CALL SP2025 8 WEEK - CALL SPRING 2025 8 Week Session

8:30 – 9:45 Pre Raphaelite movement - Kimberley Olmstead

8-weeks (2/18 (skip 2/25)-4/15), online Zoom, RECORDED

This course will look in-depth at the three generations of the Pre Raphaelite movement in England, starting with the group's inception in 1848 and going through the turn of the 20th century.  We will examine what made this group stand out stylistically in its time, and we will also examine the many sources of inspiration from poetry, literature, nature, mythology, and history.  Some artists covered will be John Everett Millais, William Holman Hunt, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Edward Burne Jones, Evelyn de Morgan, and John William Waterhouse.

8-weeks (2/19-4/9), online Zoom, RECORDED
Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, the most important and powerful city in early Russia, had close ties with Europe. Its prince Vladimir introduced Orthodox Christianity, which is still the predominant religion in European Russia and Ukraine. The Mongol invasion in the 13th century destroyed Kievan Rus, which was fragmented and ruled for several centuries by different national powers. Although Ukraine shares a common early history and mythology with other Eastern Slavs, such as the Russians and Byelorussians, the Ukrainian people, despite being ruled by different nations, developed their own cultural identity, language, folk traditions and arts that reflect not only the majority Slavic population but the traditions and culture of other ethnic groups such as the Cossacks and the Carpatho-Rusyns, In this course we’ll examine and discuss the Ukrainians and other ethnic groups, their history and traditions, including their culture, folklore, folk music and art as well as some of the literature and arts these traditions inspired. Whenever possible, our discussions will be enhanced by videos and other media. All readings will be provided. Coincidentally, the Brattleboro Museum and Arts Center will have an exhibit from March 22 to July 3: Contemporary Ukrainian Folk Art: The Matrix of Resistance that we may consider visiting as a group or individually.

8-weeks (2/20-4/10), online Zoom, RECORDED

This course offers seniors a unique opportunity to strengthen their financial foundation as they transition into retirement or refine their existing strategies. Led by registered investment advisor Tom Villeneuve, this course provides a comprehensive exploration of retirement planning essentials tailored to the specific needs of seniors. Participants will have ample time to delve into crucial topics that are vital for optimizing financial well-being during retirement.

From navigating retirement accounts like IRAs to understanding the intricacies of Social Security benefits and Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs), participants will gain a thorough grasp of foundational concepts. The course emphasizes empowerment, making the complexities of retirement finance more accessible and boosting confidence in decision-making for seniors facing the uncertainties of post-retirement financial planning. By equipping participants with the necessary tools to make informed decisions, this course promises an engaging and enlightening journey for all involved.

8-weeks (2/20-4/10), online Zoom, RECORDED

This course will explore and analyze songs written by the most famous lyricist of the twentieth century, Bob Dylan.

Students will explore Dylan’s lyrical magic in representative songs from six distinct phases of his career: 1.) protest folkie; 2.) angry rocker; 3.) mystical poet; 4.) country sage; 5.) disillusioned husband; and 6.) spiritual seeker.

Although Dylan’s abstract lyrics are sometimes baffling, we will attempt to identify what makes his work so memorable and important.

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person

In the realm of astronomy, observational oddities have been growing in number and confounding even the most august researchers.

We will start with some conceptual appetizers, including how the research process works, the bigness of the universe, and a review of basic stellar evolution, as this is critical to understanding the nature of what we cannot yet figure out.

Then, we will be diving into the core of the course: a survey of the mammoth, breathtakingly sophisticated telescopes, and their instrumentation, which are about to be commissioned. We will cover how they promise – or threaten, depending on one’s viewpoint – to shake up our image of existence - nothing less, and why; what they may reveal, amongst many other phenomena, about the nature of the atmospheres of planets orbiting stars “merely” hundreds of light years away…just in our immediate, astrometric neighborhood.

With all this in tow, throughout the class, we will cover that old standby: extraterrestrial life, and what that – “life” - may actually mean, once we detect something that we may think hints at it, as is now a very real possibility with these new assemblies.

This will be a live, in person, course. Terrestrials, and extraterrestrials, welcome.

8:30 – 9:45 a.m. The Limits of Democracy – Rose Kundanis (Hybrid)

8-weeks 2/21 -(skip 4/11) 4/18, hybrid RECORDED

Limits on democracy will consider the limits on freedoms of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: oral and written expression, assembly, and petition. Topics will include hate speech, college protests, divisive concepts laws and book bans. We will also review and compare historical events of limits on these freedoms.

