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The course will examine the crisis in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad, tracing the growth of jihadi strength from the defeat of Islamist forces in Algeria in the 2000s and the impact of the overthrow of the Gaddafi regime in Libya in 2011 on the Tuareg regions of the Sahel. It will trace the development of jihadist sentiment in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, the growth of anti-French sentiment, the decline of Francafrique, and the turn to the Wagner Group and other Russian forces. It will also discuss the impact of Boko Haram on southeastern Niger, northern Cameroon and southwestern Chad.

Most conversations about aging focus on lifespan, but brainspan (how long our mind stays sharp) matters more. In this course, we will explore how the brain ages and what science reveals about protecting memory, balance, and clarity. Topics include normal changes versus early dementia, neuroplasticity, nutrition, sleep, stress, social ties, and purpose. Each session blends accessible science with self-tests and take-home practices. We will also build a personalized Cognitive Health Scorecard to track habits and strengthen resilience.

 

Scott Fulton, an internationally recognized leader in positive aging, teaches Lifestyle Medicine and Aging and serves on the True Health Initiative Council. Author of WHEALTHSPAN, he created the MEDAC system for optimal aging. A former National Aging in Place Council president, Fulton is also a multiple Ironman triathlete and innovator in aging design.

“...The casual reader, or even a close student of history, would be forgiven for thinking that for most of its existence, only men worked at the Central Intelligence Agency. Not only that: very manly heterosexual men...” Liza Mundy, The Sisterhood This class will focus on women’s services in the CIA as spies at the end of WWII,during the Cold War, and as terrorist groups formed and acted after the breakup of the Soviet Union. What talents and skills did women have, and how did they use them? Are women more tactically geared to expose male vulnerability? What tensions were there among intelligence agencies and within the agency itself during these times? Come learn what roles women have played in the operation of the CIA and how important their service has been. There are interesting tales to tell.

California is more than a state—it is an idea, a dream, and a contradiction. In this course, we will journey from its earliest Indigenous cultures through Spanish, Mexican, and American rule, exploring missions, the Gold Rush, the railroad, Hollywood, and Silicon Valley. We will challenge myths, highlight overlooked voices, and examine how migration, innovation, and cultural change shaped the Golden State. We will discover what it has meant, and still means, to be Californian.

Anthony Antonucci, PhD, is a historian specializing in U.S. history since 1750, focusing on foreign relations, nationalism, race, and immigration. A Fulbright fellow, he has held research appointments at major historical institutions and teaches U.S., world, and California history, as well as ethnic and gender studies, at Southern California colleges.

Drawing is a way to discover an entire new world. Before modern techniques about learning to draw were developed, many of us thought we had no talent. Now we can learn to "see" like never before and give up saying things like, "I can't even draw a straight line." (After all, maybe that's what rulers are for!)

Required Materials:

Bring a "can-do" attitude, the willingness to practice, and an eagerness to do something you didn't think you could do! 

Paper: Look for a simple Sketch Book with paper that is 60-90 lb. and smooth to the touch, found in the art section of craft stores like Michael's or the Art Box in Ivy Square (near Foods of all Nations.)

Pencils: Bring any that you like to make marks with or even a fine-tip pen. Pencils come in many options, from very light to very dark. You can achieve a variety of effects depending on how hard you press on the pencil. There is no need to buy a set of pencils, unless you just want to.

Erasers: I will be bringing each of you a "kneaded" eraser, great for erasing mistakes. They are grey, wrapped in plastic, less than 2" square, and can be held in your hand to warm them up and become malleable for a spot you might want to erase. These erasers don't damage the surface of the paper as much as other kinds.

There are many things to read (from the first major one by Betty Edwards )

 Betty Edwards.   Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, 1999.

Dodson, Bert. Keys to Drawing, 1990.

Garcia, Claire Watson. Drawing for the Absolute and Utter Beginner, 2003.

But I just found THE BEST ONE YET at Barns and Noble the other day: Sketching for the Absolute Beginner by Peter Cronin (2023)   (We will incorporate some of his techniques in our class!)

Much of 20th century literary criticism insisted that the speaker of a poem is always a “persona” and must never be confused with the poet. A codicil to this dogma held that information about the poet’s life from any source – memoirs, biographies, letters including even those of the poet – should never be admitted to a discussion of the meaning of any poem. This course offers a contrarian view. We will examine the strongly autobiographical currents in Shakespeare’s sonnets and the most famous poems of Keats, Emily Dickinson, and Gerard Manley Hopkins.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed nearly 1,000 buildings and helped define modern architecture. This course explores highlights of his practice, from Prairie houses to Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum, alongside lesser-known projects like affordable housing and city planning. We’ll examine how Wright’s work reflected cultural shifts in technology, science, and politics, offering a deeper understanding of his lasting influence on architecture and modern design.

 

Jennifer Gray, PhD, is vice president of the Taliesin Institute at the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. She researches how modern architects used design for social change and has curated major exhibitions, including Frank Lloyd Wright at 150 at MoMA. Gray has taught at Columbia, Cornell, and MoMA and served as Curator at Avery Library.

The death of Pope Francis and the election of the first US born Pope have been in the news repeatedly in the last few months, capturing the imagination of many people, including non-Catholics. Who are these men? What are their life stories? How were they similar to and different from each other? In this course, we will discuss the lives and dominant perspectives of the last ten Popes, exploring their most significant positions and their influence on world affairs.

 

Oliva Espín, PhD, Professor Emerita at San Diego State University, pioneered feminist therapy for women from diverse cultures. She completed postdoctoral work at Harvard and authored Women, Sainthood, and Power and My Native Land is Memory (2021 San Diego Book Award). She received APA’s Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology Award.

