The calendar for our Fall 2016 talks has been posted.  Please check the Calendar link for this exciting series of talks.  Also keep checking here for possible changes to the calendar and for more detailed abstracts of the talks.

Congratulations to our new and re-elected executive board members. Anne Fortson is our new Secretary. New (and re-elected) board members for 2016 to 2018 are Juliet Deseo, Wendy Fish, David Fortson and Mary Hartwell. The CCR board is now:

PRESIDENT: Fred Rosenberg
1st VICE PRESIDENT FOR CURRICULUM: Anita (Del) Sisson
2nd VICE PRESIDENT FOR MEMBERSHIP: Stan & Karen Whitman
TREASURER: Wendy Fuhrmanek
SECRETARY: Anne Fortson
SOCIAL CHAIR (ex-officio, no vote required):  Mary Hartwell

EXECUTIVE BOARD 2015-2017
Edith Crane
Fred Feldman
Jean Lewis
Judy Murdoch
Bob Stancik
Gail Trummel

EXECUTIVE BOARD 2016-2018
Juliet Deseo
Wendy Fish
David Fortson
Mary Hartwell

ADVISORS TO THE BOARD
Sandra Lopez, Past President
Bronwyn A. Barron, College of Charleston Representative
Sharryn Clark, Historian

The executive board meets the first Monday of the month from October through May at 11:15 in room 136 of the North Campus unless otherwise posted.  All CCR members are welcome to attend.

1:00
Sparrow Wars
Melissa Hughes, Professor of Biology at the College of Charleston, will discuss song, territory and personality in song sparrows. We often make generalizations about the behavior of birds and other animals such as, “these birds defend territories” or “those birds sing elaborate songs.” But do all individuals of the same species defend a territory the same way or sing the same songs? Do animals have personal differences? Does it matter?

2:30
Braddock’s Defeat: The Battle of Monongahela and the Road to Revolution
David Preston, Professor of National Security Studies at The Citadel, notes that on July 9, 1755 British regulars and American colonial troops under the command of General Edward Braddock suffered a crushing defeat to French and Native American enemy forces in the Ohio Valley. The culmination of a failed attempt to capture Fort Duquesne from the French, Braddock’s defeat was a pivotal moment in American and world history. Also known as the Battle of the Monongahela, the loss altered the balance of power in America and escalated the fighting into a global conflict called the Seven years War. An unprecedented rout of a modern and powerful British army by a predominantly Indian force, Braddock’s Defeat shocked the entire British world.

1:00
Charleston’s Tradesmen
Christina Butler, Professor of History at the College of Charleston, returns to CCR to talk about the tradesmen of early Charleston – who they were and how they prospered.

2:30
Early Transportation in Charleston
Nic Butler, Charleston Historian, comes again to CCR, this time to give us an overview of the various transportation modes used by Charlestonians prior to the automobile.

1:00
The Medicinal Melody:  An Introduction to the Field of Music
Music Therapist Megan Graber says, “Whether it’s the melody of a mother’s song, the score of your favorite film or the beat your feet can’t help but keep, music enchants and engages the human mind, body and emotions.”  In this presentation, learn how the evidence-based practice of Music Therapy uses this human affinity for song to design and implement musical interventions that address physical, cognitive and social/emotional needs.  Come ready to actively participate in this informative, hands-on music experiential.

2:30
Turning Points in History
Mark Shambley, history aficionado and Charleston veterinarian, will talk with us about the historic origin of 9/11, the Battle of New Orleans, the Charge of the Light Brigade and other turning points in history.

1:00
Single Payer Health Insurance
David Ball, Healthcare Specialist, will explore what is dysfunctional about the healthcare system in America.  How it can be improved depends on how it is financed.  Thirty-two of the top post-industrialized nations provide healthcare to their citizens; the exception is the United States.  Our speaker will look at the Affordable Care Act, socialized medicine and the Single Payer plan.

2:30
The Day the Flag Came Down
Our speaker Jenny Horne, SC State Representative, drew national recognition after delivering an impassioned speech on the House floor advocating the quick removal of the Confederate Battle Flag from the grounds of the state capital following the massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015.  Come and hear her reflections on that day as well as her insights into the increasing role of women in SC government.

1:00
Not Without My Father: One Woman’s 444-Mile Walk of the Natchez Trace
Andra Watkins, author and nominee for the 2015 National Book Award for Nonfiction for her memoir Not Without My Father… joins us to talk about the events that led to the writing of this, her third book.  Her first book, a novel, was set along the Natchez Trace. To launch the book’s debut, Andra walked the entire Trace, all the way from Natchez, Mississippi to Nashville, Tennessee.  Her second book was a documentation of the journey in photographs and observations.  In the process, however, she ended up having a life-changing adventure with her 80 year-old father.  Not Without My Father chronicles that experience.

2:30
A Lifetime on the Bridge of a Ship:  27 Years in the Merchant Marines
William J. Dutour, Captain of the M/V Maersk Memphis, will join us to give us a sense of what a career in the Merchant Marine looks like.  He’ll tell about surviving over eight years in nuclear submarines without a scratch and then ending up in a lifeboat in the Persian Gulf.  He’ll tell about working on a tanker in Kuwait in August of 1990 when Saddam Hussein came calling.  These and other vignettes will describe his lifetime at sea.

1:00
Putin’s Design for Russia
Norman Pereira, Professor Emeritus of Russian Studies and History at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia says that during Vladimir Putin’s 15 years in power he has gone from being seen in the West as an ally, notably during 9/11, to an arch villain who draws comparisons with Stalin and Hitler.  To what extent are his behaviors and policies responsible for this change in perception and to what extent are the changing geo-political dynamic for the West responsible?  He will address this and other issues in his talk.

2:30
A Living Composer
Edward Hart, Professor of Music and Chair of the Department of Music at the College of Charleston will examine the inspiration and “anatomy” of his violin concerto Under an Indigo Sky which he wrote for Yuriy Bekker.  He describes it as a love letter to his home state of South Carolina, this relatively small place with amazing natural and cultural diversity.    He has attempted to capture musically three distinct yet related regions of our state with an eye not only to the landscapes, but to the feel and “soul” of the place.