Class Offerings - Updated for Fall 2025!
Mondays:
History
Honoring Joshua Barney, Martha Washington, Dolley Madison, Elizabeth Monroe, O. O. Howard, Theodore Roosevelt, and the USN 鈥淎irdales鈥�
Leader: Dr. Daniel Marrone, SUNY Distinguished Service Professor (Ret.), Recipient of the SUNY Chancellor鈥檚 Award for Scholarship and Creative Activities, and Current member of the SUNY University Faculty Senate Governance Committee.
2025 Sessions Fees: $30 for 5 weeks
Fall 2025 Dates: 9/15/2025, 9/29/2025, 10/6/2025, 10/13/2025, 10/20/2025
Location: Campus Center Meeting Room B
Time: 10 AM - 12 PM
Book: Marrone, D. S. (2016). Theodore Roosevelt/Spring Rice in WWI, Joshua Barney, Dolley Madison, Elizabeth Monroe, & USN 鈥淎irdales.鈥� Halo Press International. ISBN 978-1-61244-001-9
Class session dates and topics:
9/15, 9/29*: Ch: 3, 4, 5: Commodore Joshua Barney; First Lady Dolley Payne Todd Madison; 鈥淔irst鈥� First Lady from New York Elizabeth Kortright Monroe.
10/6, 10/13: Ch: 8, 10, 2 (1st half): First Lady Martha Dandridge Custis Washington; U.S. Army Major General Oliver Otis Howard, 鈥淭he Christian General鈥�/Founder of Howard University; and Former President Theodore Roosevelt and Sir Arthur Spring Rice.
10/20: Ch: 2 (2nd half), 6: TR鈥檚 Exceptional Family especially TR, Jr. 鈥淭ed Roosevelt鈥� and Ethel Roosevelt; and the USN 鈥淎irdales鈥濃�斺�淲e Watch the Skyways鈥�**--in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
*No class session on 9/22/2025 - Fall Break
**鈥漌e Watch the Skyways鈥� was the musical score, composed by Max Steiner (1888-1971), for numerous military aviation-oriented films and became the anthem for the US Navy 鈥淎irdales鈥� (AKA non-scuff on aircraft wings, 鈥淏rown shoes sailors鈥濃�擳hom McCann 鈥渉ushpuppies鈥�).
Register Here - Registration Link Coming Soon!
Current Issues in Sports
Join Dr. Ira Stolzenberg for an exploration of issues in sports!
Leader: Dr. Ira Stolzenberg
2025 Sessions Fees: $30 for 5 weeks.
Fall 2025 Dates: 9/15/25, 9/29/25, 10/6/25, 10/13/25 and 10/20/25*
Location: Campus Center Meeting Room B
Time: 12:30 PM - 1:45 PM
*Note: Dates may be subject to change, depending on the availability of the instructor. Check back here for updates.
- 9/15/25*: The NCAA Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) issue and amateurism
- 9/29/25: Salary caps and the competitive balance tax
- 10/6/25: Collective bargaining agreements
- 10/13/25: Performance enhancement drugs (PEDs)
- 10/20/25: Sports Hall of Fames
*No class session on 9/22/2025 - Fall Break
Register Here - Registration Link Coming Soon!
Wednesdays:
Contemporary Literature
Join our monthly group to dive into engaging books together. Explore diverse genres, share insights, and enjoy lively discussions in a welcoming environment. Perfect for book lovers seeking connection and thoughtful conversation.
Leader: Susan Blaeser
2025 Sessions Fees: $30 for 5 weeks.
Fall 2025 Dates: 9/17/25, 10/15/25, 11/12/25, 12/10/25, 1/14/26
Location: Campus Center Meeting Room B
Time: Wednesdays 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
- 9/17/25: The Women, by Kristen Hannah
- 10/15/25: American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins
- 11/12/25: Tell Me Everything, by Elizabeth Strout
- 12/10/25: The Henna Artist, by Alka Joshi
- 1/14/26: The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett
Register Here - Registration Link Coming Soon!
Introduction to Spanish
隆Hola Estudiantes! This Spanish Culture and Conversation course is designed for beginning students who have studied Spanish and need an in depth review, and for those who want to learn Spanish before traveling to a Spanish-speaking country. Students will learn new vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, fun facts and basic verb conjugations in the present, past and future tenses. We will listen to Spanish songs, describe famous paintings, explore various places virtually and create simple, practical dialogue's all while covering a wide variety of topics and improving our communication skills in a relaxing and enjoyable atmosphere. 隆V谩monos!
