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This course will walk through one of the most famous studies of fascism across time, Robert Paxton's Anatomy of Fascism. Each week, will cover the main ideas from a chapter of the book, as well as advances in the field since its publication in 2004. Learners are invited but not obligated to read each chapter at home before each class. Note: this class meets twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays.

Recommended reading: The Anatomy of Fascism, by Robert Paxton, Vintage, any edition. 

Biochemistry converts DNA genomes into RNA, and this RNA gets transcribed into protein. Since the 1990s, we have learned that this is only part of the story. Scientists have found that RNA does much more than carry information. It can regulate expression of genes, act as an enzyme, and bind to specific targets - just like proteins - and each of these roles has been engineered in the lab. This course will provide a short survey of some of the surprising new roles researchers have found for RNA.

This session will explore the four most common dementia diagnoses and provide an overview of disease progression. Course leaders will share strategies for connecting with individuals living with dementia and better understanding their unique experience. 

Every concert, theatrical performance, and corporate event you have attended had an invisible army making it happen. This session pulls back the curtain on live event production: the people, the technology, and the split-second decisions that turn an empty stage into an experience. We will cover how lighting, audio, video, and rigging work together and what happens when something goes wrong mid-show. No technical background needed.

Exploring how people created living spaces is a glimpse into their culture itself.  Each building is designed around visionary use and practical needs.  Within the Russian Empire and Soviet Union, buildings are also time capsules that trace history.  This series gives brief glimpses into the variety of building types and styles that define architecture.  

This course will explore conversations and topics about Shakespeare's King Lear. Throughout the session, we will watch video clips from Gielgud to Cumberbatch to enhance our understanding of this tragedy. Required reading: King Lear, any edition.

This course will follow the history of human settlement in what becomes the United States from migration across the Asian Land Bridge to the present day arguments over legality and deportation. There will be a lecture that includes Q&A, and discussion in small groups that report back to the whole class. 

This course provides participants with opportunities to engage in playful experiments with words on the page during free writing. By slowing down and paying attention to whatever turns up, participants can expect to hone their observational skills. Opportunities to share writing are provided but not required. The last three sessions will center on free writing done by participants between classes. Listeners will be asked to tell us exactly where in the piece they felt surprise, interest, wonder or the desire to ask the reader a question.

Create impactful photographs by editing your images. Editing will make your images mirror the feeling or mood you had when pressing the shutter. The class goal is to learn and improve image editing skills with practice, patience, and passion. Anyone with a serious interest in photography is welcome and can use any camera. RAW file format is required – even cell phones shoot RAW. This course will start with Adobe Lightroom Classic and finish editing in Photoshop, using the new TK9 v4 Plugin for Photoshop. 

Required Software: Editing software is an investment for long-term use and is essential for proper image editing; subscription to Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Photoshop.  Purchase the Photography Plan that includes Lightroom Classic and Photoshop at adobe.com  $19.99 mo. TK9 v4 Plugin for Photoshop, available from Tony Kuyper at his website goodnight.us.

In this class we’ll explore the folk music of Spain (Andalusia, Galicia), Portugal, Italy (Liguria, Puglia, Tuscany), and France (Provence, Auvergne, Brittany) along with one or two side trips to Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. We’ll examine the instruments, including the hurdy-gurdy, accordion, tamboura, cajon, guitar, etc. discuss the relationships between folk, classical, and popular styles, and provide information about where such music can be heard live in the Twin Cities today.

This 1975 novel follows a group of workers in 1937 Berlin struggling to resist fascist society.  They confront ancient art, contemporary culture, failed revolution, and everyday horrors in a project of self-education to inspire their own history-changing practice.  The course will aim to find resonant passages in this poetic and philosophic novel, to inspire our interpretations and perhaps challenge our commitments. Contextual information will focus on the art, selected historical figures and events. This course will read as far as Part I of Volume I. 

Required reading: The Aesthetics of Resistance by Peter Weiss (J Neugroschel & J Scott, trans), Duke University Press, 2005. Vol. 1.

