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- Advanced Conversational Spanish Session 2
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Speaker: María Franco de Gómez
Dates: 6/27/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
These two 5-week courses are appropriate for participants who are comfortable and successful at communicating in Spanish and want to further develop their reading and conversational skills. Participants are expected to be able to use present, past and future tenses, and have significant vocabulary and understanding of syntax (or have successfully completed Intermediate Spanish). The courses are taught in Spanish and focus on analyzing and discussing reading material. Weekly class material is provided. Note: These courses are often taken several times. These are versatile courses that include different class material under the same goals every term.
This ONLINE class meets June 27; July 11, 18, 25; August 1. There is no class July 4. Please Note: members must register for Session 1 separately.
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- America and Spain's Civil War, 1936-1939
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Speaker: John Burt
Dates: 6/27/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Spain's civil war meant different things to different Americans-a diplomatic crisis, a call to arms, a business opportunity, a religious war, a political problem, a journalism story, and a foreshadowing of worse to come. For about 3,000 Americans it meant answering the call of their convictions to lend a hand while FDR wanted no part of the matter. For years afterward, for the survivors of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, it meant "Viva La Quince Brigada!"
This online class will meet June 27, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1. There will be no class July 4.
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- America's Immigration Dilemma
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Speaker: Jared Day
Dates: 7/3/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course will examine one of the most fraught topics in American politics today: immigration. Despite the U.S.'s long history of acceptance and openness to foreign immigration, since 2000 concerns have spiked about the number and ethnicity of those being admitted. Throughout American history, immigration policy has evolved and reacted to often dramatic shifts in American society. Particular attention will be given to immigration laws in the 1920s, Lyndon Johnson’s landmark Immigration Act of 1965, and recent developments in problems and policies along U.S. borders.
This online class will meet on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- Artificial Intelligence: A Beginner's Introduction
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Speaker: Shayok Chakraborty
Dates: 7/2/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course is tailored for audiences who are curious about artificial intelligence (AI). The topics that will be covered include a brief history of AI and how it affects modern life, the fundamental concepts of AI (supervised/unsupervised/semi-supervised learning, deep learning, generative models like ChatGPT), a few applications of AI (healthcare, autonomous driving, security and surveillance), together with the downsides and some of the ethical concerns surrounding AI. The concepts will be taught at a high level without delving too much into the mathematical details, and participants do not need to have a strong technical background to grasp the concepts.
This online class will meet on July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
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- Big Bang and Expansion of the Universe
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Speaker: Don Ellison
Dates: 7/2/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course covers the general ideas behind the Big Bang and the expansion of the universe. The course is for non-experts, and accurate descriptions will keep jargon and mathematics to a minimum. Some historical background for the discovery that the universe began about 13.8 billion years ago will be presented, followed by the evolution of the universe to the present time. Discoveries made in cosmology in the last half century rank with the greatest intellectual achievements in all of history. Despite the profound, underlying complexity, students should be able to gain a reasonable grasp of these majestic ideas.
This online class will meet on July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
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- Broadcast Television: The Big Five
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Speaker: Megan Kappel
Dates: 7/1/2024 - 7/29/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Once, long before Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime, there was a magical world called broadcast television in which five networks reigned supreme: ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and PBS. In this course, we will survey how these “basic cable” stations became TV titans through savvy marketing and carefully curated programming. Were you a loyal viewer of Masterpiece Theatre? Did you save your Thursday nights for “Must See TV”? Then tune in each week as we explore how these five distinct brand personas helped shape late 20th century entertainment and culture in powerful and surprising ways.
This online class will meet on July 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.
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- Collage Marathon!
- THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
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Speaker: Ann Rosenthal
Dates: 7/2/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:50 AM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
How many ways can you make a collage? How many methods? How many materials, shapes, and forms? Let’s find out! In this class we will try out as many approaches to making collages as we can squeeze in, using handmade, scavenged, and purchased (cheap) materials. Come along for this fun, lively, and inventive marathon. Start collecting your bits and bobs, scraps, and trash.
