Monroe Courses
These classes have been completed. The Fall 2019 schedule will be updated when registration opens.
Monday Classes
Hands-on with Google Photos
See how effortlessly your lifetime of photos can be backed up, organized, easily accessed, and then shared using Google Photos from any authorized device connected to the internet. It’s fabulous, it’s free, and it’s fun. Note: Students will need a Google/Gmail account and password and should bring a laptop, tablet, and/ or smartphone to class for hands-on experience using Google Photos.
Class text (optional): Mrs. Geek’s Guide to Google Photos, 2nd Edition: Your Lifetime of Memories Effortless and Free (Amazon).
Instructor: Robin Seaver spent her career teaching basic computer skills from mainframe computers to today’s smartphones and tablets.
5 Mondays: April 1–29; 9:00–10:15am
Location: Ohio Living Mount Pleasant, Chapel
Ruining What Was Very Nearly Perfection: Conrad Richter’s The Fields and Revision
Conrad Richter’s The Fields is the second novel in his Ohio trilogy. Richter himself called it his best work. The novel describes the “woodsie” Sayward Luckett’s married life with “Bay State Lawyer” Portius Wheeler following their shocking marriage and the development of their community into a prosperous town. Learn the complicated story behind the multiple editions of the novel and their subsequent reception by the public. The course instructor will draw on her archival research at Princeton University’s Special Collections Library as well as the Harry Ransom Center to explore The Fields’s publishing history. Although having read The Trees is helpful, it is not necessary for participating in this course.
Class text: The Fields, publisher: Ohio University Press (1991, now out of print) ISBN 10: 0821409794, ISBN 13: 9780821409794, or the Chicago Review Press edition, paperback: 304 pages, series: Rediscovered Classics (Book 2), Reissue edition (November 1, 2017), ISBN-10: 9781613737422, ISBN-13: 978-1613737422.
Instructor: Marianne Cotugno, Associate Professor of English, has published on 20th century American literature, writing, and pedagogy, and loves offering ILR classes.
5 Mondays: April 1–29; 10:45am–noon
Location: Ohio Living Mount Pleasant, Chapel
Energy Development – Exploring Consumer Responsibilities
Energy consumers are being challenged to assume greater responsibilities for controlling their energy costs. Many are looking at new demand-side management technologies, on-site generation, community aggregation, and utility sanctioned customer choice projects. This course will explore the variety of program offerings available and help participants as they make decisions on home, farm, and small business energy use.
Instructor: Dale Arnold is Director of Energy Services for the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation (OFBF). He has over 25 years experience managing education, community outreach, and technical assistance projects addressing energy generation, transmission, and distribution issues.
5 Mondays: April 1–29; 1:00–2:15pm
Location: Ohio Living Mount Pleasant, Chapel
Healthy Aging: What Does it Look Like?
Each week we will have professionals in medicine discuss topics that have been headlining the news media. If you want to know what healthy aging looks like and what we can do to stay on the right track, come and join us.
April 1–Rheumatoid Arthritis: Signs, Symptoms, and Causes–Diana Girnita, MD, diagnoses and treats adult patients for a wide array of inflammatory musculoskeletal issues and autoimmune conditions, commonly referred to as rheumatic diseases. With a clinical training background in immunology, internal medicine, and cardiology, Dr. Girnita provides a comprehensive perspective on treating rheumatic diseases.
April 8–Stem Cells: Sources, Types, and Uses–Dr. Atiba Jackson is a Board Certified Orthopedic Sports Medicine Specialist who has worked as a team physician for the Detroit Lions, Western Illinois University, and Southeastern Iowa Community College. He is certified through the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery.
April 15–Hand Arthritis: Understand your Hand Pain–Board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery, Dr. David Martineau specializes in hand and upper extremity surgery as well as microsurgery. He takes special interest in treating ailments from the fingertip to the elbow. He began practicing hand surgery in Phoenix, Arizona, and in 2006 received the Michigan State University-Flint Area Medical Education Award for Resident Teacher of the Year.
April 22–How to Alleviate Back Pain Without Surgery–Susan Trotter-Jones, PT with Home Care By Black Stone.
April 29–Slowing Down the Aging Process with Exercise–Meghan Johnson, COTA with Fountains Transitional Care Center.
Coordinator: Kate Hackney has helped seniors across the Cincinnati area to age in place by connecting them to the right services and support they need in their homes.
5 Mondays: April 1–29; 2:45–4:00pm
Location: Ohio Living Mount Pleasant, Chapel
Wednesday Classes
Around the World in 80 Minutes with Mt. Pleasant Foodies
Chef Eric’s lectures, demonstrations, and recipes will feature foods from France, Italy, Germany, Greece, and Asia. Special emphasis will be on locally sourcing meats and produce that are heart healthy. Classes will be interactive and hands-on with participants preparing a recipe each session. Eric will share his substitution lists as well as his “chef hacks.”
