Academia Hernando
Spring 2025 Lecture Series / Excursion
When
The series begins Friday, January 10, 2025
at 10am
Where
The Welcome Om Center
4260 Lake in the Woods Drive
Spring Hill, FL
Cost
$ 90
Lectures begin promptly at 10:00 AM and lasts for 2 hours. There is a 15 minute intermission.
How to Register
Print the registration form below and mail with your check for $90 payable to Academia Hernando, Inc.
and mail to:
​
Ramona Des Lauriers
15417 Sunora Dr.
Brooksville, FL 34604
Important: The Registration Form must be included with your Check.
Your cancelled check is your receipt.
Spring 2025 Registration Form
Spring 2025 Presentations
Beatlemania: The Fab Four in 1964
Friday
Jan. 10 - 10am
Where were you in back in 1964? Join us for a nostalgic look at a time when we
were all “younger, so much younger than today,” during that Fab Year of 1964,
when Beatlemania conquered the world. It was a Sunday night, February 1964,
with over 73 million Americans tuned in. Then with a single sweep of his arm, Ed
Sullivan announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles!” After that moment,
the world was never quite the same ever again.
With millions of screaming teen-aged girls, the Beatles charted all top 5 of
Billboard’s best-selling songs, and 14 of the Top 100. In 12 months, the Beatles
sold over 100 million records. The Beatles released six albums in 1964, an
accomplishment unheard of in the music world. Then, all six reached #1 or #2 in
the album charts. Of course, the albums that were #2 on the charts were
blocked from being #1 by another Beatles album.
We’ll have plenty of music videos to share with you on this Magical Musical
Tour of crazed frenzy at every stop of their 1964 world tours. Memories of
manic young ladies rushing the concert stages, hiding in hotel rooms, waiting to
see the Four Lads from Liverpool at the airport. You’ll see video clips from the
first Beatles’ movie, A Hard Days’ Night. Reminisce about where you were and
how you reacted to the Fab Four in that fab year of 1964. Many great memories
of their many great songs. We will discover the Beatles’ legacy and their
relevance in the 21 st century, including the most recent Beatles song from 2023.
A splendid time is guaranteed for all!
Presenter Bio:
Michael Hayes
Michael Hayes, with a BS from Purdue University and an MBA from Lehigh
University, spent 40+ years in the food industry with companies such as Kraft
Foods and ConAgra Foods. He has been an OLLI-USF instructor for the past 4
years and recently received an OLLI Award of Excellence. As a Baby Boomer, he
specializes in courses on pop culture topics. With his collection of Beatles
original vinyls from back in the day, he feels very fortunate that his teen-age
years coincided with the height of the Beatles popularity, 1964 – 1970.
Alfred Hitchcock-The Master of Suspense
Friday
Jan. 17 - 10am
A fun filled look at the films, television shows, and interviews of famed director Alfred Hitchcock. A prankster off screen as well, Mr. Hitchcock loved to take viewers on a wild ride indeed, including his legendary cameos in every film!
Presenter Bio:
Jason Fortner
Bio to come.
The Challanges of Growing Older
Friday
Jan. 24 - 10am
How does your brain change as you age? How do these changes affect your cognition and especially your memory? We will discuss ways to compensate for those changes and improve your memory. We will also discuss the difference between normal aging and dementia and identify ways to reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Finally, we will consider ways to enhance the quality of our lives as we grow older.
Presenter Bio:
Dr. Charlie Morris
I retired from Denison University in 2000. Since then, I have written/presented
papers on (1) The Invalidity of the FCAT (Florida) and ISTEP (Indiana) for Assessing
School Quality and Teacher Effectiveness, (2) Aging, Memory & Alzheimer’s, and
(3) In Search of a Satisfying & Meaningful Life in Retirement. I have also taught in
the Semester at Sea Program sponsored by the University of Virginia on three
occasions (2009, 2011, and 2013). Currently, I teach a course in USF’s Lifelong
Learning Program.
Florida's Spanish Shipwreck History: A Survey of Treasure Salvaged off Florida's Coastline
Friday
Jan. 31 - 10am
A history of incredible Spanish shipwrecks that have been salvaged off the Florida coastline. Surprises are in store for everyone!
Presenter: Daniel Frank Sedwick
Daniel Frank Sedwick is is a full-time dealer specializing in the colonial coinage of Spanish America as well as shipwreck coins and artifacts of all nations and founder and President of Sedwick & Associates, LLC. Daniel Sedwick has been a licensed Florida Auctioneer since 2007. In addition to publishing several online and auction catalogs per year, Mr. Sedwick is a regular vendor at major international coin shows in the US, including NYINC, FUN, CSNS, ANA, and USMEX. Until early 1996 Daniel worked in partnership with the late Dr. Frank Sedwick, who began the business in 1981 and became known as a pioneer in the field of Spanish colonial numismatics with his book The Practical Book of Cobs. The fourth (2007) and third (1995) editions of this well-known book were authored and co-authored by Daniel, who is also a contributing editor for Krause-Mishler’s Standard Catalog of World Coins “century editions” and The Numismatist (the monthly magazine of the American Numismatic Association) and the author of several articles. In addition he has been the editor for several important books in the field including: Roberto Mastalir's The Great Transition at the Potosí Mint 1649-1653 Volumes I-V (2015-2023); the second edition of Emilio Paoletti’s 8 Reales Cobs of Potosí (2006); Jorge Proctor’s The Forgotten Mint of Colonial Panama (2005), and Krause-Mishler’s Spain, Portugal and the New World (2002). Daniel is a member of the American Numismatic Association, American Numismatic Society, Florida United Numismatists, Professional Numismatists Guild, and is the current President of IAPN (International Association of Professional Numismatists) and a member of the Boards of Directors for NYINC and USMEX. He holds a B.S., cum laude, in Physics and Russian, from Duke University (1989)
Make History Come Alive
Friday
Feb. 7 - 10am
Corrie ten Boom was the first female watchmaker in Europe, but that’s not what
she was known for. During WWII she and her family hid over 700 Jews and Jewish
sympathizers in their home and helped them escape the horrors the Nazi planned
for them.
