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THE ART AND CRAFT OF WRITING A NOVEL OR A
MEMOIR
Mendocino 2032
Cleo Kocol, Jean Clark
Get started on the book you've always
wanted to write. Fun exercises, tips and stimulating writing
in class. Learn to show, not tell. Learn viewpoint, setting
and more. Participants will take turns sharing the first
chapters of their work and receiving feedback from the
coordinators and other participants. Constructive criticism
will be given. Learn to think creatively. No subject is taboo,
but good taste reigns. Memoir writers must focus on a
particular element or elements of their history. (Memoirs are
not personal histories.) Class is limited to 12 beginning or
intermediate writers.
ASSASSINATIONS FROM JULIUS
CAESAR TO JFK
Mendocino 3009
Milo Turaylich, Bob
Dinsfriend, Wayne Luney
This class will examine how the
assassinations of prominent individuals have impacted history.
The focus will be on the historical background that led up to
the assassination itself and what changes the assassination
had on the course of history. Seminar members will be asked to
participate. A list of famous people will be presented, but
the seminar participants can give a report of their own
choosing. Appropriate films that are 30-minutes to one-hour
long are welcome.
BETWEEN TWO WARS: SURPRISING U.S. GROWTH
BETWEEN THE WAR OF 1812 AND THE CIVIL
WAR
Alpine 144
John Walker, Allen
Jamieson
Two previous seminars have brought us
from the Revolution to the end of the War of 1812, when the
new nation was set for prodigious growth in territories,
increasing population from 9 million to 31 million!
Encouraging this growth came hundreds of miles of railroad
lines, a colorful era of steamboats on the Mississippi (think
Mark Twain), new inventions amazing for their time, good and
bad politicians (think Andrew Jackson), the ongoing slavery
controversy, major literary figures, important new roles for
women, etc. We'll learn about many fascinating characters and
episodes which helped to create the America we know today.
BONSAI: THE ART OF MINIATURE TREES Eureka
115
Clarence L. Smith, Walt
Brainerd
Learn the basics of bonsai design and
care. Participants must provide their own trees/shrubs, tools
and bonsai pots. We will have some tools available for use
during each session. A lab fee of $20 will cover the cost of
bonsai soil and wire and must be paid at the time you register
for the class. This will be an eight-week seminar.
Participants may choose to sign up for another seminar to
attend when this seminar ends.
COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE
MEDICINE
Mendocino 3013
Jan Polin, Om Bindra,
Randy Wichert
Come and learn more about the world of
complementary medicine and its potential to help with healthy
aging. This class will follow the National Institute of
Health's guidelines for effective complementary and
integrative medicine, including seminar lectures from experts
in the fields of Acupuncture, Ayurvedic East Indian Medicine,
Chiropractic, Sound and Laughter Therapy, Homeopathic,
Naturopathic, Osteopathic, Energy Medicine, Pedorthic Foot
Health and Traditional Chinese Medicine to name just some
topics that will be covered. Learn some new ways to support
your immune system and heart health, improve your sleep and
memory, reduce your cholesterol and blood pressure, and avoid
osteoporosis, diabetes, and cancer.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTIONS
Mendocino 1024
John Andrew, Bob
Schmidt, Dick Tarble
The Constitution of the State of
California is five times longer than the Constitution of the
United States, and is the third longest in the world. What
role has our unwieldy charter played in the current disaster
that is the government of California? Should we scrap the
entire document and go back to square one and put together a
new one? We will look at what's currently wrong with the
state, at the history of the Constitution, and explore
possible changes.
ETHICS AND BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY
Mendocino 4004
Bob Dinsmore, Brian
Kidney
Basic concepts of Ethics will be reviewed
with special attention to concepts of moral value, fairness,
justice, virtue, and rule systems. Applications will be
discussed in business and public policy. Participation by the
members of the class will be encouraged. The two class
coordinators represent a balanced team. Prejudice and
discrimination, conflict of interest, fairness in tax policy,
social and legal justice, and numerous other topics will be
discussed in detail.
EXPERIENCING
ARCHITECTURE
Library 1522
Tom Dole, Stanley
Mofjeld
Architecture creates the spatial
framework for our lives. It is possible to get as much
pleasure from it as other art forms we experience. This course
will cover architecture and architects, the elements that go
into the design of a building and architecture as an
expression of a culture and its time as well as its individual
creative designs. Choose an architect, country, period, or
building to share with the class.
FAMOUS BRIDGES OF THE
WORLD
Douglass 208
Birte Harley, Dee Brown
How often is a bridge just a means of
crossing from one point to the next? In this seminar we will
explore the architecture, history and romance of many famous
bridges. To name a few: The Pont du Gard, France; Tower
Bridge, England; Ponte Vecchio, Italy; The Oresund Bridge,
Denmark and Sweden, and of course the Golden Gate, San
Francisco. A possible field trip to the Bay Bridge is in the
planning. It will be in late spring 2010. This is a members'
participatory seminar. The use of visuals, in the form of
Power Point, overheads, photos, or documentaries is
acceptable. Members may choose a partner from the class
roster.
