Concord
The New Yorker: Best Magazine in the World?
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 16
6 Mondays: 3/12-4/16 1:30-3:00 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $35 Non-member Fee: $55
Join us in a new OLLI tradition - lively discussions of this chronicle of our times. Started in 1925 as a humor magazine, it became a preeminent forum for serious fiction and journalism. With a circulation above 1 million, and content that features the most respected writers of fact and fiction, The New Yorker is one of the most widely read and influential American magazines. Facilitator Janet Gould will choose the first reading; after that, the class decides. Choose fiction, an article, or maybe even one whole session on cartoons. Access to the magazine is necessary (6-month subscriptions at www.newyorker.com - or check your local library).
Janet Gould, a long time member of OLLI, was an enthusiastic participant of the Manchester New Yorker group. After several OLLI members expressed interest for a Concord New Yorker class, Janet offered to facilitate and is excited for classes to begin.
A Walk Through Old North Cemetery
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 25
1 Friday: 4/27 (Rain date: 5/11 10:30 AM-Noon)
Old North Cemetery, North State Street across from Walker School, Concord
Member Class Fee: $10 Open to members only.
During our walk we will meet a Preacher, a Princess, a President, and view the final resting place of many interesting people in Concord's historic past. Following the walk we will have lunch at 99 Restaurant at participants' own expense. Participants must be able to walk on uneven ground and be able to stand for the duration of the tour. Each participant must sign a waiver.
Julie Westgard-Cole is a tour guide at the Pierce Manse and a guide for school groups at the Old North Cemetery. Every time she leads a group through the cemetery, she discovers something new and interesting.
Best of Gifts
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 24
6 Mondays: 4/23-6/4 3:00-4:30 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $35 Non-member Fee: $55
The best gift you can give your family is to make end-of-life decisions now. Although talking and thinking about death can be difficult, this class offers an open environment to do so, enabling you to voice thoughts and questions about this delicate topic. After all, there is a part of life called the end of life, and it's as much about living every day to its fullest potential as it is about having some control over what that might look like to you.
Lisa Woods is a licensed Social Worker and Bereavement Coordinator at Beacon Hospice in Concord, NH. Her previous OLLI class on this subject received rave reviews.
Computers: Beyond Email
Class Size: Min: 6 Max: 12
3 Wednesdays: 4/25-5/9 1:00-3:00 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $30 Open to members only.
You can email and surf the web but could do more if you only knew how to. Learn to organize all your documents and pictures, change the screen saver and add or remove programs. How much space is left on my disc? How important is back-up? What are all these programs in my computer? Explore all the nooks and crannies in your Windows PC. Bring your list of questions!
Michael Bujnowski is retired after 35 years in computers and project management. He has developed and taught product management seminars worldwide and has been an Adjunct Instructor at the NH Career Institute.
Concord's Stained Glass Windows on Display
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 25
1 Friday: 5/4 9:30 AM-2:30 PM
Wesley Methodist Church, 79 Clinton Street, Concord
Member Class Fee: $25 (includes lunch) Open to members only.
Tour six churches in Concord to study examples and the history of the art of stained glass. Each church has a different type of window ranging from very modern to very traditional. At the end of the tour you will never again look at a stained glass window without really seeing and appreciating it. The tour is handicap accessible. Lunch at the Apple Buffet included. Participants will meet at the Wesley Methodist Church parking lot at 9:30 AM to car pool from church to church.
Virginia Gerseny has graduate degrees in Dramatic Arts, which include design and technique applicable to stained glass. As a historian, she will trace the discovery of glass to the masterpieces found in Concord.
Do You Really Hear Classical Music?
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 20
6 Tuesdays: 5/8-6/12 1:30-3:00 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $35 Open to members only.
A little bit of music theory, a little bit of the history of musical instruments, more about composers and a great deal of listening to musical masterpieces is the recipe for learning to hear great music. This course should give you an everlasting gift.
Virginia Gerseny was a music major at Ohio Wesleyan University and then became a music teacher. Later, as a dramatist, she directed and produced many musicals along with directing church choirs. Her goal is to help students really hear music.
