Beaver Creek Hemlocks Natural History Hike
2022-08-16 09:30 - 12:00 (America/Chicago) | Beaver Creek Hemlocks, Sherman, WI, United States
About the site: The Beaver Creek Hemlocks, located in Sherman in southern Iron County, was identified in 2020 as a priority for acquisition by the Northwoods Land Trust (NWLT) as part of their Old-Growth Forest Initiative. The Initiative aims to protect mature and old-growth forest habitat in the Northwoods, educate landowners and the general public about the importance of these forests, and conserve some of the last pockets of these rare resources.
NWLT acquired Beaver Creek Hemlocks in May, 2021, from the Board of Commissioners of Public Land (BCPL) who had owned the land for over 100 years. Earlier in December of 2020, the NWLT purchased a 25-acre adjoining property that provides access from Highway 182.
Conservation features include: 8,160 ft. of creek shoreline; 950 ft. of bog shoreline; mature and old-growth hemlock-hardwood forest; black-spruce tamarack swamps; vernal ponds, poor fen and wetlands. Trails are being marked this summer and a parking area along 182 is being built as well. Low-impact public recreation includes hiking, snowshoeing, backcountry cross country skiing and nature observation, as well as fishing and hunting.
What we’ll do: We will slowly hike a loop of about 2 miles, stopping occasionally to discuss the ecology and importance of old-growth forests. The narrow trail isn’t steep, but has ups and downs.
Directions to Beaver Creek Hemlocks:
GPS coordinates (45.99190, 90.17013)
https://goo.gl/maps/bkELPpEw8fKnGrnY6.
Located on the east side of Route 182, across from Fire #387N, four miles south of Springstead and 15 miles east of Park Falls.
Instructor: John Bates
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0201 or (715) 892-3982.

Ear-Obics!
2022-08-22 15:30 - 17:00 | Mercer Community Center, 2648W Margaret Street, Mercer, Wisconsin, 54547
This Fe University offering is intended to enhance students’ musical sensitivity and awareness through guided group listening. Using a wide variety of genres, we will explore many musical examples with the goal of raising the listener’s awareness for an enriching experience.
Did you know that Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys) and Paul McCartney (The Beatles) have both paid homage to J.S. Bach for major hit songs they’ve written over the years?…Not obscure tunes but songs everyone knows?
Check out the Fe University short course EAR-OBICS to learn AND hear the stories behind these little known facts. You will hear for yourself connections few (if any) people make as we enjoy learning and listening to a wide variety of musical styles.
Instructor: Rusty Wulff
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0201 or (715) 892-3982.

Identifying and Managing Northern Trees and Shrubs (Not All Evergreens are Pines!)
2022-09-01 13:00 - 16:00 | Mercer Public Library, 2648 Margaret St., Mercer, WI, 54547, United States
Not all evergreens are pines! Besides learning to identify northern trees and shrubs, you’ll learn where they grow and why they grow there, plus how to manage them on your property, and which ones are good for wildlife.
On the first day, learn about basic tree and shrub identification (for example, opposite versus branching leaves). You’ll put your newfound knowledge into practice on some of the shrubs outside the Mercer Library.
On the second day, class will meet at the Mercer Library and then head out to look at trees on Chris’s property out on County J. This field trip will include an easy, one mile, mowed trail that will be walked. The field trip will take place rain or shine (unless it’s a thunderstorm), so come prepared to be outdoors!
Instructors: Chris Paulik and Chad McGrath
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0201 or (715) 892-3982.

Doing Music From the Inside Out 101 (Level 1)
2022-09-13 15:00 - 17:00 | Mercer Community Center, 2648W Margaret Street, Mercer, Wisconsin, 54547
This class is designed to give the adult beginning/inexperienced musician opportunities to engage with music, and to actually play some music, too.
Requirements:
– NO MUSIC READING & NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY (…or memory of such).
– Curiosity and a sense of humor!
– A functional/playable acoustic (non-amplified) guitar. Fe staff can help those who may need to find a guitar to rent.
– Instructor will provide African hand drums & percussion instruments.
– Take notes as individuals prefer.
This is a hands-on music offering both for those who miss their past days in music as well as individuals who never pursued learning to “do music” but find themselves wishing for a do-over.
Throughout our four 2-hour meetings, we will cover a variety of concepts and ideas. These will be introduced organically as they emerge to be interesting and relevant to our group. While there is no limit to what we could explore, we’ll begin with basics from which curiosity, questions, and enthusiasm will likely surface. The direction of following sessions will be determined by class participants’ interests; hence the title “Music from the Inside Out.”
Beginning from the first class, we’ll use our ears and imaginations to actually make music with guitars and hand drums/percussion Rhythm, melody, harmony along with newly emerging technique/skill will immerse us in organic music exploration, listening, and appreciation.
Need a guitar? Rent one for $20. Just add this to your class registration.
Please note that this class is limited to 8 students.
Instructor: Rusty Wulff
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0201 or (715) 892-3982.

