PLATO Weekly Update

January 14, 2025

CURRICULUM

WINTER COURSES
Winter Courses are underway! Find everything you need to know about Winter Courses on the Courses webpage. 

SPRING COURSES
NEXT WEEK! Registration for Spring Courses opens on Tuesday, January 21 and most Spring Courses will begin the week of February 17. 

CURRICULUM SHOWCASE
NEW! Take a sneak peek at four new Spring Courses shared recently in a brief Curriculum Showcase article.

SPECIAL EVENTS

FIELD TRIPS
NEXT WEEK! Members who are registered for The Malibu of the Midwest Tour on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 can review details for that trip here.

THEATER TRIPS

The Craic – Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 2:00 pm at the Milwaukee Rep's Stackner Cabaret. Step in to one of South Kerry's most welcoming pubs, somewhere along the Dingle peninsula, where stories and songs flow as easy as a whiskey and a pint – with a group of master storyteller-musicians leading the way. Registration deadline is Wednesday, February 12. Learn more and register here.

NEW! The Woman in Black – Sunday, March 16, 2025 at 2:00pm at the Milwaukee Rep's Stiemke Studio. Direct from London’s West End comes the chilling and electrifying theatrical event that has kept millions of audiences on the edge of their seats for more than 30 years! Registration deadline is Wednesday, February 12. Learn more and register here.

LECTURES

United States Immigration Policy: Background and Current Status onThursday, January 30, 2025 with Dr. Sara McKinnon, professor of Rhetoric, Politics, and Culture and Faculty Director of Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Registration is not required, parking is free, and guests are welcome. Learn more here.

NEXT MONTH! The Sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on Thursday, February 27, 2025, with bestselling author Rochelle Pennington. This lecture will explore the fascinating story of the events that lead up to the tragic loss of the ship and its 29 crew members. Registration is not required, parking is free, and guests are welcome. Learn more here.

Expand your understanding about important and interesting topics with recorded PLATO Lectures.

COFFEE GATHERING
NEXT WEEK! Fourth Friday Coffee on January 24 from 9:30-11:30am at the Rotunda Café on Atwood Ave. Connect with fellow PLATO members over a cup of your favorite morning beverage. Feel free to bring a friend or family member who might be interested in PLATO! Learn more and RSVP here.

THE AGORA

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

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for The Agora, Volume 9 
PLATO members are invited to submit original works for the 2025 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 submission deadline is Friday, March 14, 2025. Learn more about The Agora and the submission process here. The Agora Board looks forward to sharing the talents of PLATO members through this journal!

To view highlights from this past season, visit The Agora Features.

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

DID YOU KNOW? for January 14 – 27, 2025 

Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard (January 27, 1894 – May 11, 1986) was one of the first two African American football players in the National Football League. After serving his country during World War I, Pollard went on to become the first African American head coach in the National Football League with the Akron Pros in 1921.

Visit the Social Justice page for more about Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard and past DID YOU KNOW? Features.

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