Important Registration Information
There are many interesting courses in this Fall 2016 WISE catalog, and we ask that you carefully consider each
before making your choices. Registration begins July 6. You can pay your membership dues prior to the
July 6 registration date.
You can register online in which case you will know immediately what courses you are successfully registered
in. (See the Membership Registration Information page online for procedures: http://assumptionwise.org.)
You can also register via paper using page 11 of this catalog. Paper registrations will be entered into the on-line
registration system beginning July 6.
Registration will remain open as long as there are courses that still have space. Early registration is
recommended.
Calendar for Fall, 2016
Sept. 1, 2016:
Sept. 6, 2016:
October 17, 2016:
October 24, 2016:
Dec. 2, 2016:
New Member Orientation
Session A Begins
Session A Ends
Session B Begins
Session B Ends
Class Cancellations
The decision to cancel WISE classes due to snow or inclement weather is made by the President and the
Director and is announced on the WISE Cancellation Line: 508-767-7513.
Membership dues may be paid on-line or by check mailed to the WISE office. Payment can be made before
registration for courses opens on July 6th. Checks may accompany paper registrations.
Full year dues: $245 Half-year dues: $145
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Officers, Committee Chairs, and Council Members
Executive Officers
Joe Corn, President
Marsha Addis, 1st Vice President
(Open), 2nd Vice President
Sandra Meltzer, Secretary
Chris Liazos, Treasurer
Committee Chairs
Elaine Bloom, Communications Committee
Jeanne Tolomeo, Curriculum Committee
Zelda Schwartz, Nominations Committee
Cookie Nelson, Special Events Committee
Marsha Addis, Strategic Planning Committee
Council Members at Large:
Donna Crocker Mohan Korgaonkar
Kathy Drew
Ed Landau
Bob Dyer
Chuck Perkins
Patricia Hurton
Paula Sommer
Coordinators
Bobbi Corn, Class Assistants
Jane Gilligan, Evaluations
Kathy Drew, Orientation
Minna Gregerman, Registration
(Open), Travel
Past Presidents
Hannah Laipson, President Emerita
Lois Feldman, President Emerita
Betty Southwick, President Emerita
George Fifield, President Emeritus
Sam Corbitt, President Emeritus
Dolores Courtemanche, President Emerita
Barbara Groves, President Emerita
Sue Durham, President Emerita
Sponsor / WISE Administrators
ASSUMPTION COLLEGE
Francesco Cesareo, PhD, President
Susan Perschbacher, PhD, WISE Director
Pat Masiello, WISE Office Manager
Eileen Robinson, WISE Office Manager
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WISE CATALOG - FALL 2016 –SESSION A
A1. Music of Jean Sibelius
Mondays 10:00-11:30 a.m.
September 12, 19, 26, October 10, 17
By lecture and musical example this course will present aspects of the music of Jean Sibelius. Topics will include:
nationalism, mythology, and his symphonies, chamber music and last orchestral works.
LOCATION: Briarwood Community Center, 65 Briarwood Circle, Worcester, MA 01604
CLASS LIMIT: 60
GROUP LEADER: Robert C. Walters is a retired secondary and college educator, musician, and Episcopal priest with
graduate degrees from Harvard, the University of Massachusetts and Clark University.
A2. Reading Two Novels by Toni Morrison
Mondays 1:30-3:00 p.m.
September 12, 19, 26, October 10, 17
In the course we will read and discuss The Bluest Eye (2 classes) and Song of Solomon (3 classes). Supplementary
materials will enhance our discussion.
LOCATION: AC – Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Eugene McCarthy has taught African American literature for many years at Holy Cross College and
also has taught similar courses in WISE.
REQUIRED BOOKS:
1.The Bluest Eye: Vintage pb; 978-0-307-27844-9
2. Song of Solomon: Vintage pb; 978-1-400-03342-3
Read for the first class: The Bluest Eye.
A3. They Had Manhattan: Rodgers and Hart
Mondays 3:15-4:45 p.m.
September 12, 19, 26, October 10, 17
From the “Garrick Gaieties” of 1925, to the reworking of “A Connecticut Yankee” in 1943, Rodgers and Hart created a
vast legacy of timeless songs. We will explore many of them with a special emphasis on their early shows.
LOCATION: AC – Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Richard Kimball is Professor of Psychology at Worcester State University and a member and
librarian of Worcester Chorus.
A4. Stanley Kunitz (1905-2006) and Worcester: “Make Room for the Roots!”
Tuesdays 10:00-11:30 a.m.
September 6, 13, 20, 27, October 11
Worcester-born Pulitzer Prize winner and U.S. Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz’s poems dance artfully between memory and
imagination. This course offers participants an opportunity to discuss Kunitz’s poems as they relate to the city, where
themes of love and loss, rebirth and transformation took root. One session will meet at his boyhood home, designated as a
Literary Landmark (www.ala.org), where we will meet with Carol Stockmal, friend of Stanley Kunitz.
