Lifelong Learning at Wofford offers new slate of courses

"SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Lifelong Learning at Wofford College is entering its second year with a new slate of classes for adult learners. The new eight-week session will run from Sept. 19 through Nov. 11, with weekly courses along with special programs, workshops and presentations. Enrollment is open now.

“We have nearly two dozen weekly courses, ranging from meditation and gentle movement classes to history, classic TV, music, arts and crafts, and even the birds of South Carolina,” says Morgan Jordan, the new director of Lifelong Learning at Wofford. Jordan took over the position following the retirement of Charlie Gray, a long-time college staff member.

“Lifelong Learning at Wofford was a huge success during its inaugural year last year, and we’re so excited about the offerings for the coming fall session,” Jordan adds.

A “no tests, no homework, just fun” philosophy is ingrained in every aspect of the program. Classes feature hands-on learning activities, audiovisual presentations and small class sizes to create interactive, fun learning, she says.

Each class is taught by local or regional experts, providing the same high standard of instruction expected in a regular Wofford course. “It’s top-notch teaching in an atmosphere of variety and culture,” Jordan says.

Membership in Lifelong Learning at Wofford allows you to register for classes, receive newsletters and mailings from the program, and register for one-time presentations, workshops, seminars and field trips available exclusively to members. A yearly membership is $50 per person; the membership year runs from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31.

Members then select the course or courses they wish to take at $40 per course. Special events, workshops and trips may be free of charge to members or available at a reasonable price, depending on the materials needed.

To join Lifelong Learning at Wofford and to register for classes, go to www.wofford.edu/lifelonglearning/. Lifelong Learning at Wofford courses:

(Note: CUMC is Central United Methodist Church; unless otherwise noted, all other courses and programs are held on Wofford College’s campus.)

Intermediate Bridge
PAC 820
Instructor: George Russell
Mondays, 10-11:30 a.m.
CUMC Music Room
Popular throughout the world, bridge is a trick-taking game played in clubs, homes and online. This course is designed for players with some knowledge of bidding and play. Participants will cover basic suit, no-trump, slam and pre-emptive bidding. Declarer techniques of drawing trumps, ruffing losers and setting up long suits also will be discussed. Classes will consist of short lectures and playing lesson hands.
Class size: 8-28

A Matter of Balance
EFB 801
Instructor: Julie Ward
Mondays, 2:30-3:30 p.m.
CUMC Parlor Room
Fitness instructor Julie Ward will lead this one-hour gentle movement course designed to build muscles, strengthen bones, improve posture and balance and increase core strength. Participants will learn gentle, easy movements that increase flexibility and strengthen the body from head to toe. In this interactive class, participants will discuss overall body health designed for adults before participating in multiple movement exercises that may be done sitting down or standing up. Discussions will include topics such as diet and nutrition, lifetime skills and current health events and articles. Participants of all fitness levels are welcome, as the movements will be individually tailored to each learner’s comfort level. Loose, comfortable clothing, along with a pair of sturdy shoes, is encouraged.
Class size: 8-15

A Walk through Colonial South Carolina
HGP 801
Instructor: Dr. Phillip Stone II
Mondays, 3:30-5 p.m.
Wofford College, Sandor Teszler Library conference room
This course examines the settlement and growth of the Carolina Colony up to the American Revolution. Learners will see how South Carolina fits into the British Empire and how it was similar to and different from other North American colonies. Participants will look at how the colony’s growth put it, along with the other colonies, on a collision course with the empire and led to the Revolutionary War.
Class size: 5-20

Pen and Ink Drawing
FAC 800
Instructor: Ray Holland
Tuesdays, 9-11:30 a.m.
CUMC Music Room
This relaxed, 2 1/2 hour studio class is for both new and returning students and includes both group and individual instruction. No previous experience is required. New learners will complete at least three projects during the course of eight weeks. The class will cover strokes, techniques, hints, secrets and tricks of working with pen and ink. Materials will be needed and a list will be provided prior to the first class.
Class size: 10-12

Legendary Lives of Appalachian Women Part II
HGP 861
Instructor: Dr. Maxine Appleby
Tuesdays, 9:30-11 a.m.
CUMC Room 214-Garrett
This course will continue to examine legendary Appalachian women as well as their greatest failures and accomplishments in the context of the times during which they lived. The time period covered during this course will be from 1860 to the present day.
Class size: 2-20