Science is full of surprises. Dyes, accidentally discovered, launched the modern pharmaceutical industry. A failed experiment opened the door to new physics. Discoveries are never just facts. They are moments of creativity, struggle, and chance with far- reaching consequences. In this course, we will explore the human side of science, tracing breakthroughs in biology, chemistry, physics, and more. We will ask not only what was found, but how and why it matters.

Dr. Johnnie Hendrickson is a Teaching Professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University; he holds a PhD in chemistry and is the author of the textbook “Chemistry in the World.” His academic work focuses on science communication, the reciprocal relationship between science and society.

Before the term “influencer” applied to social media stars, Howard Gardner coined the term “Influencer” to describe a person who has accomplished positive and significant change by affecting the “thoughts, feelings, or behaviors of others.” To do this, Gardner says, the Influencers possess extraordinary skill as communicators who employ the concept of “Story” as their principal vehicle of influence. The most successful twentieth century Influencer, of course, is Gandhi who in turn inspired many others who have also peacefully fought against and prevailed over tyranny and injustice. This class will examine three of these Influencers–Cesar Chavez, Vaclav Havel, and Alexi Navalny–to show how they also used Story to achieve profound societal change.

Have you ever wondered why some folks walk in circles and seem to love it? Do you know the difference between a labyrinth and a maze? Have you ever wanted to build a labyrinth in your yard or on a beach? Are you interested in exploring moving meditation? Would you like some inspiration? Are you in a process of discernment? Would you like to think more metaphorically? Come, explore with us! We’ll learn about the varieties and history of what is constructed using sacred geometry and why it works! We’ll practice on various labyrinths in each session.

Music has always sparked controversy— through bold originality or scandal. Classical composers like Beethoven, Stravinsky, and Smetana shocked audiences, while Broadway and Hollywood works such as Annie Get Your Gun and South Pacific face modern scrutiny over race, gender,and consent. This course asks whether political correctness enriches art or erases cultural heritage and if works with outdated views should be altered or preserved. We’ll also examine plagiarism and musical borrowing in pop and film music, including disputes involving The Beatles, Pink Floyd, and Peter Frampton. With audiovisual examples and anecdotes, this lively course explores music’s most provocative debates.

Emanuel Abramovits, MBA, is a mechanical engineer and veteran concert promoter. He has worked with world-class artists like Itzhak Perlman, Gustavo Dudamel, and Sarah Brightman, producing awardwinning orchestral events and premieres. Former cultural director at Union Israelita De Caracas, he now teaches and lectures widely across the U.S.

How much of who we are is shaped by the places we live and experience? This course invites reflection on the psychological and emotional relationships between people and their environments. Drawing on psychology, geography, architecture, and design, we will explore environmental psychology and how physical environments shape behavior, cognition, identity, and memory. Using place-based methods, we will discuss concepts such as place attachment, identity, and cognitive maps. We will reflect on memory, home, trauma, displacement, and nature’s role in well-being.

Fernanda Blanco Vidal, a PhD candidate in Environmental Psychology at CUNY, researches how environments shape identity and memory. She holds degrees in Psychology and Sociology, published on displacement and nostalgia, and explores place-based methodologies. Her dissertation examines shifts in sense of place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tai Chi for Health is a gentle, easy to learn form of Tai Chi. The course will emphasize slow, continuous movement to help with balance and maintenance of strength. Please wear comfortable, loose clothing and flat shoes.

This course will examine the cultural transformations in thinking and living that reshaped America and Western Europe between World War I and the Great Depression. Known as the Roaring Twenties, the Jazz Age, and the Lost Generation, this period redefined values and norms. We will explore the vibrant world of 1920s Paris through F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Babylon Revisited and Bernice Bobs Her Hair, Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, and Gertrude Stein’s The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas, considering the lasting legacy of the era.

Ferdâ Asya, PhD, Professor of English and author, has taught at universities worldwide and lived in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Specializing in 19th–20th century American literature with a focus on Edith Wharton, her interests include international literature and American expatriate writing in Europe.

This course takes participants back to early 19th century Massachusetts to introduce two fatherless girls, Elizabeth and Maria Louisa Hathorne, who had a profound impact on their brother, Nathaniel. Excerpts from personal letters illustrate their opposing personalities and their changing relationship with their brother as childhood expectations were forced to cede to a new order in adulthood. Class participants will learn of the most painful event in Hawthorne’s life. Finally, participants will discover in some of Hawthorne’s writings, how he, intentionally or not, infused certain personality traits of his sisters into those of his fictional characters.

A discussion on the second year of the Trump administration. Where are we on the democracy-autocracy continuum? Come to the class ready to listen and get your two cents in.

Join Walkman Dan to reimagine walking. Each class offers a short talk and a set of simple satisfying skills to turn your everyday walks into memorable events. We’ll explore a new theme every week: the world of walking, walking with MOTOS, walking and props, thinking on your feet, and walking into the future. Whether you’re a casual stroller or a seasoned walker, you’ll quickly discover there’s much more to walking than walking.

The personal essay, one of the oldest forms of creative nonfiction, blends storytelling, reflection, and analysis to give voice to lived experience. In this course, we will explore the personal essay as both art and self-expression. Through readings, discussion, and writing exercises, we will study elements such as narrative arc, scenesetting, and reflection. We will draft our own essays, discovering how this enduring form helps us find our voices and tell our stories with clarity

 

Lisa Stolley, professor of English at UIC and Northwestern, is an award-winning fiction and nonfiction author. Her stories have appeared in leading journals, earning honors like the Illinois Arts Council Award and a Pushcart Prize nomination. She also teaches scientific writing and works as a legal writer for immigration attorneys.