Exploring the History and Legacy of Camp Mercer
2022-09-29 13:00 - 16:30 | Mercer Public Library, 2648 Margaret St., Mercer, WI, 54547, United States
Please note: this class is offered in two sessions. You can take both together, or sign up for only one class.
Participants will:
• Explore both written and digital historic sources regarding the Civilian Conservation Corps and Camp Mercer.
• Engage in field exploration analyzing historic features (as participants are comfortable).
• Collaboratively suggest stewardship plan and will overview of the historic importance of both the CCC and Camp Mercer.
• Suggest next steps in Camp Mercer cultural preservation.
Session 1, Thursday, September 29, 1:00-4:30PM, will be conducted in a classroom setting at Mercer Library and in the field at Camp Mercer. After introductions, specific goals for the course will be agreed upon. Overview presentation by the instructor and answering questions. Drive to Camp Mercer and walk the site, giving an overview of the entire property, respecting laws and embracing best stewardship practices. Walking will be easy to moderate with some uneven ground and possible brush or trees. Total distance about 1 mile.
Session 2, Friday, September 30, 1:00-4:00PM, will be conducted at Camp Mercer. Discussion and analysis of the Camp Mercer archeological features, histories and mysteries. Our field experience will review the entire site. Walking will be easy to moderate with some uneven ground. Discussion and ranking next steps for Camp Mercer Trail development and preservation. Total distance about 3 miles.
Requirements:
Participants will NOT have to purchase any books or materials for this course. Optional reading will be provided digitally and/or in paper copies. The instructor will use the internet and digital media often to teach the class. No required home work.
Physical requirements are described under the Course Structure above. Participants are NOT required to participate in field activities.
Participants will be informed of state and federal laws protecting cultural sites and all must follow these laws when in the field. The mission of the course is to protect, preserve, and learn best stewardship practices regarding cultural sites like Camp Mercer.
Instructor: Jim Bokern
Permission: This Fe University course has the support of James Zkibo, Wisconsin State Archaeologist, Richard Kubicek, Historic Preservation Officer for the Wisconsin DNR, and Craig Dalton, NHAL.
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0201 or (906) 285-7517.

History of Mining on the Gogebic and Penokee Range
2022-10-03 15:30 - 17:30 | Iron County Historical Museum, 303 Iron St., Hurley, WI
Four Sessions, October 3rd, 10th, and 17th at the Iron County Historical Museum, 3:30PM to 5:30p.m. Field Trip on the 24th, 2:00-5:00p.m.
If you can’t make it to the field trip, please note that a map will be provided for a self-guided tour.
Session 1

The historical context of iron mining in the great lakes area and especially along Lake Superior.
The discovery of rich deposits of hematite near what is now Bessemer, Michigan. Why were they looking there?
The geology of the South shore of Lake Superior and why iron is so prevalent there. Types of ore extant and mining methods.
Early mines, speculation, the “Iron Rush” and collapse of prices and ventures.
The early investors. Where did the money come from and go to?
The incredible pace of technological development in mining and shipping.

Session 2

Introduction and tour of the mining museum in the old Iron County court house.
The glory years, the successful mines and the economic rise of Hurley and Ironwood.
Some details of the major mines and failed enterprises.

Session 3

Miners’ lives. Danger, death, disease and disaster in the Range. Silicosis, collapse, carelessness.
The rise of labor unions.
The end of the iron mining era. Why did mines close? What ores are left and can they be retrieved?
The sociological effects of boom and bust on Superior’s south shore. Where did all the money go?
Take home a complimentary pasty to sample miners’ food.

Session 4 – Field Trip

A tour of mine and processing sites from Ramsay, MI to Iron Belt, WI.

Instructors: Richard Thiede and Paul Sturgul
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0201 or (715) 892-3982.

Understanding the Second Amendment (Miller to Heller to Bruen)
2022-10-05 15:00 - 17:00 | WI
A compendium of the history, constitutional, judicial and legislative development of our right to bear arms. This class will explore the origins, development and meanings (plural) of the Second Amendment, from the gunfight at the OK Corral to the textual, originalist and structural methodologies of the United States Supreme Court.
This class will take place at Mercer Library on October 5, and at the Iron County Board Room in Hurley on October 12.
We plan to offer this class in the Ashland/Washburn/Bayfield area in the future.
Instructor: Sam Filippo
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0201 or (715) 892-3982.

Courting the Muse: Reading and Writing Poetry
2022-10-18 09:30 - 11:30 | Government Boarding School at Lac du Flambeau, Lac du Flambeau, WI, 54538, United States
Unfortunately this course has been canceled.
This class will take place October 18, 25, November 1 and 8, from 9:30-11:30a.m., at the Boys’ Dormitory of the Government Boarding School in Lac du Flambeau.
In the unique location of the Boys’ Dormitory in Lac du Flambeau, this course will introduce participants to a variety of modern and contemporary poetry, and guide us in writing and revising our own poems. We will discuss the readings to develop a better understanding of poetry as we write poems in response to various assignments and prompts. We will also look at “the habit of the artist”—ways in which we can become more observant, and better, writers.
Beginner, intermediate and advanced poets are all welcome.
This class is offered in partnership with the Waaswaaganing Indian Bowl. We are pleased to offer complimentary tuition for Lac du Flambeau tribal members.
Requirements: Participants will be expected to read a selection of poems and meditations on poetry that will be shared during the course. They will also be expected to write or revise a poem for each class, and participate in class discussion workshopping each person’s poem. For the first class, participants will read the “Poetry Packet” emailed to each before the class.
Instructor: Dr. Beth Tornes
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.