Guest speakers include Sean Locke, Assistant Attorney General Director, Civil Rights Unit, Bureau of Civil Law who will speak about hate crimes.

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), hybrid, RECORDED

Each class will begin with a short handout on the current status of the particular topic.   This essay will begin class discussion then I will give a breakdown of society at the time of the writing and a view of the author’s life at the same time.  Class will then look at a summary of the book or play.  Videos, discussion and informal lecture will be a part of each class.    

8 weeks (2/21 (skip 2/28)-4/18), hybrid RECORDED

This course will examine the various arts supported under the Federal Art Project during the Works Progress Administration.  We will look at many kinds of art that were made during this program, including paintings, sculpture, murals, photography, poster art, and theater design.  The timeline will span from the early 1930's until 1943. 

*This is an expansion of a previously offered 4-week course on the same topic.

8 weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person

This course is based on French films, with associated clips about actors, directors, and locations, and includes:

• Transcriptions and card games of lines from the films for comprehension and speaking practice; Grammar points and vocabulary taken from the transcriptions.
• Clips from French and Québécoise television and the Internet, with accompanying hand-outs: News, ads, travelogues, magic shows, history.
• Videos made by the instructor, including visits to French families, schools, interviews on the street, and student-made videos.

Students should have at least a low-intermediate level of French.

10 – 11:15 a.m. The Drawing Studio – Katharina Rooney

8 weeks (2/21-4/11), in person,Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery

This course will be held in a classic studio setting of easels, still lives and spotlights you will learn close observation and develop your drawing ability. We will also explore abstract drawing concepts. All skill levels are welcome!

Materials: Drawing pad of 14” by 17” or similar size. Bring your favorite drawing tools such as pencils, erasers and sharpeners. Faber-Castel Pitt Graphite Kit Sample if you need to purchase materials.

8 weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person

This course begins with the evolution of atomic theory from ancient times to the present day and then focuses on a significant scientific turning point reached at the dawn of the 20th century.

At that time an international “perfect storm” arose from the clash of political and scientific events. which resulted in the realization that splitting the atom would not only release unimaginable energy, but that such energy would revolutionize warfare. The race was on, and the United States was in last place.

We will travel the world to meet the scientists, politicians, and military figures who furthered this work, and meet spies, saboteurs, common workers, and families caught in the atomic web.

We will go along on the secret missions of those assigned to either promote or delay bomb production by another nation. We will learn of missed opportunities to discover atomic fission, and of delays in bomb building caused by ignorance, incompetence, and violence.

We will witness the story of how America created a new secret new city for scientists and their families, and also chose to staff it with many workers whose prime asset was being illiterate.

We will learn how universities coordinated discoveries with vast newly created industrial sites thousands of miles apart to bring the nuclear age into reality....

NOTE: Be assured all scientific concepts will be introduced in an easily understood format with handouts provided for those who wish to dig more deeply into the topic.

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person

This class will discuss the origins, places, people, and things that have shaped the campus of Keene State College. Searching through the history of the Buildings and Grounds of the campus, we will explore this corner of Keene and how it became home to an outstanding Public Liberal Arts College from extremely humble beginnings. Learn about the history, legends, and people that helped shape a quintessential small New England College with a unique story.  Note: as the weather permits, we will visit many of the landmarks on Campus.

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), hybrid

Making decisions is an important component of a well-functioning society and in a democratic one, having procedures in place that involve input from all the affected individuals is critical.  A voting system is one of those methods used to determine the will of a group of people.  For most individuals, voting for national, state, and local officials involves the system defined by one-person, one-vote, candidate with a majority of votes is the winner.  Alternatives to this have gained attention in recent years.  In this course, we shall investigate the following: Plurality, Ranked Choice, Yes-No, Approval, and Weighted Voting Systems.  Furthermore, with each, there will also be an analysis of the effectiveness of the systems in terms of a set of desirable properties.

The U.S. House of Representatives has 435 elected members, and each state is allocated, or apportioned, a certain number of those seats depending upon the population.  Each state is divided into districts and each district has one of these representatives.  In theory, each of the 435 representatives should represent about the same number of people.  A method for allocating the seats to the states was not included in the constitution that was ratified in 1789; the issue was left to the first Congress to figure it out.  In this part of the course, we investigate why this happened and how the Congress struggled to establish a good method of apportionment leading up to the present system which was enacted in 1941.  We will also look at how the New Hampshire representative districts are set up and look at how the state uses an unusual type of district called a floterial district.

