PLATO Weekly Update

December 13, 2022

CURRICULUM

WINTER COURSES
NEW! Registration for Winter Courses is now open – find the Winter 2023 Course Schedule posted on the Courses page. Also, if your course meets in person, be sure to review the COVID-19 Protocols posted in the Curriculum Showcase.

NEW OPPORTUNITY for course coordinators – learn how to make a short video to introduce you and your course to participants in John Serbian's post called Coordinators: Make a Video of You!.

SPECIAL EVENTS

BREAKFAST GATHERING
NEXT WEEK! Fourth Friday, December 23 at 9:30am, join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at Marquette Hotel Café in Madison's WilIiamson-Marquette neighborhood. RSVP and learn more.


SEEKING VOLUNTEERS
Unpredictable winter weather puts PLATO trips on temporary hiatus but Breakfasts and Lectures will continue! And the Special Events Committee is already planning for Theater and Field Trips for Spring, which is why we continue to invite you to join the Special Events Committee (SEC) to help make these plans. 

What do SEC volunteers do? The tasks vary in terms of what is required to coordinate Trips, Lectures, Walks and Breakfasts, but one thing remains the same: it is all about collaboration and you will always have the support of other team members. The SEC is a kind, welcoming group that meets as a whole five times a year to catch up, brainstorm and generally encourage one another. Like to give it a try or learn more? Contact SEC co-chairs, Carla Di Iorio (carlad@tds.net) or Michael Di Iorio (mdiiorio1234@gmail.com).

LECTURES
Cozy up with archived PLATO Lectures to enjoy from the comfort of home.

THE AGORA
The Agora, PLATO’s literary and arts journal, 
celebrates members’ creativity and diversity of thought.

SEEKING SUBMISSIONS for The Agora, Volume 8
PLATO members are invited to submit original works for the 2023 edition of The Agora in the following categories: Poetry, Fiction, Non-Fiction (including essays) and Visual Arts (painting, sculpture, drawing and photography). This is a blind juried review and the deadline for submissions is Tuesday, February 28, 2023. Click here to learn more and submit your work.

To view highlights from this past season, click on The Agora Features button below.

EDUCATION FUND UPDATE

THE GIFT OF LEARNING – benefits everyone! Sincere thanks to all the PLATO members who have donated this year! If you haven't yet and are in a position to share, please consider contributing to PLATO's Education Fund to help PLATO provide scholarships for returning adult students at UW-Madison, as well as supporting the Odyssey Project and other local community programs.

Learn more about this year's scholarship recipients and local community programs and donate online or via snail mail by clicking on the button below. Send questions or comments to Tim Otis: tierneyotis@gmail.com.

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS

Select from a range of topics and formats 

for your late Autumn reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for December 6 – 19, 2022

Did You Know…Fifty years ago, psychiatrist John E. Fryer, M.D. electrified his colleagues by telling the 1972 convention of the American Psychiatric Association that he was homosexual. Fryer's announcement came at a time when homosexuality was classified as a mental illness. He wore a head-to-toe disguise, altered his voice, and used the name Dr. Anonymous when making his announcement. It was a dramatic moment in the gay rights movement, and is credited with leading the psychiatric community to no longer classify homosexuality as a mental disorder as of 1973, which led to insurance companies, the US government, and other institutions following suit. 

Visit the Social Justice page for more about Dr. John E. Fryer, M.D. 
or 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).