Steve Palmquist, a longtime theater arts and speech teacher, will cover all things science-fiction during Wartburg College’s Keep on Learning community education series beginning Thursday, Oct. 14.

Palmquist was an English, speech and theater teacher at Waverly-Shell Rock High School for 27 years and an adjunct theatre professor at the University of Northern Iowa and Wartburg College. He will introduce topics including historical science fiction, movies and television, sub-genres, and the evolution of popular conventions, and awards during his session “Science Fiction in Print, Film & Television.” The class will continue on Oct. 21 and 28 and Nov. 4.

“One of the functions of science fiction is that it asks us to look at society how it is now and at what could be either positively or negatively changed. One of the subtopics that I will teach is what is a utopia and dystopia. Society is always changing, and these works can help us look to the future,” Palmquist said.

Palmquist has instructed two Keep on Learning series in the past. He taught “Theatre: A User’s Guide” in 2017 and “Aerospace: The Sky’s the Limit” in 2019.

Classes meet Thursday mornings in the Heritage Room of Saemann Student Center, beginning with coffee at 9 a.m., followed by the presentation from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Pre-registration is not required. If you enjoy the first class and decide to continue, a $40 fee is payable at the second class. Parking is available near Saemann Student Center for those entering campus via Wartburg Boulevard.

Other topics offered in the series will include “A Peek at My Teaching Notes” in November, “Stagecraft of the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries” in January, “Religion, Netflix and Chill” in February, “Lies, Secrets and Self-Deception” in March and “Data-Driven Decision Making” in April.

The Keep on Learning series is sponsored by Waverly Health Center. The Wartburg Alumni & Parent Relations Office coordinates Keep on Learning with the assistance of a volunteer committee. For more information, call 319-352-8491, email alumni@wartburg.edu or visit www.wartburg.edu/kol.