PLATO Weekly Update

December 20, 2022

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.

CURRICULUM

WINTER COURSES
Registration for Winter Courses continues – check out the seven Winter Courses being offered 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 – make a short introductory video to introduce your course and you to your participants. Click here to view a sample video and request instructions from Jayne Fischer.

SPECIAL EVENTS

BREAKFAST GATHERING
CANCELLED! Fourth Friday, December 23 breakfast at Marquette Hotel Café – due to the severe weather forecast.

SEEKING VOLUNTEERS
PLATO trips are on temporary Winter hiatus but Breakfasts and Lectures will continue! The Special Events Committee (SEC) is making plans for springtime Theater and Field Trips, and invite PLATO members to join in this effort.

What do SEC volunteers do? The tasks vary 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 five times a year to catch up, brainstorm and 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
Explore archived PLATO Lectures on important and interesting topics.

EDUCATION FUND UPDATE

A HUGE THANK YOU – to all the PLATO members who have donated this year! If you haven't given yet and would like to contribute, please know that a donation of any size helps 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 early Winter reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for December 20, 2022 – January 2, 2023

Did You Know… Maria W. Stewart (1803 – December 17, 1879) is known as America’s first black woman political writer. She was a Connecticut free-born African-American teacher, journalist, lecturer, evangelist, abolitionist, and women's rights activist. Stewart was a pioneer by her speaking to mixed audiences of men and women, white and black. She was also a trail-blazer as the first African-American woman to make public lectures, and to lecture about women's rights, and publicly speak against slavery.

Visit the Social Justice page for more about Maria W. Stewart
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).

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).

PLATO Weekly Update 

December 6, 2022

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 three categories: Poetry, 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.

CURRICULUM

WINTER COURSES
NEXT WEEK! On Tuesday, December 13 the Winter Course Schedule will be posted to the Courses Page and registration will open.

NEXT MONTH! Most Winter Courses will begin during the week of January 9.

SPECIAL EVENTS

BREAKFAST GATHERING
THIS WEEK! Second Friday, December 9 at 9:30am, join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at at Lakeside Street Coffee House in the Bay Creek neighborhood. Seating is on both the main floor and downstairs levels. You will need to climb nine steps in order to be seated on the downstairs level. RSVP and learn more here.

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED...
Breakfasts are our only special event offerings at the moment. This is because several years ago we had to cancel a December theater trip when a blizzard made travel unsafe – which resulted in a hefty deficit in PLATO’s budget. This makes us reluctant to schedule trips during peak winter months.

Fortunately, Breakfasts and Lectures will continue during the winter months! 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. 

Just what is involved in this volunteer commitment? Essentially, it is collaborating with other members to plan for and coordinate Theater and Field Trips, Lectures, Walks and Breakfasts. The tasks vary but you will always have the support of other team members. The SEC 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
Choose from a range of archived PLATO Lectures to enjoy from the comfort of home during the chilly months ahead.

EDUCATION FUND UPDATE

'TIS THE SEASON TO GIVE – big thanks to all 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).

PLATO Weekly Update

November 29, 2022

CURRICULUM

WINTER COURSES

· Tuesday, December 13: The Winter Course Schedule will be posted to the Courses Page and registration will open.

· Week of January 9: Most Winter Courses will begin.

SPECIAL EVENTS

BREAKFAST GATHERING
Next Week! Second Friday, December 9 at 9:30am, join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at at Lakeside Street Coffee House on Madison's near south side in the Bay Creek neighborhood. Seating is on both the main floor and downstairs levels. You will need to climb nine steps in order to be seated on the downstairs level. RSVP and learn more here.

LECTURES
Check out archived PLATO Lectures that always inform and sometimes even entertain!

A VERY SPECIAL EVENT
Our November 17 trip to American Player's Theater proved a delightful experience. Able Trek, our hired coach, served us ably. Our jaunt through the countryside included a stop at the cozy Old Feed Mill in Mazomanie which very hospitably served us a sandwich buffet with vegetarian chili and cookies. The play, Stones in his Pockets, lived up to its rave reviews with outstanding acting by two of APT's core company. All in all a very good day. If you would like to be involved in bringing trips like these into fruition in 2023, please reach out to Carla Di Iorio: carlad@tds.net.

EDUCATION FUND UPDATE

PLEASE CONSIDER including PLATO's Education Fund in your year-end charitable gift giving plans to help PLATO continue to 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.

THE AGORA

A juried literary magazine published by PLATO.

