Marist Evening Series

Stretch your creativity, learn something new, think globally, or explore aspects of the Christian faith. The Marist Evening Series features three evenings of captivating courses for adults taught by the accomplished Marist School faculty and staff. Invite your friends and neighbors and come learn something new during the Marist Evening Series.

General Information and Registration

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Dates and Times

Monday, January 14, Registration: 6:00 p.m., Whithead Cafeteria, Classes: 7-9:00 p.m.
Monday, January 28, Classes: 7-9:00 p.m.
Monday, February 4, Classes: 7-9:00 p.m.

Please note: classes will not be held on Monday, January 21 in observance of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.
Fees

Early Bird registration: $95 per person
(December 7 through January 5)

Regular registration: $110 per person
(Beginning January 6)
Registration

Registration opens on Friday, December 7. Once the registration site is open, locate a course and use your American Express, Visa, or MasterCard for payment. Course tuition must be paid for in full at the time of registration. You must complete a separate registration for each person registering. Early registration is encouraged to ensure adequate enrollment and space availability.
Withdrawals & Cancellations

Class Cancellations
If we cancel a course for which you are registered, you are eligible for transfer into another course or request a full refund.

Inclement Weather
In case of inclement weather, please check your email and the Marist website for updates.

Low Enrollment Policy
We reserve the right to cancel classes due to low enrollment. Such decisions will be made by Wednesday, January 9. You will be notified by email or by phone. In such a case, you may transfer to another class or request a refund.

Withdrawal Policy
Marist School will make every effort to assure a positive learning experience. If you choose to withdraw from a course, please email brownk@marist.com before 5 p.m. on Thursday, January 10. A full refund will be issued minus a $5 processing fee. No refunds will be given after this date.

Art & Photography

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GET THE MOST FROM YOUR DIGITAL CAMERA

Instructor: Mr. Brian Collier

Whether you’ve got a point-and-shoot or high-end digital SLR, this beginner’s course will cover the basics of good photography and help you get better shots by taking control of your camera. Camera-phone users are welcome, but you may need to download an app to get the controls we discuss in the course.

Topics covered include:
Session 1: Elements of composition, shooting techniques, using light to your advantage
Session 2: Taking control of your camera, what different controls do, pro secrets
Session 3: Buying equipment, post processing, editing programs, printing and sharing

Mr. Collier is director of Marist School’s library and serves as the school's photographer. He has experience with a variety of photographic equipment from DSLRs to homemade pinhole cameras. He enjoys the challenge of photographing life on Marist’s busy campus.
WHEEL THROWN CERAMICS

Instructor: Ms. Hope Limyansky

Participants will learn how to make pottery on the wheel, including glazing and decorating, and can expect to take home one or more glazed pieces. No prior knowledge of ceramics is needed. It is important for participants to wear flat, closed-toe shoes as well as clothes that can get dirty.

Session 1 & 2: Will focus on technique and creating pottery pieces on the wheel

Session 3: Will focus on glazing and decorating

Ms. Limyansky is in her first year teaching at Marist School in the Fine Arts Department. Prior to Marist, Hope worked at the Johns Creek Arts Center as a ceramics teacher while she finished out her Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in ceramics at Kennesaw State University. She has been a featured demonstrating artist at the High Museum of Art and has shown work across the United States. Currently, you can see her work in the gallery of the Taylor English Law-firm here, in Atlanta.
WHO'S AFRAID OF CLASSICAL MUSIC? A SHORT INTRODUCTION TO THE HIGHBROW STUFF!

Instructor: Mr. Mark Craddock

Have you ever wondered what the big fuss was about classical music? Or maybe you like the stuff but would like to know more about it and how to go further? This short course will explore the world of classical music with a peek into music from all of the classical genres and all of the classical time periods. Get ready for a wild ride through the lives of crazy composers, temperamental divas, and egomaniacal soloists. Lots of video and audio, things to see, things to hear, de rigueur for any highbrow event!

Session 1: Classical Music - What's a Concerto? What's a Symphony? Will I like it? Will I be bored? Absolutely not! A look at the structures, the composers, and the soloists who bring the greatest music of the world to life.

