Ain’t the beer cold!

The pre-season baseball gods did not predict the banner year that the Baltimore Orioles have been having this year. Against odds that were mightily stacked against them, the hometown Os are on top of the American League East while perennial favorites, the Red Sox and the Yankees, are sitting close together at the bottom of the standings. As I write this, the Orioles’ record is 94 wins and 56 losses for an enviable .627 win percentage. While it wasn’t necessary to clinch the AL East and make the playoffs, their recent four-game series against second-place Tampa Bay was potentially a do or die situation for the team’s playoff chances. Losing the first two games of the Tampa series induced nail biting among fans like me. I’m not able to tune into Orioles games because I no longer have MASN-TV, but I’ve managed to attend a few games this season and catch a few more on television while out and about. I’ve seen about 7 games this season either in-person or on TV. The Orioles lost 6 of those 7 games, including one of those recent Rays-Orioles games. For the next two games of the series, I did what I had to do. I refrained from watching them from the first pitch to the last, and I even avoided checking the score online, lest that have a negative effect. It was the least I could do to help bring the Os this far and I’ll do it again if that’s what it takes. Go Os!

Stay safe and healthy,

Tracy Jacobs

Remembering Jackie Gratz

Friday, November 10 at 3:00 p.m.
South Campus Pavilion, Towson University

Please join Osher at Towson University for a service to celebrate the life of Jacqueline Gratz, director from 2003 to 2017.

Please RSVP by clicking on the link below

Classical Washington: Greece & Rome in the Art and Architecture of DC

Wednesday, September 27 at 8 p.m. EST on Zoom
Free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Washington, D.C., is a city like no other in the United States. A Greek Doric temple (the Lincoln Memorial) sits at one end of the city’s central forum (The Mall), housing a colossal cult statue (Abraham Lincoln). A Roman triumphal arch monumentalizes the front of the main train depot (Union Station). Roman equestrian statues stand amidst circular plazas, celebrating victorious American generals (Andrew Jackson in Lafayette Plaza). This talk explores the role of Greek and Roman art and architecture in the planning, building and decorating of America’s capital city.

Elise A. Friedland is Associate Professor of Classics and Art History at the George Washington University. She has published two co-edited volumes, The Sculptural Environment of the Roman Near East and The Oxford Handbook of Roman Sculpture, and a monograph, The Roman Marble Sculptures from the Sanctuary of Pan at Caesarea Philippi/Panias (Israel). In 2013, Dr. Friedland was awarded GW’s Bender Teaching Award and the Archaeological Institute of America’s National Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award. She received a National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholar Fellowship for her current book project, Classical Washington: Greece & Rome in the Art and Architecture of D.C.

Seeking Osher Student Participation

Cook Library and the Center for Student Diversity invite you to participate in our Human Library Event on Wednesday, October 25, 2023 from 11:00am - 3:00pm on the 3rd floor of Towson’s University Union.

What is the Human Library? The Human Library is a conversation event, where people act as books with titles like: Muslim, Gay, Republican, Alcoholic, Lesbian, ADHD, Lower income, Transgender, etc. Essentially, people become a library of human beings! Books are checked out by readers for about 30 minutes so they can learn from one another. Ultimately, the event hopes to challenge societal prejudices and to bring a better understanding of community to everyone involved. We want to show the world, “don’t judge a book by its cover!"

Ready to participate in this year's Human Library? Volunteer to be a book or Register to be a reader.

January 26, 2024 – February 1, 2024
Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, Mexico
Price: $2,795 per person*

Join fellow Osher students, TU alumni, and TU Retired Faculty members for a trip to Mexico.

Witness a spectacular natural phenomenon unlike any other: hundreds of millions of Monarch butterflies at their overwintering grounds in the mountains of southern Mexico. Stand amid the fir-covered mountains and witness this awe-inspiring spectacle firsthand as the Monarchs flutter, dip, and swoop overhead. With three full days at sanctuaries within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, you will have the opportunity to see Monarchs in staggering quantities: on the roosts in the early morning, in flight at midday, feeding on wildflowers, and watering at streams —so many at once that you hear the humming of their delicate wings and sense them as they touch down on your shoulders or hats. On this unforgettable learning adventure, you’ll also spend time in the colonial town of Angangueo and the massive ancient Teotihuacán complex, exploring Mexico's rich history and culture. Join our small group experience, led by experienced naturalists and local guides.

*Includes: Activities and meals mentioned in itinerary, all tips, bottled water or water refill station during transfers, carbon offset, full-time guide, and a private transportation and driver.

Support Osher at Towson University. Your tax-deductible contribution helps to provide a rich experience for our members and a vibrant, affordable program for years to come.

Donate online through the link below. If you prefer to donate by check, please make check payable to “Towson University Foundation, Inc.” and note Osher fund in the memo line. Mail to: Towson University Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 17165, Baltimore, MD 21297-0219.

If you would like to honor a friend or loved one with a donation in their memory, please consider supporting Osher at Towson University with a gift to the Osher Excellence Fund.

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