
Thursday Forum
Coe College invites you to participate in the Thursday Forum, a program for older adults who want to expand their knowledge in an academic setting. Throughout the academic year, forums explore a variety of topics through a blend of lecture, media and discussion.
Thursday Forum is held in Kesler Auditorium on the first floor of Hickok Hall. Each weekly session begins with registration and refreshments from 8:45-9:15 AM, followed by the lecture until 11:30 AM. The presentations blend lecture, media such as film and music, and discussion.
Admission to each four-week forum series is $40. Admission to individual lectures and each session of two- and three-week forums is $12 per week. Admission includes the lecture and morning refreshments of coffee, tea and pastries. Payment can be made in person on Thursday mornings by cash or personal check. Credit card payments can be processed by registering online in advance at www.coe.edu/thursday-forum.
In the event of inclement weather, consult local media outlets to find out if the day’s forum will take place.
Thursday Forum welcomes gifts to support the long-term vibrancy of the program. Gifts may be made at any time and in any amount at alumni.coe.edu/thursdayforum (for credit card payments) or by mail to Coe College Advancement Services, 1220 1st Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 (please make checks to “Coe College” and indicate “Thursday Forum” in the memo line).
For more information about Thursday Forum, click the relevant links on this page, call 319.399.8523, or email thursdayforum@coe.edu.


2022-2023 Thursday Forum Season
Byzantium Sails West: Eastern Heralds to the Italian Renaissance
Jeffrey Hoover, Howard Hall Professor of Philosophy
September 8, 15, 22, 29
Critical Race Theory: Facts, Misconceptions and Opportunities for Engagement
Antonio Spikes, Assistant Professor of Communication Studies
October 6 & 13
More Than Rebecca: The Life and Work of
Daphne Du Maurier
Kate Aspengren, Adjunct Assistant Professor of English
October 20 & 27
Evolution Before, During and After Darwin
Daniel Hughes, Assistant Professor of Biology
Floyd Sandford, Professor Emeritus of Biology
November 3, 10, 17
Hidden in Plain Sight: Tourism and Commemoration in Europe and the Americas
Originally scheduled in February; Postponed to May 2023
Joyce Janca-Aji, Joanne H. Pochobradsky Associate Professor of French
Laissa Rodríguez Moreno, Assistant Professor of Spanish
Niall Peach, Assistant Professor of Spanish
Greek Olympians and Roman Gladiators: Divergent Notions of Sport, Spectacle and Violence in the Classical World
Angela Ziskowski, Associate Professor of History
March 2 & 9
The History of Sport in the United States
Larry Atwater, Assistant Professor of Kinesiology
March 23 & 30
The U.S. Constitution
Bruce Nesmith, Professor of Political Science
April 6, 13, 20, 27
Hidden in Plain Sight: Tourism and Commemoration in Europe and the Americas
Joyce Janca-Aji, Joanne H. Pochobradsky Associate Professor of French
Laissa Rodríguez Moreno, Assistant Professor of Spanish
Niall Peach, Assistant Professor of Spanish
May 4, 11, 18