With all the concerns and red flags coming out of Washington DC, SSC is pleased to offer this single-session presentation on the current status of climate action and clean energy for Maine.

The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) is the state’s leading environmental advocacy organization. It works across multiple issue areas to improve the cleanliness of Maine’s air and water, ensure the efficacy of recycling and sustainability programs, and facilitate climate action in Maine. Our presenter Josh Caldwell is NRCM’s Climate and Clean Energy Policy Advocate and Outreach Manager and he works on NRCM’s Climate and Clean Energy team.

In this presentation Josh will provide us an overview of Maine’s climate and clean energy goals alongside the opportunities that are available for you in which to engage in climate action. He will tell us how NRCM works with other organizations, businesses, and individuals across Maine to implement effective climate solutions. We will also learn that much of NRCM’s work takes place with legislators at the State House, but the real key to making positive change is to connect decision-makers with the people they represent.

Presenter: Josh Caldwell grew up in West Gardiner and attended Bates College where he majored in Environmental Studies. Josh is NRCM’s Climate and Clean Energy Policy Advocate and Outreach Manager.

Class Information: This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room SCI 102 and via Zoom with the instructor being on Zoom.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                  IMPORTANT:  See Below

“Sunrise Senior College does not endorse any appeal or representation made by a presenter, non-profit organization or business during an SSC presentation.  SSC members attending the presentations may wish to pursue additional involvement with the organization or presenter based on the material that was presented and in doing so, they are acting on their own and not as part of SSC.”

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $15.00 fee.

Important: if at this time you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning to join as a member today, make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so that we can properly bill you for this class.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may incur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

From bee bombs in Mesopotamia 100,000 years ago to insect robots, insects have been used as weapons. As vectors of disease, agricultural pests, and human pests, insects can cause harm to large numbers of people. In this course we will discuss how insects have been used in war intentionally or otherwise to change the course of wars. Did you know Napoleon was defeated by insects, not his human enemies? He was defeated in Haiti due to yellow fever transmitted by mosquitoes, defeated in war with the Ottoman Empire in Syria by bubonic plague transmitted by fleas, and defeated in Russia by typhus transmitted by lice. Insects have affected war plans such as Britain deciding not to invade Cuba in the 1650’s when the British fleet mistook lightning beetles on shore as the torches of a large Spanish army.

In more recent times, Japan had a special army unit developing ways to use insects as weapons in World War II. The U.S. had its own military working on biological warfare in Frederick, Maryland, looking at ways to use insects in war. During the Korean War both North Korea and the USA blamed each other for using insects as weapons. Current research is being done in the U.S., and quite likely in other countries, to use insects, insect toxins, and robotic insects in warfare. So, beware of the black fly, it may be a Chinese weapon!

Instructor: Dr. Mark Brown has a Ph.D. in entomology from Penn State and worked for the US Dept. of Agriculture for 28 years working on uses of beneficial insects to control insect pests, nothing that could be used in warfare. He also has an interest in history. His first course he taught for the Sunrise Senior College was on the role insects have had in world history.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room SCI 102 and via Zoom. Dr. Brown will be presenting sessions in-person.

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                   IMPORTANT:  See Below

“Sunrise Senior College does not endorse any appeal or representation made by a presenter, non-profit organization or business during an SSC presentation.  SSC members attending the presentations may wish to pursue additional involvement with the organization or presenter based on the material that was presented and in doing so, they are acting on their own and not as part of SSC.”

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $20.00 fee.

Important: If at this time you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning to join as a member today, make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so that we can properly bill you for this class.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may incur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

The literary fans wait is over for our loyal Sunrise Senior College members who look forward to looking at the classics. Our resident scholar, Dr. Gerard NeCastro, is with us once again as he presents his unique insights into Shakespeare’s King Lear.  This masterpiece is widely considered his most complex and thought-provoking play. It is a tale of a man, retiring from his duties and hoping for a comfortable life in his senior years, who soon finds that these hopes are destroyed. Over this six-session class we will watch him deal with cruelty, disloyalty, madness, and injustice.