Session 2: It Ain't Over Til The Fat Lady Sings - Opera Ain't As Bad As It Sounds - Put your toe into the waters of the greatest art form ever invented by man! Axe-Murdering Mamas, Suicidal Geishas, Dwarves and Giants, Saints and Sinners - they're all here in this magical world.

Session 3: Jazzers and Bootleggers - Sample from the best of jazz, a truly American invention that took the world by storm! We'll try out samples from Rag Time, Boogie Woogie, Swing, Cool, Be-Bop, Progressive, Fusion and Modern. Examples from all of your favorites - Jelly Roll Morton, Thelonius Monk, Scott Joplin, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and more!

Mr. Mark Craddock has been a band director for 35 years, the last 25 of which have been at Marist School. He has degrees in music education and French education from Jacksonville State University.

College Planning

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COLLEGE PLANNING 101: GETTING EQUIPPED FOR THE JOURNEY

Instructor: Mr. Robert Von Hagen

There is a lot that parents need to know about preparing for and helping their children gain admission into college, paying for it, and mounting an effective and productive college search, but it doesn’t need to be overwhelming. This course is focused on parents of students in grades 7-11. Over the course of six hours and three class meetings, you will be better positioned to understand just how much college admission has changed from when you applied yourself.

Session 1: Current Trends in College Admission and Sorting Colleges: What’s going on out there and why? We’ll survey the higher education landscape, encompassing more than 3,000 colleges and universities. (Help!)

Session 2: Understanding the Elements of “Holistic” Admission Review and Financial Aid & Scholarships: What do colleges review for and why? How can we afford college? We’ll discuss need-based aid, merit-based scholarships, admissions, and more.

Session 3: Mock Admission Committee and Helpful Resources: Each participant will become part of the admission committee for a “university,” reviewing candidates and deliberating on who gets in, who does not, and why. We’ll also review college resources and identify the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Mr. Von Hagen has been a college counselor at Marist School for 20 years and has facilitated Marist School’s Career Connections Internship Program for 10 years. Mr. Von Hagen also coaches for both the middle school cross country and track and field teams and moderates the 9th grade campus ministry retreat.

History and Culture

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ATLANTA AND THE CIVIL WAR

Instructor: Ms. Sarah Conn

The Atlanta Campaign was a key series of battles from May to September 1864 and was a key turning point in the Civil War. This course is designed for novices to brush up on their Civil War knowledge and learn about all the great history that we have in our own backyard.

Session 1: Major Events in the Civil War and Important People to Know

Session 2: The Atlanta Campaign - A Trip Down I-75

Session 3: Civil War Sites in Metro Atlanta and Interesting Characters of the War

Ms. Conn is a 7th grade science teacher and has been teaching at Marist Schoo for eight years. Prior to moving to Atlanta, she lived in Fairfax, Va. for six years. Surrounded by many important Civil War sites, she began to read and study the Civil War. She’s taken numerous tours with the Civil War Education Association of Gettysburg, Antietam, Manassas, Fredericksburg, Charleston, and The Atlanta Campaign from Chattanooga to Atlanta.
HOW THE CIVIL WAR CHANGED AMERICAN MEDICINE

Instructor: Mr. Nicolas Hoffmann ’03

In the early Republic, American medicine was rough, just look at George Washington’s teeth. However, the decades of medicine developing in private are destroyed by the Civil War. With 750,000 dead (around 8,250,000 in today’s population), hundreds of thousands more dead in the immediate aftermath from a smallpox epidemic followed by Asiatic cholera sweeping the freedmen communities, nearly 400,000 amputations, and untold cases of mental illness (often just listed as ‘nostalgia’), the war is devastating. As millions got sick, some medicine improves, but even though most Americans know the Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in American history, this is a story they do not know, including improvised medicines, epidemic disease, incompetence, tragedy, and the strange case of Stonewall Jackson’s body. However, out of it comes a story of hope. Because of the War, doctors and nurses professionalize. Modern hospitals and techniques develop. Hygiene is improved. Lives are saved.

