Tenth Anniversary of Life-Long Learners

Friday, April 18

XMUS 304

1–3 p.m.

A137, Stanley P. Ash Building

Presenter: 

Jim Fatka

The Blues:  Love, Pain, and Puns

The music will consist of traditional country blues, the Chicago electrified sound, and contemporary renditions.  We’ll move from 1920s to the present.

Jim Fatka is MCC’s Language Arts instructor and has been teaching Ameri-can literature and writing courses here for twenty years.  He likes the blues because they contain the raw voice of people, their desires and their pain.

Friday, May 2

XPER 137

1–3 p.m.

A137, Stanley P. Ash Building

Presenter:

Jan S. Fokens

Hiking and Kayaking in Alaska

Through a slide presentation visit the Alaskan Inland passage by small cruise ship.  View the beauty of America’s last frontier up close by foot and kayak.

Jan S. Fokens is a semi-retired professional surveyor and business development consultant who resides in Mt. Pleasant with his wife Charlotte.  They have two grown sons.  Kayaking became a life-changing experience in 1999 after open heart surgery. The 2005 trip to Alaska combined a kayaking adventure and a desire to see Alaska in a different way—a goal was accomplished.

Friday, May 16

XENG 224

10 am–noon

A137, Stanley P. Ash Building

Presenter:

Kenric DeLong

Contemporary Native Cultural Resilience

How Indian peoples maintain cultural language and dynamic tradition while living in the 21^st century will be explained and illustrated with selected readings from indigenous fiction and poetry and from personal experience.  

Kenric DeLong is a faculty member of the MCC's Social Science Department. For several years Mr. DeLong's primary interest has been in the Native American culture including work on the Sioux reservation.

Friday, May 30

XMUS 297

10 am–noon

A137, Stanley P. Ash Building

Presenter:

Val Vander Mark

Classical Music:  The Rest of the Story

Spend a morning listening to beautiful music and hearing the history behind it and its composers.

Val Vander Mark is MCC’s Performing Arts Coordinator and has masters degrees in music and humanities from CMU.  She has been full-time at MCC since 1991 teaching music courses as well as being manager of the Barn Theatre and active in community theater.  She also orchestrates on-campus music and performing activities, including the Madrigal Dinner, the MCC Music Festival, and the Alumni & Friends Choir.