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Camino de Santiago: Walk with Us on The Way |
Presenter: Judith Lindsey, Barbara Robidoux |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 M – 6/12/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
The Camino de Santiago is a 500-mile pilgrimage walk in Spain along old Roman roads and trade routes. Thousands walk this path each year in search of spiritual enlightenment, physical challenge, and personal growth. Hear what it is like to be a modern-day pilgrim walking this journey.
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Civics Slam! Learning About Government Now That You're Older and Wiser |
Presenter: David Alcox |
Member tuition: $35.00 |
Sessions: 4 Tu – 5/2/2023-5/23/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
There has been an increasing need to provide civics education to adults for the past number of years. Recently, we have seen a growing division amongst people on social media, television and in person. The ability for people to civilly discuss ideas, differing viewpoints and varied political philosophies quickly erode into shouting matches and cancel culture. Part of this hostility towards each other can be found in civic illiteracy and the lack of basic understanding of government. People tend to shout their ideas rather than reason them when they lack the proper education to take or make a position and support it with reasoning. This lecture series will give people the opportunity to hear non-partisan views on topics such as basic ideas of government, influences of the enlightenment philosophers, debates at the Constitutional Convention, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, political parties, the 14th Amendment, voting and citizenship rights. These topics, intertwined with answering participant questions, will give participants a richer understanding of the basics of civics and government.
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Finding Home: Portraits & Memories of Immigrants |
Presenter: Rebecca Field |
Member tuition: $25.00 |
Sessions: 2 Th – 4/6/2023-4/13/2023 |
Time: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
In this course, we will see photos of the beautiful faces of diversity in our communities, as well as images of immigrants in their daily activities. With over 60 countries of origin among N.H. residents, photographer Becky Field has traveled throughout the state to document cultural, ethnic and religious diversity. She also interviewed and recorded journey stories of immigrants who had to leave their countries to find a new home in the Granite State. We will read some of those stories and hear the voices of immigrants so that we can better understand the opportunities as well as the challenges that families face when they have to adjust to a new life in a strange land. Some came fleeing violence, some came for jobs or education, some came because they fell in love with a New Englander. The class participants will also be invited to share about their families' ethnic background. Discussion will focus on how we can be welcoming to the "other," both as individuals and as a community.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for in-person only. |
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Finding Home: Portraits & Memories of Immigrants |
Presenter: Rebecca Field |
Member tuition: $25.00 |
Sessions: 2 Th – 4/6/2023-4/13/2023 |
Time: 1:00 PM-2:30 PM |
Location: Online - Virtual by Zoom , NH |
In this course, we will see photos of the beautiful faces of diversity in our communities, as well as images of immigrants in their daily activities. With over 60 countries of origin among N.H. residents, photographer Becky Field has traveled throughout the state to document cultural, ethnic and religious diversity. She also interviewed and recorded journey stories of immigrants who had to leave their countries to find a new home in the Granite State. We will read some of those stories and hear the voices of immigrants so that we can better understand the opportunities as well as the challenges that families face when they have to adjust to a new life in a strange land. Some came fleeing violence, some came for jobs or education, some came because they fell in love with a New Englander. The class participants will also be invited to share about their families' ethnic background. Discussion will focus on how we can be welcoming to the "other," both as individuals and as a community.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for zoom only. |
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Franklin's Whitewater Park: From Nothing to Something |
Presenter: Marty Parichand |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 M – 6/5/2023 |
Time: 2:00 PM-4:00 PM |
Location: Mill City Park, 6 Willow Street Franklin, NH 03235 |
Come and see how from an idea to implementation, New England’s first whitewater park (including a standing wave!) came to be. We will explore how this project, considered an economic driver for this former mill town, has experienced trials and tribulations along the way but is focused on creating change in this local community.
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Habits of the Heart: Individualism & Community in American Life |
Presenter: Philip Valley, James Mahoney |
Member tuition: $35.00 |
Sessions: 4 Tu – 3/14/2023-4/4/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
Right from the beginning it was clear that our country would not succeed without confronting James Madison’s challenge. “Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, no form of government can render us secure.” The central themes of this discussion course are derived from two books. Habits of the Heart, from 1985, is an examination of the conditions of the relationship of individual and community revealed by interviews conducted by a team of sociologists. The practices revealed in those surveys are given a context and intellectual weight through the examination of ideas from the founding fathers and especially the ideas of Alexis de Tocqueville in his work, Democracy in America. Developing a vision of how the individualism of the American experiment can be compatible with a community oriented to the public good is a complex and exhaustive project. This course is an effort to explore some of the categories and tools of analysis that might be viewed as a fruitful start toward this, using these two works. For each of the four sessions there will be a presentation of ideas that help to clarify the readings and a a discussion of specific selections from these works. Although the sessions will be focused on specific selections, purchasing the books is recommended.
