Wednesday AM   

We will be looking at governments that rule through the use of terror: arbitrary imprisonment, random killings, and kidnapping. These governments cause widespread fear and a reluctance to speak-up or protest. We will look at the tactics and methods of how this type of government establishes its rule and maintains power.

New in-person course. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

When the Erie Canal opened in 1825, it revolutionized American travel and transportation, but its inspiration came from Europe’s earlier canal networks. In this course, we will trace the development of French, British, and Irish canals in the 17th and 18th centuries. We will follow the story into the 19th century as we turn to American canals, especially in New York and Pennsylvania. Along the way, we will explore how canals reflect the politics and aspirations of different nations and why they still matter for global shipping today. Whether we are drawn to engineering marvels, the people who built them, or the pleasure of drifting along a canal or hiking a towpath, we will deepen our appreciation of canals’ importance and beauty. 

You probably have a favorite poem or two or twelve that have stayed with you like a loyal friend over the years. Would you like to share these with like-minded classmates? Read them out loud? Discuss what they meant and still mean to you? Hear what others have for favorite poems and what they mean to them? We will loosely divide our favorites into subgroups such as: poems that entrance, poems that teach, poems that protest, poems that intoxicate, poems that soothe broken hearts, and poems that delight. No one’s a poetry expert! We’re just sharing what we love. 

New in-person course. Format includes discussion.