LEWISTON — The University of Soutern Maine’s Lewiston Auburn Campus Senior College has announced spring course offerings. The course schedule will be mailed soon.

ZOOM Bootcamp: Instructor Mary Jane Beardsley will Zoom in on the basics, then explore some of the possibilities the new course delivery system offers. Learn how to log on, join a meeting and interact with other ZOOMers. Free.

Mark Twain: Capital and Mark Twain: Nonfiction Works 1852 -1890: This is a continuation of the Mark Twain class of last spring. Twain wrote a prodigious amount of nonfiction stories and material. Instructor: Alan Elze.

Fantastic Literature: Discovering the Worth of Fantasy Texts: Commonly taught fiction texts will be paired with fantasy or science fiction texts. Compare the text pairs to discover their shared formal literary elements. Instructor: Danielle Letourneau.

Art: Ever Present, Everlasting: Each week a different presenter will explore a period of art, ranging from prehistoric art, Byzantine, Renaissance, 17th century painters, impressionism, modern sculpture, abstract painting, outsider and mural art. Facilitator: Judy Hierstein.

Phun with Physics 101: The course will concentrate on basic concepts in physics that usually are misunderstood. Demonstrations that are fun and interesting will make up most of the class. There are six classes, and the topics for the last three will be determined by class members. Instructor: Hugh Keene.

French Canadian Immigration, Discrimination and Impact: The history of French Canadian immigration, study of the discrimination era many had to live through and view oral history taken of Little Canada tenants. Class will help research the discrimination era by inviting community to tell their experience and effect it had on them. Review their cultural and economic impact on the community. Look at the future of the language and new possibilities of revival. Instructors: Rachel Desgrosseilliers and Camden Martin.

Baseball and the Pursuit of Happiness: The course will explore the unique hold which baseball has on the American psyche, tracing the evolution of the sport from an 18th century English bat and ball game, through its initial development in the U.S. as an amateur sports for the professional and artisan classes, to today’s professional game. Instructor: Paul Gauvreau.

Beginning Conversational French: Basic conversational French phrases that are necessary for conversing in French will be taught. Instructor: Emmanuel K. Kayembe.

Traveling in Europe and Asia: The first two classes will be devoted to discussions of traveling in Europe. The participants will share their cultural experiences and European travels. During the last two classes, participants and instructor will discuss travel in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore. Instructor: Anita Denis.

Perennial Gardening: The course is on ornamental gardening with perennial plants. Class sessions will include lecture and time for sharing gardening tips and strategies. Instructor: Jean Potuchek.

No Meat So What: Each week the class will prepare and eat meals from around the world that don’t have meat. Held in the kitchen at St. Mary’s Nutrition Center, a small fee for supplies will be required. Instructor: Paul Drowns.

Happiness, Humor and Health: What does humor and happiness have to do with physical and mental health?  Instructor: Dr. Elcha Buckman.

The Sound of Silence: The Holocaust’s influence on the second and third generation of Israelis and Jews will be discussed. Instructor: Ariela Zucker.

Ayn Rand and the World She Made: The class will examine the world this author/playwright helped to forge during her 77 years. Instructor: Mike Brakey.

Cannabis Culture, Wellness and Holistic Healing: The course answers questions, breaks down the barriers and stigmas associated with cannabis and examines the impact of modern day cannabis culture, healing, wellness and medicine on the 55+ community. Instructor: Joel Buckman.

I Write Therefore I Am: The class will be mostly about trying different writing techniques. No prior experience needed. Instructor: Ariela Zucker.

The Nature of Consciousness, Its Provenance and Its Function: The goal is to help participants gain a deeper understanding of consciousness, which is a subject that has been a vexing one in the field of philosophy, science and psychology. The class will undertake in exploration of the subject and attempt to unravel its nature, its origin and the purpose for its existence. Instructor: Charlie Plummer.

The State of the American Economy 2020: The course is for anyone interested in the American economy. There will be opportunity for discussion and questions. Instructor: Alene Staley.

Darwin, Natural Selection and Evolution: The course will look at the early life of Charles Darwin and the significance of his five-year circumnavigation of the globe on the HMS Beagle from 1831 to 1836. There will be PowerPoint presentations and videos about Darwin and his discoveries. Instructor: Tom Hamilton.

A Republic, If You Can Keep It: When asked about the government created at the constitutional convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin responded, “A Republic, if you can keep it.” What will it take today to “keep our republic?” Instructor: Doug Bennett.

Maine Trees, Top to Bottom: Learn to identify trees by their features and discuss trees’ functions, values and roles within natural communities. Instructor: Pam Davis-Green.

That’s So Orwellian!: Read George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and “1984” and discuss to see if there are similarities in current events. Instructor: Laura Sturgis.

Genealogy for Beginners: Designs for those interested in beginning the genealogical journey, the course will provide the foundational tools for research. Instructor: Lin Wright.

About Face: The mixed-media studio art course will focus on the human face, how artists have interpreted it through time and across cultures, and how to interpret it using a variety of media. Instructor: Judy Hierstein.

Genealogy Lab: An opportunity for people of all levels of genealogical experience to search for information about their ancestors online, guided by an experienced genealogist. Instructor: Lin Wright.

Leave a message at 207-753-6610 and a catalog will be mailed. Those wishing can become a member and register for classes at USM.maine.edu/Senior college. For more information, email laseniorcollege@gmail.com.

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