PELLA — Central RED Society offers an impressive schedule of programs for this fall that are open to the public. Details about each event are available at central.edu/red.
The fall classes begin on Thursday, Aug. 13, with Kristin Siewert, retired Central College biology lecturer, presenting, “Monarch Butterflies.” Siewert will discuss monarchs, migration, restoration efforts and student-faculty led research studies. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Dave ’61 and Ardie Sutphen ’64 Common Room, Graham Annex. Cost: $15, includes meal.
History lovers will want to join “Stories from World War II” when Harry Smith ’73 will interview Pam Wood, who lived on the Isle of Wight and was six years old when WWII began, and Tom De Vries, who lived in Dokkum, Friesland, in the Netherlands during the war. The program on Wednesday, Sept. 9, begins with dinner at 5:30 p.m. followed by the presentation at 6:15 p.m. in the Harry and Bernice Vermeer Banquet Hall, Graham Conference Center. Cost: $20, includes meal.
On Tuesday, Sept. 22, Iowa PBS Foundation’s president Rob Hilbert, will explores the past, present and future of public television in Iowa through the story of Iowa PBS. He will present the network’s founding and early impact, trace how technology has transformed the way we create and deliver content and examine the rapidly evolving media landscape today. The program will highlight Iowa PBS’s enduring mission and purpose and share clips from recent and upcoming documentaries that showcase the power of storytelling made for – and about – Iowans. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Sutphen Common Room, Graham Annex. Cost: $15, includes meal.
Mark Barloon, senior lecturer of history at Central, will present a two-part program, “George Washington and the First Turning Point of the American Revolution,” on Wednesday, Oct. 7 and Oct. 14. Part 1 will examine George Washington’s failed defense of New York City in 1776 that resulted in the near collapse of his army and an early end to the Revolution. Part 2 will present Washington’s audacious plan to counter-attack the British by striking both Trenton and Princeton, New Jersey, in 1776-77 that resulted in the salvation of both his army and the American bid for independence. Both evenings will begin with dinner at 5:30 p.m. and program at 6:15 p.m. in the Vermeer Banquet Hall, Graham Conference Center. Cost: $20, includes meal.
On Tuesday, Nov. 10, join Michael Thompson, associate professor of computer science at Central and a 1990 graduate, as he discusses how generative AI tools work, as well as their impacts on society, the workplace and our daily lives. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Sutphen Common Room, Graham Annex. Cost: $15, includes meal.
Central RED programs will dance into the end of the semester with “Pella Swing, On Social Dancing,” led by Pella Swing Commissioner Eric Weirup on Tuesday, Dec. 8. Presenters include Weirup, an Iowa State graduate, working at Vermeer as an engineer; Emma Auberg (singer), a member of the National Guard, working at Elliot Aviation as an aircraft mechanic; Levi Smith (instructor) a Dordt University graduate, working at LDJ as an engineer; and Anna Lutteneggar (instructor), a Cedarville University graduate, working at Vermeer as an engineer. After a brief introduction, the group will provide a simple demonstration and teach the dances to the audience. Lunch begins at 11:30 a.m. in the Sutphen Common Room, Graham Annex. Cost: $15, includes meal.
Central RED Society is a volunteer-supported program open to all persons who seek opportunities for lifelong learning. Central RED offers an environment of sharing and fellowship that provides opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural stimulation and growth.
Members pay a $20 per person annual membership fee to be a part of Central RED. Memberships run from June 1 through May 31 each year. New members are welcome anytime throughout the year; membership fee is not prorated. Five to eight classes or events will be held every fall and spring. When the class or event includes a meal, a fee is charged for the meal.
