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• D16. Anthropology of Food

  • Start
    03/25/2024
  •  
  • End
    04/22/2024
  •  
  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Kennedy 112 at Assumption University
  • Spaces left
    28

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  This cultural anthropology course will introduce students to how anthropologists think by asking them to consider the deep connections between food and power in a variety of societies worldwide. At issue: how do food systems interact with social hierarchies, religion, gender, personal and group identities? How does food work as a language? What happens in indigenous communities as food production and consumption becomes industrialized? Why is a food justice perspective a useful one, ethically? We’ll read anthropology essays and one ethnography (an anthropological study based on ethnographic fieldwork) – physician/anthropologist Seth Holmes’ prizewinning “Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: Migrant Farmworkers in the United States.” The course will ask you to rethink food in general and your own food choices in a social science framework.

  

  Susan Rogers is an Emerita Prof. (Holy Cross) and is a cultural anthropologist studying the politics of art and literature in Indonesia and Malaysia. Among her favorite courses at Holy Cross: “Food, Body, Power,” with an emphasis on non-Western cultures. Her 1978 anthropology Ph.D. is from the University of Chicago. Current research: refugee resettlement, Worcester.

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• D2. Two Jews, Three Opinions

  • Start
    03/25/2024
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  • End
    05/06/2024
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  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Library, Congregation Beth Israel (15 Jamesbury Drive, Worcester)

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  There is an often used expression “two Jews, three opinions.” And although Jews often employ it jokingly, even mockingly, most of us believe that it contains a kernel of truth. Now if two Jews have three opinions, then one of those two Jews has two opinions. Can one person hold two opinions concurrently? Apparently, they can, and if they are a Jew, they often do!  In this course, we will look at the diversity of Judaism and why this might be true. We will also spend a significant amount of time looking at Jewish texts on discourse and the importance of being able to have a relationship with those who hold different views than us.

  

  Rabbi Aviva Fellman is the spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel in Worcester, MA. She holds a BA in Religious Studies from the University of Pittsburgh and earned her Master’s in Talmud and Jewish Law from Machon Schechter in Jerusalem. Rabbi Fellman was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary (JTS) in NYC in 2012.

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• D3. A Beatles Musical History Tour - From Liverpool to Abbey Road, Part 1

  • Start
    03/25/2024
  •  
  • End
    04/22/2024
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  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    Zoom only

  Register

  We explore the history and music of The Beatles in a 5-part series which incorporates lecture, audio, and video. The course begins with an examination of the time before the British Invasion, and the onset of Beatlemania. We follow the group through the 1960s, album by album, as they progress stylistically, add new sounds, technologies, and mature lyrical ideas. Ultimately, they become more independent of each other and finally break apart. Participation is encouraged with discussions, polls, etc. There are suggested readings for enrichment and playlists accompanying each session.

  In Part 1 (this session),  we see how 4 boys born during WWII in the Northern British City of Liverpool progress from skiffle music to a rock and roll cover band then conquer the UK with Beatlemania! They achieve worldwide fame as recording and performing artists, gifted composers, and finally movie stars. Part I concludes with the release of the film and album Help!

  Optional Reading: Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles, Revised Edition, Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic (Kindle or Paperback)

  

  Gene Shwalb graduated from Oberlin Conservatory of music where he studied piano and cello. He received his M.Ed. from UMass Boston in online learning design and is currently their Principal Learning Designer.  He edits the Music Museum of New England website: MMONE.org. Gene recently returned from a Beatles tour of Liverpool and London sponsored by the Fab 4 Masterclass. He is also proficient on synthesizer, bass, and guitar.

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• D5. Controversies in Education

  • Start
    03/26/2024
  •  
  • End
    04/30/2024
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  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Kennedy 112 at Assumption University
  • Spaces left
    31

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  This course will suggest a framework for thinking about the current polarized views on educational topics. Starting with the proposition that discussions can be non-adversarial and productive, we will discuss learning theories; the value of standardized tests; the effectiveness of charter schools; inclusion of race and gender topics in classroom discussions; and the extraordinary cost of a college education. 

  Optional Reading:  Charter Schools and their Enemies by Thomas Sowell Basic Books, 2020 

  

  Susan Starr’s teaching experience includes classroom teaching; 20 years at Clark University teaching undergrads & grad students to teach elementary students; 20 years at UMass Med School teaching educational strategies to doctors who teach medical students and residents.  Currently, she helps high achieving, low income (HALI) international students navigate the process of applying to college and succeeding once enrolled.  Her areas of interest include learning preferences, urban education and college counseling.

