Join Dr. James Oberly as he uses materials from his recent publication “Budapest Blackout” to take us on a defiant journey into Nazi occupied Budapest using the memories of Mária Mádi (1898–1970).  This Roman Catholic Hungarian physician practiced medicine in Budapest in the 1920s and 1930s and was a single mother caught up in World War II Budapest.  Being stuck in Budapest during the war, she began writing daily using a mix of English and Hungarian, vowing to become an eye witness to horrific events as they unfolded.  She kept this diary to chronicle her everyday life, as well as the lives of her Jewish neighbors, during a very violent period of war, genocide and foreign occupation from December 1941 until she was able to secure an immigrant’s visa to the US in December 1945.   

In this course, we will look at Dr. Mádi's life using excerpts from the diary, so you can appreciate how and when she wrote and her unique ability to use the diary as a coping tool for an imagined correspondence she could not have with her family in the US.  She had lost all contact with her daughter and her family who had moved to the U.S. in 1941 with the United States’ subsequent entry into the war after Pearl Harbor.  Through these excerpts from the doctor's diaries, Jim will help guide us in understanding the Holocaust that was experienced in Hungary in 1944-45, how Jews first lost their citizenship, then their property, then their freedom of mobility, and ultimately, their lives.  It will take you back to what life was like in 1944 Budapest for the Jewish family that Dr. Mádi sheltered and what daily life was like in Budapest through the arrival of the Russian “Red” Army in February 1945, and subsequent imposition of a communist regime.  Finally, we will look at Dr. Madi's subsequent emigration from Hungary to the US, her career as a practicing physician here in state mental hospitals in Massachusetts and Ohio, and her advocacy for humane treatment of her patients in the 1950s and 1960s.

The material for this presentation was provided though the courtesy of the Mádi family who had donated the entire collection of her diaries to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum.  We must never forget.

Instructor:  Dr. James Oberly holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Rochester and is a retired history instructor and seasonal resident of Washington County.  Jim is the editor and led the research team that transcribed, edited, and annotated a selection of Dr. Mádi’s writings into the book “Budapest Blackout: A Holocaust Diary”, published August 2023 by the University of Wisconsin Press.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room Science 102 and via Zoom.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                    IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $20.00 fee.

Important, if you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at this time but are planning on joining SSC as a member today, make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

                 “Medical Aid in Dying and other options in the United States”

Death is not an easy subject to talk about but, as part of our series on “end-of-life issues,” Sunrise Senior College felt that covering this seldom talked about and greatly mis-understood topic was an important issue that should be made available to all our seniors to keep you better informed. 

In 2019 the Maine State Legislature passed the Maine Death with Dignity Act. The Governor signed the bill into law and it went into effect on September 19th, 2019.  It took nearly 25 years of advocation efforts to get this enacted.  Maine residents now have a choice.  In this short session you will receive a brief overview of the history of medical aid in dying, or Death with Dignity, in the United States.  Our instructor will introduce us to the legal and medical perspectives on aid-in-dying and the ethical differences between aid in dying and euthanasia.  During this 90-minute session you will hear and become more familiar with end-of-life terminology, medical practices, and the qualification requirements here in Maine.

You will hear from a Maine family, what it meant to have the option available to them (video), and have an opportunity to ask questions about the process, the medications available, and the future of aid-in-dying laws. The course will also briefly cover Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking (VSED) and other end-of-life options that are now available to you.

Instructor:  Valerie Lovelace, Founder and Executive Director of Maine Death with Dignity; co-author of the Maine Death with Dignity Act; grassroots leader and organizer of Maine’s advocacy effort from 2013 through 2019 passage of the law. Interfaith chaplain and practicing death doula; bedside attendant for medical aid-in-dying patient support.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room Science 102 and via Zoom.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                    IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $15.00 fee.

Important, if you are not currently a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning on joining SSC as a member today.  Make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class. 

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

An obituary can be light hearted and enjoyable to read.  It’s meant to remind people of all the pleasant memories your friends and family shared with you.  When it is read, your wish should be for people to think back on what you meant in their lives.  Good thoughts and good memories are all we can leave to those who will miss us and think about us on occasion.         

