|
|
|
|
|
|
Share your pleasure in membership by displaying the WISE decal on your car.
|
|
Class Spotlight: Energy: Sine Qua Non
By Bob Dyer
Energy has become an essential part of our lives. From the oil shortage crises of the 70’s to the long-term consequences of the energy choices we make today, our understanding and use of energy will impact our way of life in the future. Les Blatt developed a very interesting and well-presented co urse on Energy. Les outlined our planet’s current uses of available energy sources, the gradual depletion of non-renewable sources, and the long-predicted global changes that are affecting our planet.
We started out learning about the laws of thermodynamics and how these laws can explain the conversion of energy and mass from one form to another. We learned about Nature’s Energy Cycle, where the photosynthesis process in plants uses the sun’s energy to combine carbon dioxide (CO2) with water to produce sugar and oxygen (O2). We also learned that animals can combine that sugar and oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy (for work), and that this Energy Cycle helps to maintain a balance of CO2 and O2 levels in the earth’s atmosphere.
Converting mass to energy by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) can upset this balance. This process emits CO2, a greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, with the resulting implications for global warming.
The temperature of the earth today has evolved from a balance of radiation heating from the sun and infrared radiation lost to outer space. The greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb some of the infrared radiation, preventing that radiation (and heat) from escaping. If the quantity of CO2 in the atmosphere increases, more of the infrared radiation is trapped, and the average temperature of the earth will increase.
Some possible solutions to this problem are to use renewable energy sources, such as:
- Hydropower, a very limited and expensive resource, which can adversely impact the environment.
- Wind power and solar power, which can only provide intermittent power.
Nuclear power is not a reusable energy source, but the quantity of uranium and thorium available on earth to produce power is sufficient to last at least a thousand years. The problem is the concern about possible nuclear accidents, and the disposal of radioactive nuclear waste. In time, technology may resolve those concerns.
Les Blatt is an experimental nuclear physicist who has used his scientific knowledge and interest in the arts and education to teach a number of courses at WISE.
|
|
Musicians Wanted!
The Assumption College Band (Bruce Hopkins, Director) is a 40-something member group comprised of college students, faculty, alumni, and members of the greater Worcester community. We are delighted to invite any member of the WISE program who plays a Band instrument to join the ensemble. We meet every Tuesday in the Curtis Performance Hall at Assumption from 4:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. No audition is required. The Band plays two performances per semester with our final performance this semester on April 25th at 8:00 p.m.
If there are any questions please contact the Band's Director Bruce Hopkins at bhopkins@assumption.edu.
|
|
Invitation to Research Symposium
By Susan Perschbacher
The faculty and administration sponsors of the 2018 Assumption College Undergraduate Research Symposium are very enthusiastic about advertising this annual event to WISE members. The Research Symposium includes oral presentations as well as poster sessions based on the research of undergraduate students in conjunction with a sponsoring faculty member. Each year this forum takes place in La Maison and in Testa Atrium which are very accessible to WISE members. The symposium sponsors and I believe that WISE members have contributions to make in addressing the young researchers about the nature of their work. I think it is a great way for WISE members to interact with undergraduates and to be impressed with the kinds of research they are doing. When I was a faculty sponsor, I sent some intelligent, enthusiastic and articulate students I worked with throughout the year.
The symposium takes place this year on Monday, April 23rd and Tuesday, April 24th. The presentation sessions take place between 9:00--3:00 both days in La Maison. The poster session takes place in Testa Atrium from 2:00--4:00 on Tuesday, April 24th.
A message from the organizers states: "We'd love to have WISE members join us! They would really enjoy it and our students would benefit from having engaged members of the community asking questions about their projects."
|
|
Class Assistants for 2017-2018 Session D courses
By Elaine Bloom
A very important group of volunteers are the class assistants who keep attendance, pass out evaluation forms, and provide pertinent information to the students of each class. We extend heartfelt gratitude to Bobbi Corn for enlisting and coordinating over fifteen WISE members for this endeavor each session. They are there to help group leaders and class members as well.
D 1 Kathy Drew, for “Thinking for Oneself,” at the JCC
D 2 Bobbi Corn, for “Oscar Wilde,” in Kennedy 119
D 3 Anna Krendel, for “Great Female Artists,” in Kennedy 119
D 4 Eve Rifkah, for “Literary Conceptions/Congo,” in Plourde
D 5 Ruth Sarafinas, for “The Guilty & Innocent,” in Kennedy 119
D 6 Bob Dyer, for “River Restoration,” in Kennedy 119
D 7 David Gilligan, for “Vietnam,” at The Willows
D 8 Deena Madnick, for “Three Female Voices,” at the JCC
D 9 Arlene Handschuch, for “How to Read Art,” at the Worcester Art Museum
D10 Joe Corn, for “The Roberts Court,” in Kennedy 119
D11 Donna Williams, for “All About Trees,” in Audubon Center
D12 Sue Durham, for “The Troubles in Northern Ireland,” in Kennedy 119
D13 Paul Schwartz, for “James Baldwin,” at the JCC
D14 Caroline Heffernan, for “The Merchant of Venice,” in Kennedy 119
D15 Zelda Schwartz, for “Canadian Literature,” in Kennedy 119
D16 Dianne Stoler, for “Why Cold War Wasn’t Hot,” at Southgate
D17 Sandra Hakkarainen, for “What is an American?” in Kennedy 119
D18 Anne McIntosh, for "Tower Hill: A Walking Tour," at Tower Hill
D19 Bobbi Corn, for “World War 1,” at Southgate
D20 Bob Fancy, for “Films of the Forties,” in Kennedy 119
D21 Barbara Groves, for “Gilbert & Sullivan,” in Kennedy 119
|
|
Save the Date
WISE members will receive details from the WISE Office by flyer as time gets closer to the event. This is just a preliminary notice of what a WISE membership offers beyond the popular courses. Also, don’t forget the WISE Movie Club and Book Club!
|
|
|
25th Anniversary lecture with Maria Sirois in Curtis Performance Hall at Tsotsis Family Academic Center
|
|
|
WISE day trip to New Bedford with museums and lunch
|
|
|
WISE 25th Anniversary Celebration on Assumption College campus at Tsotsis Family Academic Center Ballroom A
|
|
|
WISE Annual meeting with guest speaker Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
