We will look at and discuss religious, cultural, and political beliefs in the U.S. and other countries.

Each week a different volunteer from the class will provide several topics for discussion and lead these discussions.  Lively exchange of opinions and points of view make this class an opportunity to explore our world in the context of what is currently impacting our lives and the lives of others.

Coordinator:  Bruce Murphy.  Bruce has coordinated Current Events for 20-plus semesters.

The class consists of a short lecture and/or hand-outs, followed by screening of a complete opera. There will be a mixture of old favorites and some lesser known operas. Because of time constraints, discussion or class participation is very limited.  Please note:  this class meets for three hours.

Coordinators:   Jean Gleason, Susie O'Brien, and Stan Macklis.  Jean, Susie, and Stan have been offering this course for 16 years.

We will examine in depth the poetry of Jane Hirschfield, Mark Doty, W.S. Merwin, and Stanley Kunitz.  The course will involve in depth reading and vigorous class discussion.

Coordinators: Steven Blume, Kathleen Vogt, and Roger Kessell.  Steve has taught college courses for over 30 years as well as classes in poetry and drama at A.L.L.  Kathleen has taught college courses for any years and co-coordinated British and American Contemporary poetry at A.L.L.  Roger has not only written poetry but has also coordinated poetry and writing groups on Cape Cod.

We will focus on “Cinderella”,” Beauty and the Beast”, and “The Little Mermaid”.  Course participants will read from a paperback collection of original and contemporary versions; in class we will sample and discuss presentations of the tales from traditional lavishly illustrated books to modern cinematic retellings.  The text for this course is The Classic Fairy Tales (A Norton Critical Edition) edited by Maria Tatar (buy through Amazon.com).  For the first class, please read “Donkeyskin” and “Cinderella”:  pp. 109-122 in Tatar book. 

 Coordinator:  Anne Southworth.  After many years of teaching composition and freshman “Intro to Lit,” Anne was given the opportunity to teach Children’s Lit.  She became fascinated with the wonderful scholarship and imaginative retelling central to the revival of interest in fairy tales in the past twenty years.

Participants will learn basic community and economic development concepts.  We will discuss the stages of a community’s life cycle and the functions of a community.  We will learn the definition of economic development and map the flow of money into and out of a community.  Different forms of capital will be discussed.  We will apply the concepts to  communities on Cape Cod.  

Coordinator:  David Darling.  David is a Professor Emeritus at Kansas State University and is an economic development consultant.

Writing exercises offered to stimulate poems and share them.  Gentle critiquing.  Workshop goal:   two poems of your own, plus a favorite poet.  Please note:  This course meets for two and a half hours.

This two-semester course will present a history of the Broadway musical theater with special attention to important musical shows that turned the theater in a new direction.  Audio and video examples will be included.  This semester will cover the period from 1893 through the 1950’s.  More detail is provided in the online A.L.L. catalog.  Please note:  this class meets for three hours.

Coordinator:  John Hagon.  John has 50 years of teaching and conducting experience in many venues.  He is currently Conductor of the Cape Cod Conservatory Concert Band and the Cape Community Orchestra, and is on the faculty of Berklee College of Music in Boston. 

For thousands of years the human brain has remained largely a mystery, like the contents of some proverbial black box.  Philosophers and theologians have had a crack at it.  So have modern psychologists and neurologists.  All missed the mark, some by a wide margin.  All this has changed thanks to the advent of sophisticated scanning techniques about twenty years ago.  Come and see what the experts have discovered since then in a series of illustrated lectures, animated discussions, and insightful videos.  And yes, just in case you were wondering, you can improve your brain.  There will be some outside reading.

Coordinator:  Don Ellicott.  Don taught high school history courses for many years, at the same time following the avocations of psychology and philosophy.  Over the years he has taught several courses at A.L.L. in these fields.  Recently, neurology has become his passion.

In each class we will watch a PBS American Experience video on one of the following presidents:  T.R. Roosevelt, W. Wilson, F.D. Roosevelt, H. Truman, and (depending on available time) D. Eisenhower.  We will have some time for discussion after each video.  Part 2 of this course will be offered in the fall of 2011.  It is not necessary to take Part 1 in order to take Part 2.

Coordinator:  Dave Ryer.   Dave is a one-time historian.  He has coordinated music and history classes at A.L.L. for a number of years.

