Fully Online Courses   

Fridays
Mid January-May

Recordings will be posted in the Members-only Video Library, which is accessible to all current Senior College members.

Stay informed and engaged with Simply Civics: The Week in Review, a weekly conversation that breaks down the major political, governmental, and national events shaping our world. Each Friday, instructor Dr. Michael Kryzanek offers a clear, accessible, and nonpartisan overview of the week’s most significant news from policy decisions and political developments to major national issues.

This bonus course is designed especially for Senior College members who want to better understand current events and their impact. Zoom recordings will be posted on the members only video library. Questions and suggestions are welcomed via email throughout the week.

The philosophy behind this course is simple: we appreciate poetry best when we examine it closely, with other attentive readers. Our community combines returning members, working poets, and poetry lovers with diverse life experiences. Although this is our seventh semester together, every semester we welcome new members to our group because they bring fresh perspectives. And you are welcome to simply “listen in” if you’re not sure how to talk about poetry: you will quickly learn! Over the course of our eight meetings together we will work to fully understand poems written in the English language from the Renaissance to today. You will learn what to look for in old and new poems to appreciate different poetic styles. Emphasis will be placed on hearing diverse voices from various times, places, and standpoints: some famous, some contemporary, some recently rediscovered. We will read poems out loud while practicing our scansion skills, noting patterns of sound and rhythm. We will tease out possible interpretations of metaphors. We will discuss the historical and biographical context that frames each poet and poem. Why are some poems read over and over, delighting generations of readers? Why are some considered landmarks of social change? What do you enjoy in a poem?

This class will be taught in a Group Discussion style on Zoom. Members will be provided with copies of poems and supporting materials in advance of class through email. They will be encouraged to share their discoveries about each poem, while remaining open to contributions from other group members. Our goal will be to work towards a richer understanding of each poem together.

Learn about some unusual plant groups and their very unusual abilities as they adapt to their environments. The class will cover topics such as carnivorous plants, aquatic plants, plants that generate heat, bizarre pollination strategies, and novel dispersal mechanisms.

This course will talk about various types of gardens, the plants that can be utilized in those gardens, why we should be using native plants, plants that can be used medicinally, and those with edible flowers. This course will consist of the following topics: Bird Gardening, Butterfly Gardening, Rain Gardens, Utilizing Natives, Medicinal Plants and Edible Flowers. There will also be demonstrations on several of these topics along with detailed handouts for the students.

This six-week course explores how America’s generations view politics, culture, and the future. From Baby Boomers shaped by Vietnam and the Civil Rights Movement, to Generation X’s pragmatism, to Millennials coming of age during 9/11 and the Great Recession, and Gen Z’s activism around climate change, identity, and technology, each generation brings its own priorities and values. Together we will examine voting patterns, social movements, economic pressures, and media influences that define intergenerational dynamics today. Through discussion and case studies, participants will consider how these generational perspectives interact, clash, and cooperate—and what this means for the direction of American democracy in the 21st century.

In this course on Modern Scotland, students will embark on an exploration of contemporary Ireland through the lens of renowned Scottish writers. Participants will explore a curated selection of three impactful books, each offering a unique perspective on the cultural, social, and historical fabric of modern Scotland.

Spring Yoga II unites a gentle morning yoga practice with meditation & breathing practices. This class will open the body, mind and spirit as the great mother awakens in spring. Learn how our alignment with nature brings increased health and well-being.

This class is a continuation of Chair yoga I, but new students are welcome to join. Chair yoga is designed for students who have physical limitations preventing them from participating in a standard class. During our six-week class together, you will learn sequences to open and align the body from a seated position that you can make part of your daily routine. We will also explore meditation and breathing practices that decrease anxiety and generate a positive connection to the body.

From the Garden of Eden to the Salem witch trials and the 1980s “Satanic Panic,” humans have blamed misdeeds on the Devil. But where did the idea of the devil come from? Did the ancient Israelites believe in such a being? Is Lucifer the same as the Devil? Did Jesus believe in hell? This course traces the evolution of the idea of the Devil from Zoroastrian and Jewish roots through Christianity and Islam, exploring figures like the adversary in Job and the dragon in Revelation. We’ll see how European folklore and writers such as Milton shaped his image, and how “the Devil” still haunts modern American political rhetoric.

The Great Gatsby delves into the decadence and disillusionment of the early 1920s. Women’s haircuts and hemlines were shorter. Alcohol was illegal, but bootleggers kept the booze flowing. Gangsters ruled the streets, and jazz music floated out of the clubs. Enter Jay Gatsby—a mysterious man with bountiful riches and an unknown past. The Great Gatsby is an anti-love story; it’s a tale of one man’s obsession with rewriting history. In this course, students will learn about the 1920s and F. Scott Fitzgerald. They will also receive a six-week at-home reading schedule. The foundation of each class will be discussion based on the assigned reading. Join this course for six weeks of engaging literary discussion on The Great Gatsby!

In this six-session workshop, participants will explore the power of gratitude and the beauty of personal and cultural traditions. Through guided reflection, storytelling, creative activities, and group discussion, we’ll share memories, honor meaningful rituals, and discover new ways to practice gratitude in daily life. This series offers a supportive space to connect, create, and celebrate the stories that make us who we are.

This course will focus on the reading and discussing of Shakespeare's greatest comedies. Each week, students will be invited to engage in a wide-ranging discussion about a given play.

This class is an opportunity to develop your creative writing skills; you may decide to write short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, or any other creative genre that appeals to you.  The class will be taught in a workshop format; each week, we’ll read works written by class participants and give them feedback on their work.  As the instructor facilitates the discussion, you’ll gain insight into key elements of creative writing, including sensory detail, pacing, characterization, dialogue, and the use of scenes as the building blocks of narrative. 

In addition to having the opportunity to read and learn from each other’s work, you’ll be provided with a guide to creative writing, available at https://tinyurl.com/w4yt4juy.