Dr. Sebastian Gorka, internationally recognized authority on issues of national security, terrorism and strategy, will be the guest speaker on Wednesday, November 18th at the monthly WC-ALL Learn at Lunch series at Washington College. Dr. Gorka’s presentation is titled Why ISIS is More Dangerous than Al Qaeda and will explore the rise of the Islamic State on the world stage. His lecture will address what this means for America and what should be done in response to this emerging threat.
Dr. Gorka is the Major General Matthew C. Horner Distinguished Chair of Military Theory at the Marine Corps University. He is also an instructor for USSOCOM, the FBI, and the JFK Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg. He has briefed the National Intelligence Council, the CIA, and the Office of the Under Secretary of the Defense for Intelligence among other national agencies. Dr. Gorka is a founding member of the Council for Emerging National Security Affairs and recipient of the Joint Civilian Service Commendation, U.S. Special Operations Command. Formerly a reserve member of the British Army’s Intelligence and Security Group, he is now a U.S. citizen.
Community members are invited to attend the luncheon and lecture which will begin at noon in the Hynson Lounge, in Hodson Hall, located on the Washington College campus. The cost for WC-ALL members is $15; non-members $20. Pre-paid reservations are required and must be received by Thursday, November 12th. Make checks payable to WC-ALL and send to WC-ALL, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620. Please include name, telephone number and email address. No telephone or email reservations can be accepted. For further information, please contact the WC-ALL office at 410-778-7221.
By October, the curriculum committee is already looking forward to spring and is beginning to prepare the course lineup for the Spring 2016 Semester. Members of the general community are invited to submit proposals for classes they would be interested in teaching. The Spring semester has two sessions; Session One runs from Sunday, January 31 to Friday, March 11; Session Two runs from Sunday, March 20 to Friday, April 29. Classes generally meet on campus in the late afternoon, 4 to 6 times during a session, although off-campus venues are occasionally used to accommodate larger classes. Courses may take a variety of forms—lectures, discussions, demonstrations, even off-campus excursions.
Instructors are volunteers as well as members of WC-ALL. Some are retired college professors who enjoy teaching just for fun; other instructors have been involved in interesting or unusual careers and take pleasure sharing their accumulated knowledge and insights with others. Lifelong hobbies and avocations also provide a great basis for developing a WC-ALL course that will appeal to like-minded enthusiasts. The field is wide open and the curriculum committee looks forward to hearing new course ideas from members of the community.
Proposals for courses for WC-ALL’s Spring Semester should be received no later than Friday, October 16th. They may be submitted online, by email or regular mail to WC-ALL, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620. Please contact curriculum chair Dick Swanson (443-282-1160) or the WC-ALL office (410-778-7221) for a proposal form or for more information.
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