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Why was the electric slide danced at Black Lives Matter protests? What was the effect of the Freedom Girls performances at the former president’s rallies? How does this relate to King Louis XIV? In this class, you’ll learn about how and why dance shows up everywhere we find the force of politics. Together, we’ll engage in robust conversation about how social and political ideas are embodied. There will be engaging lectures, robust discussion, short viewings. You’ll even learn some simple moves that everybody can do!
Format:Lecture 20%, Interactive discussion 40%, Hands-on activity 20%, Demonstration 20%
Is self-compassion selfish? On the contrary, it’s the highest form of self-care. MSC (Mindfulness Self-Compassion) combines the skills of mindfulness and self-compassion, providing a powerful tool for emotional resilience. Mindfulness is the first step in emotional healing—being able to turn toward and acknowledge our difficult thoughts and feelings (such as inadequacy, sadness, anger, confusion) with a spirit of openness and curiosity. Self-compassion involves responding to these difficult thoughts and feelings with kindness, sympathy, and understanding so that we soothe and comfort ourselves when we’re hurting. Research has shown that self-compassion greatly enhances emotional wellbeing.
Format: 60 % Lecture; 20% Q&A; 20% Activity
May 3 - May 24
In this movement class, you’ll discover grace, balance, and strength through the joy of dance. All bodies, levels, and experiences are welcome. No prior dance experience is necessary! Through movement informed by modern dance, Tai Chi, yoga, and ballet, you’ll develop healthy body alignment and learn evidence-based health practices in a supportive community.
Format:10% Lecture, 15% Interactive discussion, 60% Hands-on activity, 15% Demonstration
April 13 - May 4
Simone Weil (1900-1943) is considered one of the outstanding thinkers of the 20th century. She was born to a family of assimilated French Jews and lived her life at the edge of Christianity but never converted. Her preoccupation with justice was not just theoretical: she worked in factories and experienced firsthand the hardships of workers. She died in England at the height of WWII. Weil was deeply interested in Catholicism and mysticism and fervently committed to alleviating human suffering. A gifted, deeply intelligent, and serious young woman, her work and her personal story defy classification. In this presentation, we’ll discuss her life and her most significant positions.
Format: 80% Lecture; 20% discussion
Do you enjoy sharing stories from your past? Have you considered writing it down? Everyone has a story to tell, and there’s no better way to do so than through a short but personal medium such as a memoir. Even if you don’t consider yourself a writer, this hands-on workshop will help you develop a plan for the beginning stages of writing your personal musings. Together, we’ll cover how to brainstorm ideas, organize those thoughts into a workable outline, and develop a writing plan for a basic but solid direction to begin sharing your amazing stories.
Format: 40% Lecture, 40% Interactive discussion, 20% Activity
The Myth of the Western is the staple of much of American film, but what happens when the Western gets that Italian touch? Do our cherished myths of the Cowboy hero and the vast, untamed wilderness get a make-over? Find out as we look into Sergio Leone's most cherished film, “A Fistful of Dollars,” as well as “They Call Me Trinity” and Spaghetti Westerns by other directors. We'll be looking at the hero and his flaws, the myth and the man, how the setting becomes its own character, and explore why this genre was so popular in Europe? Join us! (marinara not included)
Format:50% Lecture / Q&A, 50% Film
At the end of the 1800s, when young American teachers accepted teaching jobs in Hawaii, they couldn’t have imagined that they would become involved in the political turmoil soon to sweep over the Kingdom of Hawai‘i. The 1893 Revolution happened literally outside the school’s windows. You’ll learn about the events through the eyes of the teachers, the young students, as well as the monarchs and the missionaries who overthrew the kingdom. This lecture highlights Prayer & Politics at their best and worst. Together, we’ll learn exactly how America got their hands on Hawaii.
Format: 75% Lecture, 25% Interaction