Spring 2009 Classes

• Art
• Business
• Drama
• English
• Music
• Physical Education
• Club OLLI lectures
  • Tom Fisher's Continuing Series

Registration form (.pdf)

Art

Art 814

Religious Art of the Ancient World

By looking at art from the various Mediterranean cultures, you will learn about aspects of the religions that were a part of Middle Eastern, Greco-Roman, and early Christian societies.
Moreland Stevens has taught art history and introduction to art at Sierra College since 1973 and has lectured at the Crocker Art Museum.

Nevada County Campus
# 76267 3/18 - 4/15 (no class 4/8)
Wed., 2:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Room L-101

Maidu Community Center
# 76272 3/19 - 4/16 (no class 4/9)
Thur., 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Senior Meeting Room

Business

Bus 809

Personal Investments

Learn how to manage investments during retirement. Topics include generating both income and growth from investments, fixed income, stocks, mutual funds, and annuities.
Russ Abbott is a registered financial advisor who holds an MBA in Finance and a BA in Economics. He has taught for over 15 years.

Roseville Gateway Campus
# 76076 2/5 - 2/26
Thur., 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Room 601

Drama

Drama 809

Best Films of the 1950s

The 1950’s were an incredible decade for creative, memorable American films. We will view and study six of the finest: All About Eve (1950) with Bette Davis; Rebel Without a Cause (1955) with James Dean; Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Vertigo (1958); Anatomy of a Murder (1959) with James Stewart; Orson Welles directs and stars in Touch of Evil (1958) and Marilyn Monroe in Billy Wilder’s hilarious Some Like it Hot (1959).
Stephen Sterling has a BA in Film from San Francisco State University and also teaches English and Meditation.

Lincoln Library at Twelve Bridges
# 76096 2/6 - 3/20 (no class 2/13)
Fri., 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
Willow Room

British Film Series

We will study British films from several different angles: romantic drama, David Lean’s Brief Encounter (1945); film noir, The Third Man (1949); classic comedy, The Ladykillers (1959) with Alec Guinness; “angry young man” social drama, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning with Albert Finney (1960); outrageous comedy, Withnail and I (Rated R, 1987) and the novel on film D. H. Lawrence’s Women in Love (Rated R, 1970).
Stephen Sterling

Lincoln Library at Twelve Bridges
# 76108 3/27 - 5/8 (no class 4/10)
Fri., 2 p.m.-5 p.m.
Willow Room

Film Noir

Film Noir, the American black/white crime dramas (1941-1958) are cinematically unique in their dark and fatalistic narratives, mood and visual stylistics. Rooted in German expressionism and influenced by the gangster film, detective novels and Citizen Kane, these B crime films portray anti-heroes and the femme fatale in a post World War II landscape. Includes the evolution of Film Noir classics -  Double Indemnity, Murder, My Sweet, The Killers, Out of the Past and a neo-noir Devil in a Blue Dress.
Lincoln Curtis has a BA in Spanish and Drama and an MA in German and Film Studies. He is a Fulbright Scholar, director, actor, and documentary film maker, and has taught at the community college level for more than 20 years.

Nevada County Campus
# 76364 2/2 - 3/16 (no class 2/16)
Mon., 3:30 p.m.-6 p.m.
Room M-101

The American Presidency on Film

Over the years Hollywood has produced a number of excellent feature films directly about or related to the American presidency. It seems appropriate at the start of a new administration that we show and discuss a number of those films, including: The Best Man, Fail Safe, (both 1964), Dave (1993), The American President (1995), The Contender (2000), and others to be announced, which may include: Advise And Consent (1962), Seven Days In May (1964), All The President’s Men (1976), Nixon (1995), and W (2008). The last three apply to actual presidents of the past whereas the others mentioned pertain to their fictitious counterparts. There are so many to choose from that picking six is going to be hard to do. Many of the earlier ones star Henry Fonda (Young Mr. Lincoln, 1939) as he seemed to be a great role model for what a president ought to look and act like.
Curtis Covington has a BA in political science with a primary interest in Film, History, Literature and Current Affairs.