This online class will meet on July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
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- Digital Literacy for Today's World
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Speaker: Mustafa Kilic
Dates: 7/3/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course aims to empower adults aged 50 and better with the knowledge and skills to navigate the digital world safely and confidently. Covering topics from internet basics to online security, participants will learn through lectures, discussions, and hands-on activities how to responsibly utilize the internet for education, communication, and entertainment.
This online class will meet on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- Disease, Society, and Science
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Speaker: Julia Hudson-Richards
Dates: 6/27/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course looks at a variety of pandemic events and endemic diseases (bubonic plague, New World epidemics, Spanish flu, modern plagues, and "endemic" illnesses like tuberculosis), the ways that they have shaped the societies they've affected, and how science developed to cure and prevent illness.
This online class will meet on June 27, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1. There is no class on July 4.
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- Early Italian Renaissance
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Speaker: Katherine Zoraster
Dates: 6/27/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
The true flowering of the Renaissance makes its appearance in the city-state of Florence at the onset of the 15th century. Marked by humanism and competitive patronage, artists in Florence strove to decorate their city with images, giving a window onto the world. In this course, we discuss the rediscovery of linear perspective by Filippo Brunelleschi, how artists such as Masaccio and Paolo Uccello were able to paint more realistic and convincing images, and how the art of Sandro Botticelli embodied the ideals and concepts of Neoplatonism. We also look at sculptors such as Donatello who began to master human anatomy, setting the stage for the High Renaissance.
This online class will meet on June 27, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1. There will be no class July 4.
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- Ethics in Modern Life
- THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
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Speaker: Sarah Rosenson
Dates: 7/3/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
In this interactive online discussion class, we will explore a different real-world ethical issue each week. Questions discussed will include: Should the Audubon Society, streets, schools and other institutions, change their names because they are named after people who owned slaves? What are some of the ethical issues that come up around donation of organs, and how are they resolved differently in different countries? Should there be a mandatory retirement age for senators, congresspeople, and the president? Would this be unethical age discrimination, or not? Come join the conversation and share your views!
This online class will meet on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- Extremist White Supremacy
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Speaker: Ralph Bangs
Dates: 7/3/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Since 2008, white supremacist movements have become part of mainstream American politics and society. The result is growing racial hatred, violence, domestic terrorism, discrimination, and attacks on democracy. The instructor will lecture on the problem and solutions. The primary source is the new book, Out of Hiding: Extremist White Supremacy and How It Can Be Stopped, written by three of America’s experts on the topic. Class members are not required to purchase or read the book. We will have at least one guest speaker.
This online class will meet on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- Famous Classical Music Themes
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Speaker: Raymond Uy
Dates: 6/27/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Many of the most famous classical music themes have been presented in memorable ways, including through film and television. These presentations often create associations that add another layer of mood and character to the music. In this course, we will listen to many famous examples and discuss how we may remember them. You may recall much more classical music than you think!
This online class will meet on June 27, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1. There will be no class July 4.
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- Female Composers
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Explore the songs and times of the great female songwriters of stage and screen. Using clips from Broadway, film, and television, we will share composers’ life stories, hits and misses, some gossip (all in good fun), and appreciate their genius. We will concentrate on female composers such as Mary Rodgers, Betty Comden, Dorothy Fields, and Carolyn Leigh. If music is the food of life, let us gorge ourselves.
This online class will meet on June 28, July 12, 19, 26 and August 2. There is no class July 5.
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- History and Collection of the Louvre
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Speaker: Katherine Zoraster
Dates: 7/2/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
As what became one of the first public art collections following the French Revolution and the most visited art museums in the world, the Louvre has both a storied history and an incredible art collection. This course provides an overview of the history of the museum and how it came to be and focuses on some of its most renowned works of art. Some highlights include the history of the French Academy, the Nike of Samothrace and Venus de Milo, the Oath of the Horatii and the Raft of the Medusa, and, of course, the Mona Lisa.