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• D6. Intro to Genetic Engineering

  • Start
    03/26/2024
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  • End
    04/30/2024
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  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Kennedy 112 at Assumption University
  • Spaces left
    24

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  From the beginning, mankind has sought to harness the powers of nature. Over the centuries, humans did this empirically by breeding animals and plants for desirable traits. The discovery of DNA’s structure in 1953 revolutionized the search. Over the next century, scientists developed tools that could be used to improve the human condition, from laboratory-produced enzymes and vaccines to new gene editing tools that could prove transformational in medicine and agriculture. We’ll discuss the history of this genetic revolution as well as the challenges ahead. No previous experience in biology is required!

  

  Clare O’Connor is a cell biologist who received her Ph.D. from Purdue and did postdoctoral research at UCLA and Caltech. She moved to Shrewsbury in 1984 and led a lab at the former Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology before joining the Biology Department at Boston College in 1995. She taught both introductory and advanced courses in genetics and molecular cell biology before retiring from BC in 2017.

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• D8. Floral Paintings Through the Centuries

  • Start
    03/27/2024
  •  
  • End
    04/24/2024
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  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    Zoom only

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  Flowers have been an inspiration to artists for centuries. We’ll explore the changes in artistic style for more than four centuries: from the nature paintings of the Renaissance to the abstraction of the 21^st century. We’ll examine the exquisite floral paintings Dutch artists of the 17^th century and the importance of floral paintings in the 18^th century during the reign of Marie Antoinette and George III. Floral paintings from the 19^th century will be illustrated in works by Delacroix, Fantin-Latour, Cassatt, Morisot, and Van Gogh. The floral paintings of or by Georgia O’Keeffe and Joan Mitchell reflect modernism of the 20^th century.

  

  Martha Chiarchiaro has brought art history to life for more than 30 years. She received her master’s degree in the history of art from Williams College and has taught a variety of classes at the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester State University, WISE, and other cultural organizations. Martha has always been fascinated by the relationships between male and female artists through the centuries.

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• D10. Watching Birds in Worcester

  • Start
    03/28/2024
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  • End
    04/25/2024
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  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Public Parks in Worcester (outside)
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  This class will bring you outside to encounter birds through the seasons, from late winter to spring. Each week will showcase a prime birding spot in and around Worcester, where we will explore different habitats and build our ‘bird list’ over time. We will walk at an easy pace, looking and listening for birds, then stopping to observe their behaviors. Expect to encounter familiar chickadees and woodpeckers, mark the first Eastern Phoebes, and experience the early weeks of migrating spring warblers. Participants may enjoy the Session C course “Introduction to Birds and Birding”, but it is not a prerequisite.

  

  Dr. Martha Gach is Regional Education Manager and Conservation Coordinator at Mass Audubon, leads classes on birds, insects, climate change, landscape history, and many other topics, and helps restore and protect urban greenspaces including the pollinator and wildlife landscapes of Broad Meadow Brook.

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• D11. The Piano Men - Five Greats

  • Start
    03/28/2024
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  • End
    05/02/2024
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  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Kennedy 112 at Assumption University
  • Spaces left
    20

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  Since bursting on the scene in the 1970’s, the great song writer and artist Billy Joel has been known as the “Piano Man”, and the song of that name from his first album has been his signature song ever since.  Not to be overlooked, there have been a number of other great songwriters and artists whose principal instrument has been the piano – notably Elton John, Barry Manilow, Jackson Browne, and Ray Charles.  This course will feature many of the great musical compositions and performances of these wonderful talents who have enriched our lives so much with their music.  One artist will be featured each week throughout this 5-week course.

  

  Joe Corn spent most of his professional career as an engineer. He has taught in the NYC school system, Springfield Technical Community College and Penn State University, and worked as a technical instructor for Moore Products Co. Since joining WISE in 2010, Joe has presented both music and technical courses and is also a past President of WISE.

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• D9. Bicycles - History, Mystery & Future

  • Start
    04/03/2024
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  • End
    05/01/2024
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  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Kennedy 112 at Assumption University
  • Spaces left
    48

  Register

  The bicycle, human powered transportation, is a great invention.  “Across the world, more people travel by bicycle than any other form of transportation.”  We’ll discuss the history of its invention, and related inventions such as aviation. (The Wright Brothers were bicycle mechanics and applied learnings from bicycles to create flying machines.) We’ll explore the mystery and images of flying bicycles in literature, novels and science fiction.   Remember “ET”?  We’ll learn about Worcester’s famous cyclist, Major Taylor. We’ll discuss the role of bicycles in women’s emancipation.   Looking forward, what can we expect in the 21^st century as bicycles become an emblem of sustainability (green machines) in the era of climate change.

