Spring 2024 Programs

Math, Science, and Technology

Jordan Tirrell

Tuesdays; January 30 to March 5, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:15 pm
Lecture and Discussion

Machine learning has seen explosive progress in recent years. It does many tasks previously limited to humans, from driving cars to diagnosing diseases, reviewing job applications, and writing fiction. Artificial intelligence systems often surprise us with behaviour the human programmers did not intend. As we rapidly cede more responsibilities to these opaque systems, we must stop to ask if they are aligned with human values and interests. In this course, we will investigate questions of bias, fairness, and transparency in artificial intelligence. We will consider current ethical risks and potentially existential risks in the future. This course will primarily follow Brian Christian’s book The Alignment Problem.

Jordan Tirrell is an Assistant Professor at Washington College, teaching courses about mathematics, statistics, and existential risk. He has mathematics degrees from Lafayette College, The University of Cambridge, and Brandeis University. He taught “The End of the World” for WC-ALL last year. This will be his second WC-ALL course.

Health and Wellness 

Christina Stinchcomb

Fridays; February 2 to February 16, 2024 (three weeks)
4:15-5:15 pm
Lecture and Discussion

Have you ever wondered about the nature of our energy and our connection to all that is around us? Join us for this unique 3 session mini-course to deepen your awareness and get better acquainted with the mind-body-spirit connection and how our consciousness affects our reality. You don’t have to be a yogi or a seasoned meditator to tap into the wisdom of the chakras. And you don’t have to be in therapy to benefit from the beauty of gestalt. If connection is something that is important to you, you’ll want to come explore these topics with us. Concepts and metaphors will be drawn from the instructor’s recent book, Riding with the Chakras. This book is for anyone who relates to energy as a form of communication, using horses and riding as a metaphor for life. 

Christina Stinchcomb has been a lifelong seeker and student of the horse. Her passions include horses, healing and pondering the nature of the universe. After graduating from Cornell University in 1990 with a degree in Cross Cultural Anthropology, Christina moved to the mountains of Boulder, Colorado and opened a cookie company. Throughout the years she has studied martial arts, feng shui, Reiki, yoga, animal communication, Body Talk, sound healing, and shamanic journey. In 2011, the call of the horse led her to Melisa Pearce’s Touched by a Horse Equine Gestalt Coaching Certification Program and Anna Twinney’s Reach Out to Horses Trainer Certification Program. Upon completion of both programs, Christina and her husband, Bart, moved to a beautiful horse farm in Chestertown, Maryland. They own and operate Airy Hill Stables where Christina is a riding instructor, Equine Gestalt Coach, Equestrian Tai Chi instructor, and equine facilitator. Finally, she facilitates “Riding with the Chakras” workshops and retreats.

Math, Science, and Technology

Jeremy Bard

Thursdays; February 1 to February 22, 2024 (four weeks)
4:15-5:15 pm
Lecture and Discussion

Chemistry is a fascinating topic that applies in many ways to our day-to-day lives through the food we eat, the jobs we work, and the things we observe all around us. Unfortunately, the word itself often strikes fear in those hearing it. Either after taking a challenging course or seeing it in a show or movie and thinking “I will never understand chemistry,” people often think that chemistry is unattainable for them. However, while chemistry does get complicated, many of its principles and applications can be understood at a surface level, which is where most of the fun of chemistry can be observed. This course will share some of the fascinating chemistry taking place in a range of areas. These include but are not limited to the chemistry of food and cooking, the topic of forensic chemistry, safe use and disposal of chemicals, chemistry in pop culture, and many more. Additionally, the instructor will solicit recommendations for topics that people are interested in. This course will utilize a mixture of slideshow presentations, whiteboard lecturing, and group discussions. Each class will incorporate a series of general chemistry principles to help contextualize the topics at hand. There are no required materials for this course.

Jeremy Bard received his BS in Chemistry from Eastern Oregon University (EOU) in 2016 and his PhD in chemistry from the University of Oregon (UO) in 2021. After a year as a Visiting Assistant Professor at Roanoke College in Virginia, Jeremy began teaching chemistry at Washington College for the Fall 2022 Semester. He is a physical organic chemist, meaning that he both synthesizes new molecules and looks at how they interact with light. His student-led research group focuses on developing a sophisticated class of fluorescent molecules that will expand the toolkit available to chemists and chemical biologists for medical or agricultural imaging. Jeremy’s interest in chemistry started in his General Chemistry course at EOU, where he began to see that so many things around us involve chemical processes and principles. Throughout his studies, Jeremy has participated in many community events, primarily at K-12 schools. His goal has been to use his platform to share the wonder of chemistry and combat the thought that it can only be understood by a select few. He believes that everyone can enjoy chemistry and to begin thinking about how it applies to their lives. During his time at Washington College, he has begun serving as the faculty advisor for the Student Affiliates of the American Chemical Society club on campus and seeks to broaden his outreach to the Chestertown community and beyond.

Math, Science, and Technology 

Satinder Sidhu

Wednesdays; January 31 to February 28, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

The desire to communicate confidentially appears to be almost universal. Small children learn early to whisper, or to use code words, when they want to convey something only to some limited few. The methods get only a little more refined among adults, whether they’re indulging in amorous intrigue or family feuds. The need for secrecy becomes much more acute in matters involving statecraft, commerce, international rivalries, and armed conflict. Ingenious methods have been devised down the ages, of sending messages so that adversaries can neither intercept them nor extract the meaning of any captured communications. The latter of these—rendering a message incomprehensible to any party for whom it is not intended—is the stuff of cryptography. We will look at the numerous schemes—ciphers—that have been designed and deployed for the purpose of turning ordinary text into seemingly meaningless gibberish which only the intended recipient knows how to turn back into comprehensible text. Creation of such ciphers consists of designing intricate procedures for replacing letters by improbable alternatives. No adversary worth his salt would fail to make an attempt at decoding an intercepted message. Mathematical probabilities may be against such attempts, but he would bring every other imaginable means—contextual, lexical, linguistic, behavioural, physical, psychological—to attack the problem. Historical examples will illustrate how sometimes seemingly irrelevant details can turn out to be essential in deciphering an intractable code.