Learn to Play Pinochle
PAC 801
Instructor: David Grote
Tuesdays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
CUMC Fellowship Hall
Participants will learn to play pinochle, the fast-paced card game of four that has gained popularity all over the world – especially in military circles. The rules of the game may be relatively simple, but it takes good communication skills in order to play well. Two teams play with a 48-card deck. Players score points by taking tricks and by forming combinations of cards into melds. Each hand is played in three phases: bidding, melds and tricks. Participants will learn the competitive game, but the focus of the course will be on fun. Veterans of the game that would like to play with other experienced players are welcome to join the pinochle special interest group that will be held on Thursdays at no cost. If you are a pinochle veteran and would like to participate in the special interest group, please contact David Grote at davidgrote@bellsouth.net to sign up. All new beginner players wishing to take the class must register through Lifelong Learning.
Class size: 8-20

Fascinating Characters in American History Part II
HGP 869
Instructor: David Grote
Tuesdays, 1-2:30 p.m.
CUMC Room 214-Garrett
This course will focus on various characters throughout American history. Characters will include Douglas MacArthur (two classes), Wyatt Earp, John Denver, Neil Diamond, Nikola Tesla, military figures from both sides during the Civil War and Lucy Pickens. Guest instructors for this course include Emily Cooper, Charlie Gray, Ray Holland and Ray Wunsch. Cooper, the author of the book “Queen of the Lost,” will present the life and lifestyle of the local legend Lucy Holcombe Pickens – a woman who charmed governors, generals, the tsar, Freemasons and filibusters alike. Wunsch will use his re-enactment experience to present various soldiers from both sides of the Civil War. Gray will present the legendary western lawman Wyatt Earp, and Holland will present Nikola Tesla. Various instructors will teach each character through re-enactment, lectures and interactive sessions.
Class size: 8-20

Music and Culture of the 1960s
FAC 880
Instructor: Jack Fisher
Tuesdays, 1:30-3 p.m.
CUMC Music Room
Take a trip back to the soundtrack of the 1960s with this course that demonstrates how the music of the decade had a profound effect on the culture, which included the Civil Rights Movement; the assassinations of JFK, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy; the Cuban missile crisis; the sexual revolution; the Vietnam War and the moon landing. Specifically, participants will discuss “The New Frontier” (1960-63), “The British Invasion” (1964-67) and “The Counter-Culture” (1967-69).
Class size: 12-20

Beginner Knitting
PAC 860
Instructor: Gail Jones
Tuesdays, 2-3:30 p.m.
CUMC Parlor Room
This beginner knitting course is designed to teach the basics of the knitting art. While this course is led by an instructor, the lessons are self-paced by the individual learner. Participants will learn the basics of casting on, knitting, purling and binding off stitches. Learners will complete a cotton dishcloth and upon completion will have the option to move on to other projects, such as scarves and baby blankets. A size 8, 29-inch-long circular knitting needle will be needed for this class, along with a skein of Peaches and Cream cotton yarn. Supplies may be purchased at any local craft or knitting store and will be used the first day of class.
Class size: 3-8

A Mind-Body Experience: Meditation for Everyone
EFB 804
Instructor: Dr. John Simmons
Wednesdays, 10-11:30 a.m.
Anna Todd Wofford Center, Andrews Field House, Wofford College
Learn how to slow down and find some calm in the fast-paced world in which we live. During this six-week class, participants will learn the benefits and techniques of meditation.
Class size: 6-12

Electing the U.S. President
HGP 876
Instructor: Olin Sansbury
Mondays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
CUMC Room 214-Garrett
This timely course will examine how the presidency has evolved from the days of the Founding Fathers. Participants will learn about and discuss the Electoral College, the evolution of the political parties and the voting population, how candidates are chosen for election and the outcome of various (and upcoming) elections.
Class size: 10-25

Classic TV Shows of the 1950s
FAC 890
Instructor: Gail McAbee
Wednesdays, 1:30-3 p.m.
CUMC Music Room
This course will provide an overview of some of the classic TV shows during the 1950s. Participants will have the opportunities to discuss clips watched during class and learn about the history of each show, actors and actresses, and the pop culture significance each show had on an entire generation. Join author and classic TV-lover Gail McAbee as she leads this course about the early days of television – when TV was new, fresh and undoubtedly groundbreaking.
Class size: 7-21

U.S. 20th Century Diplomatic and Military History
HGP 850
Bob Perrin
Instructor: Wednesdays, 2-3:30 p.m.
CUMC Room 214-Garrett
This course gives a brief history of America’s diplomatic and military history from World War I to the beginning of World War II. The goal is to demonstrate the unique connection between ethnic, tribal, religious and nationalistic causes underlying WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and conflicts in the world today.
Class size: 3-20

