History & Culture

Discover the styles of American buildings, with a Baltimore perspective, from colonial times to the modern era. This course will feature many examples from the Classical 1821 Catholic Cathedral to the Charles Center high rises of the Mid-Century Modern movement. Architect Robert Gisriel, AIA, will be your pictorial guide, describing the historical events, new technology and visual features that define these various styles.

Have you ever wondered to whom you might be related? The explosion of direct to consumer DNA test kits has opened the door to discovering your genetic makeup, your ancient origins, and potential family relationships. Genetic genealogy has emerged as an important tool for genealogists and family historians.

This course will teach you about DNA, what tests are available, how to use your DNA results to find family and how to use it in your genealogical research.

Instructor: Andrew Hochreiter

Extremely ambitious and highly intelligent, Queen Zenobia seized Egypt from Rome and came close to transforming the Syrian city of Palmyra into the capital of a breakaway eastern empire. This city was called, in antiquity, the “pearl of the desert,” and has so recently made headlines around
the world during the Syrian war, and the capture of the city by ISIS forces. In this course, you will explore the fascinating life of Queen Zenobia—one of the most powerful women of the ancient world. You will also discover, in detail, the desert kingdom of Palmyra, which sat at the crossroads between the Mediterranean world ruled by Rome and the great empires of Asia. Instructor Bill McGowan holds an M.A. degree in Latin and Greek from Fordham University in New York City.

The Rosetta Stone is one of the most famous archaeological artifacts in the world. In this course, you will explore the fascinating history of this amazing treasure, first uncovered by French Napoleonic troops in Egypt in 1799, and the race between the French and the British to decipher the mysterious language of the ancient Egyptians. The stone’s true significance lies in the tripartite inscription incised on the stone, each written in a different script—Egyptian hieroglyphics, Egyptian Demotic, and Ancient Greek, which would prove to be the key to solving the puzzle of deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics. Instructor Bill McGowan holds an M.A. degree in Latin and Greek from Fordham University in New York City.

The Russian Civil War was a continuation of the revolution of 1917. This time the armies involved in the fighting were both Russian. When the Bolsheviks won, the Soviet Union was created. The losers were forced to flee and over a million “White” Russians sought new lives throughout the world. A great many came to the United States, influencing culture, education and politics. Understand the opposing ideologies and the civil war’s impact on the Russian diaspora. Instructor: HCC Professor Emeritus Vladimir Marinich.