By Mark Schug, Ph.D.

President Trump fulfilled a campaign promise by signing an executive order formally withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).  The pact was already dead-on-arrival given the fact that both Mr. Trump and Mrs. Clinton had campaigned against it. A recent poll reported in the Wall Street Journal showed that voters of both parties – especially Republicans – are less likely to see trade agreements as favorable to the United States.

The TPP certainly had its flaws including many carve-outs to placate special interests in several of the 12 nations involved.  Nonetheless, many economists supported it.

Formal withdrawal from the TPP marks a radical change in direction for the United States.  It has been nearly 90 years since the Smoot-Hawley Tariff was passed.  The argument then as now was that American jobs were being lost due to international competition.  Smoot-Hawley increased tariff rates from 20% to 30% on agricultural products.  Tariffs were raised on 887 items.  Europe and Canada quickly retaliated wiping out many farmers in the Western United States and bankrupting Western banks further weakening a sinking economy.  It is almost certain that the Smoot-Hawley Tariff all by itself would have induced a recession.  It certainly contributed to making the Great Depression longer and more painful.

Since the end of World War II, the United States has championed freer trade and open markets. The United States led the creation in 1947 of the General Agreement of Trade and Tariffs (GATT) that was signed by 23 countries.  In 1995, The United States helped lead the establishment of GATT’s successor – the World Trade Organization (WTO) which today has over 160 member nations.

But, it is now 2017.  People have many serious concerns about trade that need to be addressed.  These concerns never received the attention they deserved during the campaigns of either candidate.

• Is trade a job killer for the United States?
• Should we worry about bilateral trade deficits with nations like China?
• Has NAFTA done more harm than good?
• Does free trade help or hurt poor people?

Professor Schug will present a one-time lecture, “Economists Analyze the President’s New Policies,” on Tuesday, March 21 from 4:30 – 6 p.m. 

By Robert Versteeg, associate of Silvin Books

 After Richard René Silvin’s well-attended 2015 presentation about the SS Normandie, the 1930s flagship of the French Line, he will now return to LLS Jupiter on Thursday, February 9, 2017 at 11:15 a.m.  This time, Mr. Silvin will take the audience on a journey through time, elaborating on the rise and decline of transatlantic ocean liner travel, culminating with a discussion about cruise ships.

René Silvin on the Andrea Doria two weeks before it sank.

During the heyday of the behemoth ocean liners, there were several famous disasters. The White Star Line’s Titanic
sank in 1912 because of the captain’s recklessness attempting to win the Blue Riband (see my blog of 1/13/2017). The Cunard Line’s Lusitania sank in 1915 because it did not heed the German warning that U-boats would be looking for her. And the Italian flagship Andrea Doria sank in 1956, when it collided with the Stockholm in dense fog off the coast of Nantucket. All three liners were famous ships known for crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

With the advent of jets and skyrocketing fuel costs, transatlantic ocean liner travel shrank to a trickle. The industry changed its focus from high-speed crossings to gentle, low-speed cruising. Luckily, we do not hear about fatal disasters with cruise ships; only the occasional unexpected storm, outbreak of illness or a rogue husband throwing his bride overboard! However, in 2012, an Italian ship became the first large cruise ship to flounder, and both the company which owned her and her country of registry suffered a big blow, when the Costa Concordia sank just off the Tuscan coastline.

Costa Concordia

The 114,000-ton Costa Concordia entered service in 2006. She could carry 3,780 passengers plus crew and was mostly used to cruise the Mediterranean Sea.

On January 13, 2012, she left the port of Civitavecchia (near Rome) to start a 7-night cruise around the Mediterranean. In what is still a very controversial story, the ship deviated from her planned route, and came too close to the Isola del Giglio. It struck a rock formation on the sea floor, which caused a 174-foot-long gash in the hull.

With 4,252 passengers and crew aboard, the evacuation was handled very poorly, resulting in 32 people losing their lives. Most victims drowned inside the ship, which experts claim should have been avoided.

