Umbrella Academy continues to offer free sessions on all sorts of topics. Founded by Drs. Meisha Lohmann and Lisa Coniglio in June 2016, sessions are held upstairs at Owego\u2019s Coburn Free Library, 275 Main St., from 6:45 to 8:15 p.m.<\/p>\n
Coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 14, Richard Orth will present “Becoming a Transformational Communicator.” The purpose of this presentation is to personally transform the way we communicate so we can relate to others in an affirming manner and create empowering relationships. Orth is a retired trainer from IBM, who facilitated the Transformational Communication Workshop globally for IBM organizations.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Nov. 28, Emily Sainz and Susan Sherwood will present on \u201cVoting Machine Technology.\u201d The flood of votes by women created a need. When women’s suffrage became the law of the land, lever voting machines, invented in the 1890s, became commercially viable. IBM Endicott’s punch card technology was adapted to record and tabulate votes from the 1960s to the early 21st century in many states, including Florida. <\/p>\n
Today, New Yorkers vote with Optical Scan Tabulators. Sainz is a senior anthropology major at Binghamton University, curator of “Counting Her Votes: A Century of Voting Technology.\u201d Sherwood directs the Center for Technology and Innovation in Binghamton, restoring to operating condition icons of Central New York technology. <\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Dec. 12, George Lohmann will present on \u201cThe History of Christmas carols,\u201d including seasonal secular songs. The term \u201ccarol\u201d comes from the French \u201ccarole,\u201d which means circle dance or song of praise and joy, and the first song sung in connection with the celebration of Christmas was \u201cAngels Hymn,\u201d back in AD 129. The first secular song related to the season was \u201cJingle Bells,\u201d written in 1857. <\/p>\n
Lohmann is a retired Newark Valley High School English teacher who also enjoys an interest in music and history. <\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Jan. 9, Lisa Coniglio and Meisha Lohmann will offer \u201cIs Sexism Over? A Discussion about Unconscious Gender Bias.\u201d <\/p>\n
On Tuesday, Jan. 23, retired English teacher George Lohmann will offer a hands-on session on \u201cWriting with Style.\u201d Participants will be introduced to some highly effective strategies to enhance the style of their writing. After each strategy is discussed, everyone will have a chance to try it themselves.<\/p>\n