Study Groups

Class Offerings 

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Mondays:

 

History

Explore the lives of three influential figures in New York's history: Herkimer, Lincoln and La Guardia. This course delves into their biographies, uncovering the remarkable contributions and legacies they left behind. Discover the stories of these heroes in depth and gain a richer understanding of their impact on New York and beyond! 

Leader: Dr. Daniel Marrone, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor (Ret.), Recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Scholarship and Creative Activities, and Current member of the SUNY University Faculty Senate Governance Committee.

2024 Sessions Fees: $30 for 5 weeks

Dates: 3/24, 3/31, 4/7, 4/21 & 4/28
Location: Campus Center Meeting Room A
Time: 10 AM - 12 PM

Book:  Marrone, D. S. (2014). New York Heroes: Herkimer, Lincoln, TR, & La Guardia. Halo Press International.

Class session dates and topics:  

3/24/25 and 3/31/25:  Abraham Lincoln has been judged by historians as the highest-rated U.S president for many reasons among which were his unique gifts as a speech writer and orator.  Class sessions will cover his seven most significant speeches:  “Peoria (Illinois) Speech” opposing the repeal of the Missouri Compromise (AKA as the Compromise of 1820) (October 16, 1854);  “House Divided Speech” upon being nominated as the Republican Party candidate for the U.S. Senate representing Illinois (June 16, 1858);  “Cooper Union Address in New-York City” (February 27, 1860);  “Farewell to Springfield, Illinois” (February 11, 1861);  “First Inaugural Address” (March 4, 1861);  “Gettysburg Address” (November 19, 1863); and  “Second Inaugural Address” (March 4, 1865).

No class session on 4/14/25.

4/7/25 and 4/21/25:  Theodore Roosevelt, a Progressive-leaning moderate Republican, modeled his foundational political credo upon that of Abraham Lincoln.  Class sessions will cover TR’s family and Sagamore Hill residence that has become the most visited site of the National Park System.  Covered also will be TR’s groundbreaking and pivotal role as Peace Negotiator that ended the Russo-Japanese War for which he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.  TR was the first president to act upon and be called a “Trust Buster.”  In his post-presidency “New Nationalism Speech” delivered in Osawatomie, Kansas (August 31, 1910), TR espoused “Fair Play” for everyone and for ending special treatment in government for business.  His distant cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, expanded TR’s mantra as the “New Deal” throughout his presidency (1933-1945).  More than a century after the “Most Famous Long Islander” displayed intrepid leadership and valor leading a daring charge up San Juan Hill, Republic of Cuba, TR was posthumously--and most justifiably--awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor (January 16, 2001).  His son, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr, known as “Ted” Roosevelt, was also posthumously awarded the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor for leadership and valor.  General Omar stated that on D-Day, June 6, 1943, “Ted Roosevelt was the most heroic soldier he had ever seen in combat.”  Roosevelt, the oldest soldier and only general that day, landed with the first wave of troops during the Normandy Invasion.  At Utah Beach, soldiers and war materiel landed at different sites.  Brigadier General Roosevelt, while dodging deadly machine gun fire, modified pre-invasion battle plans and helped establish the Normandy beachhead, a most crucial milestone to victory in World War II.

4/28/25:  Fiorello H. La Guardia was born in lower Manhattan and raised in Arizona.  He returned to NYC to represent, as an attorney, the International Ladies Garment Workers Union (ILGWU).  In a series of elective positions, five-foot tall, but a towering force of nature, La Guardia became a Congressman, a NYC municipal government leader, and ultimately NYC’s Mayor (1934-1945).  The “Little Flower” fought corruption, especially targeting Tammany Hall for absconding municipal funds and for employing fraudulent election tactics.  La Guardia informed and encouraged New Yorkers in his weekly “Talk to the People” weekly radio broadcasts during the “Great Depression” and throughout World War II.  He achieved an unbroken record for the sheer volume of newly built public housing, parks, schools, highways, and bridges.  Fiorello La Guardia has been rated by municipal experts repeatedly as the “Best Big City Mayor in History.”

 

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Business of Sports

Explore the financial dynamics of professional sports, covering collective bargaining agreements, salary caps, WNBA salaries, sports gambling, and revenue streams. Understand how these elements shape team management and athlete compensation, and examine the industry's economic challenges and opportunities. 

Leader: Dr. Ira Stolzenberg
2024 Sessions Fees: $25 for 4 weeks.

Dates: 3/31, 4/7, 4/21 & 4/28
Location: Campus Center Meeting Room A
Time: 12:30 AM - 1:45 PM

History of New York’s sports, its teams, players and stadiums/arenas:

3/31   Football  (Giants, Jets, Titans, Bills)  Baseball  (Mets, Yankees, Dodgers, Giants)

4/7 Basketball  (Knicks, Nets)

4/21 Hockey   (Rangers, Islanders)

4/28 Colleges  (US Military Academy, Columbia, St. John’s, NYU, LIU, Farmingdale)

 

 

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Wednesdays:

Contemporary Literature

Join our monthly group to dive into engaging books together. Explore diverse genres, share insights, and enjoy lively discussions in a welcoming environment. Perfect for book lovers seeking connection and thoughtful conversation. 