The investigation into the cause of the disaster focused mostly on 41-year-old Captain Francesco Schettino. The Captain said that he was performing a somewhat routine “sail-past salute” to the island. He claimed that on this fatal day, winds and tides pushed the ship into the rocks.

However, other facts came to light, including the presence of Moldovan dancer, Ms. Domnica Cemortan, a non-paying passenger who was on the bridge at the time of the accident. Ms. Cemortan admitted to having a romantic relationship with the Captain. Some concluded that the Captain made the unauthorized ship maneuver to show off for her. Schettino denies the accusation.

Additionally, others who were present during the disaster said that the Captain got into a lifeboat, while 300 passengers remained trapped aboard the capsized and sinking ship. Schettino claims he “fell” off the ship into the water, and had to climb into a lifeboat. When he was found and severely reprimanded by the Italian Coast Guard in a publicly available interchange, he was not wet…draw your own conclusion.

Costa Concordia capsized

The ship lay on its side, potentially causing an ecological disaster, for a year and a half. The complicated recovery project cost $623 million, while another $85 million was assigned to repair the coastal area after the ship was hauled off. The ecological cleanup continues to this day. More importantly, 32 innocent people lost their lives, mostly dying terrifying deaths trapped in areas filling up with water. Captain Schettino is serving 16 years in prison for manslaughter.

While some maritime disasters are caused by human error, including occasional poor captaining decisions, the Concordia‘s sinking was unique in its likely gross abuse of power, extreme dereliction of duty and, yes, cowardly behavior. In addition to the tragic loss of life, the incident damaged the relatively unblemished safety record of modern cruise ships, and the travelling public’s confidence in the professionalism of the senior officers.

Please join René as he takes you through 150 years of maritime history. From Necessity, to Glamour, to Recreation: the changing face of Transatlantic Ocean Liner travel.

Kami Barrett-Batchelder LLS Associate Director

On Thursday, February 2, 2017, at 10 a.m., the former Police Commissioner of the Boston Police Department, Ed Davis, will present a first-hand account lecture on the aftermath of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

Commissioner Ed Davis

Davis, who was appointed in 2006, has been in law enforcement for 35 years. He served as the 40^th Police Commissioner of the City of Boston from December 2006 until October 2013. He was Boston’s lead police official during the tragic Marathon bombings and testified before Congress about the bombing and the lessons learned. Prior to his job as the Police Commissioner, he was the Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department, a position he held for 12 years and one he rose to after starting out as a patrol officer in 1978. In Boston, Commissioner Davis oversaw police services for over 600,000 residents along with those visiting and working in the City of Boston.

Boston Marathon Memorial

Thursday’s lecture will not just focus on the 280 who were injured, 42 of those with life-threatening injuries, or the three individuals who were killed at the scene of the two explosions. Davis will explain how he was at the forefront of the emergency response, the manhunt to find the suspects who committed these crimes and how they were able to apprehend the terrorists within a week.

Commissioner Davis’ broad law enforcement background set the tone for policing in the city, from the walking beat, to managing massive demonstrations and special events, to creating a better and trusting relationship between the police and the community, to innovative technology and social media efforts that have improved public safety and allowed open dialogue with those the police department serves. These changes he made certainly aided him on the days that followed the bombings.

In 2013, he resigned from the Boston Police Department and is now the President and CEO of Edward Davis, LLC, a business strategy and security services firm. Davis has brought together a team of security and technology solution experts including former federal, state, local law enforcement, military officials, researchers and attorneys with direct personal connections to esteemed academic institutions, national and international governing and intelligence entities. The Davis team lends their expertise to crisis response, risk management, site assessments, facility security design, audit and compliance, thought leadership and policy, government consulting, cyber/IoT mitigation and management and product strategy.

Commissioner Davis has also worked internationally on police issues in Singapore, London, Northern Ireland, Jordan and Israel. He served on the Police Executive Research Forum’s (PERF) Board of Directors and was a founding member and first President of the Massachusetts Major City Chiefs Association.

