Senior Learning Programs

INSTRUCTOR: Gareth Blakesley, Director and Chief Naturalist Lake Katherine Nature Center & Botanic Gardens
DATE: Thursday, October 10
TIME: 1pm – 2:30pm
LOCATION: CL 212
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 3

Description:
Learn about how the ancient past of Chicago has shaped the Chicago landscape, particularly our waterways. We will look at pre-glacial periods through the settlement and industry of the area to our modern environment, and the revival of our natural landscapes that have evolved since the last glacial period.

Instructor Bio:
Gareth Blakesley, Lake Katherine’s Director and Chief Naturalist, served as a field supervisor for a restoration ecology firm before coming to Lake Katherine. Prior to his field experience, Gareth spent nearly four years employed as a Biology Laboratory Supervisor and Aquatic Invertebrate Specialist at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum. Gareth received a Master’s Degree in Tourism and Conservation from the University of Kent in Canterbury, England and a Bachelor’s Degree in Zoology from the University of Wales in Aberystwyth, Wales.

INSTRUCTOR: Debra Majewski, Dept. Chair/Professor Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Trinity Christian College
DATE: Wednesday, October 9 and 16
TIME: 10:30am – noon
LOCATION: CL 203
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 2

Description:
Step into the enchanting world of calligraphy. This immersive experience is designed for both beginners and enthusiasts seeking to master the art of beautiful writing. Led by a seasoned calligraphy artist, this workshop promises to unravel the secrets behind creating captivating strokes and graceful letterforms. Through a series of interactive exercises, attendees will practice basic techniques, from mastering foundational strokes to crafting intricate designs. Join us and unlock the beauty of calligraphy as you embark on a creative and fulfilling experience that transcends the written word. Participants will receive a set of calligraphy pens.

Instructor Bio:
Debra Majewski teaches students that through kindness, integrity, and love, they can become an instrument in helping others discover their capabilities, leading the student to the realization of who they will be to, and for, others. Debra’s research interests include anxiety, loneliness, belonging, and connectedness. Her favorite past-times include calligraphy writing, lunch with friends, and allowing her cat, Fritter, to sit on her lap while she reads. Debra is a member of her church’s council and is working on a book about anxiety.

INSTRUCTOR: Mary-Lynn Colosimo, Emeritus Professor of Psychology Trinity Christian College, Certified Yoga and Meditation Teacher
DATE: Tuesday, October 29 and November 5
TIME: 2pm – 3:30pm
LOCATION: Ozinga Chapel Grand Lobby
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 22

Description:
Mindful movement meditation is a practice that combines meditation and gentle physical movements. Attendees will join in a circle and share in some gentle movements as they participate together. They will use the breath as a tool to calm the mind and deepen the practice. By the end of the two sessions, attendees will develop a deeper understanding of the mind-body connection, suitable for all levels of experience. This is not a yoga class, but a mindfulness class using some gentle yoga movements to wake up the body and the mind.

Session 1 is an introduction to mindfulness and Session II is bringing the mindfulness practice into the world. There is a class limit of 12 students committed to attending both classes. Note: This session is ineligible for the Bring a Friend to Class Pass.

Instructor Bio:
Mary Lynn Colosimo, Ph.D. is a Psychology Professor Emerita at Trinity Christian College. She retired after almost 30 years as a professor in the departments of education and psychology and has been a previous instructor of SALT classes. She is now a member of the Trinity Board of Trustees and a member of the Board at Calvary Academy in South Holland, Illinois. She has earned a B.A. and M.A. from Bradley University and a Ph.D. from The University of Chicago. She is also a certified yoga and meditation teacher, teaching both at Trinity and in the Palos Heights community. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother and is a member of Parkview Church, serving in the children’s ministry.

INSTRUCTOR: Scott Dominiak, Educator and Civil War Re-enactor
DATE: Thursdays, October 10 and 17
TIME: 10am – 11:30am
LOCATION: CL 202
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 3

Description:
In Session I, the instructor will portray Henry Villard, who was one of 19 correspondents for the Chicago Tribune during the Civil War. He will provide insights into the state of newspapers in both the North and South, particularly in Chicago. He will discuss the political nature of newspapers, technological advancements, the role of newspapers in the armies, and Villard’s relationship with Abraham Lincoln. Attendees will also hear the captivating story of Junius Browne and Albert Richardson, correspondents for the New York Tribune, who were captured by Confederate forces and endured 620 days in captivity until reaching safety in the Union lines.

In Session II, attendees will explore Lincoln’s Spiritual Journey, shedding light on Abraham Lincoln’s often overlooked faith in God. Despite not belonging to any denomination, his belief in God was deeply significant, influenced by personal tragedies such as the deaths of his mother, sister, and two sons, as well as by the Civil War. His spiritual journey fluctuated but ultimately led him to the realization that events were under the control of God, not man.

