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The Norse Sagas are medieval stories based on old Norse mythology. These Sagas were written centuries after the Viking era by Icelandic authors. They run the gamut from realistic travel chronicles to sword-and-sorcery. Most are thick with murder and intrigue; some are hilariously witty. Enjoy this amazing excursion into “Dark Age” swashbuckling that continues to profoundly influence modern culture.

Research over the past 10 years confirms the arts are GREAT for our health and wellbeing! In this course, we will highlight and explore some of that research, and try out some simple, enjoyable healing practices using music, dance/movement, visual art, and poetry/spoken word. No formal experience in the arts needed!

Recommended Reading: Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us, Magsamen, S., & Ross, I. Random House, 2023.

Mass atrocities devastate societies with lost lives and ecocide, wanton environmental destruction. We look at three ecological crises: the Holocaust and wars in Syria and Ukraine. The "environmental Holocaust" includes deforestation, resource pillaging, and pollution of air, water, and soil. Syria's long-civil war has irrevocably damaged the country's natural world. Ukraine’s ecocide includes Russia’s bombing of the Kakhovka dam. Floodwaters wiped out villages and farms, spreading toxins in one of Europe’s biggest ecological disasters in decades. The course concludes with global and local punishment and sanctions for ecocide.

Join us as we partner again with the Ramsey County Library, Global Minnesota, and the Foreign Policy Association for our annual Great Decisions series on the most critical international issues facing America. Study the issues and join the discussions led by expert speakers. Ten copies of the Briefing Book for this series are available for checkout through the generosity of Global Minnesota.

June 6: AI and American National Security: What are the key AI policy debates and what are the opportunities and limits on global AI rules of the road? How will the AI revolution impact American national security? How can the US secure the benefits of AI and guard against its dangers?

Christi Siver is a Professor of Political Science at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University. She holds a BA from Lewis and Clark College, a MA in International Relations and International Economics from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, and a PhD in political science from the University of Washington.

June 20: U.S.-China Relations: What is driving the deterioration of Sino-American relations, and what are America’s strategic options in the face of Chinese power and ambition?

Rick Olson is a retired professional with a variety of educational and life experiences. He has worked as an economist, an attorney, a certified financial planner, an agricultural loan officer, an agricultural cooperative president, a State Representative in Michigan and a public-school business manager.

Join scholars from area colleges and elsewhere as they share their specialized knowledge and enthusiasm. It’s like hearing your favorite college professors again, without worrying about writing papers or taking finals!

June 3:  Barbie® (The movie, the doll, the phenomenon) with Laurie Ouelette

June 10: The War at Home: Minnesota During the Great War, 1914-1920 with Greg Gaut

June 17: The Kerlan Collection of Children's Literature @ U of MN with Lisa Von Drasek

June 24:  A Look at the Supreme Court Term 2024-2025 with Timothy Johnson

Feeling exhausted, anxious, and disconnected? Overwhelmed by caregiving and other responsibilities? This course will help you break free from burnout and reclaim clarity and well-being. You’ll uncover the root causes of burnout, reset your nervous system, set healthy boundaries, and create sustainable practices for calm and joy. You'll leave feeling empowered, refreshed, and ready to thrive!

Cat Bohannon's book, EVE: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution, is the inspiration for this cross-category course. We'll think about biological evolution for the first three weeks, then turn to women's contributions to social and cultural evolution.