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 Autumn reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for November 22 – December 5, 2022

Did You Know… Two Kenyan inventors, David Gathu and Moses Kinyua, have created the world’s first bio-robotic arm operated by brain signals. In 2020, during the Covid-19 epidemic, as they were trying to develop tools to safely decontaminate surfaces in public areas, they came up with an electronic prosthetic arm-type device. When Kenyans adopted other ways to handle decontamination, Gathu and Kinyua were able to repurpose their invention as a device to help the disabled with the revolutionary feature of control via the wearer’s brain signals.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage for more about David Gathu and Moses Kinyua 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).

PLATO Weekly Update

 November 22, 2022

 

CURRICULUM

GIVING THANKS
We'd like to thank all the course coordinators for contributing their time and energy to fellow PLATO members during this past year. You have truly helped make PLATO a space where the love of learning never gets old!

WINTER COURSES
The Winter 2023 Course Schedule will be available on Tuesday, December 13 and registration will open the same day. Most Winter Courses will begin the week of January 9.

SPECIAL EVENTS

BREAKFAST GATHERING
This Week! Fourth Friday, November 25 at 9:30am. Join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at Marquette Hotel Café in Madison's Willy Street neighborhood. RSVP and learn more.

LECTURES
Cozy up with archived PLATO Lectures on many timely topics.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Special Events Don't Just Happen – and without your assistance, they won't happen. Your time, talents and thoughts are valuable to us on the Special Events Committee. We need more of all three and would welcome your presence with us in the new year. Contact Carla (carlad@tds.net) or Michael Di Iorio (mdiiorio1234@gmail.com) to learn more.

EDUCATION FUND UPDATE

YEAR-END GIVING – Please consider including PLATO's Education Fund in your charitable gift giving plans to help PLATO continue to 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.

THE AGORA
A juried literary magazine published by PLATO.

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 Autumn reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for November 22 – December 5, 2022

Did You Know… Two Kenyan inventors, David Gathu and Moses Kinyua, have created the world’s first bio-robotic arm operated by brain signals. In 2020, during the Covid-19 epidemic, as they were trying to develop tools to safely decontaminate surfaces in public areas, they came up with an electronic prosthetic arm-type device. When Kenyans adopted other ways to handle decontamination, Gathu and Kinyua were able to repurpose their invention as a device to help the disabled with the revolutionary feature of control via the wearer’s brain signals.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage for more about David Gathu and Moses Kinyua 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).

PLATO Weekly Update

November 15, 2022

CURRICULUM

CURRICULUM SPOTLIGHT
Next Week! On Monday, November 21 at 10am Pathways to a Sustainable Planet will welcome Professor Greg Nemet, one of the Lead Writers for the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Assessment Report released earlier this year. This report identifies the close link between climate change mitigation, adaptation and development pathways taken by countries at all stages of economic development to impact green house gas emissions which are the driving cause for climate change. All PLATO members are welcome to attend via Zoom – please login by 9:55am so we can start on time: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86993898527. 

PLEASE NOTE
If you participate in a course at Capital Lakes, please note the coffee stand by the front desk is for residents only. PLATO members must bring their own coffee or buy it at the Café.

SPECIAL EVENTS

LECTURES
Today! Clint Smith's Go Big Read Lecture on his new book: How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America on Tuesday, November 15 from 1pm – 3pm. PLATO is pleased to host a virtual presentation of this important talk. We will begin by watching Smith's November 1 talk and follow with an online discussion of the many issues raised in his talk and the book.  Register and learn more.

Peruse archived PLATO Lectures on many timely subjects.

BREAKFAST GATHERING
Next Week! Fourth Friday, November 25 at 9:30am. Yes, even though you may have eaten your fill on Thanksgiving, join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at Marquette Hotel Café in Madison's Willy Street neighborhood. RSVP and learn more.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Special Events Don't Just Happen – and without your assistance, they won't happen. Your time, talents and thoughts are valuable to us on the Special Events Committee. We need more of all three and would welcome your presence with us in the new year. Contact Carla (carlad@tds.net) or Michael Di Iorio (mdiiorio1234@gmail.com) to learn more.

THE AGORA
A juried literary magazine published by PLATO.

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 Fall reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for November 8 – 21, 2022

Did You Know… An African American dentist, Dr. George F. Grant, was the inventor of the wooden golf tee. On Dec. 12, 1899, Dr. Grant received a U.S. patent No. 638,920, the world’s first patent for ‘a wooden spike with a flexible rubber peg for the ball’ – a golf tee! Before this time, golfers carried small buckets of sand for pinching a mound of damp sand to elevate a golf ball on the tee box.

Visit the Social Justice webpage for more about Dr. George F. Grant & 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).

