Is poetry, which has some reputation for being incomprehensible or even deliberately obscure, worth the trouble? If you have never read a poem that has deeply moved you or, as Emily Dickinson described it, "make you feel as if the top of your head is coming off," you may not really have experienced poetry. Poetry challenges us because it uses language differently than prose and strives to recreate experiences and emotions. Participants will learn some tactics for decoding poetry and, hopefully walk away with at least one poem that literally send chills up your spine. We will read a variety of poems from a variety of eras and traditions. Although this is a continuing class, no prior class is required.

How do we let freedom ring in our lives when political discord, digital technology, and information manipulation threaten our sense of personal rights. Using ideas from Timothy Snyder’s book, On Freedom, class participants will spend much of the classroom time in small discussion groups. The structure of the discussions will be centered on ideas Snyder has on how freedom functions in healthy societies. His ideas can be used as a base for how we want to structure our world to maintain our rights as people. We may know that we want to maintain personal freedom, but what does that look like? How can we best serve each other and serve our society to ensure the rights of all?

On Freedom by Timothy Snyder NOT REQUIRED

Class participants will develop a game plan and create strategies for coping with the fast-moving world. A world that puts emphasis on the young, because that is where the marketing action is. Never forget, this is the United States of capital marketing. The specific purpose of the class is to acknowledge that aging is not static and to give us an opportunity to share together how we have been coping with the necessary changes and challenges as we adapt. Although participants will fill out a private questionnaire, participating and sharing insights will be on a voluntary basis.

Who to believe? The local newspaper, the national news channel or our own personal intuition? Famed psychologist Erik Erickson (1902-1994) argued the first stage of psychological development (infancy to age one) is “Trust vs Mistrust.” Local newspapers are notoriously biased as are the warring national TV news channels, Fox News vs MSNBC. What is the best way to have white teeth? Who to believe? Veneers vs dental crowns vs the glowing promises of your favorite toothpaste? Advertisements fall into categories of veracity, hypocrisy, duplicity and fantasy. There is virtue in hope. There is comfort in “black and white” thinking. There is assurance in the promises of a trusted brand, person or procedure. “It always worked in the past.” As lifelong learners who do we believe? Why? Hard questions generate new ways to look at the decisions we make and in whom or what we trust. Together we can learn and move forward.

ACSM Certified Personal Trainer, Joni Grant, will explain how to "Age Like a Warrior" by understanding the battles and battlefields you will fight as you age. The first presentation will focus on the battlefield of self-directed ageism and how to get past beliefs which stop us from exercising. The focus of the second presentation will be the physical battles we fight as we age.

Book:Train To Age: Live Fully by Joni Grant (not required)

Co-facilitator: Ann Hastert

What do tea bag wrappers, Trader Joe grocery bags, old receipts and cancelled stamps have in common? They are all junk; items that would eventually land in our recycle bins. In this DIY world, Junk Journals have reached a niche in the crafting world using ephemera and mixed media and becoming ever more popular each day. Lisa Spencer, a crafting enthusiast with her own Facebook page: Lisa's Crafting Closet, goes live twice a week showcasing various creative projects. Come join us as she leads us to create our very own Junk Journal! (all supplies will be provided-you can bring any meaningful ephemera if you'd like to incorporate it into your journal)

Co-organizer: Susan Foody

Big idea: A pendulum is a simple but powerful tool in physics for studying motion, gravity, and energy transfer. In this hands-on activity, participants will build their own pendulums, experiment with variables like string length, weight, and observe the rhythmic beauty of periodic motion.

Location: SciTech in Batavia

Facilitator: Carl Hays

In a world of fake news, conspiracy theories, and post-truth, psychologist Steven Pinker helps us make sense of making sense. Join our discussion of Pinker's new book about rationality and hear him explain how our brain is not a basket of delusions and why being rational is essential but scarce.

Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters by Steven Pinker NOT REQUIRED