This online class will meet on July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
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- Important Episodes in American Economic History
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Speaker: William Van Lear
Dates: 7/1/2024 - 7/29/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
The course will be a history of important economic eras and the thinking that dominated those eras. The course covers the period from the American founding to the 21st century. The course will address some critical time periods, events, issues, and ideology contextualized by the underlying evolutionary capitalist system and public policy efforts. Why these eras are significant will be identified. The course will be lectures with time for questions and discussion.
This online class will meet on July 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.
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- Intermediate Spanish Session 2
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Speaker: María Franco de Gómez
Dates: 6/27/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
These two 5-week courses are appropriate for participants who are comfortable with basic Spanish conversation using the present tense (or students who have successfully completed several cycles of the Beginning Spanish course). The courses focus on the use of the past and future tense, more extensive vocabulary, and structures and syntax. At the end of the courses, students are expected to feel comfortable with standard Spanish conversation.
Note: These courses are often taken several times; members should register for BOTH sections if they want to be in the course for 10 weeks.
This ONLINE class meets June 27; July 11, 18, 25; August 1. There is no class July 4th. Please note: you must register separately for Session 2.
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- Mini-Course: Reimagining Yourself Through Creative Writing
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Speaker: Laurie McMillan
Dates: 8/6/2024 - 8/20/2024
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 3
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This creative writing workshop helps you refocus, reimagine, and reinvigorate your life through writing from prompts and discussion designed to employ imagination and insight. Participants can write in any genre they wish, and no writing experience is necessary. The course will give you the space and encouragement you need to enhance your creativity and your life. Writing tools and ideas to continue your work in class and inspire further discovery will be offered.
This online mini-course will meet on August 6, 13, and 20.
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- Sketch Noting: What it is and How to Do It
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Speaker: Elaine Bergstrom
Dates: 7/1/2024 - 7/29/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Sketch noting is a visual way to take notes. It can be used in nature and vacation journals, meetings, lectures, book groups, podcasts, and even sermons. Sketch noting captures ideas with quick techniques such as using words, simple drawings, lettering, connectors, containers, lines, and star people. It can help organize any page. The class will begin with learning the basics. Anyone who takes notes can benefit from this visual way to take notes; it can really be fun.
This online class will meet on July 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.
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- Soldier and the State
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Speaker: Charles Metcalf
Dates: 7/2/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Three pillars support the U.S. government as well as its society: civil affairs; military affairs, and the American people. They are separate and independent entities but also unified and interdependent entities. The result is a delicate, shared balance of power, with the American people serving as its fulcrum. Finding and maintaining that proper balance between military capabilities and civilian control of our armed forces, therefore, is an essential and necessary task that underscores the importance and relevance of good governance. The course will focus primarily on foundations and theories of civil-military relations, basics of national security, and an overview of the military establishment.
This online class will meet on July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
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- Summer Gardening and Preparing For Fall
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Speaker: Doug Oster
Dates: 7/1/2024 - 7/29/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
In this course we will discuss how to punch up that summer garden you are hoping for! Specifically, we will discuss watering, mulching, compost and more; weeds, deadheading, and fertilizing; bargains and containers; harvesting and replanting; and getting our gardens ready for fall.
This online class will meet on July 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.
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- Ten Unforgettable Stories of W. Somerset Maugham
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Speaker: David Walton
Dates: 6/27/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
A century ago, Somerset Maugham was one of the world’s most highly esteemed and commercially successful authors. More recently his reputation has fallen, and Maugham has become of greater interest to biographers, novelists like Tan Twan Eng, and, for our purposes, a class of experienced readers re-examining his work after many years. We will read and discuss ten of Maugham’s best-known short stories, including “The Letter” and “Rain.”
This online class will meet on June 27, July 11, 18, 25, and August 1.
