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Thursday March 30, 2023
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week Zoom course) - Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week ZOOM course) This course explores several prominent trends and developments that have significant implications for influencing the quality of the experience of growing older in Maine. The rapid advance of web-based and other smart technologies, the popularity of encore careers, ways to reduce your risk of becoming socially isolated and lonely during the pandemic, and making sure you benefit from the growing number of age-friendly communities, healthcare, and universities will all be considered. You will also learn where you can turn for help and resources to enable you to take full advantage of the latest advances in living healthful and satisfying lives in the Pine Tree State.

Friday March 31, 2023
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM	QiGong for Health and Healing (In-Person 5-week course) - QiGong for Health and Healing -( In-Person 5-week course) QiGong is an ancient Chinese practice which promotes many benefits for health, healing, and longevity. It is the basis for interacting with our qi (life energy), which slowly depletes over time, especially as we become older. We can learn how to enhance and nurture this vital energy through meditation, breath, self-massage, and movement. One of the beauties of QiGong is that it can be practiced sitting or standing and is adaptable to individual strengths and abilities. We learn to listen to the body rather than over-ride it. In this course, we will do some fun, easy exercises to loosen up the body and the joints.  We will include:     additional activities to improve our breathing     self-massage to enliven our energy pathways (meridians)     an easy six movement form (can be done sitting or standing) to help us actually feel our own qi and to release stagnant energy and build nurturing qi.      There will be discussion, minimal lecture, demonstration of each form, and a lot of doing to provide personal experience.      Students will receive handouts to assist in recall and ability to continue practice between classes at home. In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (Zoom 6-week course) - To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (ZOOM 6-week course) Irish Traditional Music as we encounter it today– at concert halls, folk festivals or pub sessions– has roots reaching back centuries. It’s also largely a concoction of the 1970s. To discover why both statements are true, we’ll learn a bit about Irish geography and history. We’ll explore some basic concepts from the disciples of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. And we’ll meet some fascinating characters, hear some good stories, and listen to a lot of terrific music.There will be recommended but no required readings. Students will be encouraged but not required to listen to music on their own. An open mind and open ears are required.
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM	CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - In-Person 6-week course) - CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - (In-Person 6-week course) Humour provides us a wonderfully rich path to opening up what we otherwise avoid talking about as too difficult subjects.  While some comedies take a particular issue head-on, such as Dr Strangelove in addressing the nuclear madness of the 1950s-60s, others look more to larger social anxieties, such as Sleeper and our worries about the future.  This course will favour those broader issues, looking to several different decades from the 1920s on.  Films may include A Nous la Liberté, A Night at the Opera, Adam’s Rib, Man in the White Suit, The Stunt Man, and Up and Down.Details about location will be sent after registration.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.

Monday April 3, 2023
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM	ALWAYS CURRENT: CHARLES DICKENS' "BLEAK HOUSE" in our Age (In-Person 6-week course) - Always Current: Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" on our Age (In-Person 6-week course) Dickens published Bleak House serially beginning soon after the Great Exposition of 1851 which presented Great Britain as a world on the move in the full flowering of the Industrial Revolution. Dickens, successful and established in London, knew the story was a lot more complicated–and bleaker. Ruth intends to supplement the reading and discussion of Bleak House with information about the actual times and some thoughtful critical responses (such as George Orwell’s wonderful take on Dickens as a revolutionary). The class will read chunks at a time together as I’ll hope to approximate what it was like for readers of Household Words in which Bleak House appeared, a couple of chapters at a time. And there will be discussion and more discussion. Any version of Bleak House will do for the primary text. Dig out your battered copy 0f Bleak House! Or call your local library or bookstores to see if you can find the books, or order online in a paperback version, e-reader, or audio versionRuth will supply other bits of texts.Class will be held at a new location: UMA-Bangor campus, Eastport Hall Room 136 10:30-12:30. Parking is very convenient.More details coming In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.