Here is your opportunity to absolutely have the last word.  In death, as in life, sometimes the best defense is a good offense and that's why you should write your own obituary.  Otherwise, your memory might be cast by someone who doesn't remember you much -- or well!  Before it's too late, why not take the time to reflect on the memorable moments and people that meant so much to you in your life, then leave a written keepsake?  A good "obit" brings its subject back to life in the minds of readers, so this is your chance to live forever in their thoughts!  Your instructors are a married couple who edited obituaries for the Washington Post, have taken and taught obituary-writing classes and have written obits for their parents -- plus themselves!

Our two-session class with Sharon and Michael will provide you with light-hearted, valuable tips and insights on how to create your own obituary.  Upon passing, this task is often left to people in great distress and can be just another item that, in haste, must get checked off the list of things to do.  Just as you would prepare your will or estate plan and decide how your final wishes should be carried out so as reduce the stress of loved ones having to make these important decisions, it just makes sense for each of us to take a few moments and make sure that what is written is something you would like.      

Instructors:  Sharon Kessler, BA, MPA, was inspired —like many others of her generation — to be journalist because of Watergate. After a start in radio and TV news, she worked in print journalism as a copy editor at the Wisconsin State Journal, the Washington Post and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The “Obit Shift” at the Post was an education in the art and craft of obituaries and planted a lifelong interest in and appreciation of obits long and short.

Michael Dorsher Ph.D., wrote and edited obituaries for United Press International, the Bismarck Tribune, the Wisconsin State Journal and Washingtonpost.com. He taught obituary writing – and every other facet of journalism -- to a generation of students at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls. He has written published obituaries for family and friends.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room Science 102 and via Zoom.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                     IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $20.00 fee.

Important, if you are not currently a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning on joining SSC as a member today.  Make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class. 

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

A look at the history of the land and people in the seven towns that comprise the Dennys River watershed – “Mapping the Dennys River over 9,000 Years”

Join Drs. Tora Johnson Ph.D., James Oberly Ph.D., and Colin Windhorst Ph.D.; along with UM@M graduate Patricia Tilton, in a lively 90-minute presentation on the historical findings on the people, their lives and the land in the seven towns located along the Dennys River.  They will share their insights, observations and encouragement for communities interested in preserving and documenting their own history.  Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and American Historical Association, this two-year project was done with the help of the students from the University of Maine at Machias.  During the presentation you will learn details on the decision-making process that was selected and used in the researching and developing of this report, the mapping technology selected and the lessons learned for anyone attempting to undertake a project of his scope. Attendees will have opportunities to ask questions and learn how this mapping project came to fruition.  Dr. Johnson and her students did extensive field work during the 2022-23 timeframe and then used the latest computer mapping technologies to trace the history of the land and people living in these seven towns that comprise this watershed. 

Instructors:  Colin Windhorst holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Maine-Orono and is the the Program Director for the Dennys River Historical Society, and as such was the Project Manager for the Mapping the Dennys River over 9000 years.  Tora Johnson holds a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Maine-Orono and is the director of the GIS Service Laboratory at UM@M. She and her students did field and laboratory work on the project in 2022-23.  James Oberly holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Rochester and served as a consultant to the project on the population history of the seven towns in the Dennys River watershed.  Patricia Tilton is a database professional and holds a B.S. in Environmental Geographic Information Science. She oversaw myriad technical aspects of the project. 

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room Science 102 and via Zoom.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                     IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $15.00 fee.

Important, if you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at this time but are planning on joining SSC as a member today, make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class. 

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

Basketry is an ancient art that predates weaving and pottery. The baskets of indigenous people have value that is cultural, economic and spiritual.

Before contact with Euro-Americans, basketry techniques were used to make everything from ceremonial vessels and cradles to containers for food and cooking.  After contact, conflicts, and conquest by Euro-Americans, basketry changed significantly.  In the 18th and 19th centuries, Church, state, and federal policies pressured Natives to reject their own cultures. Despite this difficult history, baskets emerged as an art with Indian identity. Baskets are more than containers made of interwoven flexible material. Here is a definition by Terroll Dew Johnson, from the Tohono O’odham Nation in Arizona:

“ ….. a basket is a container or a vessel that holds everything. It is multi-faceted and multi-purpose. It can hold food, it can hold physical objects, but it also can hold memories and spirits as well.”

