PLATO Weekly Update

September 21, 2021

CURRICULUM

Most Fall courses begin this week! Check the Fall Course Schedule for the specific opening date and time of the course you are taking.

Remember, all participants for in-person courses must follow these COVID-19 Protocols:

· Wear masks inside of Host Location buildings.

· Follow social distancing guidelines.

· Follow any additional guidelines required at Host Locations - see the Courses Page or check with your course coordinator.

SPECIAL EVENTS

FALL LECTURES

Join us for our first Fall lecture -"Ask the Weather Guy" this week Thursday, September 23^rd at 1:30 pm. Register here for this this 90-minute Zoom webinar featuring Jonathan Martin, Chair and Professor in the UW-Madison Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Registration is required to attend.

In the meantime, members are invited to access Past Recordings.

THEATER

For your at-home virtual streaming pleasure:

Come from Away - A filmed Broadway musical commemorating the days when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly due to the 9/11 attacks in the small town of Gander in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

As always, browse a variety of options on PLATO’s Virtual Theater Trips page where new items are frequently added. 

FEATURED AGORA WORKS

Each week, we offer for your enjoyment, a featured piece from contributors to The Agora, PLATO's journal of arts and ideas. This week, we present Still Life, a painting by Jim Albright, along with reflections regarding his nuanced approach to creating this piece.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Social Gatherings - we are working on plans to resume in late Fall! Updates will be posted here, so stay tuned...

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS

Select from a range of topics and formats 

for your late Summer reading, viewing, or listening, 

curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee.

DID YOU KNOW? for September 21 – October 4, 2021

Did You Know… Special Olympics athlete Chris Nikic crossed the finish line to become the first person with Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon. Guinness World Records recognized Nikic's achievement after he finished a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-marathon run at the Ironman Florida competition in Panama City Beach in November 2020.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage for more about Chris Nikic
& 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

September 14, 2021

CURRICULUM

Registration Still Open for Fall Courses - Our Fall Course Schedule includes 40 courses: 23 online, 16 in-person, and one via email. Many are familiar course titles with several new additions – including a course on Saturday!

Before registering for and attending in-person courses, please review our current COVID-19 protocols listed below. Also, all courses require that participants register with the coordinator so they can be reached via email should there be any updates due to the pandemic. 

COVID-19 Protocols for Courses:

· All coordinators and participants are required to wear masks when inside host locations at all times and to observe social distancing guidelines.

· All coordinators and participants must follow any and all of the host location’s additional COVID-19 Protocols which will be communicated by coordinators.

Capitol Lakes and Oakwood also have these protocols:

SPECIAL EVENTS

FINAL FALL WALK

NEW! October 19^th, 9am - Explore The Mysteries of Aztalan as we walk with Dr. Robert Birmingham, author, educator, archaeologist, and authority on the Mississipian people and culture of Aztalan during their golden age (1000 AD - 1300 AD). We will learn about (and climb on) the mounds and view the fortress walls in Wisconsin’s most important archaeological site. Registration is free and open now. Please note that this parking for this Walk requires a State Vehicle Admissions Sticker which may be purchased when you arrive on site. And be sure to review our current COVID-19 Walk Protocols before registering for and attending this Walk. This will be the last PLATO Walk of 2021.

FALL LECTURES

Our fall lecture series will begin on Thursday, September 23^rd at 1:30 pm with "Ask the Weather Guy.” Register here for this this 90-minute Zoom webinar featuring Jonathan Martin, Chair and Professor in the UW-Madison Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Registration is required to attend.

In the meantime, members are invited to access Past Recordings.

THEATER

NEW! For your at-home virtual streaming pleasure:

Angela's Ashes: The Musical - Based on the captivating memoir by Frank McCourt, the show's website states that "if ever a musical could be said to embody the ‘rollercoaster of emotion’, then Angela’s Ashes is that musical."

Come from Away - A filmed Broadway musical commemorating the days when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly due to the 9/11 attacks in the small town of Gander in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

As always, browse a variety of options on PLATO’s Virtual Theater Trips page where new items are frequently added. 

FEATURED AGORA WORKS

Each week, we offer for your enjoyment, a featured piece from contributors to The Agora, PLATO's journal of arts and ideas. The week we offer Geese, a poem by Mary DeWolf, reconnecting us to nature and the transitioning of the season.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Social Gatherings - we are working on plans to resume in late fall so stay tuned - updates will be posted here!

