentary on the ruthlessness of capitalism and its impact on achieving the American Dream. It is also a modern tragedy of the everyman, as Willy Loman’s inability to accept his limitations leads him down a path of self-destruction. The latest production of the play will be on Broadway this spring. In this class we will discuss the broad range of issues Arthur Miller raises in what is arguably his best work.
10:45 am – 11:00 am
Coffee, Cookies, and Conversation
11:00 am – 12:15 pm
The Architecture of Public & Government Buildings
Leader: Michael Molinelli, architect, has designed churches, schools, healthcare facilities and distinctive residences throughout the country. In addition, he is a teacher, cartoonist, author, inventor, and volunteer firefighter
What do government-built projects have in common? Apparently very little, except tending to go over budget. In this class we will look at different buildings sponsored by government or other agencies with varying degrees of success. Some may intrigue, some fascinate, and some surprise. Each week we will watch short videos on Michael Molinelli’s informative YouTube Channel: Architecture Codex that will provide a springboard for discussion and reaction. We will see travel hubs like WTC Path Station and Grand Central, monuments like The Gateway Arch and Statue of Liberty, and European gems like Reykjavik Town Hall and Munich’s Rathaus-Glockenspiel.
Political Philosophy: Liberalism, Antiliberalism, and Beyond
Leader: Dwight Goodyear, PhD, SUNY Westchester Community College professor of philosophy, SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, WCC Foundation Award for Scholarship
Political philosophy is full of difficult questions: What makes a good society? What rights should a political order support? What is the state and what is its proper role? What is legitimate political authority? What is justice and how should it be distributed and served? This class, with the help of philosophers like Plato, Aristotle, Hobbes, Locke, Mill, and Rawls, will first address these questions with the help of two theories: liberalism and antiliberalism in both its democratic and non-democratic forms. We will then discuss two theories, deliberative democracy and the capabilities approach, which attempt to forge better options by taking a bit from both. Along the way we’ll explore how principles of morality, economics, knowledge, and human nature influence our visions of politics.
Potpourri
Leaders: Sue Brownie, Collegium member, retired medical physicist, and native plant enthusiast; and Jim Burnett, JD, LLM, Collegium board member, retired FBI agent, and criminal justice professor
Join our group of speakers and learn about a variety of absorbing subjects:
- April 8 - Jess Velona, an appellate law clerk for Ruth Bader Ginsburg, will give us a personal and historical account of this quiet, unassuming person, known for her passionate dissenting opinions, her consensus building abilities, and her advocacy for women’s constitutional rights.
- April 15 - Mary Yulo, retired teacher and true lover of honeybees, will teach us about the secret life of the honeybee – the lessons she has learned in backyard beekeeping, as well as honey harvesting.
- April 22 - Michael Shamosh, amateur blues musician and American popular music historian, will discuss “The Jews and American Popular Music: The Songbook Lives On.” He will highlight how American music took an exciting turn after the war, embracing a vibrant urban vibe, and the significant roles of Jewish record companies, producers, and composers in shaping the Great American Songbook.
- April 29 - Char Weigel, Board Member of the Friends of the Odell Rochambeau Museum, and frequent publisher and presenter on new research on Benedict Arnold, will update us on the local history of his treason and the week that likely changed the course of the Revolutionary War.
- May 6 - Barbara Davis, Executive Director of the Westchester County Historical Society and New Rochelle’s City Historian, will share detailed portrayals of America’s most popular illustrator, Norman Rockwell. Who knew the first 25 years of his formidable career was in New Rochelle and his earlier years in Mamaroneck?
- May 13 - Joe Gianquinto, Production Manager with 39 years for television news, sports, and entertainment programs, will discuss Mel Blanc’s life as a voice actor from cartoons, radio, and television. He will present a slide presentation featuring classic routines with Mel’s life-long friend Jack Benny as well as his renditions of Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, Barney Rubble, and more.
12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch: Bring your own or purchase at the Student Center
1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Short Story, The O. Henry Prize Stories, Part II
Leader: Christine Bobkoff, retired senior adjunct professor of English at SUNY Westchester Community College, Chappaqua Library book-group leader
Different stories than read in fall 2025 will be selected. Humorist David Sedaris writes, “A good (short story) would take me out of myself and then stuff me back in, outsized now, and uneasy with the fit.” Are you willing to feel a little uncomfortable with potential intellectual weight gain? Then join us for lively discussions of an underappreciated genre. Writers know how difficult it is to write a short story, harder than a novel. We will continue to explore why this is so, and why the authors in our text were considered prize winners. Our text is not new, so we can decide if these stories have survived the test of time. The text: The O. Henry Prize Stories 2014 (editor: Laura Furman; jurors: Tash Aw, James Lasdun, Joan Silber). No prerequisite is required.
