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- Exploring the World of Food and Nutrition
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Speaker: Judith Dodd
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Food is an ongoing and important part of our lives. How it is grown, processed, prepared, and stored are critical to both availability and our health. Aging is another factor that affects both the product and the host, and the results can be instant and long-lasting. This course will help explore food, diets, and health needs with the focus on the past, present, and maybe the future. Participants should bring questions but also understand that this course is not a personal prescription; it is an exploration of food and healthy nutrition.
This course will meet online October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Shaping of the Modern World, Part 2
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Speaker: Robert Rodrigues
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course is an introduction to the history of the world in the twentieth century and will primarily feature the second half of the century. It will examine the forces that have produced the great changes of that century and integrate the American experience with that of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Topics included will be World War II, the New Nationalism, a post-modern revolt in Latin America, the Cold War, and the collapse of the Soviet Union ending the century will be explored. (Note: Part 1 is not needed to register for this course).
This course is an introduction to the history of the world in the twentieth century and will primarily feature the second half of the century. It will examine the forces that have produced the great changes of that century and integrate the American experience with that of Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Topics included will be World War II, the New Nationalism, a post-modern revolt in Latin America, the Cold War, and the collapse of the Soviet Union ending the century will be explored. (Note: Part 1 is not needed to register for this course).
This course will meet online October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Before Dracula: Vampire Folklore, Stories, and Legends
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Speaker: Eleni Anastasiou
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
Dracula is the vampire who has dominated our imaginations since his creation in 1897; when asked to picture a vampire, most think of a tall, dark haired aristocratic man wearing evening dress and a long black cape. But what of the vampires that came before him? Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula, openly noted the influence of a vampire novella written by his fellow Irishman, Sheridan Le Fanu, called Carmilla. This course will explore various genres to examine vampires' origins in Eastern European Orthodox folklore to its Western Gothic transformations. Along the way, we’ll meet a couple of historical vampires: Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Bathory.
This course will meet in person October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Hiking and Observing the Fall Season
- THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
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Speaker: Melissa Sokulski
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
In Eastern theory, fall is the transition from yang to yin, between the expansive growth phases of spring and summer to the inward, cooler, fall and winter seasons. In this course, we will take five easy hikes around Schenley Park to observe the fall season. We'll notice plants such as lambs-quarter and mullein dropping their seeds. We'll see hawthorn, crabapple, and dogwood trees releasing their fruit, and find other trees such as oak, ginkgo, and black walnut dropping nuts. We'll explore the abundance of fall mushrooms; observe birds - both the migrants and year rounders; watch wildlife; and soak in the colors of the changing leaves. This course will meet rain or shine (except unsafe conditions such as lightening/thunderstorms) and involve walking and hiking on possibly uneven natural paths and surfaces, up to one mile or so each week.
This course will meet in person October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Stretching Your Imagination
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Speaker: Sue Schneider, Penny Lang
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:50 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
Do you want to stretch your creativity in fun new ways? This hands-on art course will have you experimenting with collage, drawing, music, and writing on the edge of your imagination. Discover unusual approaches guaranteed to have you looking at yourself and your world with new eyes. No previous experience necessary—just a willingness to play!
This course will meet in person October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Broadway Now!
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Speaker: Ken Gargaro
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This is a survey course for the person who wants to know what’s buzzing on Broadway for the 2024 season and what shows coming to Pittsburgh are worth seeing. Classes will revolve around reviews, trailers, and insider comments. With ticket prices at the highest level in history, it is best to do a bit of reconnaissance to inform one’s decisions. Promising shows for the upcoming season include Water for Elephants, a revival of The Who’s Tommy and The Great Gatsby. Pittsburgh is likely to see & Juliet, MJ the Musical, and Hamilton.
This course will meet online October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Gorbachev to Putin: The Fall and Rise of Russia
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Speaker: Jared Day
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course examines the precipitous decline of Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. It examines the economic and political meltdown of the Yeltsin years, even as reformers sought to introduce western-style norms combined with unprecedented levels of social and economic openness. We will also explore the rise of Vladimir Putin and his reassertion of Russian power both at home and abroad, leading to fraught relations and a series of wars with neighboring states.
