Tuesday Courses   

The primary goal of this course is to equip participants with the basic cell biology knowledge toolkit to better understand the small-but-mighty side of biology. For example, if a biotech company has a breakthrough technology that pops up in the news, participants can decipher the story with a deeper understanding and perhaps even healthy skepticism. The secondary goal is to have participants gain a deeper appreciation for the elegance (and complexity) built into each one of our thirty trillion cells. Even though the curriculum is designed to skim the surface on a range of topics in order to build a bigger picture, we can dive as deep as we want in class based on participant interaction and engagement. There is no prerequisite knowledge level.

Community Journalism @ Ashland.news will explore the practices of community journalism, describing how it helps provide the information “oxygen” to facilitate democratic, economic, and social vibrancy in a community. Students will learn how stories and/or photos are assigned, reported, and prepared for publication. The course also teaches techniques for gathering, writing, editing, photographing, and publishing factual information about the citizens, events, politics, economics, and culture of a localized area, all intended to enhance a community’s quality of life. Participants will also formulate a reporting plan to supplement future editions of Ashland.news and prepare stories and/or photos for publication. Beginning the third week, students will gather news in the field, reporting or photographing, writing, and doing preliminary editing on each other’s reporting—all with an aim for publication. The reporting and editing cycle will be repeated three times.

This course is designed to provide an opportunity to speak and listen to Spanish in a comfortable non-judgmental atmosphere. It is meant for those who already speak Spanish with some fluency but who don’t have all the opportunities to converse that they would like. The six weeks of the course will center on readings from the short novel “Lazarillo de Tormes,” from 16th century Spain. Lazarillo is considered world literature’s first pícaro, a direct ancestor of Becky Sharp and Huck Finn, and his story has been in print since 1554. During each class, we’ll talk in a whole group about the novel, see and discuss a bit of the movie of the same name, read a poem, and use provided questions in breakout rooms, where you can take the conversation in any direction. Materials, except the novel itself, will be posted on LearnerNotes. A bilingual edition or copies in both English and Spanish are recommended for the novel. Translations are provided for readings and song lyrics.

In this course, expect to have an enjoyable time making poetry. During each session, the instructor will provide a prompt and students will create a poem from snippets they cut from a variety of books. The books, which will be supplied by the instructor, are mostly library discards, thrift store finds, or yard sale discoveries. Subject matter ranges from non-fiction manuals to wedding planning. Composing poems in this fashion broadens one’s experience of creativity Anyone who can use a pair of scissors and who has an open mind and a playful spirit will succeed in this course. There are no prerequisites or homework. Students are welcome to repeat the class. All materials will be supplied by the instructor.

We know that Earth’s climate is changing, but how do we know that human actions are a primary factor today, given that climate has changed throughout geologic time? We begin by examining the many natural factors that control climate change on timescales ranging from millions of years to just a few years. These natural influences include external factors such as the position of the continents, the orbital parameters of the Earth/Sun/Moon system, and volcanic eruptions. We also consider variability arising from within the climate system due to phenomena like El Niños and La Niñas. We then shift focus from geologic timescales to the natural and human influences on the climate of the last 2,000 years. How have scientists identified human “fingerprints” in observations of climate change? Are droughts, heat waves, and wildfires being affected by climate change? The final course segment examines projected climate changes over the next 100 years, based on different emissions scenarios.

Explore the complexity and significance of women’s lives in contemporary Ukraine through stories of Ukrainian women writers, scientists, social activists, leaders, and artists whose work changed their culture and the world. The values of the matriarchal cultures that sourced Ukraine continue to be transmitted through her folk arts, music, and dance. Ukrainian women continue to bring forth from within themselves individually, and as a diverse community, new expressions of the values and beliefs of their culture. Discover the meaning of Ukrainian goddesses in Ukrainian women’s spirituality and the impact of Russian colonization on Ukrainian identity then and now. The course can be repeated since it will combine lecture, new guest speakers, discussion on events that currently impact Ukrainians, and ritual circle-sharing as well as out-of-class readings and reflective writing.

NOTE: Required text: “Your Ad Could Go Here: Stories by Oksana Zabuzhko,” edited by Nina Murray.

Let us explore the immune system together in a step-by-step fashion to untangle its many mysteries, components, and functions. Second only to the brain in complexity, this life-saving system protects us on a daily basis from a world of threats, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, parasites, and toxins. Some of the topics we will cover include innate and adaptive immunity; the major organs, cells, and messenger molecules involved in immune function; and how the immune system distinguishes between “self” and “non-self.” Knowledge is powerful if it leads to appropriate action. The better we understand the workings of our immune system, the better we can support its function and not weaken it. This is especially important right now with all the confusion surrounding COVID-19 and the other infectious diseases out there. This introductory science-based Zoom course will use colorful and easy to understand slide presentations and lectures, and some discussion with questions and answers.