Doing Music from the Inside Out 102 (Level 2)
2022-10-20 15:00 - 17:00 | Mercer Community Center, 2648W Margaret Street, Mercer, Wisconsin, 54547
This class will take place Oct 20, 27, Nov 3, and 10, from 3:00-5:00p.m., at the Mercer Community Center.
This class can be taken as a continuation of the Doing Music From the Inside Out 101 class, or if they have previous musical experience, students are welcome to take this class without having taken 101. Level 2 will emphasize increasing skills, musical knowledge, and further enhancing sensitivity to the aspects of playing and even creating music. Fundamental guitar knowledge recommended, including familiarity with guitar tuning, chord diagrams, basic tablature, and basic chords like G, A, C, D, E.
No note reading required. Class content will build upon musical basics, as well as move on with attention paid to students’ interests.
Need a guitar? Rent one for $20. Just add this to your class registration.
Please note that this class is limited to 8 students.
Instructor: Rusty Wulff
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.

The Legacy of the Government Boarding Schools for Indigenous Children
2022-11-07 09:00 - 12:00 | Government Boarding School at Lac du Flambeau, Lac du Flambeau, WI, 54538, United States
This class is full, but we are compiling a list for the next class scheduled for 2023 please email your contact information to info@feuniversity.org.
This class will take place November 7 and 14, 9:00a.m. to Noon, at the Boys’ Dormitory at the Government Boarding School in Lac du Flambeau.
This class will focus on the United States federal government school system for Indigenous children, with emphasis on the boarding school on the Lac du Flambeau reservation. The class will cover the history of the school system, how the schools were run, the ongoing impact on the children and Indigenous communities both historically and in present generations. The class will also cover the current government recognition of the historical trauma resulting from the devastation by the boarding schools, and most importantly the resilience of the community in recent decades toward revitalizing language and culture, as well as public outreach.
Class will include a tour of the George W. Brown Jr. Ojibwe Museum and Cultural Center.
This class is offered in partnership with the Waaswaaganing Indian Bowl. We are pleased to offer complimentary tuition for Lac du Flambeau tribal members. (Please contact us for details.)
Instructor: Cindi Stiles
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.

Telling Tales: The Art and Fun of Writing Fiction
2022-11-15 17:00 - 19:00 | Zoom Online
This four-part writing class will take place November 15, 22, 29, and December 6, 5:00-7:00PM on Zoom.
In appreciation of National Novel Writing Month*, dive into fiction writing with published author Callie Bates! This class will be a mix of theory, discussion and experience. Learn how to structure a novel (or short fiction), develop a character arc, and write a powerful narrative–then take those recommendations and break the mold by doing things your own way. We will also discuss the creative process and how you can bring a writing practice into your daily or weekly life.
Each class will include dedicated time for writing in response to prompts. Students will have the option of reading their work aloud and receiving some (kind and positive) feedback from the instructor and their fellow participants.
Some homework will be assigned; doing it is recommended but not required. It’s a good idea to stockpile a couple of your favorite books for inspiration and study, if you don’t already own them.
This class will focus on writing fiction of any length–while the emphasis will most likely linger on novels, students are welcome to be working on any form and length of fiction.
*This is not an official NaNoWriMo class, nor is FeU affiliated with NaNoWriMo.
Instructor: Callie Bates
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.
Supplementary Materials for Registered Students

Cross Country Ski Instruction
2023-01-03 13:00 - 15:00 | Mecca Ski Trail, 4686 Fierick Rd., Mercer, WI, 54547, United States
This four-session class will take place Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 3, 5, 10, 12, 2023, 1:00-3:00p.m., at the MECCA ski trail in Mercer.
This class is limited to 10 students.
Need skis? Rent them for $20.
Brush up on your cross-country skiing skills–or venture out on skis for the first time!–with veteran ski instructor Chad McGrath! This popular class has been offered year after year thanks to Chad’s patient teaching, the interest of our students, and of course, our beautiful Northwoods snow conditions.
By the time you’re done with this class, you’ll understand the basics of both diagonal stride and skate style skiing. You’ll learn to kick, glide, climb hills, go down hills, and use poles to assist your movement.
This class is perfect for absolute beginners and those with a little experience. Students must be comfortable balancing on one foot for a few seconds. Students must also not be unduly concerned with falling down once or twice!
FeU thanks the MECCA Experience Fund for sponsoring this class.
Instructor: Chad McGrath
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Cross-Country Ski Refresher Class
2023-01-11 13:00 - 15:00 | Mecca Ski Trail, 4686 Fierick Rd., Mercer, WI, 54547, United States
This free class will take place January 11, 1:00-3:00p.m., at MECCA Ski Trail in Mercer.
Somewhere around 50 folks have decided to improve their cross-country skiing technique and signed up for lessons via FeU over the last 6 years. Chad has wondered how these people are doing, are they skiing more, less, enjoying it more, less, or maybe even thinking they’d like to brush up on what they learned.
Well, here’s your chance! Instructor Chad McGrath will be out at MECCA on January 11th from 1 to 3pm holding a refresher session for those who are interested. We’ll run through some of the basics as before plus perhaps add a trick or two. Then we’ll go for an easy ski, out and about MECCA.
Any former student is invited to join us, but please register so we know how many people will be attending.
And it’s FREE! If the crowd of ex students gets too big, we will schedule a second day, likely on the 13th.
LET IT SNOW!
Instructor: Chad McGrath
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Just Playing: Free Music Class!
2023-01-14 10:00 - 12:00 | Mercer Community Center, 2648W Margaret Street, Mercer, Wisconsin, 54547
FREE Music Class Saturday, January 14, 10:00a.m.-Noon, at the Mercer Community Center!
Master teacher Rusty Wulff will offer a gentle, single-session introduction to his music-teaching style. The emphasis will be on beginning guitar and playing African hand drums. Perfect for beginners and those who haven’t played an instrument in a long time. Rusty will help you find your own rhythm and enthusiasm for music.
Guitars and hand drums will be provided.
If you enjoy this class, you can sign up for Rusty’s Doing Music From the Inside Out 101 class, starting January 21.
This class is limited to 12 students. Please sign up soon!
Instructor: Rusty Wulff
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0201 or (906) 285-7517.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

