Dates: Tuesday, January 21st or Thursday, January 23rd

Location:  Zoom

Do you remember what we learned 3 months ago? Can you believe our semester started that long ago? It’s been 16 lovely weeks, so let’s take a short stroll down memory lane! Remember, questions this week come from class and the readings! 

• National Marine Mammal Foundation

We talked to the Marine Mammal Foundation about the orca population in the Pacific Northwest. We learned about the Southern Resident pod and the threats to the health of the population

• Snapdragon Stadium

We got quite the tour of our newest San Diego sports stadium! We did a ‘grand circle tour’ of the stadium, while getting to see the suites and even the locker rooms and press area!

• Serving Seniors

This organization is dedicated to helping senior citizens from multiple angles, including transitional housing, nutrition, and mental health services. They serve more than 1.4 million meals a year in our county and provide valuable social experiences for some of our most vulnerable citizens.

• League of Women Voters

Always a fan favorite, we reviewed the ballot propositions and measures. The League provides this valuable service to help us all be more informed, thoughtful voters. The resources provided by the League have helped a great many of us navigate the web of political ads and information.

• Pro Football Hall of Fame

We visited, virtually, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. We talked about the history of the league and the Hall, as well as took a look at the evolution of helmet protection over the years. We even learned that the Rams were the first team to paint a logo on their helmet. We discussed the building and why it is located in Canton. 

• National Gallery of Art

History and art, what could be better? We walked through American history by using different paintings and discussing the different trends and schools of art. 

• Storytellers of San Diego

So nice to see you! We got to meet in person this week to chat with the Storytellers of San Diego. They talked to us about how their organization got started and the kinds of events around the community they participate in. We even got to hear some fabulous stories!

• Halloween History

Happy Halloween! We talked about the origins of this treat-based holiday and looked at the history of some of our most popular candy. We talked about the Hershey bar, the Reese’s cup, and even how M&Ms got their name! (Maybe you can remember their names?)

• Cake4Kids

Continuing our sweet-centered classes, we talked to this local chapter of the San Francisco based non-profit. They find willing volunteers of all baking levels and provide custom, homemade treats to kids in Foster Care who might otherwise never have a special treat made for them! They help celebrate birthdays, graduations, and other important milestones for kids who can definitely use a little more joy!

• American Red Cross

Always a fantastic visit, we got to learn just what the Red Cross does in our community and how they help. They talked about their program to install smoke detectors in homes for free and showed us what should be in our emergency kits for disasters. Given the recent fires in Los Angeles, this information feels more important than ever!

• Medicare Review

Healthcare is complicated! We were able to chat with a Medicare professional about the options available to people with Medicare, its different parts, and the changes to the programming. It was helpful to know that people are available to help choose the right program with no sales pressure. 

• Thanksgiving Break

Yay for yummy food!

• British Museum

Our only asynchronous class of the semester! We didn’t meet on Zoom but we did get to take a virtual tour with the British Museum. The tour covered the disaster at Pompeii and Herculaneum, and reviewed the artifacts that were on display at the British Museum. The mostly intact cities tell us quite a lot about life in the ancient world.

• Stein Family Farms

We headed to a farm in the middle of National City! Though it wasn’t quite where any of us expected to find a farm, we were able to see the animals kept there. I didn’t quite expect an emu, but it was great fun to see! We also toured the orchards and the main floor of the house, in all its 1800s glory!

• Smithsonian and Battlefield Trust

Though we were supposed to speak to a different organization, a last minute schedule shift had us watching a pre-recorded class. In a collaboration between the Smithsonian and the American Battlefield Trust, we learned about the preservation of our foreign memorials as well as some fascinating things about the art used there!

• National Weather Service - San Diego

In a quick, but timely, class, we heard from the San Diego branch of the National Weather Service. Our speaker confirmed that this is the driest start to a rainy season on record, which has helped to fuel the dangerous conditions in the fires in Los Angeles. He confirmed that our summers are, in fact, getting hotter and we can expect dry conditions this year. Thank you to all those who stayed after to share weather and disaster related information!

• Seabreeze Craft Chocolate 

What’s not to love? Entertaining speaker, interesting topic, and free chocolate samples? Sign me up! We were able to check out this little gem and learn all about how cacao is grown and how it can be purchased and processed for some of the finest batch chocolatiers. 

I hope the review has helped!