Short Takes

October 7, 2019 | Jim Townsend

UHCL Friday Morning: Amazon’s biodiversity, philosopher Aspasia

University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Friday Morning Continuing Education fall lecture series continues Oct. 18 with presentations on the Amazon’s biodiversity and the Greek philosopher Aspasia.

At 9 a.m., Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Cynthia Howard will discuss how vegetation in the Amazon – from the tallest trees to the tiniest orchids – have adapted for finding sunlight, collecting nutrients, defending against predators and dispersing seeds. Howard is UH-Clear Lake’s program chair of Biological Sciences.

At 11 a.m., Creative Writing Lecturer Mary Hedengren will talk about Aspasia of Miletus, an important Greek philosopher who was a companion to the Athenian statesman Pericles. Learn about her important contributions, her remarkable life and why she has faded into history.

Find out more and register for the Friday Morning Continuing Education online. Membership is $26 per semester. Courses fees are $18 per class. 

Any individual who requires a special accommodation to participate in this program should contact the UHCL ADA Coordinator at 281-283-2648 at least one week prior to the program date to arrange for the accommodation.

UHCL’s women-only storytelling class to return Oct. 16

If you missed the summer session of University of Houston-Clear Lake’s “Write on, Women!” storytelling class, the course will return in October, taught by author and playwright Deborah Nowinski, recipient of the Texas Office of the Governor’s Barbara Jordan Media Award for her book “Your Role in Inclusion Theater.”

Learn how to write your memoir or family history in this six-week, women-only class each Wednesday, beginning Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. – noon. The class meets each Wednesdays through Nov. 30. The course fee is $156. Registration and pre-payment is preferred.

For more information, contact College of Human Sciences and Humanities Continuing Education Director Christine Paul at 281-283-3033 or paul@uhcl.edu, or register for Friday Morning Continuing Education online. 

Mid-October to bring eclectic mix of artists to Bayou Theater

University of Houston-Clear Lake’s Bayou Theater will feature three performances nearly back-to-back in mid-October.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Michael Martin Murphy will return to the stage on Thursday, Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m. Murphy is best known for his Western, country and cowboy songs. Hit singles include “Wildfire,” Carolina in the Pines and “A long Line of Love.”

Modern dance troupe Rioult presents the sensual, articulate and exquisitely musical works of Pascal Rioult on Saturday, Oct. 19 at 7:30 p.m. The New York City-based dance company presents an annual New York season and tours nationally and internationally.

Los Angeles-based Las Cafeteras will bring its Afro-Mexican beats to Bayou Theater on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. The band fuses roots music and English-Spanish lyrics to create a unique sound, documenting stories of a community seeking love amid the concrete jungle of East Los Angeles.

Tickets to the performances are available from the Bayou Theater online.