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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.

The 2020-2021 Thursday Forum season will be offered in a virtual online format. Due to ongoing public health challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be no in-person, on-campus forums during the 2020-2021 academic year. The shift to online forums is a temporary change; in-person forums will resume in subsequent seasons.

Online forums will be available on this webpage. Simply scroll below and click on the topic or video you wish to access. There will be two (2) recorded presentations for each month's forum topic. Videos will be released early in that forum's month (on the first or second Thursday), with specific release dates announced via the Thursday Forum email list. Once posted, videos may be viewed at any time. 

There will be no registration and no weekly fee for online forums. Instead, optional contributions may be made to Thursday Forum to continue to support 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 out checks to “Coe College” and indicate “Thursday Forum” in the memo line).

For more information, click on the relevant links below, call 319.399.8523, or email thursdayforum@coe.edu.

2020-2021 Thursday Forum Brochure

Online Forum Video Viewing Tips and How-Tos

  • Simply click on the video you wish to view. Forum videos will be posted directly on the main Thursday Forum webpage. Additionally, the same videos will be posted on the subpages for each forum month and topic. That is, you can find September’s forum videos on the main Forum webpage or by clicking on the link to a specific topic (e.g., Apocalypticism) or specific month (e.g., September).

  • Forum videos will play automatically. If it isn’t playing, check that the video is not on pause (). The pause/play icon appears on the lower left corner of the YouTube video box. If you see the play icon (), the video is on pause and you should click on the play icon to resume playing the video.

  • To enlarge the video to watch it in full screen mode, click on the full screen icon () on the lower right hand corner of the video. To exit full screen mode, click on the exit full screen icon () in the lower right corner of the video.

  • To increase or decrease the video’s volume, adjust the volume on your device.  On a computer, this icon is typically located on the taskbar at the bottom of your screen (click on the icon). On a phone, increase or decrease the volume using the buttons on the side of your phone.

  • If you wish to see subtitles/closed captioning while viewing the videos, click on the closed captioning icon () in the lower right corner of the video.

  • From 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM on the last (business) Thursday of each forum month, Thursday Forum will host a live Question & Answer (Q&A) with that month's presenter. 

  • To participate in each month's live Q&A session, click on the "Register Here for the Q&A with ..." link below. There is no fee to register, but those who wish to participate in the live session must sign up in advance.

  • Once you've signed up, you will receive an email with the link that will allow you to join the live Q&A session via Zoom meetings. About 10 minutes before the session's start time, click on that link to join the Zoom call. Alternately, you can go to Zoom.com and click “Join a Meeting,” where you’ll be prompted to enter the specific Meeting ID and Passcode for our session (the ID and Passcode will be in the email you receive after registering). If this will be your first time using Zoom, you may be prompted to download Zoom before the meeting can launch.

  • To ask a question of the presenter, email questions to thursdayforum@coe.edu or submit questions during the live session using the "Chat" feature in Zoom. 

2020-2021 Thursday Forum Online Season

 

Apocalypticism

Meira Kensky, Joseph E. McCabe Associate Professor of Religion
September

The 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Bethany Keenan, Associate Professor of History
October

Thunder Gods and Flood Stories: A Universal Approach to Mythology?

Angela Ziskowski, Associate Professor History
November

Scenic Long-Distance Hikes in the United Kingdom

Floyd Sandford, Emeritus Professor of Biology
February

What’s in Your Water? Water Quality in Iowa (and Beyond)

Marty St. Clair, Ben Peterson Professor of Chemistry
March