LEWISTON – The Senior College program at the University of Southern Maine/ Lewiston-Auburn College will offer 14 new courses for the fall semester Sept. 17 through Nov. 23.

With the largest number of courses in the program’s eight years, the local community may choose from a diversity of subjects ranging from Anglo-Saxon England, American history before the Civil War, the Salem witch trials, American novels of the 1920s, computers for beginners, understanding of mathematics, coping with grief, Spanish language, digital photography, abnormal psychology, life story writing, ancient forms of quilting and special day trips.

Open to persons age 50 or older and their spouses, the courses will be presented by peers, with no entrance requirements, grades or tests. After an annual membership fee of $25, valid through May of 2008, the course fees, which include the cost of most books and materials, will be $25 each for the first two courses and $10 for each additional course. All classes will be held during the day at L-A College on Westminster Street unless otherwise noted.

“Is Anyone Really Normal: Perspectives on Abnormal Psychology”: A basic introductory course outlining the two major perspectives, psychoanalytic and cognitive-behavioral. Underlying assumptions and principles will be examined and numerous examples of real case studies provided.

Classes are scheduled for eight Mondays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Instructor Charles Plummer is a frequent presenter at Senior College and is a retired educator and administrator with 30 years in the Auburn school system. His degrees include metaphysics and religious studies as well as education.

“Writing Our Stories”: The course will encourage the student to tap into memories and life experiences by writing and sharing short stories and poems. No previous writing experience is required.

The eight-week course is scheduled for Tuesdays from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Class leader Anita Greenblatt, a lifelong learner and Andover College graduate, has been an adult education instructor in Auburn for several years.

“Special Destinations – Points of Interest”: This series will again feature day trips in the region. This semester’s destinations will include Colonial Pemaquid, Museum L-A, the Bates College Art Museum and the Maine State House and the Blaine House.

Trips are scheduled for six Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members will provide their own transportation from L-A College, with any admission costs covered by the course fee. A group lunch will be available after each tour.

Tour guide Dot Rupert is a retired Lewiston teacher and a member of the Senior College board of directors.

“The Manx Technique: Old World Fabrication from the Isle of Man”: The course will provide a hands-on creative experience and an introduction to the ancient forms of quilting. The projects will be decorative and utilitarian. The method is still demonstrated at the Folk Museum in Chegneish on the Isle of Man. Love of fabric is a prerequisite and all materials will be provided.

The class will have two four-week sessions, each subject to the course fee. Session 1 will be on Tuesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. from Sept. 18 through Oct. 9. Session 2 will be on Tuesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. from Oct. 16 through Nov. 6. Instructor Liette Morin has a life-long interest in textiles and fiber arts, is a grant recipient from the Maine Arts Commission and is a recent retiree from Central Maine Community College.

“Anglo-Saxon England”: Early English history from Roman Britain, Alfred and the Vikings, to 1066 A.D. will be the focus. The provided text is a modern translation of the epic poem, “Beowulf,” which reflects early English life and depicts the age-old battle of good vs. evil. Included will be discussion of John Gardner’s “Grendel,” along with class handouts, slides and filmclips.

The five-week course will be held on Wednesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. from Sept. 19 to Oct. 24. Instructor Barbara Randall is a frequent presenter at Senior College and is a retired English literature teacher from Edward Little High School and a former dean at Bates College.

“Washington to Lincoln: From Union to Civil War”: After the Constitution was created, political parties formed and the new nation dealt with the Barbary pirates, expanding borders, wars with the Indians and Mexico. The nation’s survival, however, would depend upon the resolution of the slavery problem.

The course is scheduled for eight Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. and will be conducted by Robert Gilbert, retired educator and administrator with the Auburn school system. He is a member of the Senior College board of directors. This is his fourth course on American history.

“Survival Spanish”: The course will provide students the Spanish language that is useful for travel and basic social interaction. Using the provided text, Berlitz Essential Spanish, members will focus on pronunciation, practice and speaking drills using the vocabulary and grammar learned from the text.

Presented on seven Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. from Sept. 19 to Oct. 31, the instructor will be Barbara Oliver. She has traveled extensively in Spanish-speaking countries and specializes in language teaching methodology. Her classes in Spain have enabled her to “survive” as a non-native speaker.

“Salem 1692 – Madness in Massachusetts”: The winter of 1691-92 was particularly harsh in Salem-Danvers, Massachusetts Bay Colony. Added to that, the outburst of several young women who claimed certain persons of Salem were witches provided a recipe for disaster for the young colony. The course will review the facts of the event and the writing of its history.

Scheduled for six Thursdays at 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. from Sept. 20 to Nov. 1, the course will be presented by Alan Elze, a retired Navy veteran and world traveler. Elze has degrees in history, religion and museum science. He is a member of the Senior College board and has presented several courses.

“The Wonders of Mathematics”: A mathematics awareness course that will dispel fear or lack of understanding, the four-week session will enable the participant to discover how complex things can really be simple. Stories and visuals will open the world to new understanding. Experience math in music, art, nature and more.

It is scheduled for Thursdays, Oct. 4 to 25, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Instructor Eleanor Pelletier holds degrees from Boston State College and the University of Maine and has taught at USM and UMA for more than 22 years and has worked in the private sector in various capacities.

“Understanding Grief”: The course will define the many types of grief, the factors that affect the grief process, stages and tasks of grief, support groups and healing interventions. Grief specialists will assist the instructor in dementia patient care.

The course is scheduled for eight Thursdays from Sept. 20 to Nov. 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. Instructor Jane Whetstone is a bereavement coordinator for Beacon Hospice, a psychology major and graduate of UMF in 2005, and is pursuing her master’s degree in counseling at USM.

“Taking Pictures the Digital Way”: The course will provide participants with the information needed to understand and master the new world of digital photography. Members will discuss differences and advantages of digital over film cameras, learn how to make prints and enlargements and how to send photos to friends and family by computer.

Scheduled for four Fridays Sept. 21 to Oct. 19, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., the course will be conducted by Elze. He has more than 30 years of experience with cameras and photography and has used his own slides in his previous classes.

“Three Enduring Novels of the ’20s”: The post-war decade of the 1920s brought an explosion in wealth and the arts. The course will focus on an understanding and analysis of three American novels written in that period – F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” and “Death Comes for the Archbishop” by Willa Cather – that are exemplars of the genre and why they are still read and discussed today.

The eight-week course is scheduled for Fridays, Sept. 21 to Nov. 9, from 1 to 3 p.m. Instructor Lincoln Ladd is a retired educator who taught literature at North Carolina State University and UNC-Greensboro and at the University of Maine Farmington and Augusta campuses. He has presented several literature courses at Senior College.

“Computers for Beginners”: The introductory course is designed for persons with only a little understanding of computers and who wish to expand their knowledge. Word processing and interacting on the Internet will be taught and practiced. A feature of the course will be learning how to make airline and hotel reservations online. Students will work individually on a computer and a text will be provided.

Scheduled for eight Fridays, Sept. 21 to Nov. 9, it will run from 1 to 3 p.m. Instructor Wayne Hollingworth is retired from the Maine Department of Human Services and has presented several computer courses at Senior College.

Senior College at USM/L-A is a member of the Maine Senior College Network, an organization of the state’s 14 senior colleges providing a curriculum of learning opportunities for persons age 50 or older.

Senior College is an initiative of the Osher Learning Institute at USM and an affiliate of the Elderhostel Institute Network. For more information on courses and enrollment, call 753-6510 or visit usm.maine.edu/lac.