LOCATION: AC – Plourde Recreation Center
CLASS LIMIT: 22
GROUP LEADER: Between 2009 and 2015, writer/artist/teacher Judith Ferrara, PhD volunteered at the Stanley Kunitz
boyhood home. This experience resulted in her ongoing study of his life and poetry. Visit www.PaletteAndPen.com and
http://kunitzhome.org.
REQUIRED BOOK: The Collected Poems: Stanley Kunitz, Kunitz, Stanley. W.W. Norton, 2000, 0-393-050030-0
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A5. Americans at Sea
Tuesdays 1:00-2:30 p.m.
September 6, 13, 20, 27, October 11
This course will examine the relationship between Americans and the seas that surround them. How did the oceans come
to define who we are as Americans, culturally, commercially, and politically?
LOCATION: AC – Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Jed Watters has taught classes in American maritime history at Assumption and at WPI. He is a
retired naval officer, and an ardent kayaker.
A6. The Pilgrimage to Santiago and the Birth of Romanesque & Gothic
Tuesdays 2:45-4:15 p.m.
September 6, 13, 20, 27, October 11
The course will study the important pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain and its impact on the
development of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, and on the decorative style in both France and Spain from the 11th
to the 13th centuries.
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: James F. Powers is Professor Emeritus of History at Holy Cross College, the author of two books
and dozens of articles on Spanish history, and a lecturer on ocean liners on the Atlantic, and the Mediterranean and Baltic
seas. He designed and led a tour from France to Santiago.
Recommended Film: The Way, 2012.
A7. American Cinema in the Sixties
Wednesdays 10:00-11:30 a.m.
September 7, 14, 21, 28, October 5
The 1960s opened with an explosion called Psycho and closed with a dirge called Easy Rider. In between, movie stars
ascended and fell. Biblical epics were replaced by space operas and the French New Wave began to influence Hollywood
filmmaking.
LOCATION: Willows at Worcester in the Great Room, 101 Barry Rd. (off Salisbury St.) Worcester, MA 01609
CLASS LIMIT: 60
GROUP LEADER: Jeff Long teaches American Cinema at Becker College and has been a film reviewer for the
Worcester Telegram & Gazette since 2008. He has authored a reference book, Remembered Childhoods (2007), which
contains an annotated list of films based upon coming-of-age memoirs.
A8. Survey of the Collections at WAM (repeat)
Wednesdays 1:00–2:30 p.m.
September 7, 14, 21, 28, October 5
The course will consist of a series of gallery talks covering most of the collections at WAM. The course is designed
primarily for members who want a broad introduction to the museum. Week-by-week focus includes Asian Art, Ancient
and Medieval Art, European Paintings, American Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, and Special Exhibits.
LOCATION: The Worcester Art Museum (WAM)
CLASS LIMIT: 22
GROUP LEADER: Paul Mahon is Professor Emeritus at Assumption and a WAM docent and a member of the WAM
Corporation. He collects Chinese and Japanese decorative arts and has had pieces from his collection exhibited at WAM.
A9. Behind the Scenes at the Hanover Theatre
Wednesdays 1:30-3:00 p.m.
September 7, 14, 21, 28, October 5
Explore different facets of the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, Worcester’s own world-class Broadway venue.
Learn about the theatre’s fascinating history, magnificent transformation, and day-to-day business of Broadway, music
and more. Each session will include a special behind-the-scene tour.
LOCATION: The Hanover Theater, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester, MA 01608
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A9. Behind the Scenes at the Hanover Theatre (continued)
CLASS LIMIT: 25
GROUP LEADERS: Troy Siebels: Executive Director of the Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts is director of the
annual “A Christmas Carol” production at the theatre. Donald Phipps: Curator of the mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Pipe
Organ is Board Director of the Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society. Susan Ceccacci is
the education Director at Preservation Worcester and an architectural historian. Jon Rosbrook is the Hanover Theatre’s
Production Manager.
A10. Topics in Biology: How Did We Get to Know What We Know?
Wednesdays 1:30-3:00 p.m.
September 7, 14, 21, 28, October 5
Advances in science usually come incrementally by building on what came before, but every once in a while a new idea,
or a new technology, produces a dramatic leap forward. In this course we explore how we have reached the current level
of understanding of selected topics of biology (e.g., genetics, the cardiovascular system, diabetes, nerves, and muscles)..
For each topic we will look at critical discoveries, the people who made them, and the technology that made such
discoveries possible.
