Fall 2024 Courses

Humanities

Thomas Cousineau

Tuesdays; September 3 to September 24, 2024 (4 classes)

4:15-5:15 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

(ZOOM)

In her masterpiece, To The Lighthouse, Woolf turns this handicap to her advantage by inventing situations that contribute — not to a single overarching plot with its three-part progression of beginning to middle to end — but to a multiplicity of “bilateral detours.”  The two-part symmetry is captured so well by character Lily Briscoe’s remark, as she works to complete her painting, that “It was a question how to connect the mass on the right hand with that on the left.” With To The Lighthouse as our starting point, we shall read a selected group of literary masterpieces from the classical to the modern period while paying particular attention to their authors’ success in eluding — thanks to their skillful creation of bilateral detours — what Woolf called the “tyrant” of plot. Links to selected works available online by Sophocles, Shakespeare, Woolf, Yeats, and Joyce will be provided.

Thomas Cousineau was Professor of English at Washington College, Fulbright Scholar at the University of Bucharest, Fulbright Specialist at Lucian Blaga University in Sibiu, and Visiting Professor of English at various French universities. He is the author of "After the Final No: Samuel Beckett’s Trilogy," "Waiting for Godot: Form in Movement," "Ritual Unbound: Reading Sacrifice in Modernist Fiction," "Three-Part Inventions: The Novels of Thomas Bernhard," "An Unwritten Novel: Fernando Pessoa’s The Book of Disquiet" (Recipient of an “Outstanding Title” citation from The American Library Association), and "The Séance of Reading: Uncanny Designs in Modernist Writing." His current book-in-progress is entitled “Balancing All: The Bilateral Imperative of Writing.” Several videos related to his work are available on his YouTube channel.

Fine and Performing Arts

Muphen R. Whitney

Thursdays; September 5 – October 10 (6 weeks)

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion; Moderated discussion

This is a course for classical music lovers and — especially — for those who are classical music curious. It is not a music theory course, nor is it an academic music appreciation course. The course will be based on the radio program “Conversations and Classical Music with Muphen Whitney”. The course is meant to engender a desire to know more about classical music and to present the joyous and wondrous and interesting aspects of this genre of music. We will explore the following subjects: 1) Classical Music – What Is It Anyway? 2) The Eras of Classical Music 3) Orchestras and Orchestral Music; Chamber Groups and Chamber Music 4) Conductors and Concertmasters and Musicians….oh, my! 5) Favorite Composers, Pieces, and Instruments 6) Opportunities to Enjoy Classical Music; Most Memorable Performances. These topics are subject to change based on the interest of the class. The course will include excerpts of conversations (with musicians, conductors, and others involved in the world of classical music) from the radio program “Conversations and Classical Music…” and will have guest speakers if possible. However, the main thrust of the class will be engaging the participants in conversation around an aspect of classical music after an initial presentation of the subject. Class members will be encouraged to bring their favorite pieces of music to share. There will be an opportunity to attend a local concert (or two?).

Muphen R. Whitney is a life-long lover of classical music. For the past decade she has provided podcasts for classical music and arts organizations in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. She recently recorded “Conversations and Classical Music with Muphen Whitney,” a 13-program series that aired on WSCL in Salisbury. Miss Whitney is not a musician, nor does she have an academic musical education. Her musical knowledge comes from decades of attending concerts and pre-concert lectures and picking the brains of the musicians, conductors, and composers who are friends and/or who have been guests on her podcasts and radio programs. Her objective for this course is to expose people to aspects of classical music with which they may not be familiar and to engage the class in discussions of this ever-fascinating genre of music.

Fine and performing Arts

Bob Miller

Fridays; September 6 – September 27 (4 weeks)

4:15-5:45 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion (ZOOM)

This course is designed for students who feel they already have a basic understanding of their Digital SLR camera and would like to go Beyond the Basics. The instructor will only assume students know how to set aperture and shutter speed on their cameras. The class will begin with a basic review of Camera Basics and then move onto detailed sessions on Getting Really Sharp Photos, Closeup (Macro) Photography, and Landscape Photography. Students will also have the opportunity to shoot photo assignments and have their work critiqued. Furthermore, there will be a few teacher demonstrations of how to use Lightroom/Photoshop to enhance digital images. Students should have a Single Lens Reflex camera (SLR). This kind of camera usually takes interchangeable lenses and can control both aperture and shutter speed. This is not a class with someone using a film camera or a phone camera. Students should bring their camera and manual to class.

Bob Miller is a retired science teacher with a 46+ year passion for photography. He does all kinds of photography but has recently specialized in nature photography. He has taken his camera all over the world including Africa, Iceland, the Antarctic, the Arctic, Australia, Europe, and our United States. He has won many awards. His photographs have been published in The Baltimore Sun, Backyard Gardens, and most recently in Black and White, a fine art photography magazine. Bob enjoys teaching and loves to share his love for photography with others. Bob has taught photography both at Chesapeake College and Washington College in the continuing education programs. Bob enjoys shooting nature especially wildlife, people, landscapes, and flowers.

This course has a limit of 10 participants.

Health and Welfare

Sandra Wilson-Hypes

Tuesdays; September 3 to October 1, 2024 (5 classes)

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion; Demonstration and Practice

Being aware of how to keep yourself safe and healthy as you grow older is the main purpose of this 5-class series titled, Don’t Worry be Healthy. These classes will help give you some information, tools, and resources to help you make behavior changes based on increased knowledge of home and health prevention. It is recommended you attend all 5 classes; however, it is not mandatory. You can pick and choose which classes will be a benefit to you and your journey. Class 1: Infection prevention, Class 2: Fire and burn prevention, Class 3: Medication safety and accidental overdose prevention, Class 4: Diabetes prevention, and Class 5: Fall prevention.

Sandra (Sandy) Wilson-Hypes, a seasoned health instructor, is a highly skilled and dedicated professional who is passionate about empowering individuals to take control of their health and well-being. With years of experience in the healthcare industry and education, she has extensive knowledge and expertise in a wide range of health-related topics. Sandy is known for her dynamic teaching style and ability to engage and inspire her students. She is able to explain complex health concepts in an easy-to-understand and relatable manner, and is committed to providing her students with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions about their health. Overall, Sandy is a highly respected and influential figure in the field of health education. Through her innovative teaching and advocacy, she is making a significant impact in the lives of her students and the broader community and is helping to shape the future of health and wellness education.

This course has a limit of 25 participants.

