COURSE DESCRIPTIONS   (See Fall Class Schedule for Days & Hours)

Arts & Humanities
#31274    Arts & Humanities Series - Brings to the Senior Program artists from all fields as well as professional people in the arts and cultural areas to perform, discuss, present, inform.  This is a stimulating, eclectic, ever-changing series.

#31275    Drawing with Watercolor - Anyone can learn how to draw accurately and precisely.  This course is for both the beginner and more advanced student.  The course covers shape and line, space and contour drawing, form and light, upside down drawing, perspective and composition.  We will continue on to explore painting with watercolor and its unique characteristics, combined with sound drawing.  The instructor will provide highly individualized attention for each student in a "workshop" format, in addition to general instruction.

#43068    Drawing Out Your Creativity - Explore with charcoal, conte, graphite and other black-and-white drawing materials.  Basic and new techniques will be introduced to help express your artistic visions.  Students will be encouraged to study their favorite artist and art periods.  Intermediate and more advanced students can indorporate mixed media and color winto their drawings.  Enjoy the advantages of seeing other art students resolve an artistic problem that may inspire creativity in you.

#31279    Opera: For the Love of It - Students will enjoy opera by learning about the plots and characters of famous operas through both discussing and listening to selected passages.  No musical background is necessary, only an interest in learning more about this great art and its contributors: composers, singers, librettists, writers, directors, orchestras and famous venues.

Cinema
#31277 etc.  Cinema Contemporary - Students attend current films showing locally.  Class discussion will depend on the outside viewing plus reading film reviews from various sources.  Chosen works range from mainstream to art films.  Note: Students will be notified by phone or email of the title of the first film. 

#31278 etc.  Films of the 40's & 50's-Heros & Heroines - "The streets were slick with rain and murder was in the air..."  This quote epitomizes the American film phenomenon known as Film Noir, darkly-obsessive movies of the 1940s and 1950s, such as Double Indemnity and Kiss Me Deadly.  Join the discussion of tough heroes, "femmes fatales", and some of Hollywood's most innovative camera and lighting work.  These films feature great stars, compelling plots, and a combination of action and psychological depth.

Computer Classes
A sample of classes include the following:  Keyboarding, creating spreadsheets, searching the Internet, sending email and attachments, using Google, mastering your cell phone and MP3 Player, navigating Windows and your laptop.  We are also offering a class on how to organize, edit, and manage photos on your computer.   

Contemporary Issues
#42830    Contemporary Issues - What are the major issues, trends and developments in our fast-changing modern world?  This class will bring in experts to present and discuss these significant issues, with emphasis on interactive exchange between the presenters and the class members.  This will be a thoughtful and provocative class, examining important questions and critical changes affecting our lives now and well into the future.

#31281 etc. Current News Topics - The Current News Topics class provides lively, informative and unpredictable discussion focused on the week's current topics, covering a wide range of subjects, including the political, social, economic, educational and environmental realms.  Bring your ideas, be prepared to be informed, and be sure to participate. 

#42832        Iran & Iraq - These two critically important Middle East countries will be studied with a view to understanding their historical and cultural backgrounds.  In some detail, we will explore current issues and the genesis and some of the consequences of those issues.

#31282 etc.    Middle East: Background & Issues - The course will examine the historical and geographic background, together with some of the social and cultural realities of the Islamic Middle East and South Asia (afghanistan and Pakistan).  Included will be a consideration of the formation and spread of Islam, the influence of Western colonialism, and the genesis of several current issues of misunderstanding and conflict, especially with the United States.

#42045, etc.    Middle East:  Islamic Levant - The class will continue to look in some detail at the Islamic Middle East and revisit fundamental Islamic religious beliefs, sects and development.  The class will continue a survey of the nations and groups of nations in the Islamic Middle East.  Each nation or cluster of nations will be placed in its historical and geographical context, and then major issues will be considered which are important for the region's internal and international relations. 

#42833    Palestine: Background & Issues - Palestine-does it exist?  Who makes up the country, and where do these Palestinian people come from?  Why is this quite small sliver of the Middle East the cause of such conflict, hatred and violence?  What is the involvement of other nations - now and in the recent past?  This short course strives to address those and other questions and provide some answers.

#42219    Terrorism: Morals & Motivations - In considering terrorism, the class will first seek to establish a fundamental moral standard against which we may test human activity to determine its rightness.  Then we will survey a range of definitions of "terrorism" to arrive at a consensus.  By looking at instances of violence in various parts of the world, we shall delineate some of the various motivations of those who engage in terrorist activities and attacks.  Concurrently, we will examine a number of the various mechanisms utilized for terrorizing peoples.  Additionally, there will be a sensitive examination of the victims of terrorism. 

Fitness & Health Classes
#31284    Fitness After Fifty - Learn exercise programs to strengthen muscles, improve joint flexibility, enhance balance and increase awareness of posture.  The instructor will individualize exercise programs to fit the gooals and expectations of each participant; students will leave the course with a set of home exercises to help maintain the good health achieved.

Health Lectures for Seniors - Free series is offered by Scottsdale Healthcare Health Information Center at McDowell Village, 8302 East McDowell Road, #105, Scottsdale, AZ 85257.