LOCATION: AC – Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADERS: Dr. Moe Goodman is the retired founding chairman of the Department of Physiology at UMASS
Medical School where he taught human physiology for 40 years. Previously he served as Associate Professor of
Physiology at Harvard Medical School where he also earned the PhD degree in Physiology. Dr. Peter Grigg is emeritus
professor of physiology at UMass Medical School where he has taught physiology since 1972. He received his PhD in
Physiology from the State University of New York at Syracuse.
A11. All the World’s a Stage: Women in William Shakespeare’s Plays
Wednesday 3:15-4:45 p.m.
September 7, 14, 21, 28, October 5
William Shakespeare wrote at a time when women had little role in theater and drama. The complexity he gives to his
female characters reveals a deep understanding of their psyche. We begin with an overview of life in Shakespeare’s
England, the nature of theatre in the 15th and 16th centuries, and Shakespeare’s literary contemporaries. We will explore
how Shakespeare evolved in his characterization of women, beginning with the two-dimensional Tamora (Titus
Andronicus) and ending with Rosalind (As You Like It), the one true protagonist of all Shakespeare’s plays. While the
ability to read, understand, and enjoy Shakespeare’s plays is desirable, it’s more than enough to have a general knowledge
of the plot lines.
LOCATION: AC – Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Philomena Feighan, BA in European Studies and a MFA in literature and creative writing. She is an
award-winning short story writer in Ireland, the UK and the US. She has taught at Longbows Wood College (Ireland),
Emerson College and The Boston Center for Adult Education. She lectures on American literature historical societies and
currently teaches English literature at Leicester High School.
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A12. Women’s Voices in Islamic Society
Thursdays 10:00-11:30 a.m.
September 8, 15, 22, 29, October 6
Despite the constraints of traditional patriarchy, Muslim women have produced a remarkable body of modern fiction. In
this course, we will read a small sampling of works by accomplished women writers from Algeria and Egypt.
LOCATION: AC- Plourde Rec Center
.
CLASS LIMIT: 22
GROUP LEADER: Lillian Corti has a PhD in Comparative Literature, City University, New York, and has taught
French, Comparative Literature, and Women’s Studies. She was a Fulbright scholar in the Congo and has published
articles on her research in African literature.
REQUIRED BOOKS: (1) Assia Djebar, A Sister to Scheherazade ISBN13-978-0435086220. (2) Nawal El Saadawi,
God Dies by the Nile, ISBN 86232-295-2. (3) Nawal El Saadawi, Woman at Point Zero, ISBN 0-86232-110-7. [If these
editions are not available, any edition will do.]
A13. The Jewish Calendar: A Look at the Jewish Holidays Through the Year (repeat)
Thursdays 10:00-11:30 a.m.
September 8, 15, 22, 29, October 6
An overview and study about how the Jewish calendar and the holidays function as a unit and on their own. The Jewish
holidays have a richness and tradition that goes back as far as creation. Join us as we look at the calendar and how Jews
celebrate and mark time and relationships.
LOCATION: Jewish Community Center, 633 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609
CLASS LIMIT: 21
GROUP LEADER: Rabbi Aviva Fellman is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel in Worcester, MA. She
holds a bachelor’s in Religious Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and earned her Master’s in Talmud and Jewish
Law from Machon Schechter in Jerusalem. Rabbi Fellman was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in
NYC.
REQUIRED BOOK: Bible: The Old Testament (I will be using the JPS 1985 translation but welcome any voice for this
text.) All materials for class will be available ahead of time.
A14. Highlights of the Collection of WAM
Thursdays 12:30-2:00 p.m.
September 8, 15, 22, 29, October 6
We will take an in-depth look at specific art objects including a discussion of the artists. We will discuss when the object
was created and when and why (if possible) it entered the collection at the WAM, and the provenance of the object.
LOCATION: Worcester Art Museum
CLASS LIMIT: 22
GROUP LEADER: Faith Lang is an experienced docent at the Worcester Art Museum.
A15. The Rest of Gilbert and Sullivan
Thursdays 1:00-2:30 p.m.
September 8, 15, 22, 29, October 6
Many people are familiar with the “Big 3” Gilbert and Sullivan operettas: HMS Pinafore, Pirates of Penzance and The
Mikado. This course will acquaint you with several of the lesser-known – and just as marvelous - works of this famous
Victorian duo.
LOCATION: AC – Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Victor Saffrin has a BA in Theater from SUNY Albany and was as master electrician for the Light
Opera of Manhattan (LOOM).
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A16. Hamlet, One Act at a Time
Thursday 2:45-4:15 p.m.
September 8, 15, 22, 29, October 6
This course will offer a close, analytical reading of the play, one act at a time -- an approach that will encourage us to
attend to often overlooked nuances of character and language, and enrich our understanding of the work as a whole.
