This seminar presents a look at already published obituaries and how lives were celebrated with the written word.  We’ll explore how people used humor or a quirky habit or an attention grabbing line in their life stories.  What are some features of an obituary that grabs your attention?   Given a snippet of an obituary of a famous person, could you name that person? We know that you are just dying to get in this class.

During WWII, the Germans used two machines for encrypting secret messages. Most have heard part of the story of breaking the Enigma machine at Bletchley Park in Britain, but not many know that three Polish mathematicians broke the Enigma code seven years before the British and finally they taught the British how to do it. The Lorenz SZ cypher machine was an attachment to a teletype machine. It was used by Hitler to communicate with his top commanders. Its existence was not publicly known before 2000. The COLOSSUS was the world's first programmable digital computer used to break the Lorenz SZ code.

The visual arts have long been a means for connecting the spiritual with the physical world.  Painting and sculpture provide a conduit for the divine to the material world of color, form and substance.  We will explore how these two worlds mesh through lecture, discussion and our own experiences of examining and making art.

The seminar will focus on lesser-known Dayton inventors.  For example, Vincent G. Apple has 745 patents credited to his name.  Charles Francis Jenkins had 400 patents, and Thomas Midgley, Jr., was granted over 100 patents over his career.  In addition to these individuals, many more ingenious inventions that came out of Dayton.  The course will also refer to Dayton's more famous inventors.

An opportunity for people who have an interest in—but little to no knowledge of—the incredible marine fossils found in this region. This will not be an in-depth geologic study full of terms and jargon, it will be basic information in laymen terms presented by a long-time amateur collector who has learned along the way. During each session, there will be numerous actual fossils to examine and some to take home.

This introductory Tai Chi class will explore the history and theory of Tai Chi while guiding participants through gentle movement, stretching, and muscle toning. Often called “moving meditation,” Tai Chi uses flowing movements to support balance, strength, flexibility, and mindfulness. Casual, comfortable clothing and sneakers or flat-soled shoes are recommended, and movements can be adapted to each participant’s physical condition.

This seminar will focus on Kurt Vonnegut’s Cat’s Cradle and Slaughterhouse-Five. Through reading and discussion, participants will examine how Vonnegut used humor, pathos, and absurdity to explore human folly, delusion, war, and meaning. The class will be discussion-based and limited to a small group to allow thoughtful conversation.

This continuation class is designed for participants who have attended earlier Tai Chi sessions and are ready to move further through the form. The class will include gentle warm-ups, stretching, muscle toning, and continued practice of flowing movements that support balance, strength, flexibility, and mindfulness. Casual, comfortable clothing and sneakers or flat-soled shoes are recommended, and movements can be adapted to each participant’s physical condition.