“Rule by Strongmen”: Europe between the Wars and the Troubling Legacy of Fascism
2023-01-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Mercer Community Center, 2648W Margaret Street, Mercer, Wisconsin, 54547
A new class with Dr. Mary Magray, January 18, 20, 25, and 27 from 10:00AM-Noon at the Mercer Community Center.
Historians like to say that, although history does not repeat itself, it does often seem to rhyme. And although direct comparison of one historical era with another—or with the present—is a perilous enterprise, fraught with complication, misreading, and misinterpretation, still, it can be enormously instructive. Today, many Western democracies, including the United States, face challenges from a growing illiberal, authoritarian political movement that is increasingly being compared with the fascism of the 1920s and 1930s. Are we, as one scholar has recently asked, in danger of a fascist revival today?
It is a complicated but intriguing question, and in attempting to address it, we will explore the history of Europe during the two decades following the First World War. From the 1919 Treaty of Versailles to the outbreak in 1939 of yet another “great war,” we will examine the rise of fascist dictatorships in Italy and Germany and the catastrophic consequences of their attempt to destroy democracy in Europe. It is an historical era long over, one defined by a political ideology that, until recently, was believed to have been completely discredited. But it has reared its ugly head once again, potentially threatening the Western political order that we have long taken for granted as unassailable.

Class 1: Versailles & the Uneasy Peace Settlement of the “Great War”
Class 2: The Emergence of Fascist Ideology in Italy
Class 3: Hitler & the Dismantling of German Democracy
Class 4: The New Authoritarianism of the 21st Century

Requirements: Handouts and suggested readings to be provided.
Instructor: Dr. Mary Magray
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Doing Music From the Inside Out 101
2023-01-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Mercer Community Center, 2648W Margaret Street, Mercer, Wisconsin, 54547
This class will take place January 21 and 28, and February 4 and 11, 10:00a.m. to Noon, at the Mercer Community Center.
Back by popular demand, Doing Music From the Inside Out with Rusty Wulff returns for 2023!
This class is designed to give the adult beginning/inexperienced musician opportunities to engage with music, and to actually play some music, too.
Requirements:
– NO MUSIC READING & NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY (…or memory of such).
– Curiosity and a sense of humor!
– A functional/playable acoustic (non-amplified) guitar. Fe staff can help those who may need to find a guitar to rent.
– Instructor will provide African hand drums & percussion instruments.
– Take notes as individuals prefer.
This is a hands-on music offering both for those who miss their past days in music as well as individuals who never pursued learning to “do music” but find themselves wishing for a do-over.
Throughout our four 2-hour meetings, we will cover a variety of concepts and ideas. These will be introduced organically as they emerge to be interesting and relevant to our group. While there is no limit to what we could explore, we’ll begin with basics from which curiosity, questions, and enthusiasm will likely surface. The direction of following sessions will be determined by class participants’ interests; hence the title “Music from the Inside Out.”
Beginning from the first class, we’ll use our ears and imaginations to actually make music with guitars and hand drums/percussion Rhythm, melody, harmony along with newly emerging technique/skill will immerse us in organic music exploration, listening, and appreciation.
Need a guitar? Rent one for $20. Just add this to your class registration.
Please note that this class is limited to 8 students.
Instructor: Rusty Wulff
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

If These Waters Could Talk: Exploring the Natural History, Ecology, and Economics of Lake Superior
2023-02-01 15:30 - 17:30 | Hurley High School, 5503 W Range View Dr., Hurley, WI, 54534, United States
This class will take place February 1, 8, 15, and 22, 3:30-5:30p.m., at the Hurley High School Auditorium.
Lake Superior is a globally unique resource containing diverse ecosystems with growing political influence via the freshwater “blue economy”. If these waters could talk will take participants on an in-depth exploration of Lake Superior, from the formation of the lakes millennia ago to the interactions of native and introduced freshwater organisms today. The seminar will also cover the economics of the lake and look to the future of water quality and quantity in changing climatic and political times. Participants will be engaged through interactive discussions and provided with resources to continue exploring Lake Superior beyond our four-class seminar.
This class features three instructors with great expertise on Lake Superior — Tom Fitz, Peter Levi, and Titus Seilheimer. They will take turns team-teaching this class.
Class One: The geology session will cover three episodes in the history of the Lake Superior region: the dramatic stories from long ago recorded in the bedrock; the geologically recent glaciation of the region; and the current situation with water collecting and moving through the Lake Superior basin. We will discuss the processes that created the landscapes and the important mineral, soil, and water resources that have been important in the human and natural history of the region.
Class Two: We will explore Lake Superior’s intricate web of life, from the microscopic organisms to the top predators and many animals in between. We will also discuss the human-induced changes to this web over the previous decades as non-native species have been introduced and blooms of algae have occurred more often. With Peter Levi.
Class Three: The Great Lakes region is rich in freshwater. In the third class, we will consider the policy and political landscape that protects this precious resource. With Peter Levi.
Class Four: The final class will cover how the fisheries and economies of Lake Superior have changed over time. What species are important for the commercial and recreational fishers? What drives the economy of the Lake Superior, from fish to iron to paper.
In the event of inclement weather, class will be offered on Zoom.
Instructors: Tom Fitz, Peter Levi and Titus Seilheimer
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715)892-3982.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.
This grant-supported class is offered at a special price of $10. (Donations accepted)
FeU is grateful to have received a grant that supports courses about water issues.