Lincoln Library at Twelve Bridges
# 76289 2/3 - 3/10
Tues., 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Willow Room

Roseville Gateway Campus
# 76294 2/5 - 3/12
Thur., 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
Room 607

The Documentary Film

Life in the raw. The camera never blinks. Culturally significant stories of real people caught on film. The French call it “cinema verite.” Documentaries can freely explore truth, beauty, and the peculiarities of human behavior. We will view the Maysles Brothers’ Salesman (1968) and Grey Gardens (1975), pioneering in what they call “direct cinema”, plus The Thin Blue Line (1988), Night and Fog (1957), Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam (1988), Harlan County, USA (1976) and others.
Stephen Sterling

Rocklin Campus
# 76112 3/20 - 5/1 (no class 4/10)
Fri., 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Room D-12

The Films of Daniel Day Lewis

Daniel Day-Lewis is one of our most compelling actors, continually excelling in original and powerful performances. We will view 6 of his finest. The first two are from Irish director Jim Sheridan: In the Name of the Father (1993) and his first Oscar-winning performance in My Left Foot (1989). Also: Room with a View (1986), Martin Scorsese’s The Age of Innocence (1993), as Hawkeye in Last of the Mohicans (1992) and in his second Oscar winning performance, There Will Be Blood (2007).
Stephen Sterling

Nevada County Campus
# 76120 2/3 - 3/10
Tues., 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Room M-101

Tough Women in Classic Hollywood Film

These six iconic actresses are determined, resilient, provocative—and sometimes dangerous, four of whom are from the 1940’s: Barbara Stanwyck in Billy Wilder’s Double Indemnity (1944); Lana Turner in The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946); Joan Crawford in Mildred Pierce (1945); Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not (1944); Also: Susan Hayward in I Want To Live (1958); Bette Davis in Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962). One thing we can agree: They don’t make ‘em like this anymore!
Stephen Sterling

Nevada County Campus
# 76135 3/17 - 4/28 (no class 4/7)
Tues., 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Room M-101

English

English 814

Writing Your Autobiography

On one level or another, everyone’s life is interesting and multifaceted. Learn to express your unique personal journey in the form of memoirs or journal entries in a very supportive atmosphere. We will practice techniques to make your writing flow and give you confidence in creating a vivid picture of your life story—a real page turner for your children and grandchildren. Bring a blank journal or something similar for writing in class.
Stephen Sterling

Roseville Gateway Campus
# 76142 2/4 - 3/11
Wed., 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Room 601

# 76158 3/18 - 4/29
Wed., 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Room 601

Writing Your Life Story

An opportunity to begin or finish writing your life story for yourself or your family members. Class will include exposure to published life stories, memory triggers, instruction in how to begin and organize the high points in your life, small group critiques, and the opportunity to have your writing edited and critiqued by the instructor. Please bring writing materials to class.
Suzanne Villarreal has a BA and MA in English and has taught English for 35 years.

Nevada County Campus
# 76163 2/4 - 3/11
Wed., 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
Room L-101

English 815

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Part 2

Emerson (1803-1882), known as the Sage of Concord, was a mesmerizing orator and the greatest intellectual adventurer of his age. Through his life and writings we will learn why he was the quintessential spokesman for individualism and self-reliance. The class will emphasize the practical aspects of his philosophy of Transcendentalism and how we can apply his timeless principles to our own lives. We will use two of his greatest essays as our guide, “Spiritual Laws” and “The Over-soul.”
Stephen Sterling

Maidu Community Center
# 76304 2/5 - 3/12
Thur., 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Senior Meeting Room

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Part 4

We will further explore Emerson’s (1803-1882) spiritual philosophy of Transcendentalism in three of his famous essays, “Circles,” “Compensation” and “The Poet.” Emerson placed great emphasis on the individual in his theological beliefs and saw human life as a manifestation of the Sacred. The class will emphasize the practical aspects of Emerson’s explorations into the Ageless Wisdom and how we can apply his timeless principles to our own lives.
Stephen Sterling