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- Understanding Generational Differences to Bridge the Gap
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Speaker: Esther Jackson
Dates: 7/3/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Why do you need to know about other generations when you represent only one? Gain a better understanding of communication preferences, work habits, behaviors, and interactions that can distinguish one generation from another. Many conflicts arise from the differences we fail to appreciate and respect between generations. This course takes participants on a journey to learn about those differences and how they impact lifestyles along with ways of engagement with others. Discover tips and best practices in this course to promote ways to connect and identify with different generations for better relationships.
This online class will meet on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- Your End of Life Matters
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Speaker: Fredric Price
Dates: 7/3/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Death may be the last thing we want to think about — our own, or that of a loved one — but no one gets out of here alive. Taking the time to learn about the practical, medical and legal aspects of dying helps us develop an approach to mortality. If we can integrate beliefs and traditions, determine personal preferences, and convey those feelings to our loved ones, we can take some control of this unavoidable event. Readings, films, guest speakers, and class discussions will help students develop a personal approach to their own mortality.
This online class will meet on July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- Advanced Conversational Spanish Session 1
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Speaker: Alvaro Bernal
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 6/13/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
These two 5-week courses are appropriate for participants who are comfortable and successful at communicating in Spanish and want to further develop their reading and conversational skills. Participants are expected to be able to use present, past and future tenses, and have significant vocabulary and understanding of syntax (or have successfully completed Intermediate Spanish). The courses are taught in Spanish and focus on analyzing and discussing reading material. Weekly class material is provided. Note: These courses are often taken several times. These are versatile courses that include different class material under the same goals every term.
This ONLINE course meets May 16, 23, 30; June 6, 13. Please note: members must register for session 2 separately.
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- American Southwest, Crossroads of Culture
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Speaker: George Scheper
Dates: 5/14/2024 - 6/11/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course explores the art, history, and cultures of the American Southwest, from ancient Native American homeland to the contemporary cultural mosaic. We begin some 2,000 years ago, with the homeland of the Ancestral Pueblo people, visiting such archaeological sites as Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Canyon de Chelly. We then turn to the historical communities of the Hopi, Zuni and other Pueblo peoples and their Navajo and Apache neighbors. We trace the impact of the coming of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries, and then the arrival of Anglo traders and settlers, and the genesis of the Southwest as a multicultural mecca from the 1920s to the present day.
This online class will meet on May 14, 21, 28, June 4, and 11.
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- Approaching Cultural Awareness
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Speaker: Kjerstin Pugh
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 6/20/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Do you ever want more information when presented with new cultural practices, beliefs, and behaviors? To help you develop your agility and competency to better understand our evolving culture, this course will investigate our social worlds and how to sensitively engage with them. We’ll use frameworks to explore “similarity” and “otherness,” particularly around ideas of gender, race, age, and DEIA. We’ll explore ways to navigate uncomfortable or difficult conversations while expanding cultural awareness.
This online class will meet on May 16, 30, June 6, 13, and 20. This class will not meet on May 23.
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- Architecture of Columbus, Indiana
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Speaker: Jeffrey Swoger
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 6/13/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Thanks to the leadership of local businessman, J. Irwin Miller, Columbus, Indiana boasts a unique collection of major buildings by such architects as Eero Saarinen, I. M. Pei, Robert A. M. Stern and Robert Venturi. Few, if any, cities can match the extraordinary architecture of this small Midwestern town. Students will be encouraged to discuss the buildings.
The online class will meet on May 16, 23, 30, June 6, and 13.
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- Around the World With American Movie Musicals
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Participants can travel around the world with American movie musicals. Numerous countries and cultures have been the featured setting of some of the most beloved musical films: France, England, and Latin America, just to name a few. Idolized visions or stereotypes aside, these films inspire travelers to explore the world.
This online class will meet on May 17, 24, 31, June 7, and 14.
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- Beginning Level French
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Speaker: Cathleen Sendek-Sapp
Dates: 5/14/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 10
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
In this course, designed for students with minimal prior knowledge of French, our focus will be on mastering phrases and set structures that may be useful for communicating across a variety of situations. Students will be encouraged to develop strategies to try to make themselves understood where language proficiency may be lacking. The material presented in the Beginning Level French course will vary each term according to the needs of the participants.