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person

Food insecurity remains a pressing issue in many developing countries, with millions of people not having enough food, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. What are the root causes of hunger in Africa, and how can we improve food security and uplift rural communities, especially in Africa's drylands? This eight-week course will review recent trends in agricultural production and examine the key factors contributing to hunger in Africa. With a special focus on the West African Sahel, we will explore innovative strategies and proven approaches to increase food production. The course wraps up with inspiring success stories that showcase how degraded rural landscapes can be revitalized, restoring hope and resilience to rural communities.

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person, note extended session $70

Of all the arts, movies are the most powerful aid to empathy, and good ones make us into better people ~ Roger Ebert (1942-2013)

This course is an invitation to newcomers and returnees alike. Continuing in the spirit of last spring’s offering, we will select and watch seven more films included in Roger Ebert’s first volume of The Great Movies (pub. 2002). Ebert’s goal was to provide “a tour of the landmarks of the first century of cinema.”

In preparation for each of our weekly screenings, we’ll read the relevant short essay he wrote to illuminate his beloved choices.

Thus, each class will typically start with a brief introduction, followed by a viewing of the complete movie, which in turn will lead into a large-group discussion of the film and of the talking points in Ebert’s essay for that title.

There are one hundred Great Movies included in the collection, so we’ll devote some of our first class to deciding which of them we’ll schedule for the following sessions.

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person

Registration is limited to 12 participants

Returning for its second run on the CALL schedule, this class is an eight-week, seminar-style investigation of the short story. This will be a discussion-centered class that thrives on student participation, debate, and vibrant give-and-take. We will dissect fundamental literary ideas, including structure, setting, character, and more. Several of the stories we explored in the 2023 class are repeated here, including Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find, J.D. Salinger’s A Perfect Day for Bananafish, Mark Helprin’s Monday, Andre Dubus (Rose), and Dennis Lehane’s Until Gwen. New additions include Philip Klay’s shattering Redeployment, the title story from his 2014 National Book Award-winning collection, and Joyce Carol Oates’s Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?

8-weeks (2/21 (skip 3/7) 4/18), in-person

In this course we will look at the history of the Harlem Renaissance (Great Migration, Red Summer of 1919) and the literature from that period. Authors we will read and discuss include Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, W. E. B. DuBois, Zora Neal Hurston, Laurence Dunbar, Nella Larsen, Wallace Thurman, James Weldon Johnson, and others. Discussion subjects: Why Harlem?; who should Black authors write for?; should Black writings be in dialect or “traditional English”?; questions of color; women of the Harlem Renaissance; protesting oppression; and sexuality and voyeurism. We will also touch lightly on other forms of art during this time period.

6-weeks (2/21-3/28), in-person, $40

This six-session class explores the Gilded Age and some of its literary contributions written by pioneering women writers of the period.  We will begin with an overview of the Gilded Age, and then focus on women who wrote great literature, investigative reporting, mystery stories and ghost tales. The class will include PowerPoint slides that offer historical context along with examples of the artistic, cultural and creative contributions of the period. Each week we will discuss assigned readings in a relevant genre.

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person, Mason Library 240

American studies revisits the 1950s.  If you took "I like Ike, but I love Lucy" back in 2019 BC (Before Covid), rest assured we will be serving up all new material this time.  We'll be looking at Tupperware, fluoride, S&H green stamps, organized crime, westerns, the Beat generation, all things Disney, the "do-nothing" congress, Truman vs Eisenhower, the Kennedys resurgent, SEX ...from Kinsey to Masters and Johnson (including how I lost my innocence to Eartha Kitt on Christmas, 1953).....and MORE!  (This course may be rated R...no guarantees).

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person

The Romantic movement in music, art, and literature dominated the 19th century. This class will look at the concert music that underscored so much of the century, from the passing of Beethoven to the outbreak of the Great War, when everything changed. We will get to know more about familiar composers such as Berlioz, Brahms, Dvorak, Saint-Saens, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, and Wagner, as well as a number of influential and beguiling composers who may be unfamiliar. Musical examples will abound, and no special musical background is needed.

