Spring Quarter 2010 Classes - Thursdays
April 8th - May 20th
Piano-Keyboarding
Creative Writing
The Civil War-Beyond the Battles
John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Founding Brothers
Watercolor: Beginner and Beyond
Tai Chi
Book Discussion Group
Poetry Mosaic
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Offsite |
Class Descriptions - Thursdays
| Piano-Keyboarding | 10:00-12:00 |
| Jeanne Bryan |
For students with basic knowledge of names and locations of those ivories and some note-reading. By term end, students can play familiar tunes. Piano book $16. New students must contact instructor before joining the class. Class limited to 5.
| Creative Writing | 9:30 - 11:30 |
| Vel Gerth |
Enjoy spontaneous writing. Exercises spark the morning to increase the use of your unique language.
Note: class is limited to the first fifteen students who register. This class fills quickly.
| The Civil War-Beyond the Battles | 9:30-10:45 |
| Pete Mazza |
Students will gain an insight into the origins of the conflict that date back to the time of Washington and Jefferson. Instructor Pete Mazza brings his 40-year-plus avocation with the history of the Civil War to provide a narrative both lively and colorful. He will lead the class through the ante-bellum years and events, and the roles they played in either adding to or diminishing the potential for secession and war. During the war years he weaves together the effects of the military and political decisions of both sides had on the economic and social fabric of Union and Confederacy. The course will also explore the personalities and motivations of military and political leaders and how their decisions and policies affected the outcome of the war, and most importantly, the legacy it created for the 20th Century.
| John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and Founding Brothers | 11:00-12:30 |
| Les McKim |
Each class session will begin with introductory comments relative to the period, followed by a 30-minute film from the 6-part mini-series dramatization of the life of John Adams and from the documentary of Thomas Jefferson. The last 30 minutes will be a general discussion by the class.
Course is based on material from two books by David McCullough: John Adams and 1776. The time span will be from Adams' boyhood to the death of the two on July 4, 1826.
| Watercolor: Beginner and Beyond | 12:30-2:50 |
| Ellen Andersen |
Ellen teaches and demonstrates in transparent watercolor, but students can use other liquid media, such as sumi ink, gouache or acrylics in a watercolor manner. Some drawing is taught as it pertains to painting. Short demonstrations that do not take too much class time.
| Tai Chi | 12:00-1:00 |
| Tom Flener |
Tai Chi Chuan is a Chinese martial art based on the principles of softness and relaxation overcoming hardness and tension. In these sessions we will study the Chan Ssu Gong or "Silk Reeling Exercise," using the principles of softness and relaxation, to build a foundation for our forms and to bring these principles into our daily lives.
| Book Discussion Group | 1:00-2:20 |
| Staff |
The group meets weekly, or sometimes every other week when a "big" book is up for discussion. We read contemporary fiction, and sometimes nonfiction and classics. When possible, we choose books from the Seattle Public Library's book group list, so we don't have to purchase all the books we read. First book for Spring Quarter hasn't been determined-call the office to learn what we decide to begin with!
| Poetry Mosaic | 1:00-2:30 |
| Elhri Larsen, Facilitator |
We will savor a mix of poetry that moves us, emphasizing shorter contemporary pieces that we bring to read aloud and share. Poems by American and international writers-some light, some serious-who speak to our love of language and open minds. We enjoy and learn a little about the poets and a lot about life and ourselves along the way in a relaxed, non-academic atmosphere.