The Learning Center of Senior Citizen’s, Inc. is pleased to announce its annual “One Big Question” event will be held on May 12 & 13, 2016 at First Presbyterian Church located at 520 Washington Avenue.  Each year the event focuses on one important question. This year, the “One Big Question” is What, Then, Is The American? and features a diverse lineup of educational and inspiring lectures from distinguished local and regional speakers. The seminar is open to the public.

“ONE BIG QUESTION” SCHEDULE:

The Andrew J. Vaught Lecture in American Literature
In Search of the Great American Novel
Lecturer: Roger Smith
5 p.m. | Thursday, May 12
$15 member | $25 visitor
Does the “Great American Novel” really exist? Historic and modern, white and black, male and
female – American novelists and their casts of characters come to life.
A reception in memory of Andy Vaught follows the program.

American Dream, American Nightmare: Captains of Industry in the Gilded Age
Lecturer: Byron Boyd
9:30 a.m. | Friday, May 13
$10 member | $20 visitor
“Rags to Riches” tales of immigrants becoming captains of industry turn nightmarish through the
exploitation of workers and manipulation of market forces. But fortunes by ruthless means often translate to philanthropy, prompting the question: American dream, or something else?

Melting Pot or Salad Bowl: Redefining Diversity
Lecturer: Bertice Berry
11 a.m. | Friday, May 13
$10 member | $20 visitor
What does diversity mean in a nation as diverse as the U.S. – and one whose racial history is as filled with pain and resentment as ours? What are the prospects for the future?

Lunch is served at 12:30 p.m.
$6
Learning Center lunches are prepared fresh in SCI’s SAGE Kitchen

The Battlefield of the Classroom: Teaching American History Today
Lecturer: Monica Hunt
1 p.m. | Friday, May 13
$10 member | $20 visitor
From the enduring stories of America’s “great white men” to Lies My Teacher Told Me; from the pressures brought by both right- and left-wing political vigilantes to the proliferation of paperwork, today’s teachers of American history must navigate a minefield with each day’s lesson.

The Oldest Democracy in a Brand New World
Lecturer: José da Cruz
2:30 p.m. | Friday, May 13
$10 member | $20 visitor
What the world “needs” from America depends on who’s talking. Some wish America would get out of the way. Elsewhere, America remains the model of democracy, the pinnacle of freedom, equality, and even goodness. This lecture paints a picture of the planet and its relationship with its oldest democracy.

Registration and advanced payment required. Visit www.seniorcitizensinc.org or call
(912) 236-0363.