#31286    Hiking in the Desert - The class hikes slowly and stops to rest and admire the surroundings, but participants should be able to walk at least five miles in about three hours over rocky and uneven terrain.  Some climbing will be involved: there are no flat hikes in the desert.  Hiking boots or sturdy sneakers are required, as is ample water.  Hats, sunscreen and snacks are recommended.  Participants with a history of heart, respiratory or blood pressure problems must obtain a medical release from their doctor. 

#42133    Rejuvenate from the Inside Out - This class focuses on health, longevity and peace of mind.  The class works with Tai Chi, acupressure, visualization, Oriental philosophies and facial rejuvenation to help replenish one's energy and well-being.

#31287    Tai Chi: Exercise for All Ages - Tai Chi practices breathing exercises and movements, sitting or standing that lubricate the joints and improve flexibility.  Benefits can include improved immune system, balance, coordination, focus, memory and peace of mind.  Wear comfortable clothing and be prepared for a rejuvenating experience and a calming influence.

Languages
#31290 etc.      Spanish Conversation Levels I, II, & III - Classes for beginners, intermediate and advanced students of Spanish language.

Literature
#43967    Jane Austen is Calling You - Jane Austen is acknowledged as one of the greatest English literary authors, writing at a time when women writers were not given the recognition that their talents deserved.  She overcame this prejudice to produce some of the most memorable and beloved works of fiction in English, which continue their influence through many films.  Three of her six manjor novels will be studied this semester, ecploring timeless issues of culture, class, and gender.  Her works will be read in the context of 18th and early 19th century society, leading to an understanding of why her novels continue to draw modern readers 200 years later. 

#42172    Noir Fiction - This course will trace the devlopment of the hardboiled crime genre, from its roots in the traditional western story to the pulp magazine tales of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and others, through the classic post-WWII era of noir fiction, and up to the form's present day renaissance.  The assigned readings will follow a chronological time line and include discussions of such trends as:  The Jazz Era, Prohibition and the classic gangster novel, The Swingin' Sixties, the Impact of Vietnam on the crime novel, and noir in the new millennium.

#43097    Shakespeare: The Play's the Thing - Just speaking Shakespeare out loud can deliver a jolt to a tired mind.  Our journey over eleven meetings will include encounters with Bottom, Mercurio, Romeo and Juliet, Kate and Petruchio, Macbeth and Hamlet.  We will spotlight four plays, see Zeferrelli's cinematic romps and learn why most films of Shakespeare's plays cannot possibly deliver the wallop of either an attentive, imaginative reader or a good live performance of Shakespeare.  

#42132    Short Stories: Black American Writers of the 20th Century - This course focuses on the short stories of some of the best Black American writers of the last century, such as Langston Hughes, Richard Wright, Zora Neal Huston, James Baldwin, Ralph Ellison and others.  The course will provide a valuable perspective on America in the 20th century, as seen through the experience of African-American writers.

#42174    Short Stories: The Third Age - These short stories explore the experiences of mature people in their Third Age (i.e. post-retirement), dealing with life after careers are completed and children raised.  In this collection, some of the best modern fiction writers, such as Saul Bellow, Joyce Carol Oates, John Cheever, Bernard Malamud, Nadine Gordimer, and Co9nrad Aiken, show us in depth what society's attitudes are towards older people, what issues mature people deal with and how they (and those around them) face this stage of life.  Share the vision of great writers reflecting on the experience of people who have lived full lives. 

#42836    Short Stories: Women Writers in Diverse Cultures - This course examines the fiction of women writers dealing with minority cultures or multiple cultures, spanning almost a century.

#43071    Theatre: The Live Connection - Theatre-The Life Connection will establish a link between plays studied in the classroom and the theatre by seeing the play come to life in a local theatre production.  STudents will have the opportunity to experience the studied plays at The Actors Theatre, the Arizona Theatre Company and Theatre Works.  Some selected performances: Doubt, Virginia Woolf and Enchanted April.  Students will also enjoy and bedfit from the class without attending the local productions,.  In class, students will read Proof and then see the film starring Anthony Hopkins and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Potpourri 
Non-Credit Nutrition & Cooking Classes (480) 423-6284

#31300    Gardening: Community Garden - Join the SCC Garden Club, founded 1976, and enjoy the pleasure of growing your own organic vegetables, fruit and flowers: you can even make it a family educational project involving children.  The standard garden plot is 600 square feet; larger ones are available at a higher rent.  Application is made and fees paid through the instructor. 

#42545    Genealogy: It's All Relative - You've always wanted to know where your family came from; who your distant relatives might be and where your family has settled, worldwide, but you don't know where to start.  This course will launch your researdh by providing the tools you need to begin to compile and understand your family's background. 

#31301     Travel: Other Countries/Other Cultures - Visualize and learn about other countries and cultures, presented by those who have been there. 

#42837     Writing a Family History - This family history writing class helps you take what you know about your ancestors' stories and decide whom you are going to write about; who your audience wioll be; what kind of family history you are going to write; incorporating diaries, photos, letters, wills, etc. in your family history and how to break through your brick walls by writing your family history.

Religion & Philosophy
#31303    Religions Around the World -  Local representatives of a wide range of religions explain and discuss their faith and experience practicing that faith in order to increase understanding and appreciation of religious diversity.  During and after the presentation, questions are encouraged so as to have thoughtful, informed dialog.