Schemel Forum Courses Set for Fall

During the fall semester, The University of Scranton will offer area residents three evening courses: one that explores female characters in Woody Allen films; one connecting the turbulence of the Trump administration to the Early American Republic; and one on Homer’s life and epic tales and their relevance to day. Sponsored by the Schemel Forum, each course will be taught in six weekly sessions on campus, with beverages and light snacks being served.

Stephen E. Whittaker, Ph.D., professor of English and theatre at The University of Scranton, will teach “The Ambivalent Muse: Woody Allen and his Women.” The class will screen and discuss a half dozen of Allen’s greatest female creations as seen in his films dating from Annie Hall and Interiors to Hannah and Her Sisters and Another Woman. The course will meet in the Pearn Auditorium of Brennan Hall from 6 to 9 p.m. on the following Wednesdays: Sept. 12, 19 and 26; and Oct. 3, 10 and 17.

“A Reconsideration of the Politics of the Founding Generation in the Age of Donald Trump” will be taught by David Dzurec, Ph.D., chair and associate professor of history at The University of Scranton. This class will examine the conflicts that shaped the political scene in the Early American Republic, including the Alien and Sedition Acts and the Sally Hemings scandal, and explore what lessons that past holds for us today. The course will meet in room 305 of the Weinberg Memorial Library from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on the following Thursdays: Oct. 11, 19 and 26; and Nov. 1, 8 and 15.

The third course, “Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey,” will be presented by Harmar Brereton, M.D., who was one of the early supporters of the Schemel Forum and its mission to offer area residents a means to satisfy their hunger for personal fulfillment through holistic education.

“We will review both The Iliad and The Odyssey (Robert Fagles’ translations, both available at Amazon or on YouTube), and in the last class, discuss Homer’s impact up to today with an emphasis on Carl Jung’s psychology,” said Dr. Brereton. “Homer has influenced every writer since, and his influence comes from his understanding of human nature validated in modern psychological thinking.” The course will meet in room 305 of the Weinberg Memorial Library from 6 to 7:15 p.m. on the following Tuesdays: Oct. 23 and 30; Nov. 6, 13 and 27; and Dec. 4.

Area residents can attend any course for $60 per person or $100 per couple; Schemel Forum members attend free. Space is limited and registrations are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

To register, contact Alicen Morrison, Schemel Forum assistant, at 570-941-6206 or alicen.morrison@scranton.edu. For more information on Schemel Forum programs and memberships, contact Sondra Myers, Schemel Forum director, at 570-941-4089 or sondra.myers@scranton.edu.