Economic Outlook for 2012-13
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 20
4 Thursdays: 5/10-5/31 1:00-2:30 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $25 Open to members only.
This being a political year, even more than the usual amount of nonsense about the economy is being propagated via all media, by all parties, in a tone-of-voice of complete certainty about its credibility. Intelligent people tune that out. But there are some other sources of information that at least try to do a professional job of reporting the state and trend of the economy. We will draw on such sources as the annual report of the President's Council of Economic Advisors and the considerable volume of objective information that supports the financial community to look ahead, with the limited accuracy that is attainable, and try to obtain some insight into what to do next.
Sid Schoeffler was a professor at UMass and a Visiting Research Fellow at Harvard. He was also manager of strategic planning at General Electric and Director of the Strategic Planning Institute.
Film Noir
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 16
6 Wednesdays: 3/14-3/28, 4/11-4/25 9:30 AM-Noon
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $35 Open to members only.
Crime films of the '40s and '50s had a special look and many interesting themes. Films to be shown are: "Double Indemnity," "Pitfall," "Border Incident" and "In A Lonely Place." In addition you will see "Red Rock West," an outstanding example in the revival of recent decades known as neo-noir.
Bob Pingree began teaching film in 1967 as a graduate student at Rutgers University. He went on to create the Film Study course at Concord High School and taught film at NH Technical Institute. His previous film courses at OLLI have been very popular.
Finding the First Granite Staters: The Paleoindians of NH
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 30
1 Wednesday: 5/23 9:30-11:00 AM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $10 Open to members only.
The earliest inhabitants of New Hampshire arrived more that 12,000 years ago during the most severe cold snap ever endured. How they made a living, where they lived, and what became of them has been the focus of study for three decades. This class will provide an introduction to Paleoindian studies and will include an opportunity to see some of the artifacts they left behind.
Dick Boisvert, currently with the NH Division of Historical Research, received his MA and PhD from the University of Kentucky. His specialty is in stone tool manufacturing traditions and the Paleoindian of the Northeast. Dick serves as State Archaeologist of NH.
Franklin Pierce
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 24
5 Tuesdays: 4/3-5/1 1:30-3:00 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, and Pierce Manse, 14 Horseshoe Pond Place, Concord
Member Class Fee: $35 incl. admission Open to members only.
Learn about the accomplishments and tragedies in the lives of the 14th president of the United States, Franklin Pierce, and his wife, Jane. Debunk some of the myths that surround the Pierce presidency. This class introduces a new picture of Jane Pierce rather than the usual description, "the saddest woman who ever lived in the White House." Hear the story of the Pierce Brigade's mission to save from demolition the only house the Pierce's ever owned and lived in and tour the restored home. First class meets at Granite State College.
Following thirty years teaching history in the Midwest, Peter Wallner came to NH to research and write the biography of Franklin Pierce. Peter is currently the Library Director at the NH Historical Society. Virginia Gerseny is a history buff and has presented interpretations of several famous women in the New England area. Joan Davis is currently the Volunteer Coordinator of the Pierce Brigade.
From Aging to Sage-ing: The Art of Becoming One's True Self
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 20
3 Thursdays: 3/15-3/29 9:30-11:30 AM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $20 Non-member Fee: $40
The 20th century has given us the gift of longevity. In the past hundred years, life expectancy has increased by three decades, a phenomenon that is reshaping our families, attitudes, work lives and institutions. Participants will reflect on the challenges and blessings of this gift of longevity while cultivating the qualities that the world's wisdom traditions have always associated with spiritual maturity - loving kindness, wisdom, generosity, humor and inner peace. We will explore aging stereotypes, harvest the wisdom of life experience, face mortality and identify ways to leave a legacy.
Rev. Patricia Hoertdoerfer is a retired Unitarian Universalist minister who has shared her leadership experience in academic institutions, community organizations and interfaith communities over the past 35 years. She is one of 300 Sage-ing Leaders in the U.S. and Canada who have been trained in a philosophy of aging developed by Rabbi Schacter-Shalome, author of From Aging to Sage-ing.
Great Decisions 2012
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 18
8 Thursdays: 4/12-5/31 9:30-11:00 AM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $70 incl. book Open to members only.