Federal and State Court Systems: A Guide
2023-02-09 14:30 - 17:30 | Oma Town Hall, 4514 W Town Hall Rd, Hurley, WI, 54534, United States
Federal and State Court Systems: A Guide (or “A Law School Semester in 150 Minutes”) will take place February 9, 2:30-5:30p.m., at the Oma Town Hall.
The news is full of high-profile stories about Supreme Court decisions like Roe v. Wade, yet only a small fraction of applications actually make it to the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C. Most cases are decided on a more local level–county and state courts. Discover how these courts work and how cases move through them in this fascinating class with lawyer Sam Filippo.
Topics covered include:

Creation of the Judicial Power: The Judiciary Act of 1789 and the Early Courts
State Courts: Structure and Jurisdiction
Grand Juries and Petit Juries
The Federal System: District Courts; Courts of Appeals; The United States Supreme Court; Special Courts

Instructor: Sam Filippo
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Staying Connected with Grandchildren
2023-02-16 11:30 - 13:30 | Mercer Public Library, 2648 Margaret St., Mercer, WI, 54547, United States
This class will take place on February 16, 11:30a.m.-1:30p.m., Mercer Library Conference Room.
How rare it is that our children and grandchildren live in our community or close enough that we can connect with them often. Oh, there is Zoom, Facetime and a number of social platforms that allow us to send messages, but all too often our time, especially with our grandchildren, is limited and challenging to make happen on a regular basis. The brief connections compete with their sports, studying, socializing with friends, weekend jobs and tournaments. How might we make our contacts meaningful and memorable for both our grandchildren and us?
This one-session, lunchtime workshop is intended to “pool” our positive and creative ways of staying connected with our grandchildren. What do you do? What has worked or not worked for you? What feedback do you receive from your grandchildren or through their parents? How has your effort changed as they age? Bring your ideas (and your lunch), and let’s share.
A workshop facilitated by Erv Teichmiller, grandfather to four girls and three boys, ages 13-24, grade eight to graduate school. He has a background in mental health administration and pastoral ministry. Erv is currently the part time pastor of the Mercer United Methodist Church.
Enrollment is limited to 20 students.
Instructor: Rev. Erv Teichmiller
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Understanding the Second Amendment
2023-03-01 15:00 - 17:00 | Vaughn Public Library, 502 Main St W, Ashland, WI, 54806, United States
Back by popular demand, this time in Ashland! This class will take place March 1 and 8, 3:00-5:00p.m., at the Vaughn Public Library in Ashland.*
A compendium of the history, constitutional, judicial and legislative development of our right to bear arms. This class will explore the origins, development and meanings (plural) of the Second Amendment, from the gunfight at the OK Corral to the textual, originalist and structural methodologies of the United States Supreme Court.
*Please note that this is one class–NOT two separate sessions! Thank you.
Instructor: Sam Filippo
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.

Winter Trees and Teas Workshop
2023-03-08 10:00 - 12:00 | North Lakeland Discovery Center, 14006 Discovery Ln, Manitowish Waters, WI, 54545, United States
This class will take place March 8, 10:00a.m.-Noon, at the North Lakeland Discovery Center.
Join the North Lakeland Discovery Center program staff Hannah Gargrave and Jamie Van for this fun and informative workshop! The program will start inside by learning how to identify trees and shrubs during the winter season by looking at twig structure and buds. We will then venture out on the Discovery Center trails to put our new ID skills to use. The workshop will end with harvesting, creating and sipping different green-needle teas. You will also make a small balsam fir sachet to take home. Please bring proper gear to venture outside (dress in layers, snowshoes, etc).
This class is limited to 15.
Instructors: Hannah Gargrave and Jamie Van
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 862-0210 or (715) 892-3982.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

“Rule by Strongmen”: Europe between the Wars and the Troubling Legacy of Fascism - ZOOM
2023-03-21 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom Online
A repeat of Dr. Mary Magray’s new class, March 21, 23, 28, 30 from 10:00AM-Noon on ZOOM.
Historians like to say that, although history does not repeat itself, it does often seem to rhyme. And although direct comparison of one historical era with another—or with the present—is a perilous enterprise, fraught with complication, misreading, and misinterpretation, still, it can be enormously instructive. Today, many Western democracies, including the United States, face challenges from a growing illiberal, authoritarian political movement that is increasingly being compared with the fascism of the 1920s and 1930s. Are we, as one scholar has recently asked, in danger of a fascist revival today?
It is a complicated but intriguing question, and in attempting to address it, we will explore the history of Europe during the two decades following the First World War. From the 1919 Treaty of Versailles to the outbreak in 1939 of yet another “great war,” we will examine the rise of fascist dictatorships in Italy and Germany and the catastrophic consequences of their attempt to destroy democracy in Europe. It is an historical era long over, one defined by a political ideology that, until recently, was believed to have been completely discredited. But it has reared its ugly head once again, potentially threatening the Western political order that we have long taken for granted as unassailable.