Shakespeare’s handling of all of this is not only masterful but also controversial, as his historical—or unhistorical--portrayal of this early British king so disturbed the generations to come that several playwrights rewrote the play. This may be Shakespeare’s most challenging play, but it is probably his most rewarding as well.

Instructor: Gerard NeCastro, Ph.D. - for the past thirty years Gerard has been a scholar of Medieval and Renaissance drama and has been fortunate enough to teach many courses in Shakespeare, including several of them for Sunrise Senior College.  He served on the board for the Medieval and Renaissance Drama Society for over twenty years, presented a host of papers, and edited two volumes of drama. He has even directed a couple plays and acted in a few small roles.

Class Information:  This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room SCI 102 and via Zoom. Dr. NeCastro will be presenting sessions both in-person and on Zoom over the 6-week period. Classes are scheduled for Mondays, October 6th, 20th, 27th, November 3rd, 10th & 17th from 2:00 to 4:00 PM (no class October 13th). 

Required Book*

          Title:       King Lear

          Author:  William Shakespeare, Edited by Paul Werstine and Barbara A. Mowat

          ISBN:      978-0743482769

*Active Sunrise Senior College members (2025-26 membership year) - SSC will provide you with a copy of book if you register by September 2nd, 2025.

For non-Sunrise Senior college members this book is available on Amazon. 

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                  IMPORTANT:  See Below

“Sunrise Senior College does not endorse any appeal or representation made by a presenter, non-profit organization or business during an SSC presentation.  SSC members attending the presentations may wish to pursue additional involvement with the organization or presenter based on the material that was presented and in doing so, they are acting on their own and not as part of SSC.”

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $20.00 fee.

Important: If at this time you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning to join as a member today, make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so that we can properly bill you for this class.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may incur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

Did you miss this class when it was held before? Well, here is another chance! For those that did take this class before, here is a chance to learn additional tips and skills in another class. Have you always wanted to knit but don't think you are coordinated enough or have the dexterity to do it? Do you find that knitting with needles is hard on your hands? Whether you already know how to knit or are new to knitting, this is the way to go. Why not join in the fun as our own SSC resident knitter Suzie O’Clair teaches us how to knit a slouchy hat and/or a scarf using round and long looms. It is quick and easy and can be done anywhere. During these classes you will learn multiple patterns and techniques using round and long looms and be introduced to I-cord knitting too. This class is perfect for newbies and more experienced knitters and will be held in the warm cozy knitting atmosphere of Machias’ own “Woolez of Maine.” This class is being repeated due to popular demand so sign up early.

Instructor: Suzie O'Clair has been very interested in all kinds of artistic venues: weaving, enameling, sandblasting, fabric arts and working with wood. She has always wanted to learn to crochet or knit and after finding knitting on the round and long looms, realized that the ease of working with this type of knitting can be done by people of all ages.

Class Information: This is an in person only class - held at Wooleez of Maine, 4 Colonial Way #1, Machias, ME.  

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                    IMPORTANT:  See Below

This is a fee-based class and for this class only, Sunrise Senior College (SSC) will be purchasing the materials for all the students.  MSCN and Non-Members will be charged $30.00 for the materials.

Important:  If at this time you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning to join as a member today, make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so that we can properly bill you for this class. 

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may incur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, the materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering. 

Maine’s population is slowly growing in the 21st century at a rate of about two-tenths of one percent each year. This rate places Maine 42nd out of 50 states in its rate of population growth however, beneath what appears to be a sluggish growth rate, Maine is experiencing significant gross in-migration and gross out-migration. As much as ten percent of the population turns over every decade. Why is this happening?

Without net positive in-migration, Maine would be losing population every year because our deaths in Maine exceed our births. Maine experiences a ten percent population turnover per decade which is a significant number of people.  For one thing, it means that there are a lot of people “from away” (PFA’s) who are new Mainers however, the rate of turnover in the 21st century is less than half of what was experienced in 19th century Maine. In that century, large numbers of Maine-born young people left the state, some, especially men, for opportunities in agriculture and logging in rural America while others, especially women, left for the jobs in urban, industrializing America. During the same 19th century and into the early 20th century, large numbers of foreign-born migrants came to Maine, especially from the British Isles, northern Europe and Canada. 