Social Sciences; Health and Wellness

Jerry Webster

Thursdays; September 5 to September 26 (4 classes)

4:15 – 5:45 pm (90 minutes)

Lecture and Discussion (ZOOM)

In David Rome’s book, Your Body Knows the Answer: Using Your Felt Sense to Solve Problems, Effect Change, & Liberate Life, Rome details how we can use the wisdom of the body, an embodied knowing, as a tool to embrace our lives more fully. Rome explains techniques such as focusing, developed by psychologist Eugene Gendlin, as well as well as his own grounding in mindfulness/awareness Buddhist practices to help us access the body’s felt sense. This felt sense can help us integrate and navigate both personal and shared experiences that we encounter in our lives. Meditation Instruction and close reading of Rome’s text will be integral parts of this class. There will be some experiential exercises using varied awareness practices. You will need to have access to David Rome's work to be able to do the classwork.

Jerry Webster, PhD (Curriculum and Instruction, University of Maryland, College Park), has taught numerous courses in literature for the Univ. of Md. and in multiculturalism for Montgomery County (MD) Public Schools. 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, Washington College, and Frederick Community College.

Sustainable Living

Brian Knox

Tuesdays; September 3 to September 24 (4 classes)

4:15-5:15 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

Forests play a vital role in drawing and storing carbon from the air, recycling nutrients, building soil structure, protecting soils from heavy rain, slowing water runoff, improving absorption, moderating temperature, protecting shorelines, cleaning the air we breathe, and providing habitat for birds, insects, amphibians, fungi and mammals, as well as providing renewable resources for building and daily life. Healthy forest cover does not just happen. In these times, forests cannot just take care of themselves. Fragmentation, development, pollution, invasive species, and a changing climate, all have a severe impact on our forests. Over four classes, we will look at: how did we get here? where are we? where do we want to go? and how do we get there? The answers may surprise you.

Brian Knox is a Licensed Professional Forester with nearly 40 years of boots on the ground experience in the field. Brian has a BSF from West Virginia University, worked 20 years in the forest industry, and has provided planning and application of forest management objectives through his company Sustainable Resource Management, Inc. since 2001. Brian is also currently co-owner of Where Pigs Fly — a regular at the Chestertown Farmer's Market, selling eggs, chickens and produce.

Humanities

Ray Vergne

Mondays; September 9 to October 7, 2024 (5 classes)

4:15 – 5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

One Hundred Years of Solitude is one of the major works of Nobel-Prize winner Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The novel tells the story of several generations of the Buendia Family in the fictional town of Macondo, and is a prime example of the genre of magical realism. Having been translated into scores of languages, One Hundred Years of Solitude has been compared to the Biblical Genesis as it embraces numerous fundamental and transcendental issues. Participants will be expected to read the novel and participate in the discussion of various aspects of the book. 

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

This course has a limit of 93 participants.

Social Sciences

Lynn Mitchell

Fridays; September 6 to September 27, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15 – 5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

Come to this six-week course to learn about what’s on the minds of our local leaders. Each week will spotlight a different facet of Chestertown governance. This will be a very topical course, and we’ll expect it to be an opportunity to learn – not debate. You’ll get to hear what’s on the minds of and gain fresh insights from the following:

• Mayor
• Town Council Members
• Police Chief
• Town Manager
• Historic District Commission Chair
• Tree Committee Member 

Lynn Mitchell is an active Chestertown resident. She will coordinate this course.  

Presenters will include Mayor Dave Foster, Police Chief Ron Dixon, Town Manager, Tree Committee Member Jeff Coomer, Historic District Commission Chair Vicky Smith, and Town Council Members Megan Efland and Tim O'Brien.

Health and Welfare

Jeff Coomer

Mondays; September 9 to October 7, 2024 (5 classes)

10:00-11:00 a.m.

Demonstration and Practice

Mindfulness meditation is a practice for gaining control of the seemingly endless stream of discursive, often negative, thoughts and emotions that prevent us from living fully and authentically in the present moment. In teaching us how to acknowledge and move past such thoughts and feelings nonjudgmentally, it positions us to experience the moment we are in with greater clarity, gratitude, and compassion for others. Numerous clinical studies have shown practicing mindfulness meditation to be effective in reducing stress, depression, and even some types of physical pain. This five-week course is suitable for those who are completely new to mindfulness meditation as well as those looking to reinvigorate a current or lapsed practice. Posture instruction will be oriented toward sitting in a chair, but will include guidance for practicing on a meditation cushion placed directly on the floor. We’ll also spend considerable time discussing ways to overcome the many challenges to establishing a daily meditation practice in a world filled with distractions.

Jeff Coomer is a Washington College graduate and the retired CIO of a multi-billion division of a Fortune 250 company. He is the current Chair of the volunteer Council that oversees the College’s Academy of Lifelong Learning program, where he has taught courses on Buddhism, Stoic philosophy, poetry, and trees. He has studied and practiced Buddhist meditation for nearly twenty years.

This course has a limit of 15 participants.

Public Health

Steve Solomon

Wednesdays; September 4 to October 2 (5 classes)

4:15 – 5:30 pm

Lecture and Discussion (ZOOM)

This course will be an introduction to the concept of One Health. The One Health approach recognizes the interconnection between human, animal, and plant health and their shared environment. The course will provide an overview of the public health issues that fall under the One Health umbrella include emerging, re-emerging, and endemic zoonotic diseases, vector-borne diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food safety and food security, environmental contamination, climate change and other health threats shared by people, animals, and the environment. We will describe the One Health approach and identify the crucial roles of stakeholders in addressing One Health issues. We will use some examples of One Health approaches based on the experience of the instructor. While One Health is not new, it has become more important in recent years and we will discuss why there is an urgent need for an increased use of One Health approaches now, especially in the prevention of outbreaks, not just response.

Steve Solomon, DVM, MPH, has 10 years of private veterinary practice experience primarily focused on food producing animals. Following veterinary practice, he worked for 33 years in a variety of positions in the Food and Drug Administration dealing with both human and animal public health issues. He retired in 2023 as the Director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine and currently resides in Chestertown.

Games

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

Wednesdays; September 4 to October 2, 2024 (5 classes)

4:15-5:30 pm

We play!

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 class has a limit of 12 participants.

Social Sciences

David Simison

Wednesdays; September 4 to October 9, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15-5:15 p.m.

Moderated Discussion

CONTEXT: The Presenter was doing research at the Maryland Hall of Records. In the lobby he noticed a display featuring a letter dated April 22, 1861 from the Governor of Maryland to President Lincoln, requesting Mediation among the “contending parties” heading toward civil war. Since then, the Presenter has wondered, "What if?"

