Wednesday Session 1   

This course is geared for those new to yoga, those interested in a slower and more gentle practice, or those recovering from illness or injury. It includes a combination of meditation, breath work, and flowing movement intended for all abilities. Participants will move from seated on the floor (or a chair) to standing and then will return to mats. Participants will experiment with balance, strength, flexibility, and stillness while practicing mindfulness and meditation techniques.

NOTE: The Gentle Yoga A and B classes are companion courses. Members can just register for both or just one.  

 

Experience the joys and benefits of keeping an artistic journal. Members with watercolor experience will paint in a sketchbook. You will be encouraged to develop your style, create art that is more personal, and explore ways to stay motivated to paint outside of class. A sketchbook is portable, private and causal—how might that change your process? Each class will open with a suggestion or prompt. Members will paint and then be encouraged to share work in the online album, but sharing is not mandatory.

Most often associated as an element of the ancient and medieval worlds, the concept of martyrdom became shockingly present in the modern world on September 11, 2001. This course will examine the origins of the concept of martyrdom, or the willingness to die for one’s religious beliefs, in the Western religious traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). The dual nature of martyrdom promotes both dying in God’s cause but also justifies killing in God's name.

The Second Indochina War, known in the United States as the Vietnam War, lasted from 1955 to 1975. During that period, nearly three million Americans served, 58,000 died, and thousands more were scarred for life. Public support for the war peaked in the mid-1960s but collapsed after the Tet Offensive in 1968. This course will examine how Hollywood's treatment of the war and its participants changed over time, reflecting America's gradual disillusionment with a conflict thousands of miles from its shores.

This course will examine one of the most fraught episodes in modern history: the end of the Cold War and the emergence of a post-Cold War era. Viewed largely from the U.S. perspective, we will explore the fall of the Berlin Wall, the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Persian Gulf War, the AIDS crisis, and the profound political and domestic transformations that occurred during the Clinton and first Bush administrations. Both men were critical figures in the development of a “new world order,” leaving the United States the lone superpower but one whose people were increasingly dissatisfied.

The Baroque art style in Italy emerges as part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation's effort to reinspire the faithful back to the Church. Understanding the power of art, the Church began to commission grand scale works of art to communicate directly with the public. Dramatic and theatrical, these works strove to entertain and inspire while also engaging the viewer. Three of the most distinct artists of this time and region are Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Michelangelo Caravaggio, and Artemisia Gentileschi. Along with some other contemporaries, this course will give an overview of the development of their distinctive style

A foundational principle in medical ethics is patient autonomy. But when is it appropriate for the government to intervene? This course will examine medical, legal, and ethical controversies that arise when personal autonomy is perceived to be in conflict with the interests of society. We will consider the contentious issues of abortion, assisted reproduction, end-of-life care, medical aid in dying and gender-reassignment surgery. Opinions of medical organizations, patient rights and religious groups, and recent legal decisions will form the basis for discussion from many points of view.

This course is a follow-up to "Five Element Qigong: Principles and Practice" course from Fall 2024, but can also be taken and enjoyed without the prerequisite. Qigong describes cultivating our energy through movement, breath awareness, posture, visualization, and meditation for the purpose of enhancing our functionality and general well being. This course will explore qigong concepts along with a physical practice related to the fire element in Taoist five element theory.

This course will continue the “Baseball Movie Club” started last summer. Each week we will screen and discuss a film about baseball. This summer will focus on films about how Black, Latino, and Asian players have affected the game—and our larger culture. Included will be two documentaries: The League, about the Negro Leagues, with a strong focus on Pittsburgh, and Ballplayer: Pelotero, about present-day Dominican training camps. We will also view three fictional films: 42, about Jackie Robinson, The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings, about a barnstorming group of Negro League players in the 1940s, and Baseball Girl, a recent drama about a young South Korean woman who hopes to pitch in the big leagues. Join us for some good movies and good conversation!

Eastern Europe has geographical areas with exceptional conditions for grapevine growing and is the birthplace of a myriad of grape varietals. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, there has been heavy investment in the modernization of their wine industry. Each week we will undertake a journey of discovery by tasting and rating a wine from one of these regions while we explore its terroir. A few weeks before the course starts, the instructor will identify wines that members should purchase.

NOTE: This course will be offered twice, once in session 1 and the same course repeated in session 2. Members may only sign up for one section.

How was the Earth and our atmosphere formed ? What rocks compose the Earth? What events have changed the Earth throughout geologic time? Explore these intriguing topics and more in this review of Earth science.