PLATO Weekly Update

 November 8, 2022

QUESTIONS FOR PLATO LEADERSHIP

 
CURRICULUM

CURRICULUM SPOTLIGHT
Next Week! Learn what Wisconsin is doing to address Climate Change on Monday, November 14 at 10am during the virtual Pathways to a Sustainable Planet session featuring Maria Redmond, Director of the Wisconsin Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy. All PLATO members are welcome to attend via Zoom – please use this link and login by 9:55am so we can start on time: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86993898527.

WINTER COURSES
Interested in offering a Winter Course? Please contact Therese Stevens (thmstevens@gmail.com) or Kathie Burman (kburnam@burnamcoffee.com) for assistance. Winter courses generally run 6 to 8 weeks with most beginning the week of January 9th.

PLEASE NOTE
If you participate in a course at Capital Lakes, please note the coffee stand by the front desk is for residents only. PLATO members must bring their own coffee or buy it at the Café.

SPECIAL EVENTS

BREAKFAST GATHERING
This Week! Second Friday, November 11 at 9:30am, join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at at Lakeside Street Coffee House in the Bay Creek neighborhood on Madison's near south side. Seating is on both the main floor and downstairs levels. You will need to climb nine steps in order to be seated on the downstairs level. RSVP and learn more here.

LECTURES
Tomorrow! The History of Television Soap Operas will take place virtually on Wednesday, November 9 from 1pm – 2:15pm. Dr. Elana Levine, a professor of media, cinema, and digital studies in the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is a longtime soap opera fan who looks at the genre through two connected lenses: the role soaps have played in shaping cultural understandings of gender, as well as the rise and fall of network television’s influence on pop culture. Register and learn more.

Next Week! Clint Smith's Go Big Read Lecture on his new book: How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America on Tuesday, November 15 from 1pm – 3pm. PLATO is pleased to host a virtual presentation of this important talk. We will begin by watching Smith's November 1 talk and follow with an online discussion of the many issues raised in his talk and the book. Register and learn more.

Enjoy archived PLATO Lectures on a range of interesting topics. 

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
Special Events don't just happen – and without your assistance, they won't happen. Your time, talents and thoughts are valuable to us on the Special Events Committee. We need more of all three and would welcome your presence with us in the new year. Contact Carla (carlad@tds.net) or Michael Di Iorio (mdiiorio1234@gmail.com) to learn more.

PLATO SATISFACTION SURVEY
Your Response is Due Wednesday, November 9

On October 26 you received a brief satisfaction survey regarding your experiences with PLATO. If you have already completed the survey, thank you!

If you haven’t yet completed it we hope you will take a few minutes to do so today. Your feedback will enable the PLATO board and committee volunteers to better serve PLATO members. 

The survey was emailed to you by Russell Consulting, Inc. from this email address: noreply@alchemer.com with the subject line “Invitation to Complete the 2022 PLATO Members Satisfaction Survey”. The survey responses are due by November 9. Thank you for your involvement and support of PLATO!

THE AGORA
A juried literary magazine published by PLATO.

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 Fall reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for November 8 – 21, 2022

Did You Know… An African American dentist, Dr. George F. Grant, was the inventor of the wooden golf tee. On Dec. 12, 1899, Dr. Grant received a U.S. patent No. 638,920, the world’s first patent for ‘a wooden spike with a flexible rubber peg for the ball’ – a golf tee! Before this time, golfers carried small buckets of sand for pinching a mound of damp sand to elevate a golf ball on the tee box.

Visit the Social Justice webpage for more about Dr. George F. Grant & 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).

PLATO Weekly Update

November 1, 2022

CURRICULUM

WINTER COURSES
Planning for Winter Courses is underway. If you are interested in offering a Winter Course, please contact Therese Stevens (thmstevens@gmail.com) or Kathie Burman (kburnam@burnamcoffee.com) for assistance. Note that Winter courses generally run 6 to 8 weeks and most begin the week of January 9th.

FALL COURSES
Fall Courses continue through November.

PLEASE NOTE
When you participate in a course at Capital Lakes, the coffee stand by the front desk is for residents only. Please bring your own coffee or you may buy it at the Café.

SPECIAL EVENTS

THEATER TRIPS
Last Chance to Purchase Tickets – registration closes at midnight tonight! Join us as we head to Spring Green for this fun matinee with a shorter bus ride that includes lunch with friends! There are only four tickets left for Stones in His Pockets on Thursday, November 17 at the renowned American Players Theater. An Irish village meets Hollywood in this hilarious and heartbreaking "timeless hit". Register and learn more.