  

  Jean Sifleet is a retired business attorney and CPA. Jean is an avid cyclist and recently helped to co-found a new bicycling club called the Central Mass Senior Wheelers.  She has taught several courses for WISE and enjoys learning about the subject matter of the courses and from the participants’ experiences.

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• D13. Survey of the Collections at the Worcester Art Museum

  • Start
    04/05/2024
  •  
  • End
    05/03/2024
  •  
  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Worcester Art Museum
  • Spaces left
    0

  Join waitlist

  The course will consist of a series of gallery

  talks covering most of the collections of the

  Worcester Art Museum.  The course is designed

  for members who want a broad introduction to the museum.

  
  

  Course limited to 20 attendees.

  

  Paul Mahon is a professor Emeritus at Assumption University and is a Worcester Art Museum docent.  He collects Chinese and Japanese decorative arts and has had pieces from his collection shown at WAM.

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• D14. Humor 101

  • Start
    04/05/2024
  •  
  • End
    05/03/2024
  •  
  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Kennedy 119 at Assumption University
  • Spaces left
    37

  Register

  In Humor 101, we will delve into the types, history, and characters of comedy. We will  deep-dive into slapstick, dark, stand-up, surreal, improvisational, topical, and observational humor with the likes of Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, Henny Youngman, Monty Python, George Carlin, Richard Pryor as well as modern comics like Jerry Seinfeld and Worcester’s Orlando Baxter.  Homework will involve researching a type of humor that makes you laugh.  The goal is an appreciation of all types of humor.

  

  Joe Fusco has been a Worcester humorist/poet/storyteller for almost thirty years. Worcester Magazine publishes one of my humor pieces monthly. I have four books of humorous essays/poetry available at local bookstores and Amazon. I’ve featured at clubs, coffeehouses, bookstores, and other venues in Central Mass. I currently teach Humor to high schoolers at Gateways Academy in Shrewsbury.

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• D15. The Great Depression and the New Deal

  • Start
    04/05/2024
  •  
  • End
    05/03/2024
  •  
  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Kennedy 119 at Assumption University
  • Spaces left
    29

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  This course traces the path of the Depression, starting with the speculation of the late 1920’s through the Crash of October 1929. As the Depression worsens, it is not abated by the inaction of the Hoover administration.  When the Depression reaches its depth, in March,1933, Franklin Roosevelt takes office, and immediately addresses the serious banking situation. The programs created in the “Hundred Days” of 1933 begin to take effect. After a sweeping re-election in 1936, FDR makes a serious misstep, but the economy experiences a slow but gradual recovery until events in Europe command the nation’s attention.

  

  John Northgraves is currently an adjunct faculty member (History) at Mass Bay Community College, where he has taught since 2013. Before teaching at MBCC, he conducted study groups at Tufts Univ.  and Regis College during 2010 to 2013. John is a 1967 graduate of Tufts (Political Science major) and has focused on U.S. History for his Study Groups.  After service in the Navy, John’s career was in the technology field.

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• D12. Law of War

  • Start
    04/11/2024
  •  
  • End
    05/09/2024
  •  
  • Schedule
    5 sessions
  • Location
    In Person - Kennedy 112 at Assumption University
  • Spaces left
    18

  Register

  The term “the law of war” might seem an oxymoron. Are there any meaningful legal constraints on warfare? Or is all fair in love and war? This course will examine the central principles of international humanitarian law, which has developed over centuries through custom, treaties, judicial proclamations and international conventions. One scholar has called the law of war “a collection of international prescriptions on the conduct of war and the protection of victims of combat.” We will first examine the historical and philosophical underpinnings of the law of war, then address the evolution and application of international humanitarian law focusing on the Hague and Geneva Conventions and other protocols. We will also examine how the law of war is enforced and look at a number of case studies, including the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war. 

  

  John S. Ross, III (Jack) holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law. He served as Adjunct Professor of Law at Washington & Lee University and has taught numerous courses in the WISE program with a focus on constitutional law and the Supreme Court.  Jack also facilitates the WISE Special Interest Group focused on discussing Supreme Court case decisions.

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