Satinder Sidhu retired in 2015 after over a quarter century as one half of the physics department at Washington College. He had started professional life with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the pioneer campus of India’s hyper-competitive institutes of technology. After seven years in a multinational electronics conglomerate, he turned to physics for the greater intellectual stimulation of fundamental science. After planting a foot in each of these two closely-related disciplines with the help of a PhD in physics, he assiduously shrank from anything that felt even remotely like engineering. A five-year flirtation with particle accelerator physics at a U.S. national lab more-or-less fell into this category. Teaching across the full spectrum of undergraduate physics (plus some astronomy) did help him avoid the over-specialisation he has always dreaded.

Humanities, Current Events, Health and Wellness

Jerry Webster

Mondays; January 29 to February 19, 2024 (four weeks)
4:15-5:45 pm
Lecture/Discussion

ZOOM

Dan Harris made his name known nationally in his work for ABC News, such as anchor for Nightline and co-anchor for Good Morning, America. He led the network in reporting on religion, especially evangelicalism. As part of this work, he ventured into Buddhism. Unexpectedly, he found here a path, meditation, to stay with to help work with his often traumatic and overreactive nature driven by the occupational hazard of being a newscaster/journalist. We will discuss what Harris finds and reflects in his work on meditation, “10% Happier,” his #1 New York Times Bestseller. Here he gives his view of the path’s hazards and rewards and provides very varied views from his vivid encounters with meditation leaders, such as Eckart Tolle, Tara Brach, Joseph Goldstein, and the Dalai Lama. We’ll follow him as he keeps both his path and the presses rolling, while we try out some of his meditation techniques.

Jerry Webster, Ph. D., (Curriculum and Instruction, University of Maryland) has taught numerous courses in literature for the University of Maryland and in multiculturalism for Montgomery County Public Schools (MD). He taught English full-time in public school systems for forty years. He served as the Shastri, or head teacher, for the Shambhala Buddhist Center in Washington, D.C., for 10 years until he retired in 2020. He teaches ongoing programs for the Johns Hopkins Odyssey Program, the D.C. Politics & Prose Bookstore, Frederick Community College, and Washington College’s Academy of Lifelong Learning. This will be the third work he has taught by Joan Halifax.

Humanities

Rich Gillin

Wednesdays; January 31 to March 6, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

There were many poems you read while in school, which meant or did not mean much at the time. Now is the time to revisit poems by John Donne, Ben Johnson, Robert Herrick, and Andrew Marvell from the 17th Century, and Alexander Pope from the 18th Century, as well as Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Robert Browning, Emily Bronte, Matthew Arnold, and Christina Rossetti from the 19th Century. Reading the poems with a lifetime of experience to draw upon, you will find richer perspectives and will gain new insights as you consider the poems we will study. Our emphasis will be on the various ways culture shifts, and how human interactions echo through the ages, often with satiric and comic dimensions in addition to moral and ethical ones.

Rich Gillin was a member of the Washington College English and Humanities Departments for forty-six years. He retired in December, 2019. Now he is back in the classroom at Washington College as a part time professor. Rich found retirement over-rated.

Humanities 

Chris Cerino

Tuesdays; January 30 to February 27, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:15 pm
Lecture and Discussion

This course uses the 1608 voyages of Captain John Smith and the incredible accounts of the flora, fauna, and Native American cultures he encountered to introduce participants to a Chesapeake that few today can even imagine: a balanced ecosystem inhabited by passenger pigeons, wolves, bear, twelve-foot-long sturgeon, massive schools of spawning shad, herring, and striped bass, and old growth forests spreading out in all directions. Importantly, the seminar focuses heavily on the fascinating indigenous cultures that called the Chesapeake home for hundreds of generations prior to the arrival of Europeans, introducing students to the tools, trade goods, political systems, arts, and armaments utilized by Native people. Topics that will be covered during this five-week course include: • The 1608 voyages of exploration of Captain John Smith • Captain John Smith’s 1612 map of the Chesapeake Bay • The 1585 watercolor paintings of John White • The Indigenous Tribes of the Chesapeake Region • Native American artifacts: stone tools, pelts, trade goods, etc. • The Chesapeake Bay Ecosystem: 400 Years Ago and Today This program will take place at Sultana Education Foundation’s state-of-the-art Holt Education Center, located at 200 South Cross Street in Chestertown. Content will be presented in a variety of ways, including digital projection systems, lectures, and lots of hands-on interactions with historic and reproduction artifacts from the 17th century.

Chris Cerino has spent the past thirty years in the field of environmental education. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he earned a Masters in Teaching degree for secondary history. For the past twenty-four years he has served as Vice President of Sultana Education Foundation, a local non-profit organization that provides programming for over 10,000 students annually aboard the schooner Sultana, a fleet of canoes, a fleet of kayaks, and at the Holt Education Center in downtown Chestertown, Maryland. Under his direction, the Foundation twice won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Maritime Education from the National Maritime Historical Society.  Chris served as the Mayor of Chestertown from 2014 - 2021. During his time in office, he led the complete rebuild of Chestertown Marina, raising over seven million dollars over the course of six years to complete the project. Chris also spearheaded the revitalization of the Main Street Chestertown program and worked with Town staff to create new parks and make improvements to numerous Town-owned properties. Chris currently lives in Chestertown with his wife Michelle and two sons Joey (21) and Jake (19). When he is not aboard Sultana, you will find him fishing, swimming, crabbing, kayaking, and looking for arrowheads on the Chester and Sassafras Rivers with his family on their 17-foot Boston Whaler.

This course has a limit of 30 students. 

Current Events 

Roberta Brown

Saturdays; February 17 to March 2, 2024 (three weeks)
1:00 to 3:00 pm
Lecture and Discussion

With the current conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, we often hear of violations of international humanitarian law and “war crimes.” International humanitarian law (IHL) is a set of rules which seek, for humanitarian reasons, to limit the effects of armed conflict. The biggest factor impacting perspectives on IHL is the lack of awareness of IHL. This course will provide attendees with an introduction to the basics of IHL and educate them on the protection it provides both to civilians and fighters. You are invited to learn about the fundamentals of IHL, its importance in armed conflicts, and why it is essential in both war and peace.