This is a reading and discussion course.  The text book for this semester is The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler, a collection of 14 wickedly good stories published by the Great Books Foundation.  It is available online at www.greatbooks.org, or can be ordered by phone at 800-222-5870, ext. 2. 

Coordinators:  Mary Joyce and Pat Pratson.  Mary is a professional teacher, constant learner, and avid reader.  Mary and Pat taught this course the last four semesters.

We will use DVDs, handouts, lectures and discussions to highlight the lives of Gilbert & Sullivan, and will enjoy presentation of several of their operas.  Operas will be selected with class input. 

Coordinator:  Martin Sokoloff.  Marty is a former professor who has carried on a love affair with Gilbert & Sullivan for most of his life.  He has produced, starred in, and directed almost all of the operas. 

This is a reading/discussion class exploring the pleasures of food.  We will read savory stories about food and travel, food memoirs, great restaurants and famous chefs.  Participants may volunteer to lead discussions.  Texts for the course are Endless Feasts: Sixty Years of Writing from Gourmet, edited by Ruth Reichl, and Her Fork in the Road:  Women Celebrate Food and Travel, edited by Lisa Bach.

Coordinator:  Susan Maguire.  Susan loves food of all kinds—cooking it, reading about it, talking about it, and of course, eating it.

This course provides a simple explanation of the evolution of electricity in New England and how it meshed into people's lives, with biographies of the heroes that crafted it. Ben Franklin got hooked on electricity during a visit to Boston in 1743. There he saw a public demonstration and lecture on electricity at Faneuil Hall.  Scores of other scientists and electrical pioneers later came to Boston where the craft of electricity was born. Their accomplishments will be discussed in twelve PowerPoint lectures. Classes will be informal. Topics will be illustrated by early text books and collectible artifacts.

Coordinator:  Gil Cooke.  Gil is a professional electrical engineer who recently retired to the Cape. He received his B.Eng. degree in electrical engineering in 1962.  Gil has played a leading role in the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) history committee and has written a book on Boston’s historic L Street power generating station.

This course will consider the impact of World War II, the new honoring of ethnic voices, the role of suburbia and the city, and the changing voice of women.  Authors will include:  J.D. Salinger, Raymond Carver, Lorraine Hansberry, Amy Tan, John Updike, and Flannery O'Connor.

Collapse:  How societies chose to fail or succeed “has been called extremely persuasive,” “essential reading,” “extraordinarily panoramic,”   and “a magisterial effort packed with insight and written with clarity by reviewers.  We will read and discuss this book chapter by chapter.  Class members will be asked to volunteer to lead discussions, giving a brief synopsis of the chapter and posing questions or issues for discussion.  Read the prologue to the book before the first class.

Coordinators:  Joan Emery and Jim Connolly. Joan’s working life was divided between teaching and book sales representation.  Jim has worked in politics and teaching.

This is a course in very basic French as would be used by a tourist.  In addition, the course will cover description of the principal sites and sights of Paris, along with hints on getting around town.

Coordinator:  Neil Cronin.  Neil, a graduate of the University of Paris, was president of Berlitz prior to retirement.  He currently escorts tours to France.

This class is planned to help participants record in an interesting manner significant memories of their lives.  Participants are encouraged to write new material weekly.  Class sessions are devoted primarily to sharing what the student has written and receiving suggestions from others for better understanding of the writings. 

Coordinators:  Dorothy Swanbeck and Lorraine Young.  Both Dorothy and Lorraine have taught writing classes and have previously coordinated this class.

Spirited and lively discussion of the local and national sports scene.  Wit and wisdom of our favorite pastimes.  Class participation urged – after all, it’s only a game.

Coordinators:  John Howitt and Mel Barer.  John is a lifelong sports participant as a player, coach, official, and fan.  John and Mel have led this fun course for several years.

Who shaped our presidents?  First Ladies or First Mothers?  You will decide.
You may be surprised after delving into the lives of:
Sara/Franklin/Eleanor;  Dorothy/Gerald/ Bette;  Virginia/Bill/Hillary;
Nelle/Ronnie/Nancy;  Rebekah/Lyndon/Lady Bird;  Ida/Ike/Mamie;
Martha/Harry/Bess;  Dorothy/George/Barbara/George W./Laura;
Rose/Jack/Jackie;  Lillian/Jimmy/Rosalynn;  Hannah/Dick/Pat, and other
wives and mothers you may not know much about.  The class will decide whom they want to discuss.
Coordinators:  Dorothy Swanbeck and Lorraine Young.  Both Dorothy and Lorraine have taught writing classes and will be extending their talents in this course.

