Students looking to fill their summer months with more than just pool time need look no further than world of culture flourishing every day at the Student Union.LSU leisure classes kicked off Monday and will continue throughout the summer. The classes cater to a wide range of interests, from the standard courses like dancing, music lessons, wine tasting and digital photography, to more unusual classes like knitting, birding and Bonsai appreciation.Julee Blanchard, administrative program specialist for leisure classes, said the classes are perfect for all students, whether they want to learn or just have a good time.”They’re relaxing. They’re no-pressure classes. You just come have fun,” she said. “It’s just a way to kind of let loose, especially over the summer.”Though most summer classes have already begun, late registration usually isn’t a problem, Blanchard said.”If you see something where you’ve missed one class, by all means give us a call and let us know,” she said. “Because sometimes, especially with the dance classes, they’ll catch you up the next week.”Registration for classes in the fall begins July 26, according to the website.In addition to the on-campus location of most classes, the renovated website is an added convenience for students, Blanchard said. The recently implemented system is much more user-friendly and lets participants register online and in groups at lsuunion.augusoft.net.Leisure classes are available for the general public as well as students, and Blanchard said students make up the smallest segment of participants.”Students sometime shy away from it because they’re not for credit or things like that,” she said.Roland Doucet, who has taught the Cajun dance class for 26 years, said students should get more involved in the leisure classes.”The younger that we are, the quicker we learn,” he said. “[Students are] so busy with everything else that’s going on in life. This is a kind of down time. You come here and you forget about your problems, and you forget about the test next week … for a little while. That’s what it does for me — it rejuvenates me.”Doucet said the classes were previously only available for faculty and staff, but he wanted to open them to the general public so everyone could get involved in Cajun heritage.”I wanted to preserve our culture,” he said. “And if they just come here and learn to dance … then our culture will continue to live.”Sarah Hunsucker, who is taking Doucet’s Cajun dance class, shares her instructor’s feelings     toward Cajun tradition.”I thought if I was going to do any type of dancing it would be Cajun because I live in Baton Rouge, and I thought I should soak up the heritage,” she said. “And when I look at Cajun dances, it looks like a lot of fun.”The dance class is Hunsucker’s first leisure class, and she said even though she just started, she expects to learn a lot.”It helps with getting to know new people, especially those not from around here, and also the instructors are great,” she said. “I’m excited to learn a couple of new dance moves and just have a good time.”
 
 
 
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