This class meets online May 14, 21, 28; June 4, 11; July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30.
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- Beginning Spanish
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Speaker: Alvaro Bernal
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 8/1/2024
Times: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 10
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course is appropriate for beginners who have no or very little experience with Spanish language. The course will focus on basic vocabulary and themes (greeting others, numbers, days of the week, etc.), useful expressions for travel (making reservations, asking for directions, expressing likes and dislikes, etc.) and some grammar, primarily present tense verbs. Communication strategies will be emphasized. Students can expect to study words, phrases, simple sentences, and practice listening/reading. Weekly class material is provided. Note: This course is often taken several times. Participants are invited to repeat this course for additional practice and to reinforce grammar and vocabulary.
This class meets online May 16, 23, 30; June 6, 13, 27; July 11, 18, 25; August 1
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- Can We Stop Climate Change?
- THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
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Speaker: Anthony Lee
Dates: 5/13/2024 - 6/17/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course is designed for people already concerned about climate change, who want to learn more, and will consider mitigating the impact of climate change on our planet and ourselves. The course covers problems, basic science, and equity issues. Participants will review a powerful simulation tool and a wide range of climate change solutions. Participants will learn how to communicate with others and join in taking action.
This class will meet online on May 13, 20, June 3, 10, and 17.
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- Chair Yoga
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Speaker: Susan Gillis Kruman
Dates: 5/13/2024 - 6/17/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This gentle form of yoga is practiced using a chair as a prop/stabilizer for support during standing poses or adapted for sitting on a chair. It is especially beneficial for people concerned with balance or coordination issues or those who have felt they are unable to participate in other yoga experiences. The class includes poses for strength training, mobility in the joints, and more relaxing poses to help steady the mind. Modifications will be offered throughout the course so that participants learn to adapt to their personal situations and comfort as well as challenge themselves. The course is appropriate for all levels.
This online class will meet on May 13, 20, June 3, 10, and 17.
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- Chakra Yoga
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Speaker: Jill Clary
Dates: 5/15/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 10
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course moves through traditional yoga poses (or asanas) that align each individual chakra, moving up the spine from the root chakra to the crown chakra. Chakras are energy centers located across different points on our spinal column. When energy becomes blocked in a chakra, it triggers physical, mental, or emotional imbalances that manifest in symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, or poor digestion. This class is for members who like fluid, mindful practice that links alignment, movement, and breath. Participants should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and have a yoga mat.
This online class will meet on May 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12, July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- Dante's Divine Comedy
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Speaker: H. David Brumble
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 6/13/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Each class session will read and explain key sections of The Divine Comedy. These key sections and some plot summary will allow us to work our way through the whole of Dante’s magnificent poem. All along the way, we will be looking at and talking about works of medieval art that will allow us better to understand Dante’s meanings. Outside reading of The Divine Comedy will not be required, although it would, of course, add to the experience.
This online class will meet on May 16, 23, 30, June 6, and 13.
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- Embracing Plant-Based Eating
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Speaker: Laura Zervos
Dates: 5/17/2024 - 6/14/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: F
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Embark on a journey into plant-based eating in this dynamic course. Uncover the nutritional advantages and sustainable principles provided in a plant-based eating pattern. From preparing nutrient-rich meals to mastering effective meal planning, this class will guide participants to incorporate more diverse plant-based recipes into their menus. Whether you are a seasoned plant-based enthusiast or curious about adding more plant-based meals to your menu, join us in exploring a healthier and more sustainable eating pattern.
This online class will meet on May 17, 24, 31, June 7, and 14.
