Lifelong Learning Program at the Instituto Allende

Classes begin October 12 at the Lifelong Learning Program. All fall classes will be given via Zoom, a great deal for couples who watch on the same screen. We have an exciting mix of old and new instructors. Registration for fall classes is open at http://instituto-allende.edu.mx/lifelong-learning-program/.

Order and Disorder: Police, Bandits, and Corruption in Mexico. This course will focus on the often overlapping roles of Mexican police and bandits from 1860 to the end of the Mexican Revolution in 1920. During this period of order and disorder, large bandit gangs were used by the Liberal government of President Benito Juárez against his conservative enemies and French interlopers. After the French intervention ended in 1867, bandits were recruited into police units. Member...s of the police also deserted to join bandit gangs. Some bandits, including at least one woman, became the rock stars of their time. Were they Robin Hoods, who stole from the rich to share with the poor, or were they sociopaths who raped, pillaged, and burned? Regardless, they were honored by songs and chants called corridos. Even today, corridos are written about drug lords, including El Chapo Guzman. Examples of these songs will be played in class, along with clips from bandit movies. The course will conclude with a discussion of police corruption in contemporary Mexico and the measures being taken to deal with it. Gerie Bledsoe holds a Ph.D. in European History from Florida State University. He taught at Randolph-Macon College in Virginia before working with the American Association of University Professors, the National Education Association, and Michigan State University. In all these positions Dr. Bledsoe developed, presented, and supervised educational and training programs for adults. Tuesday, October 20 and Thursday 22. Class 1:00 3:00. ZOOM COURSE 500 pesos

Our first Zoom class is from perennial favorite Albert Coffee. Pre-Hispanic San Miguel in the Context of Ancient Mexico and Mesoamerica. Albert Coffee. One-day course with two classes. Monday, October 12. Class 10:00-12:00 and 1:00-3:00. ZOOM COURSE. 600 pesos. http://instituto-allende.edu.mx/lifelong-learning-program/... Albert will share hands-on, intimate knowledge of the archaeological importance of this region of Mexico known as El Bajío and San Miguel’s environs, as well as an introduction to the pre-Hispanic history of Mexico and the realm known as Mesoamerica. He will present the most recent findings at the archaeological zone Cañada de la Virgen and will explain how they are interpreted within the larger context of ancient Mesoamerican history. Albert Coffee is an archaeologist who studied the archaeology of Mesoamerica at Louisiana State University. He was invited to participate in the excavation of the Cañada de la Virgen archaeological site in 2004-05 by the official INAH team, during which he investigated the legends, wisdom and memories of the elders of the rural, indigenous communities located on and around the historic ex-hacienda upon which the site is located.