“The Room Where It Happens,” one of the most beloved songs of the hit musical "Hamilton," tells the story of the Compromise of 1790, the political deal that placed America’s capital on the banks of the Potomac River. In this lecture, Professor Denver Brunsman of George Washington University will recount the actual events that resulted in the Compromise of 1790 and how the political values of the Founding Era resulted in disenfranchisement for the future residents of Washington, D.C. Professor Brunsman will further bring these issues to the present by discussing the political and constitutional obstacles to DC realizing statehood.

We’ll focus on investing and the different challenges women face on their financial journeys. Topics will include investment apps, crypto, and alternative investments, and tips for protecting your hard-earned money.

We’ll focus on investing and the different challenges women face on their financial journeys. Topics will include investment apps, crypto, and alternative investments, and tips for protecting your hard-earned money.

All relationships can be tricky, and parent–child relationships often come with their own unique history and emotions. In this session, we’ll talk about common family challenges and share practical ways to handle tough dynamics with more understanding and care. We’ll also explore how healthy boundaries and mutual respect can help us strengthen and even repair important relationships. This program is generously supported by the Frederick H. Bowis Community Fund.

The world agrees that war crimes and genocide are unacceptable and yet genocide and mass killings continue. We have a duty to find the answer to these unconscionable problems, particularly in view of the current betrayal of “never again” by Russian forces in Ukraine. The speaker will explore the role of preventive diplomacy as well as the employment of military options.

The loyalists were the losers of the American Revolution. The Americans who rejected independence and who fought to keep the colonies safely within the bosom of the British Empire lost almost everything when the patriots declared victory at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781. History quickly lost sight of them in the years afterwards and looking back now, it’s hard to understand why so many ordinary Americans were actually bitterly opposed to the break with Britain and the birth of a new nation. Join University of Maryland historian Richard Bell as he takes us back in time to examine the American Revolution from their perspective. Focusing on individuals with compelling personal stories, Bell challenges deep-rooted stereotypes of loyalists as sycophantic, cowardly, and selfish persons of means and demonstrates that to understand who the loyalists were, and what they experienced, is to better understand the stakes of the entire American Revolution.

Cross examination frequently produces critical evidence in trials.  It is sometimes referred to as an art form, because the attorney needs to know precisely how to elicit testimony from the opposing witness.  Mr. McCarthy, who has tried more cases in Montgomery County than any other lawyer, will discuss and show video clips of multiple cases to illustrate how lawyers master the art of cross examination.

Cross examination frequently produces critical evidence in trials.  It is sometimes referred to as an art form, because the attorney needs to know precisely how to elicit testimony from the opposing witness.  Mr. McCarthy, who has tried more cases in Montgomery County than any other lawyer, will discuss and show video clips of multiple cases to illustrate how lawyers master the art of cross examination.

(NOTE:  at the instructor's request, the start time of this class has been changed to 1 pm on March 6.)  Broadcast TV and Cable TV have traditionally provided in-home media to US households. We are experiencing a new paradigm in home entertainment as households are discontinuing their cable TV contracts in favor of streaming options, such as Netflix and Amazon. In this class we will examine: •Technical details of how traditional cable, over-the-air TV and streaming options work, including Internet access and wi-fi. •A comparison of the major streaming devices: Roku vs Apple TV vs Smart TV •Content providers: Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV etc.

Please join us for Oasis Volunteer Day at Comfort Cases. Comfort Cases serves children being placed in foster care.  Most are removed from their homes with little more than the clothes on their backs.  Through Comfort Cases, these children receive a special bag containing a cozy new pair of pajamas, a brand new warm blanket, and a new stuffed animal to hug during the traumatic transition into foster care. Volunteers will meet at the Comfort Cases National Center to help with processing donations, counting inventory, assembling Comfort Cases, and other miscellaneous tasks. Volunteers are responsible for their own transportation.  Meet no later than 2 pm at 9300 Gaither Road, Gaithersburg, MD  20877 (note new location). Please wear comfortable clothes that you can move in and closed-toe shoes for standing. Limit:  12

Come for the chocolate, Belgian fries, and mussels steamed in beer.  Stay for a visit to the EU parliament (hint: arranged NOT by nationality), the museum/home of Art Nouveau pioneer Victor Horta, the Musical Instruments Museum with a wireless audio guide that plays music of the instruments as you pass by; 120 years of automotive history (horse-drawn vehicles to  Ferraris), and the Waterloo Battlefield where Napoleon met defeat. Virtually explore Brussels’ hidden gems with European Travel Specialist Barbara Paulson. (See related classes #146, 236)