The Scribner Anthology of Contemporary Short Fiction, (second edition) and New Sudden Fiction:  Short-Short Stories from America and Beyond, edited by Robert Shepard and James Thomas, are the texts for this class.  We shall discuss two to three stories at each class, sharing our ideas and perceptions to enhance our understanding of the writings.  The books are available at Barnes and Noble and used copies are available online at Amazon.com.  Read the Introduction, "Sarah Cole:  A Type of Love Story” and “The School” for the first class.

Coordinators:  Pat Howitt and Sheryl Lajoie.  Pat and Sheryl have led this class for years!

Basic beginning Spanish:  family, greetings, adjectives, numbers, nouns, calendar, clothing, food, shopping.  No previous Spanish required.  Text is Hablo Espanol con Perico (approximately $5).

Coordinator:  Mary Ann Donovan.  Mary Ann has taught four previous Spanish classes at A.L.L.  She lived 16 years in five different countries with her husband Mike, later teaching for 14 years on the junior high level in Northern Virginia.

Why do some recipes work and others not? This class will focus on Kitchen Magic, our varied backgrounds, and the production of a cookbook. Each participant should plan on submitting a weekly recipe via email and discussing it in class.  Topics will include holidays, chocolate, bread, fish/shellfish, appetizers, desserts, beans/rice, gadgets and others that we decide on.  

Coordinators:  Tommy Tamayo and Don Bell.  Tommy has been a “cook-who-cares” for 30+ years. Its in his genes--his grandfather was a chef in Spain and the U.S.  He enjoys discussing cooking and kitchen gadgetry.  Don has taught about 200 of us to clam and cook shellfish. Tommy and Don  have taught this class twice before and have learned a lot from the experience! 

For Academy members who wish to share their writing and receive constructive comments from class members.  Supportive commentary from the class is encouraged.  Experience has shown that class members can be writing in a wide variety of subjects and forms – memoirs, essays, books and commentary, or agreed upon topics.

Coordinator:   Mert Ingham.  Mert has been coordinating this course for several semesters.

Review of FDR background and early presidency, leading up to and focusing on the period 1939-1945.  Discussions on his relationship with Eleanor, Winston Churchill, and the U.S. Congress.  Our text for this course will be No Ordinary Time, by Doris Kearns Goodwin (please read before the first class).  History Channel DVDs and handouts will supplement the text.

Coordinator:  Rick Kornblum.  Rick has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Dartmouth College in arts, engineering, and business.  He has a long career in engineering and has served as V.P. of Engineering for Fortune 500 companies.  As a hobby, he has researched American Presidents and wars, and has an affinity for FDR.

We will read and discuss selected books and articles, view relevant videos, and listen to guest speakers as we explore some of the aspects, processes, habitats, biota, and problems in the ocean environment, starting with Cape Cod’s near-shore waters and moving seaward as far as time permits.  The required text, The Sea and the Cape, Essays on Cape Cod’s Ever Changing Marine Environment, M.C. Ingham, 2006, will be available in class for $10.00.  Other materials will be suggested and/or supplied during the semester, at no cost.

Coordinator:  Mert Ingham.  Mert has a PhD in oceanography, 28 years as research oceanographer, taught (in retirement) at A.L.L. for 15 years.

Whatever kind of writing you do can be more fun and satisfying as well as technically better by using the whole brain as you write--not just your imagination or your research or your personal feelings.  You will study published writings of many sorts, do simple exercises in and out of class.  This is a class to build skills using all you've learned through the reading and writing you've done throughout your life to add new focus and clarity to all you write.

Coordinator:  June Calender.  June has written in many forms: arts criticism, organizational newsletters, articles in national publications, plays, poetry, novel, travel book, short stories, and biography.  She has taught writing to adults at Cazenovia College and to junior high students.

We will examine parts of six science fiction films to find what sci-fi means.  We will see films with different purposes and meanings.  After watching about 40 minutes of a film, we will discuss it.

Coordinator:  Jack DiBenedetto. Jack has taught film classes at A.L.L. for the past several years.

Having written over 70 books, Martin Sandler will discuss the process, experiences, and adventures of writing and researching these books.

