UMA Senior College Course Offerings
FALL 2008 COURSE OFFERINGS
Please call 621-3551 or 621-3479 for more information.
Registration Begins August 20, 2008
BOUNDARY PATTERNS
Instructor: Jim Todd
Fridays, 6 weeks, 9/12-10/17, 9:00-11:00 am
An introductory exploration of the patterns of our beautiful, natural, chaotic, fractal world. Art meets science, life and death flourish, biology meets mathematics, and chaos and order intertwine. New ways of thinking have resulted from discoveries in the last thirty years. This is a participatory course with classroom exercises and demonstrations aided by slides and video presentations. No prior knowledge needed. NOTE: In order to take maximum advantage of this fast-moving course, try to attend all or most of the sessions, especially the first three. Textbook provided.
CHEMICAL CUISINE - WHERE NUTRITION AND FOOD TECHNOLOGY MEET
Instructor: Suzanne Bazinet
Fridays, 6 weeks, 9/12-10/17, 3:15-5:15 pm
Food can only provide nutrition when we eat it. After stocking our pantry with some basic nutrition principles, and nutrition standards like the Food Pyramid for Seniors, Dietary Reference Intakes for Older Adults and the US Dietary Guidelines, we will shop around for just the right mix of “ingredients,” to “delight as well as to nourish.” Savvy consumers want a deeper understanding of the nutrition facts and ingredient list on food labels in order to make good choices. We will look at common food ingredients and additives, learn how they fit into food systems, and foods in which we would and wouldn’t expect to find them. We will explore the functional foods, aka pharmafoods, or nutriceuticals, and talk about how genomics and nanotechnology might affect our food choices in the future. Materials provided.
COMPUTER BASICS FOR SENIORS (WINDOWS 101)
Instructors: Edna Smith and John Erdman
Fridays, 8 weeks, 9/12-10/31, 9:00-11:00 am
This course is designed to help students learn computer basics in a fun and useful way and prepare them for advanced classes. In addition to working with mice, keyboards, monitors, software, hard drives, and computer lingo, we will teach specific computer skills in the context of doing useful things such as writing and sending e-mail messages, searching the internet for fun and interesting sites, managing address books, finding specific information on your computer, organizing photo collections or recipe files, writing memoirs or even the annual holiday newsletter. Students won’t be experts at the end, but they will feel a little more comfortable doing the routine computer tasks the advanced users take for granted. Textbook provided.
EXPLORING CLASSICAL MUSIC, PART 1: 1600-1865
Instructor: Chet Day
Saturdays, 8 weeks, 9/13-11/1, 9:00-11:00 am
We will take a musical walk through time: the Baroque period, the Classical period, and the first half of the Romantic period. Our guides will be (in order): Vivaldi, Bach, Handel, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Rossini, Berlioz, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Schumann, Liszt, Wagner, Verdi, and Borodin – an average of two per week. On our trek we hear recorded excerpts from each composer’s greatest hits. Our road map will be Phil G. Goulding’s entertaining text Classical Music-The 50 Greatest Composers and Their 1,000 Greatest Works. Textbook provided.
FREE CHOICE OR MARKETING?
Instructor: Jim Todd
Fridays, 8 weeks, 9/12-10/31, 3:15 - 5:15 pm
Marketing techniques affect our lives – what we buy, what we think, and how we vote. We will look at print and TV advertising and study other marketing techniques. Participants will study how they get their information, from TV, newspapers, and the radio. Textbook provided.
HANDS-ON-ART FOR BEGINNERS
Instructor: Ruth Bookey
Fridays, 8 weeks, 9/12-10/31, 1:00-3:00 pm
This course is designed to introduce students to various media and materials in art, and also to show some basic beginning steps in the various media. We will use: watercolor paints, pastels, oil pastels, pencil, and charcoal. Other media that can be shared by students are watercolor pencils and colored pencils. We’ll do still life, and try our hand at portraits in a relaxed and gentle atmosphere. Some materials provided.
HOMAGE TO HERESY
Instructor: Charles Acker
Fridays, 8 weeks, 9/12-11/7, 3:15-5:15 pm
This seminar is about the lives and times of a trio of heretics and how their thoughts foreshadowed the Age of Enlightenment. We will explore, among others, careers and ideas of monks Pelagius (anathematized by the Roman branch of the Church) and Giordano Bruno (who died at the stake for refusing to recant his unconventional notions before the Inquisition), and philosopher Baruch Spinoza (excommunicated from his
INTRODUCTORY SPANISH CONVERSATION
Instructor: Charles Acker
Fridays, 8 weeks, 9/12-11/7, 9:00-11:00 am
You will be learning Spanish the way people usually learn to speak, through conversation and dialogue. Grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation will be brought in as relevant, but will not be major emphases. You will probably get to know a lot about each other’s families in the process. The primary prerequisite for the course is an eagerness to learn, and a willingness to make mistakes in trying. To benefit from these activities, you should have had some exposure to the basics of the language, either through a prior introductory course (we won’t ask how long ago), or through travel. The class will be informal and interactive. Textbook provided. No class on October 10.
