PLATO Weekly Update 

July 18, 2023

CURRICULUM

SUMMER COURSES
Questions about Summer Courses? Find answers on the Courses webpage.

FALL COURSES

· Tuesday, August 22: The Fall Course Schedule will be announced and registration opens.

· The Week of September 18: Fall Courses begin.

SPECIAL EVENTS

SUMMER WALK
NEXT WEEK – only seven spaces left! Join us on Tuesday, July 25 from 9 –11:30am for a three-mile walk along Koshkonong Creek in the beautiful Camrock Park. We’ll start at Westside Park in Cambridge where we hope to see a remnant sculpture from the Midwest Fire Festival. Learn more and register here.

BREAKFAST GATHERING
NEXT WEEK! Fourth Friday Breakfast – new venue! On July 28 at 9:30am we will meet at our new location: Rotunda Cafe in Lake Ridge Bank (formerly Monona Bank) at 1965 Atwood Avenue. Note that Sally Porter and Sharon Scrattish will co-host this gathering – to RSVP please email Susan Scrattish by Wednesday, July 26. View photos, learn about parking options, and RSVP here.

LECTURES
Archived PLATO Lectures offer an educational (and sometimes entertaining!) way to spend a hot summer day.

BIKE RIDES
Seize the day with five self-guided bicycling routes around Madison.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCMENT
New PLATO Member-at-Large: Gail Bergman

PLATO's Board has unanimously voted to install Gail Bergman as a Member-at-Large for the remaining 2 years (2023-2025) of the open seat. This opening was created when MaryJo MacSwain became Chair of the Diversity Awareness Committee. Big thanks to Kathy Michaelis for her long commitment serving as Chair of the Diversity Awareness Committee, and a big welcome to Gail!

THE AGORA
A juried literary magazine published by PLATO 
celebrates members’ creativity and diversity of thought.

COMING THIS FALL – The Agora, Volume 8! The Agora Editorial Team is pleased to announce that Volume 8 is in the final stages of production and copies will be mailed this Fall. Please note that members can choose to opt-out of receiving a print copy of The Agora, Volume 8 by visiting their PLATO member profile. If you previously opted-out, your preference will continue to be honored. Please email info@platomadison.org if you have questions about this.

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

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS
Select from a range of topics and formats 
for your Summer reading, viewing, or listening, 
curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for July 10 – 24, 2023   

Cecilia Payne (May 10, 1900 ­ – December 7, 1979) was the first person to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy from Radcliffe College, with what Otto Strauve called “the most brilliant Ph.D. thesis ever written in astronomy.” And in 1950’s, Payne became the first female professor and chair of the Astronomy Department at Harvard. Payne’s work is foundational to the modern study of variable stars. She was also awarded the Henry Norris Russell Prize from the American Astronomical Society.

Visit the Social Justice page for more about Payne 
or past DID YOU KNOW? features.

DID YOU KNOW? – spotlighting notable historic events and 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).