Leader: Profesora Shari O'Flanagan
2025 Sessions Fees: $50 for 8 weeks (Fall Session 1) and/or 7 weeks (Fall Session 2)
Location: Campus Center Meeting Room A
Time: Wednesdays 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM
Sessions/Dates:
Fall 2025:
- Session 1: 9/3/25, 9/10/25, 9/17/25*, 10/1/25, 10/8/25, 10/15/25, 10/22/25, 10/29/25
- Session 2: 11/5/25, 11/12/25, 11/19/25, 11/26/25, 12/3/25, 12/10/25, 12/17/25
*No class session on 9/24/2025 - Fall Break
Session 1 Register Here - Registration Link Coming Soon!
Session 2 Register Here - Registration Link Coming Soon!
Fridays:
Current Issues Forum
Each week for the first hour the class we will set an agenda and exchange ideas concerning local, national, and global issues. During the second hour the focus is on one or more larger national issues; in an effort to identify problems, generate solutions, and hopefully, clarify your position.
Leader: Chet Gerstenbluth
2025 Sessions Fees: $50 for 13 weeks
Location: Gleeson Hall L100
Time: Fridays 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Sessions/Dates:
Fall 2025: 9/12/25, 9/19/25*, 10/3/25, 10/10/25, 10/17/25, 10/24/25, 10/31/25, 11/7/2025, 11/14/25, 11/21/25, 12/5/25, 12/12/25, 12/19/25
*No class session on 9/26/2025 - Fall Break
Discussion and participation are strictly voluntary. Members are encouraged to bring in most current news articles and current events are generally provided by Chet our Study Group Leader.
Register Here - Registration Link Coming Soon!
Movie Review
This fall we will be presenting 8 films and following each with a lively discussion. The movies are from a variety of genres and were released between 1949 and 2011.
Leader: Larry Blaeser
2025 Sessions Fees: $50 for 8 weeks
Location: Gleeson Hall 127
Time: Fridays 12:45 PM - 3:15 PM
Sessions/Dates:
Fall 2025: 9/19/25*, 10/3/25, 10/10/25, 10/17/25, 10/24/25, 10/31/25, 11/7/25, 11/14/25
*No class session on 9/26/2025 - Fall Break
September 19th: The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
2011 PG-13 2h 4m Comedy Drama Romance
British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.
October 3rd: To Catch a Thief
1955 PG 1h 46m Mystery, Drama , Romance, Thriller
A retired jewel thief sets out to prove his innocence after being suspected of returning to his former occupation.
October 10th: The Third Man
1949 Approved 1h 44m Film Noir, Thriller
Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.
October 17th: Touch of Evil
1958 PG-13 1h 35m Film Noir, Crime
A Mexican official and his American wife are targeted in a Texas border town by the crime family he's trying to put behind bars for drug trafficking, as his concern grows over the tactics of the local detective whose cooperation he needs.
October 24th: Raising Arizona
1987 PG-131h 34m Quirky Comedy
When a childless couple--an ex-con and an ex-cop--decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintuplets, their lives become more complicated than they anticipated.
October 31st (Halloween): Beetlejuice
1988 PG1h 32m Supernatural Fantasy, Quirky Comedy
The spirits of a deceased couple are harassed by an unbearable family that has moved into their home, and hire a malicious spirit to drive them out.
November 7th: Fargo
1996 R 1h 38m Dark Comedy, Crime
Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
November 14th: All the King鈥檚 Men
1949 Approved 1h 50m Political Drama
The rise and fall of a grass-roots rural politician who eventually becomes mired in the sort of political corruption he vehemently railed against on his way to the governor's mansion.
Register Here - Registration Link Coming Soon!
Parking
To obtain an ILR Member parking permit for the Fall 2025 semester, please visit the University Police Headquarters on campus. ILR Member parking is $11 per semester.
For more information, please refer to the University Police website, email police@farmingdale.edu or call 934-420-2561 (Parking & Traffic).
Accessible Parking Information
Volunteer Opportunities - Join Our Team!
ILR thrives on the enthusiasm and commitment of our members, and we are actively seeking volunteers to contribute their time and expertise to our vibrant community. If you have a passion for a particular subject and would like to lead a study group or contribute in any other capacity, we warmly encourage you to step forward and be part of our dedicated team.
We Want to Hear From You!
We are committed to enhancing the ILR experience and creating an inclusive, dynamic learning environment for all. As we embark on this journey together, your ideas, suggestions, and feedback are invaluable in shaping our program and ensuring its success. We welcome your input on new course ideas, potential guest speakers, and any other initiatives that could enrich the ILR community.
institute for learning in retirement
Thompson Hall, Room 119
934-420-2160
ilr@farmingdale.edu