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 online (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.
2024-2025 Thursday Forum Season
Heroes of Aviation: Beyond the Wright Brothers
Caio Bragatto, Assistant Professor of Physics
September 5, 12, 19, 26
The Etruscans
Angela Ziskowski, Provost & Associate Professor of History
October 3 & 10
Understanding and Learning the Birds of Cedar Rapids
and Eastern Iowa
Jesse Ellis, Associate Professor of Biology
October 17, 24, 31, November 7
The Dalai Lamas
Chris Hatchell, Associate Professor of Religion
November 14 & 21
Harsh Realities Drawn in Pictures: (Children's?) Literature and Social Problems of the World
Laissa Rodriguez Moreno, Associate Professor of Spanish
January 23 & 30
How Bad Ideas Spread: Shaping Values by Claiming the Conventional Wisdom
Allison Carr Associate Professor of Rhetoric
Drew Westberg, Associate Professor of Economics
February 6, 13, 20, 27
Soaring: Staging a Historical Dance through
Dance Notation
Carol Maxwell Rezabek, Dance & Theatre
March 6 & 13
Scotland and the United Kingdom:
Breaking Up is Hard to Do
Lynda Barrow, Professor of Political Science
March 27
Beer: History and Appreciation
Ben Chihak, Associate Professor of Psychology
April 3 & 10
Taking the Longview: How Long-term Studies
Shape our Future
Daniel Hughes, Assistant Professor of Biology
April 17 & 24