To purchase tickets for Thursday’s event, visit www.fau.edu/llsjupiter.

By Sandi Page, Member of the FAU LLS Jupiter Marketing Committee

Baby New Year, Father Time, Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. As Baby New Year ushers in 2017, we wish all of you a Happy and Healthy New Year as we continue to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of FAU LLS Jupiter.

Look no further than LLS Jupiter to find some pretty babies! Several professors and staff members have graciously sent me their baby photos for a contest to start the year off with some fun!   Can you match the adorable baby photo with the fine-looking adult they grew up to be?

A special note about one of our “pretty babies”, Ralph Duckett (1935 – 2017), our unflappable Audio Visual Specialist, who had been with LLS Jupiter since the beginning.  Although he knew the end was coming, he was delighted to send me his baby picture to participate in the contest.  A gracious gentleman always, he was the first friend I made at LLS when I arrived in the fall of 2011.  Ralph will be greatly missed by us all.

Let’s see how good of an eye you have and send us your photo matchup guesses in the comments section.

We’ll give you the answers in this Saturday’s regular LLS email newsletter!

UPDATE!

Answer Key:

Baby 1 is Kami Barrett Batchelder.

Baby 2 is Dr. Kurt F. Stone.

Baby 3 is Emily Morton.

Baby 4 is Dr. Robert Rabil.

Baby 5 is Sandi Page.

Baby 6 is Dr. Taylor Hagood.

Baby 7 is Suzanna Wells.

Baby 8 is Richard René Silvin.

Baby 9 is Katie Muldoon.

Baby 10 is Dr. Benito Rakower.

Baby 11 is Kimberly Bowman.

Baby 12 is Ralph Duckett.

Baby 13 is Wendi Geller.

Baby 14 is Pookie Page.

1. Baby 1	A. Dr. Taylor Hagood, LLS Professor
2. Baby 2	B. Katie Muldoon, LLS Professor
3. Baby 3	C. Dr. Benito Rakower, LLS Professor
4. Baby 4	D. Dr. Kurt F. Stone, LLS Professor
5. Baby 5	E. Dr. Robert Rabil, LLS Professor
6. Baby 6	F. Richard René Silvin, LLS Professor
7. Baby 7	G. Ralph Duckett, LLS AV Specialist
8. Baby 8	H. Kami Barrett Batchelder, LLS Jupiter Associate Director
9. Baby 9	I. Kimberly Bowman, LLS Jupiter Coordinator of Academic Programs
10. Baby 10	J. Wendi Geller, LLS Jupiter Class Coordinator
11. Baby 11	K. Suzanna Wells, LLS Jupiter Facilities Manager
12. Baby 12	L. Emily Morton, LLS Jupiter Data Processor
13. Baby 13	M. Sandi Page, LLS Jupiter Marketing Committee member, guest blogger
14. Baby 14	N. Pookie Page, Executive Director of the Page Household

By Kami Barrett-Batchelder LLS Associate Director

Kenneth R. Feinberg

On Thursday, January 19, 2017 at 4 p.m., LLS Jupiter will present a one-time lecture by Kenneth R. Feinberg, an advocate best known as Special Master of the Federal September 11th Victim Compensation Fund of 2001. During his lecture, Feinberg will focus on the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Boston Marathon bombings, and the Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook Elementary School and Aurora, Colorado movie shootings. This lecture will not only focus on the characteristics of such compensation programs, but also will raise the philosophical and practical issues surrounding the wisdom of such programs. A light reception and book signing will follow the lecture.

New York City, September 2001

Appointed by Attorney General John Ashcroft to be Special Master of the fund, Feinberg worked for 33 months entirely pro bono. He developed the regulations governing the administration of the fund and administered all aspects of the program, including evaluating applications, determining appropriate compensation and disseminating awards. His work with the September 11^th Victim Fund cemented his reputation as the “master of disasters” according to a March 2016 article in the “Observer.”