In this course, the instructor would lead participants on a collaborative journey to develop the outlines of such a Mediation. Course participants would act as though they were engaged by the “contending parties” to develop the contours of the mediation. Once the participants were satisfied with the framework and design of the mediation, then the participants would assume the roles of the Mediator(s) and the “Contending Parties” to a (unknown) conclusion. During the journey, the instructor would review some of the hallmarks of mediation such as the inclusion of necessary parties for resolution of any conflict, as well as who would be appropriate spokespersons for the “Contending Parties.”

To get a sense of the nation’s mood, the instructor has curated scores of events arising in the year preceding Governor Hicks’ letter to Lincoln, which would be reviewed and discussed in sessions prior to designing the Mediation. Because this course is inclusive, participatory, and collaborative, avenues for further research may arise. Participants in this course will be hands on — this is not a top-down presentation. The Presenter will “set the table” and the course participants will create “the meal” . . . there is no wrong direction or result . . . it’s the journey that counts. This course requires a commitment from the participants.

David Simison is an attorney admitted to practice in Maryland, DC and WV. He has been in practice for nearly 45 years, primarily in Annapolis. For the past 25 years he has mediated hundreds of conflicts both for the Courts (AA County, Howard County, QA County, Caroline County) and privately. He has extensive training in Mediation and has trained lay people, lawyers and judges. He has made several presentations to Mediators and is one of a few Mediators actually certified in Mediation based upon his actual performance. Of small import is the fact that Maryland is a recognized leader in Mediation across the Country.

Math, Science, and Technology

Larry Vetter

Fridays; September 6 to October 11, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

This course will cover the following topics:

Week One: History — why and when the industry developed from "Silent Spring" to Love Canal in Buffalo, with a discussion of safety, OSHA training, regulation and PPE levels A, B, C, and D.

Week Two: Petroleum — definition of what petroleum is and a discussion of surface spills, sun surface losses, storage tanks, clean out, maintenance and safety measures. 

Week Three: Indoor Air Quality — biological discussion of fungal and bacterial impact, airborne VOCs, semi-VOCs, particulates, metals, and current standards.

Week Four: Hazardous Materials — field response, lab packs, and disposal, with a discussion of loss clean up and routine maintenance and disposal methodologies.

Week Five: Ocean and Water-Borne Spills — the equipment and success rates, with a discussion of EXXON Valdez, BP Oil gulf spill, Casco Bay loss, wetlands, and wildlife remediation.

Week Six: Miscellaneous Topics — blood borne pathogens, radon, chlorinated solvents, potable water, Chernobyl, and a course recap.               

Larry Vetter is a retired environmental scientist with thirty years of experience in the environmental remedial field. He has been involved in hazardous spill response, contaminated soil and water remediation, hazardous waste management, indoor air quality, etc. The course will take you through a number of different remedial technologies and will be peppered with lots of actual on-site stories.

This course has a limit of 24 participants.

Social Sciences

Michael Harvey

Mondays; September 9 to October 14, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15 – 5:15 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

Frustrated by your experiences of leadership? Wondering why so many leaders struggle to achieve positive results, and why so many of the problems we face seem to resist even our strongest efforts to address them? This course explores the complex nature of leadership in human affairs. Drawing on the instructor’s new book, Questioning Leadership, the course will explore the group settings, large or small, in which leadership happens, and will compare leadership to two other guidance systems people in groups rely on, culture and bureaucracy. The course will suggest a conception of leadership that emphasizes the leader’s responsibility to help people in groups identify, tackle, and solve their hardest problems: the leader as everyday philosopher, you might say — even though we all realize that it’s a peculiar kind of philosophy, that has to be translated into effective results to make any real difference.

NOTE: Class will consist of reading (mainly my new book one chapter a week), video clips, and discussion. 

Michael Harvey has taught at Washington College since 1998. He is the John Toll Associate Professor in the Department of Business Management, with a focus on leadership studies. His new book, Questioning Leadership: A Framework for Growth and Purpose, is being published in Spring 2024 by Cambridge University Press. This short book will serve as the main text for our course.

This course has a limit of 30 participants.

Humanities

Kathryn Lee

Mondays; September 9 to October 14, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15 – 5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

Chestertown has one of only twenty-two monuments in the country honoring Black soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Sumner Hall is one of only two standing buildings erected by members of the Grand Army of the Republic, a fraternal organization for Civil War veterans. Twenty-eight Black veterans founded the GAR post here. GAR members did not want the country to forget the sacrifices of Union soldiers. Whom should we remember? What should we remember about American history? These questions continue to be asked. This class will examine topics related to an important aspect of Civil War history, the role of Black soldiers. We will look at how Lincoln’s thinking changed about Black enlistment, the promises made by recruiters, and the role of Frederick Douglass as a recruiter. We will discuss unequal pay and the white-commissioned-officers-only rule, as well as battles in which Black soldiers played key roles. Finally, we will look at the lives of Black veterans after the war and the founding of Chestertown’s Charles Sumner Post #25 in 1882. In a letter to his mother, Private John Lovejoy Murray of the 102nd USCT (United States Colored Troops) wrote, “give me the Black man Against the World.” [sic] The USCT made its mark during the Civil War. A suggested reading list will be provided.

Kathryn (Kathy) Lee taught political science for thirty-eight years and lived to tell the tale, retiring to Chestertown in July 2022 from Spokane, Washington. She is professor emerita of political science at Whitworth University. She also taught at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA, and Seattle Pacific University. Her undergraduate degree is from Wake Forest and her Ph.D. is from Johns Hopkins. In graduate school, she had blue crabs for the first time and would escape to the Eastern Shore for breaks. Since moving to Chestertown, she has volunteered at Sumner Hall and is now a board member. She has always had a love of American history and has taken a deep dive into the subject of Black soldiers in the Civil War, going to the National Archives to read the pension files of the Sumner Hall founders.

This course has a limit of 25 participants.

Humanities, Performing and Fine Arts

Nancy Hartman

Sundays, September 8-September 29, 2024 (four weeks)

1:30-4:30 p.m.

Moderated discussion

This course offers four foreign films.  The first two are “Jean de Florette,” a tale of greed, survival, and death starring Gérard Depardieu, and its sequel “Manon of the Spring,” about vengeance and vindication starring Emmanuelle Beart, both pictures directed by Claude Berri.  The last two films feature two of France’s greatest actors, Jean-Paul Belmondo in “Breathless,” directed by Jean-Luc Godard, and Alain Delon in “Le Samuraï,” directed by Jean-Pierre Melville.

