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This course dispels many of the mistaken and popular notions of espionage. As a former CIA and Army intelligence officer, the instructor explains how an operative uses psychological profiling to assess and develop a potential agent. He emphasizes that in agent recruitment, there is no room for coercion, use of female operatives to seduce an agent, or murder.  Hofer describes in detail his training as a clandestine officer and offers real-world examples, highlighting his 40 years as an intelligence professional. He will help remove the cloak of secrecy and show how modern espionage operations are carried out.  Hofer does not reveal any true names, locations or events.  No classified information will be discussed or divulged.  Nevertheless, you will come away with a new appreciation of the world of espionage.

This is a survey of western classical music.  America's early culture was imported from Western Europe. We’ll discuss the development of these musical styles and how America emerged in the 20^th century with its very own unique style.

Centuries before the evolution of Greek city-states and the glory of Greece’s classical age, the lands in the Aegean Sea served as home to major cultures that parallel those of Egypt and Mesopotamia.The Cycladic culture from the Cyclades islands, the Mycenaeans from the Peloponnese, and the Minoans from Crete created very different and distinct artistic styles. From islands to mainland, from warring society to trading emporium, these centers produced art and architecture that embody the characteristics of each separate and distinctly different socio-cultural environment and different from those of their powerful Mediterranean neighbors. From pottery to painting, from walled cities to open air palace complexes, these cultures provide interesting insights into life in the prehistoric Aegean region.

Albert Whitted Airport, one of the few surviving downtown airports in America, has been a waterfront staple of the Sunshine City for nearly a century. Birthed out of an era of optimism and rapid transformation of the aviation industry, the airport today finds itself at a crossroads between heritage and progress in a city with increasingly limited expansion space. This lecture explores the history of the city’s iconic airport, from its namesake aviator to its uncertain future.

"A recent immigrant from the Middle East?a former colonel in the Iranian Air Force?yearns to restore his family’s dignity in California. A recovering alcoholic and add

Chatbots, which are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, can provide medical information, schedule medical appointments, and provide mental health assistance. We will cover voice-activated chatbots, behavioral health chatbots, cancer care chatbots, virtual medical assistants and symptom checkers. Chatbot ethical issues will be discussed, and we’ll close with an overview of chatbot analytics and metrics.

Delve into the history of magicians of the late 1800s. By the start of the 20th century, audiences were eager for new marvels, as early cinema promised action and adventure. Learn how magicians of the time competed for the entertainment dollar with the introduction of blades, chains, bullets and fire into their death-defying performances. Let professional magician Tony Blake be your guide as you explore this exciting era of magic as he takes you through actual magic demonstrations performed in at that time. (Sans the bullets of course!)

This course emphasizes the importance of maintaining control over our lives and our futures through relevant, up-to-date legal documents. Important elements of estate planning and incapacity planning in Florida will be discussed, highlighting recent legislative changes in these areas. The impact of these changes on planning and the need for document updates as a result of these legislative changes will be summarized. Participants will be encouraged to ask questions and engage in dialogue.

This fall, the Explore Florida program takes a close look at transportation in the Sunshine State. We'll explore everything from pirate ships to hot air balloons. Join us as we celebrate Florida with two noted Florida experts who will take you through Florida on steamboat and by rail.

It's an all-day celebration with guest speakers Rick Kilby and Seth Bramson. Kilby will speak about Florida springs and how boats used Florida rivers for transport, and Bramson will talk about Florida railroads—especially Henry Flagler. They're both Florida rock stars, so don't miss this very special day!

Schedule of Events:

• 9:00 a.m. Walk-in registration begins. Coffee and donuts will be available
• 9:30 a.m. Explore Florida Introduction
• 10:00 a.m. Short Talks with Explore Florida Instructors
• 11:00 a.m. Steamboats and Springs with author Rick Kilby
• 11:45 a.m. Break for lunch on your own
• 1:00 p.m. Floridian Member Overview. Preview upcoming excursions and book club events
• 1:30 p.m. Florida Rails with author and collector Dr. Seth Bramson
• 3:00 p.m. Wrap-up/Break

Cost:

• Members: $30
• Nonmembers: $45

While St. Petersburg is famous for being the birthplace of commercial aviation, Albert Whitted Airport also boasted a successful Goodyear blimp base that once played a key role in the city’s promotional efforts. Providing lofty views above the Sunshine City during the Depression years, the blimp was one of the city’s most recognizable figures during the pre-WWII years. From marriages to world records, scandals to celebrities, the blimps wove themselves into the fabric of the region and provided many residents with their first memories of flight. This lecture explores the largely-forgotten history of the airships that once carried the name of St. Petersburg throughout America.