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How to Start a New Hampshire Business |
Presenter: John Cunningham |
Member tuition: $30.00 |
Sessions: 3 Sa – 3/11/2023 |
Time: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
Have you dreamed of starting your own company in N.H.? This course is for you! Topics covered will include (1) the importance of business plans: (2) personal qualities needed for a successful business; (3) whether your business should have only one owner or two or more owners; (4) should your business be a sole proprietorship, a business corporation, an LLC or something else? (5) what you need to know about LLC law and tax and about LLC certificates of formation and operating agreements; (6) what should be the federal tax regimen of your business; (7) New Hampshire taxes on businesses and their owners and how to lawfully avoid these taxes.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for in-person only. |
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How to Start a New Hampshire Business |
Presenter: John Cunningham |
Member tuition: $30.00 |
Sessions: 3 Sa – 3/11/2023 |
Time: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: Online - Virtual by Zoom , NH |
Have you dreamed of starting your own company in N.H.? This course is for you! Topics covered will include (1) the importance of business plans: (2) personal qualities needed for a successful business; (3) whether your business should have only one owner or two or more owners; (4) should your business be a sole proprietorship, a business corporation, an LLC or something else? (5) what you need to know about LLC law and tax and about LLC certificates of formation and operating agreements; (6) what should be the federal tax regimen of your business; (7) New Hampshire taxes on businesses and their owners and how to lawfully avoid these taxes.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for zoom only. |
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Judaism & Healing |
Presenter: Robin Nafshi |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 M – 5/15/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
Beginning with the Torah, we find Jewish prayers for and teachings on healing throughout Jewish history. Some prayers and teachings appear in traditional sources, such as the Bible, Talmud, and Midrash (rabbinic interpretations of Biblical text). Others are found in folklore and stories. Regardless of the source, Judaism's message is consistent: While we pray to God to bring healing, it is up to us to provide the love, support, and even treatments. Come learn about this rich tradition.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for in-person only. |
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Judaism & Healing |
Presenter: Robin Nafshi |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 M – 5/15/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: Online - Virtual by Zoom , NH |
Beginning with the Torah, we find Jewish prayers for and teachings on healing throughout Jewish history. Some prayers and teachings appear in traditional sources, such as the Bible, Talmud, and Midrash (rabbinic interpretations of Biblical text). Others are found in folklore and stories. Regardless of the source, Judaism's message is consistent: While we pray to God to bring healing, it is up to us to provide the love, support, and even treatments. Come learn about this rich tradition.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for Zoom only.
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Making China Less "Inscrutable" |
Presenter: Elliott Berry |
Member tuition: $45.00 |
Sessions: 6 Th – 5/4/2023-6/8/2023 |
Time: 3:00 PM-5:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
It is often said that China is the world’s oldest continuous civilization. While the Egyptians, Syrians, and Iraqis may have something to say about that, in today’s China there is no dispute. China’s view of itself has remained remarkably consistent over at least three millennia, Perhaps it is best summed up in a letter from one of China’s greatest emperors to England’s King George III, rejecting the request of the King’s emissary to establish a diplomatic presence in Beijing: “Our dynasty’s domestic virtue has penetrated every country under Heaven, and kings of all nations have offered their costly tribute…we possess all things…and have no use for your country’s manufactures.” Since the Qing emperor’s letter was written in 1793, China has experienced a spectacular collapse, and a phoenix like rise. Let’s examine China’s tumultuous past, how it informs today’s China, and talk about what this portends for the remainder of the 21st century.
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Mission Brief & Tour of New Boston Space Force Station |
Presenter: David Zesinger |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 W – 3/15/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: New Boston Space Force Station, 317 Chestnut Hill Road New Boston, NH 03070 |
Transferred from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Space Force in the summer of 2020, the New Boston Space Force Station was originally established in 1942 as a practice area for bombers and fighter planes from nearby Grenier Army Air Field (now Manchester–Boston Regional Airport). The Commander will provide a brief Mission Brief, and then lead participants on a tour of Heritage Hall. Bring your questions as the course ends with a question and answer period.