Within a week of each upcoming movie, informational material will be furnished to students by email or regular mail.  Additional information about each movie will be provided at the start of each class, the movie will be shown, and a brief discussion will be held afterward.

Note:  All movies have subtitles.

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.

Social Sciences

Gijs van de Fliert

Tuesdays; September 3 to October 1, 2024 (5 classes)

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Moderated Discussion

“Unification of the whole of mankind is the hall-mark of the stage which human society is now approaching.  Unity of family, of tribe, of city-state, and nation have been successively attempted and fully established.  World unity is the goal towards which a harassed humanity is striving.  Nation-building has come to an end.  The anarchy inherent in state sovereignty is moving towards a climax.  A world, growing to maturity, must abandon this fetish, recognize the oneness and wholeness of human relationships, and establish once for all the machinery that can best incarnate this fundamental principle of its life.” – Shoghi Effendi, 1936

These are the opening words of a statement, entitled “Turning Point for All Nations,” by the Bahá’í International Community Office (“BIC”), a registered NGO with the UN and distributed on the Occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations, October 1995.  The Statement provided an opportunity for reflection then as the end of the 20th century approaches, and now.  It delves into the challenges of a global society that must come to terms with the need of a global order and focusses on defining a role for the United Nations within the emerging international order.  The course is intended to be collaborative with participants active in a meaningful discourse, advancing our respective ideas and understandings on humanity’s transition to nurture an international order.

Gijs van de Fliert calls himself a world citizen with a 40-year career in finance and international development. Retired in 2016 from the International Finance Corporation, part of the World Bank Group. A problem solver and risk mitigator with an appreciation of an institution’s holistic growth and development.  He is a proponent of entities that promote the well-being 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.  His joy in life is to serve his fellowmen 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 participants.

Humanities

Katie Ritter

Wednesdays; September 4 to September 25, 2024 (3 classes)

Early Afternoon, 4:15-5:15 pm

Lecture and discussion

As we discussed in last autumn’s sessions, simply say the word ‘Viking’ and images of ax-wielding brutes in horned helmets comes to mind: raiders, rapists, pillagers, destroyers of civilization. But is this fair to the people it characterizes? And if not, what does such characterization even matter, a thousand years later? By digging a little deeper into the lives and culture of this heterogenous group lumped together as Vikings, we’ll not only gain a richer appreciation of their total legacy—but as we consider who Vikings were (and weren’t), we’ll engage in some reflection of how historical bias can be used to distort current human events … and perhaps find yet more evidence, in a world of holocaust deniers, that facts really do matter.

This course is open to those who took the Vikings course last autumn and everyone else! 

Katie Aiken Ritter is a graduate of Swarthmore College (and proud to have three family members who attended Washington College). Following a long career in IT, Katie experienced an unsettling epiphany directing her to write about Viking-era people. She is now the author of a Norse adventure series consisting of four deeply-researched novels set in Iceland during the Viking era (available on Amazon or via your local library/bookstore). She traveled to Iceland for primary research and enjoyed a brief stint as a crew member on the replica longship Draken Harald Hårfagre. Katie is a member of the Eastern Shore Writers Association, the Historical Novel Society, and leads writing workshops.

 

Math, Science, and Technology

Joe Smith

Thursdays; September 5 to October 10, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15 – 5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

This course will focus on the practical aspects of building a wooden boat, whether a simple craft powered by oars or a larger craft with an inboard or outboard motor. The course will begin with an overview of sources and resources for selecting a boat design. The complexity of the project should match the skills of the builder, and the chosen design should be right for the waters in which it will operate. The prospective builder needs to have a building space or shop, and we will discuss both essential tools and labor-saving tools that are “nice to have.” For powerboats, the choice of an engine will determine not only the boat’s performance but also its other characteristics and should be made with great care. The emphasis in this course will be on using modern construction materials and methods, including fiberglass and epoxies, but more traditional methods will also be discussed. Finally, we will look at the process of registering, insuring, and operating a boat in Kent County and the surrounding area. The class will see some aspects of home boat-built boats in a nearby parking lot. The instructor will bring one or two additional speakers to address specific topics covered in the course.

D. Joe Smith is a retired attorney who has built three wooden boats, most recently an all-mahogany twin cockpit inboard runabout patterned on the Gar Woods, Chris-Crafts, and Hacker Craft of the 1930s.

This course has a limit of 12 participants.

Social Sciences

Wendy Cronin

Thursdays; September 5 to October 10, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15 – 5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

(HYBRID mix of Zoom and in-person)

Ever wonder what it was like for those who went to volunteer in less developed countries? Whether volunteering with the Peace Corps, a private voluntary group, or a similar organization, each volunteer’s story will have interesting commonalities and differences.  Who were those people and what was it like? This course will include presentations by six ex-volunteers who lived for a year or longer in Tunisia, Liberia, Chile, Nepal, and Senegal at some point between the late 1960s and early 2000s. 

Each week, a different ex-volunteer will describe their experience, tell you what inspired them to take the leap to go to a very different place in the world, what years they lived overseas, and where they lived plus a little about that country at that time. They will describe what they were assigned to do and what they actually did, what worked for them and what challenged them (e.g., what didn’t work!), share a memorable story or two, and talk about how that experience impacted their lives. 

This course will be a mix of Zoom and in-person class presentations.

Instructor Wendy Cronin will coordinate this course. Wendy is a familiar WC-ALL instructor who spent five years working in Nepal with the Dooley Foundation, a private voluntary organization. You will also hear from Jamie Kirkpatrick (Peace Corps — Tunisia), Barbara Lamphere (Peace Corps — Liberia), Marti Hawkins (Peace Corps — Chile), Leona Mason (University of Wisconsin College Year — Dolpa, Nepal), and Nevin Dawson (Peace Corps — Senegal), not necessarily in that order.

Social Sciences

Bruce Riedel

Wednesdays; October 16 to November 11, 2024 (5 weeks)

4:15-5:15 pm

Lecture and Discussion

On Christmas Eve 1979 the Soviet Union invaded and occupied Afghanistan. Within a month President Jimmy Carter developed a strategy and alliances that bogged the Russians down in an expensive quagmire. President Ronald Reagan escalated this top-secret war, which had bipartisan support. Within a decade the Soviets had lost the war in Afghanistan and evacuated their army. The Soviets control of Eastern Europe collapsed, Germany was reunited and the USSR went out of business and ceased to exist. The CIA’s covert operation was a staggering success. No American died in the war and the cost of the war was shared with Saudi Arabia. America was the quarter master of the mujaheddin; Pakistan was their front-line support state. The war has been celebrated in books and film. It was a crucial moment in the development of the global jihadist movement. This course will review the history of the war in Afghanistan, and the decision-making behind it in Washington, Moscow, Islamabad, and Kabul. The results of this top-secret war are still shaping our world today.