Lincoln Library at Twelve Bridges
# 76320 2/2 - 3/16 (no class 2/16)
Mon., 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Willow Room

Eskaton Village, Grass Valley
# 76312 2/3 - 3/10
Tues., 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
49er Room

The Poetry of Depth: T.S. Eliot and William Butler Yeats

We will study two great poets of the 20th Century. T. S. Eliot, known for his stream of consciousness genre of poetry, portrayed the disillusion of the post war generation in such famous poems as The Waste Land; Yeats used a more traditional form and was known as a Symbolist, drawing on Irish myth and folklore. We will study their lives in light of their work as well as their complexity of their genius.
Stephen Sterling

Eskaton Village, Grass Valley
# 76334 3/17 - 4/28 (no class 4/7)
Tues., 2 p.m.-4 p.m.
49er Room

Music

Music 810

Chamber Orchestra

This course is a wonderful opportunity for people who enjoy making music together to learn some of the world's great orchestral literature. Those enrolling should have 3 to 4 years experience playing one of the orchestral instruments.
Steve Miller has a BM and MM from CSU Sacramento. He is a part-time faculty member at Sierra College.

Nevada County Campus
# 76176 1/22 - 5/7
Thur., 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Room M-101

Tahoe/Truckee Community Chorus

The chorus will be preparing for a spring concert for May 2 & 3. The major work will be “Hear My Prayer” by Mendelssohn, for soprano solo, chorus, and orchestra. Other works will include standard choral literature.
Chris Nelson

Truckee
# 76221 1/12 - 5/4 (no class 1/19, 2/16 or 4/6)
Mon., 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Sierra Community Chorus

Practice in the interpretation and performance of traditional and contemporary choral music. Successful completion of the course constitutes membership in the Sierra Community Chorus. Auditions take place at the first and second class meetings. Visit www.sierrachorus.org for more information.
Lorin Miller has a vocal music degree from Oral Roberts University and a distinguished background as a solo performer and choral director. He has performed nationally and internationally in a variety of styles ranging from Bach to Broadway.

Rocklin Campus
# 76248 1/13 - 5/5
Tues., 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Room D-2

Dmitri Shostakovitch: His Music, His Life

Born in 1906, Dmitri Shostakovitch, together with Stravinsky and Prokofiev, is one of the best-known Russian composers of the 20th century. His 15 symphonies and 15 string quartets are some of the finest written in those genres. For several years, he was regarded as the “great white hope” of soviet music, but was officially denounced in 1936 and 1948. He managed to keep his private artistic credo alive by writing intimate chamber works until Stalin’s death in 1953.
Steve Miller

Roseville Gateway Campus
# 76192 3/23 - 5/4 (no class 4/6)
Mon., 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Room 607

Nevada County Campus
# 76181 3/27 - 5/8 (no class 4/10)
Fri., 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Room L-101

Joseph Haydn: His Music, His Life

Born in 1732, Joseph Haydn was the eldest and longest-lived of the four wonderful compsers of the so-called “First Viennese School” (Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, and Beethoven). He invented the string quartet as we know it and became known as “The Father of the Symphony”. His creative life was one of ceaseless experimentation and invention, but he referred to himself simply as “a man to whom God has given talent and a good heart. I make no greater claims.
Steve Miller

Roseville Gateway Campus
# 76217 2/2 - 3/16 (no class 2/16)
Mon., 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Room 607

Nevada County Campus
# 76205 2/6 - 3/20 (no class 2/13)
Fri., 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Room L-101

The History of Rock & Roll

The History of Rock & Roll takes us on another musical journey from the roots of this unique American Music in the 1940's through its explosion in the 1950's (thanks to Elvis), to the Beatles and the British Invasion in the 1960's. We will discuss the many different contributions of Folk, Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, and Country-Western that made up that music we call Rock & Roll. We will spend time with those people who created this music and propelled its constant evolution throughout our American story.
Ray Ashton has both an MA and BA in Music from the University of Nevada and has taught music at Sierra College since the fall of 1999.