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Note: Registration for this course closes 3/3 to allow Space Force team to complete background checks on registered members. Additional details to follow.
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Mission Brief & Tour of New Boston Space Force Station |
Presenter: David Zesinger |
Member tuition: $20.00 |
Sessions: 1 W – 4/19/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: New Boston Space Force Station, 317 Chestnut Hill Road New Boston, NH 03070 |
Transferred from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Space Force in the summer of 2020, the New Boston Space Force Station was originally established in 1942 as a practice area for bombers and fighter planes from nearby Grenier Army Air Field (now Manchester–Boston Regional Airport). The Commander will provide a brief Mission Brief, and then lead participants on a tour of Heritage Hall. Bring your questions as the course ends with a question and answer period.
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Note: Registration for this course closes 4/7 to allow Space Force team to complete background checks on registered members. Additional details to follow.
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Money, Money, Money! |
Presenter: Robert Fritsch |
Member tuition: $35.00 |
Sessions: 4 F – 3/3/2023-3/24/2023 |
Time: 1:00 PM-2:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
Money, Money, Money! explores physical money from its earliest origins to modern times. The story of money is the story of man’s development of civilization, and the two are inextricably linked. That drags in a lot of subjects, like history, economics, geography and the like, but these will only be used to tell the rest of the story. Ancient and medieval coins, US coins and banknotes in two sessions, and world coins and banknotes comprise the four sessions.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for in-person only. |
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Money, Money, Money! |
Presenter: Robert Fritsch |
Member tuition: $35.00 |
Sessions: 4 F – 3/3/2023-3/24/2023 |
Time: 1:00 PM-2:00 PM |
Location: Online - Virtual by Zoom , NH |
Money, Money, Money! explores physical money from its earliest origins to modern times. The story of money is the story of man’s development of civilization, and the two are inextricably linked. That drags in a lot of subjects, like history, economics, geography and the like, but these will only be used to tell the rest of the story. Ancient and medieval coins, US coins and banknotes in two sessions, and world coins and banknotes comprise the four sessions.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for zoom only. |
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Philosophy & Ethics of Language |
Presenter: Jon Spira-Savett |
Member tuition: $35.00 |
Sessions: 4 Tu – 3/14/2023-4/4/2023 |
Time: 3:00 PM-4:30 PM |
Location: Temple Beth Abraham, 4 Raymond St Nashua, NH 03064 |
Words have all kinds of special powers - as representation, promises, lies, stories, profanity, and more. How do we know what language is "doing" in any given context? What are or should be the ethical principles around language in these areas? We will look at theories about the relation of language to "reality" and whether language is one thing or many. We will explore ethical theories about when "lying" is and is not permitted. We'll ask whether we should have special rules for certain words that are considered profane or racist or threatening even when they are far from immediate action. We will consider theories from a variety of philosophical or even spiritual perspectives. As a group we can identify other areas of ethical interest.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for in-person only. |
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Philosophy & Ethics of Language |
Presenter: Jon Spira-Savett |
Member tuition: $35.00 |
Sessions: 4 Tu – 3/14/2023-4/4/2023 |
Time: 3:00 PM-4:30 PM |
Location: Online - Virtual by Zoom , NH |
Words have all kinds of special powers - as representation, promises, lies, stories, profanity, and more. How do we know what language is "doing" in any given context? What are or should be the ethical principles around language in these areas? We will look at theories about the relation of language to "reality" and whether language is one thing or many. We will explore ethical theories about when "lying" is and is not permitted. We'll ask whether we should have special rules for certain words that are considered profane or racist or threatening even when they are far from immediate action. We will consider theories from a variety of philosophical or even spiritual perspectives. As a group we can identify other areas of ethical interest.
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for zoom only. |
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Should You be Your Own Philosopher & Ethician? |
Presenter: John Cunningham |
Member tuition: $35.00 |
Sessions: 4 F – 2/24/2023-3/17/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: GSC Concord, 25 Hall Street Concord, NH 03301 |
This four-session course shows how to use philosophy to address urgent contemporary ethical questions. The course focuses above all on a revolutionary new feminist ethical theory called “the duty of care.”