Session 1: Just call me ‘Doc’: Medical professionals were not always so professional. We will talk about the death of George Washington, what it took to be a doctor in the 19th century, why nurses were rejected for being too pretty, and see if you can pass a doctor's exam to earn the rank of Surgeon.

Session 2: How the War was fought: From malaria turning the tide at Vicksburg, to Night Blindness costing the Confederacy the Chancellorsville Campaign, we will talk about how nutrition, medicine, and treatments affected the war and what 19th century surgery was like.

Session 3: How did the War Change Medicine?: After hundreds of thousands of sick, wounded and dead, we look at the affects. We talk epidemics, the assassination of Lincoln, the assassination of Garfield, the disinterment of the dead, and the creation of breakfast cereal.

This is Mr. Hoffmann’s first year teaching at his alma mater, but his 11th year teaching at both the high school and college level. He is currently completing a dissertation on Civil War medicine at Georgia State University. He has spoken on this topic as a feature on the Professor Buzzkill Show.
JUSTICE LIKE A MIGHTY STREAM: THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT IN THEOLOGY, LITERATURE, AND LAW

Instructors: Mr. Mike Coveny '81, Mr. Andrew Johnson, and Ms. Gina Parnaby

Atlanta is one of the major sites of the civil rights movement of the 1960s and the home of many of its luminaries. Come learn more about the history in our own backyard and look at how the movement shaped and was shaped by theology, law, and literature. We’ll examine how these religious, legal, and cultural forces continue to speak to us 50 years later.

Session 1: Civil Rights Law: How did laws and court cases work to advance the cause for civil and human rights? Join Mr. Coveny for a look at how the American legal system influenced the movement.

Session 2: Theology and Civil Rights: Much of the movement in the 1950s and 1960s centered around churches and religious groups. Mr. Andrew Johnson will explore how the Gospel inspired the cause of social justice.

Session 3: Literature and Civil Rights: As William Faulkner reminds us, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." Ms. Parnaby will present some of the literature that responds to the movement.

Mr. Johnson has been a Theology teacher at Marist Schoo for five years and is a moderator for the 9th grade Genesis retreat. Ms. Parnaby has been an English Teacher at Marist School for 16 years and was a recipient of the 2014 Faber-McKinley-Stadler Award. Mr. Coveny ’81 is a Theology teacher and has served as director of the Marist Way for over 10 years. He also has coached varsity and JV football.
LATIN AMERICA: AN INTRODUCTION TO OUR SOUTHERN NEIGHBORS

Instructor: Mr. Jose Gregory

Inhabited by advanced civilizations at the time of its discovery, enriched by European and African cultures, welcome to the kaleidoscope that is known as Latin America! In this course, you will obtain a concise overview of the region, its people, and its relationship with the United States. Join us in exploring beyond colorful stereotypes, pre-Columbian pyramids, or pristine beaches. Come discover the authentic Latin America with its dynamic cultures and rich history.

Session 1: Introduction to Latin America: A Story of Conquest, Colonization, and Independence. We will discuss the main pre-Columbian civilizations, how conquistadors were able to topple these empires, and the fight for independence after a period of colonization. Suggested readings and homework.

Session 2: The Complex Relationship with the United States since 1898. This class will focus on the Spanish-American War, American interventions throughout the 20th century, the Good Neighbor Policy, Alliance for Progress, Cuban Embargo, and NAFTA. Suggested readings and homework.

Session 3: Modern Latin America and Hispanics/Latinos in the United States. Our evening series class will conclude with the main current issues confronted by Latin Americans and the role of Hispanics/Latinos in our country, who now comprise the largest minority group. We also will examine the Immigration Act of 1965, the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and current immigration issues. Suggested readings and homework.

Mr. Gregory is in his third year teaching in thesSocial studies department at Marist School. He also coaches the varsity girls tennis team, moderates the 9th grade Genesis retreat, and volunteers at Centro Hispano Marista teaching GED students. Mr. Gregory also works as a College Board consultant for AP U.S. History. Prior to Marist, he taught at DeKalb School of the Arts and at Palmetto High School in Miami, Fla., after practicing corporate law.
THE MIDDLE EAST

Instructor: Dr. Louisa Moffitt

The Middle East is an area of the world that is of critical importance to the United States, yet one that is often little understood and weighted down by many stereotypes. These classes will offer a more nuanced view of the region, its religions, its people, and its political issues than what is usually found in the daily headlines.