Additionally, Feinberg served as the government-appointed administrator of the BP Deepwater Horizon Disaster Victim Compensation Fund, and was appointed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to administer the One Fund—the victim assistance fund established in the wake of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. Most recently, Feinberg was retained by General Motors to assist in their recall response and by Volkswagen to oversee their U.S. compensation of VW diesel owners affected by the Volkswagen emissions scandal.

Boston Marathon

In his book titled “What is Life Worth?”, Feinberg describes the eight-part plan which was applied to approaching the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. Feinberg explains the well-thought–out process that must go into each decision, while addressing the most important question that comes after a tragedy, why compensate at all? He discusses practical and philosophical problems of using money as a way to tackle wrongs and reveal individual value.

In addition to handling these funds, he is also an adjunct professor at the Columbia University School of Law, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, New York University School of Law, the University of Virginia School of Law and the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

To register for the lecture, visit www.fau.edu/llsjupiter.

By Robert Versteeg, associate of Silvin Books

Rene Silvin

After Richard René Silvin’s 2015 heavily attended presentation about the SS Normandie, the 1930s flagship of the French Line, he will once again return to LLS Jupiter on February 9, 2017 at 11:15 a.m. This time, he will take the audience on a journey through time, elaborating on the rise and decline of transatlantic ocean liner travel.

One of the featured stories is, of course, that of the Titanic, which almost everyone is familiar with. One of the reasons the Titanic hit the iceberg was because Captain Smith refused to reduce speed.  The little understood reason, not covered in James Cameron’s 1997 film, was the White Star Line’s obsession to “capture” the coveted “Blue Riband.” But why did Captain Edward Smith endanger so many souls and what is the Blue Riband?

Blue Riband Award

Transatlantic ocean crossings started to be competitive as early as the 1830s with the advent of “steam-assisted sailing ships.” Although the term Blue Riband had not yet been established, ships began to compete to cross the Atlantic Ocean the fastest. The Blue Riband was awarded to the ship, in regular service, which crossed the Atlantic at the fastest average speed. The term “record breaker” is awarded to a ship which breaks the speed record in both eastbound and westbound crossings.

The first ship to win the title of Blue Riband was the 175-foot, wooden, steam-assisted ship, Sirius. In 1838, she carried up to 40 passengers from England to New York in 18 days, 14 hours, and 22 minutes. Conditions aboard a tiny ship without heat, refrigeration or running water were horrific.Over the ensuing decades, several West European countries competed to improve these statistics, and, by 1909, Cunard Line’s steel hull, twin propeller driven, luxurious Mauretania “crossed” in 4 days, 10 hours, and 51 minutes.

By the beginning of the twentieth century, Cunard’s competitor, the White Star Line, was obsessed with capturing the Blue Riband title with their new flagship, the Titanic. This did not end well for the supposedly unsinkable ship and 1,514 of the 2,224 souls aboard. Consequently, the Mauretania held the title until 1929.

In 1936, British Parliamentarian Sir Harold K. Hales created a trophy to formalize the title and it was kept by the company which owned the fastest ship. The beautiful gold, silver and onyx trophy is 4 feet tall.

SS United States

The last Atlantic liner to hold the Blue Riband is the American ship SS United States. She won the title and the trophy in 1952 by crossing in 3 days, 10 hours and 40 minutes. The Hales trophy still belongs to the now-mothballed ship and is on display at the American Merchant Marine Museum at King’s Point, New York. The advent of jet airliner travel has negated the need to operate high-speed ships.

Please join René as he takes you back through time, focusing on luxurious and glamorous ships. He will bring you through suspenseful moments, describing horrific ship accidents like the Lusitania and the Andrea Doria, as well as reveal many amusing anecdotal stories which took place aboard the Normandie, Queen Mary, Ile de France and the United States.