Wednesday April 5, 2023
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE (In-Person 6-week course) - INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE (In-Person 6-week course) This is a 6-week hands-on intermediate bridge course.  Participants should already be familiar with basic bridge terminology and actions and will have the opportunity to improve their skills in a friendly, supportive environment. A useful handbook will be provided by the instructor.This in-person six-week course will meet at:Dirigo Pines Inn- Garden Room9 Alumni Dr. Orono, MENo class May 3rd.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	SCIENCE FICTION AND POLITICS - 6-week Zoom Course - SCIENCE FICTION AND POLITICS - 6-week Zoom Course This course will explore political themes in science fiction. Participants will read a number of novels and a few short stories and may be asked to watch movies or television shows that are available on Amazon or Netflix or Youtube. In addition, academic articles and short stories will be provided by the instructor.Books will include:Orson Card:      Speaker for the Dead - the second book in the Ender Quintet series (A 1986 Nebula Award and 1987 Hugo Award)Cixin Liu:          The Three-Body Problem - the first book in the Three-Body series (A Hugo Award Winner and an NPR Best Book of the Decade) Iain M. Banks: Player of Games (2nd book in the Culture series)Call your local library or bookstores to see if you can find the books, or order online in a paperback version, e-reader, or audio version.

Thursday April 6, 2023
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM	The Origins of Maine Lakes, their Characteristics, how they Function and Evolve, and their Future (In-Person Course 6-weeks) - The Origins of Maine Lakes, their Characteristics, how they Function and Evolve, and their Future (In-Person Course 6-weeks) Maine’s 5,000+ lakes are “young”, all less than 16,000 years old. Since they were formed, largely by glacial processes, they have evolved chemically, biologically, and physically. What we see now is a snapshot in a 16,000 year film, recorded in accumulating lake sediments. We will develop an understanding of how lakes function in their initial physical setting, how they and their respective terrestrial watersheds evolve in their functioning, how humans have impacted lakes, and what we can expect because of climate change over the next few decades.Steve is out of state the first normal week of the Senior College Spring term. Thus, we will start the week of April 3, and every week thereafter for a total of six weeks. If there is sufficient interest, we will take a field trip, after the six weeks, to a lovely nearby lake, check out some of the things we talked about in class, have a picnic, and then work our way home.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week Zoom course) - Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week ZOOM course) This course explores several prominent trends and developments that have significant implications for influencing the quality of the experience of growing older in Maine. The rapid advance of web-based and other smart technologies, the popularity of encore careers, ways to reduce your risk of becoming socially isolated and lonely during the pandemic, and making sure you benefit from the growing number of age-friendly communities, healthcare, and universities will all be considered. You will also learn where you can turn for help and resources to enable you to take full advantage of the latest advances in living healthful and satisfying lives in the Pine Tree State.

Friday April 7, 2023
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM	QiGong for Health and Healing (In-Person 5-week course) - QiGong for Health and Healing -( In-Person 5-week course) QiGong is an ancient Chinese practice which promotes many benefits for health, healing, and longevity. It is the basis for interacting with our qi (life energy), which slowly depletes over time, especially as we become older. We can learn how to enhance and nurture this vital energy through meditation, breath, self-massage, and movement. One of the beauties of QiGong is that it can be practiced sitting or standing and is adaptable to individual strengths and abilities. We learn to listen to the body rather than over-ride it. In this course, we will do some fun, easy exercises to loosen up the body and the joints.  We will include:     additional activities to improve our breathing     self-massage to enliven our energy pathways (meridians)     an easy six movement form (can be done sitting or standing) to help us actually feel our own qi and to release stagnant energy and build nurturing qi.      There will be discussion, minimal lecture, demonstration of each form, and a lot of doing to provide personal experience.      Students will receive handouts to assist in recall and ability to continue practice between classes at home. In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (Zoom 6-week course) - To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (ZOOM 6-week course) Irish Traditional Music as we encounter it today– at concert halls, folk festivals or pub sessions– has roots reaching back centuries. It’s also largely a concoction of the 1970s. To discover why both statements are true, we’ll learn a bit about Irish geography and history. We’ll explore some basic concepts from the disciples of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. And we’ll meet some fascinating characters, hear some good stories, and listen to a lot of terrific music.There will be recommended but no required readings. Students will be encouraged but not required to listen to music on their own. An open mind and open ears are required.
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM	CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - In-Person 6-week course) - CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - (In-Person 6-week course) Humour provides us a wonderfully rich path to opening up what we otherwise avoid talking about as too difficult subjects.  While some comedies take a particular issue head-on, such as Dr Strangelove in addressing the nuclear madness of the 1950s-60s, others look more to larger social anxieties, such as Sleeper and our worries about the future.  This course will favour those broader issues, looking to several different decades from the 1920s on.  Films may include A Nous la Liberté, A Night at the Opera, Adam’s Rib, Man in the White Suit, The Stunt Man, and Up and Down.Details about location will be sent after registration.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.