Originally based on customs and traditions, modern international humanitarian law emerged in the mid-nineteenth century through the work of the founders of the Red Cross Movement, Henri Dunant and Clara Barton, and documents such as the Lieber Code. It is enshrined in multinational legal treaties such as the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their three Additional Protocols. These conventions protect persons who are not or who no longer are participating in hostilities and restrict the means and methods of warfare.

The class will be taught in three segments. The first segment will deal with an overview of IHL and its four fundamental principles – Military Necessity, Proportionality, Distinction, and Limiting Unnecessary Suffering. The second segment will discuss military law and ethics, and why adherence with IHL is important to our military. The third segment will cover documentation of violations of IHL, enforcement of IHL through international and municipal courts and non-judicial means, as well as the challenges associated with such enforcement.

Some classes may be taught using Zoom for out-of-town guest speakers.

Roberta Brown, course leader, is a twenty-five-year volunteer for the American Red Cross and a Red Cross Expert IHL Instructor. Additional instructors for the second and third sessions are LCDR Chris Hart, U.S. Naval Academy Master Instructor of Leadership, Ethics, and Law, and Mary Ann McGrail, an attorney in private practice in Washington D.C. and a member of the Board of Directors of the American Red Cross D.C. Chapter.

This course has a limit of 50 students.

Business, Finance, and Law 

Michael Wander

Tuesdays; January 30 to February 20, 2024 (four weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

The "Grid" has historically been stodgy with slow changes, but it has been experiencing unprecedented challenges due to aging generation and transmission assets, and anomalous weather. The rapid shift to renewable energy and retirement of fossil plants, while needed to meet state/utility decarbonization plans, has and will continue to present challenges!

This course will provide an overview of the US Electric Power Grid and its components: Generation, Transmission and Distribution; and the 3 North American Interconnections (East, West, and Texas). The instructor will present brief history of deregulation of wholesale power in US. He will also cover current and future trends; planning for state decarbonization; and increased electrification of residential, industrial, and transportation sectors. We will have detailed discussions on bulk electric power systems (Transmission and Generation) and the evolution of wholesale power markets and future planning, and we will answer the question, Why is Texas different?! We will get a look inside transmission/generation control room operations and real-time dispatch/control of generation to match real-time demand (load). We will also touch on financial markets and impacts on fuel (i.e., natural gas) markets. Discussions will focus on the US and North America, and will also touch on some other international trends. 

Michael Wander has worked as a "watchdog" or Independent Market Monitor of wholesale power markets working as a consultant for 25 years to Transmission System Operators and prior was an analyst at the FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission). Mike is a Mechanical Engineer and has an MBA from VA Tech, but learned a lot of Electrical on the job!

Humanities 

Chris Cerino

Thursdays; February 1 to February 29, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:15 pm
Lecture and Discussion

This course covers both the 18th century and modern history of the 1768 schooner SULTANA. Participants will learn about Sultana’s construction in Boston in 1767, the passing of the Townsend Acts in Britain that same year, and the role Sultana played in enforcing the hated “Tea Taxes” along the mid-Atlantic coastline for the Royal Navy from 1768 – 1772. Topics that will be covered during this five-week course include:

• The History of the Original Schooner Sultana: The Vessel’s Mission and the Political Climate Between Britain and the Colonists in the 18th Century
• The Construction of the Schooner Sultana in Chestertown, 1998 - 2001
• Operating an 18th century schooner in the 21st century: A Talk with Sultana’s Modern Captains
• 18th Century Navigation: Tools and Techniques of the Trade
• Life on Board: Traditional Foods, Armaments, Surgical Tools, and Clothing Items of the 18th Century Royal Navy
• The Schooner Sultana Today: How the vessel carries out its modern mission of educating the next generation of stewards about the Chesapeake Bay.

This program will take place at Sultana Education Foundation’s state-of-the-art Holt Education Center, located at 200 South Cross Street in Chestertown. Content will be presented in a variety of ways, including digital projection systems, lectures, guest speakers, and lots of hands-on interactions with historic and reproduction artifacts from the 18th century.

Chris Cerino has spent the past thirty years in the field of environmental education. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he earned a Masters in Teaching degree for secondary history. For the past twenty-three years he has served as Vice President of Sultana Education Foundation, a local non-profit organization that provides programming for over 10,000 students annually aboard the schooner Sultana, a fleet of canoes, a fleet of kayaks, and at the Holt Education Center in downtown Chestertown, Maryland. Under his direction, the Foundation twice won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Maritime Education from the National Maritime Historical Society. He also played an instrumental role in conceiving and implementing the Captain John Smith 400 Project, which involved building a replica of the small open boat used by Smith to explore and map the Bay in 1608 and using that vessel to re-enact Smith’s 2,000 mile voyage in the summer of 2007. More recently, Cerino played an instrumental role in expanding Sultana Education Foundation’s program offerings to include paddling programs on canoes and kayaks for students of all ages. He currently serves as the organization’s Vice President and is overseeing a significant program expansion using the Foundation’s new state-of-the-art, LEED Platinum Education Center in downtown Chestertown.

This course has a limit of 30 students.

Adventure 

Warren Case

Fridays; February 16 to March 8, 2024 (four weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

The U.S. has so much to offer the traveler: its scenic beauty, historic sites, major cities, outdoor activities, wildlife, special events, and so much more. The instructor believes that every American should at least once in their life start on one coast and drive to the other – it is the only way to truly appreciate the breath and variety of our country. But how do you develop a trip plan that is affordable, practical, and fulfilling? This is a large country with so many possibilities that planning a cross-country road trip can be daunting. Many people put it off until retirement – but then not take it due to all the seemingly complex factors involved. But it doesn’t have to be that hard. The course intends to introduce potential destinations; identify the destinations important to you; identify and incorporate special events and scenic routes; discuss lodging options; determine the pace of long-distance drives; develop a realistic budget; and perhaps most paramount, tie the list of proposed destinations together into one comprehensive trip plan that is both do-able and flexible. Then make it happen! One special topic will be trip planning for the total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 (the last in the lower 48 states until 2044).

