True crime

When I first met my husband, we would talk endlessly about all sorts of things as part of the “getting to know you” phase of our relationship. We had a lot of shared interests, and he always made me laugh. We talked about movies, television, books, music, etc. During one phone conversation, he asked me what I thought about serial killers. I thought he was asking me about a musical group called “The Serial Killers” and I didn’t want to appear out of touch, so I asked him what songs they performed. “No,” he said, “what do you think about serial killers? Like Ted Bundy or John Wayne Gacy?” Oh, so that’s what he was talking about! At this point, most normal women would run screaming in the other direction, but I’m no normal woman, so I responded, “I think they’re fascinating.” I could hear the sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. I came to learn that Greg has an extensive library of true crime books and a near photographic memory allowing him to recall victims and their deaths in great detail. Again, this is a cue to run, but I knew better. He was just enthralled. Admit it, you too find serial killers and other examples of true crime completely riveting. It’s human nature. That is why there are hundreds of true crime podcasts out there and why Greg and I watch shows like Dateline and 48 Hours each week. Like millions of other people, we are intrigued not just by the crimes themselves but also by the detectives and forensic teams who solve them. A few years ago, on Valentine’s Day no less, I gave Greg a Hannibal Lecter action figure and “Never Suck a Dead Man’s Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI”, the book by TU professor and forensic anthropologist, Dana Kollmann*, about her years working as a crime scene investigator. I know that right about now you’re thinking that there’s a lid for every pot. What I am thinking, though, is that now you have the chance to hear Dana talk about the tools that crime scene investigators and other forensic scientists use to solve crimes during her October 16 presentation, “Forensics: The Evidence is in”. In fact, missing the lecture would be a real crime.

*Dana Kollmann action figure not included.

Stay safe and healthy,

Tracy Jacobs

Tuesday, October 16
5:30–6 p.m. Welcome Reception
6–8 p.m. Program
Towson University Union
$25 per person*

Are you fascinated by criminal investigations? Have you ever wondered how crimes are solved when there is minimal evidence left behind? Find out what the television shows and podcasts get right (and wrong) about forensic science. Learn about the varied aspects of real-world forensics including the tools and techniques used both locally and abroad. Join Dana Kollmann, Ph.D., and other guests to learn more about the intriguing world of forensics. *Fee includes parking and reception.

Register by September 21.

We are excited to offer members more online course options through the Osher Online program in collaboration with the National Resource Center for Osher Institutes. Each 6-week course is 90 minutes long. Classes meet in the Zoom meeting format and are not recorded. Enjoy high-quality, shared, synchronous courses with Osher members from across the country. Each Osher Online™ course is $80.

• The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla
• From Bauhaus to Brutalism
• The African American Military Experience from Revolution to Civil Rights
• Creative Conservation Impressionism: Color, Light, and Leisure
• Legendary Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes: Tales from the Inland Seas
• The Films of John Cassavetes and Gena Rowlands: Innovation in Filmmaking and Performance
• American History in Six Songs (Approximately)
• Inequality and Economic Policy
• Peeking Inside the Black Box
• Alexander Graham Bell and the Telephone, 150 Years Later
• Public Health in Action: Addressing Stress, Equity, and Solutions
• In Darwin’s Footsteps: A Journey to the Galapagos
• Languages of the World
• The Power of One in Steven Spielberg Films
• Graceful Exits: Exploring Economics, Ethics & Ethos of Death with Dignity
• The Magic of Motown

The Penn Museum in Philadelphia

Friday, October 10
$86 per person
Open to Osher members and guests

Join us for the upcoming trip to the Penn Museum in Philadelphia, where we’ll have a guided tour featuring the museum’s highlights. The Penn Museum is home to over a million extraordinary artifacts and archaeological finds from across the world. After the guided tour, explore other areas of interest in the museum and enjoy lunch on your own in the Museum Café.

The bus will depart from 2801 Smith Avenue, Pikesville, MD 21208 at 8:00 a.m. and will return at approximately 5:30 p.m.

TU Kinesiology Class

Tuesday, September 30
9:30–10:45 a.m.

Each fall semester, Osher members are invited to participate in the Cardiovascular Physiology, Disease Prevention and Rehabilitation (KNES 410) class to meet with students and help them develop their final project topics.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Tracy Jacobs at tjacobs@towson.edu to sign up and to get more details about location and transportation.

Views on aging

Whether or not you participate in the Kinesiology class mentioned above, we would like to hear your responses to a journaling exercise that the TU students complete as a class assignment. We hope you will provide your thoughts in this short survey.

Please take a few minutes to respond to this survey.

TU’s Cook Library and the Center for Student Diversity Invite You to Participate

The Human Library

Wednesday, October 1
11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Towson University Union, 3rd Floor

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.