FASCINATING LIVES THAT MADE A DIFFERENCE
IN HISTORY, SCIENCE, POLITICS, MEDICINE, LITERATURE, SPORTS
&
ENTERTAINMENT
Douglass 209
NOBEL PRIZE
WINNERS
NOTE: These two classes have combined!!!!
Linda Schoenhoff, Pam
Tureen,Steve Harley
This class will involve reading different
biographies, watching biographical videos, and sharing key
information about subjects' lives. Participants will select a
fascinating life to study and present that person's story to
the class. Discussion will follow presentations: what was the
socio/political context during the person's life, how was the
person memorable, why did you choose him/her, was the story
inspirational, educational, and/or cautionary, what did the
presenter take away from the story that might apply to his/her
own life?
Nobel Laureates are chosen from the
fields of Literature, Medicine, Economics, Physics, Chemistry
and Peace. Select the individual, group of individuals, or
organizations from the long history of prize winners for your
presentation. You may use any means of presenting your choice,
including video, photographs, audio, lecture, Power Point, or
any combination. Your topic could include achievements,
personal lives, controversies, tragedies or second careers.
You may also partner with another classmate.
FLORENCE, ITALY AND
THE RISE OF THE RENAISSANCE
PERIOD
Mendocino 1015
David Warren
 We
will briefly review the fall of Rome and the Rise of the
Middle Ages. And then we will cover the reasons for the
dramatic changes in history and a rise of the Renaissance
Period in Florence, Italy, which occurred between 1450 and
1600 AD. We will visit the city of Florence by way of visual
images and we will meet its famous citizens. We will meet the
Medici Family and discuss the major artists, philosophers,
architects and writers of this period. This seminar is
non-participatory; all of the lectures will be presented by
David Warren, Ph.D., who will encourage discussion and
entertain questions. The syllabus for this course will cost
$10 and will be available on the first day of class. (NOTE:
This class will also be held during the morning seminar
period: click
here. Please sign up for one or the other, not both!)
FOOD AND HEALTH - YOU ARE WHAT YOU
EAT!
Douglass 214
Norm Eade, Eleanor
Thomas
Together we will study and talk about
food safety, vitamins and supplements, genetic manipulations,
pesticides and herbicides, organic farming, backyard vegetable
gardens, buying locally, weight loss programs, etc. We will
share ideas on food preparation, recipes, and food samples.
This is a participatory class. Besides learning, we intend to
make this class lots of fun!
GREAT DECISIONS AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY
2010
Mendocino 1032
Doug Fulton
The Great Decisions Program is designed
to encourage debate and to stimulate participation in
discussions of important current U.S. foreign policy issues.
The Great Decisions Briefing Book (cost $18) published
annually by the Foreign Policy Association (FPA), helps
participants develop informed opinions about our foreign
policy objectives and how they affects our relationships with
other nations. Videos provide additional resource material.
Topics for discussion include: 1. Special Envoys: Diplomatic
Option for Global Issues; 2.Kenya: Internal Disorder; 3.Global
Crime: Organized and Growing; 4. Security Relations; 5. Global
Financial Crisis: Measures for Solutions; 6. Russia and Its
Neighbors: Future Influence? 7. The Persian Gulf: Future
Challenges; and 8. Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution:
Challenge for the Future. Class size is limited to 25.
"GREAT" WESTERNS PART II
(1950's to
1990's)
Mendocino 4008 12-1:45
Jon Courtway
Welcome to a survey of "Great"
Westerns that any fan should know. These are the most
influential and important Westerns made. They are not
necessarily the "best", but they helped change
attitudes toward or influenced the way Westerns were made. We
will see The Tall T (1957), Man of the West (1958), Rio Bravo
(1959), The Magnificent Seven (1960), Ride the High Country
and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence (1962), The Good, the Bad
and the Ugly (1966), Once Upon a Time in the West and The Wild
Bunch (1968), High Plains Drifter (1972), and Unforgiven
(1992). There will be a handout for each specific film, with
time for discussion. NOTE TIME!!! This is a non-participatory
seminar.
HUMOR NEVER KILLED
ANYONE
Mendocino 3011
Doug Barr, Dottie
Higbee
What Einstein meant to say was that
"Humor is 99 percent perspiration and 1 percent
inspiration." Join us as we seek our inner hues. We will
attempt to create humorous works of art, in whatever medium
suits the students. We will study comedians like Jonathan
Winters, Robin Williams, Dave Berry, Gary Larson and Garrison
Keillor. Loud presentations, eating, drinking and anarchy will
be encouraged. You must be able to pass a laughter
examination, and leave your left brain at home. Continuing
education credits will apply for all disciplines that lack
substantial humor, such as law, accounting, financial
planning, medicine, insurance, banking and government.