Warren Case fell in love with travel in general and road trips in particular at a young age due to the family drives. Although a native of the Washington D.C. area, he attended college in southern California which provided numerous opportunities to cross the U.S. on the ground. He began arranging group trips for family and friends. By the time he was 20, he had explored all of the “lower 48” states. He has crisscrossed the country 20+ times, taking divergent routes where possible and stopping at new destinations along the way. He takes great pleasure in introducing others to the National Parks and park properties, but there are also so many other destinations that also beckon. Despite the perceived high costs and efforts of these trips, Mr. Case believes that there are ways to make crossing the country an affordable and fulfilling reality for almost everyone.

Health and Welfare

 Andy Glenn

Thursdays; February 1 to March 7, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

An emergency can occur anywhere at any time, often without warning. It is important to take steps ahead of time so that you can be better prepared when an emergency does happen. This course will blend lecture and hands-on learning to provide information for how to prepare yourself for an emergency situation and teach skills to prepare you to help others in their time of need. Topics covered include making an emergency plan, the human response to disasters, active assailant events, bleeding control training, and CPR skills.

Andy Glenn is the Program Director for Emergency Preparedness at the Kent County Health Department, a role he has held since 2021. A lifelong resident of Kent County, Andy is a third-generation member of the Rock Hall Volunteer Fire Company and has served as a Maryland-certified EMT for 16 years.

This course has a limit of 20 students.

Math, Science, and Technology 

Yolanda Sanchez

Mondays; January 29 to February 26, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

This WC-ALL course might be interesting for you if:

• You are interested in how modern vaccines and drugs are made.
• You would like to learn more about new trends in precision medicine and how innovative science can help patients and care givers.
• You would like to learn more about emerging therapeutic trends in regenerative medicine and aging.

Course Description

Class 1 - The Process of Making New Medicines: The different phases of preclinical and clinical development illustrate why drug discovery and development is still a long and expensive endeavor.

Class 2 - Precision Medicine: What is precision medicine and why is it important to patients, doctors, payers, and regulators?

Class 3 - Exciting Trends in Drug Discovery and Development I: What are the exciting new drug modalities (e.g., cell and gene therapy, mRNA-based vaccines and therapeutics)?

Class 4 - Exciting Trends in Drug Discovery and Development II: What are the current advances in regenerative medicine and aging?

Class 5 - The Cost of Making New Drugs: Why are new medicines so expensive? Can innovation in drug discovery and development be truly sustainable?

Yolanda Sanchez PhD has several decades of combined academic and big pharma experience in translational research and drug discovery. She now works as a scientific consultant for biotech companies in various therapy areas (respiratory, renal, and skin diseases) and drug modalities (gene therapy, microbiome, mRNA, small molecule).

Horticulture

Mikaela Boley

Mondays, January 29 to February 12, 2024 (three weeks)
10:00-11:00 am
Lecture and Discussion

ZOOM

Native plants are a critical part of our ecosystem that perform priceless services in the landscape. Cultivated landscapes have lost touch with nature, and often sport non-native plants that have little to no benefits to the environment. With a little understanding of what native plants need, we can build better backyards that provide habitat, food, and support for wildlife.

This 3-week session will take a look at native plants for shade, sun, pollinators, and planting for the seasons.

Mikaela Boley is the Principal Agent Associate in Talbot County for the University of Maryland Extension service. She educates the community about home horticulture practices that are sustainable and beneficial to the environment. Mikaela also coordinates the local Master Gardener program, a volunteer service that provides further outreach and education.

Sarah is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators.

Humanities 

David LaMotte

Wednesdays; January 31 to March 6, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture, Discussion, and Videos

The Near-Death Experience (NDE) phenomenon has been with us for thousands of years. The term was coined for us by psychiatrist Raymond Moody in his Life After Life book in 1975.  Most of us by now are familiar with the term and some of the stories ... but what the research of the last 50 years into this phenomenon now tells us about life and death, consciousness and the brain, and reality itself, should shift our view of each other, of much that we have been taught, of our scientific models, and perhaps of our religious beliefs. How do these findings help us deal with our own mortality, approaching end of life and the death of loved ones? Perhaps more, how do these strikingly consistent experiences inform us about the very purpose and value of life? I plan to present video clips of near-death experiencers telling their stories, to summarize the consistent features we hear, and to discuss their implications. Nothing is more powerful than first-hand experiencer descriptions. These will be reviewed in light of now considerable research of thousands of accounts. I'll present some brain-mind models now being more and more embraced in light of this and related research, and show how materialist scientific models are no longer sufficient, given this and similar phenomenon as well as discoveries in quantum physics.

David LaMotte is retired president of the LaMotte Chemical Products Company and has been interested in near-death experiences, the research, and the considerable implications for mankind since first attending a conference on the subject in 2003 with his father (same name, Episcopal Priest) who taught courses on this subject for WC ALL for several years in the early 2000's. David leads a local NDE study group that has been meeting monthly since 2006.

Health and Wellness 

Shane Brill

Wednesdays; January 31 to March 6, 2024 (six weeks)
2:45-4:00 pm
Lecture and Discussion

Embark on a six-week journey into lifestyle habits and hacks to optimize your health through food, sleep, movement, detoxification, relaxation, and connection. Learn to stay above the level of disease by understanding how evolutionary adaptations that made us successful as a species have been compromised by our modern environment, and discover simple tactics to regain agency of your health. 

Shane Brill is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner who helps individuals address chronic health concerns through targeted food and lifestyle education. With a passion for ecological literacy, his work focuses on the intersection of human vitality and environmental resilience.

This course has a limit of 20 students.

Social Sciences

Conway Gregory

Mondays; January 29 to March 4, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

The U.S. Constitution has been changed 27 times since it went into effect on March 4, 1789. The first ten Amendments are well known to all Americans as the Bill of Rights and deny federal and state government abuse of individual personal liberties and freedoms. The remaining 17 are divided into three categories: (1) those that change the structure of the original document, (2) those that address civil rights, and (3) “social experiment” amendments. In Part I, the focus will be on the purpose and history of Amendments 11, 12, 16, 17, 20, 22, 25, and 27 and how each amendment changed the Constitution' s original structure.

