Open house Sept. 10 promotes fall classes offered by Academy of Lifelong Learning
STEUBENVILLE -- Sept. 10 is the date when returning and new senior students of the Academy of Lifelong Learning can get a glimmer about the lineup of fall classes coming up.
But they also have an opportunity that day to support two in-house fundraisers with the proceeds helping a nontraditional student stay the course in his or her educational journey through a $1,000 scholarship the academy funds.
The open house, which is for any area seniors 55 and older, will be held at First Westminster Presbyterian Church at 235 N. Fourth St., Steubenville, beginning at 1 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served, and there will be a 50-50 drawing and a Chinese auction, with all money raised used to fund a scholarship to benefit a nontraditional student working toward a degree.
Information will be available on what classes will be a part of the fall six-week session that begins Oct. 3 and what learning excursions are available through Regina Truax, Senior Tours, something new.
"The Academy of Lifelong Learning's primary purpose is to provide a venue of group study or topics selected by the board and approved by the director of community relations," explained Iris Craig, ALL director of community relations.
"There are no tests, no homework -- just a nice group of people who attend interesting programming for the adult community," Craig added.
"This is our third session since we came out of the pandemic," noted ALL President John McDevitt, whose leadership role got sidelined as COVID-19 precautions caused the academy to go on hiatus.
McDevitt is excited to be getting his "sea legs" now but more so excited with the lineup of classes.
"We think we've really got a nice lineup," McDevitt said of what includes former area resident Robin Yocum, an award-winning author.
Yocum is a new addition to the lineup as are several others who will join returning favorites, among them, he said, Tom Graham, "an excellent speaker. People loved him. He does a nice presentation, and he's going to do one on sociology."
"We have a nice round-up of people coming," he said of the presenters, a few of whom will be on hand Sept. 10.
Among the the topics and presenters are: "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes -- A Study of the Author and his Characters," Taylor Hagood; "The Ohio Prison System," Zane Dougherty; "Online and Telephone Scams," Elizabeth Kennedy; "Coyotes," John Boilegh; "Author William Faulkner and his Works," Taylor Hagood; author Robin Yocum; Indian artifacts found on Brown's Island, Robert Brandt; evening outing to Old Fort Steuben, John Boilegh; "Discussion of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald's Works," Taylor Hagood; beekeeper Joe Kovalesky; sociology, Tom Graham; "Baroque -- The Dynamic Art Period Following the Renaissance, Beginning 1600 to 1740," Gerald Van Sycoc; "Leading Later in Life," Tony Foglio; "How the Nutcrackers are Made," Brodie Stutsman; and "All My Bright Hopes of the Future Are Blasted: Dangerfield Newby's Fight for Freedom," historian Jon-Eric Gilot
Membership is $60 per person per semester and $100 for a married couple, a fee that entitles members to all six weeks of classes.
Members must be 55 or older. For information, contact McDevitt by e-mail at oldmansurveyor@yahoo.com or by phone at (740) 264-0964 or Iris Craig, community relations director, by e-mail at iris.c213@yahoo.com or by phone at (740) 544-5169.
Applications for the scholarship will be announced Jan. 1 with Feb. 1 the deadline to apply. It will be awarded March 1. Students must submit and application form and a 400- to 600-word essay for consideration. Information will be available at the open house.