Monday April 10, 2023
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM	ALWAYS CURRENT: CHARLES DICKENS' "BLEAK HOUSE" in our Age (In-Person 6-week course) - Always Current: Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" on our Age (In-Person 6-week course) Dickens published Bleak House serially beginning soon after the Great Exposition of 1851 which presented Great Britain as a world on the move in the full flowering of the Industrial Revolution. Dickens, successful and established in London, knew the story was a lot more complicated–and bleaker. Ruth intends to supplement the reading and discussion of Bleak House with information about the actual times and some thoughtful critical responses (such as George Orwell’s wonderful take on Dickens as a revolutionary). The class will read chunks at a time together as I’ll hope to approximate what it was like for readers of Household Words in which Bleak House appeared, a couple of chapters at a time. And there will be discussion and more discussion. Any version of Bleak House will do for the primary text. Dig out your battered copy 0f Bleak House! Or call your local library or bookstores to see if you can find the books, or order online in a paperback version, e-reader, or audio versionRuth will supply other bits of texts.Class will be held at a new location: UMA-Bangor campus, Eastport Hall Room 136 10:30-12:30. Parking is very convenient.More details coming In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.

Wednesday April 12, 2023
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE (In-Person 6-week course) - INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE (In-Person 6-week course) This is a 6-week hands-on intermediate bridge course.  Participants should already be familiar with basic bridge terminology and actions and will have the opportunity to improve their skills in a friendly, supportive environment. A useful handbook will be provided by the instructor.This in-person six-week course will meet at:Dirigo Pines Inn- Garden Room9 Alumni Dr. Orono, MENo class May 3rd.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	SCIENCE FICTION AND POLITICS - 6-week Zoom Course - SCIENCE FICTION AND POLITICS - 6-week Zoom Course This course will explore political themes in science fiction. Participants will read a number of novels and a few short stories and may be asked to watch movies or television shows that are available on Amazon or Netflix or Youtube. In addition, academic articles and short stories will be provided by the instructor.Books will include:Orson Card:      Speaker for the Dead - the second book in the Ender Quintet series (A 1986 Nebula Award and 1987 Hugo Award)Cixin Liu:          The Three-Body Problem - the first book in the Three-Body series (A Hugo Award Winner and an NPR Best Book of the Decade) Iain M. Banks: Player of Games (2nd book in the Culture series)Call your local library or bookstores to see if you can find the books, or order online in a paperback version, e-reader, or audio version.

Thursday April 13, 2023
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM	The Origins of Maine Lakes, their Characteristics, how they Function and Evolve, and their Future (In-Person Course 6-weeks) - The Origins of Maine Lakes, their Characteristics, how they Function and Evolve, and their Future (In-Person Course 6-weeks) Maine’s 5,000+ lakes are “young”, all less than 16,000 years old. Since they were formed, largely by glacial processes, they have evolved chemically, biologically, and physically. What we see now is a snapshot in a 16,000 year film, recorded in accumulating lake sediments. We will develop an understanding of how lakes function in their initial physical setting, how they and their respective terrestrial watersheds evolve in their functioning, how humans have impacted lakes, and what we can expect because of climate change over the next few decades.Steve is out of state the first normal week of the Senior College Spring term. Thus, we will start the week of April 3, and every week thereafter for a total of six weeks. If there is sufficient interest, we will take a field trip, after the six weeks, to a lovely nearby lake, check out some of the things we talked about in class, have a picnic, and then work our way home.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week Zoom course) - Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week ZOOM course) This course explores several prominent trends and developments that have significant implications for influencing the quality of the experience of growing older in Maine. The rapid advance of web-based and other smart technologies, the popularity of encore careers, ways to reduce your risk of becoming socially isolated and lonely during the pandemic, and making sure you benefit from the growing number of age-friendly communities, healthcare, and universities will all be considered. You will also learn where you can turn for help and resources to enable you to take full advantage of the latest advances in living healthful and satisfying lives in the Pine Tree State.