Leader: Susan Blaeser 
2024 Sessions Fees: $25 for 5 weeks.
Location: Lupton Hall T101
Time: Wednesdays  2:00 PM - 5:35 PM

Sessions/Dates:

Fall: 9/11, 10/23, 11/13, 12/11 & 1/8

September 11 The Engineer's Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood 

October 23 Hang the Moon by Jeanette Walls 

November 13 The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard 

December 11 The Twenty: One Woman's Trek Across Corsica on the GR20 Trail by Marianne C. Bohr 

January 8 The Tender Bar: A Memoir by J.R. Moehringer 

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Introduction to Spanish

Leader: Profesora Shari O'Flanagan
2024 Sessions Fees: $50 for 8 weeks      
Location: Campus Center Meeting Room B
Time: Wednesdays 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM 

¡Hola Estudiantes! This Spanish Culture and Conversation course is designed for beginning students who have studied Spanish and need an in depth review, and for those who want to learn Spanish before traveling to a Spanish-speaking country. Students will learn new vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, fun facts and basic verb conjugations in the present, past and future tenses. We will listen to Spanish songs, describe famous paintings, explore various places virtually and create simple, practical dialogue's all while covering a wide variety of topics and improving our communication skills in a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere. ¡Vámonos!

Sessions/Dates:

Winter: 12/4, 12/11, 12/18, 1/8, 1/15, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5

Spring: 4/2, 4/9, 4/16, 4/30, 5/7, 5/14, 5/21, 5/28

 

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Fridays:

Current Issues Forum

Each week for the first hour the class we will set an agenda and exchange ideas concerning local, national, and global issues. During the second hour the focus is on one or more larger national issues; in an effort to identify problems, generate solutions, and hopefully, clarify your position. 

Leader: Chet Gerstenbluth
2024 Sessions Fees: $50 for 10 weeks
Location: Gleeson Hall 131
Time: Fridays 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM 

Sessions/Dates:

Winter: 12/6, 12/13, 12/20, 1/3, 1/10, 1/17, 1/24, 1/31, 2/7, 2/14, 2/21

Spring: 3/28, 4/4, 4/11, 4/18, 5/2, 5/9, 5/16, 5/23

Discussion and participation are strictly voluntary. Members are encouraged to bring in most current news articles and current events are generally provided by Chet our Study Group Leader. 

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Movie Review

This fall we will be presenting 8 films and following each with a lively discussion. The movies are from a variety of genres and were released between 1944 to 2017. 

Leader: Larry Blaeser
2024 Sessions Fees: $50 for 8 weeks      
Location: Gleeson Hall 127* (Room Change)
Time: Fridays 12:45 PM - 3:15 PM

Sessions/Dates:

Fall:  9/20/2024, 9/27/2024, 10/18/2024, 10/25/2024, 11/1/2024, 11/15/2024, 11/22/2024, 12/6/2024

9/20/2024    Days of Heaven (Rating PG)  1978, 1h 34m,  Drama,  Romance
A hot-tempered farm laborer convinces the woman he loves to marry their rich but dying boss so that they can have a claim to his fortune.

9/27/2024  Chinatown (Rating R)  1974,  2h 10m,  Drama,  Mystery,  Thriller 
A private detective hired to expose an adulterer in 1930s Los Angeles finds himself caught up in a web of deceit, corruption, and murder.

10/18/2024  American Fiction (Rating R)   2023, 1h 57m,  Comedy,  Drama
A novelist who's fed up with the establishment profiting from Black entertainment uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain.

10/25/2024  12 Angry Men (Rating Approved) 1957 ,  1h 36m, Crime, Drama
The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to more carefully consider the evidence before jumping to a hasty verdict.

11/1/2024 The Holdovers (Rating R)  2023, 2h 13m, Comedy,  Drama
A cranky history teacher at a prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a grieving cook and a troubled student who has no place to go.

11/15/2024 The Maltese Falcon  (Rating Approved)  1941, 1h 40m,  Crime,  Film-Noir,  Mystery
San Francisco private detective Sam Spade takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a gorgeous liar and their quest for a priceless statuette, with the stakes rising after his partner is murdered.

11/22/2024 Brooklyn (Rating  PG-13)  2015, 1h 57m,  Drama,  Romance
An Irish immigrant lands in 1950s Brooklyn, where she quickly falls into a romance with a local. When her past catches up with her, however, she must choose between two countries and the lives that exist within.

12/6/2024 Hannah and Her Sisters (Rating  PG-13)   1986, 1h 47m, Comedy,  Drama
Between two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.

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Volunteer Opportunities - Join Our Team!

ILR thrives on the enthusiasm and commitment of our members, and we are actively seeking volunteers to contribute their time and expertise to our vibrant community. If you have a passion for a particular subject and would like to lead a study group or contribute in any other capacity, we warmly encourage you to step forward and be part of our dedicated team.

 
We Want to Hear From You!

We are committed to enhancing the ILR experience and creating an inclusive, dynamic learning environment for all. As we embark on this journey together, your ideas, suggestions, and feedback are invaluable in shaping our program and ensuring its success. We welcome your input on new course ideas, potential guest speakers, and any other initiatives that could enrich the ILR community.