Class 1: Versailles & the Uneasy Peace Settlement of the “Great War”
Class 2: The Emergence of Fascist Ideology in Italy
Class 3: Hitler & the Dismantling of German Democracy
Class 4: The New Authoritarianism of the 21st Century

Requirements: Handouts and suggested readings to be provided.
Instructor: Dr. Mary Magray
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Beginner's Guide to Stargazing
2023-03-21 14:00 - 15:30 | Iron County Board Room, 300 Taconite St, Hurley, WI, 54534, United States
Updated: This class will take place March 21, 28, April 4, 2:00-3:30p.m. at the Iron County Board Room in Hurley, with a stargazing field trip on April 11, 8:00-9:30p.m.
Join Jim Head of the Northwoods Explorers of Space and Astronomy for this fascinating class on stargazing for beginners!
Class One, The Solar System:
We’ll cover how stars and solar systems develop, how elements are created, comparison of our solar system with others with size and distance scales using different methods of measurement. We’ll show how to find your way in the night sky using constellations and associated coordinate systems. We explain the different types of stars, the magnitude system, earth seasons, precession, eclipses, moon phases, comets, and asteroids. We’ll describe the planets in our solar system and the best times to locate them using planetarium tools. We’ll describe how to watch Aurora, Meteor Showers, and how to use a camera to gather additional detail. The class will have the opportunity to inspect an actual 4.5-billion-year-old meteorite. We’ll explain the different kinds of binoculars, and which are best for observing the night sky. If weather and time permit, we’ll step outside to observe a few objects using binoculars and a small telescope. We use laser pointers that travel for miles to make it easy to point to objects in the night sky. There will be a few handouts related to the information presented along with references for further study.
Class Two, The Milky Way Galaxy
We’ll cover how galaxies develop, the size and scale of the Milky Way galaxy, and how it compares to other galaxies. We’ll explain light years, interstellar space, planetary nebulae, reflective and emission nebulae, globular clusters, open clusters, black holes, magnetars, Wolf-Rayet stars, variable stars, and exoplanets. We’ll show how to use binoculars or a small telescope to view distant objects in the night sky and explain the different types of catalogs in use today. We’ll show how the differences in the human eye affect observations, filters to diminish light pollution and to enhance observing, and an introduction into video astronomy using specialized cameras. If weather and time permit, we’ll step outside to observe a few objects using binoculars and a small telescope. We use laser pointers that travel for miles to make it easy to point to objects in the night sky. There will be a few handouts related to the information presented along with references for further study.
Class Three, The Universe
We’ll explain and examine the evidence that supports the Big Bang, Dark Energy, and Dark Matter theories. We’ll explain Quasars, Active Galactic Nuclei, Galaxy clusters, the great attractor, super clusters, and the size and scale of the observable universe compared to the entire universe. We’ll show why certain times of the year are best to observe distant objects using binoculars or a small telescope. If weather and time permit, we’ll step outside to observe a few objects using binoculars and a small telescope. We use laser pointers that travel for miles to make it easy to point to objects in the night sky. There will be a few handouts related to the information presented along with references for further study.
Class Four, Field Trip
We’ll put our new knowledge into practice on a field trip on April 11! (Location TBA.)
Instructor: Jim Head
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Introduction to Fine Woodworking
2023-04-03 09:00 - 12:00 | Hurley High School, 5503 W Range View Dr., Hurley, WI, 54534, United States
This course will be offered in two concurrent classes of four sessions, April 3-6, 9:00AM to Noon, and 1:00 to 4:00, at the Hurley High School woodworking shop.
Each class is limited to 6 students.
Registration fee includes materials (except for required personal safety equipment).
If you’ve ever wanted to build a project or piece of art out of beautiful hardwoods, but are intimidated by power tools… If you’d like to learn more about how to use woodworking tools safely… If you need help in researching projects and determining where to begin…. This course may help you plan, build, and display your own creations made from select Wisconsin hardwoods!
What you will make: Your own trivet made of Cherry, Walnut, Maple, and Oak that is large enough to support a 9” x 13” baking pan or large cast iron fry pan.
Optional additional item: Time permitting, you may use your scraps to build a smaller trivet that will support a large pot.
What you will learn: This course is intended for individuals who have little to no knowledge of woodworking and the safe operation of woodworking tools. You will learn:

What each tool is used for and how to operate each of those tools safely
How to plan a project to use your time and materials effectively
You will work in pairs to create your own beautiful trivet made from Cherry, Walnut, and Maple
You will learn how to finish your work, including the formulation of a custom blend of penetrating oils to optimize the appearance of the grain patterns

