Upcoming Courses

The band "Nick and Friends" will delight us with folk, pop, Americana and original tunes. Board Chairman Gary Cook will provide an introduction to the SLU program and this semester's classes. Downstairs, we can enjoy coffee, tea and cookies with an opportunity to register in person in case you did not pre-register by mail.

Pablo Toral, Professor of Political Science and Environmental Studies at Beloit College, will discuss recent patterns of migration to the U.S. from Latin America, including which countries of origin have the largest amount of would-be emigrants and asylum seekers and what socio-economic, political, and other factors have led to these new patterns and levels of migration.

Learn how to play the ukulele with this beginner friendly hands on class! Ukuleles will be provided but we encourage attendees to bring their own! Johnny is a renowned ukulele teacher from Beloit with students in the Philippines

Mark's ancestors were pioneers in southeast Green County. He will share information about several family members, including his great, great grandfather Reberand G. R. Patton who was a pastor of the Juda Baptist Church in the 1800's and his great, great cousin Wesley Patton who died at Cold Harbor during the Civil War. He will report on important people and events in Green County history, using informatioin gathered from relatives, friends and other long time residents.

Join us for an engaging lecture by Brian Morello, Beloit College's Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, known as CELEB. Morello will introduce the College's new School of Business, and its humanistic approach to business and careers. Learn how Beloit integrates business, economics, leadership, and entrepreneurship courses into a liberal arts education that attracts students and prepares them to navigate today's complex business landscapes and become compassionate, well-rounded business leaders.

There are so many signs that democracy in America is under stress. Congress seems incapable of responding to the needs of the people. Voter apathy and discontent is at an all time high. State legislators are passing acts that restrict voting. The list goes on. This class will examine what is happening to democracy in America.

Joseph (Ira) Dutton Born Ira Dutton in Stowe VT in 1843, moved to Janesville with his parents when he was four. Growing up in Janesville he enlisted in the 13th Infantry and fought in the Civil Was. After the war he worked in several locations in the South and experienced some personal issues. He kicked an alcohol problem. Finding relief in religion, he converted to Catholocism and took the name Joseph. Wanting to pay for past sins, he went to the Hawaiian island of Molokai to aid in the treatment of Hanson's disease (leprosy). He would spend 44 years on the island, becoming world famous for his service. He has just recently been proposed for Cannonization by the Catholic Church.

The film is "Call Northside 777," released in 1948. The journalist is a Chicago newspaper reporter, played by James Stewart, who digs into a murder conviction from 11 years ago. The story is based on an actual case in 1932 in which a policeman was killed.

This talk marks the 50th anniversary of the publication of Ursula K. Le Guin’s award winning novel The Dispossessed. Professor Ketabgian and her students will discuss both Le Guin’s connection to Beloit and her legendary fictional world building. The Dispossessed. speaks to our current cultural moment as a portrait of two worlds driven by ideological differences and working toward talking with each other again. It invites us to ask big questions such as: what is freedom, and how can we imagine more just and equitable worlds? How can people work together to create meaningful community?

Have you ever wondered how some states got their shapes? This two-session course will explore the many reasons why our states are shaped as they are. The first session will cover the eastern states and their struggles to resolve borders. The second session will cover the Northwest Territory, which we now know as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas, and California. The Spring semester will include two sessions to cover the remaining states.

Nearly 80 years after the partition of Mandatory Palestine into an Arab and a Jewish state, and thirty years after the Oslo Accords, the promised two-state solution has not materialized. What obstacles prevent the emergence of an independent Palestinian state? Are other options, such as a "one state solution," viable?

Explore the invaluable benefits of hospice services, emphasizing pain and symptom management. We’ll delve into the interdisciplinary approach involving nurses, social workers, spiritual caregivers, aides, and grief support, highlighting their collaborative efforts to enhance the quality of life for patients and their families. Get ready to gain a comprehensive understanding of how hospice care fosters dignity, compassion, and holistic support during challenging times.

Tim will talk about where the trash and recycling goes after the resident takes their cart out to the curb or brings it to our drop off. I will talk about the amount of trash and recycling we collect. What is trash and what items are recyclable, and a little about what each one of us can do to improve our recycling.

A number of factors from a decline in college-age population to skepticism about the value of college or concerns about affordability have mobilized some in higher education to rethink traditional educational models. Hear form an innovator and change expert with more than two decades in higher education about how Beloit College is meeting the current challenges, adapting to the times, and partnering with the City of Beloit and the region to fulfill its educational mission.