This course will meet online October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Five Element Qigong- Principles and Practice
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Speaker: Laura Budde
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Qigong translates to cultivating life energy. In this course, participants will enjoy theory along with active qigong: gentle movements, stretching, acupressure, self-massage, breath awareness, and visualization to encourage the flow of energy. Five-element theory encourages awareness of our connection with the rhythms of nature. This practice requires no props and can be enjoyed either standing or seated in a chair.
This course will meet online October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Shakespeare's Macbeth
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Speaker: Norma Greco
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth depicts Macbeth's murderous quest for political power in medieval Scotland while reflecting on Shakespeare’s early 17th century England. First performed in 1606, the play presents the dangers of “vaulting ambition” that leads Macbeth to sacrifice moral duty in his pursuit of power. But the play, which still speaks to audiences today, raises broader questions about moral responsibility and the search for meaning that deepen and complicate the play’s political theme. We will read Macbeth carefully and explore these questions as they relate to the course of the tragedy. Participants will be encouraged to view notable productions.
This course will meet online October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Ekphrastic Poetry: Poems About Art
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Speaker: Rebecca Carpenter
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
Ekphrastic poetry is inspired by a work of art, either real or imagined. It can be a poem about the beautiful subject of a portrait, the thoughts of a dog in a landscape, a child outside the frame of a picture, or a plum in a still life sink. In this course, we will discuss the interrelation between the artist and the artwork, and the poet and the poem. Some of the artists we will look at include O'Keefe, Rembrandt, Brueghel, and Klimt; the poets include Sasha Pimentel, I.A. Fanthorpe, May Swenson, and W.H. Auden. To conclude the course, students who wish to write an ekphrastic poem will have the chance to present it and the artwork on the last day of class.
This course will meet in person October16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Simplicity vs Complexity in Music, Arts, and Design
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Speaker: Owen Cantor
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
Classical music history swings like a pendulum between simplicity and complexity. The intricate musical fabric of the Baroque era was followed by the simplicity and balance of Classicism, quickly moving forward to expressive Romanticism and beyond. This balance mirrors the way we communicate, dress, and live. We will travel classical music history’s winding road, interpreting the simple and complex sights along the way.
This course will meet in person October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Stress, Your Immune System, and Healthy Aging
- THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
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Speaker: Bruce Rabin
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
An immune system, the system that prevents diseases caused by infections (like influenza, Covid, polio, tetanus, and pneumonia), must function properly during aging to stay healthy. However, the immune system can also cause disease by reacting against one’s own body. Stress can also disturb the normal immune system function. Thus, the immune system can be our friend, but also our enemy. This course will teach participants how the different parts of the immune system function to prevent disease and the health consequences of when they don’t work properly.
This course will meet in person October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- European Politics and Government in the 21st Century
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Speaker: Paul Adams
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/13/2024
Times: 3:15 PM - 4:45 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course is designed as an introductory survey that briefly but concisely describes political institutions, political cultures, issues, and trends in different European countries over the past 25 years. It will also focus on the roles of the European Union (EU) and NATO. The course will cover big countries like France and Germany but many smaller ones, too, like Ireland and Switzerland.
This course will meet online October 16, 23, 30, November 6, and 13.
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- Spanish Red Wine Tour
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Speaker: Ricardo Llovet
Dates: 10/16/2024 - 11/20/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Spain has been able to preserve it autochthonous varietals and old vineyards. It is at the forefront of sustainability while confronting climate change. We will tour Spain through its red wines. Each week we will taste and rate a wine from an appellation while we explore its terroir, the varietal, and possibly some regional history or architecture. We will try different wines from a variety of regions; choices will depend on what is available and affordable at the store. The instructor will identify the wines a few weeks before the course starts for members to purchase.
This course will meet online October 16, 23, November 6, 13, and 20. There is no class October 30th.
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