In this five-part course, Catherine Hunter, a retired museum curator, will introduce highlights of five geographic regions across North America.  The program includes myths, history, ethnobotany, basketry techniques, regional designs, and new artists.  In short videos, a dozen artists will discuss processing  traditional materials, new materials, personal philosophies, and the importance of community.   For example,  Shan Goshorn, Cherokee, tells the story of students at the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania.  Gail Tremblay, of the Onondaga and Micmac Nations, comments on  the false depiction of “Indians” in Hollywood films. Two videos will introduce Molly Neptune Parker (1939-2020) Jeremy Frey who are prominent Passamaquoddy artists in Maine.

Instructor:  Catherine Hunter was a museum curator, educator, and independent museum consultant for over twenty years.  She received her Bachelor of Arts in History of Art from Cornell University and began her career as a curator in the Department of Textiles at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston.  Catherine has a lifelong interest in the connections one can discover while studying art history, science, and culture.  Catherine was a Research Associate for the Native American Basketry Project at the Robert S. Peabody Institute of Archaeology in Andover, Massachusetts.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room Science 102 and via Zoom.  This class will not be recorded.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                    IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $20.00 fee.

Important, if you are not currently a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning on joining SSC as a member today.  Make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class. 

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

Why not join Dr. Eric Jones as we welcome him back to delve into the fascinating biological world of Systematics.  Systa-who??, you might ask?  What’s that?  Well, it’s the study of organism identification, classification, and nomenclature. It is concerned with the evolution of organisms' relationships. The classification of organisms into various kingdoms has all been done using Systematics.

This course will introduce you to the biological discipline of Systematics. Work in this discipline has been used to illuminate the history of life on Earth. The course will include philosophical, theoretical, and practical aspects of the discipline.  Students will be introduced to phylograms - “diagrams that describe the relations among organisms” - including their construction and inferences that can be drawn from them.  During this three-session class you will gain insight into the philosophical and theoretical basis of the discipline, have a brief introduction to the methods of phylogenetic inference and explore the applications of Systematics to the broader discipline of biology. 

Instructor:  Dr. Eric Jones is the Associate Professor of Botany at the University of Maine at Machias and director of the UM@M Herbarium. There he teaches Plant Systematics on a regular (biennial) basis. Phylogenetic inference served as a cornerstone for his dissertation work on the mating systems of flowering plants.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room Science 102 and via Zoom.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                     IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $20.00 fee.

Important, if you are not currently a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning on joining SSC as a member today.  Make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class. 

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

Philosophy is the study and analysis of ideas, arguments and propositions that form the basis of knowledge claims in the arts and sciences. It often serves as a tool in guiding us through the complexities of life, in addition to understanding how ideas influence the ways in which we understand our experiences in the world.  As citizens turn increasingly to electronic sources of learning and communication, it becomes even more essential that they learn to critically evaluate the flow of information to which they are continually exposed. In this regard, Philosophy enables one to objectively discern the effect that concepts have on our development of values and perspectives.

In this one-session presentation, Dr. John Patrick Cleary will take us on a journey to discover how the different branches (subjects of study) of Philosophy can assist us in interpreting reality and truth and, in turn, how questions that originate from reflective/contemplative thinking can help us in furthering our self-knowledge.

Instructor: Dr. John Patrick Cleary has taught students of all backgrounds, ages and abilities. He began his career teaching Philosophy to High School students, (17 years) and then moved to teaching University and Community College students in New Jersey for another 12 years. He received his doctoral degree in Pedagogy and Philosophy from The Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children at Montclair State University. He is currently adjunct Professor of Philosophy at Beal University.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room Science 102 and via Zoom.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                     IMPORTANT:  See Below

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $15.00 fee.

Important, if you are not currently a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning on joining SSC as a member today.  Make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so the we can properly bill you for this class. 

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may occur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College