Instructor: Eric Yung is an honors graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in Santa Fe, Maine, and New York City. He was the Executive Chef and Director of Catering at Miami University and the corporate Food and Beverage Director for the Five Seasons Corporation. Currently, he is the Director of Culinary Services at Mount Pleasant.
5 Wednesdays: April 3–May 1; 3:00–4:20pm
Location: Ohio Living Mount Pleasant, Activity Building
Thursday Classes
Mind Fit
Join us for a fun and interactive five-week course to improve cognitive functioning. Just like the body, the brain experiences changes in structure and function because of aging. Studies have shown, however, that you can delay age-related cognitive decline and reduce the risk of neurocognitive disorders by adopting healthy lifestyle behaviors. Mind Fit is designed to boost brain health through activities engaging the seven areas of well-being: cognitive stimulation, coping skills, social ties, sensory stimulation, recreation, and exercise and diet.
Instructor: Tonya See has been active in business development in the medical, dental, and home care fields for over 15 years and is a certified Mind Fit instructor.
5 Thursdays: April 4–May 2; 9:00–10:15am
Location: Ohio Living Mount Pleasant, Chapel
More from Mound on Atomic Energy, Nuclear Management, and the Cold War
This course will describe some diverse activities ranging from work at NCR on Codebreaker efforts in World War II to nuclear technology missions at Mound Laboratory and other nuclear weapons facilities in the Cold War era. The unique properties and various applications of radioactive materials will be covered as well as efforts made by the Department of Energy to rehabilitate former nuclear sites to provide new industrial and commercial roles in the 21st century.
April 4–Cold War Dayton and Mound Laboratory–Mandy Askins is the Site Manager and Project Manager for Dayton History at the Mound Cold War Discovery Center in Miamisburg. She studied Cold War U.S.-Soviet relations history at Wright State and has been working in the museum and education fields for over 10 years.
April 11–Dayton Codebreakers During World War II–Steve Lucht is the Curator at Dayton History. He has 14 years of experience in the museum field, nearly 12 of those with Dayton History.
April 18–Managing the Legacy of Former Cold War Weapons Production Sites–In 2016, Sue Smiley became the manager for the Fernald Preserve and the privately owned Mound Business Park. During her 28 years with the Department of Energy, she worked in design and execution of environmental cleanup at the four closure sites in Ohio.
April 25–Calorimetry Development and Applications at Mound Laboratory–Bill Rodenburg was at Mound from 1967 to 1993 and was the Group Leader for development of calorimeters in the Department of Energy Nuclear Weapons Complex. He also taught math, chemistry, and physics, and served as a consultant to the United Nations.
May 2–Radioactive Isotopes: Their Properties and Diverse Applications–Robert Bowman worked at Mound Lab from 1969 until leaving as a Science Fellow in 1984. He has held positions at three aerospace organizations and at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Coordinator: Dave Balsmeyer was a Construction Project Manager at Mound from 1965-1994.
5 Thursdays: April 4–May 2; 10:45am–noon
Location: Ohio Living Mount Pleasant, Chapel
Afternoon Lectures
The Afternoon Lectures provide an opportunity to hear about the experiences of interesting people through their incredible stories. There’s always something new and fascinating to learn!
April 4–Celebrating the Magic Connections with Movies–Lori Shutrump has 30 years of professional experience in the healthcare industry, including corporate wellness, community health education and programming, pharmaceutical sales, CCRC activities, marketing, and admissions. She is a Turner Movie Classics fan!
April 11–Hayes Presidential Library–Marie Paulson has worked both as an English teacher and librarian. She worked for 13 years at the Rutherford B. Hayes Museum and Presidential Library.
April 18–Telling Time: Have We Forgotten How to Do It?–Dennis Wittman is a retired attorney with an interest in how technology has impacted our ability to keep track of time accurately.
April 25–1800’s Medicine: Bleed, Blister, and Purge–Kathy Creighton is the Executive Director of the Butler County Historical Society.
May 2–The History of the Atomic Bomb–Carl Bishop is a chemist who has spent 32 years working in the nuclear industry. He is also a professor at Miami University.
Coordinator: Lois Philips is a retired Miami University administrator.
5 Thursdays: April 4–May 2; 1:00–2:15pm
Location: Ohio Living Mount Pleasant, Chapel
Hands-on with Google Drive, Docs, Sheets, and Forms
Do you need to type a letter or minutes for a meeting? Google Drive and Docs do the job. What about making lists? An inventory of your stamp collection or a copy of your falling-apart paper address book? Sheets has you covered. Google Forms is great for gathering information whether planning a potluck dinner or a reunion with far-flung relatives.
Note: Students will need a Google/Gmail account and password and should bring a laptop or tablet to class for hands-on experience using Google Drive and associated tools.
Instructor: Robin Seaver spent her career teaching basic computer skills from mainframe computers to today’s smartphones and tablets.
5 Thursdays: April 4–May 2; 2:45–4:00pm
Location: Ohio Living Mount Pleasant, Chapel