Disruption is taking hold of health care, with major retail pharmacy chains, payers, technology companies and others making their presence felt. In the race to transform care delivery, reduce health care costs and improve access to meet consumer expectations, this is a defining moment. This lecture examines some of the key strategic moves by Amazon, CVS Health, Walgreens, Best Buy, and Walmart and together, we’ll speculate how these strategies may play out in the months and years ahead.

"Take me out to the ball game...Let me root, root, root, for the home team..." Rendezvous with other OLLI baseball fans for an evening at Tropicana Field as the Rays take on the Houston Astros. Members can dine in the CEC Cafe before meeting the Eckerd bus at 5:40 p.m. in the Derby Lane parking lot near the McArthur Physical Education Center on campus for group transportation to the game. Tuition includes game and transportation. Meal at CEC Cafe is not included.

This course will introduce students to the history of calligraphy, and give them experience in writing several alphabets including: Blackletter, Copperplate and Modern. They will learn calligraphy vocabulary as well as the tools and techniques.

See the Supply List here.

Join Bill and Karla Gerczak, Ambassadors for the Atlantic South Region, USA Pickleball Association in this returning OLLI class. Learn how to play a game that combines the elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Pickleball offers the same benefits as regular exercise but with fewer injuries due to the low impact nature of the game. Learn the rules and scoring of the game and delve into basic strategy. Each class will feature instruction followed by guided practice.

This activity requires a signed release and waiver form in order to participate.

This course will provide an overview of Major League Baseball (MLB) through the eyes of a baseball coach of 40 years, who is now one of 90 MLB Official Scorers. We’ll discuss what goes into scoring decisions, and some of the nuances involved in making a decision that has to be announced within 20 seconds.

Uncover your artistic ability and find sources of new inspiration. Even if you have no experience as an artist you can discover the joy of creating and capturing beauty on paper. Pastels are quick, inexpensive and a forgiving medium that requires only a box of colors, a pad of paper and a table and chair. As a newcomer you will be taught all the basic techniques. Subjects will range from simple seascapes to more detailed landscapes, still life, and florals. In time you will find your own unique style. At the end of each class we all look upon the positives in each creation.

For years they were known as The Nine Old Men or The Brethren. But on July 7, 1981, President Ronald Reagan shocked America by nominating little-known Arizona Appeals Court Judge, Sandra Day O’Connor, to the position of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, the first woman in that body’s 192- -year history. Since that historic appointment, three additional women, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan, have been elevated to the court. Some judicial scholars have proposed that adding this feminine touch to the court has fundamentally changed the manner in which the nation’s most important legal issues have been decided. We will look at the backgrounds of the Ladies of the Supreme Court and discuss their impact on American jurisprudence.

For years they were known as The Nine Old Men or The Brethren. But on July 7, 1981, President Ronald Reagan shocked America by nominating little-known Arizona Appeals Court Judge, Sandra Day O’Connor, to the position of Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court, the first woman in that body’s 192- -year history. Since that historic appointment, three additional women, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan, have been elevated to the court. Some judicial scholars have proposed that adding this feminine touch to the court has fundamentally changed the manner in which the nation’s most important legal issues have been decided. We will look at the backgrounds of the Ladies of the Supreme Court and discuss their impact on American jurisprudence.

All of us pay income tax, whether federal or state. We keep records, fill out tax returns, make payments, then rinse and repeat. But what would happen if the revenue source ended? It may seem unfathomable to rid ourselves of a system completely intertwined with our everyday lives. Is it possible to continue funding government agencies, projects, entitlements and employee salaries? Can we afford not to change the current framework? This lecture will discuss how tax began, how it works today, and where it could go from here.

