PLATO Weekly Update

May 24, 2022

CURRICULUM

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS FOR COURSES

Please check the updated COVID protocols for Host Locations for Summer Courses listed in the Curriculum Showcase.

SUMMER COURSES
Be sure to register for Summer Courses – they begin the week of June 6.

SPECIAL EVENTS

BREAKFAST GATHERINGS
COMING SOON! Next get together is Friday, June 10. Enjoy coffee and conversation with fellow members outdoors from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. at UW Memorial Union Terrace. If rain is in the forecast, we will meet indoors – look for Host Sharon Scrattish in the glassed-in lobby to find out where our tables are located. RSVP and learn more here.

FIELD TRIPS 
Only a few places remain! Register now to insure your spot on our guided tour of the newly-renovated International Crane Foundation Headquarters and tour of  the Aldo Leopold Shack and Farm. Lunch will be on your own in downtown Wisconsin Dells. Review the required COVID-19 Protocols below and learn more and register here. 

COVID-19 Protocols for this Field Trip:

• Persons wishing to wear a mask are encouraged to do so.
  
• Neither site we will visit requires mask wearing.
  
• Health protocols are subject to change closer to the time of this field trip.
  
• You are asked to stay home if you are not feeling well. Please contact the trip organizer to inform them of your decision. 

FALL SNEAK PEAK
Planning is underway for Fall events, including the Pullman Historic House Tour in Chicago, the Birds in Art exhibit at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, and trips to the Milwaukee Rep for Unforgettable and Ragtime. Stay tuned for details on these trips and more! 

WE WANT YOU
The Special Events Committee welcomes new members. Please send an email to info@platomadison.org if you are interested in knowing more about this committee's activities and learning how to participate. Without member involvement there are no trips!

LECTURES  
Discover archived PLATO Lectures on a wide range of topics.

PLATO BOARD AMENDS BYLAWS

The PLATO Board has amended PLATO's bylaws. The revisions clarify current governance, add language to conform to state law, and give PLATO leaders specific authority to manage affairs after recent changes in PLATO's relationship with the University of Wisconsin. The amendments remove obsolete practices, add those currently used, and clarify ambiguous or inconsistent language. They are now organized so that similar subjects are grouped together and make explicit our standards of good governance. The amended bylaws can be viewed by clicking on the black button below and they can be found on our Organizational Documents webpage, along with other valuable information on PLATO's policies, history, finances, and more.

EATURED AGORA WORKS

Visit The Agora Features webpage for highlights from this past season, created and curated by fellow PLATO members for your pleasure. 

Our Biweekly Feature for May 17 – May 30 is Yarn Dyers, a painting by Sherry Ackerman, who provides a peek into her artistic process through a brief video. 

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS

Select from a range of topics and formats 

for your Spring reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? For May 24 – June 6, 2022

Scott Joplin (1868-1917) was an African-American composer and pianist. He was considered the “King of Ragtime”, though he also composed music for ballet, opera, and broadway. Ragtime is a syncopated (i.e. off-beat) music style with roots in the African-American community. It was especially popular in America from about 1895 to 1919, and is considered one forerunner of jazz. Joplin’s "Maple Leaf Rag” (1899) was a major hit and is often referred to as the model for all ragtime works.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage for much more about Scott Joplin and past DID YOU KNOW? features.

DID YOU KNOW? – spotlighting notable contributions made by non-mainstream individuals you might not have learned or read about. Suggestions for inclusions are welcome (send to Kathy at: ksmichaelis@gmail.com).