WrightED Fall 2023: Rock Art of the Colorado Plateau
Presented by Larry Meckel // Held via Zoom

October 4-25
FREE enrollment to all!*
Can't attend at 9:30 am? Don't worry! All sessions are recorded and emailed for easy viewing on your own time.
*This semester's program has been underwritten anonymously
If you have questions, please contact us at
Previous Courses

Get the Most from (and have way more fun with!) Your iPhone, iPad, and/or Mac
Presented by Maria Arapakis
In this 4-session course, you’ll discover amazing ways to make better use of your Apple tools & toys. It will have you ready and eager to bring into your life, with the help of these Apple devices, endless empowerment, enrichment, entertainment, education, and enjoyment.
Unfortunately much of the time these mind-blowing 21st century miracles are woefully misunderstood and pathetically underutilized. In this exciting course for our members, Maria Arapakis (from Denver OLLI), will show you a variety of easy ways to tap into their extraordinary powers—powers that can make your life a whole lot better. You’ll get a clear understanding of “The Cloud” and “Smart Streaming” where you can find and enjoy exceptional movies, shows, YouTube videos, digital books, podcasts and more—anywhere, anytime.
You’ll learn how your iPhone, iPad, and Mac can bring into your life gratifying new projects, a satisfying sense of purpose, and a super-simple self-management system.
And you’ll be shown how they can help you stay easily in close touch with friends, family, and colleagues using audio visits, video visits, texting, and Zoom get-togethers, where you can share files, photos, articles, links, learning, and laughs!

Maria Arapakis is a psychologist, international trainer, and author with over 35 years of experience with “All Things Apple.” For the last 11 years in her retirement, she has been committed as an Apple Mentor to helping other seniors become more comfortable and adept at making better use of the astounding powers of today’s technologies.
Maria’s classes, both via Zoom and in-person, are fun, eye-opening, and highly motivating —even for those who feel a wee bit less than enthusiastic with the ever-changing landscape of 21st Century technology. You can find out lots more about her background, areas of expertise, and teaching style at www.AppleMentor.com
Epic Adventures in Four Continents






Climate and Weather

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Climate Extremes in Earth’s History: Icehouse Periods presented by Larry Meckel & Greenhouse Periods presented by Steve Cumella
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Currents, Coriolis, and Our Weather Patterns, Two Partspresented by Lynn Peyton
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The Global Carbon Cycle and Atmospheric CO2: Past, Present, and Future, Two Parts presented by Tip Meckel
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Ouray’s Complex Weather and Climate Patterns presented by Karen Risch
What's it Like to be an Astronaut

This three-lecture course is designed to describe what it is like to be an astronaut, from the selection process through the experience of flying in space to the physiological effects of spaceflight on the human body.
The first lecture will cover the astronaut selection process from historical and current perspectives. Application requirements were significantly different for the Mercury Seven astronauts than they are for the selection of Group 23 currently in progress.
The second half of the lecture will cover training for spaceflight. The type of training required has changed a great deal from the early orbital flights to now preparing to again set foot on the Moon. The second lecture will describe what it is like to fly in space. Joe will use pictures and videos to chronicle his experiences on four Space Shuttle missions and seven spacewalks. Details of the Hubble Space Telescope servicing and assembly of the International Space Station will be presented.
The final lecture will address the physical effects of spaceflight on the human body. It is not as easy as it appears. The lecture will conclude with what is currently happening in space and a best guess summary of future planned missions. Ample time will be provided in all lectures for questions.
A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dialogue with and ask questions of an astronaut!
Rocks from Space

This course summarizes our understanding of meteorites: where in space do they come from, how they were formed, their age and composition, the various types (classification), classic historic events and notable impact craters from around the world, how to identify them, where to collect them, and what they are worth. We’ll look at numerous images of the various types of meteorites and of impact sites as well as hand specimens from Gary’s personal collection.
Space Weather: Particles and Energy from Space

Geology of the Ouray Area as Viewed by Drone

Narrow Gauge Railroading in the San Juan Triangle

Understanding Eastern Religions with Western Minds
Instructor: Kelvin Kent

Three separate presentations, between 60 and 90 minutes each, depending on length of Q & A time.
Hinduism
Hinduism is widely regarded as the oldest, practiced religion in the world with over 1.2 billion adherents. This session will cover how Hinduism evolved, the origin of the caste system, the great Epics, deciphering the hierarchy of Gods, rituals, festivals and practices, plus their concepts of time and how the mind works, and how this religion impacts nearly every aspect of their daily lives.
Buddhism
Is Buddhism a religion or a philosophy? Was Buddha a God or an ordinary mortal human being? We will examine what Buddha taught and what he sought to change in northwest India 2500 years ago. We will also look at how Buddhism split into its main sects and what the beliefs and teachings consist of, plus how and when Buddhism spread to many parts of the world and why it is so popular today, especially in Western countries.
Islam
It is calculated that Islam will overtake Christianity in sheer numbers within approximately 50 years. How did Islam come about? Exactly who was Mohammed? Why was Islam able to move so rapidly across the Middle East and Asia? What was and still is, the impact of Islam on our world today - especially in the fields of science, astronomy, medicine and mathematics? Who are the Sunnis and Shias and how do their sects differ? Who are the bad guys? We will delve into all of these and much more, in an effort to understand the history, development and relevance of Islam today.
Maps That Changed the World
Instructor: Larry Meckel

This online lecture course is designed to chronicle the most important milestones in the history of cartography. It will take us from prehistoric rock carvings to digital maps of outer space, a time span that will cover over 8000 years of human history.
Evolution of Life on Earth
Instructor: Larry Meckel

This continuing education course will look at the evolution of life on Earth over a 3 billion year period. Specifically, it will chronicle 28 major and exciting milestones in the development of life from those very first, one-celled bacteria to the emergence of man, a truly amazing journey. The concepts of origins, changes, and extinctions will be important and recurrent themes.
Some of the 28 interesting milestones we will consider are:
- The change from single to complex cells
- The start of vertebrates (the fish)
- Emergence onto land (fins to feet)
- Two huge breakthroughs: the seed (for plants) and the egg (for animals)
- The origin of feathers and flight
- Emergence of flowering plants
- The first primates
The course ends by considering two intriguing aspects of life: (1) the “art of longevity”, namely a look at those species that survived through all the turmoil and continue to live today and (2) those organisms that live at the very extremes of temperature, pressure, and toxic conditions.
The Wright Opera House is a 501c3 nonprofit, operating a historic venue and premier performing arts organization located in the City of Ouray. It is supported by event fees and by generous donations. Click here to make a tax deductible donation to the Wright.