2:00 – 3:15 p.m. Science Fiction, Film, TV & Philosophy - Sander Lee

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person

This course is an exploration of philosophical themes in science fiction films such as Star Wars: A New Hope(1977), The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), La Jetee (1962), 2001 (1968), Blade Runner (1982), Contact (1997), Arrival (2016) and examples from the Star Trek and Black Mirror franchises.

Using lively discussion and debate, we will do analyses of the films. Philosophers to be discussed include Plato, Nietzsche, Kant, Simone de Beauvoir, and Jean-Paul Sartre.

Folks need not be bird experts to attend this course. Simply, the joy of birding outdoors or from your home window is all that is necessary.

If weather permits, a stroll on campus looking for birds will take place.

5-weeks (2/21-3/21), in-person $40

We live in a world where true listening is becoming a lost art—yet it has never been more essential. Listening isn't just about hearing words; it's about building stronger relationships, resolving conflicts, discovering common ground, and fostering joy in everyday interactions.

In this lively and insightful course, we’ll explore the foundations of good (and not-so-good) listening, starting from childhood and evolving through life. With humor and real-world examples, we’ll tackle the surprising truth: despite its incredible value, listening is rarely taught—even in schools. But you have the power to change that.

Join us as we (re)discover how better listening can enhance your relationships, improve communication, and bring greater fulfillment to your life—especially in this chapter of our lives when clarity and connection matter most.

2:00 – 3:15 p.m. Australia - The Land DownUnder, Forged by Fire and Fortune - Peter Henriques

8-weeks (2/21-4/11), in-person (also taught online on Monday)

This course will explore the rich history of Australia. The nation continent has a history starting in Dreamtime inhabited by people wandering and living centuries before the first European sailing vessel sighted its shores. Flag planting, convicts, settlers, Aboriginal discrimination, national awakening and today, a modern society bridging the West and Asia, whilst one the USA’s staunchest Allies over time and one of the five eyes.

Australia - The Land DownUnder, Forged by Fire and Fortune - Peter Henriques

8-weeks (2/24-4/14), online Zoom, RECORDED

This course will explore the rich history of Australia. The nation continent has a history starting in Dreamtime inhabited by people wandering and living centuries before the first European sailing vessel sighted its shores. Flag planting, convicts, settlers, Aboriginal discrimination, national awakening and today, a modern society bridging the West and Asia, whilst one the USA’s staunchest Allies over time and one of the five eyes.

8-weeks (2/25-4/15), online Zoom, NOT RECORDED

RECORDED $100

Registration is limited to 12 participants.

Materials list provided on registration site.

Must have taken a beginner class prior and be proficient in how to use your

drawing tools with some knowledge of drawing papers, sketching with line and tonal

values. You will be inspired through photographic digital imagery, discussion, and sharing your work with others. This class will focus on Drawing Fundamentals (composition,

form, simple perspective, pattern) Continue a weekly drawing practice of your

compositions

4-weeks (2/25-3/18), online Zoom, NOT RECORDED, $30

Registration is limited to 12 participants.

Materials:

• Computer, a printer is helpful if you want to print out weekly notes or you can save notes on your computer files.

Learn a new language or review your beginner Italian studies.

Start from the beginning with pronunciation, simple verb conjugation in the present tense and sentence structure. This class is designed as an introduction to the Italian language.

This is the perfect class for beginners and the older population. Improve strength, balance, cardio endurance, and flexibility during a combination of both standing and seated work.  Light weights (1-4lbs) are required- but water bottles, soup cans, etc. can be substituted.  A sturdy chair, preferably without arms, is needed too.  Each class is 40 minutes long. It is effective and easy to follow!

8-weeks (2/26- 4/16), online Zoom, NOT RECORDED

Life, in some ways, can be compared to a game, and many of us are playing in our 4th quarter—but how are we managing the clock? This engaging 8-week course provides a fresh, thoughtful, and often humorous perspective on how to make the most of the time we have.

Using the P.I.P.E.S. framework—Physical, Intellectual, Planning (including financial), Emotional, and Spiritual—we’ll explore how to maintain balance in our lives. Together, we’ll reflect on two key questions:

1. How do we balance what we do with who we are?
2. What qualities do we want to nurture and model for others?

Through group discussions and personal reflection, we’ll examine both the play clock (our daily choices) and the game clock (our long-term vision) to ensure we’re using our time wisely. The final class will tie everything together, helping you reset your priorities and fully embrace this stage of life.