In this series we will first examine the people who left Maine, when and why did they go, and then, we will look at the people who moved to Maine - again when did they do this and why. Using the records from Ancestry.com, the decennial US census, the publications of the Office of the Maine State Economist, and the Maine Historical Society along with records of the Maine State Archives, Jim will present us with a picture of life in Maine and why people lived here. In this four-session presentation we will also examine some of the letters, diaries, newspapers stories, and even some blog posts of Mainers past and present who have left the state, or alternately, have moved to the state.

Instructor: Jim Oberly has taught history courses for Sunrise Senior College, Midcoast Senior College, OLLI-Minnesota and for OLLI Manhattan Marymount. Jim holds an undergraduate degree from Columbia University and a doctorate in history from the University of Rochester and was on the faculty of the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire for 36 years. His interest in human migration history stems from past visiting appointments at the University of Michigan’s Inter-University for Political and Social Research, and at the Minnesota Population Center, based at the University of Minnesota. He combines teaching for Sunrise Senior College with continued scholarly work.

Class Information: This is a hybrid class - held in-person in UM@M’s room SCI 102 and via Zoom with the instructor on Zoom from his home in St. Paul, Minnesota. Classes are scheduled for Tuesdays, November 4th, 18th, December 2nd & 9th from 10:00 to 11:00 AM (no classes November 11th or 25th).

All facilities at the University of Maine at Machias (UM@M) are fully handicap compliant.  The facilities used by Sunrise Senior College (SSC) at the college have ramps, elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms.  Our offsite functions and activities have various limitations and restrictions and may not be fully handicap accessible.  SSC will endeavor to identify limitations at these to you in advance.

                                                  IMPORTANT:  See Below

“Sunrise Senior College does not endorse any appeal or representation made by a presenter, non-profit organization or business during an SSC presentation.  SSC members attending the presentations may wish to pursue additional involvement with the organization or presenter based on the material that was presented and in doing so, they are acting on their own and not as part of SSC.”

This class is available to all current Maine Senior College (MSCN) Members. The general public not wishing to join Sunrise Senior College at this time may attend this class for a $20.00 fee.

Important: If at this time you are not a current member of Sunrise Senior College (SSC) but are planning to join as a member today, make sure you answer that “Your SSC membership is current” when checking out so that we can properly bill you for this class.

Sunrise Senior College (SSC) is a membership-based organization. Our SSC members receive special benefits as current members when they register for this course. Any member of another MSCN college is also able to enjoy this course, but may incur some additional charges. If you are a member of the general public, you can take this course but will have to pay additional fees associated with being a non-member. For any attendee that is not a current member of Sunrise Senior College, any materials required for the course are your responsibility. When checking out, please carefully read and answer the questions asked associated with this specific course so that you are charged appropriately for this class. Failure to do this may result in your being cancelled from the course. We hope you enjoy this offering.

                                                                   IMPORTANT  

When you are checking out, please make sure that you select the option “My SSC Membership is Current” when answering the question about your membership status - otherwise you will be overcharged for this.

                                                           MEMBERSHIP POLICY

This membership covers June 1st, 2025, to May 31st, 2026. SSC Members must have a valid membership entry on your file to enjoy the full benefits of our Summer-Fall 2025 and Winter-Spring 2026 programs that take place during this period. You should select your 2025- 2026 membership one time as part of registering for your first class in this new year. If you need to apply for a scholarship to cover your membership fees, this is done using a separate application which is located on the SSC website. Your request must be reviewed and processed by the Scholarship Committee before registering for any classes.

If you are not sure what your current membership status is, before registering for this please contact SSC at sunriseseniorcollege@maine.edu or call 207-255-1384 and leave a message – we will get back to you.

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College   

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College   

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College   

Sunrise Senior College wishes to thank you for your tax-exempt donation.  Your generosity enables us to continue providing the programs and activities that are so vital to our community.  In accordance with IRS regulations, we acknowledge that no goods or services were received in exchange for this gift.  Please save this email for your tax records.  

Thank you.

Susan O'Clair 

Treasurer, Sunrise Senior College