Session 1: Islam: What it is and what it is not; an introduction to basic beliefs and major sects; women and “the veil.”

Session 2: The Arab-Israeli conflict: a short history and a look at the current situation.

Session 3: The current situation in Iraq, Syria, and the region; old rivalries and recent complications; the rise of ISIS and the impact on US policies.

Dr. Moffitt has been on the faculty at Marist School for 32 years, teaching both Middle East Studies and A.P. United States History. A longtime consultant for the College Board, she has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards, including the Middle East Studies Association National Service Award. Her most recent publication deals with immigration in America on the world stage, published by the Organization of American Historians.
THE HISTORY OF THE HOLOCAUST

Instructor: Mr. Brendan Murphy

Session 1: The Holocaust was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution and murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime and its collaborators. During this first evening, we will trace the long and tragic history of antisemitism to help us confront one of the central questions to understanding the history of the Holocaust: why the Jews?

Session 2: For our second evening together, we will meet with a Holocaust survivor and tour the Holocaust exhibit at the Breman Museum* in Midtown Atlanta.

Session 3: For our final evening, we will wrestle with trying to understand how the Holocaust was possible. How could humanity do such a thing? To help frame the evening, we will discuss the book Night by Elie Wiesel.

*This course will require an additional fee to cover the museum entrance cost.

Mr. Murphy has been a social studies teacher for 23 years. He was recently awarded the 2017 Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Abe Goldstein Human Relations Award and Marist School's Faber-McKinley-Stadler Award. In 2013-2014, he was awarded Marist School’s Goizueta Chair of Excellence. In 2009, he was named Educator of the Year by University of Notre Dame; and in 2009 and 2016, he was named Georgia Outstanding Educator of the Year by the Georgia Commission on the Holocaust. He also has been named a Mandel Fellow by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and a Lerner Fellow by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous.

Religion/Spirituality

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MINDFULNESS PRACTICE

Instructor: Dr. Cathy Harmon-Christian

Have you heard about mindfulness but don’t really know what it is? Then this course is for you! Over three evenings, we will look at the theory and practice of mindfulness. There is an increasing body of evidence connecting a regular practice of Mindfulness to a vast array of positive health and brain benefits. You will learn different forms of mindfulness practice, so wear comfortable clothes to class.

Session 1: What is mindfulness? In this first session, we will look at the definition and origins of mindfulness. We will explore how mindfulness compares and contrasts with meditation as well as contemplative prayer. And, we will have several opportunities to practice mindfulness.

Session 2: What does science have to say about the benefits of mindfulness? We will explore how mindfulness can bring about health benefits like managing stress, coping with emotional distress, helping with concentration, and responding rather than reacting to life’s difficulties. As with the first session, we will have several opportunities to practice mindfulness.

Session 3: Building upon sessions one and two, we will deepen our practice and discuss how a regular practice of mindfulness is the key to gleaning its benefits. We will learn mindfulness practices that can be used with young children and teens. Resources for further instruction will be provided.

Dr. Harmon-Christian is in her second year teaching in the Theology Department at Marist School. Prior to Marist, Dr Harmon-Christian was the religion coordinator at Queen of Angels Catholic School, where she taught mindfulness to the faculty, staff, and students.
THE THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES AND THEIR PLACE IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

Instructor: Mr. Bob Fecas

Faith, hope, and charity have for their origin, motive, and object . . . God. As such, they are the seed bed for all the other virtues. In these three sessions, by means of reflection, meditation, and prayer against the backdrop of poetry, story, and music, members will expose themselves to a deepening of these primary virtues in their hearts the better to live the Divine life God is always offering. These sessions will take place in the chapel. Come to one or all, late or on time. Phones turned off, please, (not just silenced) and placed in the basket at the holy water font. Looking forward to being with you. No doubt, we will be blessed.

