End of Semester Party - Celebrate the Holidays!

The Messiah and Other Holiday Favorites

Alex Qian, LSC-CyFair's Director of Music, has cordially invited our ALL members to attend The Messiah and Other Holiday Favorites this Saturday, December 10th at 3pm in the Main Stage Theatre. ALL members can get tickets, $7 for students, by going to the Box Office website, here, or by visiting the Box Office in the ARTS Building.

Home Networking

Norm Eisenberg took us on a two-class journey on what it takes to set up a home network. We learned about connecting our computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones and TVs to our home network. There are many pieces to consider and Norm went through the various options.

You can see Norm's presentation here.

Think Factory - The Existential Meaning of Education

It's our last Think Factory this semester. Mark Thorsby will host a discussion on the existential meaning of education. Should be an interesting discussion.

Think Factory will be Wednesday, November 30th from 4-6pm in the ART building in the Main Stage Theatre.

Lumber, Farms and Railroads

Monte Parks delivered another great talk about our local history. This time, we learned how the major businesses of lumber, farming and railroads developed and shaped our part of the state. For those of us from around here, we recognized many of the small towns that were important to these economies.

To see Monte's presentation, click here.

Pear Upside-down Gingerbread Cake

Tis the season for great deserts. Lou Master showed us how to prepare a beautiful cake using Bosc pears and gingerbread, creating a twist to the traditional upside-down cake. The smell of gingerbread filled the kitchen as Lou baked this crowd favorite.

You can view Lou's recipe here.

Holiday Ornaments

We learned how to make some great ornaments in Linda Gabrielson's Holiday Ornament class. The snowman and Santa ornaments brought a smile to everyone's face.

ALL Facebook Groups

There are two closed Facebook groups of special interest for ALL members. Closed means you will have to ask to join and the posting will only be seen by other group members and not the general Facebook population.

ALL Travelers - A group where you can ask questions about traveling, both domestic and international, or just have a general discussion about traveling. Pictures of your travels are welcome.

ALL Photo SIG - A group for our photographers and those interested in photography. We discuss cameras, equipment, software, concepts and all those shutterbug things. Posting of photos is encouraged. Maybe you want to post a challenge to the group to take some kind of picture and see the results.

To join either or both groups, go to your Facebook page and search for ALL Photo SIG and/or ALL Travelers and ask to join.

Hearne Had a POW Camp?

Almost 500,000 German POWs were brought back to the United States during WWII. Many of them ended up in Hearne, about 100 miles up the road. Cheryl LeJune shared what led up to the POW influx, the conditions of the camp, and the outcomes. We also watched a History Channel show, Nazi POWs in America, for an overview of this little know story of WWII.

You can view Cheryl's presentation here.

Victorian-Style Wreath

Linda Gabrielson hosted another craft class where she showed us how to make beautiful Victorian-style wreaths. There was lots of rolling and gluing and fun. Everyone's wreath took on its own personality based on how it was embellished. Take a look...

Tool Kit / Organizer

Gene Chism held another woodworking class for us. This time, we made a small tool kit or desk organizer, whichever we preferred.

Understanding the 2016 Presidential Election

Sophia Mrouri, Political Science professor, led us on an interesting discussion on how we got to the current candidates for President. From the changing of the parties over the last century to the electoral college, Sophia covered the major players, the ideologies, and the supporters.

You can view Sophia's presentation here.
To see the Electoral College map, click here.

Scanning and Preserving Documents/Photographs

We all have collected many documents and photos over the years. And, there they sit. Richard Gillespie guided us through various methods of scanning and copying, backing up and managing the information. In addition, we learned preservation techniques for paper, photos, and material.

You can view Richard's presentation here.

Travel Tips

Richard Gillespie hosted a great discussion on all things travel. From planning to packing, to mode of travel, to arrival and return, we learned some tricks and tips to help make a more fun and less stressful trip. Too many things to talk about in too short a time. Great input from class members (fellow travelers), as well.

You can view Richard's presentation here.

Think Factory-The Art of Persuasion

Come join the Philosophy Department for another afternoon of fun, philosophical discussion. Mark Thorsby, LSC-CyFair Philosophy Professor, will host several guests exchanging ideas on the art of persuasion.

Wednesday, October 26 from 4-6 pm in ART building on Main Stage Theatre.

Piety and Humanism / Italian Renaissance

Prof. Matthew Backer, Professor of Art History, gave a very interesting talk on the art of the Renaissance and Baroque periods; how piety and humanism competed in the art forms of these eras. Many works of the art by Michelangelo, Titian, Raphael and Da Vinci, among others, were discussed.

You can see Matthew's presentation here.

European Expansion in Texas

Texas has a long history of European presence starting with the Spanish in the 1500s. Monte Parks, historical programmer at Jesse Jones Park, took us on a journey from those early Spanish explorers to the Republic period. We learned of the French, English, and American roles in Texas history. And, there were pirate stories, too.

You can view Monte's presentation here.

Readers Theatre Production - Johnny Got His Gun

ALL has been invited by Dean Matt Turner to the next Readers Theatre production, Johnny Got His Gun. Based on the classic anti-war novel written by Dalton Trumbo, Johnny Got His Gun is the story of WWI soldier Joe Bonham. An explosion on the battlefield has left him with no way to move and no way to communicate with the outside world. We are with him, in his mind, as he moves between his memories of his past life and his attempts to figure how - or if - to live a life in a hospital bed trapped in his body.

Performances will be in ART 102 (Recital Hall) on Tuesday, October 25 from 3.30-5pm and Wednesday, October 26 from 2-3.30pm and 6.30-8pm. Each performance will be followed by discussion with the audience.