Sun City Lincoln Hills, Kilaga Springs Lodge
# 76345 2/5 - 3/12
Thur., 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Presentation Hall

Nevada County Campus
# 76353 3/19 - 4/16
Thur., 1 p.m.-3 p.m.
Room L-101

Women's Barbershop Chorus

Also known as "The Mountain Belles", this is a performance level course that showcases its members as they sing and entertain in four part barbershop harmony. Learning CDs and sheet music are provided. Rehearsals are once a week and students are required to memorize their music. A strong commitment to the group is needed in order to assure the quality of each performance. Materials fee: $25.
Lynelle Tyler

Truckee
# 76231 2/4 - 4/29
Wed., 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Physical Education

PE 808

Fitness Options for Older Adults

Have you heard the saying, “Stay young at any age?” Are you familiar with the term “aerobic?” What else is necessary to become a well-balanced, healthy, physically fit senior? Discover how a good physical fitness regimen is dependent on many different factors and learn to plan a good physical fitness program using items commonly found in your home. You’ll be introduced through lecture, discussion, and instructor demonstration, to a wide range of flexibility and muscular strength and endurance exercises. Discussions and handouts will focus on fitness issues critical to senior health including essential vitamins and minerals and the hazards of osteoporosis. Each section offered introduces a different form of exercise through lecture, handouts, and instructor demonstration.
Sifu Renee Neal has been teaching martial Arts for 19 years, and also teaches other mind/body fitness/classes. She holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt and is an 8 time International Champion. She is currently the Sierra College Martial Arts Club Faculty Advisor.

Emphasis: Tai Chi Level 1 -  Beginning

Tai Chi is a gentle and graceful movement class designed to build better balance, coordination, and focus in older adults. Students are encouraged to wear loose comfortable clothing. Our program features the Yang Long Form.

Roseville Gateway Campus
# 75871 2/3 - 2/26
Tues & Thur., 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Room 525

# 75924 3/3 - 3/26
Tues & Thur., 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Room 525

# 75963 3/31 - 4/30
Tues & Thur., 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Room 525

Emphasis: Tai Chi Level 2

This class is designed for continuing students who are working on or who have completed Section One of the Yang Long Form.

Roseville Gateway Campus
# 75869 2/3 - 2/26
Tues & Thur., 8 a.m.-9 a.m.
Room 525

# 75914 3/3 - 3/26
Tues & Thur., 8 a.m.-9 a.m.
Room 525

# 75957 3/31 - 4/30
Tues & Thur., 8 a.m.-9 a.m.
Room 525

Emphasis: Tai Chi Level 3

This course is designed for continuing students learning Sections 2 and 3 of the Yang Long Form.

Roseville Gateway Campus
# 75907 2/3 - 2/26
Tues & Thur., 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Room 525

# 75943 3/3 - 3/26
Tues & Thur., 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Room 525

# 75985 3/31 - 4/30
Tues & Thur., 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Room 525

Emphasis: Tai Chi Level 4

This course is designed for continuing students learning Section 4 of the Yang Long Form.

Roseville Gateway Campus
# 75891 2/3 - 2/26
Tues & Thur
10 a.m.-11 a.m.
Room 525

# 75931 3/3 - 3/26
Tues & Thur., 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
Room 525

# 75973 3/31 - 4/30
Tues & Thur., 10 a.m.-11 a.m.
Room 525

PE 809

An Introduction to Meditation Practice

Through relaxation exercises, guided visualization and lectures, we will learn how the practice of meditation can, in a variety of ways, enhance the quality of your life.  Our emphasis will be on the practical application of the meditative experience so that it can become a useful tool for your own spiritual path. In navigating through a sometimes challenging world, the sincere seeker is helped by meditation to cultivate the qualities of mindfulness, serenity and expanded awareness.
Stephen Sterling

Sierra Pointe, Roseville
# 76373 2/5 - 3/12
Thur., 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Great Room