Instructor Bio:
Scott Dominiak taught English and journalism for 33 years at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Illinois before retiring in 2009.  He has been a board member of the Lincoln – Davis Civil War Roundtable for the last 12 years.  For years Scott has been a Civil War reenactor, portraying Henry Villard, a correspondent for the Chicago Tribune during the war.  Scott also collects Civil War items and displays them at libraries, museums, and historical societies.  Finally, he teaches a non-credit Civil War class in the spring at Governors State University.

INSTRUCTOR: Ed Bara, Former Adjunct Faculty, Trinity Christian College
DATE: Tuesdays, September 24, October 1 and 8
TIME: 10:00am – 11:30am
LOCATION: CL 202
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 17

Description:
Join us in exploring the history of Chicago through some of its most devastating events. Spanning three weeks, participants will delve into several topics: The Eastland Disaster, although improvements were made to the Eastland after the sinking of the Titanic, the ship rolled over and 800 people died. The Iroquois Theater Fire, despite the zoning ordinances and fire codes, over 600 people perished; Our Lady of the Angels School Fire, where even though the school had passed safety inspection months prior, the unthinkable happened when fire erupted. Other significant fires covered will be the Green Hornet Fire, the Stockyard Fire, and The Great Fire of 1871, which all illustrate the ongoing challenges and resilience of this storied city. Be prepared to discover the stories, lessons, and reflect on the impact of these tragedies that have shaped Chicago’s history.

Instructor Bio:
Ed Bara is a Trinity Christian College adjunct professor. He is an expert in Chicago history, creating and teaching classes on the subject as well as serving as a consultant on Chicago history. Ed has taught for over 40 years in both private and public high schools.

INSTRUCTOR: Bob Rice, Professor Emeritus of History, Trinity Christian College
DATE: Mondays, October 7, 14, and 21
TIME: 10:00am – 11:30am
LOCATION: Fusion 59 Room, Huizenga Memorial Library
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 30

Description:
In this class, we will review passages from three immigrant memoirs through which we will explore their journey to America. The memoirs portray a Korean family who arrived in 1900, a Latvian family who arrived shortly after World War II, and a Salvadoran family from Central America who arrived in the 1990s. For each family, we will discuss their nation of origin and why they left, their attempts to find placement in America, and important events and larger developments that their migration had in common. Participants do not need to read these memoirs in advance of the class. However, their stories are found in: Quiet Odyssey by Mary Paik Lee (Korean), A Woman in Amber by Agate Nesaule (Latvian), and Solito by Javier Zamora (Salvadoran).

Instructor Bio:
Bob Rice has taught European history and occasionally American studies at Trinity Christian College for over 40 years. When he retired in 2013, he continued to teach occasionally in the undergraduate program as well as in the SALT program, which connects Trinity to the larger community. He has learned so much from Trinity’s vision of Christian liberal arts education and continues to benefit from the SALT program, which opens us to mutual learning and friendships. Currently, Bob serves as a SALT Advisory Board Member.

INSTRUCTOR: Gary Wenstrup, Adjunct Professor, College of DuPage
DATE: Mondays, October 28, November 4 and 11
TIME: 10:00am – 11:30am
LOCATION: CL 202
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 21

Description:
Join us in exploring the history of Simon & Garfunkel. If you took the sweet harmonies of the Everly Brothers and matched them with the lyricism of Bob Dylan, the result might be Simon & Garfunkel. Often considered the “thinking person’s rock ‘n’ rollers,” they were also one of the most successful musical acts of the 1960’s.  Using audio and visual content, attendees will trace the arc of Simon & Garfunkel’s career from sensations such as their surprise teenybopper hit, Hey Schoolgirl; the folk-rock classic, Sound of Silence; the ever popular, Mrs. Robinson; and the majesty of Bridge Over Troubled Water.  This class will also cover their successful solo careers including the remarkable reunion concert in New York’s Central Park and Paul Simon’s worldwide smash album Graceland.

Instructor Bio:
After a rewarding career in advertising sales, Gary Wenstrup retired and developed courses on the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel and Motown Records for the Continuing Education Department of College of DuPage.  Gary has lectured at over 200 libraries across the country.  Gary’s Beatles presentation was deemed “The Best of The Best” by the Library Administrators Conference of Northern Illinois (LACONI).  Gary is also a reoccurring guest on the popular podcast “Something About The Beatles.”

