KACL spring 2018
KINGSPORT (Feb. 27, 2018) –The Kingsport Alliance for Continued Learning will celebrate 25 years of exceptional learning with a series of classes and activities offered this spring, beginning with an anniversary celebration March 13.
KACL in partnership with East Tennessee State University, will offer classes Tuesday through Friday from March 13 to April 20 at the Kingsport Center for Higher Education, 300 W. Market St. Classes are informal, with no homework, grades or tests. The cost of participation is $25, which covers all regular classes.
The spring kick-off continental breakfast and 25th anniversary celebration will coincide with the first class on Tuesday, March 13, at 9:30 a.m. Special guests include former ETSU President Dr. Paul Stanton and Dr. Gene Tinnon, one of the KACL founders and former assistant dean of articulated programs at ETSU.
KACL spring semester classes follow several themes. Security and safety topics on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. include a presentation on current trends in computer hacking and how to maintain security in the digital age by associate professor in ETSU’s Department of Computing Dr. Michael Lehrfeld, as well as an explanation of sovereign citizens by Jerry Stout, a supervisory agent in the Bureau of Operations for the Office of Homeland Security. ETSU Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology faculty members Rebecca J. Marshall and Dr. Chris Rush will also teach classes. Marshall will offer personal security measures to implement into daily life and Rush will provide an overview of the academic department.
Wednesday classes will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a focus on international topics such as “The Glory of the Greek Isles” by Eileen Garner and “Across the Caspian Sea” by Jeff Marek. A special program co-sponsored by the Kingsport Public Library called “Great Decisions” will take place Wednesday afternoons at 2 p.m. covering subjects of international interest such as “Russia’s Foreign Policy” and “China’s Geopolitics.” Participants must sign up at the Kingsport Public Library and purchase the suggested study guide for $22.
Classes with a historical focus will begin at 10 a.m. on Thursdays and include a series on economic world history taught by Donald J. Harreld of Brigham Young University. “Appalachian Roots of Country Music: Beyond the Bristol Sessions” will be presented by Dr. Ted Olson, professor of Appalachian Studies, Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country Music Studies at ETSU.
Health care themed classes will be held Fridays at 10 a.m. Topics include “Myths and Truths about Cancer” by Wendy Vogel, a family nurse practitioner at Wellmont Cancer Institute and “Insurance Reimbursements for Physicians” by Russell Lewis, associate dean for ETSU Finance and Administration. Dr. Christopher Morris of Arthritis Associates in Kingsport will discuss some of the common diseases often lumped together as arthritis. Wendell Potter, a New York Times best-selling author and founder of the reader-funded journalism website Tarbell, will offer a lecture on “The Costs of Medical Insurance” March 16.
Potter will also offer a special evening session titled “Why is Medical Insurance so Expensive?” on Thursday, March 15, at 7 p.m. The evening class is free and open to the public, however registration is required as space is limited.
The KACL was established in 1993 to provide adults, regardless of educational background or age, opportunities to attend stimulating courses, lectures, and special events. To register, or for more information, including a full list of spring 2018 classes, call 423-354-5200 or visit www.kingsportlearning.org. For disability accommodations, call the ETSU Office of Disability Services at 423-439-8346.