You've read about American foreign policy in the newspaper and listened to experts dissect our role in world affairs. Now it's your turn to voice an opinion as well as learn from others. Developed by the Foreign Policy Association to promote understanding of American foreign relations, "Great Decisions" provides the perfect opportunity to learn about issues that concern U.S. policy-makers today and pose foreign policy challenges tomorrow. You'll read, watch and join the discussion of this year's topics: Middle East Realignment, Promoting Democracy, Mexico, Cybersecurity, Exit from Afghanistan and Iraq, State of the Oceans, Indonesia and Energy Geopolitics.
Peg Fargo has facilitated Concord's Great Decisions group for 4 years. She is an involved member of the League of Women Voters and maintains a lively interest in world affairs. Co-facilitator Will Gran served in the USAF at assignments around the world. After retiring from the Air Force, he worked as an engineering manager, consultant, contract performance specialist for industry and for the Defense Department.
Have Needle: Will Travel
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 20
4 Tuesdays: 3/13-4/3 9:30-11:00 AM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $25 Open to members only.
Jump on our special power-point coach and travel to France, Holland, Belgium, England and Scotland, examining all types of ancient and modern needle arts. We'll visit private collections with our hosts in stately homes and castles, view historical tapestries and embroideries in cathedrals, and meet with textile experts in major museums. Climb aboard. Everyone is guaranteed a window seat!
Betsy Leiper, nationally known in the textile field, has been an embroidery teacher, designer and lecturer for over 40 years. She has led numerous needlework tours through Europe, visiting museums and costume collections.
Intermediate Bridge
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 12
4 Thursdays: 3/29-4/19 1:30-3:00 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $25 Open to members only.
Continue to improve the level of your Bridge play. Focus on the intricacies of bidding, score keeping and generally hone existing skills. This is not a class for beginners but a continuation of the Fall 2011class, Bridge: Just Beyond the Basics.
Peg Gross has taught beginning Bridge to many. She has worked extensively with intermediate and experienced players to improve their level of play.
Kearsarge Indian Museum - Beyond Beads, Feathers and Tipis
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 25
1 Friday: 5/18 10:00 AM-Noon
Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, 18 Highlawn Road, Warner
Member Class Fee: $15 Open to members only.
Experience thousands of years of creativity representing tribes from all across the United States. View over 1,000 artifacts to discover the harmonious relationship with the Earth central to Native American beliefs as expressed through their art. Universal symbols - the circle, the diamond, the hand and the human form - are brought to daily life in baskets, pottery and weavings. See the artwork that preserves North American Indian culture of yesterday and today. Bring along a bag lunch. Please meet at the Clinton Street Park & Ride (I-89, exit 2) at 9:00 AM to car pool.
After retiring from 28 years of teaching, Edie Daigle became a tour guide at Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum. She is now the Visitor Services Manager and Education Coordinator at the museum.
Laughter Yoga for Health
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 30
4 Tuesdays: 5/8-5/29 9:30-11:00 AM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $25 Open to members only.
Laughter Yoga promotes physical and emotional well-being. No postures are required. Laughter improves facial muscles, is easy to do, doesn't require a change in clothing and is socially fun. Participants will connect with their deeper, healthier breath in its relationship to deeper, playful laughter. They will also learn about the fascinating history and philosophy of Laughter Yoga through books and film. Participants will leave with less stress and more creativity.
Marcia Wyman has been teaching for over 25 years. Her interest in Laughter Yoga began through watching a documentary while recuperating from a stroke that incapacitated her left side. Within a year Marcia had been certified as a Laughter Leader through the International Laughter Yoga program. Her stroke symptoms, during the training and subsequent teaching, have taken on a remarkable recovery route which she continues to this day.
League of NH Craftsmen - The Craft Education Center
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 50
1 Friday: 3/30 9:30 AM-Noon
League of NH Craftsmen, 49 South Main Street, Concord
Member Class Fee: $10 Open to members only.
Tour the League of NH Craftsmen's new headquarters and the Craft Center. Hear about the League's new education programs and learn about its 79-year history. Following the tour, lunch will be at O's Steak and Seafood Restaurant at participant's own expense.
