BELFAST — Winter is here and with it, Belfast Senior College has planned its Winterim semester. It begins in mid-January with registration available on December 15.

A total of twelve classes will be offered in multiple Belfast venues and on Zoom. Most classes run for four weeks with a few extending one week longer. Venues include St. Margaret’s Church, Belfast Free Library, Social Capital and Waterfall Arts. Classes start on Tuesday, Jan. 16, and be available Tuesday through Friday at various times of the day. BSC welcomes all who are ages 50 and over to join its community of learners.

“Once again, we offer a diverse variety of opportunities to explore new topics,” says Senior College board president Mayo Bulloch, in a news release. “From personal health to the arts to literature and current issues, there’s much to choose from to brighten up the cold winter days that are inevitable here in Midcoast Maine. Come for the learning and come to connect or reconnect with other community members. So many find the conversations that emerge every bit as delightful as the class content.”

On Tuesdays, beginning Jan. 16, three classes will be offered and held in Belfast at Social Capital, 28 Spring St. They include learning the American version of the ancient game “Mahjongg for Beginners,” from 9:30 a.m. to11:30 a.m.; “Sex After Menopause for Women,” for women only and taught by artist and sex educator, Carla Sanders from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and “Relationship Intelligence” from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.. Instructor Michael Shell, whose background includes 20 years of team leadership coaching, calls this an interactive course exploring the many dimensions of relationships.

On Wednesdays, beginning January 17, Belfast Senior College offers three more classes. From 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at St. Margaret’s Church, Mike Hurley, a long-time Belfast city councilor, past mayor and community activist will lead a discussion and exploration on the topic of “Housing Belfast.” Also from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. popular BSC instructor Sandy Cirillo returns with “New Directions in Drawing - Part II” at Waterfall Arts. Lastly, “The Past as Prologue: The 2024 Presidential Election” will be held at St. Margaret’s Church from 1:00. to 3:00 p.m. It will be taught by John McClenahen, who observed many presidential administrations first-hand in his 40-year media career.

Those who prefer Thursday classes have five classes to choose from, all of them starting on January 18. Veteran BSC instructor Pete Reilly returns with another look back at popular music with “Remembering the Beatles – 1964,” from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., at Belfast Free Library. There will be two courses on photography. Jim Kosinski teaches “Themes and Trends in Photography,” 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., and Paul Sheridan teaches a course called “Women Photographers Past and Present.” Sheridan’s course will be offered by Zoom from 1 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.. People seeking a hands-on learning experience will enjoy “Winter Watercolor Workshop,”
taught by long-time BSC instructor Nancy Blatz at Waterfall Arts, 1:00 p.m. to 3 p.m. And Juliet Baker, who has taught many literary works at BSC, offers “Back to Charles Dickens – Redux” at Belfast Free Library from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The course will focus on Dicken’s last completed novel, “Our Mutual Friend,” and will run for five weeks, ending on February 15.

Belfast Senior College will offer one Zoom class beginning Friday, Jan. 19 from 1 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. The instructor of “Staying Balanced in an Unbalanced World” is Izzy Gezell, an “organizational alchemist who helps people seamlessly navigate their internal logjams.” Many Belfast residents will remember him from his heart-warming interactive presentation at the June 2023 BSC event, “Healing with Laughter.”

Belfast Senior College is an independent and volunteer-powered non-profit organization, now celebrating 30 years of programming. For the affordable price of $25 for a one-year membership, BSC offers year-round courses and events to inform, delight and connect community members age 50 and up. Members’ spouses and partners of any age also are welcome to join. Class tuition is $30 for the four-week Winterim session. Limited scholarships are available for students or members. Call the BSC office at 206-707-6010 for more scholarship information. For individual class descriptions, details on membership and course registration, go to belfastseniorcollege.org or visit the new Senior College office, at Belfast CoWorking, 17a Main Street near the waterfront. The office is open 10:00 am to 1:00 pm on Thursdays, from December 14 to February 8 or by appointment.