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

DID YOU KNOW? for September 7 – 20, 2021

Did You Know…Yang See, who worked as the main liaison between the CIA and the Lao Royal Army during the secret Hmong Guerrilla war against North Vietnam, was the person most responsible for the US Government finally accepting the Hmong resettlement in the US.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage for more about Yang See
and 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

September 7, 2021

CURRICULUM

Registration Continues for Fall Courses – Check out our Fall Course Schedule which includes 40 courses: 16 in-person, 23 online and one via email. Many are familiar course titles with a few new additions – we even have a course on Saturday!

For those members interested in attending in-person, please review updated COVID-19 protocols listed below. All courses require that participants register with the coordinator so they can be reached via email should there be any updates due to the pandemic. 

COVID-19 Protocols for Courses:

· All coordinators and participants are required to wear masks when inside host locations at all times and to observe social distancing guidelines.

· All coordinators and participants must follow any and all of the host location’s additional COVID-19 Protocols which will be communicated by coordinators.

Currently, Capitol Lakes and Oakwood have additional protocols:

· Capitol Lakes requires all visitors to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to bring a copy of their vaccination card.

· Oakwood requires all people entering their building to register at the Accushield kiosk. The only entrance open at Oakwood is the main entrance at the Heritage Oaks. You may download an Oakwood campus map on the course description page.

SPECIAL EVENTS

FALL LECTURES
Our fall lecture series will begin on Thursday, September 23^rd at 1:30 pm with "Ask the Weather Guy.” Register here for this this 90-minute Zoom webinar featuring Jonathan Martin, Chair and Professor in the UW-Madison Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Registration is required to attend.

In the meantime, members can access Past Recordings.

THEATER
Browse a variety of options on PLATO’s Virtual Theater Trips page – and check back as new items are frequently added.

FEATURED AGORA WORKS

Each week, we offer for your enjoyment, a featured piece from contributors to The Agora, PLATO's journal of arts and ideas. This week we present Blue Moon Over Yellow Fields, a collage by Grethe Brix-J. Leer, which shares her deep connection to the nuances of the world, including dusk. 

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Social Gatherings will resume this fall with in-person breakfasts. 

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

DID YOU KNOW? for September 7 – 20, 2021

Did You Know…Yang See, who worked as the main liaison between the CIA and the Lao Royal Army during the secret Hmong Guerrilla war against North Vietnam, was the person most responsible for the US Government finally accepting the Hmong resettlement in the US.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage for more about Yang See
and 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

August 31, 2021

CURRICULUM

Registration for Fall Courses – continues! For those members interested in attending in-person, please review updated COVID-19 protocols listed below. All courses require that participants register with the coordinator so they can be reached via email should there be any updates due to the pandemic. 

Our Fall Course Schedule includes 40 courses total with in-person and virtual offerings to meet the various needs and wishes of PLATO members. 

COVID-19 Protocols for Courses:

• All coordinators and participants are required to wear masks when inside host locations at all times and to observe social distancing guidelines.
  
  
• All coordinators and participants must follow any and all of the host location’s additional COVID-19 Protocols which will be communicated by coordinators.
  

Currently, Capitol Lakes and Oakwood have additional protocols:

• Capitol Lakes requires all visitors to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to bring a copy of their vaccination card.
  
  
• Oakwood requires all people entering their building to register at the Accushield kiosk. The only entrance open at Oakwood is the main entrance at the Heritage Oaks.
  

SPECIAL EVENTS 

NEW! Our fall lecture series will begin on Thursday, September 23^rd at 1:30 pm with "Ask the Weather Guy.” Register here for this this 90-minute Zoom webinar featuring Jonathan Martin, Chair and Professor in the UW-Madison Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. Registration is required to attend.

In the meantime, members can access Past Recordings.

THEATER

Browse a variety of options on PLATO’s Virtual Theater Trips page – and check back as new items are frequently added.

FEATURED AGORA WORKS

Each week, we offer for your enjoyment, a featured piece from contributors to The Agora, PLATO's journal of arts and ideas. This week's selection is titled Cosmic Art and Poetry, a unique digital fusion of a poem by George Faunce and artwork by Jim Albright.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Social Gatherings will resume this fall with in-person breakfasts. 