WALKS OF DANE COUNTY
Next Week! Our last walk of the season – Tuesday, November 8 at 9:30am – enjoy the prairies and waterways of Pheasant Branch Conservatory. Register and learn more.

BREAKFAST GATHERING 
Next Week! Second Friday, November 11 at 9:30am, join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at at Lakeside Street Coffee House in the Bay Creek neighborhood on Madison's near south side. Seating is on both the main floor and downstairs levels. You will need to climb nine steps in order to be seated on the downstairs level. RSVP and learn more here.

LECTURES
Next Week – November 9! The History of Television Soap Operas will take place virtually on Wednesday, November 9 from 1pm – 2:15pm. Dr. Elana Levine, a professor of media, cinema, and digital studies in the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is a longtime soap opera fan who looks at the genre through two connected lenses: the role soaps have played in shaping cultural understandings of gender, as well as the rise and fall of network television’s influence on pop culture. Register and learn more.

November 15! Clint Smith's Go Big Read Lecture on his new book: How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America on Tuesday, November 15 from 1pm – 3pm. PLATO is pleased to host a virtual presentation of this important talk. We will begin by watching Smith's November 1 talk and follow with an online discussion of the many issues raised in his talk and the book. Register and learn more.

Explore archived PLATO Lectures on many timely subjects.

PLATO SATISFACTION SURVEY
Please respond by Wednesday, November 9

On October 26 you received a brief satisfaction survey regarding your experiences with PLATO. If you have already completed the survey, thank you!

If you haven’t yet completed it we hope you will take a few minutes to do so today. Your feedback will enable the PLATO board and committee volunteers to better serve PLATO members. 

The survey was emailed to you by Russell Consulting, Inc. from this email address: noreply@alchemer.com with the subject line “Invitation to Complete the 2022 PLATO Members Satisfaction Survey”. The survey responses are due by November 9. Thank you for your involvement and support of PLATO!

THE AGORA
A juried literary magazine published by PLATO.

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 Fall reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for October 25 – November 7, 2022

Did You Know… Kiel, WI was once known as the Wooden Shoes Capital of Wisconsin or that Pleasant Ridge, WI was founded by the formerly enslaved Shepard family? While we usually feature an individual here in Did You Know, we’re making a brief detour to highlight Recollection Wisconsin – an online cultural heritage resource providing free access to over half-a-million historical photos, maps, documents, and narratives telling the stories of Wisconsin’s people and places.

Visit the Social Justice webpage for more about connecting to 
Recollection Wisconsin & 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).

PLATO Weekly Update

October 25, 2022

CURRICULUM

WINTER COURSES
Interested in offering a Winter Course? Please contact Therese Stevens (thmstevens@gmail.com) or Kathie Burman(kburnam@burnamcoffee.com) for assistance. Note that Winter courses generally run 6 to 8 weeks and most begin the week of January 9th.

FALL COURSES
 Fall Courses continue through November.

SPECIAL EVENTS

THEATER TRIPS
Been waiting for a play that is fun? With a shorter bus ride? One that includes a companionable lunch with friends? Wait no more! Join us when we head to Spring Green to see a matinee of Stones in His Pockets on Thursday, November 17 at American Players Theater. An Irish village meets Hollywood in this hilarious and heartbreaking "timeless hit". There are sufficient seats available on the bus for you to bring more than one guest. Register and learn more  – registration deadline is Tuesday, November 1.

WALKS OF DANE COUNTY
Tuesday, November 8 at 9:30am – enjoy the prairies and waterways of Pheasant Branch Conservatory. Register and learn more.

BREAKFAST GATHERING 
THIS WEEK! Fourth Friday, October 28 at 9:30am, join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at Marquette Hotel Café in Madison's Willy Street neighborhood. RSVP and learn more.

LECTURES

NOVEMBER 9! The History of Television Soap Operas will take place virtually on Wednesday, November 9 from 1pm – 2:15pm. Dr. Elana Levine, a professor of media, cinema, and digital studies in the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is a longtime soap opera fan who looks at the genre through two connected lenses: the role soaps have played in shaping cultural understandings of gender, as well as the rise and fall of network television’s influence on pop culture. Register and learn more.

NOVEMBER 15! Clint Smith's Go Big Read Lecture on his new book: How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America on Tuesday, November 15 from 1pm – 3pm. PLATO is proud to host a virtual presentation of this important talk. We will spend the first hour+ watching his November 1 talk, followed by an online discussion of the many issues raised in his talk and the book. Register and learn more.

Check out archived PLATO Lectures on many interesting subjects!