Bruce Riedel served for three decades in the Central Intelligence Agency including eight years in the White House and duty tours overseas. He chaired President Barack Obama’s review of policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2009. He is the author of nine books about the Middle East and South Asia. He has been an instructor at WC-All for three years.

Math, Science, and Technology

Dennis Herrmann

Tuesdays; October 15 to November 19, 2024 (6 classes)

Evening; 90 minutes

Lecture and Discussion

This course will take place at the Kent County High School Planetarium. Students will learn constellations (seasonal, circumpolar, and zodiac), and learn about moon phases, eclipses, the celestial sphere, and basic motions of the heavenly bodies. The planetarium instruments will help students identify what they can see from their backyards. Telescopes will be used to view moon, planets, and stars outside, weather permitting. Students should bring a binder or folder to collect handouts and to take notes.

Dennis Herrmann has had a lifelong interest in astronomy, leading to 42 years of teaching astronomy and other sciences at the Kent County High School (KCHS). He enjoys sharing the night sky even after retirement. Dennis coached track and field and cross country at KCHS and is now a certified USA Track and Field (USATF) track official doing college and high school meets in 5 states. He is an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church/Chestertown.

This course has a limit of 30 participants.

Social Sciences

Patricia Kirby

Tuesdays; October 15 to November 19, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15-5:30 pm

Lecture and Discussion

Is serial killing a phenomenon unique to men? No. Then why do we rarely hear about female serialists? Good question. And one that arises whenever this topic comes up. This is a question that confuses many within and outside the field of criminology. Although there are fewer female serial killers, they actually have more victims and avoid detection for far longer periods of time than their male counterparts. Why? Is it that women are more cunning by nature, or is society incapable of believing that the members of the 'gentler sex' could be cold blooded murderers? This course will analyze individual case studies of notorious murderers, review media articles, legal and academic papers and original one on one interviews with female and male serial killers.

Patricia Kirby holds a Ph.D. from American University in Sociology: Justice, Law and Society. She is a former Baltimore City police officer, homicide detective, FBI Special Agent, and FBI Profiler. Her doctoral thesis, The Feminization of Serial Killing, included original interviews with male and female serial killers. She is a former assistant professor in the sociology and forensic psychology department at Notre Dame of Maryland University.

This course has a limit of 30 participants.

Social Sciences, Religion and the Environment

Claire Nevin-Field

Mondays; October 21 to November 4, 2024 (3 classes)

2:00-3:00 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

The ancient Celts saw the divine in all of creation and passed that legacy to some branches of modern Christianity. We will look at a history of the Celts as a people, a history of Celtic Christianity, and a theology of the environment (viewing the earth as an expression of God and caring for it as one part of the web of creation).

Claire Nevin-Field is an Episcopal Priest who grew up in the north of England, in a church heavily influenced by the Celtic way of viewing the world, i.e., seeing the sacred in everything. She has a passion for teaching environmental theology and sees an interpretation of the Bible as giving humans domination over the planet as greatly misguided and with tragic consequences for earth and all its inhabitants. Claire is currently the Rector of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chestertown. When she is not in church, she can be found either on the water or sitting watching the osprey and purple martins from her deck!

This course has a limit of 50 participants.

Current Events

Mark Schulman

Fridays; October 25 to November 8, 2024 (3 classes - 2 pre-election and 1 post-election)

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Lecture and Discussion

ZOOM

Polls tell us that voters are broadly critical of both presidential candidates – Biden and Trump – and of the arcane processes by which we both nominate and elect our presidents. We will examine the path to election day including primary season, campaign strategies, issues foremost in voters’ minds, media sources, and how candidates’ very different visions of America will likely impact the country. Issues include immigration, abortion and women’s health, Gaza, climate change, Trump’s legal issues, and the impact of new media technology, among others. The final session, post-election day, will examine the root determinants of the outcome. Light online readings will be recommended. Class discussion will be encouraged. 

Mark Schulman, PhD, is an award-winning pollster and policy analyst. He has worked extensively with major news organizations tracking public opinion, political campaigns, analyzing election results, and probing policy issues. He served as Time magazine’s pollster for almost ten years. He also served on the ABC News Election Decision Desk for many years. Schulman was 2002-2003 President of the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). He co-founded one the nation's largest public opinion/survey research firms, SRBI, now part of Abt Associates, a consulting and research firm aiming to improve equity and the livelihood of individuals worldwide.

Math, Science, and Technology

Jon Hanley

Thursdays; October 17 to November 7, 2024 (4 classes)

4:15-5:15 pm

Lecture and Discussion; Outdoor demonstration

This course will cover the basics of electric vehicle (EV) types, benefits, operation, and maintenance. It will review in detail the differences between electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles, and discuss key operating best practices with respect to charging the battery, maintenance of the vehicle, and ownership versus leasing. The course will include hands on experience with EV's and manufacturers’ charging equipment, but will remain neutral on manufacturers’ equipment recommendations.

NOTE: There will be an outdoor demonstration of EV types on the last day of the course. You will have the opportunity to actually sit in various EVs. 

Jonathan (Jon) Hanley is a local Chestertown resident and retired cryogenic engineer. Jon has owned EVs since 2017, and currently owns two EVs. Hanley was engaged by the Town of Chestertown to develop a plan to improve the EV infrastructure in town from seven charge points to twenty-three charge points. As the co-founder of the Chestertown Earth Day Festival, we have included an EV display at The Festival in recent years.

Tom Dietz, who taught an alternative energy course for WC-ALL, will help out on the charging section of the course, and will assist with the hands-on portion of the course. Tom is a chemist who has extensive experience in the energy business and hands-on experience with various renewable energy technologies.  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.

Math, Science, and Technology

Elizabeth Peterson

Mondays; October 14 to November 18, 2024 (5 classes)

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment. This course will look at classification of living things and how they fit their respective biomes; why biodiversity is so important; how humans living in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed affect its function; and how understanding biomimicry helps society live more sustainably. Finally, we will touch on the huge topic of human population growth and climate change.

Elizabeth (Liz) Peterson taught environmental biology and general biology at the community college level for more than 25 years. She worked as a park naturalist in Frederick County. Mrs. Peterson has extensive volunteer experience: Maryland's Department of Natural Resources as a TEAM (Teaching Environmental Awareness in Maryland) instructor, and the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education green school program. She is currently on the Chestertown Environmental Committee and regularly volunteers at the Farmers' Market Recycling Booth.

