PLATO Weekly Update 

July 25, 2023

CURRICULUM

CANCELLATION
Film History: The Early Fifties, taught by Jim O’Brien, is cancelled for tomorrow, Wednesday, July 26.

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

BREAKFAST GATHERING
THIS WEEK! Fourth Friday Breakfast – We will meet at the Rotunda Cafe in Lake Ridge Bank from 9:30am – 11:30pm. Note that Sally Porter and Sharon Scrattish will co-host this gathering – to RSVP please email Susan Scrattish by Wednesday, July 26. Learn more and RSVP here.

NEXT MONTH! Second Friday Breakfast – We will meet at the Memorial Union Terrace on the UW campus from 10:30am – 12:30pm on August 11. Learn more and RSVP here. 

FIELD TRIP
Monday, September 11, 2023 – Join us in a visit to the beautiful house and grounds of Black Point Estate followed by lunch and exploration in Lake Geneva, WI. A late summer jaunt to one of Wisconsin's historic resort towns, favored by the rich and famous since the late 19th century. Learn more and register here.

WALK
Tuesday, September 12, 2023 – Enjoy a very special walk through Faville Grove Sanctuary near Lake Mills, WI, with limited registration due to the Madison Audubon conservators' concern for impacting this restored landscape. A wait list will be maintained for possible late openings. Learn more and register here.

LECTURES
Beat the heat in the cool comfort of home with archived PLATO Lectures.

BIKE RIDES
Explore Madison 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 – 31, 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).