Corrie, her sister, Betsy and their father were eventually caught, sent to prison
where her father died, and to a concentration camp where her sister died. Corrie
was released and told her story all over the world of intrigue, pain, suffering and
forgiveness—all through God’s strength!
After the presentation, “Corrie” will answer questions, remaining in character as
Corrie ten Boom in 1979.
Can you imagine hospitals with dirty sheets and bandages? Surgical instruments
not sterilized from one patient to the other? Or cesspools of water used on
patients? All these conditions and more were common before Florence
Nightingale felt a divine calling to make radical changes in the nursing
profession.
Dee Collier will be joining us as a living historian today, presenting the life of
Florence Nightingale in full costume. She will answer questions after the
presentation, staying in character as if it were still 1895. Be prepared to transport
yourself back to the 1800’s!
Presenter Bio:
Dee Collier
Dee Collier is a former elementary school teacher who loves drama and history. She believes that people of all ages need to know of these incredible lives that have changed the world. Corrrie ten Boom for the first presentation, costume change, then Florence Nightengale.
Funny Business-Masters of Stand-Up Comedy!
Friday
Feb. 14 - 10am
From the absurd to the whimsical, the ironic to the incongruous, stand-up comedians-each with his or her personal voice, quirks, and view of life-both make us laugh and inspire us to notice things we never acknowledged were there. Learn more about our most innovative stand-up comics and enjoy memorable stand-up moments from Bob Newhart, Jackie Mason, Carol Burnett, Vaughan Meader, Alan King, Flip Wilson, Rich Little, Joan Rivers, George Carlin, Mort Sahl, the Smothers Brother, Ellen DeGeneres and more. J
Presenter Bio:
Joy Katzen- Guthrie
Joy’s worship services, concerts and 13 published recordings are dedicated to joy, healing and creativity. She has served as Music Director and composer/pianist/vocalist for Unity of Today from 1995 to 2005, Unity of Palm Harbor from 2005 to 2024, and has been a frequent guest worship and music leader for Unity and other congregations throughout Florida and beyond. A Jewish congregational Cantorial Leader and Artist/Scholar in Residence since 1985, she has served High Holy Day and part-time pulpits with Florida reform and conservative congregations in addition to guest worship and concert appearances. Since 2021, she has been accompanist and music specialist for Temple Ahavat Shalom of Palm Harbor and since 2019, programmer/host of Tampa Bay’s longtime (44 years) community radio broadcast, The Sunday Simcha on WMNF 88.5 FM. For 25 years (since 1999) Joy has been an instructor for Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel) and OLLI—Osher Lifelong Learning Programs for Eckerd College of St. Petersburg (She is the longest-serving member of Eckerd’s lifelong learning team) in addition to other learning series for decades.
Since 2020, Joy has served the Palm Harbor Historical Society and Museum as Administrative Associate/Programmer, producing the museum’s monthly virtual and on-site historical and cultural programs, bringing presenters to the museum and promoting the museum and its programs through social networks, the museum website, and news/video platforms.
Between 2000 and 2008, Joy developed and served as as Scholar in Residence for Jewish Heritage Tours to China and Turkey in addition to developing heritage tours to Cuba, Alaska, Argentina, and Australia/New Zealand. A contributing writer to Encylopedia Judaica, her photographs have been published globally.
World Heritage Sites in China
Friday
Feb. 21 - 10am
China has 59 World Heritage Sites listed by UNESCO, and ranks #2 after Italy (which has 60). They range from the historical Forbidden City (Palace Museum) in Beijing to the natural Stone Forest in Kunming. Kun will present a virtual tour of many of these World Heritage Sites, including several he recently visited in Xiamen, Quanzhou, Hangzhou and Beijing. He will also present on the multi-ethnic province of Yunnan where he was born
Presenter Bio:
Kun Shi
Kun Shi is a recent retiree from USF and remains an instructor for OLLI-USF. With a graduate degree in cultural anthropology, he worked as a program director for the USF World and OSU Chinese Flagship Program. He also works for the Sister Cities Association of Sarasota.
The Immune System: Will We Survive Foreign Invaders?
Friday
Feb. 28 - 10am
Our survival depends upon an elaborate network of defenses that keep foreign materials from entering our bodies and causing damage. Defenses of the immune system include body barriers, immune cells, antibodies and chemicals. The immune system offers us not only protection but memory of previous exposures.
Presenter Bio:
Dr. Linda Young
Bio to come.
Bus Excursion
Friday
Mar. 7
To Be Announced
