Adult Learners Institute announces its October 24 lineup
submitted by Joan Gaughan, Adult Learners Institute
On October 3, people who have signed up for the second session of the class in Manchester History will be walking around the city to see buildings that are still being used, many of which have endured for well over a century. After this walk, you may never “see” the city quite the same way again.
On October 9, Manchester again will be the venue for an ALI class. This time, John Hauger leaves his interest in the music of the twentieth century to take us back to the Chicago Columbian Exposition of 1893, which marked the 400th anniversary of the landing of Columbus in America. Because all the buildings were painted white and reflected the summer heat, the exhibition site was named the White City. The Exposition drew over 27 million visitors from all over the world and showcased new technologies such as electricity. And a moving sidewalk.
One of ALI’s offerings at the end of September was the first of Hank Muir’s two-session class, the Great American Songbook, Part Six. The date, October 7, for the second session was wrongly given both in this newspaper and in the ALI catalog. The correct date is October 14. There is still time to register for this marvelous exploration of our musical culture through Mr. Muir’s encyclopedic knowledge of our popular musical culture.
There is also still time to register for the last of Edwin Hoffman’s four in-person classes on Their Most Feminine Wiles: Groundbreaking Women Artists and Their Vision, 1600–Now on October 4. The original #MeToo movement might have been fostered by such groundbreaking women artists as Artemisia Gentileschi and Mary Cassatt. Mr. Hoffman is the creator and host of “Speaking of Art” on WAAM 1600 AM/92.7 FM radio.
Steve Daut’s alter ego.
As Steve Daut warns, his class Vampires in Folklore and Culture on October 11 and 18, is not for the faint of heart. From the Lilith figure of Mesopotamia to the Old Norse drauga to Elizabeth Bathory, the infamous “Blood Countess” of Hungary, and to the little vampires that will be trick-or-treating in a few weeks, vampires have been scaring human beings for a long time. So prepare to be afraid. Be VERY afraid.
Charlie Taylor brings his scientific gaze down from the heavens to the microscopic world of molecules as he invites us to wonder where we came from and what makes us … us … and not somebody else. What accounts for our big ears, freckles, brown eyes, and spectacular intelligence? Or lack thereof? Presumably, it’s all in something called DNA. But what is DNA and what can it tell us about ourselves? As Dr. Taylor points out in his in-person/Zoom class, DNA, Genes and Ancestry, on October 25, November 1, and 8, that “beautiful molecule” that contains our DNA is “where it’s at” and you may finally discover why your dream of becoming an Olympic gymnast never had a chance of becoming a reality.
Conifers are the spruces, firs, junipers — the kinds of “Christmas” trees in which Michigan abounds. And perhaps because Michigan has such an abundance of conifers, we take them for granted. That’s unfortunate, because these trees are vulnerable to diseases that discolor their needles and ultimately kill them. Dr. Brent Crain is a Consumer Horticulture Educator with MSU Extension and has worked professionally in research dealing with field crops and small fruit trees as well as urban and landscape trees. His in-person/Zoom class What is Afflicting Conifers in Michigan? is a FREE class at the Chelsea District Library on Wednesday, October 23. To register, call the library at (734) 475-8732 x219.
Zeitgeist. The term is loosely defined as “spirit of the age.” But how is the zeitgeist of one age different from that of another? Why, for instance, did the Victorians love heavy furniture, drapery, and cheesy bric-a-brac when we would feel smothered by it? In her in-person class, Zeitgeist: From the Middle Ages through the Nineteenth Century, Elizabeth Thoburn explores the societal factors that help explain why a teenager in the 17th century might have grooved on the Bach fugue that puts your 14-year-old to sleep. The date listed in the catalog is in error. The first three sessions are on October 15, 22, and 29, but the fourth session, originally scheduled for November 5, which is also Election Day, has been moved to the following Tuesday, November 12.
The paper catalog with more information on these and the rest of the fall term classes as well as the enclosed registration form is available at numerous locations in Manchester as well as at local libraries and numerous other sites throughout the Five Healthy Towns area as well as in Clinton and Brooklyn. Mail completed paper registration forms to: Adult Learners Institute, P.O. Box 134, Chelsea, MI 48118.
The catalog is also available for download on the website at www.aliMichigan.org. Online registration is strongly encouraged and is quite easy to use. If you have questions, please call the office at (734) 292-5540 or visit the ALI website by scanning the QR code.
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