By Kami Barrett-Batchelder Associate Director

The movie “Black Swan” had me flinching in my chair and turned my stomach into knots in anticipation of what would happen next. Watching the tortured ballerina, “Nina,” whom Natalie Portman portrayed magnificently, made me wonder – Is this really what happens when the curtain goes down, or is it Hollywood?

George Balanchine conducting rehearsal, New York City Ballet, 1981.

This Thursday, January 12, at 11:15 a.m., Steven Caras, a former ballet dancer and renowned ballet photographer, will share professional and personal milestones and setbacks via compelling, uncensored tales beginning with his mock-ridden childhood and struggles with sexuality, to his days as a dancer during the true golden era of dance in America under the leadership of ballet’s towering genius, George Balanchine.

At the age of 18, Steven Caras was personally invited to join the New York City Ballet by its founder, George Balanchine. Over the next 14 years, he would dance worldwide in numerous masterworks choreographed by Balanchine and Jerome Robbins.

Janine Harris and Tracy Mozingo dancing Isle, Ballet Florida, 1997.

Inspired by all aspects of his surroundings, Caras was compelled to cultivate his longtime interest in photography — a “calling” that would eventually lead to a second career. Today, The Steven Caras Dance Photography Collection (in excess of 120,000 photographs) is considered to be one of the most valuable, historically significant dance archives of all time. Featuring many of the dance world’s most celebrated artists and institutions, Caras’ images continue to appear in prominent books, publications, films, documentaries, exhibitions and private collections.

I had the opportunity to spend time with Caras over the past few months as he prepared for his presentation at LLS, and I learned a tremendous amount about what the world of ballet truly encompasses. “Black Swan” only briefly touches on how beautiful and colorful the world of ballet can be. Dancers do not always go to a dark place to prepare for a role. It is amazing what the human body can accomplish when a dancer’s heart is determined and devoted to overcoming the limitations of his, or her, mind and body.

Caras has spent practically his entire life in the world of ballet and I became curious as to what he would have done professionally had he not become a ballet dancer. He was kind enough to answer some of my questions.

Dan Harris, Ballet Florida, 1998.

What is your earliest memory of ballet dancing? My first class. I wore long underwear and bedroom slippers.

If you had not become a ballet dancer and photographer, what profession would you have chosen? Psychology

What is your favorite ballet? Anything and everything by GEORGE BALANCHINE.

Who, or what, inspires you? My faith and kind people.

I’m sure you have travelled extensively with both of your professions.  What is your favorite travel destination? California, New York, South Florida, and wherever else I’m welcomed.

What is the funniest thing that happened to you while you were dancing? I farted (loudly) catching a future super-star in our student workshop performance at Lincoln Center.

What title would you choose for your memoir? Steven Caras: A Work in Progress

What do you work toward in your free time? More free time.

Mikhail Baryshnikov dancing A Cloud in Trousers, White Oak Dance Project, 1996.

In a career that continues to evolve, Steven Caras continues to wear many hats — from dancer/photographer, published author, ballet master, repetiteur and director of development, to keynote speaker and producer. He plays a critical role in Palm Beach County philanthropy, serving as a trustee on a private foundation along with being the founding chairman of two local charities. For the past 18 years, Caras has been a regularly featured speaker and interview moderator at The Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. In 2014, he was honored with the Career Transition for Dancers’ “Heart & Soul Award,” presented to him at their annual gala by Broadway legend Chita Rivera.

To purchase tickets for Caras’ lecture, visit www.fau.edu/llsjupiter

By Mark Schug, Ph.D.

Voters around the nation have been pushing for increases to the minimum wage.  In fact, minimum wages will increase in 19 states in 2017 including Massachusetts, California, and Arizona.

Arizona is the biggest surprise.  In 2016, a large majority of 58 percent of the electorate voted to raise the Grant Canyon State’s minimum wage to $12. This is the biggest jump among the 19 states and one of the largest one-time increases ever enacted.

Should Florida follow suit?

