Acadia Senior College

Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Somesville

FOOTBALL - Ever wonder what all the fuss is about on Sunday afternoons, Monday nights & Thursday nights? Ever wonder why your favorite person stays glued to the TV, speaks wildly & gestures frantically when it just looks like a bunch of guys piled up on the field to you? Ever wish you knew a little more about the sport so that you could join your special fan in his or her football madness? Then this course is for you. We will teach you the basics: how football is organized, how the game is played, what that guy in the black & white striped shirt is doing on the field, and all kinds of weird stuff that you never knew. Dazzle your favorite fan with your new understanding of the game! Fun, beer & popcorn guaranteed.

Online via Zoom

This course will explore the modern universe, meaning the universe cosmologists think they understand today. We will begin with a review of what was covered in Cosmology: Part 1, namely developments up until about 1930. This will serve as a reminder to those who took Part 1 and an introduction to new students. Note: you do not need to have taken Part 1 to take this class. The course will discuss the big bang and the development of the universe, the life of stars, dark energy and dark matter, black holes, exoplanets and possible extraterrestrials, and a possible multiverse. Bob plans to be as descriptive and non-technical as he possibly can.

Online via Zoom. Last class will meet at the Seal Cove Auto Museum.

This course will explore how women demanded more social and economic freedom through their use of the automobile to assert their social and economic independence and transform their role in American society, communities, and households. Driving allowed women to try things traditionally closed off to them, thus creating a foundation upon which future battles for equal rights could be fought, such as the right to vote and the right to earn an equal wage. Learn more about female cross-continent automobile and motorcycle drivers, women race car drivers, adventurers, suffragists who visited over 100 cities, and numerous other women who contributed to positive change and took “mobilization” to a whole new level. The course will culminate in a special tour of the exhibit at the Seal Cove Auto Museum.

Harbor House, Southwest Harbor

This course will cover the evolution of the major powers post Napoleon to the death of Lenin. We will discuss the re-emergence of France, the progress of Prussia and the creation of the state of Germany; the decline, in importance, of Austro-Hungary; how the Sublime Porte failed to take advantage of European vacillation; British Imperial expansion, particularly in Africa; the Indian Mutiny and the two Boer Wars in South Africa; the decline of the Romanov Dynasty in Russia and arrival of the Bolsheviks and Soviet Russia. The course will include discussions of the great literature emerging from the United Kingdom, France and Germany together with the orchestral and operatic music the Century produced. Finally,we will discuss the effect the First World War had on the creation of today's Middle East. The First World War in Flanders will NOT be discussed. The book for this class will be Modern European History by Birdsall S Viault. The books will be available for pick up at Sherman's in August (after registration closes). The instructors suggest reading pages 177 to 420 to get comfortable with the main content of the period to be covered, and to re-familiarize yourselves with many of the developments in the 18th Century.

Online via Zoom

Learning and staying informed are essential to achieving your financial goals. These four workshops will cover topics for new investors, pre-retirees, and those living in retirement. We will discuss the fundamentals of investing, making your money work to achieve those financial goals, and how to prepare for the unexpected.

Selected sites on MDI

Explore the geology of MDI from when MDI was part of the Gander terrane attached to another continent, through the development of MDI as a large volcano, to when glaciers sculpted the present landscape. Each session will be a field trip by car caravan to a location on Mount Desert Island to examine the earth material and landform evidence of the geologic evolution of MDI. Before each class the instructors will send a map and instructions for where to meet for each field trip. Car pooling will be encouraged due to limited parking at some sites. Each class will start with a road side introduction, followed by various degrees of clambering over outcrops. Those with more limited mobility can explore more accessible parts of each site, while more mobile folks can choose more difficult scrambles to examine the geologic features.

Undercroft of St. John Episcopal Church Southwest Harbor

The events of recent years, particularly George Floyd's death, motivated Mary to explore American racism and her part in it. Layla F. Saad, a black Muslim East African and British author, has created a 28 day self-reflection program titled "Me and White Supremacy" that we will use to guide us through the exploration process with lots of sharing and discussion. Here are some of Saad's quotes that intrigued Mary, "Create the change the world needs by creating change within yourself", "You cannot dismantle what you cannot see," and "You cannot challenge what you cannot understand." Mary's goal is for each participant to have the opportunity to see and understand racism and to create change in themselves.