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- Explore the Allegheny Observatory
- THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
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Speaker: Kerry Handron
Dates: 5/13/2024 - 6/17/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:50 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: In-Person
Fee: $0.00
This course will be held at the Allegheny Observatory in Riverview Park. Each class will include both a presentation and discussion about a person or a discovery at the observatory and a short tour of a portion of the building. At the end of the five classes, we will have explored the entire building and looked at how John and Phoebe Brashear, Samuel Langley, and James Keeler impacted both the field of astronomy and the city of Pittsburgh. We will use the 13" telescope to view sunspots and the moon (weather permitting). Please Note: This historic building is only partially handicapped accessible. Some of the tours will require steps. Parking is free.
This in-person class meets on May 13, 20, June 3, 10, and 17.
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- Exploring T.S. Eliot's "The Waste Land"
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Speaker: Bridget Keown
Dates: 5/13/2024 - 6/17/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
First published in 1922, T.S. Eliot’s poem “The Waste Land” is widely regarded as one of the most important English language poems of the 20th century. Lines of the poem have developed lives of their own and regularly appear in books, media, and conversation. But the whole poem can seem quite daunting. This class will guide readers through “The Waste Land,” with the goal of understanding its historical significance and parsing its multiple meanings. Each week, we will examine a section of the poem, considering the multiple references and biographical details Eliot wove into each stanza, and discussing the impact of the poem on readers who stand on the other side of the 20th century.
This online class will meet on May 13, 20, June 3, 10, and 17.
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- Five Big Global and Regional Trends in World Geography
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Speaker: Paul Adams
Dates: 5/14/2024 - 6/11/2024
Times: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course explores five big trends in the human and physical geographies of our planet. It begins with investigation from a global perspective and then explores how it similarly or differently impacts regions of the globe. The five big issues are climate change, human migration, endangered languages, population growth, and urbanization.
This online class will meet on May 14, 21, 28, June 4, and 11.
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- Foundations in Sustainability
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Speaker: Savannah Denlinger
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 6/13/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Sustainability has become an increasingly important consideration in global, regional, and local arenas. This course will offer participants foundational knowledge about sustainability related to economic, environmental, and equity issues. Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as our framework, we will discuss how the three domains of sustainability relate to challenges of climate change, food security, and racial justice, among others. Concepts of climate anxiety will be interwoven in the course as we discuss tangible solutions to these issues and historical context that has led us here. Pitt’s Oakland campus will serve as a hyper-local case study.
This online class will meet on May 16, 23, 30, June 6, and 13.
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- Fresco Painters of Florence
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Speaker: Nora Hamerman
Dates: 5/14/2024 - 6/11/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
From Giotto to Masaccio to Botticelli, the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance covered the walls of Florentine churches and palaces with beautiful scenes that combine sacred narratives from the Bible with scenes and portraits out of the daily life of the prosperous city. Besides showing the paintings and explaining their content, the course will give a detailed account of how frescoes are made by combining pigments with wet plaster to form a long-lasting image that is part of the actual wall and the techniques that have been used to remove them from the walls (much more often than most people imagine) and attach them to new surfaces.
This online class will meet on May 14, 21, 28, June 4, and 11.
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- Gentle Yoga Session A
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Speaker: Jill Clary
Dates: 5/13/2024 - 7/29/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Days: M
Sessions: 10
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
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.
This online class will meet on May 13, 20, June 3, 10, 17, July 1, 8, 15, 22, and 29.
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- Gentle Yoga Session B
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Speaker: Jill Clary
Dates: 5/15/2024 - 7/31/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 10
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
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.
This online class will meet on May 15, 22, 29, June 5, 12, July 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31.
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- Geology of America's National Parks, Part 2
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Speaker: Stephen Lindberg
Dates: 5/13/2024 - 6/17/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course is a follow-up to the "Geology of America's National Parks" course that was offered in 2023. This course will review the history and geology of an additional 25 national parks that were not covered in the previous course. Members will enjoy this summer virtual geologic excursion across our national parks! Attendance at the first course is not a prerequisite.
This online class will meet on May 13, 20, June 3, 10, and 17.