Carbon dioxide is an integral component of life on Earth whose rising atmospheric concentrations have been one of the biggest contributors to rising temperatures in recent decades. To aid in climate change mitigation strategies and to tap into an abundant source of carbon, scientists have been researching the production of chemicals, pharmaceuticals, fuels, and materials from carbon dioxide captured from the air. This course introduces concepts of environmental science, chemistry, and scientific inquiry and collaboration in the context of scientists’ efforts to leverage carbon dioxide usage.

Recommended reading: The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything: How Carbon Dioxide Made Our World – A Natural History of Climate and the Future of Life by Peter Brannen, Ecco, 2025; The Story of CO2: Big Ideas for a Small Molecule by Geoffrey Ozin and Mireille Ghossoub, Aevo UTP, 2020.

Economics plays a central role in  every aspect of society. This course addresses a set of prominent policy issues where economics is at their core. We will explore their origins as policy matters, the underlying data and evidence, and what policy levers are available to deal with them. Lectures will be standalone, taught by a subject matter expert – all of whom have a Ph.D. in Economics. Potential topics include Climate Change, Social Security, Economic Inequality, and many more. The topics will be determined by what is most topical at the time of the course.  No reading is required. Course guide correction: The first meeting of this course is on Thursday, October 8th. 

Jackson was a military leader and the President of the United States. This course will discuss all aspects of Jackson's life, including but not limited to: his early life, plus his marriage and family, his status as a slave owner, involvement in pistol duels, his experiences in the War of 1812 (including the major battle at New Orleans and treatment of troops), involvement in Native-American removal westward, his presidency, controversies, an assassination attempt, and the Slave Revolt by Nat Turner with Jackson's response.

In this course, you will explore the full sweep of the religion of Islam. The course will begin with the basic tenets of Islam, followed by its sources, the life of Muhammad, and a brief history of Islam. Next, we will analyze the concept of Jihad in Islam, & Islam in the later days. You will learn about the Islamic understanding of Jesus, Mary, & the People of the Book. Finally, we will discuss Islam in the current world. Ideal for beginners, this course answers questions of particular concern to those who care about the West’s relation with Islam. 

Citizenship in the US is a complex issue. What is it, and what happens to people who are denied citizenship and are stateless? This is a 3-part course.1: Why citizenship matters, why vulnerable minorities are excluded, efforts to end statelessness, and the impact of wars and conflicts; 2: Citizenship manipulation from Nazi Germany to the US; and international laws guaranteeing citizenship. 3: Statelessness today: the impact of 'climate migrants', wars and borders, and anti-immigration movements. Course fee: $10

The adoption of new technologies and the mass commercialization of culture has opened the door for more deceptive advertising. This course will examine how deceit and scams manifest in multiple forms of contemporary advertising, from ads that don’t look like ads, misleading verbiage, consumer tracking/targeting, ponzi schemes, and plain old snake oil peddling. What are the rhetorical strategies of deceptive ads? Are devices really listening to you? How do we regulate advertising? And most importantly, how do you spot a scam? 

Recommended reading: Doublespeak: From “Revenue Enhancement” to “Terminal Living”: How Government, Business, Advertisers, and Others Use Language to Deceive You by W. Lutz, Ig Publishing, 2015; "The Importance of Being a Complainer: You have the Power to Hold Deceptive Marketers Accountable," B. Patten, 2024, https://truthinadvertising.org/blog/the-importance-of-being-a-complainer/.

Are you carrying the weight of resentment, grudges, or betrayal? These emotions drain our energy and keep us tied to the past. In this 2-part online workshop, Louisa - life coach and story teller, will create a safe, supportive space for reflection and growth. Through storytelling, dialogue, and exercises, you’ll explore how resentment takes root, why it holds you back, and how to release it. This isn’t about excusing or forgetting - it’s about freeing yourself and stepping into a lighter, more empowered self.