Neighborhood House Northeast Harbor

This series of 4 classes will focus on preparing healthy foods that taste great using a variety of plant based ingredients (fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, legumes) without having to be in the kitchen for hours. A variety of dishes, including appetizers, entrees, sides and desserts will be made and shared each class. This is a demonstration class, with everyone gathering in the kitchen at the Neighborhood House in Northeast Harbor, 3 to 4 different dishes will be prepared during each class for everyone to share. Recipes for all of the dishes will be distributed at the beginning of each class so folks can follow along and ask questions as we go. Depending on the menu for the day, Stefani may ask interested participants to help prepare the dishes and help with clean up after class. Stefani wants everyone to know - “I am a chef nor a professional nutritionist ,and will not be giving any advice, just sharing my knowledge of foods and my experience with my plant based diet.”

Harbor House Southwest Harbor

Ever wanted to write your own song? Written some and want to work with others to move to the next step? Join us in this workshop to learn from others, practice song writing, give and receive feedback, and offer support to others in the group. This will be informal, with only very basic music theory possibly involved. Bring your portable accompaniment instrument, your voice, any songs or ideas you already have, and a willingness to stretch yourself and have fun.

Online via Zoom

This course will examine the historical interplay between land value and the expansion of settlement in North America from colonial days to the present. It will include the role of trade and government, ethnic conflict over land, sectional power, mythical notions of wilderness and the creation of public parks. Related concerns such as winter and summer tourism in Florida and Maine, the evolution of western heroes, sub-urbanization, and environmental regulation will be discussed. The course will challenge participants to re-examine their own notions of the American dream.

The Church of Our Father Hulls Cove

You can determine if you might be interested in this course by taking a short, TRUE/FALSE, quiz: 1. U.S. dollars must be backed by gold. 2. Federal expenditures are supported by your taxes. 3. Federal deficits require the U.S. Government to borrow money to balance the Federal budget. 4. The National Debt (cumulative deficits) will be a burden on future generations. 5. The Federal Government, like a household, can run out of money. In this course we will learn that each of these assertions is demonstrably and unequivocally false. If you answered “True” to one or more, then you share fundamental misconceptions about money and Federal Finance with the vast majority of the American public, especially the inhabitants of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. We will explore the true nature of government money through the lens of Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) which, despite its name, is based on thinking about money developed and tested over hundreds of years. MMT provides a novel and liberating perspective on federal finance that can free us from false and socially damaging political ideologies, and could save the planet by unleashing our true capacity to fund public goods that benefit all Americans.

Harbor House Southwest Harbor

The Civil War Amendments (13th, 14th, and 15th) and the federal Reconstruction laws tried to inject justice and equality into the Constitution. The goal of this course will be to examine the Constitution, 230 years of our legal history, their role in creating the racial dilemmas we face today, and the consequences of legislation and Supreme Court decisions over the years. The Supreme Court helped the White South to combat that effort and to strengthen Jim Crow. The Court continues to undervalue racial justice efforts even today.

Undercroft of St. John Episcopal Church Southwest Harbor

This course offers a feminist perspective on mythology, anthropology, sexuality and religion and traces major figures, myths, concepts and symbols back to their pre-patriarchal origins. A broad philosophy of harmony with nature, of human concord, sexual liberation, feminist spiritual consciousness, as expressed and celebrated in a wild worship of the Universe.

Undercroft of St. John Episcopal Church Southwest Harbor

Enjoy the art of window stars, folded books, and other paper crafts to make something for yourself or give as gifts. One of the class sessions will include a walk in the woods nearby.

Wendell Gilley Museum, Southwest Harbor

This class will meet in person at the Wendell Gilley Museum. We will make a painted fish mobile, a simple five fish assemblage made of painted basswood cutouts, monofilament line and driftwood sticks. Students are encouraged to collect their own driftwood sticks. Steve considers beach-combing a valuable part of the creative process for this project but sticks will also be provided. The fish will be a mix of freshwater and saltwater species of Maine fish. By creating representations of wild Maine fish students will become aware of the variety fish in our world. Sanding, wood burning and acrylic painting processes will be used to finish the flat basswood cutouts. This will be a fun way to meet new people and make an interesting nature related piece of art. This class will also be offered separately via Zoom. Please sign up for one or the other.

Online via Zoom

This class will meet online via Zoom. We will make a painted fish mobile, a simple five fish assemblage made of painted basswood cutouts, monofilament line and driftwood sticks. Students are encouraged to collect their own driftwood sticks. I consider beach-combing a valuable part of the creative process for this project but sticks will be provided. The fish will be a mix of freshwater and saltwater species of Maine fish. I hope that by creating representations of wild Maine fish students will become aware of the variety fish in our world. Sanding, wood burning and acrylic painting are processes that we will use to finish the flat basswood cutouts. Materials and borrowed wood burners will be sent to remote students. The Zoom classes will be augmented by images of the work sent during the class sessions by email. Even remotely, this will be a fun way to meet new people and make an interesting nature related piece of art. This class will also be offered separately in person. Please sign up for one or the other.