
LifeLong Learning-San Marcos
A Proud Affiliate of the Aging Forward Alliance


LifeLong Learning-San Marcos and the San Marcos Public Library
Present a Community Lecture Series
Seven Unique Topics on Seven Consecutive Tuesdays
Tuesdays, Jan. 28 – Mar. 11, 10:00-11:30am
Free and Open to the Pubic
Registration is Required: Visit the San Marcos Public Library or call 512-393-8200
Minors must be accompanied by a participating adult
Feb. 18—Kickstart Your Health in the New Year
Tina Valdez, Certified Nutrition Instructor and Food for Life Licensed Instructor
Cooking to reduce diet-related chronic diseases and inflammation will support our resolutions to be healthier and happier in 2025. Tina will discuss how to reduce or eliminate unhealthy animal products in our everyday diets with healthy and tasty plant-based substitutes. Tina’s Healthy Cooking Simply Made website offers information, resources, and recipes.
Food for Life is an award-winning program developed through the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a network of doctors, nurses, and dieticians. Since 1985, the Physicians Committee has been advancing health care through preventive medicine—especially good nutrition—and implementation of ethical and effective clinical research. They are dedicated to saving and improving human and animal lives through plant-based diets and, with partner researchers and organizations like PETA, finding alternatives to animals in research and testing.
Feb. 25—The El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail
Hugh Campbell, Avocational Historian
How many signs have you seen in Hays County that commemorate the El Camino Real de los Tejas? Have you wondered why this historic trail is so important?
Begun between the 1680s and 1690s, the development of the El Camino Real Trail had irreversible impacts on the native peoples of Texas and Louisiana. This session will describe the history and importance to Texas and Hays County of the over 2,500 mile-long El Camino Real.
Presenter: Hugh Campbell a happily retired bureaucrat and an exceedingly dedicated and knowledgeable avocational historian who grew up on one of the southern variations of the Trail near Texas’ Matagorda Bay.
Mar. 4— A Reading from The Innocent and Others: Stories
Jerry Whitus, Author
Jerry will read a selection from his book The Innocent and Others. Each of the 13 short stories in this collection presents a disquieting recognition of where innocence meets darkness, and no one is left untouched by the shadows. The reading will be followed by a Q&A session.
Presenter: Jerry Whitus was born and raised in East Texas. He received a bachelor’s degree in international business and studied American literature and fiction writing at the University of Texas. Jerry is an author; freelance writer specializing in film and video for education, industry, government, and entertainment; teacher; teacher-trainer in the U.S. and several foreign countries; and former Marine. His stories have been published in leading literary journals, including the Chicago Quarterly Review, Ploughshares, Los Angeles Review, and MĀNOA. You can learn more about Jerry by visiting his website.
Note: The Innocent and Others: Stories is available at Amazon or Texas A&M Press (tamupress.com).
Mar. 11— A Beautiful Story of Discovery
Dr. Andrea Banzatti, Assistant Professor of Physics, Texas State University
Andrea will share “a beautiful 19th century story”… the discovery of the sun’s spectral lines, which led to the birth of spectroscopy and modern astrophysics. You really do not want to miss this amazing presentation!
Presenter: Dr. Andrea Banzatti, Assistant Professor of Physics at Texas State, is an exceptional researcher and educator. Andrea received the 2024 Presidential Distinction for Excellence in Scholarly Activity for the College of Science and Engineering and in 2023 he was honored with Texas State’s Teaching Excellence Award.