Conway Gregory is a retired educator and municipal manager. He taught several courses in the WC-All Program before the COVID-19 pandemic that included the Also-Rans for President, the Vice Presidency, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

 

 

Humanities 

Trish Cleary

Thursdays; February 1 to February 29, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

The Social Dreaming concept was developed by W. Gordon Lawrence in 1982. Lawrence stated that it was possible to “have dreams which go beyond the individual’s personal ... experiences in society, work, the family, and other systems.” In our group circle, one participant (the Dreamer) shares their dream and their associations with the images that appear while the rest of us listen. Once the Dreamer has finished, members of the group are invited to work with this shared dream, not for interpretation, but as if it were their own dream. Volunteers then share their images and their associations in turn. Imagine a thousand-piece puzzle in a box without a picture to guide you. This is “the stuff dreams are made of,” the stuff from which creativity and community can be built. As each member claims the original dream as their own, it is enriched with new perspectives. One dream offered to the group becomes a kaleidoscope of meaning that nurtures its members. Lawrence noted that the aim of the Social Dreaming process is “to help participants make creative use of their unconscious awareness to find ‘new ways of thinking’” as we make meaning of the emerging “puzzle picture.”

Trish Cleary is a licensed clinical mental health counselor, a marriage and family therapist, and an addictions counselor. She is a clinical approved supervisor for mental health providers. She is also a certified group psychotherapist and trainer. Trish became interested in the Social Dreaming process during a retreat at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico. She continued to pursue this interest through her international and Mid-Atlantic group psychotherapy communities. Trish has been in private practice for over forty years and moved to Chestertown in March 2021. Learn more about Trish at www.trishcleary.com

This class has a limit of 20 students. 

Nancy Hartman

Sundays, January 28 to March 3, 2024 (six weeks)
1:30-4:30 pm
Film/Moderated Discussion

A little cheer is in the offing! This course presents six popular song and dance movies ranging from 1935 to 1949. We’ll start off with “Top Hat,” featuring Astaire and Rogers dancing to Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek,” followed by the classic “The Wizard of Oz.” Other productions will include James Cagney’s Oscar-winning performance in “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra’s “On the Town.”

Within a week of each upcoming movie, a synopsis and informational material will be furnished to students by email or regular mail. Additional information about the movies will be provided at the start of each class, and a brief discussion will be held at the conclusion of each film. When available, the movies will be shown with closed captioning.

Nancy Hartman’s insatiable appetite for vintage movies began many years ago. She looks forward to sharing her knowledge of these classic films with WC-ALL members.

Current Events; Business, Finance, and Law 

George Nilson, Jon Astrachan, and John Christie

Fridays; February 2 to March 1, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:15 pm
Lecture and Discussion

The former president faces a number of legal challenges in several jurisdictions both federal and state. In this course, three experienced litigation lawyers will discuss the cases pending against him and various of the legal issues they raise, with particular emphasis on the criminal cases brought to date. Those criminal cases are the January 6 federal court case in Washington, the classified documents case in federal court in Florida, the multiple defendant case in state court in Atlanta, and the hush money case in state court in New York. 

Presentations will be non-partisan and focused on the legal aspects of the cases and not on the political implications. Discussion by class participants will be encouraged. 

George Nilson was a lawyer in Baltimore for 50 years, representing state and local election boards and multiple U S. Senators as well as the Maryland General Assembly and individual state legislators.  He was the featured speaker at a recent WC-All Learn at Lunch.

Jim Astrachan is a litigation partner with the Baltimore law firm of Goodell Devries and has taught a number of WC-ALL classes on intellectual property and the Second Amendment.  

John Christie was a litigation partner in the Washington office of WilmerHale and has taught many WC-ALL classes on the Supreme Court.  

Social Sciences

Bruce Riedel

Tuesdays; March 19 to April 16, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15 – 5:30 pm 
Lecture/Discussion

The October 1973 war between Israel and Egypt and Syria transformed the Middle East and the global energy market. It began dramatically with a surprise attack by the two Arab states. The Israeli and American intelligence services were caught completely by surprise, a massive intelligence failure. Israel alerted its nuclear arsenal and the United States began a massive airlift of military equipment to Israel. After 18 days the war ended with a cease fire after the US and Russia went to the brink of war and Saudi Arabia imposed a crippling embargo on oil exports to the United States. This course will look back at how the war changed the world.

Bruce Riedel worked at the CIA and the White House for 30 years on the Middle East and has traveled extensively in the region. He has also published extensively on the American role in the Middle East.

Fine and Performing Arts 

Beverly Hall Smith

Thursdays; March 21 to April 18, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

American artists had to find their way in a new land with new ideas. In the early years they were guided by the art of the country of their origin. Buyers were limited, supplies were limited, and art had to take second place to food, housing, and security. Despite this, America developed, as every society does, a desire for paintings and sculptures that represented them. Many artists went to London and Italy for training and then brought back the academic style. Within that context, unique aspects of American life and history began to assert themselves. From portraits of famous Americans, to the westward movement, the Civil War, the depression, and other important events, American artists responded to the American way of the life.

Beverly Hall Smith, now retired, was a professor of art history for 40 years. This will be the tenth year she has taught at WC-ALL, and she also teaches at the Institute of Adult Learning in Centreville. She currently writes a weekly article for the Chestertown SPY called Looking at the Masters which appears each Thursday. She also paints sets for the Garfield Theater.

This course has a limit of 30 students.

Humanities 

Jeff Coomer

Wednesdays; March 20 to April 24, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

It’s the religion that doesn’t require belief in a supreme being, has no holy book, and relies on personal investigation rather than faith to attain spiritual transcendence. Welcome to Buddhism, the world’s fourth largest religion with over half a billion followers and a growing presence in the West. This course will be a breezy introduction to the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became the Buddha, and his profound insights on the human condition and the interconnectedness of all beings. The specific topics we’ll cover include the Four Noble Truths of human suffering, the Eightfold Path for attaining spiritual awakening, the challenging Buddhist view of consciousness and the “self,” how karma and rebirth work, and Buddhist ethics. The last class will be devoted to Buddhist meditation and how it relates to the mindfulness craze that’s swept over America in recent years.

Jeff Coomer is the retired CIO of a Fortune 500 company, a published poet, and a certified Master Naturalist with a particular affinity for trees. His study and practice of Buddhism includes numerous meditation retreats and past service on the governing councils of the Baltimore Shambhala Meditation Center and the Insight Meditation Community of Charlottesville, Virginia.