Exploration of Mars continues, as planning for manned expeditions to the red planet mature. The Curiosity rover continues to collect and return data. The Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter have been added in the past two years. The Insight lander is also providing unprecedented information about the interior of Mars. Progress is also being made in the development of transport systems required for manned missions to Mars. The starship under development by SpaceX and the Space Launch System being developed by NASA finally seem to be ready for use. We’ll be discussing all this – and possibly more – throughout this course.

Join Hal Hultman as he breaks down the global economic affairs with his "informative and entertaining" style.

An interactive, discussion-based class, led by Florida travel writer Cathy Salustri, exploring new and different places to visit in the Sunshine State. Topics will include backroads to travel, places to visit, different places to stay, and must-see restaurants, towns, and attractions. Come with your questions! You can also email Cathy questions or places you'd like to know more about in advance of the class at cathysalustri@gmail.com.

Most people know there are billions and billions of stars in the universe. Until 1995, only one planetary system around a normal star like our Sun was known to exist—our own Solar System. Over the past 30 years, astronomers have detected nearly 4000 planets orbiting over 3000 stars! Learn what these worlds are like and what is known about the possibility of life on such spheres.

RPM uses digital technologies to collect medical and other forms of health data from individuals in one location and electronically transmit that information securely to caregivers or health care providers in a different location for assessment and recommendations. Remote patient management is, by intent, about moving healthcare out of the traditional physical setting of health delivery, into the house, and to where people live, work and play every day. Beginning with the smartphone, we will examine a variety of RPM interventions, and consider future applications.

Kayaking in Florida is fun, easy and accessible -- anyone can do it! Learn about different places to paddle in Florida, what makes them worth seeing, and learn what you need to know to go paddling!

During these presentations, we will be answering questions such as: How can the darkest aspects of humanity be portrayed on canvas? What visual language can be used to describe war, dictatorship, death and exile in unprecedented scale? This challenge was picked up by the artists Dalí, Miró and Picasso, who weren’t creating solely from imagination, but inspired by. horrors often personally experienced. The three Spaniards observed their country being torn apart by a civil war (1936-1939), which allowed for the rise of. Dictator Francisco Franco (1939-1975). Fearing for their lives, and along with thousands of their fellow country people, they were forced into exile. Works such as Dalí’s "Soft Construction with Boiled Beans-Premonition of Civil War," Miró’s "Still Life with an Old Shoe," and Picasso’s "Guernica," have also become markers of humanity, timeless pieces synonymous with places where defenseless civilians came under attack.

In recent years, St. Petersburg has become a world-class outdoor gallery featuring top contemporary local, national, and international artists. Produced by the St. Petersburg Arts Alliance, SHINE has created more than 100 murals throughout downtown and the surrounding arts districts since 2015. Come learn about this fantastic aspect of St. Pete with photographer and mural enthusiast Lance Rothstein.

Lance is a native Floridian photographer, now living in Clearwater. A professional photojournalist by trade, his clients have included Time Magazine, The Miami Herald, Sports Illustrated, and The New York Post. Rothstein was also a staff photographer for The (former) St. Petersburg Times, and most recently The Tampa Tribune.

Restore, renew and rejuvenate while learning. Discover why Harvard Medical, the Mayo Clinic, National Institutes of Health, as well as leading health care providers and educators are recommending these practices. Learn how to manage and eliminate pain, supercharge your immunity, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falling, while slowing and often reversing the impacts of aging.

We recommend “Introduction to Tai Chi” and “Introduction to Qigong” ZOOM classes to enhance your understanding of these ancient practices prior to starting series.

This activity requires a release and waiver form (linked here) in order to participate.

Restore, renew and rejuvenate while learning. Discover why Harvard Medical, the Mayo Clinic, National Institutes of Health, as well as leading health care providers and educators are recommending these practices. Learn how to manage and eliminate pain, supercharge your immunity, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falling, while slowing and often reversing the impacts of aging.

We recommend “Introduction to Tai Chi” and “Introduction to Qigong” ZOOM classes to enhance your understanding of these ancient practices prior to starting series.

This activity requires a release and waiver form (linked here) in order to participate.

Restore, renew and rejuvenate while learning. Discover why Harvard Medical, the Mayo Clinic, National Institutes of Health, as well as leading health care providers and educators are recommending these practices. Learn how to manage and eliminate pain, supercharge your immunity, improve balance, and reduce the risk of falling, while slowing and often reversing the impacts of aging.

