Wednesday Session 2   

Through hundreds of illuminating slides and graphic commentary, this course explores the Golden Triangle’s most treasured examples of public art, whether in an obvious outdoor location or in an obscure corner inside a building. This virtual walking tour will examine statues and fountains, sculptures and reliefs, parks and plazas, stained glass windows and ornamental motifs, mosaics and murals, architectural features, and historical details.

Canada is on the brink of its 160th birthday and seems to be increasingly in the news. This course will explore the Dominion’s growth through the 20th and into the 21st century. Besides discussions and lectures, members will view archival film and TV footage such as sources like the CBC’s "A People’s History."

This course discusses the origins and buildup to the American Civil War covering the period 1848 to 1861. It examines the interaction of slavery, states’ rights, and the “free soil” movement as critical foundation stones for this conflict and explores many of the key political figures of this era. Among them are Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, and emerging notables such as Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.

We will analyze how the "me decade" transformed into the final phase of the Cold War. Starting in the final months of 1978 and extending through 1979, the period of torpor, malaise, and polyester was replaced by revolution in Iran, near-meltdown at Three Mile Island, tectonic shifts in China, the reworking of the intelligence authority, and the onset of a proxy war between the United States and U.S.S.R. in Afghanistan. Through the use of video, documents, music, and news of the day, this will tell the story of how the 1970s ended before the decade was over.

Characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism, Romanticism as an artistic style emerged throughout Europe and America towards the end of the 18th century. In France, this style is dramatically and emphatically exemplified through the art of Théodore Géricault and Eugène Delacroix. Partially a reaction against the formality and strict rules of the official style of Neoclassicism and in response to the tumult of the French Revolution, Romanticism strove to express drama, action, and exoticism through extravagant effects of color and movement.

Pittsburgh has an incredible baseball history with great players, teams, and historic moments, but few realize that Pittsburgh has often been in the lead in ballpark design and development. We will discuss the nine ballparks that hosted major league baseball in Pittsburgh between 1876 and the present, including the Negro leagues. Historic photographs illustrate design and construction phases, the major changes as parks expanded and aged, and eventually their demolition.

The advent of radio broadcasting in 1920 changed the relationship between traditional media and the audience. Immediate communication with the local community, a reach that soon became national, was made possible. Radio became the dominant source of news, weather, and entertainment in popular culture for 30 years. But when television replaced radio, rock 'n' roll emerged. This is the story of how radio recaptured a listening audience, shaped a generation, and gave birth to the classic era of rock music.

Have you ever wondered how vaccines work? There are quite a few opinions on vaccination in society and media reports and politicians often present misinformation on the function and purpose of vaccination. In this course, we will first present the basics of immunology, then we will address different types of vaccines and how they work. Later sessions of the course will explore the consequences of vaccine misinformation.