WESTFIELD — The Westfield Memorial Library will kick off early March with free programs on college funding, Tai Chi and a banned-book discussion. The library is located at 550 East Broad Street.
On Tuesday, March 5, at 7 p.m., Jodi Bloom, a certified college funding specialist and founder of Cornerstone College Solutions, will present a college-funding workshop. She will cover a variety of options, including 529 plans, FAFSA, Financial Aid, Merit Aid, and strategies to help parents save for their child’s future education as well as position their child for discounts on college tuition. Changes in the world of college funding will be discussed as well. This workshop is designed to help parents take a proactive approach to securing their child’s future.
The Fundamentals of Tai Chi will continue on Friday, March 8, at 3 p.m., with Dr. Gang Huang. An ancient practice that originated in China, Tai Chi is lauded as a means to boost both mental and physical health, including promoting balance and preventing falls, helping to relieve depression, Parkinson’s disease and dementia, and reversing disease progression in osteoarthritis.
It also is said to help with insomnia, hypertension and fibromyalgia, and often is referred to as “Meditation in Motion.” Participants will work on Tai Chi fundamentals such as joint health, standing meditation, weight shifting and balance, plus Tai Chi walking.
Dr. Gang Huang is one of the formal disciples of Master Yang Jun, who is the direct descendent (sixthgeneration) of Yang Cheng Fu and of Yang Lu Chan, the creator of Yang Style Tai Chi. He is an authorized instructor of the Yang Family Tai Chi Association and currently teaches Tai Chi classes in Bridgewater. The remaining Tai Chi classes will take place on consecutive Fridays, March 15, 22 and 29.
As a demonstration of its commitment to protecting the freedom to read for all residents, the library is launching a new, quarterly, bannedbook discussion group in the Courageous Conversations series of programming. The book that will be discussed on Monday, March 11, at 7 p.m., is “Maus” by Art Spiegelman. Copies of the book are available to borrow at the Circulation Desk on a first-come, first-served basis.
A brutally moving work of art — widely hailed as the greatest graphic novel ever written — “Maus” recounts the chilling experiences of the author’s father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats.
“Maus” is a haunting tale within a tale, weaving the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father into an astonishing retelling of one of history’s most unspeakable tragedies. A description of the work provided by the library calls it “an unforgettable story of survival and a disarming look at the legacy of trauma.”
This Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel memoir has been temporarily or permanently banned in states across the country, including Florida, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.
To register for these programs, to sign up for a library card, or to learn more about the library’s resources, visit the library’s website at https://wmlnj.org/. Library hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m.