Friday April 14, 2023
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM	QiGong for Health and Healing (In-Person 5-week course) - QiGong for Health and Healing -( In-Person 5-week course) QiGong is an ancient Chinese practice which promotes many benefits for health, healing, and longevity. It is the basis for interacting with our qi (life energy), which slowly depletes over time, especially as we become older. We can learn how to enhance and nurture this vital energy through meditation, breath, self-massage, and movement. One of the beauties of QiGong is that it can be practiced sitting or standing and is adaptable to individual strengths and abilities. We learn to listen to the body rather than over-ride it. In this course, we will do some fun, easy exercises to loosen up the body and the joints.  We will include:     additional activities to improve our breathing     self-massage to enliven our energy pathways (meridians)     an easy six movement form (can be done sitting or standing) to help us actually feel our own qi and to release stagnant energy and build nurturing qi.      There will be discussion, minimal lecture, demonstration of each form, and a lot of doing to provide personal experience.      Students will receive handouts to assist in recall and ability to continue practice between classes at home. In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (Zoom 6-week course) - To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (ZOOM 6-week course) Irish Traditional Music as we encounter it today– at concert halls, folk festivals or pub sessions– has roots reaching back centuries. It’s also largely a concoction of the 1970s. To discover why both statements are true, we’ll learn a bit about Irish geography and history. We’ll explore some basic concepts from the disciples of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. And we’ll meet some fascinating characters, hear some good stories, and listen to a lot of terrific music.There will be recommended but no required readings. Students will be encouraged but not required to listen to music on their own. An open mind and open ears are required.
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM	CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - In-Person 6-week course) - CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - (In-Person 6-week course) Humour provides us a wonderfully rich path to opening up what we otherwise avoid talking about as too difficult subjects.  While some comedies take a particular issue head-on, such as Dr Strangelove in addressing the nuclear madness of the 1950s-60s, others look more to larger social anxieties, such as Sleeper and our worries about the future.  This course will favour those broader issues, looking to several different decades from the 1920s on.  Films may include A Nous la Liberté, A Night at the Opera, Adam’s Rib, Man in the White Suit, The Stunt Man, and Up and Down.Details about location will be sent after registration.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.

Monday April 17, 2023
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM	ALWAYS CURRENT: CHARLES DICKENS' "BLEAK HOUSE" in our Age (In-Person 6-week course) - Always Current: Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" on our Age (In-Person 6-week course) Dickens published Bleak House serially beginning soon after the Great Exposition of 1851 which presented Great Britain as a world on the move in the full flowering of the Industrial Revolution. Dickens, successful and established in London, knew the story was a lot more complicated–and bleaker. Ruth intends to supplement the reading and discussion of Bleak House with information about the actual times and some thoughtful critical responses (such as George Orwell’s wonderful take on Dickens as a revolutionary). The class will read chunks at a time together as I’ll hope to approximate what it was like for readers of Household Words in which Bleak House appeared, a couple of chapters at a time. And there will be discussion and more discussion. Any version of Bleak House will do for the primary text. Dig out your battered copy 0f Bleak House! Or call your local library or bookstores to see if you can find the books, or order online in a paperback version, e-reader, or audio versionRuth will supply other bits of texts.Class will be held at a new location: UMA-Bangor campus, Eastport Hall Room 136 10:30-12:30. Parking is very convenient.More details coming In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.