Overview of class:
Day 1: Introductions, Review of Syllabus, Introduction to Hardwoods, Introduction to Machine Tools & Safety with demonstrations
Day 2: Project layout including determination of woods to be used, quantities, and sizes, Initial machining of all components using a jointer, table saw, cut-off saw, planer, dado stack, router table, belt sander, band saw, and assorted hand tools.
Day 3: Sanding, fitting, and glue-up
Day 4: Band sawing excess slat ends, final sanding, finishing project using a blend of custom penetrating oils to augment grain and seal the wood, wood burning of students initials/logo on to their finished pieces.
Requirements: Safety is our primary concern. So, each student will need their own safety glasses, hearing protection (ear muffs preferred over ear plugs), and clothing that is not so loose that it could get caught in the machinery. Each student will learn how to safely operate and use the following tools under supervision: Jointer, Table Saw, Planer, Cut-off Saw, Router, Band Saw, Belt Sander, and orbital sanders. The class will be taught entirely in the woodshop and will require students to stand during class. No textbooks are required but a notebook and pencil might be helpful for taking notes.
Regular class attendance is critical for success in this class because there will not be time for a student to catch up on a missed class. Cleanup of the workshop at the end of each class is required for all students.
Instructor: Tim Lutgen
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Doing Music from the Inside Out 102
2023-04-08 10:00 - 12:00 | Mercer Community Center, 2648W Margaret Street, Mercer, Wisconsin, 54547
This class will take place on April 8, 15, 22 and 29, 10:00a.m. – Noon, at the Mercer Public Library*.
*Class on the 29th will take place at the Mercer Community Center.
This class can be taken as a continuation of the Doing Music From the Inside Out 101 class, or if they have previous musical experience, students are welcome to take this class without having taken 101. Level 2 will emphasize increasing skills, musical knowledge, and further enhancing sensitivity to the aspects of playing and even creating music. Fundamental guitar knowledge recommended, including familiarity with guitar tuning, chord diagrams, basic tablature, and basic chords like G, A, C, D, E.
No note reading required. Class content will build upon musical basics, as well as move on with attention paid to students’ interests.
Need a guitar? Rent one for $20. Just add this to your class registration.
Please note that this class is limited to 8 students.
Instructor: Rusty Wulff
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

The Legacy of the Government Boarding Schools for Indigenous Children
2023-04-18 09:00 - 12:00 | Government Boarding School at Lac du Flambeau, Lac du Flambeau, WI, 54538, United States
This class will take place April 18, April 20 and April 25, 2023, 9:00a.m. – Noon, at the Historic Boys’ Dormitory, Lac du Flambeau. There are 20 spots for non-tribal members.
Tribal members: This course is FREE to tribal members. Enrollment is limited. To register as a tribal member, please contact us by April 4. Email us at info@feuniversity.org, or see our contact page. (Non tribal members, sign up below.) After April 4, any remaining spaces will be opened to the class waitlist.
Current students: Access supplemental course materials here (password required)
Learn about the United State Government assimilation policy to eliminate traditional, language, culture and lifeways of Indigenous people. One of those policies was to remove the Indigenous children from parents and tribal leaders. This class will explain what happened and how the resilience of the Indigenous people made it possible for the tribes’ survival to the present day.
More details:
This class will focus on the United States federal government school system for Indigenous children, with emphasis on the boarding school on the Lac du Flambeau reservation. The class will cover the history of the school system, how the schools were run, the ongoing impact on the children and Indigenous communities both historically and in present generations. The class will also cover the current government recognition of the historical trauma resulting from the devastation by the boarding schools, and most importantly the resilience of the community in recent decades toward revitalizing language and culture, as well as public outreach.
In addition to the class lectures each day, there will be on,
April 18: An opening ceremony for the course conducted by Mildred “Tinker” Schuman.
April 20: A tour of the George W. Brown, Jr. Museum and Cultural Center by Teresa Mitchell, Director and Curator of the museum.
April 25: A portion of this class will be held in the exhibit room of the Historic Boys Dormitory.
There are no previous requirements to the course. The instructor will place additional readings on the class FeU webpage for students interested in more information.
This class is offered in partnership with the Waaswaaganing Indian Bowl.
Instructor: Cindi Stiles
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Listening to the Universe Vibrate: The New Dark Astronomy
2023-05-02 14:30 - 16:30 | Zoom Online
This class will take place on May 2, 2:30-4:30p.m., on Zoom, with renowned physicist Gary Sanders. Gary is offering a second, unmissable class on May 9! Click here to find out more.
Astronomy has always been done with electromagnetic waves (light, radio waves, microwaves, x-rays, gamma rays). But much of the universe is dark. And it is massive and, in places, enormously violent. To reveal this universe, ripples in the fabric of space-time, gravitational waves, predicted by Einstein in 1916, were detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) in 2014. In the audio frequencies, these waves enable us to listen and draw a new map of a surprising universe. Space- time, intuitively the nothingness of the universe, is a rich and energetic medium that we live in. It is now the basis of a new multi-messenger astronomy that will be described by physicist Gary Sanders.
Topics covered will include:

Traditional astronomy with light
Nothingness, the vacuum, quantum aspects of the vacuum, space-time
General Relativity and gravitational waves
The challenge of detecting gravitational waves
The birth trauma of gravitational wave searches
How LIGO changed the game plan and made the detection
First discoveries from listening to the universe

Suggested Reading:
Click here to view and read the LIGO website.