Those who come to the class generally familiar with the play will find the analysis stimulating. Those whose views about
the play are fully formed and seemingly intractable may be surprised.
LOCATION: AC – Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: A WISE group leader for over 15 years, James E. Foley retired this year from his position as
Associate Professor of English at Worcester State University. His chief interests continue to be Shakespeare, 19 th century
American Literature, and drama of all periods.
A17. Along the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor with Mass Audubon (repeat)
Friday 9:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
September 9, 16, 23, 30, October 7
For each of the five sessions we will travel by Knights Bus Service around the Blackstone River Valley. We will visit
many locations along the Blackstone River and within the National Heritage Corridor located between Worcester and
Providence, Rhode Island. Visits will include: 1) Blackstone Visitor Center in Pawtucket, 2) Kelley House and
Transportation Museum and Blackstone Bikeway, 3) Museum of Work and Culture, 4) Worcester Headwaters where the
river begins, and 5) River Bend Farm. At each site we will do a limited amount of walking around but no more than a
quarter of a mile. In order to cover the cost of the bus, we must charge each participant an extra $100.00 fee which
they pay directly to Mass Audubon
LOCATION: Course will meet and depart from Broad Meadow Brook Visitor Center, 414 Massasoit Rd. Worcester. In
some cases, class participants may meet at walk location depending on the site.
CLASS LIMIT: 24
GROUP LEADERS: Donna Williams, Peter Coffin and Deb Cary from Mass Audubon will lead the course.
A18. The United States Supreme Court
Fridays 1:30-3:00 p.m.
September 9, 16, 23, 30, October 7
This course will examine the Supreme Court as an institution. Topics will include the history and constitutional
framework of the Court, the role of the Court in the federal and state court systems, the Court’s procedures for selecting
and deciding cases, the influence of ideology on the Court’s decisions, the process of nominating and confirming justices,
and trends of decisions under various Chief Justices. Class discussion will be encouraged.
LOCATION: AC – Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: John S. Ross III holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law,
and practiced law for 20 years in Washington, D.C. He taught law at Washington and Lee University and a class on
separation of church and state in the WISE program.
A19. Great Contemporary Song Writers and Their Music (repeat but with much new material)
Fridays 3:15-4:45 p.m.
September 16, 23, 30, October 7, 14
This course will concentrate on the great song writers of the ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s and beyond. The work of Elton John, Joni
Mitchell, Carole King, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, Natalie Merchant, Jim Croce, Paul Simon, and others, will be covered
with a discussion of their personal history and the background and meaning of some of their best songs. Music videos
will be presented.
LOCATION: AC – Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Joseph Corn, PE, spent most of his professional career working as a communications and radar
engineer. He has also taught in the NYC school system, Springfield Technical Community College, and Penn State
University.
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WISE CATALOG - FALL 2016 –SESSION B
B1. American Cinema in the Seventies
Mondays 10:00-11:30 a.m.
October 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21
We will examine film genres, actors, and trends that are associated with the “Me Decade,” as well as how the ‘70s
provided a transition from the industry’s experimental phase in the’60s to its corporate phase of the ‘80s. As our nation’s
attention switched from the war in Vietnam to Watergate, Hollywood did its best to entertain and distract us with NewAged screwball comedies, high-tech conspiracy thrillers, Dirty Harry, demonic babies, and more. With the advent of cable
television by the mid-1970s, Tinsel Town searched for means to fill movie houses.
LOCATION: Briarwood Community Center, 65 Briarwood Circle, Worcester, MA 01604
CLASS LIMIT: 60
GROUP LEADER: Jeff Long has been a film critic for the Worcester Telegram & Gazette since 2008, and has taught
various film courses for WISE.
REQUIRED BOOK: The Power of Film, by Howard Suber, Publisher: Michael Wiese Productions; ISBN: 9781932907179; paperback.
B2. Jesus: The Misunderstood Jew (repeat)
Mondays 10:00-11:30 a.m.
October 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21
Using Dr. Levine’s book as a guide to our conversations, this class will focus on the issues she raises, toward the goal of
encouraging dialogue and greater understanding about this misunderstood Jew, Jesus of Nazareth.
LOCATION: Jewish Community Center (JCC) 633 Salisbury St., Worcester, MA 01609
CLASS LIMIT: 21
GROUP LEADER: Richard Simpson is an Episcopal priest who served on the executive staff of the Bishop of Western
Massachusetts as Canon to the Ordinary. Previously he served as rector of St. Francis Church in Holden and also as an
adjunct faculty member in the Theology Department at Assumption College.
OPTIONAL BOOK: (but encouraged) – The Misunderstood Jew; The Church and The Scandal of the Jewish Jesus by
Dr. Amy-Jill Levine
B3. S. N. Behrman—From Worcester to Broadway
Mondays 1:30-3:00 p.m.
