TU Osher News & Notes
Zoom Into Summer: Osher Online

It’s a verb…it’s a noun…it’s faster than a speeding bullet! Well, maybe it’s not quite that fast but it depends on your network speed, I suppose. It’s Zoom! A few months ago, I bet only a fraction of our members were familiar with Zoom but now as the pandemic has necessitated online interactions more and more, Zoom has quickly become ubiquitous. This summer, we will have our summer lecture series available, at no additional cost, to current members via Zoom. Ahead of that we will be hosting some brief info sessions to let you get familiar with Zoom if you aren’t already. Many of you have told me that you are already using Zoom. You have Zoomed with friends and family for Passover, Easter, happy hours, and birthday gatherings. You have participated in meetings, book clubs, and church groups through Zoom. You have attended lectures and courses via Zoom. For some of you it is becoming old hat and for others it will be brand new. Online events, meetings, lectures, courses, and the like, can never replace the experience of being there in person. They just can’t. But, they are a great solution in a time when we want our members to stay as safe as possible. While we will miss seeing everyone in person for the next few months, we are looking forward to your participation this summer and fall. We will be announcing our summer lectures soon and fall courses sometime after that. I know everyone is anxious to know what our programming will be. Thank you for your patience while we put together the best online learning program we can. We’ve had to shift gears and learn new things ourselves. Now, the lifelong learners in all of us can tackle distance learning platforms like Zoom while also taking in great lectures and courses. Bonus: you won’t have to worry about finding a parking space!

Stay safe and healthy,

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Tracy Jacobs

Membership renewal reminder

Membership fees directly impact our ability to provide excellent programming and an excellent value to our participants. The 2020–21 membership fee will remain at $50 per person. Included in your membership is the ability to participate in the 2020 Osher summer program, Zoom Into Summer, at no additional fee; a separate email with details regarding the summer program will be sent to members. Membership also enables participation in book clubs, interest groups, and other lifelong learning opportunities. Contact Shelby Jones with any questions at sjones@towson.edu.

Webinar: Zoom Like a Pro

Zoom Like a Pro Webinar tile screen

Our colleagues at Towson University Alumni Relations shared this great webinar from TU alum Dane Houser ’09. Dane is a Zoom customer success manager and shows how to use the Zoom platform for everyday video-conferencing needs.

VIEW WEBINAR

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.

Photo portrait of Hammett from the cover of his final novel, The Thin Man (1934)

Dashiell Hammett: In Baltimore and Beyond with Bill Barry

Dashiell Hammett is a famous author and screenwriter who is almost as complex as the famous characters he created—Sam Spade and Nick and Nora Charles (and Asta, of course). He is credited with inventing the hard-boiled private detective figure. Much of what Hammett wrote about came from his early life in Baltimore where he grew up and started working for the Pinkerton Detective Agency. This lecture will follow Hammett’s triumphs and tragedies, emphasizing the early years in Baltimore. If you’re a movie fan, like detective stories, and appreciate Baltimore history, you will enjoy this tribute to this local guy. VIEW LECTURE

Bill Barry is a specialist in labor history and is the retired Director of Labor Studies at the Community College of Baltimore County in Dundalk. He is the author of “The 1877 Railroad Strike and Baltimore” and “All We Do is Talk Steel: Oral Histories of Sparrows Point”. Bill has given lectures and taught courses at Osher on labor history, history and culture of the 1930s, and the history of slavery.

More lectures

Dust Bowl with Rex Rehfeld

Georges Seurat and Pointillism with Joseph Paul Cassar

The Jersey Boys—Oh What a Night! with Ellen Katz

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

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.

Lincoln Center at Home: Broadway Fridays

Peabody Virtual Concert Hall Performances

National Portrait Gallery Online Exhibitions

The Art of Humility

158 Resources to Understand Racism in America

Tulsa Historical Society & Museum: 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre

We want to hear from you!

Do you have pets keeping you company? Do you have a recipe to show off? Do you have beautiful flowers in your garden? Send us a picture— and tell us a little bit about the photo. 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.

Our weekly newsletter and member engagement activities made it into the Osher National Resource Center newsletter. TAKE A LOOK

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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Towson University, 7400 York Road, Towson MD 21252

osher@towson.edu | 410-704-3535

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