This course has a limit of 45 students.

Humanities 

Courtney Rydel

Thursdays; March 28 to April 18, 2024 (four weeks)
11:30 am-12:45 pm
Lecture and Discussion

Join with Washington College undergraduates to study the “Father of English Poetry,” Geoffrey Chaucer, and how he incorporated the natural world into his poetry! In our class meetings, you will learn alongside current Washington College students who are studying Chaucer’s poetry, and teach each other a thing or two. Our class meetings will cover medieval gardens, the importance of plants and flowers in medieval English life, how communities shape the landscapes where they live, and ecological approaches to reading literature. Weather permitting, we will plant the inaugural vegetation for the new Poetry Garden on campus. In May we will finish the course with a Garden Party, open to the community! All readings will be provided. No prior knowledge of Chaucer, poetry, or gardening required.

PLEASE NOTE: There will be a final class/”garden party” on Friday May 3; 11:30-12:45.

Courtney E. Rydel is Chair and Associate Professor of English at Washington College. She holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Pennsylvania and specializes in medieval literature. Courtney has worked on Chaucer and birds, and is excited to now work on Chaucer and plants! She looks forward to bringing together students from the College with Lifelong Learners.

This course has a limit of 12 students.

History 

Mickey Terrone

Thursdays; March 21 to April 25, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:45 pm
Lecture and Discussion

This course will cover the following.

Inside the Confederate Government (Confederate States of America or CSA)

• Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet
• Confederate Congress and legislation
• Relations with Confederate states
• Breakdowns and collapse

Combined Union Naval/Land Operations:

• Anaconda Concept - Building a naval power for coastal and river operations
• Early combined operations - Forts Henry and Donelson
• Coastal Operations - New Berne (NC); Fort Fisher (Wilmington, NC); Mobile Bay
• River Operations - New Orleans; Vicksburg; Cumberland River; Tennessee River 

Mickey Terrone is a lifelong student of the Civil War and enjoys working to share information and perspective with others. He is a past president of the Civil War Round Table of Washington, DC and maintains a home library of over 500 civil war books and tapes.

Humanities

Raymond Vergne

Fridays; March 22 to April 26, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:30
Lecture and Discussion

Study the life and careers of selected Vice Presidents of the 20th Century.

Raymond Vergne is a retired cardiologist with interests in the humanities.

Humanities; Math, Science, and Technology

Liz Peterson

Wednesdays; March 20 to April 17, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:45 pm
Lecture and Discussion

Is geography fate? Are the stories we tell and keep revelatory about our human nature? What lessons can the past teach the present? How can these things – our relationship with language, the environment, and history – shape our future. In this class, you will learn about three Washington College Signature Centers: The Center for Environment and Society, the Rose O’Neill Literary House, and the Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience. Representatives from each center will take you on a tour of their facility, introduce you to the work they are doing, and provide a taste of their approach to the most pressing questions facing our shared humanity today.

The first of five classes will meet in a campus classroom, the next three classes will meet at the respective centers, and the final class will again meeting in a campus classroom for all to discuss and summarize their experience.

Liz Peterson is coordinator for this course. She is a retired biology instructor and laboratorian, and a member of the WC_ALL Council

James Allen Hall, Director of Rose O’Neill Literary House and Associate Professor of English at Washington College

Roy Kesey, Associate Director of Rose O’Neill Literary House, Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at Washington College

Beth Choate PhD, Deputy Director, Center for Environment and Society

Adam Goodheart, Director, the Starr Center, and author

Patrick Nugent, Thomas V Mike Miller Director of Civic Engagement at the Starr Center

James Patterson, Chesapeake Heartland Project, student advisor, the Starr Center

This course has a limit of 20 students.

Current Events 

Bill Acton

Mondays; March 18 to April 22, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Moderated Discussion

The Foreign Policy Association publishes a listing of eight topics each year. This year's topics include Mideast Realignment, Climate technology and competition, Science across borders, U.S. - China trade rivalry, NATO’s future, Understanding Indonesia, High Seas Treaty, and Pandemic preparedness Some of these topics will be combined to fit within our six-week course timeframe.

NOTE: Registrants will need to purchase Great Decisions 2024 course materials online at the cost of $35 per book plus shipping. A link to access the website will be provided by WC-ALL to registrants at the time of course confirmation.

Bill Acton is a resident of Kent County and has been an active participant in WC-ALL for over 8 years. He has an interest in current events and has participated in several Great Decisions offerings over the years.

This course has a limit of 30 students.

Health and Welfare, Entertainment

Susan Coomer, Susan Houston, Suzzanne Kastendike, and Kate Mason

Wednesdays; March 20 to April 17, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:30 PM
Demonstration and Practice

Mahjong is a popular tile-based game developed in China in the 19th century that combines elements of strategy, skill, and chance. It can be played by two, three, or four people and is a great way to maintain brain health while engaging in a fun social activity. In fact, multiple studies have shown that playing mahjong slows the normal cognitive decline of aging by improving memory, concentration, and patience. In this course, you’ll learn the basic rules and strategies for playing mahjong and then put them into practice by playing games under the guidance of the instructors. 

Susan Coomer, Susan Houston, Suzzanne Kastendike, and Kate Mason are Chestertown residents who have thoroughly enjoyed playing mahjong together every week for over two years.

This course has a limit of 12 students.

Humanities

Stephanie Gosman

Tuesdays; March 19 to April 23, 2024 (6 weeks)
1:00-2:15 pm
Lecture and Discussion

Did you know that Kent County has 8 museums?  Learn about the history of the County by exploring the intriguing collection of historic, cultural and lifestyle museums and buildings.  Discover the ways of the watermen, experience village farm life, watch history in flight, visit historic landmarks, and view the heritage of our community.  The course will include on-site visits to all 8 museums.  Hear the stories of each museum presented by docents with extensive knowledge of local history.  Students will provide their own transportation (or carpool), and some classes will involve short walks between museums.  A schedule of museums and addresses will be emailed to students before the course begins.

NOTE: The course is being offered both early and late afternoons on Tuesdays to accommodate everyone in small museums. Choose the course time that works best for you. For more information, visit www.museumsofkent.org or contact Stephanie Gosman at museumsofkent@gmail.com.

