PLATO Weekly Update 

January 31, 2023

CURRICULUM

SPRING COURSES
NEW! Spring Registration is open! Find the Spring Course Schedule posted on the Courses page and contact the course coordinator to register.

· Choose from 34 courses – 17 in-person & 17 virtual (3 of which are hybrid).

· Most courses will begin the week of February 20.

· If your course meets in person, please review the COVID-19 Protocols posted in the Curriculum Showcase.

SPECIAL EVENTS

LECTURES
We are celebrating that gatherings of people are becoming possible again. Our two upcoming lectures on Wisconsin's fresh waters will be in-person. Both will take place at Capital Lakes, located at 333 W. Main St. Free parking is available across the street in their parking ramp. Please sign the registration book when you arrive at the front desk. Masks are not required but please wear one if you wish.

· On Wednesday, February 8 at 2pm author Donald P. Sanford shares fascinating stories from his book, On Fourth Lake: A Social History of Lake Mendota. Learn more about this event, parking validation, and the author.

· On Wednesday, March 29 at 2pm author Scott Spoolman will share highlights from his new book Wisconsin Waters: The Ancient History of Lakes, Rivers and Waterfalls. Learn more about this event, parking validation, and the author.

And, as always, you are welcome to enjoy archived PLATO Lectures on many timely topics from the cozy comfort of home. 

BREAKFAST GATHERING
NEXT WEEK! Second Friday, February 10th at 9:30am, join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at Lakeside Street Coffee House in Madison's Bay Creek neighborhood. RSVP and learn more.

CALL FOR BOARD NOMINATIONS

PLATO depends on volunteers to make its programs successful. Each year we need members who wish to be considered for service on the board of directors. This is your opportunity to suggest names to the Nominating Committee of members who you think might help lead the organization. The Nominating Committee is seeking names for two At-Large board positions (3-year term) and for Secretary. Please send your suggestions to info@platomadison.org with the subject line Board Nominations by February 6.

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.

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS

Select from a range of topics and formats 

for your 2023 reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for January 24 – February 6, 2023

Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. (December 18, 1912 – July 4, 2002) a United States Air Force (USAF) general and commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen, was the first African-American brigadier general in the USAF. During World War II, he was commander of the 99th Fighter Squadron which escorted bombers on air combat missions over Europe. Davis Jr. flew sixty missions in P-39, Curtiss P-40, P-47 and P-51 Mustang fighters. He followed in his father's footsteps in breaking racial barriers, as Benjamin O. Davis Sr. was the first black brigadier general in the United States Army.

Visit the Social Justice page for more about Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr.
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).