Susie Lowe-Stockwell has been Executive Director of the League of NH Craftsmen for 12 years. She has over 30 years of management and development experience. Her personal interests include the visual and performing arts.
Lizzie Borden: Wrongly Accused or Self-Made Orphan?
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 18
3 Tuesdays: 4/10-4/17, 5/1 9:30-11:00 AM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $20 Open to members only.
Did Lizzie do it? One hundred and nineteen years ago, the murders of two elderly people in Fall River, MA created a legend and a continued fascination with the case. Let's explore Lizzie's life, the murders, other suspects and motives. Through lecture, discussion and photographs, we'll look at Lizzie's background, spend time at the Borden House on the day of the murders, attend the inquest and trial and follow Lizzie's later life. Bring your sleuthing skills and determine Lizzie's guilt or innocence.
Bob Pearson, an educator in the Concord school system for 37 years, has been interested in Lizzie Borden since his 20s. Having read and studied all the books, magazines and other case material he could find on her, Bob has visited Fall River several times. While not the "expert," he will do his best to present a balanced view of the case.
Local Trails To You
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 15
1 Wednesday: 5/30 10:00-11:30 AM
Winant Park, Trailhead at Fisk Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $10 Open to members only.
The Winant Park Trail was protected and donated to the City of Concord in 2009 by Rivington Winant and his wife Joan in honor of former NH Governor John Winant and his wife Constance. The trail includes forested walking paths leading to a hilltop with open views towards the St. Paul's Campus and the State House. Identify plants and shrubs as you explore the paths. The trailhead is located within city limits at the trailhead on Fisk Road, 1/2 mile from Millville School. Participants should meet at the trail site. You must be able to walk on an incline over rocky pathways. Dress appropriately for the weather. Be sure to bring your water bottle and a camera. Participants must sign a waiver.
Chris Kane teaches botany at Antioch Graduate School, is a member of the Concord Conservation Commission and the former chair of the Five Rivers Conservation Trust. He does rare plant surveys and land conservation consulting for The Nature Conservancy, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and New Hampshire Fish and Game.
Lunch & Learn I: Collecting
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 35
3 Tuesdays: 3/27-4/10 11:15 AM-1:00 PM
Heritage Heights Barrows Building, 149 East Side Drive, Concord
Member Class Fee: $20 Open to members only.
Explore the varied world of collecting - an educational, diverse and enjoyable hobby for many. OLLI presenters will share their individual expertise and passion for their collections. Join us for lunch (bring your own or purchase from the cafeteria) followed by the presentations.
3/27 Coins, Tokens, Currency: Coin collecting finds interest in the young and old and is a hobby that the next generation is always happy to receive from an estate. Discuss types of collections, how to keep them to prevent damage, how to display, where to find material to collect, and resources for new knowledge. Ron Boufford has had an interest in coin collecting from childhood, having engaged in it with his father as a young boy. After a long career in the real estate field, he decided to make his passion his profession.
4/3 Antiques - Infusion NH: One person's trash is another's treasure. Explore the idea of taking discarded items from the past and re-purposing them into new, productive uses for today. Donna Welch has been in the antiques field for over 30 years while owning her shop for 26 years. She is a licensed auctioneer, columnist and lecturer.
4/10 1860's - What, No Zippers?: Participate in a visual and hands-on demonstration of how Civil War Era men and women dressed. Rene and Shirley Paquin began an interest in costume production about four years ago. They own a small shop where they create costumes for various periods. They research authentic materials and patterns for the era that is being reproduced.
Lunch & Learn II: Historic Concord
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 35
3 Tuesdays: 5/22-6/5 11:15 AM-1:00 PM
Heritage Heights Barrows Building, 149 East Side Drive, Concord
Member Class Fee: $20 Open to members only.
Discover Concord's local history. Hear three presenters reveal stories from the past that helped shape Concord today. Join us for lunch (bring your own or purchase from the cafeteria) followed by the presentations.