Session 1: Faith. Introduction: language and reality; the mystery/problem distinction. Showing rather than telling the virtue in the lives of the saints, our own stories, and poetry. Time for prayer and meditation to let things sink in. Suggestions for “homework.”

Session 2: Hope. Review and questions. Similar format to session one.

Session 3: Charity. Same format.

Mr. Fecas was a Jesuit scholastic for 10 years, during which time he was trained in Ignatian methods of prayer and meditation. He continues this practice and has also been trained in Yoga and Zen methods with the help of grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as well as support from Marist. Mr. Fecas retired from full-time teaching at Marist in 2016, but continues to teach as a guest lecturer and substitute when needed. He continues to give spiritual direction, workshops and retreats as suggested at bobfecas.com.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “BE MARIST?" AN EXPLORATION INTO THE MARIST WAY; THE HISTORY AND SPIRITUATIALIY OF THE SOCIETY OF MARY*

Instructors: Fr. Bill Rowland, S.M.; Fr. Tom Ellerman, S.M. ’58; with lay instructor Mr. Mike Coveny ’81

Have you thought about what it means to “be Marist in the world?” Are you aware that “Marist” is much more than a school in Atlanta, Georgia? As a parent, alumni, or friend of Marist School, you are invited to explore the spirituality and character of the Society of Mary (the Marists), the founders of Marist School.

The Marists are called to “follow Jesus as Mary did” and to “be Mary” in the world. This mystical vision of Christian living was first articulated 200 years ago by the founder of the Society of Mary, the Venerable Jean-Claude Colin.

How do Marists follow Jesus as Mary did and can you follow in this way?

This course offers participants the chance to explore this question and also offers a practical discussion on how you can apply “Marist” values in your daily life.

The spirit of the Society of Mary supports the mission of Marist School. This same spirit can become an integral part of family life by engaging the Society of Mary’s collective effort to breathe the spirit of Mary into the world and into “church” today.

Session 1: Society of Mary as Missionary: A Brief History of the Society of the Mary and Its Constitutions. Taught by Fr. Bill Rowland, S.M.

Session 2: Society of Mary doing Mary’s work: Mary and the Marists. Taught by Fr. Tom Ellerman, S.M. ’58

Session 3: “Marists” in the world: Sharing the Marist way of life and Marist values as a lay person. Taught by Mr. Mike Coveny '81

*This course does not have a fee, but allows for donations toward Marist missionary efforts around the world, including efforts in Asia through the Marist Asia foundation, maristasiafoundation.org.

Self-Discovery

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THE PHILOSOPHY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF HAPPINESS

Instructor: Mr. Eric Heintz

Do you have to have tasted the bitterness of broccoli to enjoy the sweet delights of chocolate? Answer this and related questions of happiness in this class! Filling “self-help” sections at your local bookstore and the pages of the New York Times, happiness is everywhere. This course will explore many of the most important questions regarding the nature of happiness, different philosophical traditions’ widely varied ideas on happiness, and modern science’s take on the subject. This is not a self-help course, but instead a relaxed investigation of the philosophy and science of the hot topic focused on thought-provoking questions and your own areas of interest.

Session 1: Introduction: The Western Tradition’s “Philosophy of Happiness” starting with ancient Greeks and Romans and moving through Christian and Enlightenment beliefs.

Session 2: The Eastern and Contemplative Traditions take on happiness and, conversely, the origins of suffering. Focus on Buddhism and the integration of contemplative practices with modern psychology.

Session 3: Happiness in the modern world: brain chemistry, psychological insights into happiness, the economics of happiness, and happiness as a matter of public policy.

Mr. Heintz is in his 12th year at Marist School and is a member of the social studies department. He is an A.P. European History teacher and the head cross country coach.

Science

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BE A BETTER BIRDER AND A CITIZEN SCIENTIST*

Instructor: Mr. James L. Naum-Bedigian

In this one-session class, learn some techniques to identify birds you may see here in the Atlanta area and share what you see with professional ornithologists. You'll also learn how to create a wildlife friendly habitat.

*This is a one-session course that will take place on Monday, January 14.

Mr. Naum-Bedigan has taught and coached at Marist for 27 years.