Business, Finance, and Law

Michael Collins

Fridays; September 3 to October 18 to November 22, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15 - 5:15 pm

Lecture and Discussion

Who needs to know about Human Resources (HR)?  You do! In your career, business, volunteer organizations, and clubs. This course will cover a broad range of HR topics from the perspective of the HR professional, owner, manager, volunteer, and employee. We will cover hiring strategies and advice to minimize risk when bringing in new staff. The course will also cover labor laws, trends in litigation, and best practices. Recruiting strategies will be reviewed using the most up to date methods. The class will also cover methods for delivering feedback effectively, relationship building, and changing leadership.  Everyone needs HR skills!

Michael Collins is Society for Human Resources (SHRM^R) certified and the Director of Human Resources for the State of Maryland. He blends 25 years of management experience with the newest information in the Human Resources field.

Math, Science, and Technology

Satinder Sidhu

Wednesdays; October 16 to November 20, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15-5:30 pm

Lecture and Discussion

The desire for preserving impressions of what our eyes see led to the development of art — sketching, drawing, painting, and sculpture. These methods of creating visual simulations of what the eye sees are not the “what this course is about.” We will be considering the multitude of techniques for producing two-dimensional depictions, both of the normally visible as well as the usually hidden. Invention of Daguerreotype early in the 19th century may be considered the onset of technical imaging. Other methods soon supplanted it, both because they were more convenient and economical, and they produced better results. Photography has been the most prominent among these, first employing photo-chemical phenomena, and then giving way to electronic techniques. The discovery of X-rays made it possible to look past the outermost surfaces to the interior structures. Further developments employing subtler properties of all forms of “light” have created techniques such as phase contrast microscopy, transmission and scanning electron microscopies, and computerized tomography— to name but a few. People are familiar, even in moderately advanced societies, with numerous acronyms of scanning and imaging techniques, especially those used in medical diagnostics (e.g. “CT scan”). We will examine as many of these as possible, considering the physical phenomena these techniques employ, and reviewing technical advances in instrumentation and computation that make them feasible.

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) helped him avoid the overspecialization he had always dreaded.

Humanities

 

Jim Maddox

 

Tuesdays; October 15 to November 19, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15-5:30 pm

Lecture and Discussion

 

I have been collecting American Indian Pueblo pottery for more than 40 years. For many years, I collected from all the pueblos, but about five years ago I narrowed my collecting to 4 pueblos: Acoma, Kewa (formerly known as Santo Domingo), Zuni in New Mexico, and Hopi in Arizona. At all of these pueblos, pottery-making is a centuries-old tradition. Almost all of my pottery derives from the long period after the arrival of the railroads in New Mexico and Arizona, roughly 1880. Much, indeed most, Native American pottery from 1880 to the present is continuous with the pottery that the Indians were making before the arrival of the Americans, but the pottery has long since lost its connection with any actual use that the Indians make of it in their daily lives. Much of the pottery is probably more sensibly regarded as art--and as art of a very high caliber. We will look at, admire, perhaps sometimes criticize, and handle (!) about 125 pieces of Indian pottery from as early as 1870 to the present. Ideally, you will learn to recognize pottery from Acoma, Hopi, Kewa, and Zuni. We will discuss what draws us to the pottery, and whether and how it is beautiful.

Jim Maddox, before retiring, was a professor of English at the George Washington University and at Middlebury College's summer graduate school, the Bread Loaf School of English, where he taught and then became the director for almost 25 years. One fine day in the early 1980s, Jim came upon a beautiful Acoma pot at an antique show in Washington and bought it. His path from this initial interest to serious collecting was steep and passionate. He visited the land of the pueblos in New Mexico and Arizona many times; visited the great museums, especially in Santa Fe; and became familiar with many dealers in Indian pottery, again especially in Santa Fe, which is ground zero for pottery collectors. He also became deeply interested in the history of the Pueblo peoples, a history strongly shadowed by the Native Americans' contact with the descendants of Europeans, first the Spanish, then the Americans. Although like all other American Indians, the Pueblo peoples suffered from this contact, they did so (I will argue) less than almost all other Native American groups.                                                                   

This course has a limit of 12 participants.

Humanities, Current Events

Mark Jolly-Van Bodegraven

Tuesdays; October 15 to November 19, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Moderated Discussion

Inspired by and drawing from a book for which the course is named, this course will bring together learners interested in wrestling with the practical realities of living in a religiously diverse society. Participants in the class will develop their own understanding of how to best build and maintain a pluralistic society through consideration of case studies from around the country, class-led discussion of current events and local circumstances, and respectful and honest conversation with one another. In addition to studying particular events that illustrate the challenges of pluralism, this class will consider how diversity in religion and other elements of identity interact with civic engagement and building a society that allows everyone to maintain and grow in their personal commitments while others do the same, even if those commitments differ or conflict. The course will conclude with collective and individual reflection and discernment of next steps for each participant to take what we have discovered together and apply it to their own way of engaging with their communities. Although not required, learners may find it interesting and helpful to purchase “Pluralism in Practice” by Elinor J. Pierce, but should NOT read ahead. Students could find it helpful to read the introductory sections and Afterword prior to the first class, but should avoid reading any cases.

NOTE: This course will draw heavily from The Case Initiative of Harvard's Pluralism Project. 

Mark Jolly-Van Bodegraven serves as the director of communications for Washington College, but his personal and academic journeys have revolved around questions of how people form and act on their deepest commitments. He has a master of liberal arts from the University of Pennsylvania that drew primarily from religious studies, folklore, and anthropology. After reviewing Pluralism in Practice for Friends Journal, Mark was struck by the value that could be derived by engaging communities in conversation about issues surrounding religious diversity and civic participation.

Health and Wellness

Stephanie Pessin

Fridays; October 18 to November 22, 2024 (6 classes)

10 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Demonstration and Practice

In this dynamic course, we explore strategies and exercises for improving balance and preventing falls, with a deep dive into the art of kinesthetic awareness—the ability to sense movement and position in both familiar and unfamiliar scenarios. Here’s what awaits you:

1. Understanding and Mastering Kinesthetic Awareness: Dip into the science behind proprioception and kinesthetic sense. Learn how to upgrade your body’s internal compass for more precise movement. Explore how kinesthetic awareness impacts daily activities and exercise performance. Enhance your internal feedback systems to adapt to different environments and gain stability when traversing familiar and unfamiliar terrain. Practice balance exercises that relate to your everyday activities and develop strategies for easily implementing them throughout your normal day.