October 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21
S[amuel] N[athaniel] Behrman was born in Worcester in 1873 to Orthodox Jewish Lithuanian immigrant parents.
Educated at Clark University, Harvard College and Columbia University, Behrman went on to become one of the
most successful and respected playwrights of the 1920’s, ‘30s and ‘40s. His numerous successful plays include:
The Second Man, Biography, End of Summer, and No Time for Comedy. He also adapted his memoir, The
Worcester Account, into the stage play, The Cold Wind and the Warm. Although Behrman enjoyed a lucrative
and prolific career as a screenwriter in Hollywood, this course will focus on his theatrical writing.
LOCATION: AC - Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Ann Marie Shea, PhD, is professor emerita from Worcester State University, where she taught a
variety of theatre courses for many years. She is a playwright and director, and has acted in a variety of venues in
Worcester and Boston. She has been teaching in the WISE program since 2007.
B4. The Federalist Papers
Mondays 3:15-4:45 p.m.
October 24, 31, November 7, 14, 21
Cited today in forums ranging from Supreme Court opinions to Congressional debate to media commentaries, the 85
newspaper essays that appeared in the New York press in Fall 1787 and Spring 1788 to urge ratification of the
Constitution now stand as the greatest American contribution to the history of Western political thought: The Federalist
Papers. This course will explore their major themes, such as majority rule, individual rights, separation of powers and
federalism.
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B4. The Federalist Papers (continued)
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Greg Weiner, PhD, is assistant professor of political science at Assumption College. The author of
American Burke: The Uncommon Liberalism of Daniel Patrick Moynihan and Madison’s Metronome: The Constitution,
Majority Rule and the Tempo of American Politics, he has published widely on such issues as the separation of powers,
the powers of the presidency, and the constitutional issues involved in the war on terrorism.
OPTIONAL BOOK: (readings are all widely available online but this is the text I will cite): The Federalist: The Gideon
Edition (editors: Carey and McClellan, publisher: Liberty Fund, ISBN: 978-0-86597-289-6, edition: 2001)
Please read James Madison, Vices of the Political System of the United States,
http://founders.archives.gov/documents/Madison/01-09-02-0187 .
B5. Frost/Hemingway: Inner, Outer Weather
Tuesdays 10:00-11:30 a.m.
October 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22
Frost compares inner and outer weather; the inner weather is the emotional. For Hemingway, rain, snow, plain, and
mountains parallel inner, emotional weather. Frost’s country is north of Boston, on the farm, in the woods of New
Hampshire/Vermont, making the very local universal. Hemingway’s territory is the human heart, sometimes in Europe,
other times in Africa, America, and Cuba. We will consider Frost’s best-loved poems and read some of Hemmingway’s
stories. LOCATION: AC – Plourde Rec Center
CLASS LIMIT: 22
GROUP LEADER: Steve White assigned both Frost and Hemingway to students at Bancroft School, and enjoys
revisiting these two classic American writers. He has also visited their graves and heard Frost “speak” his poems.
REQUIRED BOOKS: (1) Robert Frost’s Poems, with commentary by Louis Untermeyer, Washington Square Press,
any edition, ISBN 0-671-49617-4.
(2) The Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York, The Scribner Library, SL 141. Read
both books prior to first class meeting.
B6. Florence: Cradle of the Renaissance
Tuesdays 1:00-2:30 p.m.
October 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22
As the 14th Century drew to a close, a new age of economic and cultural rebirth dawned on Tuscany. From its outset to
the end of the 15th Century, the spirit of the Renaissance will forever change the concepts of beauty, art, and humanity.
This course will focus on the early phase of the Italian Renaissance.
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Antonella Doucette, an Italian native, resided in Italy for the first 28 years of her life. The education
she received there focused on the knowledge of Greek and Latin Classic Literature, Philosophy, European History and
Art, as well as Italian Language and Literature. She is currently a docent and a member of the faculty at the Worcester
Art Museum.
B7. A Look at Language and Linguistics
Tuesdays 2:45-4:15 p.m.
October 25, November 1, 8, 15, 22
Everyone who speaks a given language more accurately speaks a “certain dialect” of that language. People do not just
react to sounds, but to variants of sounds. In some ways one of the most difficult aspects of any language, “syntax,” refers
to the way words are organized into sentences. Often referred to as “historical linguistics”, “language change” refers to
the fact that various features of any given language change over time. Let’s spend five weeks studying the complexities
and vagaries of language.
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
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GROUP LEADER: Dr. George F. Aubin, is Professor Emeritus at Assumption. He holds a PhD in Linguistics from
Brown University and did postdoctoral work at M.I.T. He continues to do research on various American Indian
languages.
