• Mute Witness: The History and Future of Kalamazoo’s First Baptist Church Building

• Have you wondered what is happening with all the construction at the First Baptist Church building overlooking Bronson Park? This course will take a brief look at the history of the oldest church building in Kalamazoo—and the oldest public building downtown—and then delve into the unique transformation currently underway inside those walls. You’ll better understand how and why the Kalamazoo Nonprofit Advocacy Coalition (KNAC) took over as owners and operators of this treasured building and what the future holds for an iconic downtown landmark that has stood as a mute witness to 170 years of Kalamazoo’s history.

   

  Participants will also have the opportunity to attend an optional tour of the KNAC the weekend following the class.

  Show Description

   

• Instructor: Matthew Claus

  Capacity Remaining: 39

• Dates: 11/6/2024 - 11/6/2024

  Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

• Sessions: 1

  Days: W

• Building: College of Health and Human Services

  Room: 1093

• Member Rate: $10, Non-Member Rate: $20

This class is full. Please use the button below to be added to the waitlist.

• KIA Encounter With the Visual Arts

• This course is designed for anyone who wishes to gain a greater appreciation for the visual arts. Led by Kalamazoo Institute of Arts' (KIA) docents, Drs. Jim Carter and Sam Grossman, we’ll explore the KIA’s current exhibitions as we examine the various techniques artists utilize in creating art, as well as use the "Elements of Art" to further understand visual artwork. Expect to see excellent art and participate in exciting discussions. Students will improve their observation skills and become more comfortable discussing art with others.

  Show Description

   

• Instructor: Samuel Grossman, James Carter

• Dates: 11/7/2024 - 11/14/2024

  Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

• Sessions: 2

  Days: Th

• Building: Kalamazoo Instute of Art

  Room:

• Member Rate: $20, Non-Member Rate: $40

• Preparing for Death: Leave No Stone Unturned

• Participants in this course will be introduced to a variety of topics that one might wish to address in preparing for the eventuality of death. Rather than approach this as a taboo or morose topic, the course will focus on identifying important topics and issues that one wishes to be honored both before and after dying. These topics include legal documentation and considering if one wants a service and, if so, what kind of service. We’ll also think about some questions. Does one want to write their own obituary? Are there people one hopes to be present when near death? Or are there people one does not want to be present at that time? Overall, the theme of this course is to create an inventory of what is important and begin work on addressing each item in one's inventory.

  Show Description

   

• Instructor: Susan Caulfield

  Capacity Remaining: 4

• Dates: 11/7/2024 - 11/14/2024

  Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• Sessions: 2

  Days: Th

• Building: Portage Zhang Senior Center

  Room: Meeting Rooms1A/1B

• Member Rate: $20, Non-Member Rate: $40

• Golden Information for your Golden Years: Advance Health Care Planning

• Milestone Senior Services is hosting an on-going series of classes that provide important information about resources for older adults or those living with a disability, led by an expert speaker on a different topic each month.

  In November, the topic is Advance Health Care Planning. You’ll learn strategies to organize your thoughts and wishes about how you want your loved ones to support your health and well-being in the future. We’ll also develop a plan for them to follow in the event you are unable to communicate your needs.

  Show Description

   

• Instructor: Hilary Kerr

  Capacity Remaining: 23

• Dates: 11/12/2024 - 11/12/2024

  Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

• Sessions: 1

  Days: Tu

• Building: Milestone Senior Services

  Room: 918 Jasper St, Kalamazoo MI 49001

• Registration is Free, you must sign-in to Register

• Inside the NFL's Third Team on the Field

• Discover the behind-the-scenes responsibilities and activities of National Football League officials. In this course, you’ll learn about individual positions, their duties, and what it takes to conduct the fast-paced, highly skilled event that is part of "America's Game." Examples of real game action will be used to highlight commonly misunderstood game situations.

  Show Description

   

• Instructor: Ronald Winter

  Capacity Remaining: 39

• Dates: 11/14/2024 - 11/21/2024

  Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

• Sessions: 2

  Days: Th

• Building: College of Health and Human Services

  Room: 2089

• Member Rate: $20, Non-Member Rate: $40

• Live Music and Discussion: African Influence on American Old Time Tunes

• History comes alive through music in this unique course featuring an acoustic string band that will perform and discuss popular American “old time tunes” that were directly influenced by the cultural interchange between European colonists and African Americans, both enslaved and free. You’ll hear examples of songs that were profoundly shaped by the musical traditions brought to North America by people from Africa, highlighting the contribution of syncopation in particular. We’ll explore the role of the African “banjar,” or spiked lute, alongside the fiddle, demonstrating the ways these instruments influenced key elements of both dance and popular music. We’ll also compare and contrast these songs with European music that was popular at the time of cultural contact in the early years of the United States. This course takes a musical tour through time, featuring performances of historic tunes from Appalachia, the Minstrel era, ragtime, work songs, and early blues.

  Show Description

   

• Instructor: Howard Steiner

  Capacity Remaining: 46

• Dates: 11/25/2024 - 11/25/2024

  Times: 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM

• Sessions: 1

  Days: M

• Building: Portage Zhang Senior Center

  Room: Lower Level Activity Room

• Member Rate: $10, Non-Member Rate: $20