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

DID YOU KNOW? for August 24 – September 6, 2021

Hamdi Ulukaya, born in Ilic, Turkey, is a businessman, activist and philanthropist who founded and owns the company Chobani, the #1 selling strained yogurt in the US. He was born to a dairy farming Kurdish family in 1972 and immigrated to the US in 1994 to study English and take business courses.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage for more about Hamdi Ulukaya
and 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

August 10, 2021

CURRICULUM

Registration for fall courses will begin August 24 - more details coming soon!

For all in-person courses this fall, PLATO will follow the CDC and Dane County Health Department Covid-19 guidelines. Please note that these have recently been updated and that Madison Public Health is encouraging everyone ages 2 and older — regardless of vaccination status — to wear masks inside public spaces, schools, and when gathering indoors at private residences with members of other households.

Stay tuned - we will continue to update our guidelines as we hear from our Host Locations.

SPECIAL EVENTS 

Walks of Dane County

· For your planning purposes, we have compiled a list of the remaining "Walks in Dane County" on PLATO's Local Tours page. These walks are scheduled through October, occurring twice monthly on various mornings. Simply scroll through the list to find dates and times and click on "Show Details" to find out when registration will open.

· Due to the dynamic nature of the pandemic, PLATO's Covid-19 walk requirements might be updated. Possible changes to requirements will be shared to all members via the Weekly Updates and to walk registrants via weekend walk email reminders.

THEATER
Attending a virtual theater performance from your home can be a refreshing way to spend a hot summer day! Browse a variety of options on PLATO’s Virtual Theater Trips page – and check back as new items are frequently added.

PLATO's Lecture series will return this fall. In the meantime, members can access Past Recordings.

FEATURED AGORA WORKS

Each week, we offer for your enjoyment, a featured piece from contributors to The Agora, PLATO's journal of arts and ideas. This week’s offering, a poem called Aging Acrobat by Norman Leer, is a reflection upon memories and gifts shared between loved ones.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Social Gatherings will resume this fall with in-person breakfasts. 

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS
Suggested readings, films, activities, and podcasts.

Select from a range of topics and formats for your summer reading, viewing, or listening, curated by PLATO's Diversity Awareness Committee. 

Enjoy our new feature – DID YOU KNOW? – spotlighting notable contributionsmade by non-mainstream individuals you might not have learned or read about. Suggestions for inclusions are welcome (send to Kathy at: ksmichaelis@gmail.com).

DID YOU KNOW? for August 10-23, 2021

Annette Franqui, the new Board Chair of the influential AARP Board of Directors, is the first Hispanic to fill that role.

Annette Franqui joined the AARP Board in 2014. As Board Chair she also Chairs the AARP Board Governance Committee and Compensation Committee.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage for more about Annette Franqui & past DID YOU KNOW? features.

PLATO Weekly Update

August 3, 2021

CURRICULUM

Registration for fall courses will begin August 24 - more details coming soon!

For all in-person courses this fall, PLATO will follow the CDC and Dane County Health Department Covid-19 guidelines. Please note that these have recently been updated and that Madison Public Health is encouraging everyone ages 2 and older — regardless of vaccination status — to wear masks inside public spaces, schools, and when gathering indoors at private residences with members of other households.

Stay tuned - we will continue to update our guidelines as we hear from our Host Locations.

SPECIAL EVENTS 

Walks of Dane County

· Registration is open - for the August 17th walk at Pheasant Branch Creek Corridor Trail with Hans Herbert, co-president of the Friends of Pheasant Branch Conservancy. Come with us for a walk and to learn about 75 years of significant rain events and corresponding conservation measures taken during that time. Read more...

· For your planning purposes, we have compiled a list of the remaining "Walks in Dane County" on PLATO's Local Tours page. These walks are scheduled through October, occurring twice monthly on various mornings. Simply scroll through the list to find dates and times and click on "Show Details" to find out when registration will open.

THEATER
Cool off from hot summer days by "attending" theater performances from your home through a variety of options on PLATO’s Virtual Theater Trips page – new items being added all the time!

PLATO's Lecture series will return this fall. In the meantime, members can access Past Recordings.

FEATURED AGORA WORKS

Each week, we offer for your enjoyment, a featured piece from contributors to The Agora, PLATO's journal of arts and ideas. This week’s piece, a poem called One Tree at Sunset by Diane Hughes, reflects the author's quest to find beauty in the mundane in order to savor life and not to merely exist.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Social Gatherings will resume this fall with in-person breakfasts. 