B8. Meeting Gods and Mortals at WAM
Wednesdays 11:00 a.m. -12:30 p.m.
October 26, November 2, 9, 16, 30
Arrogant, passionate, jealous, flawed – the gods and the mortals of the ancient Greeks and Romans have inspired artists
over the centuries. Bizarre and intriguing renditions from classical mythology endure today at the WAM. Team taught
with a museum docent, our course concentrates on fascinating works of art immortalizing ancient imaginations.
LOCATION: Worcester Art Museum
CLASS LIMIT: 22
GROUP LEADERS: Harvey Fenigsohn, a teacher and freelance writer, has taught at the college and secondary level,
including 20 years at Bancroft School. He has taught a variety of courses at WISE. Mark Mancevice is a Clark University
graduate and an experienced docent at the Worcester Art Museum with special interest in ancient mythologies.
REQUIRED BOOK: Classical Mythology- 100 Characters: As Seen in Western Art, by Malcom Day, published by A
& C Black Publishing Ltd (2007) ISBN 10: 0713679549 ISBN 13: 97807136795405.
Read for first class: In Day’s Classical Mythology read The Gods of Olympus, pgs. 23- 43.
B9. Understanding the Art Museum (repeat)
Wednesdays 1:00-2:30 p.m.
October 26, November 2, 9, 16, 30
This course is designed to assist you in making your visit to an art museum a more meaningful experience. The best
experience is an interactive one and this interaction has three major components: you, the art, and the Museum. This
course provides basic information, the terminology, and the ‘tools’ to help you interpret the art and understand the
multiple roles and messages of the art and the Museum as well as some of the challenges facing art museums today.
LOCATION: Worcester Art Museum (WAM)
CLASS LIMIT: 22
GROUP LEADER: Dr. Barbara Beall-Fofana is a Professor Emerita of Art History and former Chair of the Department of
Art, Music & Theater at Assumption College. As a Visiting Professor at Clark University she currently teaches African as
well as Islamic Art & Architecture. Her publications in art history include Understanding the Art Museum.
B10. War in the Pacific
Wednesdays 1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
October 26, November 2, 9, 16, 30
This course will examine the history of the Navy and Marine Corps battles in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945. We will
cover the following battles: Midway, Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: John Ferris holds a Master of Arts degree in Military History.
B11. Immigrant Women in American Fiction
Wednesdays 3:15-4:45 p.m.
October 26, November 2, 9, 16, 30
Immigrant women from a European shelter, from Ireland, from India, and from the Dominican Republic journey to the
United States with fantasies of security, wealth, freedom, equality, and love. Some attain assimilation but face poverty,
discrimination, racism, and violence. They blend their ties to their birth countries with their new lives as they try to fulfill
their goals with courage, strength, wit, and humor. We read four books and discuss themes, styles, tones, and other
techniques of fiction combined with the insights of group members about the roles of women and men in search of the
American Dream.
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Jane Gilligan is a retired adjunct English professor and an active member of WISE. She taught for
many years in the Center for Continuing and Career Education at Assumption College.
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B11. Immigrant Women in American Fiction (continued)
REQUIRED BOOKS (4):
1. Yezierska, Anzia. Bread Givers. 1925. New York: Persea, 1999. 0-89255-014-7
2. Toibin, Colm. Brooklyn. New York: Scribner, 2009. 978-1-4391-3831-1
3. Mukherjee, Bharati. Jasmine. New York: Grove, 1989. 0-8021-3630-3
4. Alvarez, Julia. How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. New York: Plume, 1992. 0-452-26806-0
Read Bread Givers for the first class meeting.
Discussions of theme, style, tone, and other techniques of fiction combine with the insights of group members about the
roles of women and men in search of the American Dream.
B12. Gifts from a Celtic Isle: Great Blasket Island
Thursdays 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
October 27, November 3, 10, 17, December 1
Great Blasket is an isolated island community off the Kerry Coast of Ireland with a remarkable legacy of literary
achievements. The story of its people is one of self-reliance, rich community, fierce connection to land and sea, the
creative gifts of storytelling and music, and faith-filled resilience. How wonderful to translate their story of fortitude and
rich culture in a challenging environment to our own lives today.
LOCATION: AC – Plourde Rec Center
CLASS LIMIT: 22
GROUP LEADER: Ellen Duzak is a retired Professor of Psychology at Becker College. She has loved the magic of
Great Blasket Island since her first trip to Ireland. Stepping on the Island’s rocky shores touched her Celtic spirit and has
inspired her for many years.
B13. American Environmentalism from Marsh to Cronin
Thursdays 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
October 27, November 3, 10, 17, December 1
In this course we will look at American concepts of our environment from the 1830s to the present. In addition to
examining the major ideas regarding our relationship with the land around us we will also discuss the meaning of
environmental preservation. Topics will include defining the environment, settler and native notions of nature, initial
philosophy of conservation, national policy, and global ecology. We will discuss the ideas of Marsh, Thoreau, Muir,
Pinchot, Leopold, and Carson.