The American Musical and the Pulitzer Prize, Part II
Leader: Meg Bussert, former associate professor of music and award-winning musical stage actor: Tony Nomination, Theatre World Award, CableACE Award Nomination
Part II was offered on Zoom spring 2022. This is a continuation of “The American Musical and the Pulitzer Prize, Part I” offered by Collegium in fall 2025. We will continue to explore the unusual relationship between the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 10 winning American musicals. We will move chronologically through the last six titles: A Chorus Line (1975), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), Rent (1996), Next to Normal (2010), Hamilton (2016), and A Strange Loop (2020). Our topics include source materials, collaborations between creative and production teams, and the narrative power of telling a story through music, song, dance, and dramatic technology. There is no prerequisite for this course.
The Understanding and Control of Human Behavior
Leader: Milton Steinberg, PhD, neuropsychology professor emeritus, interests include brain function, philosophy of mind, biological evolution, and cosmology
This class was offered on Friday fall 2025. Have you wondered why people behave the way they do? Have you wondered how behavior can be controlled? We’ll have a look at some very different methods that have been used to understand and control human behavior. We’ll start with psychoanalysis that begins by positing that personality is set by age six. We’ll see how that has evolved. We’ll turn to methods that depend on the electrical properties of the brain, then to those that look at its chemical properties. We’ll discuss attempts to determine human types or traits and explain behavioral methods that facilitate self-control. Finally, something really weird—The Singularity. Hold onto your hat for that one.
FRIDAYS
April 10 through May 15
9:30 am – 10:45 am
An Exploration of Buddhist Wisdom
Leaders: Fernando Camacho, MD, oncologist and Maeve Eng-Wong, psychotherapist, are both fully ordained Buddhist priests and teachers in the Dharma Teacher Order
Come explore the calming message of Buddhist teachings to help you feel more connected to your current spiritual tradition and/or discover new ways and tools to understand life more deeply. Topics will include the beauty of impermanence, the present moment, interbeing, and freedom. Questions about the inner critic and uncertainty will be explored using Dharmic concepts. Guided meditations will be included in every session. The wisdom of Buddhism awaits.
Classical Mythology Depicted in Art and Architecture of NYC, Westchester County, and the World Beyond
Leader: Michele Cella, retired Latin teacher with 42 years of experience in high schools, community colleges, and universities, lecturer in Etruscan history at the Etruscan Foundation in Siena, Italy
Mythology exists in all cultures and societies. It is humanity’s attempt to explain the origin of the universe, of the gods, and of humankind. Mythology sets out the rules for people’s relationship to God. It is a way to learn about history, moral and religious traditions, and to pass down the legal and ethical values of society, love of country, and pride of lineage. Mythology is romantic, didactic, tragic, and heroic. This class will examine abundant examples of Greco-Roman mythology close to home and finally in their places of origin—Greece and Rome. We will explore the reasons for using Ancient Mythology in the New World.
America’s Lesser-Known Presidents
Leader: Mark Fichtel, since retirement from the financial industry more than 20 years ago, he has devoted himself to studying and teaching history, religion, and art
America has had 47 Presidents, but beyond the 4 or 5 most recent, most people would probably find it hard to name more than half of them. This course will cover 12 Presidents who have either been known for only one or two actions, even if their names are very familiar, or who have been mostly forgotten because they were in office only for a short time or have been deemed to have fallen short. We will examine their personal, professional, and political lives. Some will measure up better than history has dealt with them, while others will be the failures the historical record shows.
10:45 am – 11:00 am
Coffee, Cookies, and Conversation
11:00 am – 12:15 pm
Venezuela? Greenland? The Return of Jingoism?
Leader: David Greene spent over 60 years as a student, teacher, teacher trainer, consultant, and lecturer
History tells us nothing is new, slightly different perhaps, but not new. Once again aggressive nationalism and patriotic fervor (aka jingoism) have reemerged in our politics, media, and popular culture. We will examine its history, the distinction between patriotism and jingoism, propaganda, the media’s role, the impact of economic and social upheaval and, of course, the influence of political leadership. Come prepared to use your critical thinking skill caps, rather than your raw emotional reactions. Join in when we assess nationalistic rhetoric and its implications.