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS
Suggested readings, films, activities, and podcasts.

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

We hope you’re intrigued by DID YOU KNOW? – our new bi-weekly feature spotlighting arts, scientific, cultural, and other 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).

DID YOU KNOW? Mario Jose Molina-Pasquel Henriquez (known as Mario Molina), Mexican chemist, was the first Mexican-born scientist to receive a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for his role in discovering the threat to the Earth’s ozone layer from chlorofluorocarbon gases.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage to learn more about Mario Molina!

PLATO Weekly Update

July 27, 2021

CURRICULUM

We are gearing up for fall!

As the Curriculum Committee coordinates efforts for in-person and virtual offerings to resume this fall, it's a good time to share PLATO’s Covid-19 guidelines, which follow the CDC’s guidelines, including:

– Vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask in a group gathering indoors, but should if they feel more comfortable.

– Unvaccinated people must wear a mask in a group gathering indoors.

– All PLATO members must follow any and all additional Covid-19 protocols that our Host Locations require.

SPECIAL EVENTS 

Walks of Dane County

· There are still spots available - for our next walk on Wednesday, August 4th. Join us as we walk in a newer addition to Cherokee Marsh, one you may not have visited yet. Yahara Heights County Park at Cherokee Marsh consists of over 3,000 feet of water frontage within the upper Yahara basin. We will walk along a 40-acre prairie and a woodland with two effigy mounds, including a 208-ft water spirit.

· Registration will open - for the walk in Pheasant Branch Nature Conservancy in Middleton, Wisconsin, on Sunday, August 1st. The walk and talk will focus on the history of the waterway and how it has been impacted over the last 75 years by major weather events and the impact it has had on the Yahara Chain of Lakes. We will also hear what the City of Middleton and Dane County are planning to do to reduce the impact of future exceptional storms.

For your planning purposes, we have compiled a list of the remaining "Walks in Dane County" on PLATO's Local Tours page. These walks are scheduled through October, occurring twice monthly on various mornings. Simply scroll through the list to find dates and times and click on "Show Details" to find out when registration will open.

PLATO's Lecture series will return this fall. In the meantime, members can access Past Recordings.

THEATER
Take a break from hot summer days by "attending" theater performances from your home through a variety of options on PLATO’s Virtual Theater Trips page, including the newly featured items below.

The Wolves - Left quad. Right quad. Lunge. A girls' indoor soccer team warms up. From the safety of their suburban field, the team navigates big questions and wages tiny battles with the vigor of a pack of adolescent warriors. The Wolves is a portrait of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for nine American girls who just want to score some goals.

Memories of Overdevelopment - This play is a film: a documentary about what people remember about dictatorships where they grew up and how they left and how they survived. An enactment of eight startling, personal interviews, inspired by true stories, performed by two people. Caridad Svich’s newest work is a rebellious look at where we’ve been and where we are right now.

Schmigadoon - A parody of iconic musicals, Schmigadoon! is a new musical comedy series produced by Lorne Michaels of Saturday Night Live. A couple on a backpacking trip designed to reinvigorate their relationship discovers a magical town in which everyone is living in a studio musical from the 1940s. They then discover that they can’t leave until they find “true love.” If you love musicals, you'll enjoy catching the clever references to Oklahoma, Carousel, The Music Man, and, of course, Brigadoon, among other classics.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL UPDATE

Have you renewed your PLATO membership?

Current PLATO memberships will expire this week on Saturday, July 31. Renew online now to be ready to take advantage of the wide variety of in-person and virtual courses and events PLATO will offer this fall.

Dues have been reinstated, but remain at the pre-pandemic level of $60 per person.

Renew online now or mail a check for $60 to PLATO, 21 N. Park St., 7th Floor, Madison, WI 53715‐1218. If mailing your check, please let us know if your contact information has changed since June of 2019 and email any further questions to Stephanie Steigerwaldt, PLATO's office coordinator, at info@platomadison.org.

Thank you to those members who have already renewed – we look forward to seeing you at our many offerings lined up for the coming year. 