An Introduction to Qigong
EFB 805
Instructor: Simon B. Cairns
Thursdays, 8:30-10 a.m.
Greek Village lawn, Wofford College (weather permitting) or CUMC Fellowship Hall (during inclement weather)
Qigong is an ancient form of gentle movement, tracing its foundation back thousands of years. Most people are familiar with the martial art Tai Qi, yet qigong is a much more ancient, gentle form of exercise. Originating in China, the word “Qigong” means to cultivate vitality, and the exercises are most often used for healing and balance rather than defense. In this class, participants will learn simple qigong movements and breathing exercises, which are as ancient and profound as time itself. Participants also will cover the famous five animal frolics, modeled after the crane, bear, monkey, deer and tiger. This is the oldest known qigong system still practiced today and helps to develop strength, grace, flexibility and balance. This class will be held outdoors during good weather and indoors during rainy or chilly mornings.
Class size: 10-50

Watercolor Basics (Watercolors 101)
FAC 804
Instructor: Amy Weaver
Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-noon
CUMC Music Room
This introductory art class explores the basics of watercolor brushes, paints, paper, painter terminology, techniques and the color wheel while learning to paint simple subjects through “see and do” group demonstrations and individual practice. Each class builds upon the previous one and is supplemented with homework. Homework assignments require an internet connection and color printer. No drawing experience is required but is helpful. A materials fee of $25 is due to the instructor at the beginning of the first class.
Class size: 4-12

A Peculiar People: Mormon History, Theology and Culture
RPE 871
Instructor: Andrew Jordan
Thursdays, 9:30-11 a.m.
CUMC Room 214-Garrett
This course will discuss the major components of Mormon identity by examining Mormonism’s history, theology and religious and social culture. Topics to be explored include the historical and cultural influences of the time period in which the Mormon faith arose, Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, the establishment of the church in Utah and the western United States, and past and present theology and cultural identity. This introductory course is aimed at the many students of various world religions who wish to gain an understanding of the history, art, theology and culture of one of the many faiths we live by.
Class size: 2-15

Birds of South Carolina
PAC 900
Instructors: Carol-Ann Valentine and Tom Leclair
Thursdays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
CUMC Upper Room
Wild Birds Unlimited owner Carol-Ann Valentine will provide an in-depth look at some of the most common birds in the area. Participants will learn about local birds, their needs, habitats and unique features. This lecture-and-discussion-based class is intended to help participants become familiar with birds of the Upstate and learn to recognize the ones we see every day.
Class size: 2-25

Who is Who, What is What and Where is Where in 1st Century Palestine?: The Complex, Troublesome, Dangerous Home of the Beginnings of Christianity
RPE 805
Instructor: James Ellis Griffeth
Thursdays, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
CUMC Room 214-Garrett
This course will describe the context in which Jesus lived and in which Christianity emerged. Learners will study the geography, topography, history of invasions, languages, ethnic groups, political realities, religions, Greco-Roman lifestyles of the “rich and infamous” and the everyday realities of peasant life in 1st century Palestine. In addition, participants will learn what peasant farmers, shepherds, builders, housewives and others really did on a daily basis. The class also will explore the housing, fields, stables and burial customs of that century. A copy of the Oxford Bible Atlas, Fourth edition, ed. Adrian Curtis will be needed for this course. The paperback version of this book may be purchased for less than $20 from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. The book ISBN is: 9780199560462.
Class size: 5-25

Legendary Lives of Appalachian Women Part I
HGP 851
Instructor: Dr. Maxine Appleby
Thursdays, noon-1:30 p.m.
CUMC Music Room
An examination of the difficult but fascinating lives of some of Appalachia’s most legendary, famous and infamous women. These women present some of the best and worst of the pioneer experience between 1620 and 1790.
Class size: 2-20

Tabletop Warfare in American History-Part I
HGP 854
Instructor: Ben Lineberry
Thursdays, 1:30-3 p.m.
CUMC Room 214-Garrett
Use tabletop stimulation war games to visualize and gain a better understanding of military campaign planning, execution and outcomes. Each exercise will be prefaced with lecture, video clips or guest speaker insights.
Class size: 15-20

Moments that Made the Movies Part III
FAC 884
Instructor: Jack Fisher
Thursdays, 1:30-3 p.m.
CUMC Music Room
This course is aimed at the serious “filmofile” and at people with an interest in some of the greatest classic films ever produced. The class will review and discuss films that will cover a variety of genres, including film noir, comedy, western, sci-fi, drama, mystery, horror, musical, epic and war. Though this course is a part of a series, there is not a prerequisite for this class. All learners are welcome to join, regardless of their participation in previous classes.
Class size: 12-20

Single events, workshops and presentations:

(Space is limited; registration is required.)