LOCATION: Southgate at Shrewsbury, 50 Julio Dr. (off South Street), Shrewsbury, MA 01545
CLASS LIMIT: 60
GROUP LEADER: Jed Watters has taught courses in environmental history at both Assumption College and WPI.
Reading for first class: Henry David Thoreau, “Sounds” in Walden, (May be available online.)
B14. Trade, Wealth of Nations, and America First
Thursdays 1:00-2:30 p.m.
October 27, November 3, 10, 17, December 1
This course is a review of international trade and the development of trade theory and policy. International trade began
with the Silk Road and Marco Polo, and developed into imperial and colonial competition and control. The end of WWII
brought a new trade policy of free and open markets leading to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the current
world trading system. Trade policy seems to be changing once again with America First and the inability to move
forward with new trade agreements. We will conclude with a look at the future of trade policy.
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: M.E. (Pete) Murphy retired from teaching Management in the Business Studies Department at
Assumption College. He came to Assumption after a long career in the international energy industry managing a variety
of business and technical organizations. He continues to consult in the areas of energy and venture capital.
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B15. Opera for Everyone!
Thursdays 2:45-4:15 p.m.
October 27, November 3, 10, 17, December 1
This course will concentrate on voice classifications in opera and be followed by an introduction to Charles Gounod’s
Romeo et Juliette before the opera is transmitted live in HD from the Metropolitan Opera stage to select movie theaters on
January 21, 2017.
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Erika Reitshamer, born and educated in Germany, is a life-long opera lover and is a noted lecturer
in the greater Boston area. She was active in the formation of Boston Lyric Opera Co. more than 35 years ago. She served
as VP of the Boston Wagner Society. For many years she led opera tours to Europe. She teaches opera appreciation for
LLARC at Regis College and Newton Lifelong Learning.
B16. Worcester Infrastructure: Water and Sewer 101 (repeat)
Fridays 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
October 28, November 4, 11, 18, December 2
Join Mass Audubon staffers as they team up with Worcester Department of Public Works and Parks staff to offer you
unique tours and insights into Worcester’s remarkable and improving water and sewer infrastructure. You will learn all
about how the City of Worcester is pursuing a comprehensive approach to managing all the urban impacts on the water
quality of the Blackstone River to which our waterways and storm drains flow. You will be taken behind the scenes to
view the beautiful Pine Hill Reservoir, the Water Filtration plant, the Upper Blackstone Waste Water Treatment Plant and
Worcester Combined Sewer Overflow Plant, the Wheelabrator Millbury Resource Recovery Plant, and Casella Recycling
Facility.
NOTE: The course will take you to a number of facilities with stairs and accessibility limitations. Those with
mobility limitations may choose not to visit a certain facility, for example, the Regional Waste-water
Treatment Facility (which is located close to Exit 10A of the Mass Tpke off of Route 20.)
LOCATION: The van tour starts at Broad Meadow Brook, 414 Massasoit Road, Worcester.
CLASS LIMIT: 22
GROUP LEADERS: Deb Cary, Martha Gach, and others from the Audubon staff.
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B17. Landmark Decisions of the United States Supreme Court
Fridays 1:30-3:00 p.m.
October 28, November 4, 11, 18, December 2
This course will examine a number of landmark decisions of the Supreme Court on a variety of legal issues, including the
balance of power of institutions under the Constitution, civil rights, rights of criminal defendants, abortion, affirmative
action, financing of elections, gay marriage, and the Affordable Health Care Act. Consideration will be given to the
reasoning of the Court as well as the legal, historical, and social framework of the decisions. Class discussion will be
encouraged.
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
B17. Landmark Decisions of the United States Supreme Court (continued)
GROUP LEADER: John S. Ross III holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law,
and practiced law for 20 years in Washington, D.C. He was an Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington & Lee University
School of Law and taught a class on separation of church and state in the WISE program. He is a court coordinator with
Family Services of Central Massachusetts Mediation.
B18. Operas of Tchaikovsky
Fridays 3:15-4:45 p.m.
October 28, November 4, 11, 18, December 2
Tchaikovsky is world famous and widely loved as a composer of symphonies, concertos, ballets, and other orchestral
works, but few Americans know his vocal music, including dozens of songs and 12 (!) operas. Two of these (Eugene
Onegin and The Queen of Spades), both based on Pushkin, are part of the standard operatic repertory worldwide. The
others are far less well known, though they are starting to be performed increasingly outside of Russia. The course will
concentrate on the two masterpieces, but will also provide an introduction to the best-known of Tchaikovsky’s other
operas.