Wednesday April 19, 2023
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE (In-Person 6-week course) - INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE (In-Person 6-week course) This is a 6-week hands-on intermediate bridge course.  Participants should already be familiar with basic bridge terminology and actions and will have the opportunity to improve their skills in a friendly, supportive environment. A useful handbook will be provided by the instructor.This in-person six-week course will meet at:Dirigo Pines Inn- Garden Room9 Alumni Dr. Orono, MENo class May 3rd.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	SCIENCE FICTION AND POLITICS - 6-week Zoom Course - SCIENCE FICTION AND POLITICS - 6-week Zoom Course This course will explore political themes in science fiction. Participants will read a number of novels and a few short stories and may be asked to watch movies or television shows that are available on Amazon or Netflix or Youtube. In addition, academic articles and short stories will be provided by the instructor.Books will include:Orson Card:      Speaker for the Dead - the second book in the Ender Quintet series (A 1986 Nebula Award and 1987 Hugo Award)Cixin Liu:          The Three-Body Problem - the first book in the Three-Body series (A Hugo Award Winner and an NPR Best Book of the Decade) Iain M. Banks: Player of Games (2nd book in the Culture series)Call your local library or bookstores to see if you can find the books, or order online in a paperback version, e-reader, or audio version.

Thursday April 20, 2023
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM	The Origins of Maine Lakes, their Characteristics, how they Function and Evolve, and their Future (In-Person Course 6-weeks) - The Origins of Maine Lakes, their Characteristics, how they Function and Evolve, and their Future (In-Person Course 6-weeks) Maine’s 5,000+ lakes are “young”, all less than 16,000 years old. Since they were formed, largely by glacial processes, they have evolved chemically, biologically, and physically. What we see now is a snapshot in a 16,000 year film, recorded in accumulating lake sediments. We will develop an understanding of how lakes function in their initial physical setting, how they and their respective terrestrial watersheds evolve in their functioning, how humans have impacted lakes, and what we can expect because of climate change over the next few decades.Steve is out of state the first normal week of the Senior College Spring term. Thus, we will start the week of April 3, and every week thereafter for a total of six weeks. If there is sufficient interest, we will take a field trip, after the six weeks, to a lovely nearby lake, check out some of the things we talked about in class, have a picnic, and then work our way home.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week Zoom course) - Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week ZOOM course) This course explores several prominent trends and developments that have significant implications for influencing the quality of the experience of growing older in Maine. The rapid advance of web-based and other smart technologies, the popularity of encore careers, ways to reduce your risk of becoming socially isolated and lonely during the pandemic, and making sure you benefit from the growing number of age-friendly communities, healthcare, and universities will all be considered. You will also learn where you can turn for help and resources to enable you to take full advantage of the latest advances in living healthful and satisfying lives in the Pine Tree State.

Friday April 21, 2023
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM	QiGong for Health and Healing (In-Person 5-week course) - QiGong for Health and Healing -( In-Person 5-week course) QiGong is an ancient Chinese practice which promotes many benefits for health, healing, and longevity. It is the basis for interacting with our qi (life energy), which slowly depletes over time, especially as we become older. We can learn how to enhance and nurture this vital energy through meditation, breath, self-massage, and movement. One of the beauties of QiGong is that it can be practiced sitting or standing and is adaptable to individual strengths and abilities. We learn to listen to the body rather than over-ride it. In this course, we will do some fun, easy exercises to loosen up the body and the joints.  We will include:     additional activities to improve our breathing     self-massage to enliven our energy pathways (meridians)     an easy six movement form (can be done sitting or standing) to help us actually feel our own qi and to release stagnant energy and build nurturing qi.      There will be discussion, minimal lecture, demonstration of each form, and a lot of doing to provide personal experience.      Students will receive handouts to assist in recall and ability to continue practice between classes at home. In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (Zoom 6-week course) - To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (ZOOM 6-week course) Irish Traditional Music as we encounter it today– at concert halls, folk festivals or pub sessions– has roots reaching back centuries. It’s also largely a concoction of the 1970s. To discover why both statements are true, we’ll learn a bit about Irish geography and history. We’ll explore some basic concepts from the disciples of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. And we’ll meet some fascinating characters, hear some good stories, and listen to a lot of terrific music.There will be recommended but no required readings. Students will be encouraged but not required to listen to music on their own. An open mind and open ears are required.
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM	CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - In-Person 6-week course) - CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - (In-Person 6-week course) Humour provides us a wonderfully rich path to opening up what we otherwise avoid talking about as too difficult subjects.  While some comedies take a particular issue head-on, such as Dr Strangelove in addressing the nuclear madness of the 1950s-60s, others look more to larger social anxieties, such as Sleeper and our worries about the future.  This course will favour those broader issues, looking to several different decades from the 1920s on.  Films may include A Nous la Liberté, A Night at the Opera, Adam’s Rib, Man in the White Suit, The Stunt Man, and Up and Down.Details about location will be sent after registration.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.