8-weeks (2/27-4/17), online, NOT RECORDED

Kabbalah, a form of mysticism that was once the exclusive property of an elite group of Jewish men, is now studied and practiced by a wide assortment of Jews and non-Jews, including Mick Jagger, Madonna, Donna Karan and Roseanne Barr.  Mysticism has always been a facet of Jewish learning and spirituality, but it has at times been a closely guarded secret discipline.  This course explores Jewish mysticism in a way that is accessible to all.

CALL participants will learn about Jewish mystical traditions from Biblical times on. Every week we will read excerpts from mystical testimonies and other mystical texts.  We’ll explore just what mysticism is, how mystical thinking has been enacted Jewishly in different times and places, and how mystical practice affects the practitioners.  We’ll focus for much of the class on Kabbalah, exploring its roots in 13th century Spain, its resurgence in northern Palestine in the 16th century, and its influence on mainstream Judaism today and on mainstream American culture.  We’ll look at Kabbalah’s transition from an arcane tradition of mysticism accessible only to a select group into a popularized form.  The mystical underpinnings of Hasidic Judaism will be considered, as well as their spread through the Chabad/Lubavitch movement. 

8-weeks (2/28-4/18), hybrid, RECORDED

The centerpiece of this class will be Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel, Parable of the Sower, which opens in Los Angeles 2024, a city ravaged by fires sparked by global warming and arsonists, by criminal street gangs, class warfare, and political extremism. The novel depicts the actions taken by an inner-city teenaged girl in response to disasters tearing apart her hometown. “I don't write about heroes,” Butler once said. “I write about people who survive and sometimes prevail.” In our consideration of Butler’s novel, we will take up the question of the role of individual action in the face of systemic pressures beyond the control of any one person. We will bring to our discussion of, Parable of the Sower ideas about heroism presented in short works by an eclectic mix of writers, including Hannah Arendt, Heather Cox Richardson, Alexei Navalny and Joseph Campbell.

4-weeks (3/18-4/8), online Zoom, RECORDED

This course will use the book A Deep Presence: 13,000 Years of Native American History to explore the story of Native Americans in the Monadnock Region. From the ancient Tenant Swamp site in Keene, occupied when wooly mammoths still roamed, to a 4,000-year-old stone dam in Swanzey and Native basket makers in Keene and Peterborough in the early 20th century, the class will discuss important local sites, artifacts, the scientific process of archaeology, and the remarkable survival of the Abenaki people in their ancient homeland.

4-weeks (3/21-4/11), in-person, $30

This four-week course will delve into why our locally seen birds act like they do. How does their brain work? Birds are very intelligent. The more you know, the more birds you will see and the more fun you will have!

The instructor will show his own bird photography of many of the species he has captured and explain each bird's behavior. For example, certain bird species show up near wetlands when there has been an insect hatch in the water. Or if there is a large rodent population, Barred Owls will be present.

Folks need not be bird experts to attend this course. Simply, the joy of birding outdoors or from your home window is all that is necessary.

If weather permits, a stroll on campus looking for birds will take place.

4-weeks (3/25-4/15), online Zoom, NOT RECORDED

Registration is limited to 12 participants.

This 4-week, beginning level course is for that person who is just learning how to draw and how to manipulate some drawing materials. The class includes drawing exercises and an exploration of the drawing elements: line, value, space, and texture.

Materials:

• A computer and a printer are helpful
• Sketchbook any size / or white drawing paper any size, graphite pencils 2b 4b 6b,
• Eraser, pencil sharpener- Charcoal pencil (soft or med), Blending stumps (or Q-tips),
• Vine charcoal soft or med.
• Objects from around the house for drawing study. e.g. some fruit, a coffee cup, a plant.

4-weeks (3/28-4/18), hybrid RECORDED $30

Success or failure in foreign policy is a function of many factors.  Geography, economics, history and culture, demography, and access to natural resources all influence a nation’s ability to operate in the international arena.  Leadership, however, often plays a critical role in determining what a nation can or cannot accomplish on the geopolitical chess board.  This four-week class will highlight the importance of leadership in the pursuit of foreign relations, using both historical figures and current world leaders as subjects to analyze.  Recommended readings will be assigned prior to each session while class participation will be strongly encouraged. 

4-weeks (3/28-4/18), in-person, $30 Redfern Room 112

Songs, Birds, flowers- composers have captured the magic of spring and Prof Eskin will share and demonstrate these - live in class demos!

References to Music as we age, Oliver Sacks, Levitin, among others. We will explore the importance of tuning our minds with vibrations.