Adult Learners Institute announces its March lineup

submitted by Joan Gaughan, Adult Learners Institute

In addition to St. Patrick’s Day and the first day of Spring, the month of March also provides the following intellectual stimulation, courtesy of Adult Learners Institute (ALI).

Walking in Our Grandfathers’ Footsteps is the name of Wendy Zielen’s class on March 4 when she shares stories of the men who served in one of history’s most tragic catastrophes, World War I, the Great War. The stories of their courage, heroism, and pain are revealed in historical records and artifacts, as well as in their personal memories.

Hank Muir asks that one refrain from dancing to the melodies of the first half of the twentieth century in his American Musical Theater classes on March 6 and 13. However, he does allow toe tapping to music from Tin Pan Alley through Bing Crosby, Judy Garland, Nat King Cole, Rock ’n’ Roll, and even some singers we have never heard of. 

Ann Beyer’s March 8 class, What’s Up? Wolf Ethology, introduces ethology, the science of behavior, and she suggests that the behavior of wolves may explain some traits of human behavior. She has made several trips to the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minnesota, where she has learned much about the relationship of these animals not only to their own habitat, but also to what they can tell us about ourselves. 

We have all experienced that unexpected “hunch” that alerts us that something dangerous or harmful or possibly quite wonderful is coming at us. But when the moment passes, we tend to dismiss its significance. Beverly Fish thinks we should take that “hunch” seriously, and in her classes on March 11 and 18, Developing Your Psychic Ability and Spiritual Self, she will discuss ways in which we can enhance our intuitive abilities, not just occasionally but in our everyday lives.

Susan Nenadic’s classes on March 20 and April 3 and 10, Aging: Three Films Finding Joy in New Relationships, upend the notion that aging is simply a matter of rocking chairs and pills. The three films focus on an English woman who moves to a boarding house in London, a French lady who befriends a man considered “not too bright,” and an 84-year-old former Mau Mau warrior from Kenya who wants to learn how to read.

Unless you are unconscious, you may find it difficult to avoid becoming at least a little distraught occasionally. Reverend Dr. Price cannot promise to remove the sources of our anxiety but his March 22 class, Decision Making and Anxiety, will show how to hit the reset button when “S**t” happens. He advises students to bring along their questions as well as their sense of humor.

Trisha Terns’ trained ear for language has allowed her to figure out how to harness thought and language to work more effectively to enhance our health, wealth, and relationships. Her March 27 class, Mindfulness and the Art of Internal Language, is an engaging dive into the principles of neuro-linguistics, a tool that you probably never knew existed but one that can enhance memory and provide strategies for effective communication.

Is an Electric Vehicle in Your Future? is the question explored by John Daly in this class on March 25. Most of us have to admit that we really don’t know much about them. While most EV owners charge their vehicles at home, they also need public chargers. However, not all EVs can use every public charger, and various charger types recharge EVs at different speeds. This class simplifies matters and helps you decide if, indeed, an EV is in your future.

Catalogs containing more information on these and ALI’s other Winter/Spring classes, as well as the registration form, are available at the following locations in Manchester: All Things Green, Flower Garden/Vintage Flea, Worth Repeating, Manchester District Library, the Wellness Center, Laundromat, Manchester Market, and River Raisin Mercantile. They are also available at other locations throughout the Five Healthy Towns area, as well as at www.alimichigan.org. 

You will find that the elimination of ALI’s administration fee and the renovation of the website have made registration for ALI’s classes much simpler.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.