Lectures
You are invited! Completely free, no reservations, and no strings attached! The Monthly Lecture Series is an opportunity to hear outstanding speakers. Join us for refreshments at 9:15 AM followed by presentations from exceptional speakers from 10:00 to 11:00 AM in the Franciscan Center. Alternatively, you may attend online. For links to join these lectures via Zoom, please visit: www. Lourdes.edu/Lectures
History of Toledo Public Schools
10:00 – 11:00 AM, Friday, September 15
https://zoom.us/j/99197519677?pwd=S0JPb2lIMndmMS9tYjIyK1hiUzZWdz09
passcode 978866
For 175 years, Toledo Public Schools has been one of the most influential institutions in the history of our city. The lives of hundreds of thousands of Toledoans have been formed within the walls of their neighborhood schools, leading to each one’s mark on the future of our society. From its inception in 1849 to present day, TPS remains a progressive, forward thinking school district. Learn about the staff, students, and communities that are the history and legacy of TPS.
Robyn Hage has been a music teacher for the district for 31 years and is the TPS historian. She has collected numerous stories and memorabilia of the schools and facilitates the TPS Local History Lecture Series. Together with Larry Michaels, Robyn authored A Chance for Every Child, a book about TPS history. She is also a local history author and tour docent focusing on Westmoreland, Peter Navarre, and Toledo cemeteries.
Toledo’s Hometown Teams
10:00 – 11:00 AM, Friday, October 20
Toledo is regularly recognized as one of the best minor league sports cities in the country. Our two professional teams, the Toledo Mud Hens and Toledo Walleye, are not only the top local attractions for affordable family entertainment but are ranked among the top teams in their respective leagues in terms of attendance, fan engagement, and merchandise sales. Kate Langenderfer, Director of Storytelling and Omnichannel Marketing, explains the rich histories of the Mud Hens and Walleye, their rise to success, and how their mission of providing the ultimate FANatical experience is a cornerstone of everything they do.
Moving Toledo in a Positive Direction
10:00 – 11:00 AM, Friday, November 17
The Coalition for Peaceful Toledo neighborhoods was created by four former Toledo Mayors in the summer of 2022 to help formulate a positive direction in lowering crime in the city of Toledo. The concern in the summer of 2022 was the high murder rate within the city of Toledo. It was by coming together as four Mayors with government, political, and community ties that we felt, we might be able to help formulate a positive direction for the City of Toledo. The four mayors that formulate the leadership of the coalition for peaceful Toledo Neighborhoods are former Toledo Mayors Donna Owens, Carty Finkbeiner, Michael Bell, and Paula Hicks-Hudson. It is felt that through their understanding of the community, and the need to bridge the gap between government and the citizens that it serves, that together, we can move Toledo in a positive direction. And in using the idea that a rising tide raises all ships, the mayors are reaching out to everybody in the community to raise the level of safety within the City of Toledo. To date their interaction has been with community groups, church groups, business groups, and the general public to accomplish this mission. Through their efforts in multiple meetings with community groups, they have been able to develop a 12-point plan that they believe could be very helpful in assisting in the future of Toledo.
The former Toledo Mayors will explain the people’s 12-point plan and hope to encourage discussions that not only affect Toledo but the future of our region. The future of our region depends on us all coming together and rolling in the same direction.
The Biology of Changing Minds: Who is Right, What is Left, and Why it’s not Left-Right
10:00 – 11:00 AM, Friday, December 15
Some people are consistently right-handed, some are consistently left-handed, and some people are inconsistent. There are striking -and surprising- differences between these groups of people. Though everyone can change their opinions, research finds inconsistent-handedness is associated with greater cognitive flexibility (e.g., greater openness to new ideas, greater tolerance of ambiguity). Analyses show that U.S. states with more left/inconsistent-handers have higher COVID vaccination rates, higher levels of mask compliance, lower rates of COVID cases, lower suicide rates, lower divorce rates, and higher household incomes! Learn how biologists are trying to understand the connection between the separate roles of the right and left brain, handedness, and sociocultural outcomes.
Stephen Christman is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Toledo, where he has been a faculty member since 1989. He earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. He has published 90 research articles and 10 book chapters. In 2018, he was elected to be a Fellow of the Psychonomic Society.