TU Osher News & Notes

What next?

I’m not sure anyone thought we’d be entering week nine of stay-at-home orders, but then again, I don’t think that most of us had imagined a pandemic would shut the world down. Sure, these things happen in big-budget horror or sci-fi films, but not in real life. Until March 2020. The resilience we exhibited then is now being stretched thin. Things that we were once looking forward to are now in the rearview mirror without ever having happened. If they did happen, they appeared through a webcam with the bonus of being able to see up some of the fellow participants’ noses. There are highs and lows, for sure. Some moments, I think, “I got this!” and other moments I’m devastated by a calendar alert for a hair appointment that, like many things has been cancelled until further notice. I have perspective to know that a missed hair appointment is hardly the worst thing in the world. In light of the suffering that many are experiencing, it isn’t even close. We all want a return to some sort of normalcy that allows us to be genuinely disappointed by a missed hair appointment. We want to firmly believe we know what day it is! Having lost track, a news article popped up on my cell phone screen. I truly thought it must be April Fool’s Day, even though it had come and gone. But, alas, word of Murder Hornets arriving in the U.S. was real—whether or not, we truly need to take cover. I was about to shout out, “Fake news!” But instead, I shrugged, “What’s next?”

Stay safe and healthy,

image name

Tracy Jacobs

Images from some Osher members

Don and Lyn Brock have been spending lots of time with their dog, Bramwell.

Don and Lyn Brock have been spending lots of time with their dog, Bramwell.

Sculptures made from recycled materials by Frank Margolis

Frank Margolis has been creating sculptures made from recycled materials. Kachina, Robot, and LKB Sheep

Free online lectures.
No sign-up necessary.

Each week we will have a new lecture for you to view. For some lectures, we will have additional resources that will enhance your experience and we will also have some discussion groups that will require signing up ahead of time. The beauty of these on-demand lectures is that you can view them when you want.

Duck Rabbit illusion

Modernity: Science Dominates with John Spears

This lecture is only available to view through May 28.

This is a lecture from a recently designed course on modernity, defined as 1750 to the present. Here we have "Science Dominates," a survey of developments in geology as a guide to some of the characteristics of modern science, with additional considerations of developments in biology, physics, public health and anthropology, emphasizing Thomas Kuhn's concept of paradigm shift. VIEW LECTURE

John Spears received his Ph.D. in European history from Johns Hopkins University in 1978 and taught sporadically over his varied career, which included working for 20 years as a consultant at Towson University’s Regional Economic Studies Institute. But with retirement came the opportunity of re-firing his passion for history, especially with the “big history” of the world now becoming more popular in the 21st century.

More lectures

Casablanca (1942) and the Films it Influenced with Peter Lev

The Rise of Benny Goodman with Seth Kibel

Holocaust Remembrance: Connecting Memory and Responsibility with Jon Aaron

From the Blog

Old Bay

This week we're featuring a blog post from our colleagues at the Regional Economic Studies Institute.

The economics of Maryland’s favorite flavor

Old Bay is ubiquitous in Maryland, where the oh-so-special seasoning has found its way into everything from ice cream to beer. We delve into the economics and history of Old Bay. MORE

Weekly resources you may enjoy

Each week, we'll be sharing online resources that may be useful to you while we are all social distancing. We've compiled all links in a Facebook Note, which we update each Thursday.

Maryland Historical Society: One More Return to Hutzler’s and Howard Street

Asian Arts & Culture Center at TU and Central Baltimore Partnership present: Asia North 2020 Tradition-Memory-Transformation Exhibition

Swans for Relief: Performance by American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland and 31 Other Ballerinas from around the World

• May 16 and May 17 at 8 a.m. Indian Standard Time: Dalai Lama’s Live Webcast: Nagarjuna’s “Precious Garland”—English Translation

How Bullwinkle Taught Kids Sophisticated Political Satire

• May 20 at 7 p.m. EST: The Stoop Storytelling Series—Virtual Mayoral Show

We want to hear from you!

Do you have pets keeping you company? Send us a picture—tell us their name and a little bit about them. We’ll share some responses in an upcoming newsletter and on our Facebook page. Bonus if you’re also in the picture! Email us at osher@towson.edu.

TU Osher staff

Catch up with us on Facebook

Each day this week, we've been sharing on Facebook how the Osher at Towson University staff are dealing with life under quarantine. Follow us on Facebook to see their selfies and find more helpful and fun resources.

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osher@towson.edu | 410-704-3535

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