The course will explore an almost forgotten time period of North American history, 1754-1763, The French & Indian War. This event had a lasting effect on this continent, made England a world power, and helped bring about the American Revolution. You have the opportunity to observe and discuss many pieces of equipment, uniforms, maps, furs, and other items. The war itself and methods of fighting in it will also be talked about. The instructor has been a teacher and a French reenacting soldier. He has participated in events in Quebec, Canada and 8 different states. He will bring some new and interesting ideas to the class through his experiences.

A look at many rebellions and revolutions in Poland between the partitions and the Treaty of Versailles. It includes quite a cast of characters including Napoleon.

In the last year, two books written by South Bend authors have been published. The first is ARA by Mark Hubbard about the life of the legendary Notre Dame football coach. The second is Mr. Churchill in the White House by Robert Schmuhl, retired ND professor, about the British Prime Minister's visits there during two presidencies. The course will discuss each book for five weeks.

We will watch and discuss movies with jazz/blues soundtracks, plots, or actors. Plus a few surprises! Suggestions are encouraged. Class is 9 weeks, as I may be out of town during the semester. Depending on the length of the movie, the class may not last the allotted time.

This semester will present the Catholic response to the Protestant Reformation (first semester.) We will discuss the Council of Trent (1545-1563.) We will consider the historical theological & political context if this monumental Council. We will examine the popes who were leaders of the Catholic Church at the time of the Council. We will also discuss the cardinals & bishops who were involved in the Council. Also we will consider the reforms which the Council made in the the areas such as seminary training, the sacraments & Eucharist. We will also talk about the new religious orders & the men & women that took up the cause of reform & the spread of Catholicism to the New World.

Which Lake Michigan state has the best K-12 school finance system? Berrien County is an excellent example of shortcomings of using property taxes as the major source of school revenue.

The first of two semesters devoted to understanding the travail of the United States since the Great Depression. We will be most focused on the way ideas, events and personalities come together to forge eras of politcal dominance and provoke critiques. New Deal liberalism, mainstream conservatism, and the emergence of radical alternatives such as populism and identity politics will be examined. The fall '25 semester will take the story from the 1930s to the 1980s, and a subsequent class will pick the story up there. Readings will be distributed electronically; there is no required text.

This will be a single session class September 24th, about the South Bend Watch Company. We will discuss the need for high quality watches, a little about how they work, the company's origins, many of the people involved, products, location, ultimate demise and aftermath. For anyone who has an old pocket watch and would like to bring it to the class, I will remain afterward to provide any information I can about the watch.