2. Fall Prevention Strategies: increase functional awareness of the key factors that contribute to falls. Develop practical skills and actions that will reduce fall risks. Strengthen your ability to adjust and prevent missteps. By the end of this course, you’ll not only move with enhanced confidence and safety, but also be more equipped to navigate life’s twists and turns without missing a beat!

Stephanie Pessin is a seasoned professional with deep knowledge and experience in this subject matter, a passion for promoting health and well-being, and a unique perspective to her work in injury prevention. In her earliest career, she delved into study of cross-cultural and alternative healing modalities, eventually starting a practice providing hands-on bodywork and therapeutic movement. After a decade, she returned to school to earn an MS in physical therapy, thereafter practicing PT in a way that combined the tenets of both Western and holistic medicine. Her practice has always been firmly based upon core research in anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, and injury prevention, right along with holistic tenets of mind-body connection and whole-person, integrated diagnosis and treatment (i.e., not only treating an isolated body-part!). In 25+ years of practicing PT, she treated patients and taught classes in fields ranging from prehabilitation to fitness to rehabilitation to promoting community health initiatives — including fall injury prevention. She is recently retired from practice and thrilled to be teaching at WC-ALL.

 

This course is limited to 12 participants.

Math, Science, and Technology; Environment

Courtney Leigh

Wednesdays; October 16 to November 20, 2024 (6 weeks)

Time TBD

Lecture and Discussion, Demonstration

ShoreRivers is a local environmental non-profit dedicated to protecting and restoring the waterways of the Eastern Shore through science-based advocacy, restoration, outreach, and education. Throughout this course, guest lectures from different departments and specialties at ShoreRivers will discuss a wide range of topics including environmental stewardship, River Friendly Yards, aquatic restoration, environmental justice, Riverkeepers, and more. You will be exposed to a variety of efforts and methods used to address water quality issues on the Eastern Shore and learn how you can get involved.

Note: Some sessions may involve hands-on activities, and some sessions may take place off of the Washington College Campus, for example, at a restoration site. 

Courtney Leigh, course coordinator, is the ShoreRivers Membership Manager and has been with the organization for 5 years. Before joining ShoreRivers, she worked for 11 years at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center as the adult learning educator. In her free time, Courtney gets outside for triathlons, kayaking, hiking, and camping. She loves connecting with her community as a volunteer with several nonprofits, including serving on the board of Plastic Free Queen Anne's County.

Maegan White is a recent graduate of Washington College and is the ShoreRivers Community Engagement Coordinator. Maegan first found her love for the outdoors exploring the mountains and lakes near her home in South Carolina. She moved to the Eastern Shore to attend college and developed a love for the Chesapeake Bay and rivers of the Eastern Shore and is now a proud fulltime resident.

This course has a limit of 30 participants.

Performing and Fine Arts

Beverly Hall Smith

Thursdays; October 17 to November 14, 2024 (5 classes)

4:15-5:30 pm

Lecture and Discussion

Sculpture, like painting, has been a part of the human creative experience since the Paleolithic Period. Sculptural figures created were integral to their belief systems and tell us what was considered most important to the time. Materials used in sculpture vary from location to location. Technique also will be discussed. Included in the discussion will be the work of such sculptors as Polyclitus, Praxiteles, Donatello, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Rodin. In the 20th Century we will look at and discuss Picasso, Russian Constructivism, Calder, Moore, Christo, Smith, and developments in the 21st Century. Some of the 20th and 21st Century sculptors respond to new materials such as plastic, some to a changing aesthetic, some to the need to preserve and protect the environment, and some just for fun. Sculpture has had many exciting twists and turns, some not well known to many viewers. No knowledge of the topic is necessary. All are invited to come and discover the wealth of sculptural works in the world at large. If there is a particular artist you are interested in, let me know when class begins.

Beverly Hall Smith was a professor of art history for forty years. Since retiring with her husband to Chestertown in 2014, she has taught art history classes for WC-ALL and the Institute of Adult Learning. Since April 2020, she has been writing weekly articles titled “Looking at the Masters” for the Chestertown SPY. She is also an artist whose work is sometimes exhibited at Chestertown River Arts, and she paints sets for the Garfield Center for the Arts.

Humanities; Math, Science, and Technology

 Warren Case

Friday, October 18-November 15, 2024 (5 classes)

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

Participants will learn all about space exploration — from its origins and history up to present day events and future trends. They will be introduced to the locations and roles of the NASA Centers, including practical information if they’d like to visit them in person. The course will discuss the manned space programs from Mercury to Apollo to the International Space Station. It will also cover the variety of unmanned satellites, their uses, and how they impact our daily lives and our perspective on our place in the universe. It will present space exploration’s greatest achievements and the toughest challenges encountered along the way. It will describe the challenge of space debris and chronicle the rise of space tourism (and when it will become more widely available). On a practical level, students will learn where to go see a launch closeup and when/where to look to see the International Space Station fly over Chestertown. No knowledge of technical concepts is required. No textbooks or materials are required. Participants will also be given the opportunity to tour NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on a space available basis.

Warren Case became fascinated with astronomy and space exploration after watching Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission. Since then, he has wished to share this excitement with others. His first job after high school was to give planetarium lectures at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, then subsequently work at the Goddard Visitor Center. He spent the bulk of his career supporting the Space Shuttle’s Spacelab missions (14 years) and the Earth Observing System missions (20+ years). In these roles, he principally served as a liaison between the Goddard operations teams and the outside interfaces (primarily the scientific community). In 2020, he transferred to NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC and began coordinating the operations of 20+ earth science missions, some of which are hosted on the International Space Station (ISS), and the others which are on free-flying satellites.

Humanities

Jim Block and Joe Smith

Mondays; October 14 to November 18, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

In the late 1600s, Barth’s anti-hero Ebenezer Cooke leaves England for the Province of Maryland and Malden, his inherited tobacco farm in Dorset County. Far more importantly, Cooke brings his commission for Poet Laureate of Maryland, granted by Charles, Lord Baltimore. Maryland and the noble persons therein, Cooke tells his Lordship, are so beautiful, pure, virtuous, and glorious (and probably awesome!) that their story must be told in an epic poem worthy of its greatness. That poem is The Marylandiad. As well, he is initially determined to preserve his virginity in order to be the better poet. As you might imagine, what Cooke finds is not what he expects. Instead, he encounters “scoundrels … hovels … corruption and poltroonery!” He loses his farm. He reads the never-before-seen “Secret Historie” of Capt. John Smith, wherein we find the True Story of Pocahontas. Having utterly lost the innocence he brought to Maryland, he abandons his grand epic project and instead determines to write a mock epic entitled “The Sot-Weed Factor.” All of which makes for great satire. Yes, the book is 796 pp., which length means about 130 pp. per week. The book echoes Candide, Tom Jones, Don Quixote, and Robinson Crusoe. The dialogue imitates eighteenth century English speech. We will use the 2023 Dalkey edition. We must all have the same page numbers. We will offer a reading guide. As crazy as it may seem, much of Barth’s story is rooted in the strange and wonderful history of the Eastern Shore. Barth’s research for the book included the discovery of some events he deemed too farfetched for inclusion in The Sot-Weed Factor. Each session will feature a short look at the historical underpinnings of Barth’s tale.

