Coastal Senior College, serving Midcoast Maine from Wiscasset to Camden, will be accepting registrations for its Spring Term Courses beginning on March 5. A timely class, “Conflict in Ukraine: Background, Developments, and What It Means for the World”, will be taught by Louis Sell. The class will meet at Schooner Cove, a retirement community in Damariscotta, on Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. beginning on April 8.

Sell had a 28-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, dealing in many aspects of US-Soviet relations, including six years at the U. S. Embassy in Moscow. He witnessed the collapse of the USSR and the 1991 Ukrainian independence referendum.

This four-week class will cover the history of Ukrainian and Russian life together through the collapse of the USSR in 1991 and the emergence of Ukraine as an independent state, Russian and Ukrainian efforts to live together as separate states, the Maidan revolution, Putin’s first and second invasions, followed by three years of war and international response to the present moment. Students will consider the role of the Ukrainian conflict as a catalyst in the emerging global struggle between democracy and authoritarianism.

Class discussions in Coastal Senior College courses offer an opportunity to learn and connect with other students who are primarily 50 and older.

Among the 13 spring term courses offered by Coastal Senior College, six are offered on Zoom, five are offered in person, and two are offered in a hybrid in-person/zoom format. Information about Coastal Senior College and the Spring Term Courses can be found at coastalseniorcollege.org