We recommend “Introduction to Tai Chi” and “Introduction to Qigong” ZOOM classes to enhance your understanding of these ancient practices prior to starting series.

This activity requires a release and waiver form (linked here) in order to participate.

Join some of Eckerd College's Licensed Mental Health Counselors and Interns for a series of workshops aimed toward improving your mind-body-soul connection. Themes within each topic will include navigating life transitions, managing caregiver fatigue, grief and isolation through the perspectives of the mind, body and soul. Each session will include education and strategies related to stimulating, strengthening and nourishing these aspects of your overall well-being.

Join some of Eckerd College's Licensed Mental Health Counselors and Interns for a series of workshops aimed toward improving your mind-body-soul connection. Themes within each topic will include navigating life transitions, managing caregiver fatigue, grief and isolation through the perspectives of the mind, body and soul. Each session will include education and strategies related to stimulating, strengthening and nourishing these aspects of your overall well-being.

Of primary importance when engaging in estate and incapacity planning is the client's understanding of what they are signing. To that end, this course will dive into the differences between essential estate and incapacity documents.

Living Wills vs Health Care Surrogates and Do not Resuscitate Orders, Durable Powers of Attorney vs General Powers of Attorneys, Traditional Wills vs Pourover Wills, Living Trusts vs Wills, and Revocable vs Irrevocable Trusts will be discussed. In addition, the varying types of joint tenancy (methods of owning assets with another person) will be explored. Join us for an informative, interactive session that will provide you with a more detailed understanding of the documents already in your files, or those you are planning to execute.

After decades of planning and construction, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is finally in orbit, producing images and gathering scientific information. Billed as the replacement for the legendary Hubble Space Telescope (HST), the JWST is different in several ways. Its orbit, spectral response, and mirror size and design all required innovations that produced a space telescope which should expand our understanding of a wide range of celestial objects both past and present.

We spend time and money acquiring things from a variety of sources to enhance our lives and then sometimes find that the those very things keep us from taking the next right step in our lives (moving into a smaller safer space, or across country, or aging in place). Our attachment to things can be the obstacle that keeps us stuck. Learn how to begin letting go of things and to begin living your best life. We will look at the STAIR process for downsizing sucess with concrete suggestions to get you moving in the right direction to a simpler, more organized life.

Much has been written in recent years about the reanissance of Jewish Life in Germany which awa primarily caused by a major wave of immigration on the part of Jews from the former Soviet Union. While our lectoure will explore the phenomenon and its consequences as well, we first and foremost want to attempt to find an answer to the question why Jews were coming back to Germany after World War II. What motives could they ahve to return to the "land of the perpetrators"? Join German Historian Anette Isaacs, M.A. as she traces back the long road home that led to a rebirth of Jewish Life in her native country.

This lecture is designed for lifelong learners with a general interest in submarines and their role in U.S. national defense. Discussion, complemented by photography, will include a brief history of submarine development. We will explore how these vessels operate at sea for extended periods very independent of an external life-support system. We will also cover their operational and environmental capabilities and their importance for our national defense. Non-technical in content, this class requires little to no understanding of the scientific or technical aspects of ship design or operation.

This presentation will provide students with an interest in Civil War history, the Navy, or submarines with information on the first combat submersible ever to sink an enemy warship. Buried in the sand off Charleston Harbor for more than 150 years, the Hunley was discovered in remarkably good condition, but a mystery remains as to exactly what caused her loss after successfully engaging the Union warship USS Housatonic. Several theories are examined from forensic analysis of the ship following her recovery. This presentation is complemented by numerous visuals and does not lend itself to remote learning.

Embark on a food journey of delightful Latin American foods, beverages, and desserts from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Puerto Rico. You will learn about some of the most important and delicious Latin American foods that you can experience in the United States and when traveling abroad. After exploring foods, be ready to enjoy the beautiful and diverse sounds of Latin American music (bolero, bossa nova, Latin pop, salsa, etc.). You will learn about the significant singers and popular dances in Latin America and the U.S.

Exploring the geniuses of swing, this course delves into the lives and music of the greatest innovators of big band jazz orchestra—including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, The Dorsey Brothers, and Count Basie, among others.