Instructor: Dr. Gary Sanders
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Songwriting
2023-05-06 10:00 - 12:00 | Mercer Public Library, 2648 Margaret St., Mercer, WI, 54547, United States
This class will take place May 6, 13, 20 and 27, 10:00a.m.-Noon, at the Mercer Public Library.*
*Please note that the May 13 class will be held at the Community Center.
Beginning Songwriting for those who never thought they could, not in a million years!
…for the pre-beginner – no background or experience on an instrument
…for adults who’d like to break the rules and trespass in another areas entirely
…for those who feel they have no business taking this course
Together we will learn to tap into personal resources that have been lying dormant, lying in wait for us to form our original rhythms, melodies, and lyrics. Teacher-led facilitated class input will lead to one window opening after the next.
– We’ll jump right in, and within 15 minutes we’ll be panning for musical gold!
– We’ll embrace ‘wrong’ notes & mistakes…
– We’ll identify small sounds that have enough grit on them to hold onto
– We’ll practice building snippets together and adding layers if we see fit
If you’ve read this far please believe me, THIS IS DOABLE FOR YOU.
We will learn to ‘hear’ sounds in our heads, hearts, and imaginations. For example, the beauty of our precious Northwoods give us plenty of sounds, sights, and even aromas with which to get inspired: there are limitless ways to open our minds to being creative.
Even your spoken NAME has a rhythm to it! In previous “Doing Music from the Inside Out” FeU classes students have used percussion instruments to create little ‘tunes’ by combining the ‘sound’ of participants’ names in creative ways. There’s been delight seeing how simply something can be made from (almost) nothing!
Most of the work (read:joy) we do in Songwriting will be collaborative, meaning you won’t feel alone and helpless. We will set out together to find inspiration by exploring a number of ways of getting a song started:
What comes first, music or lyrics?
How do I make a note of what I’ve created so I don’t forget?
Is Rusty serious? I don’t have to be able to read/write music???!!!
And if you do have a “musical background”….the whole approach to this class is being musical creativity – not notes, scales, theory, etc. Come and be liberated from your musical pedagogy!
Suggestions:
Curiosity – preferably childlike, even reckless!
This offering requires no previous musical training! And we won’t read music either!
Option of bringing any instrument in playing condition from which sounds can be prodded
Various instruments provided in class – no skills required
Paper/writing tool esp pencil w/erasure
We may explore some phone apps to support our creativity
Online keyboard/guitar – available in class as free download
Instructor: Rusty Wulff
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Peering Back to the Big Bang: The Quest to Detect Cosmic Inflation
2023-05-09 14:30 - 16:30 | Zoom Online
This class will take place on May 9, 2:30-4:30p.m., on Zoom, with renowned physicist Gary Sanders. Although you can sign up separately, we encourage you to also take Gary’s class Listening to the Universe Vibrate on May 2!
The Big Bang is considered to be the starting point of our observable universe. The Big Bang initiated in the vacuum of space-time, as we describe it in everyday language. How can that happen? Was it a start of time and space? Was it a quantum fluctuation in the prior vacuum? We don’t know. As the universe expanded and cooled to the point that atoms could form and emit light that could travel finite distances, the universe became luminous. This happened about 380,000 years after the Big Bang. This first light can be seen in any direction of the sky as a very uniform bath of microwaves. This Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) will be described.
The nearly smooth distribution of brightness of these microwaves, in every direction, is a surprise. How did the very early universe get so smooth? The prevailing theory describes a short violent expansion of the fledgling universe, faster than the speed of light, that smoothed the universe with imperfections caused only by quantum fluctuations. These imperfections provided the means, much later, for the rich features we see in the observable universe such as stars and galaxies. But cosmic inflation happened before the first light. How can we see it or discount it? The search for signatures of cosmic inflation in the CMB, in space, Antarctica and at 17000 feet in Chile, will be summarized.
Topics covered will include:

Intuitive physics, nothingness, the vacuum, Heisenberg Uncertainty and quantum aspects of the vacuum, space-time
The time progression of the universe from the Big Bang to today
First light in the universe, the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), the 1964 discovery as a surprising static
What happened before this first light to make the universe so smooth? Cosmic “Inflation”?
Quantum fluctuations yield primordial gravitational waves
The birth trauma of searches for cosmic inflation
The ongoing quest to see through the CMB back to inflation
What we are about to do with the Simons Observatory at 17000 feet in Chile

Suggested Reading:

Losing the Nobel Prize, by Brian Keating
The Little Book of Cosmology, by Lyman Page
Instructor: Dr. Gary Sanders
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.

Rock'n'Roll's Golden Years: An EarObics Class from Buddy Holly to Woodstock
2023-05-11 14:00 - 15:30 | Mercer Community Center, 2648W Margaret Street, Mercer, Wisconsin, 54547
This class will take place May 11, 18 and 25, 2:00-3:30p.m., at the Mercer Community Center, with Rusty Wulff.
This course covers a representative sample of music/musicians ranging from Buddy Holly through Woodstock. There will be emphasis both on cultural context and on the music itself.
Rock emerged in the mid 1950s as a blending of mainstream pop, rhythm and blues, and country and western–styles that previously had remained relatively separate. This new style became the music of the emerging youth culture and was often associated with teen rebellion.
We will follow the story of how this rowdy first wave of rock and roll led the way to groups like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones before even going psychedelic by the end of the 1960s.
Instructor: Rusty Wulff
Offline Registration: Download PDF Registration Form, complete and mail in with payment.
Registration Questions? Contact us or call (715) 892-3982 or (715) 476-2881.
Registration Issues/Troubleshooting: If you are registering with one email address for two or more people, please register each person individually (i.e. do not register all at once, but add students one at a time to checkout). If you continue to have difficulty or have another question, please contact us.