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- Getting Started in Watercolors
- THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
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Speaker: Elaine Bergstrom
Dates: 5/14/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 10
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Do you love the softness of watercolors but do not know where to begin or need a refresher? Start with color mixing and palette arranging. Determine which materials to use and how. Learn about graded washes, creating texture, wet on wet, brush strokes, and brush techniques. Have fun creating and learning about your watercolor journey.
This online class will meet on May 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11, July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
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- Historical Foundations of Religion in America
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Speaker: Beth Hill-Skinner
Dates: 5/13/2024 - 6/17/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Maintaining a narrow focus within the historical foundations which shaped the experience of religion in the United States, students will have the opportunity to explore both the antecedents and precedents for the 13 colonies as well as the rationale for the phrase "separation of church and state." The course will examine key religious movements in the U.S. such as the Puritan influence, the Great Awakenings, and the paradox of forced slave religion. Participants will also synthesize historic periods within the intersection of today's tensions between religion and politics and society.
This online class meets on May 13, 20, June 3, 10, and 17.
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- How to Think Like a Computer: Coding for Total Beginners
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Speaker: Philip Dicicco
Dates: 5/14/2024 - 6/18/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Do you feel overwhelmed by technology? Do you wish you understood how it works and why it can be confusing? Join us in this friendly and supportive environment as we explore the fascinating world of computer programming. We'll break down complex concepts into easy-to-understand lessons, starting from the ground up and using jargon-free language. By learning the basics of programming, you'll gain valuable insights into how modern technology works. This newfound understanding will reduce anxiety, boost confidence, and empower you to navigate the ever-changing digital landscape with ease.
This online class will meet on May 14, 21, 28, June 4, and 18. It will not meet on June 11.
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- Intermediate Level French: Grammar
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Speaker: Cathleen Sendek-Sapp
Dates: 5/17/2024 - 8/2/2024
Times: 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Days: F
Sessions: 10
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
In this course, we will be looking at various verb conjugations and use of the present tense in French and applying them in classroom activities. This course is geared to students who have difficulty in comfortably delivering simple sentences in French. Some prior knowledge of French is expected. Advanced speaking skills are not required.
This class meets online May 17, 24, 31; June 7, 14, 28; July 12, 19, 26; August 2. There is no class July 5.
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- Intermediate Spanish Session 1
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Speaker: Alvaro Bernal
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 6/13/2024
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
These two 5-week courses are appropriate for participants who are comfortable with basic Spanish conversation using the present tense (or students who have successfully completed several cycles of the Beginning Spanish course). The courses focus on the use of the past and future tense, more extensive vocabulary, and structures and syntax. At the end of the courses, students are expected to feel comfortable with standard Spanish conversation.
Note: These courses are often taken several times; members should register for BOTH sections if they want to be in the course for 10 weeks.
This ONLINE class meets May 16, 23, 30; June 6, 13.
PLEASE NOTE: You must register separately for Session 2.
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- Introduction to ChatGPT and Prompt Engineering
- THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
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Speaker: Lindsay Onufer
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 6/13/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, industry and education publications have heralded it as a tool that will, for better or worse, transform the way people work and learn. In this course, which is designed for ChatGPT novices, members will learn about how this text-based generative artificial intelligence tool functions and how to use it effectively. We will discuss the ethical implications of using generative AI. Participants will have opportunities to practice using prompt engineering strategies and engage ChatGPT in creative tasks like writing poems or playing games.
This online class will meet on May 16, 23, 30, June 6, and 13.
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- Jane Austen: Two Novels
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Speaker: James O'Rourke
Dates: 5/15/2024 - 6/12/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
We will discuss two of Jane Austen’s most popular novels, Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. Through close attention to Austen’s impeccable style, we will learn to appreciate the breadth of her literary skills. Austen engages her readers’ sympathies with a panorama of charming, multidimensional characters as she chronicles their struggles with the customs and traditions of English life. At the same time, Austen’s wicked wit enables her to dissect those characters and the world they inhabit, as she skewers everything that her social world held sacred.