PLATO SATISFACTION SURVEY –

COMING TO YOU TOMORROW

Tomorrow, October 26, you will receive a brief satisfaction survey regarding your experiences with PLATO. Your feedback will enable the PLATO board and committee volunteers to better serve PLATO members. The survey will be emailed to you from noreply@surveygizmo.com with the subject line “PLATO Members’ Annual Satisfaction Survey”. Please take a few minutes to let PLATO know how you feel about the organization and its programs. Thank you for your involvement and support of PLATO!

THE AGORA
A juried literary magazine published by PLATO.

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 Fall reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for October 25 – November 7, 2022

Did You Know… Kiel, WI was once known as the Wooden Shoes Capital of Wisconsin or that Pleasant Ridge, WI was founded by the formerly enslaved Shepard family? While we usually feature an individual here in Did You Know, we’re making a brief detour to highlight Recollection Wisconsin – an online cultural heritage resource providing free access to over half-a-million historical photos, maps, documents, and narratives telling the stories of Wisconsin’s people and places.

Visit the Social Justice webpage for more about connecting to 
Recollection Wisconsin & 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).

PLATO Weekly Update

October 18, 2022

CURRICULUM

WINTER COURSES
If you are interested in offering a Winter Course, please contact Therese Stevens (thmstevens@gmail.com) or Kathie Burman (kburnam@burnamcoffee.com). They can help set it up. Winter courses are usually 6 to 8 weeks and most begin the week of January 9th. 

FALL COURSES
 Fall Courses continue through November.

SPECIAL EVENTS

THEATER TRIPS
Sunday's trip to Milwaukee Repertory's production of Titanic was enjoyed by all from whom we heard. Join us next time when we venture to: Stones in His Pockets –Thursday, November 17 at American Players Theater. Irish village meets Hollywood in this hilarious and heartbreaking "timeless hit". Register and learn more  – registration deadline is Tuesday, November 1.

WALKS OF DANE COUNTY
NEXT WEEK! Tuesday, October 25 at 9:30am – explore the natural beauty of the Hills of Donald Park. Register and learn more here.

Tuesday, November 8 at 9:30am – enjoy the prairies and waterways of Pheasant Branch Conservatory. Register and learn more.

BREAKFAST GATHERING 
NEXT WEEK! Fourth Friday, October 28 at 9:30am, join fellow PLATO members and guests for breakfast and conversation at Marquette Hotel Café in Madison's Willy Street neighborhood. RSVP and learn more here.

LECTURES

NOVEMBER 9! The History of Television Soap Operas will take place virtually on Wednesday, November 9 from 1pm – 2:15pm. Dr. Elana Levine, a professor of media, cinema, and digital studies in the Department of English at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is a longtime soap opera fan who looks at the genre through two connected lenses: the role soaps have played in shaping cultural understandings of gender, as well as the rise and fall of network television’s influence on pop culture. Register and learn more here.

NOVEMBER 15! Clint Smith's Go Big Read Lecture on his new book: How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America on Tuesday, November 15 from 1pm – 3pm. PLATO is proud to host a virtual presentation of this important talk. We will spend the first hour+ watching his November 1 talk, followed by an online discussion of the many issues raised in his talk and the book. Register and learn more here.

Cozy up with an archived PLATO Lecture – choose from topics galore.

PLATO SATISFACTION SURVEY IS COMING

Next week Wednesday, October 26 you will be asked to participate in a brief satisfaction survey regarding your experiences with PLATO. Your feedback will enable the PLATO board and committee volunteers to better serve PLATO members. You will receive the survey in an email with the subject line “PLATO Members’ Annual Satisfaction Survey” sent from noreply@surveygizmo.com. When you receive the survey please take a few minutes to let PLATO know how the organization and its programs are performing. Thank you for your involvement and support of PLATO!

THE AGORA
A juried literary magazine published by PLATO.

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 October reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

NEW on the Social Justice webpage – review of the book, The Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America by Candacy Taylor.

DID YOU KNOW? for October 11 – 24, 2022

Did You Know… African American scientist and inventor Valerie L. Thomas (b: 1943) loved math and science but because she was a girl, she was discouraged from studying them. Once she got to college Thomas chose to major in physics which led to a career at NASA where she developed and patented the illusion transmitter – a key component of NASA’s digital imaging technologies, as well as worked as leader of a computer team researching Halley's Comet, and earned multiple NASA awards including the prestigious Goddard Space Flight Center Award of Merit. Thomas’ illusion transmitter was used not just by NASA but also adapted for surgical applications and in television and video screens.

Visit the Social Justice webpage for more about Valerie Thomas 
& 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).