Our Cups Runneth Over – The Spiritual Significance of Wine through the World Religions
Sept. 27
6-7:30 p.m., Carriage House Wines, downtown Spartanburg
Speakers: Wofford Chaplain the Rev. Ron Robinson and Carriage House Wines owner Tony Forest
Join us as we listen to a discussion on the significance of wine throughout the Judeo-Christian faiths and enjoy a private wine tasting in downtown Spartanburg. $25 per participant.

Haunted Tales of the Upstate – Fireside Ghost Stories and book signing with John Boyanoski
Oct. 12
6-8 p.m., The Pavilion, fireside, Wofford College
We invite you to join us for ghost stories and a book signing. Sweaters, blankets and mugs for spiced wine and cider are encouraged. Event is free to Lifelong Learning members.

The Breaking of Bread – The Spiritual Significance of Bread from a Jewish Perspective
Oct. 18
6-7 p.m., Gray-Jones Room, Burwell Building, Wofford College
Speaker: Rabbi Leibowitz of Temple B’Nai Israel in Spartanburg
Join us as we break fresh bread together and listen to a discussion from Rabbi Leibowitz on the historical and cultural significance of bread. $15 per participant.

More than Noah’s Olive Branch – The Spiritual Significance of Oil and Vinegar
Nov. 1
6-7 p.m., Olive and Then Some, downtown Spartanburg
Speakers: The Rev. Tom Norrell of Central United Methodist Church in Spartanburg and Sandy Burn, owner of Olive and Then Some
We invite you to this discussion and tasting at a local shop in downtown Spartanburg as the Rev. Tom Norrell leads a discussion on the spiritual and cultural significance of olive oil and vinegar throughout the Judeo-Christian faiths. $15 per person.

Preparing for the Winter – Appalachian winter customs and herbal medicine-making
Nov. 4
4:30-6 p.m., Gray-Jones Room, Burwell Building, Wofford College
Speaker(s): Dr. Maxine Appleby and Morgan A. Jordan
Join us for this interactive workshop as Dr. Maxine Appleby leads a discussion on Appalachian winter traditions and customs. After the presentation, be prepared to roll up your sleeves to make homemade herbal tinctures, teas and broths similar to ones made before the days of central heating and modern luxuries. $12 per person.

Autumn on Baker Street – A screening of two films as well as a discussion with Dr. Tracy Revels, Wofford professor of history and enthusiastic Sherlockian
• Oct. 12 – McMillan Theater, Campus Life Building, Wofford College, 4-6 p.m. “The Hound of the Baskervilles” (1939)
• Nov. 9 – McMillan Theater, Campus Life Building, Wofford College, 4-6 p.m. “Sherlock Holmes” (2009)
Event is free to Lifelong Learning at Wofford members.

Mystery Mondays – A showing each Monday of an episode of Masterpiece’s “Hercule Poirot,” Agatha Christie’s famous Belgian detective
Join us every Monday, Oct. 3 through Nov. 7, for a screening of various episodes. (Note: There will not be a showing on Oct. 31.)
4:30-5:30 p.m., McMillan Theater, Campus Life Building, Wofford College
Event is free to Lifelong Learning at Wofford members.

Traveling the World of Tea – A tea class and tasting in Black Mountain, N.C.
Dec. 6
9-10:30 a.m. (class), 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. (time to explore). Anticipated return to campus is 5 p.m.
Dobra Tea House, Black Mountain, N.C.
Join Lifelong Learning at Wofford for this between-semesters trip to Black Mountain for a Tea Discovery Workshop with Dobra Tea House owner Andrew Snavely. Participants will enjoy tasting varieties of green, white, black and oolong teas in the warm, Japanese-style tasting areas while listening to a presentation of Snavely’s travels throughout China, India, Laos, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. After the workshop, participants are encouraged to explore scenic downtown Black Mountain for early holiday shopping, a brew or two in the local German pub, or an extra book for fireside reading in the local bookstore. In the interest of space and transportation, registration is limited to 14 people for this event, so early registration is necessary to reserve your seat. $35 per participant for tea class and transportation.

Special Interest Groups:
Pinochle Group, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Thursdays, Sept. 19-Nov. 3
CUMC Fellowship Hall. Contact David Grote at davidgrote@bellsouth.net for details. This group is free to Lifelong Learning at Wofford members, but participants must be veterans of the game. Those wishing to learn the game are encouraged to sign up for the eight-week course taught by Grote.

Wofford Roundtable Discussions
Join Jim Badger and various local speakers in the community for a discussion on a variety of historical, political, cultural and spiritual topics.
1-2 p.m., Wednesdays, Sept. 21-Nov. 9
Gray-Jones Room, Burwell Building, Wofford College
Discussions are free to Lifelong Learning at Wofford members."