Coordinator:  Martin Sandler.  Martin is the author of many books, two of which have been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.  He has taught American studies and the history of photography at both the University of Massachusetts and Smith College.

We will look at countries and issues that have not been addressed previously or for some time.  What is happening in Nigeria; why is it so unstable?  Is Namibia a rare story of success?  How will Mugabe rig the next election in Zimbabwe?  What is micro-finance; does it work in sub-Saharan Africa?  Is the AU effective; what is NEPAD?  Please note:  this course starts and ends a week later than the regular schedule for the second half of the semester.

Coordinator:  David Wright.  David lived and worked in Africa for many years, both as a young boy and later during his professional career.  This will be his fifth class as coordinator. 

This is a beginner’s introduction to photo editing and organizing.  Most digital photographs can be greatly improved with simple, free downloadable software such as Picasa3.  The capabilities of these applications will be fully covered and include hands-on participation by the students in editing their own photographs.  Upon full understanding of basic photo editing, a few of the more advanced capabilities of pay photo software will be discussed and demonstrated.  There will be a textbook charge of approximately $15-$20, payable at the first session.

Coordinator: Mike Donovan

This is a NEW beginning course that introduces the many uses of the computer and its wonderful editing capabilities. Students will learn to create documents, make corrections and/or modify them, then save them with a file name either on their own computer or onto a flash drive for future use.  Students will also learn how to set up an E-mail account and about receiving, sending and filing E-mail messages. Attaching pictures and documents, organizing an address book and mail groups will also be covered. The Internet portion of the class will focus on using a web browser and search engine to surf the internet and apply the computer skills learned in this class. Students should have a computer for practice.  A materials fee of $15 is payable at the first session.

Coordinator: Toni Martin.                     

In this course you will learn how to and actually create your own greeting cards, picture postcards, calling cards, address labels and more. Do it yourself – it’s FUN!  Students should have basic WORD, word processing and Internet skills.  A materials fee of $10 is payable at the first session.

Coordinators: Pio Petrocchi, John Gulow & Judy Bell.

This course covers the fundamental capabilities of word processors using the existing CCCC classroom-installed Microsoft Word 2007 as an instructional tool. The course will be presented in a series of lessons with students actively using Word 2007 while following a course-required manual. 

There will be a textbook charge approximately $15-20, payable at the first session.

Coordinator:  Pio Petrocchi.

European History is complicated.  It is made more so by the often "hidden history" of the significant roles played by mistresses and lovers of the Kings and Queens of Europe.  Historical examples from various countries and time periods will indicate that we may have learned lots of legends and been denied many facts.  This course provides a fun way to explore a complex subject.  Please note:  this course does not begin until September 21.

Coordinator:  Jim Perry.  Jim has taught history to secondary school students and adults for over 25 years.  He has presented this course several times for both A.L.L. and Elderhostel, originally under the title "Flings of Kings."

Each week a different volunteer from the class will provide several topics for discussion and lead these discussions.  Lively exchange of opinions and points of view make this class an opportunity to explore our world in the context of what is currently impacting our lives and the lives of others.

Coordinator:  Bruce Murphy.  Bruce has coordinated Current Events for 20-plus semesters.

Discussion of sports-related issues, from professional to high school levels.  Focus will be on Boston area/Cape Cod, expanding to national and world, where applicable.  Students will participate based on their opinions and knowledge of the topics. 

Coordinators:  Barry Cohen and Irwin Rubin.  Barry, a former summer vacationer to Cape Cod, brings a NY/Metro slant to New England Sports.  Irwin is a resident of Mashpee and is known for his knowledge of sports in the Boston and national scenes.  He played football for Arizona State where he met several prominent coaches and players.  He brings knowledge and humor to all discussions.

We will read the play aloud in class, with each student taking a part.  Then we will see a movie of the play, watching professional actors handle the lines we’ve just read.  Plenty of time will be allowed for lively discussion.  This term, we will do two plays, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons and Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit.

Coordinators:  John Kennedy, Jack Elwood, and Barbara Berelowitz.  Jack and John resume their duties and Barbara continues what she started last semester.

With slides and discussion, we will take an unhurried look at how presidents get to the White House, and first ladies, too.  Add for a good mix, third parties, social issues, and also-rans.

Coordinators:  Edmund Sullivan and John Kennedy.  Ed is the author of books and articles on presidential campaigns, and John is a treasure trove of insights about American politics.