5/22 History of the Concord Monitor: Felice Belman is a longtime New Hampshire journalist and the editor of the Concord Monitor. She will talk about the history of the 200-year-old newspaper and the myriad changes in technology and people's reading habits that have shaped today's Monitor.
5/29 White's Opera House - Concord's Stage: White's Opera House stood at the corner of Main Street and Park Street in Concord. From its construction in 1875 until it was destroyed by fire in 1920, White's Opera House was a seat of learning and entertainment in Concord. Relive some of the notable performances on that stage. Megan De Vorsey is a trustee of the Concord Public Library. She prepared the grant to preserve the White's Opera House scrapbooks.
6/5 The Women's Sawmill at Turkey Pond: "They Sawed Up A Storm" is a photo presentation about a group of NH women who operated a sawmill on the shores of Turkey Pond in 1942, the 1938 hurricane and the determination of the people of New England. Sarah S. Smith is the Forest Industry Specialist with the UNH Cooperative Extension, a position she's held for 22 years. She has also written a book under the same title.
Native American History: Truths We Didn't Learn in School
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 20
2 Tuesdays: 6/5-6/12 9:30-11:00 AM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $15 Open to members only.
Explore the truths you didn't learn in school. These truths include: 1. Christopher Columbus was naughty; 2. Thanksgiving was a feast of stolen food; 3. The Iroquois Confederacy, those "savages," shaped the U.S. Constitution.
Dan Stauffacher is an adjunct professor at SNHU, where he teaches Native American history and culture, in their own voices. He and his wife Pam are developing a Native American Village in Allenstown, NH.... but that is only part of the story.
New Hampshire's Historic Highway Markers
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 30
1 Thursday: 4/5 10:00-11:30 AM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $10 Open to members only.
Explore the history of those green signs scattered all over the state. How did the NH marker program start? How do markers get proposed, written, and erected? These capsule histories tell the story, not just of people and places in New Hampshire, but also of the people who care enough about this history to write 14 lines about it. Marker topics range from the town that seceded from the U.S. to the first widely-reported alien abduction. The new online interactive map will be explored, as well as thematic marker tours proposed by the office of tourism.
Mary Kate Ryan is the State Survey Coordinator for the NH Division of Historical Resources. She finds the constraints of marker text (telling a story in no more than 14 lines of text that are at maximum 45 characters long) a great challenge, but worth the effort.
Refugees' Journeys to the Granite State
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 25
2 Wednesdays: 3/14-3/21 1:00-2:30 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $15 Open to members only.
Walk through the Refugee Resettlement process, from overseas to the U.S. and to NH in particular. Review government agencies that are involved in resettling refugees and in other services offered to refugees. Current and former refugees will offer their personal stories.
Augustin Ntabaganyimana was born in Rwanda. He fled to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1994 due to civil unrest in Rwanda. He is currently employed as a Program Manager for the Refugee Resettlement Program at Lutheran Social Services.
Tai Chi 101 - Graceful, Peaceful and Relaxing
Class Size: Min: 6 Max: 15
1 Tuesday: 3/13 1:30-3:00 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $10 Open to members only.
Tai Chi is a series of slow flowing movements, seated or standing, that cultivates energy, while at the same time releasing stress and tension. It is a great way to increase circulation, improve balance, strength, vitality and co-ordination. Reseach shows that Tai Chi promotes health, healing and longevity.
Lin Lin Choy has been teaching Tai Chi for the past 18 years both in England and New England. She has presented workshops and demonstrations at schools, universities, hospitals and museums.
Zentangle
Class Size: Min: 8 Max: 15
1 Tuesday: 3/20 1:00-2:30 PM
Granite State College, 8 Old Suncook Road, Concord
Member Class Fee: $10 Open to members only.
Discover the new and creative drawing form called Zentangle. Watch the instructor create a Zentangle, browse through the plentiful examples of Zentangles on display, and try your hand at a tangle pattern or two. Participants will have the opportunity to complete and take home their first Zentangle.
Diane Lachance is a graduate of the architectural engineering program at NHTI. Teaching drawing has been a joy for many years, especially through the years she home-schooled her son. Becoming a Certified Zentangle Teacher has added an exciting element to teaching, reaching artists and non-artists alike.