Announcing the Lifelong Learning Program courses for 2020-2021

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  • The Lifelong Learning Program at the Instituto Allende is proud to announce that we have overcome the difficulties that the Covid-19 situation has caused all of us, and we are presenting our new courses for the 2020-2021 season.  The courses are below.

     

    First though, you need to know that not surprisingly there are some new things about this season’s courses.  First, all of the fall courses and some of the winter courses will be delivered via Zoom.  We will have plenty of preparation and assistance for people who need some help with Zoom to be comfortable taking a course using it.

     

    Second, all course registration is now electronic – no more in-person registrations at the Instituto.  We are using PayPal, as we have in the past.  If you don’t already have an account (it’s free)it’s easy to open one, just the normal email and password deal.  PayPal lets you pay with a credit card or directly from your bank in your own currency.

     

    And third, people not in San Miguel can take the Zoom courses.  If you have friends anywhere who might be interested, please let them know.  Registrations up to 100 will be first come, first served.  Classes are shown in San Miguel time (Central Time Zone), so friends elsewhere might have to adjust the class hours.

     

    Registration for fall courses (October through December) begins now.  Registration for winter courses (January through March) will begin on December 1.

     

    The full course descriptions, instructor bios, and links to PayPalregistration for each course are on our website:  http://instituto-allende.edu.mx/lifelong-learning-program/.

     

    Ta-da!   On behalf of our entire staff, here are the new courses.  Thank you, as always, for your interest.

     

    Jo Sanders

    Director, Lifelong Learning Program


     Pre-Hispanic San Miguel in the Context of Ancient Mexico and Mesoamerica.  Albert Coffee.   One-day course: two classes.  Monday, October 12.  Class 10:00-12:00 and 1:00-3:00.  ZOOM COURSE.  600 pesos.  

    Albert will teach about the archeology of our region of Mexico, El Bajio and the pre-Hispanic history of Mexico and Mesoamerica.


    Order and Disorder:  Police, Bandits, and Corruption in Mexico.  Gerie Bledsoe.  Two classes.  Tuesday, October 20 and Thursday 22, 1:00 – 3:00 PM.  ZOOM COURSE.  500 pesos

    The course will cover the history of bandito gangs and police in Mexico, 1860-1820, the movement of people from one to the other, and a discussion of current police corruption.


    Seeing Theatre: The Visual Aspects of Production.  Phillip Silver.   Five classes.  Tuesday, November 3, Thursday 5, Tuesday 10, Thursday 12, and Tuesday 17.  NOTE  DIFFERENT CLASS TIMES.  1:00-2:30.  ZOOM COURSE.  800 pesos.

    Phil will teach about the elements that affect the audience’s reaction to a performance:  theater space; audience/performer relationship; and scenic, costume, and lighting design.


    Mexican cinema.    Jesús Ibarra.  One-day course:  two classes.  Saturday, November 7. Class 10:00-12:00 AM and 1:00-3:00 PM.  ZOOM COURSE. 600 pesos

    The course will cover the rich history of Mexican movie-making since the 30s with subtitled clips from many, including some made here in San Miguel.


    Exploring Our Changing Cultural Complexities.  Carl Weichel & Kim Weichel.  Four classes:  Wednesday December 2, Friday 4, Wednesday 9, and Friday 11. Class 1:00 – 3:00.  ZOOM COURSE.  700 pesos.

    This course will explore our inner world with topics drawn from mental health, memory, politics, the racial wealth gap, and more.


    Red:  The Amplification of a Color.   Deborah Fausch.  Two classes.  Tuesday December 8 and Thursday 10.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  ZOOM COURSE.  500 pesos.

    Red is the first color humans see and is biologically, artistically, culturally, historically, linguistically, and symbolically primary in our lives.


    PLEASE NOTE

    Some winter courses we now think will be in person might be on Zoom, 

    depending on instructors’ travel plans.


    Sparta:  A Life Without.   Geoff Hargreaves.  Two classes:  Tuesday, January 12 and Thursday 14.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  500 pesos

    We will explore life in Sparta, which endured four centuries without coins, basic taboos, spicy or sweetened food, visitors, and light after dark, a life of sacrifice but devotion to war and killing.  

    Bridging the Gaps:  Healing Our Cultural, Economic, and Political Divisions.  Joe Belden.   Three classes.  Monday, January 18, Wednesday 20, and Friday 22.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  600 pesos

    The United States has seen earlier periods of deep division:  the Civil War and Vietnam, for example.  We will learn from them some lessons relevant to our current polarization.


