2018-2019 Talks

Below is the current lineup for the Saginaw Valley Torch 2018-2019 dinner presentation meetings.  Check back prior to meetings to check for updates (typically on the member urgent message page)

Date	Speaker	Topic & Abstract
October 2, 2018	John Way, M.D. John is currently Vice President of Medical Affairs at McLaren Bay Regional Hospital.  In 1967 he was drafted int the Army and stationed in Okinawa where he treated casualties from the Vietnam Conflict.  In his spare time he has written four mystery paperback novels published by G.P. Putnam and Sons.	Malaria and America Details America's problems and successes with malaria, from the building the Panama Canal to Vietnam.  The unique aspects of the malaria parasite that have enabled it to persist for centuries will be discussed.
November 6, 2018	Michael Elliot	Good Followership
December 4, 2018	Mike Michaels	Hunting Century-Old Lost Gray Ghosts Mike is working with Underwater Research Associates (URA).  URA has found over 100 major shipwrecks since the mid 1970's. Mike will talk about how URA does its work and then present information about some of the most recent top finds and some that are still missing.
January 2, 2019	Harold Blumenstein, M.D.	The Manhattan Project
February 5, 2019	- Dwight Williams, Ph.D. Dwight grew up in Charleston, West Virginia. The two best friends of his childhood became a captain in the Charleston Fire Department and a PhD physicist at Oak Ridge, Tenn. Dwight earned a PhD in chemistry and retired from Dow Corning. He enjoys studying philosophy, cosmology, & sociology; performing gourmet cooking, & writing essays & fiction	Escape from Appalachia Many of the extended families of Appalachia have been stuck in multicycles of poverty, cycles that have lasted for hundreds of years. Appalachian culture goes back to the early settlers of the 17th century from the lawless border lands between Ireland, Scotland and England. Since arriving in America, few have escaped the cultural, clan, and family imperatives of Appalachia. Drawing on sociological studies and personal anecdotes, I will attempt to convey some insights into how pernicious and deeply entrenched this trap has been for its people.
March 5, 2019	Mac Quinn, Esq. Mac holds BA (Catholic U.) and JD (U of Detroit) degrees.  He served 3 years in the Marine Corps, JA office. He has clerked for a Michigan Supreme Court Justice and was in private practice for 38 years in Bay  City.	Is it time for America to graduate from the Electoral College? Exploring the original debates and rationale for such a system and how it has worked (or not worked) in several closely contested elections.
April 2, 2018	Judi Sargeson	Epigenetics, Good News! What you eat can alter your cells
May 21, 2019	Leeds Bird and Kevin Cole	Words and Music - How to Write a Show Tune (or two) -- See Guest Night tab for details.