LOCATION: AC- Kennedy Building Room 119
CLASS LIMIT: 64
GROUP LEADER: Stephen Ledbetter holds a PhD in Musicology from NY University and taught at Dartmouth
College. He was musicologist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, 1979-1998.
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Parking: Members parking a car at Assumption College must purchase a parking permit for the 2016-2017 academic
year. Members will be mailed (or emailed) a form to be returned with a $15 check to the WISE office. Permits may then
be picked up at Campus Police. Carpooling is encouraged.
WISE has a small fund for partial scholarships. Application forms may be obtained on the WISE web site.
(www.assumption.edu/wise). Completed forms should be sent to the WISE Treasurer, c/o Assumption College/WISE,
500 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609.
COURSE CANCELLATIONS: Courses with low enrollments may be cancelled. Class cancellations due to inclement
weather are announced on the WISE Cancellation Hotline: 508-767-7513.
WISE Members are encouraged to register early. Dues must be paid before course selection. Payment can be
made online (http://assumptionwise.org ) or by check (made out to: Assumption College/WISE) for full-year ($245)
or half-year ($145) membership.
You may also register via paper registration (form is in this catalog, page 11) and is also available on-line in the
catalog on the WISE website in which case you may mail it into the office in advance of the opening of registration
on July 6. Your registration will be completed as early as possible when registration opens. You will then be
notified for which courses you are registered.
We respectfully ask that you register only for courses that you will actually attend. Some courses will have waiting
lists and members who register for a course that they do not attend may well be blocking out a fellow member who
really wants to take that course. If you find that you cannot attend a course that you registered for, please remove
yourself from the class list if you registered online, or notify the office immediately if you registered via paper
registration. Your consideration in this matter will be greatly appreciated.
CONTACT INFORMATION
WISE/Assumption College
500 Salisbury Street
Worcester, MA 01609
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.assumption.edu/wise
Office Managers
Pat Masiello
Eileen Robinson
La Maison Rm. 203B
Office Hours:
T/W/TH 9:30-2:00
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WORCESTER INSTITUTE FOR SENIOR EDUCATION – Registration Form
(Please print. This information will be available to other WISE members. Please indicate if your phone number is unlisted.)
Name __________________________________________ Phone __________________ Cell___________________
Address _________________________________________________ Email _________________________________
City/Town _________________________________________ State________ Zip ___________________________
Emergency Contact: Name ______________________________ Phone: _________________________________
PLEASE COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING STEPS:
1. Indicate The Membership Category For Which You Are Applying.
Payment may be made online
Full-year membership - $245 _______ (July 1, 2016- June 30, 2017)
at: http://assumptionwise.org
Half-year membership - $145 _______ (July 1, 2016 - December 31, 2016)
I am a first-time member of WISE _________
Make check payable to: Assumption College/WISE (Refunds require a $25.00 fee for processing.)
IF REGISTERING ONLINE ( http://assumptionwise.org ) PROCEED TO STEP 4.
2. Enter Course Numbers (Example A5, B3) In Order Of Preference. (Skip if you selected on-line.)
Please enter more courses than you actually want to take, so that if one class is full, you will get your next
preference. Stating only one choice does not guarantee that you will get it. Every attempt is made to place members
in at least their first choices, but not everyone can be accommodated due to space limitations.
Session A Course
1st choice __________
2nd choice __________
3rd choice __________
4th choice __________
5th choice __________
Session B Course
1st choice ___________
2nd choice __________
3rd choice __________
4th choice __________
5th choice __________
Session A: Sept. 6 – Oct. 17, 2016
Session B: Oct. 24 – Dec. 2, 2016
3. Important - Please Complete:
(Skip if you selected on-line.)
If all of your above choices are available to you, how many courses do you want to take for each session? Please do
not state more than you will actually show up for.
Session A: _________
Session B: _________
4. If you would like to volunteer, check a committee or area of interest. Visit www.assumption.edu/wise
to read descriptions of some of these volunteer opportunities.
Outreach _____ Curriculum _____ Communications _____ Class Assistant _____ Special Events _____
On-line registration starts July 6th. Mail-in registrations will be processed beginning July 6th as well. Those mailing
in their course selections to the WISE office should do so ASAP so that they will be received and ready for
processing on July 6th. Those received later will be processed as they are received. You will then receive your list of
course assignments by return mail. Registration both on-line and mail-in will remain open as long as there are open
courses.
Register early.
PLEASE COMPLETE, COPY, AND RETURN THIS FORM WITH PAYMENT TO:
Assumption College/WISE, 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester, MA 01609
Office Use Only: Payment Received: $_________ Date Received: ________________
Payment made: Online: ___________ Cash: _____________ Check: ______________
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