Hot News & Cool Views is an open discussion opportunity to explore and discuss breaking local, national, and global news and events. All differing views and opinions are welcome, and divergent political leanings and personal backgrounds add “sizzle” to the class. The result is an entertaining and often controversial 90 minutes! An agenda with supporting news articles is sent out a couple days ahead of each class, and ideas and articles submitted by students are integrated into the agenda. Hot News & Cool Views will help you stay current on the news and well informed in an election cycle. Please join our great group for a journey around the world that is better than a strong cup of coffee to get your week going! 

Hot News & Cool Views is an open discussion opportunity to explore and discuss breaking local, national, and global news and events. All differing views and opinions are welcome, and divergent political leanings and personal backgrounds add “sizzle” to the class. The result is an entertaining and often controversial 90 minutes! An agenda with supporting news articles is sent out a couple days ahead of each class, and ideas and articles submitted by students are integrated into the agenda. Hot News & Cool Views will help you stay current on the news and well informed in an election cycle. Please join our great group for a journey around the world that is better than a strong cup of coffee to get your week going! 

Come develop your writing in this ten-week introduction to creative writing. No previous writing experience is necessary: All you need is a love of writing and a willingness to share your ideas with others. Each class will feature an introduction to a different type of creative writing, including short story, drama, fiction, creative nonfiction, numerous forms of poetry, and haiku. In each class you will have an opportunity to share your work in the genre discussed the previous week. The class will be encouraged to comment upon it constructively. After each class the instructor will email students copies of class notes, along with the following week’s assignment. Students who have taken this class in the past are welcome to take it again.

Most of us spend half our adult lives going through major life transitions—like retirement, marriage, loss of a loved one, divorce, inheritance, career change, empty nest, and big health challenges—yet we have never been trained in the vital skills needed to master (or even manage) these life passages. Change happens quickly, but major life transitions can take years. The transformation that results from working through them skillfully lasts a lifetime. This course explores how you have handled these significant “life-quakes” in the past, and how you can use them now and in the future as times of reimagining and reinvention. We will explore the four phases of major life transitions, both in the research and in your own experience. These challenging passages launch your life’s next chapter and hold great potential gifts of “post-traumatic growth” while allowing you to design your own ideal next chapter. Our emphasis will be on developing the creative skills to flow through major change.

This class is an introduction to Qigong and simple stretching patterns. Movements will be taught both as physical and energetic exercises and as methods for improving present moment awareness and mindfulness of subtle perceptions. No special clothing or experience is required.  Come as you are, ready to have fun with others! Although Qigong can be studied for a lifetime, this brief series will give you a taste of the practices. You will learn a set of simple movements you can integrate into your daily routine.  Students can access videos on my YouTube channel, and a DVD is available for purchase but is not required. The exercises will challenge and enhance your flexibility, balance, and coordination. Classes consist mostly of active movement. Students will sign a liability waiver prior to the first class.

NOTE: We will meet over Zoom and class will include social time with other students using breakout rooms. Since this is online, students must be prepared to take complete responsibility for their own physical well-being. Classes will not be recorded.  

The Nonfiction Writing Workshop offers practical training to enhance nonfiction writing skills. Class materials include selected readings, posted online, that demonstrate key writing techniques practiced by well-known authors. Students are required to submit for analysis four 500 to 1000-word writing samples using content derived from their experience. Work will be submitted every other week by midnight Fridays. Students will read each other’s work and share constructive criticism about style and content. The instructor will also comment on each exercise. The storytelling techniques emphasized are applicable for memoir, historical articles, long-form journalism, and book-length nonfiction for print or the internet. Students should expect to spend four-six hours a week reading assignments and students’ work and writing. Previously taught courses have been amended annually, based on previous students’ feedback.

NOTE: A paperback, “Bird by Bird,” by Anne Lamott, is assigned to be read by the end of the term.

In a world that constantly pushes us to do more, be more, and have more, discover the transformative power of slowing down and living from the inside-out. Drawing inspiration from the enlightening book “Slowing Down to the Speed of Life” and the teachings of visionaries like Sydney Banks, Dr. Joseph Bailey, and Richard Carlson, this course offers a fresh perspective on living a deeply meaningful, peaceful, and contented life. Joseph Campbell said that what people are really seeking is an experience of being fully alive, to feel “the rapture of being alive.” Syd Banks, during a mystical experience, discovered the keys that allows each one of us to directly experience this innate joy and inner peace. Join in thought-provoking classes that illuminate this innate wisdom that we all possess, as we watch short videos of Syd Banks, Joe Bailey and others, with time for questions and discussions.

NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. 

