It’s Wednesday morning and class is about to begin. The excitement is palpable and everyone is happy to be here, surrounded by friends. The students aren’t talking about what to wear to homecoming or hatching a plan to miss curfew. Perhaps in the back of their minds, they’re thinking about what to make for dinner or are trying to remember if they closed the garage door. This is Beginning Tap class at The MAC and it’s not for kids — it's for adults!
The City of Westminster offers many adult learning programs that are designed to fulfill your curiosity. Maybe you always wanted to try ballet, maybe you've been wantingto reenact that unforgettable pottery scene from “Ghost,” or maybe you would love to play lead guitar in a rock band. Whatever your passion, it’s not too late, and Westminster is here to help get you started.
Jennifer Jensen, a recreation specialist with the City, loves creating different adult learning programs. “Life's rough,” she said. “I think that giving yourself the opportunity to do something that you enjoy helps get through the negative. I think we need an outlet for our mental health. We’re giving you a safe opportunity to do something you enjoy.”
Lena Murphy-Colm, who teaches dance, agrees. Her Beginning Tap class attracts adults of all ages, including some in their 20s. She thinks classes of any kind — be it her dance class or one of Westminster’s many other offerings — are important for young adults. “People in that age group need a release and quite often they don't have a release from the daily grind. You know, day after day: wake up, eat, go to work, come home, cook, eat. I think that release is so important. It gives your brain a break from some of the monotony as well.”
On the surface, Nancy Mungia, a busy mom of two, doesn’t seem like someone who would take a beginning guitar class. But that’s part of why she signed up in the first place. “I have two young kids at home and kind of felt like I was losing myself,” she said. Mungia’s husband took the class first and one day he asked for her help figuring out the tune. She has a background in music, so while he was showering, she picked up his guitar and was able to play the song he was trying to learn. “I just kind of enjoyed getting back into that musical side,” she said.
The thought of trying something new as an adult can be scary, especially if you’re doing it by yourself. Jan Weller has been taking tap class for years and has some familiar advice for people who might be scared to take a class: “Just do it. You just have to do it, and if you do it once you'll be great.”
Patti Barnes, one of Weller’s classmates, agrees with that mentality. She says she was nervous with the “first-dayof-school jitters” when she enrolled in Beginning Tap, “but, I just push myself to do it. I’ve never regretted trying something new.”
Jensen says the fear of signing up for a class alone shouldn’t stop you. “Even if you don't have friends that want to do it, you might meet some new friends; you might meet a significant other.” Jensen says she’s heard of people who go into a class hoping to learn a new skill and come out with a life partner.
Before teaching pottery, one of the City’s most popular classes, Martha Cofran had an entirely different career in engineering. After her children grew up, she decided it was time to follow her pottery passion. She has advice for people who might be afraid to try something new. “Nobody is born knowing how to do anything. We all started out in the same place.” She likes to remind her students that “it’s recreation, not school. You’re going to learn but have fun too.”
Although it might sound like a cliché, Mungia says adult classes really are about having fun. “Everybody is learning and it’s ok if you mess up. Just have fun and find confidence in your desire to do it.”
This fall, the City is offering a variety of adult learning classes. Click here to view a detailed list and to register for classes.
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