Don’t miss this!

The best week of summer. Hot topics, cool campus experience.

Morning Sessions – Choose option A or B, 10 am – noon

A)   Martin Luther King Jr & The Civil Rights Movement: 1954-1968

Lyndell O’Hara, PhD, Nyack College history professor

The Montgomery Bus Boycott, the Freedom Riders, the March on Washington, the crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, the bombing of the Baptist Church in Birmingham – these events of the Civil Rights Movement in post-war America bring to mind vivid images of both the horror of hate and the courage of love. We will reflect on the leadership of Dr King and the heroic and patriotic spirit of those who participated in the nonviolent struggle for freedom. The lessons of this remarkable movement, a time in which citizens joined together against great odds to stand for justice, can still inspire us today.

B)   The Wonders of Italy

Edoardo Mungiello, PhD, adjunct faculty art history, Brookdale Community College

A perpetual procession through church after church seems the cardinal rule for any visit to Italy. Wandering into one too many can leave even the most enthusiastic tourist in a state of holy overload. Deepen your understanding of some of Italy’s most unusual and beautiful churches, chapels, and holy sites on a three-day idiosyncratic journey that promises to enthrall both the casual tourist and the expert.

Afternoon Session – Choose option C or D, 1-3 pm

C)   All That Jazz – A Blend of History and Performance

Doug Clarke, celebrated jazz guitarist, adjunct faculty, Brookdale Community College and special guest vocalist Lyell Gressitt

Come explore the history of jazz through discussion and live performance.

Day 1: Learn about the roots of jazz and listen to recorded musical selections from Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton, King Oliver, Harlem Stride pianists James P. Johnson, Willie “the Lion” Smith, Art Tatum and more.

Day 2: Take a nostalgic look at the swing era and its evolution into modern jazz. Hear the music of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, The Dorsey Brothers, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie.

Day 3: Enjoy a live performance with guitarist Doug Clarke and vocalist Lyell Gressitt as they play and discuss the music of the Great American Songbook. The performance will include music by Cole Porter, Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin and George Gershwin as well as Brazilian classics from Antonio Carlos Jobim.

D)   Middle Ages 101

Christopher Bellitto, PhD, professor of history, Kean University

When were the Middle Ages? Are they the same as the Dark Ages? If things were so bad, how did we end with the Cloisters, universities, and chivalry? Join Dr. Bellitto for a look first at myths about medieval Europe, then an exploration of how Rome was transformed by Byzantium, Islam, and the Vikings. Then we turn to Charlemagne’s renaissance, nuns and monks, Gothic art and architecture before finishing with Chaucer.

Choose one program for the Morning and one for the afternoon. Please do not submit your choices until your registration transaction is complete. 

Click here to submit your choices

Tues-Thurs, Aug 9-11, 10 am-3 pm
Note: Register for 1 morning and
1 afternoon class

*Includes Lunch