Tuesday   

Learn about the Federal Reserve and the history of central banking in the United States. Bank staff will discuss the board of governors, the regional reserve banks, and the economy of the 9th Federal Reserve District overseen by the Minneapolis Fed. Topics include monetary policy, bank supervision, and payments processing. The tour includes a visit to the bank's cash processing area, where $90 million in daily deposits and transfer orders are processed for area financial institutions. Be prepared to stroll for 90 minutes. Check in by 9:50 a.m. or you’ll miss the tour. Park at your own expense. All participants must be registered in advance to attend. Waitlisted members will not be allowed entrance. Sign up for one tour. 

Tour 1: June 3

Tour 2: June 10

Tour 3: June 17

The Norse Sagas are medieval stories based on old Norse mythology. These Sagas were written centuries after the Viking era by Icelandic authors. They run the gamut from realistic travel chronicles to sword-and-sorcery. Most are thick with murder and intrigue; some are hilariously witty. Enjoy this amazing excursion into “Dark Age” swashbuckling that continues to profoundly influence modern culture.

This is a brief look at something most of us are ignorant about: the biology and evolution of the origin of life. Why are we who we are? How is human life conceived? How does an egg & a sperm become a fetus? What are the stages of fetal development? What is abortion? No class on June 17.

June 3rd: Merrily Mazza discusses Hammer and Hoe by Robin D.G. Kelley, which examines labor, racial, and social unrest in Alabama during the Great Depression.

June 10th: Morning Session, John Fredell discusses Julian Baggini's How to Think Like a Philosopher: Essential Principles for Clear Thinking.

June 10th: Afternoon Session, 12:30-2:00 pm, James Martin, Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? by James Shapiro. 

June 17th: no class

June 24th: Sherrie Marcy takes on Brian Klaas' Fluke: Chance, Chaos and Everything We Do Matters—a deep dive into the phenomenon of random chance and the chaos it can sow.

June 24th: Afternoon Session, 12:30-2:00, Steve Birch will discuss Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson

Join scholars from area colleges and elsewhere as they share their specialized knowledge and enthusiasm. It’s like hearing your favorite college professors again, without worrying about writing papers or taking finals!

June 3:  Barbie® (The movie, the doll, the phenomenon) with Laurie Ouelette

June 10: The War at Home: Minnesota During the Great War, 1914-1920 with Greg Gaut

June 17: The Kerlan Collection of Children's Literature @ U of MN with Lisa Von Drasek

June 24:  A Look at the Supreme Court Term 2024-2025 with Timothy Johnson

Calling all book lovers! Are you craving something new but feel like you’re seeing the same titles everywhere you look? We’ve got just the adventure for you: join us for a tour of the Twin Cities’ most unique bookstores: Black Garnet, Minnesota’s first black-owned bookstore; Birchbark Books, an Indigenous book haven; Tropes & Trifles, the area’s first romance bookstore; and Milkweed Books, home of the local Milkweed press. We’ll talk with owners & curators about their collections, the heart & purpose of their store, and maybe just find you your next favorite book!