University at The Oaks: Ancient Civilization

Guest Speaker: Cheryl White, PhD, associate history professor at LSUS Monday, Jan. 8, 4 p.m. Franks Community Centre Cheryl White’s monthly University at The Oaks series focuses on the history of western civilization. Each month White selects diverse topics that offer an interesting survey that engages and intrigues guests. Cost: Free. Registration is required.

Pop on Over: Popcorn Fun Facts and a Kernel of Truth

Guest Speaker: Stephen Walker, owner of Sugarwalk Popcorn Friday, Jan. 19, 3 p.m. Tower Ballroom Corn’s a poppin’ over at Sugarwalk Popcorn and you’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at Shreveport’s newest gourmet popcorn establishment as well as learn some popcorn fun facts. Sugarwalk features more than 50 flavors of popcorn, as well as candy and specialty sodas. How much popcorn do they pop each day? How do they create all of their gourmet flavors? Popcorn that tastes like wedding cake? They’ve got it. Owner Stephen Walker will share his popcorn knowledge and maybe a kernel or two of the tasty treat! Cost: Free. Registration is required.

Forgetting to Remember: A Discussion on Alzheimer’s

Guest Speaker: April Patton, MD Monday, Jan. 22, 1:30 p.m. Franks Community Centre Do I have Alzheimer’s or am I just a little forgetful? What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia? How long can I function normally after a diagnosis? Is Alzheimer’s genetic? These questions and more will be answered by April Patton, MD, in an informational program presented at The Oaks of Louisiana. Cost: Free. Registration is required.

Have the World on a String: Cellist John-Henry Crawford Performs

Guest Performer: John-Henry Crawford, cellist Friday, Jan. 26, 4 p.m. Tower Ballroom Twenty-two-year-old cellist and Shreveport native John-Henry Crawford will return to The Oaks of Louisiana for a special wine-and-cheese event showcasing a preview of his performance with the Shreveport Symphony. Crawford was one of two U.S. cellists out of 25 worldwide chosen in Moscow to compete in Round 1 of the Tchaikovsky Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2015. He has performed throughout the United States and also in Canada, Switzerland, Germany, France, Brazil, Costa Rica and Mexico. Crawford will perform a sample of Friedrich Gulda’s eclectic Cello Concerto.

Cost: $5, nonresidents. Registration is required.

Book Review

FDR’s Funeral Train: A Betrayed Widow, A Soviet Spy, and a Presidency in the Balance

Guest Speaker: Duke Griffey, retired banker Tuesday, Jan. 30, 3:30 p.m. Franks Community Centre Duke Griffey returns to The Oaks for a review of Robert Klara’s riveting offering about the funeral train carrying the body of Franklin D. Roosevelt to his home where he was buried. The three-day, thousand-mile odyssey in April 1945 is three of the country’s darkest yet formative days. It is a story of what took place behind the Pullman shades and includes a Soviet spy, a newly widowed Eleanor Roosevelt and the entire family of incoming president Harry S. Truman. Cost: Free. Registration is required.