"Almost, Maine" - LSC-CyFair Theater Production

Lone Star College-CyFair’s performance season opens with “Almost, Maine” in the Main Stage Theatre Oct. 20-29. Jeff Wax directs this John Cariani play, which takes the audience on “a delightful journey through quirks of relationships experienced in the freezing cold under the splendor of northern lights.” 

Performances will be held at 7.30pm Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Visit LoneStar.edu/BoxOffice for ticket information and online purchasing. Contact the Box Office at 281.290.5201 or the website for other information. Remember, ALL members get Student Pricing.

National Friends of Libraries Week - Oct 16-22, 2016

During this celebration, we would like to thank our Friends of the Lone Star College-CyFair Library who contribute so much of their time and expertise to enhance library services. Our Friends group began in 2005 and have donated over $100,000 to cover the costs of children's, teen's, and adult programming, Student Research Paper and Study-Abroad awards, and help fund special collections. They have also endowed two scholarships and are working toward a third.

Please visit the Friends Bookstore in front of the Library to find out how you can become a member and support our outstanding library.

There will be a special book sale in front of the bookstore Wednesday, Oct 19, immediately after the LIFE program. Please come by.

-Joan Everson, President, LSC-CyFair Friends of the Library

Technology and the Self

In this Philosophy-based class we discussed what "Self" is. Lynn Watts, Philosophy Professor, led us through the arguments about self considering all of the medical technology advances and how they affect us. Much of our discussion was based on the work of John Locke.

View Lynn's presentation here.

Fordlandia

Henry Ford needed rubber and lots of it for the automobiles he was mass producing. Esther Robinson, Honors College Director and History Professor, led us on Ford's journey to break the rubber barons and establish his own production in Brazil. He created his "Fordlandia" including factory and town to support demand. A fascinating, little-known story about clashing cultures and the world market place.

You can view Esther's presentation here.

Creating a Winter Bird Habitat

Richard Edie from Wild Birds Unlimited was back to help us plan for the coming winter. He discussed what birds we can attract to our backyards and how to help them survive the winter.

You can see Richard's presentation here.

Living Wills/Advanced Directives

Things happen unexpectedly in our lives, from accidents to medical conditions, that can dramatically change our way of life. Assistant County Attorney, Clinton Gambill, discussed several documents that we should have in place to prepare for these future events. Among the documents discussed were Medical Power of Attorney, Declaration of Guardian, Directive to Physicians (Living Will), and Power of Attorney. Clinton also shared a Decision Checklist for us to have on hand that identifies the key persons designated in our legal documents.


To see the document overviews, click here.
To see the Decision Checklist, click here.

Halloween Plant Stakes

It's October and we're nearing Halloween. Linda Gabrielson led the class on a mission to create plant stakes with this frighteningly, funny theme. Lots of creativity all around.

Watching the Presidential Election Like a Historian

We are getting close to the 2016 election and our ALL group is starting our election coverage with a presentation by Blake Ellis, LSC-CyFair History professor. Blake looked at the two 2016 nominees in light of previous elections; each party's establishment vs insurgent candidates and what happened this year. Lots of information and discussion.

You can view Blake's presentation here.

Pizziaolo - An Italian Dish from a Wok

Lou Master's love of cooking continues as he shared a recipe with us for Pizziaolo, a stir-fried mix of Italian flavors served over pasta. What an easy and satisfying dish for family get-togethers. The class loved it; there were no left-overs.

You can find Lou's recipe here.

The Dust Bowl

Nathalie Brandes, Geosciences professor, was back for another talk, this time about the Dust Bowl. We learned the many factors that created the event from climate to farming practices. This decade of drought played a significant role in American history with its effects on the population, government response, and better farming techniques.

See Nathalie's presentation here.

Environmental Protection

Rebekah Wendt, Harris County Attorney's Office, gave us an overview of how the office is involved in environmental protection issues. From the reporting of the problem, through the investigation, and finally to the attorney's office, we learned how and what type of civil cases are prosecuted through the HCAO.

You can view Rebekah's presentation here.

Metal Owl Folk Art

Creating with Linda Gabrielson, again. This time we had fun designing our Folk Art metal owls. What a nice fall project.

Fit for ALL - Eating Well as You Age

Ronnie Nespeca, Dept. Chair of Kinesiology, led another entertaining and informative Fit for ALL class about our nutrition needs as we age. Lots of questions and discussion.

You can view Ronnie's presentation here.

A is for Atom, B is for Bikini

In 1946, the U.S. decided it needed to perform additional tests on the atom bomb. In the remote Pacific Ocean, the Bikini Atoll was chosen as the test site. Cheryl LeJune presented the buildup, tests, and aftermath of Operation Crossroads.

To see Cheryl's presentation, click here.
To see the documentary, Radio Bikini, click here.

World Space Week on LSC-CyFair Campus

LSC-CyFair's Engineering Department has invited the ALL group to participate in World Space Week October 3-6. The department is sponsoring several events with guest speakers from NASA, astronomers, and various exhibits and demonstrations.

You can see all the activities planned for Space Week by going to the college's page here.

Cy-Fest 2016

It's fall and time for LSC-CyFair's annual family event, Cy-Fest. Please bring your family, and especially grandkids, to enjoy activities for all ages including train rides, bounce houses, duck races, math activities, pumpkin patch, food trucks and more. You can found out more information on the event by going here and here.

Cy-Fest is Saturday, October 1 from 10am - 2pm.

Make a Turkey

In another of Gene Chism's woodworking classes, Gene led us through the making of a turkey to decorate our Thanksgiving tables or for a fall arrangement.