    The Rising Tide:  The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed America.             Tammy Belden.  Three classes.  Monday, January 25, Wednesday 17, and Friday 29.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  600 pesos

    Unknown to many is the fascinating story of the 1927 flood in Mississippi, which transformed the lives of millions forever.

    Intro to Opera:  opera to be announced.  Phillip Silver.  One-day course:  two classes.  Wednesday February 3.  Class 10-12 AM and  1:00-3:00 PM.  ZOOM COURSE.  600 pesos


    Critical thinking:  Or, Don’t Kid Yourself.  Alan Gilchrist.    Four classes.  Monday, February 8, Wednesday 10, Friday 12.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  NOTE:  the last class is a morning class:   Saturday 13, 10:00 – 12:00 AM.  700 pesos.

    Common logical errors are self-serving, which is why we make them.  The course will explore these errors as a way to improve our own thinking.


    Global Warming and Changing Human Behavior.  Jini Gilchrist.  Three classes.  Tuesday, February 9, Thursday 11, and Tuesday 16.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  600 pesos

    The course will include attention to carbon monoxide, greenhouse gases, increasing temperatures, and more, and the possible and necessary solutions soon.


    The Roberts Court: Who Would Have Thought?  Larry Rand.  Four classes.  Monday, February 15, Monday 22, Wednesday 24, and Friday 26.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  700 pesos

    With the US Supreme Court now majority conservative, Chief Justice Roberts is at times the swing vote.  We will examine his jurisprudence and decisions from this past year.


    Myths of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico.  Gerie Bledsoe.  Three classes.  Monday, February 22, Wednesday 24, and Friday, 26.  Class 10:00 – 12:00 AM.  NOTE:  All are morning classes.  600 pesos

    The events of the Spanish conquest of Mexico are significant and dramatic.  You will learn about Moctezuma, Hernán Cortes, and La Malinche, the great actors in the drama.


    José Mercadillo and his Parroquia Murals in San Miguel.  George Tacik.  One-day course:  two classes.  Wednesday, March 3.  Class 10:00 – 12:00, served lunch, class 1:00 – 3:00.  600 pesos

    Mercadillo was a parish priest in San Miguel from 1939 to 1968.  He was a staunch conservative and a prolific painter whose murals can be seen today in the Parroquia.  A fascinating character.


    Consciousness and Prehistoric Art.  Raymond Stern.  One-day course:  two classes.  Friday, March 5.  Class 10:00 – 12:00 and 1:00 – 3:00.  ZOOM COURSE.  600 pesos

    Art created in Upper Paleolithic caves over 3,500 generations ago continue to provoke awe and wonder as the transition to modern humanity.  Few get to see them.  You will.


    History of Western Architecture.   Raymond Stern.   Five classes.  Monday March 8, Wednesday 10, Thursday 11, Saturday 13, and Tuesday 16.  Classes on the 8th, 10th, 11th, and 16th are 1:00 – 3:00.  NOTE:  class on Saturday 13th is a morning class.  ZOOM COURSE.  10:00 – 12:00 AM.  ZOOM COURSE.  800 pesos

    This lavishly illustrated course covers 200,000 years of western architecture from prehistoric times to the 21stcentury in terms of historical context and based on the principles of architecture.


    Photography as Art in the Context of History and Culture.   Charlie Goldberg.  Four classes.  Friday, March 12, Monday 15, Wednesday 17, and Thursday 18.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  700 pesos

    This course is about photography as an art form:  its history, the relationship between painters and photographers, and the impact of early photography on astonished viewers.


    Marginalization in America: Black Americans 1954-1965.   Larry Rand.  Four classes.  Friday March 19, Monday 22, Wednesday 24, and Friday 26.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  700 pesos

    Using excerpts from the acclaimed TV series Eyes on the Prize, we will examine the economic and social marginalization of Black Americans from 1954-65, especially relevant in light of the current Black Lives Matter movement.


    Ireland 1845-1939:  From Famine to Fame and Infamy.  Terry Fitzpatrick.  Four classes.  Tuesday March 23, Thursday 25, Monday 29, and Tuesday 30.  Class 1:00 – 3:00.  700 pesos

    How did this small island breed so many world-renowned writers such as Shaw, Wilde, Yeats, Joyce, Synge, O’Casey, and Beckett?  And politicians, such as O’Connell, Parnell and DeValera?


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