Stephanie Gosman, Chairman of the Museums of Kent since 2018, has worked with each museum to expand awareness of Kent County history.  Some of the outreach projects include a traveling exhibit, website, expansion of the Driving Tour, and collaboration with Washington College.

This course is limited to 20 students.

Fine and Performing Arts

Hanson Robbins and Sandra Durfee

Fridays; March 29 to April 19, 2024 (four weeks)
4:15-5:15 pm
Lecture and Discussion, plus simulcast viewing in Easton on Saturday April 20

The course will consist of four classes (March 29 and April 5, 12, and 19) prior to a trip to see the simulcast performance of “La Rondine” (the Swallow) on April 20th at the Avalon Theatre in Easton, MD. Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation and buying their own tickets (about $20-25). “La Rondine,” by Giacomo Puccini takes place in Paris and the Riviera during the Second Empire (1852-70). It consists of 3 acts telling the story of a mistress of a rich Parisian banker falling in love with Ruggero a friend of the banker. Since its first performance in 1917 it has traveled a rocky road never reaching the popularity of Puccini’s blockbusters like Tosca or Madama Butterfly. Nevertheless, it has many lyrical melodies that qualify it to be included in the opera repertoire to this day. Opera is all about passions, and this one has it in spades.

Hanson Robbins and Sandra Durfee are opera nuts. They have previously given 2 opera courses at WC_ALL: "Tosca" and "Der Rosenkavalier."

Social Sciences

Conway Gregory

Mondays; March 18 to April 22, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

The U.S. Constitution has been changed 27 times since it went into effect on March 4, 1789. The first ten Amendments are well known to all Americans as the Bill of Rights and deny federal and state government abuse of individual personal liberties and freedoms. The remaining 17 are divided into three categories: (1) those that change the structure of the original document, (2) those that address civil rights, and (3) “social experiment” amendments. In Part 2, we will focus on the second and third categories. These include the expansion of civil rights (Amendments 13, 14, 15, 19, 23, 24, 26), and the Federal government's experiment with eradicating a social evil (Amendments 18, 21). We will conclude with a review of the most popular proposed but never ratified amendments, and discuss why they were not ratified.

Conway Gregory is a retired educator and municipal manager. He taught several courses in the WC-All Program before the COVID-19 pandemic that included the Also-Rans for President, the Vice Presidency, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Health and Wellness

Mac Franklin

Tuesdays; March 19 to April 23, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:30
Demonstration and Practice

Come learn how to play the fastest growing sport in America! Pickleball. Learn the health benefits. Different strategies. Social benefits. No prior sports experience required. Simply bring a good attitude and a willingness to try something new! Be careful. pickleball is addicting! 

Mac Franklin has been playing pickleball for 3.5 years. It has changed his life physically and mentally for the better. He is the captain of his local country club's pickleball team. So he has experience coordinating pickleball events and ensuring they run smoothly. This sport is something Mac believes can bring positive energy into people's lives and enhance people's overall health. If Mac could share this with others and show them that this fun sport is truly for everyone, then that would be a dream come true.

This course has a limit of 24 students.

Social Sciences

Gijs van de Fiert

Tuesdays; March 19 to April 16, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

“To an extent unimaginable a decade ago, the ideal of world peace is taking on form and substance. Obstacles that long seemed immovable have collapsed in humanity’s path; apparently irreconcilable conflicts have begun to surrender to processes of consultation and resolution; a willingness to counter military aggression through unified international action is emerging. The effect has been to awaken in both the masses of humanity and many world leaders a degree of hopefulness about the future of our planet that had been nearly extinguished.” These are the opening words of a statement, entitled “the Prosperity of Humankind,” prepared by the Bahá’í International Community Office (“BIC”) (https://www.bic.org/statements/prosperity-humankind). It was first distributed at the United Nations World Summit on Social Development, Copenhagen, Denmark on March 3, 1995. The statement delves into the challenges of development of a global society that must come to terms with the need of a global order and the transformative response of humanity in all its diversity. The BIC was registered with the UN as an NGO in 1948. It collaborates with the UN, its agencies, as well as member states, NGOs, academia, and practitioners. Towards the 20th century-end, there was a marked acceleration in the efforts of governments and peoples to reach common understandings on issues affecting the future of humankind. From 1992-1995, five UN global conferences took place. All were conspicuous indications of this acceleration. The course is Intended to be collaborative with active participation of participants in a meaningful discourse, and to advance our respective understandings on humanity’s transition to prosperity and world peace.

Gijs van de Fiert is a world citizen with a career spanning almost forty years in finance and international development. He retired in 2016 from the International Finance Corporation, the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. He has led problem solving and mitigation of risk initiatives at both project and corporate levels. With knowledge and appreciation of an institution’s holistic growth and development, he embraced process renewal initiatives (“change management”) and applied technical and analytical expertise towards solutions. He is a proponent of entities that promote the wellbeing of staff, the environment, and the larger community. He currently serves on the ebbf’s (Ethical Business Building the Future) Advisory Council. ebbf is a Bahá’í inspired global learning community that accompanies mindful individuals and groups through daily work and discourse to transform business and the economy thereby contributing to a prosperous, just and sustainable civilization. Besides his professional career, Gijs has been active in aspects of building community, including in financial and/or other administrative capacities. His joy in life is to serve his fellowman and improve processes. He is an effective team player, collaborator, and mentor with an affinity to work with people of diverse backgrounds, temperaments, and talents.

This course has a limit of 20 students.

Health and Wellness 

John Leek

Wednesdays; March 20 to April 24, 2024 (six weeks)
4:15-5:15 pm
Lecture and Discussion

In this course, you will hear interesting and even surprising stories from some of your favorite vendors. What was the path that led them to be a part of our vibrant Saturday mornings? What do they do, how do they do it, and what might be unique or special about what they sell? What plans do they have for the future? Are there any trending impacts on their supply chain? Maybe they even have a hobby or special interest you wouldn’t expect. Presenting (in no particular order) will be Carl's Bakehouse; Where Pigs Fly Farm; McGlynn's Cottage Pies; Troyer Farm; Broken Spoke Winery; and Nice Farms Creamery.

