Each 9-week session holds a variety of classes. Most are 50 minutes each class.
They vary from session to session. But they are all very interesting.
The current session (Fall ) runs from September 16 to November 11, 2026.
FALL 2026 class descriptions
BeginNing @ 9AM:
| Coffee and Conversation | 9:00 – 11:00 | Dining Room |
Come have a cup of coffee and visit with other members between 9:00 and 11:00.
It’s a great way to relax before your next class and meet some new friends.
| YOGA FOR GOLDEN ADULTS | Kent Hayes |
Our senior adult yoga is designed for students who cannot or prefer not to lie on
the floor. After warm-up activities, we will slowly move from one pose to another, paying particular attention not to overstretch our bodies or make ourselves uncomfortable. We hope to improve our range of motion and flexibility.
| ZUMBA GOLD | Suzanne Hyman |
Zumba Gold introduces easy-to-follow choreography featuring Latin and international music and dance movements. This very fun class focuses on balance, range of motion, and coordination. Come ready to sweat a little and prepare to leave feeling strong! Please wear comfortable clothes and supportive/exercise shoes.
| UKULELE FUN | Everett Spell |
Dust off that old ukulele and join the fun! We will help each other learn to strum and also sing along with familiar songs. Beginners welcome!
| SHARING SHORT FICTION | Carol McAlpin |
This early-bird class has become our weekly “book club,” a time to discuss several authors and their tales, each short enough to be read in one sitting and then discussed while the experience is still fresh. We will read stories from several genres, some that provoke serious thought, others that make us smile or even laugh. But what I value most about our shared time together is that each of us can bring our own views – our own personal lens – to every story that we read, and that the sharing of our responses then creates our very own community of readers. (Stories are provided)
| THE ART STUDIO | 9:00 – 11:50 | Self-directed |
We will provide the room; you provide the talent! If you are looking for somewhere to paint/draw, share ideas and techniques with fellow artists, then this is the place for you! It is a great way to practice your skills and enjoy the fellowship of other artists. Please bring your own supplies – acrylics and watercolors only. Please do not bring oils.
BeginNing @ 10AM:
| TAI CHI | Robin Anderson |
Learn about and experience Tai Chi for relaxation and enhanced health. Tai Chi consists of slow, gentle turning and stretching movements designed to improve and maintain good balance and circulation. You will learn a short set of Tai Chi movements, along with exercises that improve mobility, flexibility, and balance. Wear flat shoes as well as comfortable clothing that allows movement. This class is for both beginning and continuing participants.
| *EAT WELL; LIVE WELL | John Finch |
The foods we eat can add life to our years, helping us stay strong, active, and engaged. This class explores practical ideas from current nutrition science, including the value of eating a wider variety of plant foods and colorful ingredients. Which eating patterns support the body’s ability to function well? Together we will discover workable strategies that support energy, vitality, and well-being through everyday meals.
| LET’S PLAY MAH-JONGG | 10:00 – 11:50 | Self-directed |
Players with knowledge of the game are invited to practice and improve their skills.
| *BEFORE SHERLOCK: Pirates, Parrots, Peril, & Poe | Pat McNeely |
Most biographers give little attention to Edgar Allan Poe’s time in South Carolina, yet his experiences here may have helped inspire some of his most enduring work. From The Gold-Bug and its buried treasure, secret codes and pirate lore to the world’s first fictional detective, Poe helped inspire Treasure Island and Sherlock Holmes—and even considered a parrot before choosing the raven to cry “Nevermore.” Discover Poe’s surprising South Carolina connections as Pat McNeely tells how his mysteries, adventures, science fiction and psychological suspense helped shape the popular stories, movies and television we still enjoy today.
| *ADRENALINE FOR LIVING WELL (Part 2) | Anne Cox |
Everyone can benefit from “adrenaline boosts,” energy, and innovative perspectives for navigating our everyday. We’ll take a deep, even unusual, look at what can soar your connection with others and expand your strengths, by concentrating on these sources of living well: Illuminators (from Einstein and Jesus to your own ancestors), Finding Common Ground (when disagreements are probable), Miracle Breaks, Confronting Our Own Biases & Prejudices, Resilience in Grief – Insights on Forgiveness, and Being a Bookseller. Inspirational takeaways from a range of resources, stirring film clips, and thinking together.
