Monday   

Back again by popular demand, retired CIA officer Meredith Woodruff, who served 25 years in the Agency and retired as its most senior female officer in operations, will describe life in the world of espionage. With only two sessions, she’ll provide an overview of how spies work and then leave most of the class time for those questions you’ve always wanted to ask.

To make the course beginner friendly, we will introduce useful stretches and lead warm-up exercises at the beginning of each class. The stretches will help you improve your flexibility, balance and coordination as well as strengthen your muscles.

After the warm-up session, we will teach the movements of the Swimming Dragon Fist Form up to ten moves.

A note from the instructors:

Although Tai Yi You Long Quan (Tai Yi Swimming Dragon Fist) is called a “Quan” (Fist), actually and technically it is a traditional Taoist longevity exercise Gong Fa. It is a slow and soft style traditional martial art form that contains Qi Gong, that emphasizes inner energy circulation, incorporates some core features of Tai Chi, and stretches and makes the body flexible.

Compared to a formal Tai Chi form, it only requires a 6x6 foot space, is beginner friendly, but can still stretch the whole body, naturally and gradually improve flexibility, coordination and balance with better circulation.

Do not be scared by imagining this is a “martial art form” that must be practiced in large stances or low postures. Like all other traditional Chinese health-preserving exercises or longevity training, this form is different than a combat or competitive style martial art form that has rigid standards about the angle, width and height in postures.

People can feel free to adapt the width of their stance or height of their posture while practicing the forms based on their own physical ability but still receive the benefit. Meanwhile, for the people who want to learn Tai Chi or other advanced forms, this form can prepare them physically.

Another advantage of learning this form is that each move has its own focus. Thus, each move can be used as an individual exercise to improve flexibility, and coordination and balance with better circulation. This allows people to have a break between learning moves of the form.

The purpose for us teaching the class is to help people to learn how to safely stretch and exercise, especially for the middle-aged and seniors. Thus, slowly softening the body from the top of the head to the bottom of the feet, to get every joint flexible, is necessary and critical.

Thus, we plan to divide each class into two parts:

The first part is the warmup exercises, including static stretching, strengthening and balance exercises before doing the form. There is considerable benefit to these warmup exercises because they can be used as daily stretches to increase the strength of muscles and flexibility of body.

The second part would be teaching the moves of the form. We will demonstrate and explain the sequence of movements. Because each move requires coordination of hands, arms, feet, legs, and the brain to move together, people would not only benefit physically but also mentally.

Thus, it is worth giving such a unique “dynamic meditation” a try.

We also would never push students beyond what they are comfortable with. Feel free to stay and participate, stay and watch, or simply leave if you decide the first part is sufficient for you or you need to take care of some errand for the day.

 

This course will be in three parts. In the first part, I will share my personal experiences. My final quarter as an undergraduate was abruptly cut short by activities instigated by the May 1970 Kent State tragedy. Twenty-five days after graduation, I was drafted into the U.S. Army. I was trained for combat and shipped to Vietnam. For several months, our unit occupied locations a few miles south of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that formed the border between North and South Vietnam. In the second part, I will offer my perspective on how and why the U.S. got into and eventually out of the War and how both the U.S. and the South Vietnamese military drafts influenced the outcome. In the second part, I will offer my perspective on how and why the U.S. got into and eventually out of the War and how both the U.S. and the South Vietnamese military drafts influenced the outcome. In the third part, I will examine the history of military drafts and propose an alternative to the flawed U.S. Selective Service System, suggesting a new model that would enable choice and foster civility.

The course offers an overview on the development of American opera during the 20th and 21st. centuries by exploring the operas that have established their place in the American opera repertoire. The course also provides composers’ biographical information and their contribution to this genre.

One of the most iconic lines in all of philosophy is Descartes’s, “I think, therefore I am.” In this six-week course, we will work through René Descartes’s most famous work, Meditations on First Philosophy, which is the source of this iconic line. The book is divided into six parts. Each week, we will take a deep dive into one of the Meditations. The book is a classic for a reason. Descartes asks (and answers!) some of the most fundamental questions that we as humans face. What can we really know? What is the nature of the self? Is there a God? What is reality like, in itself? This class presupposes no prior knowledge of Descartes or philosophy. Classes will be discussion-based, so come ready to dig into philosophical discussion together.

Remember when there were only three commercial television networks? One or two local newspapers? No internet? Times have changed! Join us to explore how to navigate the present-day bombardment of our senses with media messages through learning to “read” media like we learned to read books as children: step by step, source by source. We will examine a variety of current and historical examples from sources including advertising, TV, movies, and social media.

This class will offer an exciting journey into the joys amateur radio can offer. We'll learn about the science behind radio, and we'll take a good look at the history and uses of amateur radio over time, including today's many uses. Whether you're curious about amateur radio, you're a science or history buff, or you're already deeply engaged in amateur radio operation, this class is for you!

This course will walk through the ABC's (Accommodation, Barriers, Challenges) that may be experienced by older adults with and without neurological disorders.

Santa Fe, NM is one of the oldest and most unique cities in the U.S. The course explores the history, architecture, cuisine, religion, art, cultures, people, landscape, museums, and traditions of a city that is always surprising. The course is divided into two parts: (1) a multi-media presentation with photographs, music, and a spoken narrative and (2) a fully open discussion for questions and audience comments. The multi-media presentation is a 50-minute video with photographs taken by the instructor, aerial photographs, historical photographs, music specially chosen by the instructor to enhance the experience, and a spoken narrative written by the instructor.

The United States is much more religious than European countries, but that is changing. In the 1940s and 50s, the mainline denominations had churches that were packed, and the denominations promoted and taught social justice. Judaism was shaped by the Holocaust, the creation of Israel, and splits within the U.S. community.  The 1960s began a change, both away from the denominations and towards alternatives to Christianity, such as Buddhism and Islam.  Evangelicalism emerged in the Jesus Movement, the charismatic movement, and also in the rise in the South of white evangelicalism.  After 1980, white evangelicalism became increasingly politicized and focused on abortion and distrust of government.  Now, with the second Trump administration, with sexual harassment scandals, and with a public moving away from religion, we are again in times of change.