For many years, the Sunshine State adhered to the federal minimum wage.  This is the policy followed by all the other states in the South.  That all changed in November 2004 when Floridians voted to amend the Florida Constitution by adding a minimum wage provision.  The minimum wage increased to $6.15 in 2005.  Today, it is $8.10.

During the 2016 legislative session, bills were introduced to raise Florida’s minimum wage to $15 per hour.  While both bills failed, it is obvious that the issue is not dead.

From its inception as part of the New Deal in 1933, the minimum wage has been controversial.  The question posed by economists is:  Do the costs of minimum wages outweigh the benefits?

The benefits are visible, immediate, and easily reported by the media.  People who hold minimum wage jobs and people who hold jobs that pay above the current minimum wage, but below the new minimum wage, all get raises.

The costs are less visible and in the future.  Many economists worry about “employment effects.”  That is, will an increase in the minimum wage cause employers to substitute technology for labor, thus hiring fewer people?  Will it encourage more employers to hire workers “off the books” thus avoiding those pesky federal payroll taxes?  What about those people who would be willing to work for something less than the legal wage?  Those folks are priced out of the legal job market.

We will take a “deep dive” into the issues surrounding the minimum in the first session of my course.  Other topics will include Wall Street, international trade, and the economics of the environment.

———————-

Professor Schug is currently teaching a four-week course, “Economic Insights into Public Issues” on Mondays from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. The class dates are January 9, 23, and 30; February 6, 2017.

By Kami Barrett Batchelder, Associate Director

This winter, the FAU Lifelong Learning Society in Jupiter is celebrating its 20^th anniversary of providing interesting and engaging lectures and courses for our community. We have more than 8,000 members who have registered for more than 30,000 lectures and courses this past year. We are the largest lifelong learning program in the United States! To mark this milestone, we will celebrate throughout the 2017 winter and spring semesters. *On Thursday, February 23 at 9:30 a.m., we will hold a special anniversary program. Distinguished guest lecturer, Michael Beschloss, will present a lecture, “Critical Moments of the American Presidency,” following the program at 10 a.m.

Florida Atlantic University’s Lifelong Learning Society began on the Boca Raton Campus in 1980 and, originally, was established as the Society for Older Students by Sol Kolodny. In 1988, the organization adopted the name, Lifelong Learning Society.  In the fall of 1996, the Executive Director of LLS in Boca, Ely Myerson, decided to expand the program to Northern Palm Beach County.  That spring, René Friedman, the Founding Director of LLS in Jupiter, presented a preview showcase with an
enrollment of 125 students in Palm Beach Gardens.  It was then decided to begin membership and courses in the fall of 1997.  At the end of the spring of 1998, the Northern Campus had grown to over 1,100 students. In 1999, LLS moved to the newly built John D. MacArthur Campus in Jupiter and became independent of FAU’s Boca LLS program, establishing their own cost center.

In 2001, René and Josette Valenza, the current Director of the program, began a building campaign for our current facilities. By 2005, the building was completed on time and under budget thanks to the generous donations that our members gave. During the building campaign, we received a matching grant of $250,000 from the state of Florida and more than $4.5 million in private donations. The University provided the land.

As we reflect on the past two decades, we would like to share those memories of students and faculty members who have helped to build this program.

Thank you for all of your support!

Francia Trosty
Past Advisory Board Member, Marketing Committee Member, Greeter and Student

It is hard to believe that 20 years have gone by since LLS, under the dedicated efforts of René Friedman, was born. We moved to Jupiter in 2001. As the moving van pulled away from the curb, a neighbor knocked on our door, and after introducing herself, told us about LLS. For me, it has been an enduring love affair ever since.

I remember the excitement of the 10-year anniversary celebration. The catalog cover design featured a proud, large graphic number 10 embedded with pictures of events that had occurred over the years. Now, unbelievably, 10 more years have elapsed accumulating more memories of dozens of outstanding programs and events. Where has the time gone?

I remain an eager student and loyal volunteer and look forward to celebrating number 30!