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for in-person only. |
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Should You be Your Own Philosopher & Ethician? |
Presenter: John Cunningham |
Member tuition: $35.00 |
Sessions: 4 F – 2/24/2023-3/17/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: Online - Virtual by Zoom , NH |
This four-session course shows how to use philosophy to address urgent contemporary ethical questions. The course focuses above all on a revolutionary new feminist ethical theory called “the duty of care.”
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for zoom only. |
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Socrates Cafe |
Presenter: George Epstein |
Member tuition: $30.00 |
Sessions: 3 Tu – 4/25/2023-5/9/2023 |
Time: 9:30 AM-11:00 AM |
Location: The Echo Group, 15 Washington Street Conway, NH 03818 |
Socrates led his students to wisdom by challenging their beliefs with piercing and persistent questions. Join us in discussing topics that explore who we are, why we act as we do, what we strive for and how we achieve our goals. It is a seminar of questions - not answers. Prepare to think, to be challenged, and to be open to changing your mind.
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Spanish Inquisition: Not Unexpected |
Presenter: Merle Luber Friedenberg |
Member tuition: $45.00 |
Sessions: 6 Th – 3/23/2023-4/27/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
The Spanish Inquisition was just one of several inquisitions that occurred between the 12th and 19th centuries. Religion was not something one just did at church. It was the peoples’ science, their philosophy, their politics, their identity, and their hope for salvation. It was not a personal preference but an abiding and universal truth. Heresy, then, struck at the heart of that truth. It doomed the heretic, endangered those near him, and tore apart the fabric of community.The goal of this class will be to reach a basic understanding of the uniqueness of the Spanish Inquisition and how it operated. By providing both the historical, political, cultural, religious and judicial aspects of the Spanish Inquisition this course will explore why intolerance became a normal acceptable way of life.
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Truth Decay, Income Inequality, & Climate Change |
Presenter: Paul H. Carr |
Member tuition: $30.00 |
Sessions: 3 Th – 5/11/2023-5/25/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: GSC Manchester, 1750 Elm Street, Suite 104 Manchester, NH 03104 |
Our founding fathers knew that truth is essential for democracy to flourish. George Washington believed, “Truth will ultimately prevail where pains are taken to bring it to light.” Benjamin Franklin warned, “We have given you a republic if you can keep it.” However, a MIT study determined that Twitter falsehoods spread 6 times faster than truth. Since 1980, increasing income inequality has contributed to more political polarization. Could better tax policies help to solve this problem? Pope Francis “Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home” enjoined us to stop plundering our planet because the poor suffer the most. Climate extremes are increasing. What can we do right now to stop global warming?
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for in-person only.
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Truth Decay, Income Inequality, & Climate Change |
Presenter: Paul H. Carr |
Member tuition: $30.00 |
Sessions: 3 Th – 5/11/2023-5/25/2023 |
Time: 10:00 AM-11:30 AM |
Location: Online - Virtual by Zoom , NH |
Our founding fathers knew that truth is essential for democracy to flourish. George Washington believed, “Truth will ultimately prevail where pains are taken to bring it to light.” Benjamin Franklin warned, “We have given you a republic if you can keep it.” However, a MIT study determined that Twitter falsehoods spread 6 times faster than truth. Since 1980, increasing income inequality has contributed to more political polarization. Could better tax policies help to solve this problem? Pope Francis “Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home” enjoined us to stop plundering our planet because the poor suffer the most. Climate extremes are increasing. What can we do right now to stop global warming?
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Note: This course will be offered in-person and via Zoom (a hybrid format). Please select your preference at registration. This selection is for Zoom only.
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Wild Questions: A Discussion of Life's Defining Decisions |
Presenter: Michael Bennett |
Member tuition: $25.00 |
Sessions: 2 Tu – 3/7/2023-3/14/2023 |
Time: 10:30 AM-12:00 PM |
Location: UNH Professional Development & Training, 230 Commerce Way Portsmouth, NH 03801 |
In his 2022 book, Wild Problems, Russ Roberts offers puzzled rationalists a way to address...life-shaping questions. He suggests spending less time and energy on the path that promises the most happiness, and more time focusing on who you are and who you might become--the path of human flourishing and a life well lived." This lively and enjoyable book will lead us into two conversations about thinkers from Darwin, to Homer, to philosopher Agnes Callard, and even to Bill Belichick! Along the way there will be opportunities to share, as we are comfortable, our own stories and life experiences. Students are asked to purchase the 2022 book Wild Problems by Russ Roberts in advance. At the first class,we will discuss chapters 1-6, moving on to chapters 7-12 for the second class.
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