INSTRUCTOR: Dennis Connelly, Trinity Christian College Professor, Criminal Justice
DATE: Tuesdays, October 15, 22, and 29
TIME: 10:00am – 11:30am
LOCATION: CL 202
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 8

Description:
Dive into the captivating world of crime in film with this class that will explore the intriguing lives and legends of Chicago’s most infamous historical figures – Al Capone, Elliott Ness, and John Dillinger – and how Hollywood portrays their stories. This class will analyze films depicting these characters and identify factual accuracies and the artistic liberties taken in these portrayals. This class is ideal for criminology enthusiasts, history buffs, and anyone interested in the interplay between historical fact and cinematic fiction.

Instructor Bio:
Dennis Connelly, a former Chicago police officer, has taken his 12 years of experiences in the field of justice and transformed them into lessons for his students in the criminal justice program. Connelly has held positions from deputy sheriff to correctional officer to patrol sergeant to gang sergeant, and after sustaining an injury that ended his law enforcement career, Connelly headed back to the classroom as a professor.

INSTRUCTOR: Sky Johnston, Trinity Christian College, Assistant Professor of History
DATE: Tuesdays, October 1, 8, 15 and 22
TIME: 1:00pm – 2:00pm
LOCATION: CL 203
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 24

Description:
This course offers a novel narrative of global history from the 4^th century BCE to the present. We will employ the theoretical concept of worldmaking to help show that humans have imagined and reimagined the world throughout our history. Attendees will see that while these successive worlds existed in people’s minds, they also influenced how people behaved and how humans interacted with each other and with nature.

The course will meet in four sessions and is organized into two successive (and slightly overlapping) worlds that we call the Mediterranean World (350 BCE – 1610 CE) and the Columbian World (1492 CE – Present). In Session I, attendees will focus on the Mediterranean World which was described by Aristotle (384-322 BCE) and connected culturally by the military conquests of his pupil, Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE). In Session II, we explore the transition from the Mediterranean World to the Columbian World in the sixteenth century when human conceptions of cosmology and the political organization of the world were drastically transformed. In Session III, we explore the defining characteristics of the Columbian World including European colonialism and the rise of science. In Session IV, we raise the possibility that since 1950, the Columbian World has begun to wane and that the world is in the midst of another transition period, a new era of “worldmaking.”

Instructor Bio:
Sky Johnston, trained as a cultural historian, employs the methodologies of his field to explore the everyday lives of people. His original research centers on sixteenth-century German lands and delves into popular ideas concerning religion and the natural world, particularly people’s perceptions of the weather. Outside of teaching, he enjoys spending time with his family bike riding, hiking, playing board games, or playing Zelda. He’s also a dedicated fan of his favorite sports teams: the LA Kings, the Lakers, and the Chicago Bears. In the past, he was a runner and was a member of the Track and Field and XC teams at UC Irvine. Nowadays, he enjoys playing basketball.

INSTRUCTOR: Cleo Lampos, Educator and Storyteller
DATE: Wednesdays, October 2, 9, 16, and Thursday, October 24
TIME: 1:00pm – 2:15pm
LOCATION #1: CL 202 (October 2, 9, and 16)
LOCATION #2: Van Namen Recital Hall (October 24)
LEVEL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Light
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: September 25

Description:
The Great Depression was more than a decade of dust, despair, and desperation; but, an endowment of creativity, art, and accomplishments. In four sessions, we will explore the “unexpected legacies” of people who endured the Great Depression. In Session I, attendees will study the Legacy of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), part of President Roosevelt’s New Deal, which employed over 8.5 million people. This session explores national programs and others that transformed the landscape of Chicago and Illinois with artistic projects. In Session II, we will review the Legacy of Packhorse Librarians and the Bookmobile, a group of brave women who endured trials and tribulations to spread literacy in a nation desperate for literary resources. Attendees will learn how Illinois and the Chicago area greatly benefited from the American Library Association and Eleanor Roosevelt’s rotating inventory of books. In Session III, attendees will discover the Legacy of the Gee’s Bend Quilters, a group of freed slaves in 1845, who settled in a rural isolated community of Gee’s Bend, Alabama. They developed a rich quilting tradition passed down through generations. This unique stitching artistry now hangs in prestigious museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. Finally, in Session IV, attendees will examine the Legacy of Music with pianist, Thomas Lyons, who studied at the American Conservatory of Music. He will bring the songs of this decade to life. The significance of music to the era will be presented in the form of storytelling and composition.

Instructor Bio:
Cleo Lampos is a retired public school teacher who has taught adult education classes at St. Xavier University, Trinity College, and Morton College. She facilitated presentations at Mid-Week Moments during 2021-22. An author of historical fiction, Lampos speaks at book clubs and libraries. Her articles appear in magazines. She is a quilter and cans the produce from her husband’s urban garden.