Quest   

Focaccia, and its Tuscan sibling, Schiacciata, are two of the most flavorful breads in the world. Both, simply put, are dough with something on it (usually but not always), baked in a pan. In this 2-night, hands-on baking class, we'll be mastering the mixing of natural fermented doughs: whole-grain country-style dough and the basic focaccia bianca. These breads can accompany almost any dish and are open to a combination of sweet or savory toppings, unadorned with an olive oil, or dipped in marinara. Experience these soft, honeycombed breads with a crackly, toasty crust in your kitchen tonight!

Walla Walla's response to unsheltered homelessness has been ongoing for at least a century and continues to develop and change as new challenges emerge. Learn about the causes, responses, and challenges of reducing homelessness in our area. Discuss the data and drivers of homelessness. Consider Walla Walla's efforts to address this growing nation-wide issue, including community perceptions and reactions, response strategies by various groups, and even a visit to the Walla Walla Sleep Center.

How can you tell the difference between beneficial and injurious insects? Learn about the garden food web and how to maintain a garden with minimum (or even no) pesticides. We'll discuss insects and entomology, but also soil biology, birds, fungi, and other life found in a thriving garden. Good bugs are a gardener's friend!

This class will be held online using Zoom. The Zoom Meeting ID and link will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Create a scarf or shawl using new nunofelting techniques of creating textures and embellishments on silk. Fine merino wool fibers will bond the design elements together to create an original piece of wearable art. For both new and experienced felters – techniques learned in class will inspire you to explore felting further. Endless possibilities in felting await you!

The Quarterly Quest Membership is valid for the current academic quarter and may be renewed each subsequent quarter.

Membership includes interesting programs designed especially for Quest members (must have a Quest Membership to take Quest classes), a quarterly social, use of the WWCC Library, free entrance to WWCC theater performances & sporting events, and much more.

Adventures in Ecological Gardening: From the U.S. to London and The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Gardening and farming adventures have taken instructor Kate Frey from the U.S. to challenging and diverse situations, such as the Chelsea Flower Show in London, an organic farm in Saudi Arabia, and garden shows in Japan and Malaysia. What themes, practices, and systems from U.S. gardens, farms, and natural areas have informed how these projects looked and grew? What was the reaction to them from visitors? And what lessons and information has been learned from working in these countries? Kate will share these exciting adventures and expert knowledge to help you create healthy, productive gardens full of vitality.

This class will be held online using Zoom. The Zoom Meeting ID and link will be included in your registration confirmation email.

Anyone can develop and produce videos by using the common programs already on their desktop computer, tablet, or phone! Create and publish your own art, photos, stories, and presentations in videos that are easily shared by social media, email, print, or even included as a code in written correspondence. Sharing our stories in current formats opens the door for more people to enjoy our families, communities, art, and history.

By the end of class, you'll have completed a short video that is ready to publish on YouTube, along with the practice and know-how to create your own longer stories. Share your videos with family and friends or publish on your own YouTube channel.

We all want a beautiful garden filled with healthy, vibrant flowers. These colorful and uplifting places move us past the routine landscape and are filled with pleasure, inspiration, and life. This intensive, practical course will present comprehensive information on many interacting concepts and systems – from developing healthy soils, to the irrigation, design, and plant care necessary to create attractive, efficient, ecologically-friendly/locally-appropriate gardens.

A series of colorful slides will illustrate these concepts. A number of print materials and resources will support this class and will be emailed to students.

Explore a series of thematically-related films. We'll engage in lively discussions as we analyze the films and our responses to them, while developing a sense of each film's creation, impact, and place in history.

Explore the career of Earl Warren, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969, justices on the Warren court (Black, Douglas, Frankfurter, Brennan), and some of the important and controversial cases decided by the Warren court. During his tenure, the John Birch Society tried to have Warren impeached. President Eisenhower, who nominated Warren for the court, said after leaving office that putting Warren on the court was the worst decision of his presidency. But some court scholars put Warren among the top five of all Supreme Court justices. You decide.

We'll discuss how cases get to the Supreme court and how cases are decided. We will also look at cases dealing with school desegregation, privacy, libel, miscegenation, prayer in school, one-person one-vote, and rights of criminal defendants. You'll leave with a more informed understanding of how the court functions, an appreciation of the contribution to American constitutional law made by the Warren court, and a passing knowledge of some of the significant/controversial cases decided by the court.

Improve your memory skills and sharpen your mind by playing mahjong. Although the game originated in China in the late 19th century near Shanghai, this course will be based on American mahjong. This is not the same as the computer mahjong games where the tiles are matched within mosaics and then disappear. The game is made up of tiles, which have identified suits, and the objective is to form specific hands or sets of tiles (as in many card games).

Earth is two-thirds ocean. Seas are getting warmer and more acidic; their food supply is decreasing. We will explore physical oceanography (waves, tides, currents); plate tectonics (ocean spreading ridges, trenches, subduction zones, raised marine terraces); marine geology (marine sediments, active coasts, sea cliffs, sea stacks); passive coasts (beaches, barriers); and marine biology (coastal marshes, mangrove swamps, reefs).

Do you want to make progress in researching your family history? Discover a step-by-step process that will enhance your research skills, no matter your experience level. Find out how to analyze and organize the information you currently have and then make a research plan. You will learn ways to keep track of your information as you find it, analyze your findings, and write up your conclusions.

Each of us has a story to tell. Whether your story is fiction, creative nonfiction, a memoir, or an essay, the elements of writing are the same. Students will work on different writing elements each week and share their writing by reading it aloud, then critique the work of other class members. All levels of writing experience are welcome.

Explore the four main plays of William Inge through interactive discussions and readings. Winning the Tony, The Pulitzer, and the Oscar for his work, Inge captured the heart of his small-town Kansas life. Besides reading his work, we will also watch three film adaptations of his work. You'll leave class with an understanding of dramatic construction, character development, acting and directing choices, as well as an introduction to how an artist's biography affects their work. 

Enhance your balance, gain strength, improve physical grace, and promote mindfulness and spiritual awareness with hatha yoga. We'll focus on the foundations of yoga postures (asanas) with movement and flow, as well as emphasize the benefits of hatha yoga to the body and mind. Join us for a lifelong journey!