Seniors College

Mid-Year 2012 Schedule

For a printable schedule, please click here.

MONDAY

Saint Francis and Contemporary Issues - 3 Weeks
Rev. Kevin Queally, T.O.R.  
The life and works of St. Francis of Assisi have been used to bring hope to people and places throughout the ages.  We will examine what the Franciscan tradition can bring to our generation in the areas of (1) Ecology, (2) peacemaking, and (3) poverty.
Day:     Monday
Dates:    2/6,13,20
Time:    10:00 - 11:30 AM              
Place:    Alvernia University, Student Center/Seminar Rooms  
Cost: $35.00

Marriage and Families from the Bible to Today  - 4 Weeks
Dr. Corey Harris
The Judeo-Christian tradition has shaped the western understandings of marriage and family. This course will examine these traditions as they have developed from the biblical period until today.
Day:    Monday
Dates:    2/6,13,20,27
Time:    2:30 – 4:00 PM          
Place:    AU, Student Center/Seminar Rooms  
Cost: $40.00

TUESDAY

Shall We Dance? - 5 Weeks
Jessica Warchal-King
Relive the classic movie musicals and Broadway shows in a new way! This time, you’re on center stage!  Enjoy the excitement of dance first-hand with Jessica Warchal-King.  Learn warm-up routines, dance vocabulary and the art of choreography.  Bring your own “flare”!
Day:    Tuesday
Dates:    1/31; 2/7,14,21,28
Time:    11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Place:    AU, PED Fitness Center
Cost: $45.00

The Healing Spirituality of the Twelve Steps – 4 Weeks
Sr. Jean Jacobchik, OSF        
Addiction is a common human experience.  To identify addiction, embrace brokenness and surrender to God is the beginning of healing and hope.  This course will explain how the gospel values contained in the Twelve Steps can help free people from addiction—even the common, less visible addictions that we may all have.
Day:    Tuesday
Dates:    2/7/14/21/28
Time:    1:30 - 3:00 PM
Place:    AU, Upland Center, Rm. 229
Cost: $40.00

WEDNESDAY

Bullying and Social Media  -  5 Weeks
Dr. Joan Lewis; Dr. Elizabeth Matteo; Dr. Kathleen Muzevich; Kelly Kline, Asst. District Attorney; Becca Gregg, Reading Eagle Reporter
Bullying has been part of the social culture of children but has taken on more dramatic and harmful effects with the use of various forms of social media such as the internet, Facebook, texting and instant messaging.  Children who are still developing their own moral and social codes are victims and perpetrators of bullying today.  This course brings together a team of experts on the subject of bullying.  They will share insights about who bullies are, where they come from and how to deal with them.
Day:    Wednesday
Dates:    2/8,15,22,29; 3/7
Time:    10:00 – 11:30 AM
Place:    AU, Upland Center, Board Room, Rm. 227
Cost: $45.00

The Politics and Leadership of Modern China –  4 Weeks
Dr. Richard Stichler
Learn about the political leadership of Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping and their respective goals for China’s economic/political development.  A discussion of the classical philosophies of Confucianism and Daoism will provide a context for understanding the practice of political leadership in contemporary China.
Day:    Wednesday
Dates:    2/8,15,22,29
Time:    1:00 - 2:30 PM
Place:    AU, Upland Center, Board Room, Rm. 227
Cost: $40.00

THURSDAY

The “FABULOUS FIFTIES”  -  3 Weeks
Sam Frankhouser
Relive the Decade of the 1950’s as you happily learn and heartily laugh!  In other words, take a fun look at the times, which are often referred to as the “best ten years” of the 20th Century. Were the 50’s really FABULOUS?  Find out by taking this class!  If you like courses in which you are actively engaged and individually appreciated, you will love this particular class! 
Day:    Thursday
Dates:    2/2,9,16
Time:    10:00 – 11:30 AM
Place:    AU, Upland Center, Community Rm. 103
Cost: $35.00

