UH-Clear Lake announces senior program schedule

Since 2002, seniors throughout Bay Area Houston have had the opportunity to learn more about a variety of subjects and socialize with both new acquaintances and old friends through the Clear Lake Association of Senior Programs at University of Houston-Clear Lake, known to many as CLASP. A community outreach initiative of UH-Clear Lake’s Office of Alumni and Community Relations, CLASP provides both educational and informational programs to the local community. 

“Through CLASP, community friends of all ages are invited to enjoy learning about new and varied subjects from a range of presenters including civic and industry leaders, professors, authors and astronauts,” said Charity Ellis, UH-Clear Lake director of alumni and community relations.

The idea for CLASP came from local community leader and university friend Marilyn Lunney. 

“This program was something I had wanted to do for many years and I was constantly talking to folks with this idea,” explained Lunney. “I always have been involved with UH-Clear Lake and when I described my idea to them, they were enthusiastic and CLASP was created. We started with Visions in Our Midst as our first program and, today, CLASP sponsors three different programs.

“Although I developed the idea/program, so many others contributed to its success.”

For 2008-2009, CLASP again will be hosting Visions in Our Midst, a monthly evening lecture series that is on a variety of topics and held in UH-Clear Lake’s Garden Room, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston. CLASP also offers two series of daytime minicourses. For the past few years, CLASP has collaborated with Harris County Precinct Two’s Bay Area Community Center to offer a monthly mini-course at the Center. This year, CLASP is offering a second minicourse at the Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library.

“Since we offer our programs both during the day and the early evening, we have a really good turnout,” said Lunney. “There is no charge to attend Visions in Our Midst or the mini-courses and all of the community is invited to attend.”
The CLASP 2008-2009 schedule is as follows:

Visions in Our Midst (5:30 – 7 p.m.)
* Oct. 2:  “Dolphins: From Black & White to Pink,” presented by UH-Clear Lake adjunct professor Michael Hunt;
* Oct. 16: “Native American Indians & the Velvet Glove: The Indian in the Spanish Empire,” presented by Assistant Professor of History Daniel Haworth;
* Nov. 6: “NASA: 50 Historic Years of Manned Space Flight,” presented by retired space executive Glynn Lunney and those who lived it;
* Dec.  4: “The Science of Happiness,” presented by UH-Clear Lake Associate Professor of Psychology Robert Bartsch;
* Jan. 8:  “Astronaut Training: What it Takes to be an Astronaut,” by NASA Simulation Supervisor Henry Lampazzi;
* Jan. 22: “Texas EquuSearch—Standing Ready to Find the Lost,” presented by Texas EquuSearch director Tim Miller;
* Feb. 19: “Taiwan and the International Education Experience,” by UH-Clear Lake Professor of Management Louis White;
* March 5: “Meteorites & Cosmic Dust: Visitors from Outer Space,” by NASA Associate Curator for Interplanetary Dust and Co-investigator of the STARDUST Discovery Mission Michael Zolensky;
* March 26: “The Iditarod: The Last Great Race on Earth,” presented by Veterinary Specialists Bill Daly and Kyle Brayley;
* April 2: “TV Violence is Good for You,” presented by UH-Clear Lake Professor Emeritus of Communication Jib Fowles;
* May 7: “How to Effectively Protest Your Property Values for Taxes,” presented by Galveston County Tax Assessor-Collector Cheryl Johnson.

Bay Area Community Center mini-courses (Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. – noon)
* Oct. 21: “Guardianship in Texas: How it Applies to Seniors and How You Can Avoid It” by UH-Clear Lake Associate Professor of Legal Studies James Benson;
* Nov. 18:   “Charlie Chaplin: The Tramp,” by local historian Betty Crockford;
* Jan. 20 & 27:  “Memories to Memoirs,” by UH-Clear Lake Associate Vice President for University Advancement and writer/photographer Dion McInnis;
* Feb. 17:   “Wildlife Rehab & Education: Rescuing Injured & Abandoned Wildlife to Improve Their Survival Chances,” by Margaret Pickell, educational director for the Wildlife Rehab & Education organization;
* March 17: “The Patriot Guard Riders: Their Mission for Our Troops,” by historian Richard “Boomer” Ford
* April 21: “Trekking to Mt. Everest’s Base Camp,” presented by trekker Russell Herring;
* May 19: Game Day: Scrabble, Cards and Other Mind Challenges.

Clear Lake City-County Freeman Branch Library mini-courses (Fridays, 10:30 a.m. – noon):
* Oct. 3: “The Mayan Culture ,” by UH-Clear Lake Alfred R. Neumann Executive Director Karen Wielhorski;
* Nov. 7: “Anatomy of an Adverse Event,” by John James;
* Jan. 9: “The Churchill Letters,” a dramatic reading by Walt Hansen, Shirley Wettling and Ron Lohec with the script compilation by local historian Betty Crockford;
* Feb. 6: “Voices from the 1900 Galveston Storm,” by UH-Clear Lake University Archivist Shelly Kelly;
* March 6: “An Overview of the U.S. & Texas Court System and Constables’ Office” by retired Judge M. K. Lunney, Judge Louis Ditta and Constable Chief Phil Sandlin, Pct. 8;
* April 3: “A Lifetime of Writing,” presented by local author Lionel Garcia.
Reservations are requested for all minicourses. For more information or to make reservations for the minicourses, call UH-Clear Lake’s Office of Alumni and Community Relations, 281-283-2021, or e-mail clasp@uhcl.edu.

Top of page

Usablenet Assistive is a UsableNet product. Usablenet Assistive Main Page.