SPARK—an evening program for curious minds that explores fun and intriguing topics in a relaxed environment.
Tuesday, October 29, University Union
Maryland has a rich and storied history—and so do its ghosts and witches! Learn about the spookier side of Maryland as we step back into history and hear true tales and folklore from across the state. Find out what Maryland was really like for those accused of witchcraft as Amanda Hughes takes us on a wild ride through Maryland’s witchy past. Meg Fielding will tell us the story behind Marcia Crocker Noyes, the resident ghost living in the Maryland State Medical Society’s building in Baltimore’s Midtown-Belvedere neighborhood. The creepiness continues as Jennifer Liles unwraps the mystique surrounding the funerary sculpture known as Black Aggie.
Join us for a night of ghost stories and witches’ tales.
Each ticket is $20 per person and includes a happy hour reception with hors d’oeuvres and beer and wine, along with parking located in the Towsontown Garage.
Jennifer Liles is a public historian who earned her degree in public history from Stevenson University. Her research interests include the histories of Marylanders. She has worked with the Maryland Lynching Coalition to research the families and stories of those who were lynched in Maryland.
Meg Fielding is the director of the History of Maryland Medicine at MedChi, the 225-year-old Maryland State Medical Society. Meg is also the curator of the recently opened MedChi Museum of Maryland Medical History. She has recently moved into the Marcia Crocker Noyes’ old office, where Marcia is still known to show up on occasion.
Amanda Hughes has worked in museums, archives, and libraries across the country. Currently, she is the senior assistant branch manager for adult services at the Abingdon branch of Harford County Public Library. Her special passions include women’s history and the personal stories of ordinary people with extraordinary circumstances.
Thursday, April 11, 2024
Osher’s SPARK evening programming is back with an edutainment event that promises both levity and learning as the conversation hones in on what makes us laugh and why.
Noted professor of philosophy Steven Gimbel joins Michelle Faulkner-Forson, director of Baltimore Improv Group, to share how improv isn’t just funny, but how improv skills can help everyone in their everyday life. Get insight into the tenets, the philosophy, and the history of improv comedy while also having a good laugh.
Also, enjoy a special performance by TU’s very own improv group—ImprompTU.
Instructor: Jack Burkert, senior museum educator, Baltimore Museum of Industry
Change has come frequently throughout Baltimore’s history, affecting its people and their lives and work. At no time was change more dynamic than in the hundred-fifty-year period that first made Baltimore an industrial giant. Learn about the rise and fall of industry and the prosperity that came with it. Examine Baltimore from the Industrial Age through its time as a thriving metropolis and reflect on where the city is today. Jack Burkert is a Baltimore native who lectures at Osher and at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, following a long career as an educator and consultant.
Instructor: Dana Kollmann, clinical associate professor of anthropology
Ever wondered how realistic those true crime dramas are when it comes to the forensic crime scene processing? Gain insight into typical real world forensic science principles—and some that are not so typical. Learn how pacemaker data, rubber bands, seed pods, and atmospheric carbon-14 have solved crimes and how forensic science applications impact other disciplines including art, history, and archaeology.
Instructor: Jennifer Scott, professor of physics and astronomy
From its ancient roots to today’s modern developments including the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, this course will have you seeing stars—and other astronomical wonders. Topics include: the history of human understanding of the cosmos; the formation and evolution of stars and planets inside and outside the solar system; the structure and properties of galaxies; and the origin of the universe. Students will engage in telescope observing and other hands-on activities, and a visit to TU’s planetarium.
Membership fees are $60 per person, per year. Members can participate in Osher activities and use TU’s Cook Library, University Store and campus dining facilities. You don't need to be an Osher member to participate in the SPARK series.
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