PLATO Weekly Update

May 21, 2024

CURRICULUM

SUMMER COURSES

– Registration for Summer Courses continues – find everything you need to know on the Courses Page and contact the Course Coordinator to register.

– Choose from 11 Summer Courses with in-person, virtual, and hybrid options.

– Most begin the week of June 3.

CURRICULUM SPOTLIGHT
NEW! Read about what participants of the Writing Workshop were up to at a recent event at the Pinney Library in this brief Curriculum Showcase article. These PLATO members are proof that “Ordinary people truly live extraordinary lives!” 

SPECIAL EVENTS

SPRING WALK
TOMORROW! Wednesday, May 22 at 9am – A Spring Walk in the Woods: Stewart Lake County Park. There are still spots left – registration is recommended. Learn more and register here.

THIS WEEK! Fourth Friday Coffee on May 24 from 9:30-11:30am at the Rotunda Café on Atwood Ave. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea over friendly conversation. Food options are limited but now include breakfast burritos and doughnuts! Feel free to bring a family member or friend who may be interested in PLATO. RSVP via email with Catherine Masi or new co-host Donaby Henton – learn more and find their email addresses to RSVP here.

FIELD TRIP
NEXT MONTH! Join us to tour the new Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras (WYSO) Center for Music on Monday, June 10 from 2:00 – 3:15pm. Located on Madison's near-east side on the site of the old Avenue Bar, this architecturally impressive building has a state-of-the-art rehearsal space for orchestras and ensembles of all sizes, studio teaching spaces for area musicians, administrative offices, and a music library. This tour is free for PLATO members and guests. Registration is required. Learn more and register here.

THEATER TRIP
SAVE THE DATE! Thursday, August 29, 2024. We will be travel via coach for an American Player's Theater production of The Virgin Queen Entertains Her Fool.Watch Tracy Michelle Arnold, Jim DeVita, Josh Krause and Nancy Rodriguez in a wild, theatrical ride through the final hours of a waning queen. Full details and registration information coming soon!

LECTURES
Learn something new with recorded PLATO Lectures offered by PLATO members and special guest presenters.

Election Results for PLATO 2024 - 2025 Board 

The annual election is now completed. Congratulations to President J. K. Cheema, Vice President Jack Mitchell, Treasurer Rod McKenzie, Secretary Edie Urness-Pondillo, and two At-Large Directors Barbara Drake and Baxter Richardson. The PLATO Board is composed of five officers, standing committee chairpersons, and five At-Large Directors. The new Board’s term starts on July 1, 2024. Learn about PLATO’s structure, policies, and more on the Organizational Documents webpage.

THE AGORA FEATURES
PLATO's Literary & Fine Arts Journal, The Agora,
celebrates members’ creativity and diversity of thought

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

This Month's Featured Offering is Lake Monona, a photograph by Julie Pretell which reflects the beauty and intrigue of a crepuscular moment in time.

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

DID YOU KNOW? for May 21 – June 3, 2024 

Garrett Morgan (March 4, 1877 – July 27, 1963) was a prolific inventor who called himself the “Black Edison.” Morgan devised early versions of the traffic light and gas mask. His career began as a sewing-machine mechanic and he would eventually invent a more sophisticated sewing machine which he patented, among other inventions. 

Visit the Social Justice page for more about Garrett Morgan

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).