Monday April 24, 2023
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM	ALWAYS CURRENT: CHARLES DICKENS' "BLEAK HOUSE" in our Age (In-Person 6-week course) - Always Current: Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" on our Age (In-Person 6-week course) Dickens published Bleak House serially beginning soon after the Great Exposition of 1851 which presented Great Britain as a world on the move in the full flowering of the Industrial Revolution. Dickens, successful and established in London, knew the story was a lot more complicated–and bleaker. Ruth intends to supplement the reading and discussion of Bleak House with information about the actual times and some thoughtful critical responses (such as George Orwell’s wonderful take on Dickens as a revolutionary). The class will read chunks at a time together as I’ll hope to approximate what it was like for readers of Household Words in which Bleak House appeared, a couple of chapters at a time. And there will be discussion and more discussion. Any version of Bleak House will do for the primary text. Dig out your battered copy 0f Bleak House! Or call your local library or bookstores to see if you can find the books, or order online in a paperback version, e-reader, or audio versionRuth will supply other bits of texts.Class will be held at a new location: UMA-Bangor campus, Eastport Hall Room 136 10:30-12:30. Parking is very convenient.More details coming In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.

Wednesday April 26, 2023
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	BEGINNER MAHJONGG (In-Person 4-week course) New dates - BEGINNER MAHJONG (In-person 4-week course) Dates changed to April 26, May 3, May 10, May 17Mahjongg is a four person Chinese tile game of skill, strategy, and luck, similar to the card game, Rummy. The tiles have three suits-bamboo, dots and cracks. Other tiles include: dragons, winds, flowers, and jokers (wild cards).Each session will start with the beginner lesson so learners are able to review what they have learned the preceding week. Each lesson includes:     an introduction to the tiles     an explanation of the card     practice     and a chance to play the game in a relaxed environmentAll materials are provided.Information about play dates and times will be provided to learners who wish to continue after the course is completed.This in-person four-week course will meet at:Dirigo Pines Inn- Garden Room9 Alumni Dr. Orono, MEIn kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE (In-Person 6-week course) - INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE (In-Person 6-week course) This is a 6-week hands-on intermediate bridge course.  Participants should already be familiar with basic bridge terminology and actions and will have the opportunity to improve their skills in a friendly, supportive environment. A useful handbook will be provided by the instructor.This in-person six-week course will meet at:Dirigo Pines Inn- Garden Room9 Alumni Dr. Orono, MENo class May 3rd.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	SCIENCE FICTION AND POLITICS - 6-week Zoom Course - SCIENCE FICTION AND POLITICS - 6-week Zoom Course This course will explore political themes in science fiction. Participants will read a number of novels and a few short stories and may be asked to watch movies or television shows that are available on Amazon or Netflix or Youtube. In addition, academic articles and short stories will be provided by the instructor.Books will include:Orson Card:      Speaker for the Dead - the second book in the Ender Quintet series (A 1986 Nebula Award and 1987 Hugo Award)Cixin Liu:          The Three-Body Problem - the first book in the Three-Body series (A Hugo Award Winner and an NPR Best Book of the Decade) Iain M. Banks: Player of Games (2nd book in the Culture series)Call your local library or bookstores to see if you can find the books, or order online in a paperback version, e-reader, or audio version.