Wisconsin’s geological history includes volcanoes, oceans, and glaciers. In this slide-illustrated presentation, Sue Swanson will explore Wisconsin’s geologic past, from billions of years ago to the Ice Age and beyond. Dr. Swanson will also explain Wisconsin’s modern landscapes and highlight the current work of scientists at the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.

(?) Jeff Kersten returns to SLU to tell us more about what services the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture provides

If you missed the films at the 2024 festival, this is your chance to catch up.

As people age there are natural declines in strength, flexibility, activity and endurance, if coupled with a sedentary lifestyle this can predispose one to difficulties. These can be poor balance, decreased activity endurance, having a hard time standing from low surfaces. This presentation aims to educate on wellness with aging and have an active demonstration of chair exercises in line with the “Sit and Be Fit” movement. These exercises can be modified for all levels of fitness but will be primarily focused on gentle body weight exercises one can do safely while sitting or standing next to a chair.

This talk will cover domestic violence 101: (terms, dynamics, etc.), impact to survivors, common safety planning techniques, special populations, and what services are available.

Join PBS Wisconsin history producers Holly De Ruyter and Kyra Lyons as they delve into the journey behind Wisconsin Hometown Stories: Beloit, an hour-long documentary featuring Beloit’s history. From research to capturing moments in the field, they will guide you through every stage of production, offering insights into their process and storytelling craft.

(?) Get some expert advice for improving and maintaining your mental health

During his presentation, Yuri Rashkin will share his personal background. He will talk about Ukrainian history, its relationship with Russia, the current conflict, the issues facing Ukrainians today and what the future might hold for his homeland.

Recognized prominently throughout the Stateline Area for its nine restaurants, two hotels and The Beloit Club, Geronimo Hospitality has selectively become a presence in communities from Indianapolis to Santa Barbara, California. In this session, CEO Rob Gerbitz will unveil the transformative impact of prioritizing unique guest experiences, showcasing how this strategy not only reshapes industry norms but also drives Hendricks Group companies in an ever-changing market.

The long-awaited James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope(HST), a workhorse astronomical instrument in orbit. Its original mission goals were to detect first-light objects (the oldest light-emitting galaxies in the Universe), to study the evolution of galaxies from that time to today, to study starnformation, and to study the evolution of solar systems. Later, as more and more planets were discovered in other solar systems, the goal of investigating exoplanets was added to JWST’s remit, since it would not require any design changes to the telescope. We will compare and contrast JWST’s capabilities to those of HST, consider JWST observations that reproduce historical HST observations, and explore how JWST will pursue its mission objectives.

The Beloit Police Department's Sgt. Ryan Flanagan will hold a training class to help prepare us for an active shooter situation.

A Geriatrician's Lens: Optimizing the Geriatric 5 M's for Healthy Aging: MIND, MOBILITY, MEDICATIONS, MULTI-COMPLEXITY and WHAT MATTERS MOST. A Geriatrician shares her advice on issues important for your health.

Today we see Ireland as a beautiful and prosperous country filled with happy people and great music and dance, but that has not always been the case. There were wars, famine, religious conflicts and centuries of British suppression. We will cover this history in the first hour of the class and enjoy the many types of Irish music after the break.

Join Deb Lynch and her students for a tour of Beloit College's Greenhouse, which houses 35+ families and 70+ individual plants. We'll talk with students who help maintain the greenhouse space and plant collection for research and teaching purposes. Our conversations may touch upon the propagation, growth, and maintenance of plants. Deb has worked with the College's plant collection for more than 20 years.

There are few cities in the world with as wide ranging and ambitious collections as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. In this session we will continue our virtual tour of the Museum. Each lecture in this series is independent, so prior attendance is not necessary.

There are two clans within Psychology—behavioral scientists and psychotherapists. The clans often disagree with each other about features of the human psyche, the validity of psychological tests and the authenticity of certain mental disorders. To understand the controversy, we must consider the 19th century origins of the two clans. One has its roots in German laboratories, while the other has its roots in Parisian asylums. Professor White will tell us about these colorful histories.

Winter Sowing is a technique of seed starting which creates an environment for seedlings to grow into healthy, sturdy plants. It is a fun activity for all ages and allows you to start gardening in the middle of winter.

Robin will first do a poverty simulation called "Play Spent" that can be done on laptops and phones. She will then spend some time discussing some of the choices people have to make and what the reality of poverty looks like. A panel will then be introduced consisting of resource providers and people with lived experiences.

Barbara Bendlin has hiked in southern Germany in September 2022 and 2024 where she witnessed the beauty and majesty of the Bavarian Alps and Berchtesgaden National Park. She has also connected with relatives in Hannover, being the first of her family to return to Germany since the family's emigration in 1881.