| *TURNING YOUR THOUGHTS INTO WORDS | Carol McAlpin |
As facilitator, I welcome anyone who has wanted to write that memory or that poem or that letter to a friend but has not found the time—until now—to do so. Each week, I will suggest ways to begin your particular mode of choice and offer a few weekly prompts, but much of our class time, shaped by your questions and your goals, will be spent with our in-class writing. My hope is to create a “stress-free” space for each of us to put our thoughts into words.
BeginNing @ 11AM:
| *ANIMAL COGNITION: ARE WE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW SMART ANIMALS ARE? | DR. Carol McGinnis Kay |
The study of how animals think, learn, communicate, and behave has become a burgeoning science only in the past 50 years. Now the area is exploding with new discoveries. Join Dr. Carol McGinnis Kay as she looks at some of the more amazing recent discoveries about the rich intellectual and emotional lives of our close relatives, such as chimps, and our more distant kin, such as birds and octopuses. She will conclude with a predictive glimpse into where science is going next.
| *AI FOR GOOD | Jerry Allen |
Amid a daily barrage of alarming headlines about the dangers of artificial intelligence, this course takes a different look – exploring how AI is being used to do good (and occasionally just to have fun). Drawing on real-world examples from science, healthcare and medicine, agriculture, climate and clean energy, disaster response, and legal research, we’ll examine the positive impact of AI across diverse fields. And yes, we’ll even talk a little bit about The Wizard of Oz.
| * LET’S GO TO THE MOVIES | Allison McNeely |
Step back into Hollywood’s Golden Age and beyond as we revisit favorite films from the 1930s through the 1980s. Through scenes and memorable moments selected by Allison McNeely , we’ll rediscover the stars, stories, music, and unforgettable performances that made these movies classics. Along the way, you’ll enjoy behind-the-scenes stories, fascinating trivia, and lively discussion as we celebrate the films we grew up with and still love today.
| *CULTURE OF COLOR: THE FASCINATING INTERSECTION OF PERCEPTION AND TRADITION | Susan Sanders |
Color is far more than a simple optical frequency; it is a rich, living language defined by human history, geography, and cultural context. In this course, we step into the fascinating intersection of perception and tradition to examine how human beings experience shade and hue. We will explore how setting and environment alter our emotional responses and perceptions. From there, we take a global tour to discover how colors translate across borders—discovering the unique traditions, sacred rituals, and national emblems that give specific palettes their distinct meanings. By exploring global traditions, iconic imagery, and cross-cultural perspectives, we will reveal why color rarely translates the same way twice. You will leave this class with a transformed lens, ready to interpret the hidden meanings embedded in the colorful world around us.
After lunch
| FRENCH IN ACTION | 1:15 – 2:15 | Liz Knight |
Join us in learning French geography, grammar, pronunciation, reading, and writing. We will use a workbook – Basic French, 3rd edition by Eliane Kurbegot, published by McGraw-Hill. Available from Amazon ($11) or Barnes & Noble ($18).
| *SPANISH II | 1:15 – 2:15 | Nancie Shillington-Perez |
“Spanish II” will be much like “Spanish I” last session in that we will use authentic materials such as songs, children’s books, and games to bring about natural acquisition of the language. No outside textbook is necessary. Having covered greetings, colors, food, numbers, adjectives, time, pronouns, and basic conjugation of regular verbs last session, we will put more emphasis on pronunciation and sentence development. Nancie is looking forward to seeing all her former students and any new faces! If you have any questions, feel free to email her at nancierrr@sbcglobal.net.
| LET’S PLAY MAH-JONGG | 1:15 – 3:00 | Group-directed |
Players with knowledge of the game are invited to practice & improve their skills.
Classes are held in the Leisure Ministries Building at Trenholm Road United Methodist Church. You can turn from Trenholm Road and follow to the back of the property where you will find ample parking.
Come into the building at the entryway with three arches.
Shepherd's Center of Columbia 