World Music Travelogue - 3 Weeks
Carol Schwanger
Carol Schwanger knows the music of the world better than anyone.  Let her amaze you with stunning musical samples.
Be captivated by her insights into the sounds and people that have shaped the art and cultures of the world.
Day:    Thursday
Dates:    2/2,9,16
Time:    11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Place:     AU, Upland Center, Rm. 229
Cost: $35.00

Odin’s Eye, Thor’s Hammer, and Other Norse Myth-Adventures  -  4 Weeks                                                              
John Kissinger
The Norse gods are still with us: we use their names every week. Norse mythology is a rich source of images, symbols, stories, and ideas, a cold northern balance to the myths of the Greeks and Romans. We will learn about the Norse myths, their historical background, and what they say to us today.
Day:    Thursday
Dates:    2/2,9,16,23
Time:    1:30 – 3:00 PM
Place:    AU, Upland Center, Board Room, Rm. 227
Cost:  $40.00

FRIDAY

Coriolanus – 3 Weeks
Marybeth DeMeo
“Still harping on my daughter?”  Well, actually no--not in this play where the underlying tension is the mother-son dynamic instead of the father-daughter relationships familiar to us from Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Othello, King Lear and all those comedies.  Popular rebellions, class warfare, talking points, union busting, hypocritical politicians, questionable military actions, shifting allegiances and a disputatious leadership: Coriolanus is a 17th century play with 21st century relevance.  Coriolanus, the movie, starring Ralph Fiennes and Vanessa Redgrave, will be released in January 2012. During this course, we will read and discuss Shakespeare’s play, including the possibility of attending the movie should it be available locally at that time.
Day:    Friday
Dates:    2/3,10,17
Time:    10:00 – 11:30 AM
Place:    AU, Upland Center, Board Room, Rm. 227
Cost: $35.00

Integrity, Responsibility and Leadership: New Insights from Penn State - 3 Weeks
Rosemary McFee; Mike Nerino; Rich Scarcella, Reading Eagle Reporter
Great institutions can grow to become even better than they were before.  When institutions endure painfully public incidents, they work to
recover, reform and re-establish their foundation.  The course provides a forum for critical thinking, ethical decision-making, and discussion.
Day:    Friday
Dates:    2/17,24; 3/2
Time:    12:15 – 1:45 PM
Place:    AU, Upland Center, Board Room, Rm. 227
Cost: $35.00

MINI-COURSES

AARP Driver Education Safety Program - 1 Session
(class will be 4 hours)
Edith Bleichart
This course is designed for those who have taken an AARP course previously.  You must bring proof of either course with you or an insurance statement indicating that you had a driver improvement course and have received your discount, together with the AARP membership card and driver’s license. Update driving knowledge, sharpen driving skills, help compensate for normal age-related physical change and drive more safely for years to come. Insurance companies should discount your premium upon completion of course.
Date:    Friday, February 17      
Time:    9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Place:    AU, Upland Center, Community Rm. 103
Cost:     $12.00 (AARP fee)  If Non-Member of AARP $14.00

AAA Driver Education Safety Program -  2 Sessions
(class will be 4 hours)
Edith Bleichart
The AAA Driver Improvement Program (DIP) presents the techniques, skills and information necessary to navigate in today’s traffic environment.
Included are: Communicating, Seeing, Adjusting Speed, Margin of Safety, Driving Emergencies.  Newcomers to the AAA program will take the 8-hour course.

A minimum of eight participants will be required.  You must bring a Drivers’ license and a AAA membership card.
AAA Members will be charged $15.00   Husband & Wife members will pay 2 for $25.00
Non –Members will be charged $25.00 

To be paid in cash during the 1st session of the class.

Date:    Thursday, February 23; Friday February 24      
Time:    9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Place:    AU, Upland Center, Community Rm. 103
Cost:     $15.00 – one AAA member  -- $25.00 Husband & Wife AAA member.
             $25.00 Non-member (to be paid in cash during the 1st session of the class.)