LAUGHING MATTERS
Instructor: Ted Bookey
Fridays, 8 weeks, 9/12-10/31, 9:00-11:00 am
Recent studies suggest that laughter promotes good health and should be included as a necessary part of our daily lives. Along with art, religion, science and philosophy, jokes and joke-telling are an important way of looking at and understanding life and experiences. It has been said that the human is the only animal who laughs – and needs to! In this course we will be looking at the wide world of jokes and humor, trying to understand what it is about them that makes us laugh. There are many theories (Freud had one) about what makes something funny and of the meaning of human laughter. Come with a sense of humor and be prepared to laugh. Materials provided.
LIVING WELL: A CHRONIC DISEASE SELF-MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Instructors: Janet Sawyer/Jackie Flynn
Fridays, 6 weeks, 9/12-10/17, 1:00-3:00 pm
Living Well is a six-week workshop that covers techniques to help a person with a chronic condition deal with problems such as frustration, fatigue, pain, appropriate exercise, use of medications, communication, nutrition, and how to evaluate new treatments. Participants will notice improvements in exercise, cognitive symptom management, communications with physicians, self-reported general health, health distress, fatigue, disability, and social/role activities limitations. Caregivers of people with chronic conditions are welcome to register and attend the workshop. Textbook provided.
MIND, BRAIN, AND MEDITATION
Instructor: Jonathan Lepoff
Fridays, 6 weeks, 9/12-10/17, 1:00-3:00 pm
The course will view a six-part BBC series on the brain and learn recent developments in neuroscience as the basis for class discussion. The instructor will provide basic mindfulness meditation instruction and practice. Students taking this class will have a better understanding of how the brain works and recent discoveries on consciousness. Each will become familiar with the basic techniques of mindfulness meditation and have an opportunity to practice these skills during the class.
SPIRITUAL COMMONALTIES
Instructor: Allan Watson
Fridays, 8 weeks, 9/12-10/31, 1:00-3:00 pm
Together we will examine some of the common factors of the world’s major religions. As a mosaic of themes begins to emerge, we might be able to visualize a path for religious co-existence world-wide. This spiritual mosaic becomes the cornerstone as we recognize that peace among religions is a prerequisite for peace among nations. Textbooks provided.
T'AI CHI - HISTORY AND PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Instructor: Lenann Crisci
Fridays, 8 weeks, 9/26-11/14, 1:00-3:00 pm
Graceful in movement, slow in tempo and fluid in natural postures, T’ai Chi Ch’uan is the classic Chinese method of exercise, self-defense and spiritual growth. T’ai Chi integrates the energy processes within the body, creating harmony between mind, body and spirit. In this class we will learn the various forms, how they evolved, and how to practice for ones own personal health and longevity.
THE AMERICAN NOVEL IN TRANSITION: 1885-1900
Instructor: Lincoln Ladd
Saturdays, 8 weeks, 9/13-11/1, 9:00-11:00 am
The rise of naturalism and increased literary sophistication significantly altered American fiction at the close of the 19th century. Four novels that appeared during those years exemplify the emergence of a fictional genre distinctly different from that which preceded it. The four novels to be read will be Henry James’ The Aspern Papers; Stephen Crane’s Maggie, A Girl of the Streets; Frank Norris’ McTeague; and Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie. Textbooks provided.
THE RESTAURANT REVIEW
Instructor: Peter Rosenberg
Fridays, 7 weeks, 9/12-10/24, 1:00-3:00 pm
The first meeting will be a discussion of how to rate a restaurant. What counts besides food? The next few meetings will be luncheons at some of the newer restaurants in the area. At each luncheon the instructor will try to arrange to have the chef or owner give a talk about some aspect of food, finances, or restaurant management. At the last class we will write reviews and discuss if they might be published. Enjoy a luncheon with friends; learn about food, presentation, cleanliness, and service. The cost of each luncheon will be paid by the student. Participants are encouraged to carpool.
UNDERSTANDING THE GRIEF PROCESS
Instructor: Jane Whetstine
Fridays, 8 weeks, 9/12-10/31, 1:00-3:00 pm
Dealing with grief, whether recent or past, is a difficult process. Come learn about the various stages of grief, factors affecting sorrow, and interventions to facilitate healing. Find out about hospice groups and other programs available for help in the healing process. A new aspect of this course will be the text, A Healing Touch by Richard Russo. This book, a contribution of several noted
WATERCOLOR FOR FUN
Instructor: Phyllis Hartzler
Fridays, 7 weeks, 9/12-10/24, 9:00-11:00 am
Learn to paint with watercolor by using techniques that will be easy and fun, because you can’t make a mistake when you are “playing” in an experimental way. Learn to observe how water mixed with watercolor paint creates vibrant, colorful, rainbows and sunsets. Let your imagination “find” the forms in crushed rice paper or in the patterns made by plastic wrap applied to wet, painted surfaces. We will gradually move to clarify the terms “the wash,” “dry brush,” masking, and the use of white paper, use of templates, and effects of spattering and salt. We will cover basic elements of art and design. Some prior experience needed. Some materials provided.
WILDFLOWER AND TREE IDENTIFICATION
Instructors: Dorcas Miller and Mary Sturtevant
Fridays, 5 weeks, 9/12-10/10, 9:00-11:00 am
We will teach participants how to use Newcomb’s Wildflower Guide, which has an ingenious key for quick, positive field identification of wildflowers, flowering shrubs and flowering vines, and the Maine Forest Service’s Forest Trees of Maine. With these two guides, you can identify 98 percent of the flowering plants around you! Textbooks provided.