Arnie and Flo Lurie
Greeters and Students

When we started, as “students” and greeters, there were only three in the office…René, Josette, Dagmar and a handful of other greeters, last century! We remember having to manually cross off or punch classroom tickets per date of attendance, having to wear the ugliest greeter vests, having to turn lights on/off for professors, growing  from RCA Blvd, to Temple Beth Am, to the Abacoa Theatre, to the MacArthur Auditorium and, finally, to the new LLS Elinor Rosenthal Bernon Complex. We had to adapt to new procedures with each change in venue.  We witnessed the growth of LLS and had the opportunity to meet and/or greet with other volunteers, LLS staff, guests, and professors and learned so much in the process. We appreciated being honored with the Greeters of the Year Award and we look forward to what the future of LLS will be.

Dr. Robert Rabil
LLS and FAU Faculty Member

I always greet the patrons of my class, which I teach in the morning: “On top of the Morning, It’s a glorious day in South Florida! Please smile, we all have problems but do remember that God does not burden people with weak limbs. We are alive and above ground. Every morrow is a new beginning! Let’s put a smile on our face and forge ahead being better persons than yesterday!” This cheerful attitude apparently has become contagious. One day, I saw a patron rushing to my class. I stopped and spoke with her. She told me: “I don’t want to miss a minute of your class, especially your greeting. This is the high point of my day. In fact, you are my Prozac!” I laughed with joy and responded: “I am so happy to be your Prozac but without the side effects!”

Evelyn Reintanz
LLS Staff Member, Past Greeter and Student

My fondest memory is being part of the amazing growth of Lifelong Learning. I started as a student on RCA Boulevard; became a volunteer/student on the campus and in the movie house, temples, and all of the different locations where classes were held until we moved into our own building.  It has been a wonderful and enlightening journey for the past 20 years!

Jane Harris
Past Advisory Board Secretary, Greeter and Student

In May of 2004, Dr. Watson organized a special program in Key West on civil rights.  Several of us bussed down for the weekend event with dinner and a tour of the Little White House (Truman) plus enjoyed sightseeing and dining in town. Along with our colleagues from Boca, we participated in the seminar at the Community College where Michael Dukakis spoke, but

the most memorable moment for me was Rep. John Lewis whose soaring cadence reflected his many turbulent years of struggle for human dignity.  Although I had been working on Capitol Hill when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was finally passed, this was an educational experience that still lingers.

Richard Yorks
Past Advisory Board President and Student

My favorite LLS memory is how exciting it was to first walk into our just completed auditorium. After being in multiple locations, having our own beautiful, functional home was the fulfillment of our plans and dreams.

Peter Lippman
Past Advisory Board Member and Student

In 2001, Louise and I moved to Abacoa from our longtime home in Northern Westchester County, New York.  It soon became apparent that as non-golfers and, at best, reticent card players, we would be well advised to flesh out our personal schedules to include more than daily multi-mile walks into Town Center for coffee.  Voilà!  The principal hidden asset of the community, the Lifelong Learning Society at Florida Atlantic University, fortuitously presented itself.  At the time, Walid Phares appeared to be the most popular of the group of LLS lecturers.  We enrolled.  Yes, he rarely began his sessions on time and yes, he spent the first fifteen minutes or so of each hour and three quarters telling us about all of his recent academic accomplishments and national TV appearances and yes, he rarely permitted questions from his audience as he promised he would, but the detail and revelations that he shared concerning events in the Middle East were captivating.  However, after a few semesters of this experience, we grew weary of each other and he resigned, going on to other professional challenges, while we shifted our more intense focus to other lecturers such as Jeffrey Morton, Robert Watson, et. al.  Imagine our surprise this summer, some thirteen or so years later, to find him listed as one of Donald Trump’s senior advisors and, at least during the recent campaign, to see his face on our TV screen speaking on one aspect or another of U.S. foreign policy.   We wonder whether or not he included his stint at LLS Jupiter in his curriculum vitae.

*Tickets are required to attend this event.