NATIONAL HEALTH CARE
REFORM
Douglass 206
David Humphers, Thomas
Swift
This seminar will operate as a forum to
examine the current national health care reform debate. Short
lectures and video presentations will precede participant
questions and discussion. Health care and health care costs in
the United States will be compared with the other developed
and developing nations to examine how they have achieved
universal access to health care at approximately half of the
per capita cost as health care in the U.S. Each session will
focus on a different topic; for example: illness prevention,
treating chronic illness, nationalized single payer systems,
and free market health insurance, and how they differ.
NATIVE PEOPLES OF NORTH AMERICA Douglass
110
Doris Keller, Bob
Taylor
Unlike most of us learned during our
education, a closer examination of Native American history and
tribal groups reveals a fascinating diversity of languages,
life styles, cultures, religions, subsistence, settlement
patterns, social organizations and political survival. We will
research the historical development of individual groups and
leaders to determine how they interacted with their
environments, adjusted to changes in their way of life, and
the adjustments and adaptations they were forced to make in
the expansion of the United States by European settlers.
Reading lists and suggested research topics will be available
for class presentations.
POP-pourri (Music)
Alpine 204
Mike Harkins
This new seminar is a complement to my
"200 Years of American Popular Music" lecture series
(but attending "200 Years" is not a requirement).
Each weekly session will offer music (and videos) that span
the decades from 1890's to present day. The play list is taken
from the Grammy Hall of Fame as well as other selections from
the American pop charts through the years. Focus is on the
major Grammy genres of pop (both traditional and modern),
blues, jazz, R&B, country, and rock. With the wide range
of eras and genres there should be something for everyone.
This is a non-participatory seminar.
20th CENTURY MUSIC YOU CAN LISTEN TO
Capistrano 227
Len Miller
A sampling of 20th century music will be
presented emphasizing video performances and documentaries.
The final selection of material will be based on participant
input and the coordinator's choices. Among the composers being
considered are Mahler, Stravinsky, Sibelius, Copland, Ives,
Gershwin, Britten, Elgar, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Shostakovich,
Ravel, Vaughan Williams, and Korngold. The focus of the class
will be on learning about and experiencing the music, the
musicians and the composers. There will be no lectures.
SCIENCE AND
SOCIETY
Mendocino 2009
Ranny Eckstrom, Hank
Kocol
Curious about science and engineering?
Wonder about evolution, astronomy, biology or geology?
Concerned about how safe genetic engineering, bridges and
water supplies are? Feel scientifically challenged? This
seminar will address interesting and often misunderstood
topics in science and engineering. Participants are invited to
make seminar presentations or invite outside experts to speak
about topics of relevance in today's world. Invited expert
topics include: the brain, medical imaging safety, stem cell
research and climate change. An optional tour of the Bay
Bridge construction site is also being planned. The seminar
will enrich your understanding of current scientific topics
and the lives of scientists.
VIETNAM, A WAR THAT DEFIES DESCRIPTION
Alpine 156
Al Wolfgang, Nancy
Samuelson
Vietnam, our most misunderstood war and
second only to the Civil War, our most divisive. It is now
possible, 35 years later, to see that the war was more
complex, more morally ambiguous, than either the doves or
hawks maintained. But the trauma of Vietnam continues to
influence our foreign policy. In this seminar we will examine
America's involvement in Southeast Asia, what led up to it and
the subsequent fallout. The seminar will be loosely
structured, with participants making presentations and leading
discussions. The focus will be on the political, social and
economic issues of the period, not the battles.
WATERCOLOR
PAINTING
Kadema 266
Ken Kinyon, Catherine
McCormick
Discover your own creative ability
through the beauty and excitement of transparent watercolor
painting. Ability to draw is helpful. This semester is for
beginning to advanced students. Members of the class will do
some instruction in principles and elements of design.
Students may choose their own projects. Critiques of completed
paintings will be made by class members if desired and guest
experienced artists will be invited. Call Catherine McCormick
to register.
WRITING PERSONAL HISTORIES
To accommodate all who
are interested, we are offering two classes:
Class I: Jan Schroeder,
Allen Strong, Barbara Quattrin Mendocino 3007
Class II: Dan Keller
Mendocino 4005
For those of you who intend to record
your life history for your family, begin with this class.
Participants will be encouraged to bring typed pages of about
500 words to share each week. Lots of support and ideas will
be given to those who want it, but no critiques. Not only will
the class stimulate your recollections of major events in your
lifetime, but you will have the opportunity to meet and know
other Renaissance members in a small group setting. Each class
will limit its size to 20 members.
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