Female Operatic Voices
Leader: Susan Grunthal, a lifelong operagoer in the great houses from Covent Garden in her native England to the Met in New York City, instructor and lecturer in all things opera
Who knew there are 11 different variations of the female operatic voice? Join in as we listen to famous artists singing all 11 and try to differentiate between soubrettes, lyric coloraturas, dramatic coloraturas as well as others. We will also have the rare opportunity to listen, compare, enjoy, and discuss two different singers’ renditions of the same arias.
A la Carte
Leaders: Sue Brownie, Collegium member, retired medical physicist, and native plant enthusiast; and Jim Burnett, JD, LLM, Collegium board member, retired FBI agent, and criminal justice professor
Join our group of speakers and learn about a variety of fascinating subjects:
- April 10 - Edward Sierra, M.S., M.Ed., M.A., past nuclear reactor operator at Brookhaven National Laboratory and presently, President of the Long Island Chapter of the American Nuclear Society, will illuminate the life and work of Nobel Prize winning scientist Enrico Fermi. Fermi was one of the world’s most brilliant physicists and led the first controlled nuclear chain reaction.
- April 17 - Michael Molinelli, architect, who has designed schools, churches, healthcare facilities, and distinctive residences nationwide will discuss the 12,000-year history of western architecture – abridged.
- April 24 -Jane Roos, professor emerita, author and lecturer on art history, will help us explore Raphael: Sublime Poetry, an unprecedented American exhibition of more than 200 Italian Renaissance works, opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on March 29 and running until the end of June 2026.
- May 1 - Derek Wright, retired New York Police Department detective, will explain where and why the first Criminal Complaint Review Board (CCRB) was established, how many review boards there are now, and why it is necessary that more CCRBs are formed in the future.
- May 8 - Jim Isenberg, PhD in Criminology, has worked extensively building relations between police, youth, and social service workers. As co-founder of Grandpas United, an Intergenerational Program in Westchester County, he will discuss programs, such as youth mentoring, supporting fathers, as well as the challenges of building this intergenerational program.
- May 15 - Jeff Brown, retired Westchester pediatrician, author, past emeritus associate clinical professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, current clinical professor at New York Medical College, and a decorated combat army doctor, will discuss how civilians’ and combatants’ moral choices that deviate from their core moral values are the unavoidable consequences of war and can cause permanent psychological injury worse than physical harm.
12:15 pm – 1:00 pm
Lunch: Bring your own or purchase at the Student Center
1:00 pm – 2:15 pm
Death of a Salesman
Leader: Andrew Bausili, retired English teacher with 21 years of experience at the Bronx High School of Science
One of the great plays of the 20th century is Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. The play is often portrayed as a commentary on the ruthlessness of capitalism and its impact on achieving the American Dream. It is also a modern tragedy of the everyman, as Willy Loman’s inability to accept his limitations leads him down a path of self-destruction. The latest production of the play will be on Broadway this spring. In this class we will discuss the broad range of issues Arthur Miller raises in what is arguably his best work.
Poetry: Nature and Nurture
Leader: Monique Avakian, a veteran teacher, author, performing poet and video-poem maker. She is known for her creative spirit, cross-genre experimentation, and encouraging manner as a group facilitator
Poets have always known that nature is restorative, and our relationship with it is not only essential for survival but also crucial to our overall well-being. In this friendly class, we will draw from a wide range of nature poets and poems, including those that students choose! The focus will be on listening, speaking, and creating meaning through small group discussion. Come and relax into the thoughtful delight of this art form. Come and be inspired by the poetic beauty found in nature.
More Films of the Far East
Leader: Joseph Sgammato, film professor at SUNY Westchester Community College
Following the success of last spring’s “Films of the Far East,” we will offer a new course with all new films from Japan, Korea, and other Asian countries. These are films with diverse themes ranging from intimate family behaviors to action thrillers and whodunits. They are the products of revered traditions that have long challenged Hollywood and its conventions in rich, audience-involving ways. More than ever, we need to learn about the lives of peoples who are different from us. Do we live in one world? Let’s explore and discuss that crucial question within the world of cinema this spring. Class time will be extended to accommodate the film showings but will end by 1:30 pm.