Print verses Electronic Version of the upcoming Agora

Do you wish to receive a print version of Volume 7 of The Agora (2021)? So far, about 200 PLATO members have requested that we not mail a print copy of the upcoming Volume 7 to them. Many PLATO members are concerned about the environmental costs of printing and mailing. IF YOU SHARE THAT CONCERN, please give this option your consideration.  

Remember that an electronic version of Volume 7 will be posted on the PLATO website. If you want your name added to the list of PLATO members who DO NOT WISH to receive a print copy of The Agora in the mail, please send an email to Stephanie (info@platomadison.org) with the Subject: AGORA. 

FEATURED AGORA WORKS

Each week, we offer for your enjoyment, a featured piece from contributors to The Agora, PLATO's journal of arts and ideas. This week’s selection, Creating Otherness by Fay Ferington, is a poem about cultivating self-awareness around how our small, everyday actions impact the people with whom we interact.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Social Gatherings will resume this fall with in-person breakfasts. 

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS
Suggested readings, films, activities, and podcasts.

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

We hope you’re intrigued by DID YOU KNOW? – our new bi-weekly feature spotlighting arts, scientific, cultural, and other 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).

DID YOU KNOW? Mario Jose Molina-Pasquel Henriquez (known as Mario Molina), Mexican chemist, was the first Mexican-born scientist to receive a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1995 for his role in discovering the threat to the Earth’s ozone layer from chlorofluorocarbon gases.

Visit the Social Justice Webpage to learn more about Mario Molina!

PLATO Weekly Update

July 20, 2021

CURRICULUM

We are gearing up for fall!

As the Curriculum Committee coordinates efforts for in-person and virtual offerings to resume this fall, it's a good time to share PLATO’s Covid-19 guidelines, which follow the CDC’s guidelines, including:

– Vaccinated people do not need to wear a mask in a group gathering indoors, but should if they feel more comfortable.

– Unvaccinated people must wear a mask in a group gathering indoors.

– All PLATO members must follow any and all additional Covid-19 protocols that our Host Locations require.

SPECIAL EVENTS 

Announced just last week, there are a number of "Walks in Dane County" planned through October, occurring twice monthly on various mornings. A list can be found at PLATO's Local Tours page. Simply scroll through the list to find dates and times and click on "Show Details" to find out when registration will open.

PLATO's Lecture series will return this fall. In the meantime, members can access Past Recordings.

THEATER
Take a break from hot summer days by "attending" theater performances from your home through a variety of options on PLATO’s Virtual Theater Trips page.

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL UPDATE

Have you renewed your PLATO membership? 

DON'T FORGET - current PLATO memberships will expire on July 31. Renew online now to be ready to take advantage of the wide variety of in-person and virtual courses and events PLATO will offer this fall.

After a year of free membership, dues have been reinstated, but remain at the pre-pandemic level of $60 per person.

Renew online now or mail a check for $60 to PLATO, 21 N. Park St., 7th Floor, Madison, WI 53715‐1218. If mailing your check, please let us know if your contact information has changed since June of 2019 and email any further questions to Stephanie Steigerwaldt, PLATO's office coordinator, at info@platomadison.org.

Thank you to those members who have already renewed – we look forward to seeing you at our many offerings lined up for the coming year. 

FEATURED AGORA WORKS

Each week, we offer for your enjoyment, a featured piece from contributors to The Agora, PLATO's journal of arts and ideas. This week’s contribution, Aging Acrobat, by Grethe Brix-J. Leer, is a collage about the paradox of aging and life.

SOCIAL GATHERINGS

Social Gatherings will resume this fall with in-person breakfasts. 

SOCIAL JUSTICE EVENTS & READINGS
Suggested readings, films, activities, and podcasts.

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

NEW BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Forgotten – The Untold Story of D-Day’s Black Heroes, At Home And At War by Linda Hervieux (description and review on the Social Justice Webpage).

Launched in June is our new biweekly feature called DID YOU KNOW? – an opportunity to increase awareness of the many contributions in all areas of our community by individuals outside of our mainstream white world. Suggestions for inclusions are welcome (send to ksmichaelis@gmail.com).

DID YOU KNOW? Effie Waller Smith, a black woman with Wisconsin ties, was an early 20th-century poet known for her books of poetry, Songs of the Months (1904), Rhymes from the Cumberland (1909), and Rosemary and Pansies (1909).

Visit the Social Justice Webpage to learn more about Effie Waller Smith!