Jim Block studied English at the University of Virginia, spent two years on a Pacific Fleet aircraft carrier, and then took an M.A. in English at the University of Iowa. He taught English, coached, advised, and lived with teenagers at Northfield Mount Hermon for 43 years. He spent exchange years at Marlborough College, Wiltshire, and at Robert College, Istanbul. He is dead sure The Sot-Weed Factor is vastly under-read and under-appreciated.

Joe Smith, a history and political science major at Anderson University, holds an M.A. and J.D. from Yale. Except for a 10-year stint as CEO of two biotech companies in Chapel Hill, NC, he practiced law with major firms in Washington, DC, prior to moving to Chestertown. He has sailed to Bermuda five times aboard his 36-foot Cape Dory cutter. He discovered Barth in the 1970s and has been a fan ever since.

 

This course has a limit of 20 participants.

Humanities, Performing and Fine Arts

Nancy Hartman

Sundays, October 13-November 17, 2024 (six weeks)

1:30-4:30 p.m.

Moderated discussion

This course offers six foreign films.  The first four are thrillers, ranging from carefully plotted murders to a suicide mission to two about the perils of living in a controlled police state: “Diabolique,” starring Simone Signoret; “Elevator to the Gallows,” starring Jeanne Moreau; “The Wages of Fear,” starring Yves Montand; and “The Lives of Others,” which won the 2006 Oscar for Best Foreign Film. In the fifth production, Gérard Depardieu turns in a magnificent performance as the gallant but insecure hero in “Cyrano de Bergerac.”  The course ends with the unforgettable team of Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni in “Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow,” featuring Loren’s famous striptease.  Henri-Georges Clouzot, Louis Malle, and Vittorio de Sica are some of the directors.

Within a week of each upcoming movie, informational material will be furnished to students by email or regular mail.  Additional information about each movie will be provided at the start of each class, the movie will be shown, and a brief discussion will be held afterward.

Note:  All movies have subtitles.

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 

John Christie

Thursdays; October 17 to November 21, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15-5:30 p.m.

Lecture and Discussion

The Court’s 2023-24 term surely caught the public’s attention. There has been significant media attention to the cases involving a former president’s criminal immunity, the FDA’s actions regulating the use of mifepristone, the interpretation of a law barring obstruction of an official proceeding arising out of January 6th prosecutions, whether modern day laws prohibiting the possession of firearms by persons subject to domestic violence restraining orders violate the Second Amendment and the insurrection clause of the 14th Amendment. But beyond those cases are many others raising issues of significant national importance including state laws restricting content moderation by social media platforms, criminalization of homelessness, whether a “bump stock” rifle attachment is a prohibited “machine gun,” abortion access in medical emergencies and whether South Carolina gerrymandering is partisan or racially motivated. In addition to the cases themselves, during this new term we have witnessed a more fractured bench, judicial ethical issues and continuing controversy over the so-called “shadow docket.” As always, there will be much to discuss.

This course will begin with an introductory commentary on the Court, an overall analysis of the term as well as a look, by film clips, pictures and cartoons, at significant collateral events of the past year involving the Court. We will then move to a series of class discussions focused on some of Court’s most recent decisions. Edited copies of these Court opinions will be distributed in advance of each class. Although by no means required, reading these edited opinions will enhance the value of the class discussions for participants.

John Christie is a retired litigation partner from the Washington DC office of the law firm of WilmerHale. His undergraduate degree was from Brown University and his JD degree from the Harvard Law School.

This course has a limit of 100 participants.

Humanities

Donna Van Dusen

Mondays; October 14 to November 11, 2024 (5 classes)

4:15-5:30 pm

Lecture and Discussion

“But I don’t have a creative bone in my body!” Surely you don’t have a creative bone, but you do have the innate ability to tap into a fundamental aspect of being human: Creativity. Sadly, creativity too often is perceived narrowly, as a talent possessed by relatively few people rather than a process available to all people. And it’s never too late! The human brain is more open to creativity as we age. During this course you will explore ways to tap into the creative well available to all humans and enhance your creativity by challenging perceptions and taken-for-granted assumptions, expanding and deepening awareness, and addressing blocks to creative expression. The course is for both new and seasoned creators, and will offer opportunities to engage in and share your creative pursuits as well as provide your insights into the creative process as you have experienced it. A list of recommended books will be provided.

Donna Van Dusen, Professor Emerita at Regis University, retired from an academic career that involved researching creativity, incorporating that research into business courses, as well as finding creative solutions to problem in an administrative role. Since retiring, she has engaged in her life-long love of creative writing and painting. As one who has and continues to experience the blocks to creativity, she brings her own experience to the subject matter.

Social Sciences

Wendy Cronin

Wednesdays; October 16 to November 20, 2024 (6 classes)

4:15-5:30 p.m.
Lecture and Discussion
HYBRID In-Person and Zoom

Our community has many travelers with interesting tales to tell. In this course, you will hear from six of them about why they traveled, where they went, and what they found. We will explore locations on four continents using different modes of travel, and find out what motivated these six to explore quirky and unusual destinations in the first place. You will learn a little about each country, transportation, housing, and food. Most importantly, you will hear special stories that each traveler will share with you.  Perhaps you’ve wondered what truffle hunting would be like. Or maybe you are drawn remote places where the landscape is mainly ice and granite. Are you curious to learn more about a wealthy Middle Eastern country? Or perhaps you prefer to spend time in developing countries where you might find a way to have a positive impact. Maybe you have always wanted to take a bicycle tour of a foreign country. Perhaps you just want to travel off the beaten path. Whatever stirs your interest, you will likely hear about it in this course. 

Wendy Cronin, a familiar WC-ALL instructor, will coordinate this course and talk about her experience in East Greenland. You will also hear from Lynn Mitchell (Italy), Rich Gillin (Dubai), Bill and Nancy Low (Budapest to Prague), Sandra Jackson (Vietnam), and Warren Case (Canadian Rockies).