Cheshire Academy for Lifelong Learning Announces Fall Classes

KEENE, N.H. 9/24/04 - “The Milky Way,” “Books and Films about India,” “Creating a Digital Photo Album,” and “A Study of Presidents’ Mothers” are four of the 14 courses offered this fall by the Cheshire Academy for Lifelong Learning (CALL) at Keene State College.

CALL, an affiliate of the Elderhostel Institute Network, is an academic program for retired or older adults in the tri-state region. Courses take place on Fridays from Oct. 1 to Nov. 19; the one exception is Oct. 8, when no classes are scheduled because the Keene State campus is closed for fall break.

The Milky Way course, which meets from 9:30 to 10:50 a.m., is a survey of the galaxy. Instructor Jim Patton explains the discovery of the galaxy; geography of the Milky Way; the Perseus, Orion, and Sagittarius arms; and local groups of galaxies.

Books and Films About India, which meets from 11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m., explains India’s culture and customs, history and religions through words and pictures. Instructor Margaret Carlson asks the class to read two modern Indian novels and review segments of several important Indian films.

First Moms: A Study of Presidents’ Mothers, which meets from 9:30 to 10:50 a.m., looks at some of the women who raised sons who would one day, be elected President of the United States. Instructor Henry Muse looks at the life, experiences, and values of the mothers as a factor in the personality, performance, and success of their famous sons.

Dot and Pixels: Creating a Digital Photo Album, which meets from 3 to 4:20 p.m., explains how to use a scanner and/or digital camera to generate images for a digital photo album, and prepare images to e-mail to family and friends. Instructor Ron Nadeau also explores Photoshop to enhance and manipulate images. Class is limited to 12 participants.

Contemporary Poets of New Hampshire, which meets from 9:30 to 10:50 a.m., is a reading/discussion course to discovery the varied poetic voices in the Granite State including well-known poets such as Maxine Kumin, Charles Simic, and the current state poet laureate Cynthia Huntington, and some not so well-known such as Sidney Hall and Cleopatra Mathis. Instructor Pat Fargnoli plans to look at one poet a week to study the themes and intricacies of each writer’s poems. Class is limited to 20 participants.

Great Plays: Sense and Sound, which meets from 11 to 12:20 p.m., is a reading theatre course in which each play is studied for two weeks. Instructor Judy Patton provides copies of all the plays to be read: The Playboy of the Western World by J.M. Synge, What Price Glory by Lawrence Stallings and Maxwell Anderson, Of Thee I Sing by George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, George and Ira Gershwin, and Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon.

Science: Its Implications and Interactions with Society, which meets from 11 to 12:20 p.m. starting Friday, Oct. 15, considers the history, nature, limits, and control of science. Instructor Delbert Meyer explains definitions of science, scientific truth, natural law, the statistical nature of science, and the proper interpretation of statistical data, particularly probabilities.

An Informal Reading Group allows participants to choose readings based on group consensus and then meet regularly, from 11 to 12:20 p.m., to discuss the readings. This course is limited to 12 people.

The History and Culture of Brittany, which meets from 1 to 2:20 pm., explores this remote Celtic province in northwestern France. Instructor Paul Cullity uses film, music, literature, lecture, and even a bit of drama to take an armchair journey to Brittany, the home of Celtic refugees for more than 1,500 years.

Revolution, Nationalism, Liberation Movements, Terrorism, Part 1, which meets from 1 to 2:20 pm., is a discourse on the historical origins and antecedents of what we call “terrorism.” Instructor Javed Chaudhri explains the rise of nation states in Western Europe, mercantilism and imperialism, the impact of the French Revolution, emergence of the United States, and decay of the great empires and societies of Asia and Africa.

We’re Still Singing Their Songs: The Great American Composers, Part 1, which meets from 2:30 to 3:50 p.m., presents the life, times, and works of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, and Richard Rodgers. Instructor Frank Behrens, using his extensive collection of recordings, explores each composers’ songs in the context of the artists’ personalities and the events that shaped their times.

Political Economy of the 2004 Election, which meets from 2:30 to 3:50 p.m., examines analytically - but not technically - the economic dimensions of issues that are expected to be important in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 2 election. Instructor Jules LaRocque explains the budget (deficit), the levels of unemployment and inflation, and the state of international economic relations (the trade deficit, job outsourcing, and the strength of the dollar).

Writing Your Story meets from 2:30 to 3:50 p.m. Instructor Kate Phillips, former Hollywood actress and screenwriter, works with people interested in writing the stories they never got around to writing. Students who participated in Phillips’s previous courses are invited to continue their work this session, and she welcomes new aspiring writers. The course is limited to eight participants.

Art 101: Painting Workshop is an introductory course on how to draw and paint led by local artist Al Thrasher at his home studio from 3 to 5 p.m. The course is limited to six participants.

Participants in the CALL program may opt to take one course or several courses during the day. A break for lunch and/or discussion is scheduled from 12:20 to 1 p.m.

The cost for the CALL program is $40 for the fall term. Courses also are offered each spring. Advanced registration is recommended for all CALL courses. To register, visit the Continuing Education Office on the first floor of Elliot Hall, call 603-358-2290 or 1-800-KSC-1909, or check the Web page, www.keene.edu/conted.