Adult Learners Institute is making it happen
submitted by Joan Gaughan, Adult Learners Institute
While the COVID-19 outbreak has made the fall schedule a bit more modest, the Adult Learners Institute is proud and happy to announce classes, both in person and virtually, where, as usual, you can stimulate your brain while making new friends. Beginning on September 23 and running until early November, ALI is offering Zoom classes along with secure in-person classes which will follow the safety guidelines set by Governor Whitmer – that is, wearing a mask, hand sanitizing, and social distancing. Because of the change, the non-refundable registration fee will remain $10 for the semester but fees for individual classes have been waived.
The September 23 in-person class looks at ordinary quilts through an extraordinary lens. The instructor, Ann Beyer, has found that the patterns in some nineteenth century quilts were actually codes that helped slaves navigate their routes to freedom on the Underground Railroad.
Dr. Henry Aldridge’s October 8 class on Sergei Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes is also an in-person class. Diaghilev brought together various artists to create some of the most controversial ballets of the early twentieth century including Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird, Petrushka and The Rite of Spring. Dr. Aldridge’s Power Point presentation will also feature Debussy’s Afternoon of a Faune choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky.
On three Wednesdays in November, Hank Muir will again share his vast knowledge of popular culture by offering in-person classes centered on the music of the Big Five, that is, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern and Richard Rodgers. This is music that you have hummed, danced to, sung, and may even have marched to since it is at the heart of the Great American Songbook. Videos of these songs being performed by some of our favorite singers will be featured.
ALI is offering three Zoom classes for which you will not have to dress up, put on (or take off) makeup or leave the comfort of your own living room, kitchen, garage or wherever. On October 2, Don Chalfant will invite you to take a virtual nature walk. This is a splendid chance to not just look but also listen to the animals you encounter, and to look at the details of plants more closely.
In another Zoom class the four Tuesdays in October, Charlie Taylor continues his exploration of that most fascinating of all the continents – our brain. This semester he will examine the disorders and disturbances of the brain that are common especially with elderly folks. Even if you have never experienced a seizure or had difficulty remembering things yourself, understanding what is happening in the brain of a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s is critical to helping you deal with it.
The third Zoom class on November 10 is a journey through Vietnam and Laos courtesy of Mike and Cathy Muha. Mike is a Vietnam veteran who, with his friend, Tim, had what he calls a “controlled experience” in Vietnam fifty years ago. Mike and Cathy joined Tim and his wife on a trip to Southeast Asia where their reaction was “how things have changed.” The class will cover some history, including foreign occupations that have occurred over the last thousand or so years.
There are also two other free classes offered with our partners, the Chelsea District Library and the Chelsea Senior Center. Since the focus of these classes is on food, they are perfectly timed to help you either celebrate or sob since they come right after the election. On November 4, Jim and Mary Randolph and Merrill Crockett will show you how to spice up everyday meals with herbs in an in-person class at the Chelsea Senior Center. The next day Keegan Rodgers, the owner of the Lakehouse Bakery in the Waterloo Recreation Area, and Patti Smith, writer, special education teacher and historian, will offer Dessert by the Decade at the Chelsea District Library. You will need to call directly to the Chelsea Senior Center (475-9242) or the Chelsea District Library (475-8732) to register for these classes.
The registration form and catalog are now available for download on our website. For more class information visit www.AdultLearnersInstitute.org. and select “Fall classes.”
With the exception of the Chelsea Senior Center and the Chelsea District Library, the catalogs and forms will NOT be available at the usual locations in and around Chelsea and the surrounding communities. Be sure to check with the Chelsea District Library for opening dates and times.
Registration forms can be mailed to Adult Learners Institute, P.O Box 134, Chelsea, MI 48118. Registration is BY MAIL ONLY and will be processed on the day they are received in the ALI office. If you have questions, please call the ALI office at (734) 292-5540.
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