In a world that constantly pushes us to do more, be more, and have more, discover the transformative power of slowing down and living from the inside-out. Drawing inspiration from the enlightening book “Slowing Down to the Speed of Life” and the teachings of visionaries like Sydney Banks, Dr. Joseph Bailey, and Richard Carlson, this course offers a fresh perspective on living a deeply meaningful, peaceful, and contented life. Joseph Campbell said that what people are really seeking is an experience of being fully alive, to feel “the rapture of being alive.” Syd Banks, during a mystical experience, discovered the keys that allows each one of us to directly experience this innate joy and inner peace. Join in thought-provoking classes that illuminate this innate wisdom that we all possess, as we watch short videos of Syd Banks, Joe Bailey and others, with time for questions and discussions.

NOTE: Two sections of this course are being offered at the same day/time as a hybrid: one on Zoom and one in-person. 

Recognizing that most of us have few (if any) opportunities to talk—really talk—about death, this class may be a remedy. Sensitive conversation will consume most of our class time together. The instructor will invite students to suggest topics of interest in the weeks before the class starts. She will then frame discussions using materials students will access to prepare for each session. Discussions are likely to examine such topics as: death’s timing, meaning and value; getting the care we prefer; aging; dementia; medical treatments; legacy; and our beliefs about death. TED Talks, articles, and books like “A Better Way of Dying” and “The Five Invitations” may be used. The instructor’s intent is to prompt us to talk freely and meaningfully about this experience, which is part of all our lives. Students interested in joining in these important, personal discussions need to commit to attend every one of our six sessions so that our conversations can deepen over our time together.

NOTE: Conversations in this class, both in-person and online, will be deeply personal and confidential. This is best achieved, and the quality and content of discussions built upon, if the participants are consistent and reliable in their attendance. Students who know they will need to miss even one class should not enroll now. This class may be offered again in the future. Two separate sections of this course are being offered on different days and times: one online and one in person. 

Historically, morality has been studied as if it were a human invention. This has been the approach of philosophical thinking and writing in the field of ethics for over 2,000 years. Recently, however, biologists have been studying morality as an adaptation, attempting to discover how morality functions and how it evolved. We will examine six types of moral adaptation, all of which share a commonality: they enhance survivorship and reproductive success. Genetically based traits that enhance survivorship and reproduction will pass on copies of genes that produce those traits in their offspring. Over time, the traits and the suite of genes producing them will increase. Seven sessions cover 1) evolution and misconceptions, 2) genes and behavior, 3) Jonathan Haidt’s six dimensions of morality, 4) kin selection and caring, 5) reciprocal altruism and fairness, 6) xenophobia and disgust, and 7) hierarchy and liberty. Classes will include readings, videos, and lectures.

The Gospel of Thomas was found in the Egyptian town of Nag Hammadi in 1945. The Gospel starts off stating that Jesus’ brother is the author, and it contains 114 Sayings attributed to Jesus. Some biblical scholars call it the “Fifth Gospel,” as it might be the oldest (written in the first half of the 1^st Century AD) because about half of Jesus’ sayings in this Gospel are in the biblical gospels. The readings in this Gospel of Saint Thomas will guide our discussion in concentrating on Jesus’ philosophy, namely how he understands the cosmos, his vision of how we should live in community, and the imperative of obtaining more self-knowledge. The unique sayings of Jesus are the beatitudes, including, for example, turning the other cheek, loving one’s enemies, and treating people in the way you want to be treated. These sum up Jesus’ perspective. Reading and discussion of some of the 114 Sayings will be explored in each class session.

NOTE: The instructor will provide a free copy of the Gospel of Thomas for your use during the course.

Felicia Bornstein Lubliner, a survivor of ghettos and concentration camps (Auschwitz and Gross-Rosen) in Nazi-occupied Poland, wrote and spoke publicly afterward about her Holocaust experiences. Her son, the course instructor, invites you to delve into her written stories and oral presentations, published as “Only Hope: A Survivor’s Stories of the Holocaust.” Each story will be read aloud, either by the instructor or by students who have the book. Participants will be invited to share their reactions, questions, and insights. We will discuss the historical context and lessons to be learned about that period, the universal human responses that the narratives evoke, and the relevance of the subject matter to challenges we face in modern times. 

NOTE: Purchase of “Only Hope” is optional. It is available as a paperback book for $15.99 and as a Kindle download for $5.99. 

Six sessions will delve into how to take care of the voice, strengthen and improve articulation and singing range, as well as experience the joy of music-making in ensemble. In each class, singers will learn specific warm-ups for development of the voice, as well as the solid science of how the voice works. Each class will focus on a particular aspect of singing, corresponding vocal exercises, and their implementation. Students need to have a fairly good ear, though they won’t need to be able to read music. For creative material, we will use rounds.