John Leek, like many of us, visits the market on Saturday mornings. His curiosity led him to chitchat with the vendor(s) from whom he had just purchased something. In their conversations, he’s learned lots of interesting tidbits that make them more than just market stall vendors. He thinks other folks would also enjoy getting to know our local farmer entrepreneurs a little better. John last organized a class in the Fall of 2019 entitled, "Organizations Doing Good Work in the World,” which brought the Government Accountability's Whistleblower Project, and others, to WC-ALL. 

Health and Wellness

Deb Reid

Saturdays; March 30 to April 20, 2024 (four weeks)
10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Demonstration and Practice

Reiki is a Japanese based energy healing method that allows self-healing to occur physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. It works through using the electromagnetic energy that is all around and within us. But most importantly, it works through empathy and helps you to grow your own empathy for yourself and others. Reiki can relieve acute or chronic pain, improve circulation, reduce your blood pressure, relieve fever and speed up wound or injury healing times. Reiki will also reduce stress and provide relief from emotional pain such as grieving, anxiety and depression while improving your mental and emotional clarity. The first degree of Reiki attunement forms the foundation of your practice by clearing your own energetic system so that Reiki can more easily flow through you. During this 4-session class, you will learn about the history and origins of Reiki, the basics of the human chakra / energetic system as well as how to give Reiki to yourself and others. Following completion of this class with attendance at all 4 sessions, you will receive a certificate of completion as a First Degree Usui Reiki Ryôhô Provider.

Deb Reid is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner and a Reiki Master who has been in the medical field and working with energy therapy for over 20 years. After working as a Biochemist, she received a Master's Degree in Nursing from Pace University in 2000 and has worked in Hospice, Family Practice and Emergency Medicine. While in nursing school, she was trained in Therapeutic Touch and went on to receive training in Usui Reiki Ryôhô and completed her Master level training in 2010. As of December of 2014, she is now a Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner. One of her passions about health and wellness is the concept that our bodies are communicating what they need through symptoms and we just need to learn how to listen. Her goal is to help clients find and realize their personal path to wellness through a combination of allopathic and alternative medicine. Deb lives in Chestertown Maryland with her dog, Clementine, who keeps her busy with walks and snuggle time. She likes to spend her free time outdoors with camping, hiking and canoeing. She also enjoys dancing, quilting and nature photography.

This course has a limit of 10 students.

Math, Science, and Technology

Tom Dietz

Mondays; March 18 to April 15, 2024 (five weeks)
4:15-5:30 pm
Lecture and Discussion

In-Person and ZOOM classes

Over the past 125 years, modern society has heavily relied upon fossil fuels as its primary energy source. The emission of carbon dioxide from the combustion of these fuels have resulted in significant increases in the atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide and an associated warning of oceans and the atmosphere. Without dramatic reductions in the use of these fuels, society will face cause climate change, sea level rises and global temperature increases. Hence, it is imperative that the transition to low carbon emission technologies accelerate rapidly over the next 10 to 20 years.

Several low carbon emission energy technologies exist and are currently economically viable. The course will discuss these technologies and provide students information on the costs as compared to the status quo and the obstacles and issues associated with the growth and deployment of each new technology. Energy areas to be discussed will include wind, solar, hydrogen and nuclear power options.

Additionally, the course will discuss several topics associated with the transition to sustainable energy landscapes. Some of the topics will include electric and hydrogen powered vehicles, the trends of building electrification and concerns about grid reliability and stability.

Tom Dietz is a chemist who has extensive experience in the energy business and hands-on experience with various renewable energy technologies Tom worked 32 years for ExxonMobil, but has since his retirement has been involved with multiple projects that have economically applied renewable energy technology. As a member of the Chestertown Environmental Committee and the owner of The Skipjack Art Studios, Tom is involved in efforts Chestertown to move towards implementation and adoption of clean energy technologies in the town and in his business operations.

This course has a limit of 25 students.

Nancy Hartman

Sundays; March 17 to April 14, 2024 (five weeks)
1:30-4:30 pm
Film/Moderated Discussion

Upbeat fare continues with five well-known song and dance films ranging from 1958 to 1964.  We’ll begin with “Gigi,” winner of “Best Picture” and starring Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, and the inimitable Maurice Chevalier; “that glorious feeling” captured by Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O’Connor in “Singin’ in the Rain”; and the magnificent production of “My Fair Lady,” featuring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.

Within a week of each upcoming movie, a synopsis and informational material will be furnished to students by email or regular mail.  Additional information about the movies will be provided at the start of each class, and a brief discussion will be held at the conclusion of each film.  When available, the movies will be shown with closed captioning.

Nancy Hartman’s insatiable appetite for vintage movies began many years ago.  She looks forward to sharing her knowledge of these classic films with WC-ALL members.

Humanities

Donna Van Dusen

Mondays; March 18 to April 15, 2024 (five weeks)

4:15-5:30 pm

Lecture and Discussion

“But I don’t have a creative bone in my body!” Sadly, creativity too often is perceived as a specific talent possessed by relatively few people rather than as an inherent human ability. In this course we will explore creativity in its many forms and contexts, perhaps uncovering ways in which you've already tapped the creative well. You will have the opportunity to explore your innate creativity through a variety of assignments and activities, and find ways to enhance your creativity by expanding and deepening your awareness and understanding of the creative process, and challenging perceptions and taken-for-granted assumptions that impede creativity. You will have the opportunity to share and discuss your ideas, aspirations, and creative work, address the challenges you've faced, and inspire others' creative pursuits. Participants are encouraged to purchase "The Creative Act: A Way of Being" by Rick Rubin. Key points from the text will be covered in class; purchase of the book is optional.

Donna Van Dusen, Professor Emerita at Regis University, has tapped the well of creativity in a number of different contexts: as an art student, a small business owner, a mediator, a corporate trainer and content developer, and a professor and administrator in a college of business. Now retired, her creative pursuits are painting with oils and acrylics, writing, researching topics of interest, and creating courses based on secondary research about those topics. As one whose goal for the later years of life is to enhance her creativity and become more of who she is through creative expression, Donna brings her own experience to the subject matter.

This course has a limit of 25 students.