Is the jury system a triumph of fairness or a flawed holdover of the past? This class traces the history of jury trials, explores high-profile cases, and examines whether juries get it right—and what happens when they don’t.

Steve Roberts has been a journalist for almost 60 years, covering some of the major events of his time, including fourteen presidential election campaigns. As a broadcaster, Roberts appears regularly as a political analyst on the ABC radio network and writes a nationally-syndicated newspaper column. He teaches politics and journalism at George Washington University, and lectures widely on American politics and the role of the news media. Join Steve for a look at the upcoming 2022 Congressional midterm and gubernatorial elections

Join us for a guided walking tour of the enchanting historic National Park Seminary, once a private women’s school, then Walter Reed’s rehabilitation center, and now a unique residential community.

The true history of Roe v. Wade was never about women's rights or autonomy. The case preceding Roe, which laid the constitutional groundwork and subsequent answer for Roe, was a case in Connecticut about citizens being allowed to use contraceptives. Married couples were prohibited from using contraceptives in their own homes. The year was 1965, not 1879 when the law was first passed. The argument for Roe came from the 9th and 14th Amendment, which guarantee the right to privacy to individuals. However, now we're back to where we started, before abortion was legal. What will this new landscape look like for women?

From 1956 to 1969, Elvis Presley made 31 films, playing the above-the-title star in all but one. That’s an extraordinary achievement and it helped make him one of the wealthiest performers in Hollywood as a result. But unfortunately, Elvis’ dream of being taken seriously as an actor and becoming a true movie star was never fulfilled, thanks to the almost insatiable greed and crass commercial instincts of his manager, Col. Tom Parker. This talk will examine the ups and downs of Presley’s Hollywood career, which started off with such promise in films like King Creole and Jailhouse Rock but would ultimately conclude with dozens of cheap, mediocre movies.

The Supreme Court struck down a New York law that required residents to show “good cause” for carrying a weapon when applying for a permit. Maryland has a similar “good cause” requirement that is now unconstitutional under the new ruling. However, it is still constitutional to require people to apply for permits and meet certain restrictions. For example, residents under the age of 21, cannot get a permit. People with certain criminal records cannot get a permit. Also, there are certain sensitive areas where people cannot carry a weapon such as schools and courtrooms.

This class will explore Van Gogh’s life and personality, shattering myths about Van Gogh and providing an in-depth visual analysis of his most famous paintings along the way. It will trace his development as an artist and take on some of the common misperceptions of him and his work – for example, that he was a solitary and mad genius of popular culture. It also will explore his relationships with his brother Theo and the artist Paul Gaugin and the actions Theo’s wife took that brought posthumous recognition to Van Gogh.