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ILR Course Descriptions - Spring 2024

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A Nation Without a State?  Scotland since 1707

Dates: Mondays, March 18–April 8
Time: 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Location: Thomas 124
Fee: $15 (4-week class)
Presented by: Barbra MacHaffie
Description: The Union with England in 1707 to create a "united kingdom" left Scotland without the usual apparatus of a state.  As a result, the Scots turned to a variety of cultural expressions to assert their national distinctiveness and these have done much to shape how the world sees Scotland.  We'll look, for example, at kilts and tartans, Celtic art, a national museum, tales of the supernatural, and castles.  Building on all this is the modern movement for political devolution and independence.

Little Sorceries

Dates: Tuesdays, March 19–April 23
Times: 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Location: Thomas 124
Fee: $22.50 (6-week class)
Presented by: Andrew Clovis
Description: “Little Sorceries” will examine the lesser-known history of the “Salem” Witchcraft episode of 1692. In this class, Andrew, a direct descendant of one the executed as well as of one of the last women exonerated for witchcraft, hopes to demystify several myths and misperceptions regarding the events of 1692 in Essex County, Massachusetts. In addition, he plans to show the wide variety of factors that influenced those events and draw parallels to other times in American history that were fraught with the concept of the "witch hunt."

Middle Eastern Cuisine Made Simple

Dates: Wednesdays, April 17–May 8
Times: 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Location: Zoom Only
Fee: $15 (4-week class) plus ingredient charge to be paid directly to the instructor who will provide hard-to-find ingredients.
Presented by: Raida Gatten
Description: Have you always wanted to learn the basics of cooking Middle Eastern food? If so, this 4-week online class is for you! Intended for beginners, you will learn about some of the most common dishes and flavor profiles representing Middle Eastern cuisine. We will make salads, dips (yes, hummus!), soups, main dishes, and, of course, desserts! Watch, learn, and prepare dishes with Raida from the comfort of your own home.

More Hand Sewing, learn hand sewing techniques

Dates: Thursdays, March 21–April 11
Time: 1:00–3:00 p.m.
Location: Thomas 117
Fee: $15 for class, plus $28 for a beginner’s kit, payable to the instructor
Presented by: Caroline Frey Mounier-Vehier
Description: Caroline Frey Mounier-Vehier has been sewing and creating with her hands (eyes and brain) her whole life. Taught to sew by her mother, she is a “multi medium” artist with fabric being her main medium. Caroline has shared her passion by teaching small groups and demonstrating her art in a variety of countries. Join us in learning more hand-sewing techniques, whether you are a beginner or have taken Caroline’s previous class.

Great Decisions in Foreign Affairs

Dates: Thursdays, March 21–May 9
Time: 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Location: Thomas 124
Fee: $50 — includes a booklet (8-week class)
Presented by: Dr. Janice Terry
Description: Eight discussions of different current challenges in Foreign Affairs. Topics will include Mideast Realignment, Climate Technology and Competition, Science Across Borders, U.S.-China Trade Rivalry, Understanding Indonesia, NATO’s Future, High Seas Treaty, and Pandemic Preparedness.

Whose Little House on the Prairie?

Dates: Fridays, March 22–May 10
Time: 3:00–5:00 p.m.
Location: Thomas 124
Fee: $30, (8-week class)
Presented by: Dr. Carol Steinhagen
Description: The Little House books isolate the Ingalls family in a series of dwellings on the late-1800s Midwestern frontier. Rarely do they allude to the original inhabitants of this area. In this course, we will consider Little House on the Prairie and On the Banks of Plum Creek in the context of Native American residents of Minnesota and the US-Dakota War of 1862. We will also take a larger view of the process of land appropriation by European Americans.