This online class will meet on May 15, 22, 29, June 5, and 12.
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- Let's Talk About Food in Italian
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Speaker: Cinzia Delfini
Dates: 5/14/2024 - 6/11/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course is an introduction to the basic vocabulary and structure to talk about food in Italian. We will start from learning basic vocabulary and move on to learning verbs and expressions to talk about food in general. Members will learn some recipes and will be able to have a conversation in an Italian coffee shop and in a restaurant. Note: This is a repetition of the same course offered in-person in Fall 2023.
This online class will meet on May 14, 21, 28, June 4, and 11.
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- Music: Controversies and Curiosities
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Speaker: Emanuel Abramovits
Dates: 5/15/2024 - 6/12/2024
Times: 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Music has often been a source of controversy. In their goal for originality, musicians sometimes push the envelope too far and pay the price. This course will analyze some of these controversial pieces of music. Some of them were revolutionary ones that challenged established norms and created great discord. Some even created moral panics that led to cries for censorship, when they were released or decades later. These controversies happened in classical, pop music, and music for the stage and screen.
This online class will meet on May 15, 22, 29, June 5, and 12.
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- Opera: A Five-Course Meal
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Speaker: Marilyn Egan
Dates: 5/15/2024 - 6/12/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Opera composers need to eat like everybody else. Some of the most famous opera creators are gourmands, while others are clearly not foodies. Rossini was famously known for his love of food, but little is known about Mozart’s eating habits. Which opera composers mention food in their operas? How important was food to Puccini? How could you plan an elegant dinner party based on a specific opera? Discover facts about opera composers’ personal lives and tastes while listening to great operatic creations. This course will include a delicious collection of recipes inspired by opera, while enjoying music that tastes "good to the ear.”
This online class will meet on May 15, 22, 29, June 5, and 12.
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- Right Brain Photography
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Speaker: Eli Vega
Dates: 5/17/2024 - 6/14/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Days: F
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This highly interactive course piggybacks on the author’s award-winning book of the same title. Participants will learn creative in-camera concepts, principles, and techniques, without having to spend hours in front of the computer, manipulating images. Members will learn two photography paradigms/models. Included in those models are concepts and techniques like intuition, extracting, impressionism, surrealism through photography, and eastern philosophy applications to photography.
This online class will meet on May 17, 24, 31, June 7, and 14.
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- Western Pennsylvania Historic Places: A Virtual Tour
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Speaker: Kenneth Koncerak
Dates: 5/15/2024 - 6/12/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course takes members on a virtual and chronological tour of historic places in Western Pennsylvania, from Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Washington County to the Quecreek Mine Rescue in Somerset County. The course is designed to encourage participants to explore these places on their own and with their families.
This online class will meet on May 15, 22, 29, June 5, and 12.
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- World War II and the Cold War: Global Impact
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Speaker: Michael Rizzi
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 6/20/2024
Times: 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
This course offers a concise history of World War II and its aftermath. It introduces the social, economic, and political causes and consequences of the war around the world, including the United States, Africa, Latin America, and the South Pacific. Students will learn how World War II fits into a broader historical context and generated the political circumstances that still shape our world today.
This online class will meet on May 16, 23, 30, June 6, and 20. Please note that class will not meet on June 13.
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- Zentangle™: Go Big!
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Speaker: Sue Schneider
Dates: 5/14/2024 - 7/30/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 10
Modality: Online
Fee: $0.00
Zentangle™ is an easy, relaxing and fun art form based on creatively drawing repetitive patterns. It is traditionally done in black and white on small 3.5” squares of paper, but in this course, we will explore larger formats using a variety of media, including watercolor, colored pencils and pens, and background variations. In addition to abstract pattern imagery, we will apply Zentangle™ techniques to animals, geometric drawing, origami designs, and more. No previous experience is needed, just a willingness to play and experiment.
This online class will meet on May 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11, July 2, 9, 16, 23, and 30.
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