Thursday April 27, 2023
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM	The Origins of Maine Lakes, their Characteristics, how they Function and Evolve, and their Future (In-Person Course 6-weeks) - The Origins of Maine Lakes, their Characteristics, how they Function and Evolve, and their Future (In-Person Course 6-weeks) Maine’s 5,000+ lakes are “young”, all less than 16,000 years old. Since they were formed, largely by glacial processes, they have evolved chemically, biologically, and physically. What we see now is a snapshot in a 16,000 year film, recorded in accumulating lake sediments. We will develop an understanding of how lakes function in their initial physical setting, how they and their respective terrestrial watersheds evolve in their functioning, how humans have impacted lakes, and what we can expect because of climate change over the next few decades.Steve is out of state the first normal week of the Senior College Spring term. Thus, we will start the week of April 3, and every week thereafter for a total of six weeks. If there is sufficient interest, we will take a field trip, after the six weeks, to a lovely nearby lake, check out some of the things we talked about in class, have a picnic, and then work our way home.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week Zoom course) - Opportunities, Challenges, and Trends that Impact Aging in Maine (6-week ZOOM course) This course explores several prominent trends and developments that have significant implications for influencing the quality of the experience of growing older in Maine. The rapid advance of web-based and other smart technologies, the popularity of encore careers, ways to reduce your risk of becoming socially isolated and lonely during the pandemic, and making sure you benefit from the growing number of age-friendly communities, healthcare, and universities will all be considered. You will also learn where you can turn for help and resources to enable you to take full advantage of the latest advances in living healthful and satisfying lives in the Pine Tree State.

Friday April 28, 2023
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM	QiGong for Health and Healing (In-Person 5-week course) - QiGong for Health and Healing -( In-Person 5-week course) QiGong is an ancient Chinese practice which promotes many benefits for health, healing, and longevity. It is the basis for interacting with our qi (life energy), which slowly depletes over time, especially as we become older. We can learn how to enhance and nurture this vital energy through meditation, breath, self-massage, and movement. One of the beauties of QiGong is that it can be practiced sitting or standing and is adaptable to individual strengths and abilities. We learn to listen to the body rather than over-ride it. In this course, we will do some fun, easy exercises to loosen up the body and the joints.  We will include:     additional activities to improve our breathing     self-massage to enliven our energy pathways (meridians)     an easy six movement form (can be done sitting or standing) to help us actually feel our own qi and to release stagnant energy and build nurturing qi.      There will be discussion, minimal lecture, demonstration of each form, and a lot of doing to provide personal experience.      Students will receive handouts to assist in recall and ability to continue practice between classes at home. In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM	To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (Zoom 6-week course) - To the Shamrock Shore: An Introduction to Irish Traditional Music (ZOOM 6-week course) Irish Traditional Music as we encounter it today– at concert halls, folk festivals or pub sessions– has roots reaching back centuries. It’s also largely a concoction of the 1970s. To discover why both statements are true, we’ll learn a bit about Irish geography and history. We’ll explore some basic concepts from the disciples of Folklore and Ethnomusicology. And we’ll meet some fascinating characters, hear some good stories, and listen to a lot of terrific music.There will be recommended but no required readings. Students will be encouraged but not required to listen to music on their own. An open mind and open ears are required.
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM	CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - In-Person 6-week course) - CARNEVALE: FILM COMEDY AS SOCIAL CRITIQUE - (In-Person 6-week course) Humour provides us a wonderfully rich path to opening up what we otherwise avoid talking about as too difficult subjects.  While some comedies take a particular issue head-on, such as Dr Strangelove in addressing the nuclear madness of the 1950s-60s, others look more to larger social anxieties, such as Sleeper and our worries about the future.  This course will favour those broader issues, looking to several different decades from the 1920s on.  Films may include A Nous la Liberté, A Night at the Opera, Adam’s Rib, Man in the White Suit, The Stunt Man, and Up and Down.Details about location will be sent after registration.In kindness and consideration of our instructors and participants, Penobscot Valley Senior College expects that each student be up to date with vaccination against Covid-19 when attending in-person classes. PVSC will comply with Covid/masking policies of each location where we hold in-person classes and events. Masks will be available at all in-person classes.