LEWISTON — The Senior College of the University of Southern Maine’s Lewiston-Auburn College will offer 18 courses during the fall semester starting Monday, Sept. 18.

Now in its 19th year, the upcoming semester will feature new and continuation courses ranging from Islamic Study to Reflexology. 

The classes are presented by peers and are open to those ages 50 and older and their spouses. There are no entrance requirements, grades or tests. 

An annual Senior College membership fee of $25, valid from Sept. 1, 2017, through Aug. 31, 2018, is required.

The fee for each course is $25, which includes most books and materials. Members who attend a course will have access to the campus library, the Senior College free winter courses and the special interest clubs.

All classes are held at L-A College, 51 Westminster St., except as noted below. No classes will be held on Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 9.

The fall semester course offerings are:

Poetry Writing Workshop: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for eight Mondays, beginning Sept. 18. A course in poetry writing for new and experienced poets. No previous experience necessary. Instructor Bill Frayer has participated in workshops and has published four collections of poetry.

Introduction to Adobe Photoshop: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for six Mondays, beginning Sept. 25. The class will explore the basics of the Photoshop program, producing digital images for print, web, video and book illustration. Instructor Judy Hierstein has been an art director who returned to education for the teaching of digital and video arts.

Basic Aspects of Islam: 1 to 2:30 p.m. for four Mondays, beginning Sept. 18. The course provides an opportunity to understand the beliefs and perspectives of Islam and the Muslim societies, and will cover basic principles, the Five Pillars of Islam and the main tenets of Islam. Instructor Halima Hersi has qualified in interpreting skills and is a student at USM’s Lewiston-Auburn College.

Maine Master Naturalists Speak: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for five Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 19. The course brings Maine master naturalists to class for one-day presentations focusing on specific expertise, including ferns, fungi, geology and creating a wildlife habitat. Instructor Penny Jessop is a Maine master naturalist with over 30 years of teaching experience.

Introduction to the Real Picasso: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for six Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 19 at Schooner Estates, Auburn. Pablo Picasso profoundly affected Western art. The course will follow his career as he redefined perspective, redid the color wheel and turned an unflinching eye on reality. Instructor Kirsten Larsson-Turley served 15 years as a docent at the Portland Museum of Art and is a retired docent emerita.

Doctors and Patients — Why We So Often Misunderstand One Another: 1 to 3 p.m. for six Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 26. Students will xplore experiences in the healthcare system of patients’ interactions with doctors. Concepts from medical sociology will be introduced and discussed as to how they can be applied to improve experiences. Instructor Jean Potuchek holds a Ph.D. in sociology and was an award-winning teacher at Gettysburg College.

Is It Art?: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for six Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 20. The course will explore modern and contemporary art over the past 100 years with short lectures, group discussions and exercises, leading to art-making itself by each participant. Instructor John Stass is an accomplished artist and sculptor.

Chinese Calligraphy: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for four Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 20. The course will discuss Chinese culture and review the several spoken languages, then follow with the Chinese alphabet and the pronouncing of letters and words in Mandarin. Participants will learn to speak simple phrases and words as well as writing their name in Mandarin. Instructor Yuli Huang is the owner of the Wei-Li restaurant in Auburn. She teaches classes for Chinese restaurants in Maine and is fluent in several Chinese languages.

Reflexology: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for three Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 20. The short course in hand reflexology will provide training in specific touch techniques to achieve relaxation from such issues as insomnia, headaches and gastrointestinal discomfort. Instructor Lynn Poor is a Maine-certified reflexologist and a specialist in holistic and integrative health.

Stamp Out Poetry!: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for three Wednesdays, beginning Nov. 1. Explore the power of words and images by creating rubber stamps to make postcards, mini-posters and paper concertinas of praise or protest … or simply to sparkle up a ruckus. Instructors are Karen Brooks and Kathryn Tracy. Brooks is a member of the Paper Artist Collective and Tracy is a retired social worker who loves poetry.

International Trade and the American Economy: 1 to 3 p.m. for six Wednesdays, beginning Sept. 20. Exploring the impact of trade on the economy, these discussion-based classes will identify major trading partners and the resulting costs and benefits. No prior background in economics is required. Instructor Alene Staley was a member of the business faculty at St. Joseph’s College and has also held positions in government and educational administration.

Creating a Snapfish Photo Book: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for six Thursdays at the Auburn Public Library computer lab, beginning Sept. 7. Learn to permanently preserve and display family photos. Basic computer skills and two thumb drives needed. See the photo book at the Snapfish web page. Instructor Pat Vampatella is a retired nurse clinician/educator with degrees from various colleges.

Values, Ethics and Man’s Search for the Meaning of Life: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for eight Thursdays at Schooner Estates, Auburn, beginning Sept. 21. The course will examine the loss of moral innocence and the new theories of ethics that followed, while discussing the philosophical and religious traditions of the past and the challenges of the modern era. Instructor Charles Plummer has taught many courses for Senior College and has a doctorate in religious studies.

Advanced Conversational French: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for six Thursdays, beginning Sept. 21. The continuation course is for students already well versed in French and want to further enhance and practice their speaking skills. Instructor Lorraine Giasson is a retired teacher with a master’s degree in education.

U.S. Constitution: Amendments 11-27 and Current Events: 1 to 3 p.m. for six Thursdays, beginning Sept. 21. The course continues a survey of the U.S. Constitution with study of amendments 11 to 27, as well as discussion of current federal, state and local news events. Instructor Crystal Ward taught American government for over 20 years at Lewiston High School.

Online Genealogy and Lab: 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. for eight Fridays, beginning Sept. 22. The course will help students discover their ancestry by exploring types of records and repositories available online. Instructor Lin Wright is an experienced genealogist with a master’s degree in American and New England studies.

Songwriters: Their Songs, Their Stories: 1 to 3 p.m. for six Fridays beginning Sept. 22. From Harry Chapin to Neil Young with stops in between, the course will look at the songs, the songwriters and their stories. Instructor David Bernier is a retired high school educator.

Using Sign Language and Gestures in Our Communication: 1 to 3 p.m. for six Fridays, beginning Sept. 22. The course will teach students how to use basic sign language and gestural skills. Instructor Stephanie Gelinas is the founder and executive director of Sandcastle Clinical & Educational Services, and has been a speech language pathologist for over 30 years.

Course registration will open at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 14. Register is available online. A credit card is the only form of payment for online registration. To use another type of payment, complete the mail registration form and mail it with payment attached. 

FMI, register: usm.maine.edu/seniorcollege, 207-753-6610.

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