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October surprise
Years ago I worked in a place where co-workers played pranks on each other, all in good fun. When someone went on vacation, the rest of us might cover every part of their office with aluminum foil or fill it with balloons. The pranksters would await the target’s reaction upon their return. One of our colleagues was in Europe for a couple of weeks and the rest of us tried to figure out how to prank him while he was away. We were at a loss for what to do seeing as we didn’t want to repeat ourselves. I came up with the idea of NOT doing anything. That would be the least expected thing and it would have the effect of making our colleague look over his shoulder, open desk drawers with great care, and otherwise keep on edge just waiting for something to happen. Wouldn’t no prank at all be the best prank? October of an election year is much like this. We wait for the stunner that is going to change everything. Something happens and we wonder, is this it? Is this the surprise? We are within days of a major election and maybe, just maybe, there will be no gigantic spiders falling from the ceiling or fake vomit to avoid. Halloween is going to be a bust this year and for everyone’s sake, I hope the specter hanging over us fades away and that November is not so spooky.
Stay safe and healthy,
Tracy Jacobs
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This is part of a series of interviews with some of our instructors.
Mikita Brottman has been professor of English literature at the Maryland Institute College of Art for the last twenty years. She is also a certified psychoanalyst and a true crime writer. During our recent fall semester, she taught “Prince of the Perverse: The Life and Work of Edgar Allan Poe.” LEARN MORE ABOUT MIKITA
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Securing Maryland's voting process
Monday, November 16 at 10 a.m. via Zoom
Osher at Towson University is pleased to present Towson University professors Dr. Natalie Scala and Dr. Josh Dehlinger to discuss their recent work to secure Maryland’s voting process. Following the 2016 general election and in the weeks leading up to the 2020 general election, election security and the integrity of our election processes have become a prevalent, national conversation. From the 2019 Senate Intelligence Committee report indicating that election systems in all 50 states were targeted by foreign adversaries to the more recent broadened use of, and concern about, mail-based voting because of the COVID-19 pandemic, election security and integrity is increasingly important. This presentation will highlight the research results of the three main thrusts of our work in election security: 1. threat analysis and mitigations of Maryland voting systems; 2. development of effective cybersecurity training modules for election judges; and 3. threat analysis of mail-based voting and COVID-19 related impacts to election security.
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The history of Veterans Day and those who impacted TU
Tuesday, November 10 at 12 p.m. via Webex
The TU Alumni Association and Military Veterans Alumni group will host Osher instructor and veteran Rex Rehfeld for a history of Veterans Day. TU archives associate Felicity Knox ’94 will discuss the impact service members and veterans have had on TU. Learn how veterans who returned to campus after WWII, Vietnam, and the wars in the Middle East have focused their talents on the school as faculty, administrators and student leaders.
REGISTER
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Wine-down Wednesday with Basignani Winery
Wednesday, November 18 at 6 p.m. via Zoom | Registration $10
Join TU alumnus Bert ’74 and his wife Lynne Basignani, owners and winemakers of Basignani Winery in Sparks, MD, for a live, virtual wine tasting. They will share the history of their winery and walk you through a 60 minute experience with tips on tasting and assessment, notes on their wines and food pairing suggestions. Besagnani Wines Needed for the Tasting: Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Elena Rose, Sweet Vidal or Semi-Sweet Vidal.
REGISTER
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Judaism and heresy: the case of Spinoza, Freud, and Tchernichovsky
Monday, November 16 at 4 p.m. via Zoom
TU’s Baltimore Hebrew Institute invites Osher members to join them for a panel discussion of expressions of heresy in Jewish history, thought and literature. The panel will explore the formative role of the figure of the heretic and of heretic thought in the development of the Jewish traditions in the 20th century.
REGISTER
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The CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) was signed March 27, 2020 and allows for a onetime charitable deduction.
- If you take the standard deduction, the CARES Act allows a one-time charitable deduction for up to $300 ($600 for married couples). This is an above the line deduction, thus reducing your total taxable income.
- For those who do itemize their deductions, the new law also allows for cash contributions to qualified charities like Osher at Towson University to be deducted up to 100% of your adjusted gross income for the 2020 calendar year.
- Your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) was temporarily suspended for the 2020 tax year. Despite the RMD suspension, you can still make a gift from your IRA or name Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Towson University as a beneficiary.
We are so grateful for your continued kindness and support during these unusual times. If you have any questions regarding the CARES Act, please contact your financial advisor. Also, feel free to contact Kathleen Hider at khider@towson.edu or 410-704-6287 for additional information.
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In each newsletter, 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 after each newsletter.
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Catch up with us on Facebook
Follow Osher at Towson University on Facebook, where we share relevant, helpful, and fun resources.
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