Always Better
Course Descriptions—Spring 2008
Always Learning. Always Growing. Always Striving. Always Better!
Always Better classes run on the University’s academic calendar, with a fall and spring semester. Classes are generally held once a week, in the evenings, for approximately 60-90 minutes.
Course List
America in Red and Blue: The Transformation of Party Politics, 1948-2008
Strikes & Gutters: The Films of the Coen Brothers
Outlaws as Heroes: Social Outsiders and Popular Culture
Wine Appreciation
Creative Writing Workshop
History of the Book in the Western World
America and the World: The City on the Hill from Across the Border
The Godfather: Novel and Film
Discovering the Wine of Europe
The Money Maze: How to Navigate through the Financial Aid Process when Applying to College
Course Descriptions
America in Red and Blue: The Transformation of Party Politics, 1948-2008
Robert Westbrook, Professor, History Department
In anticipation of the presidential election of November 2008 and in the midst of the party primaries, this course will examine the dramatic changes in the American political landscape in the last half of the 20th century, focusing on the social developments and the cultural conflicts that have occasioned it. Electoral politics will be foremost in the news next winter and spring. All adult citizens will be trying to make up their minds how to vote (or whether to vote) in primaries and in the general election. This course aims to provide students with a historical context for this election by placing it within the history of the two major American political parties in the years since World War II.
Wednesdays, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
4 weeks, March 19 – April 9
Non-credit; $80
Strikes & Gutters: The Films of the Coen Brothers
Dustin Hannum, Instructor, English Department
Few filmmakers working today are as difficult to pin down as brothers Joel and Ethan Coen. Their films, such as O Brother Where Art Thou?, The Big Lebowski, Miller’s Crossing, and Fargo, play on a number of conventions from genres such as film noir, slapstick, gangster movies, crime thrillers, westerns, epics, and more. Often this occurs within the same film, making it difficult to place many of their films in any particular genre. In addition, while their films are often comic, they are just as often dark and violent – indeed, the most violent elements of their films are sometimes used for comedic effect. So what are we to make of the Coens and their films? In this class, we will view several films by the Coen brothers with a mind to answering these questions and thinking more generally about various aspects of film, such as genre, parody, comedy, violence, and more. In doing so, we will read what other writers had to say about their films, as well as learn from each other by engaging in our own critical discussions about these films.
Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
4 weeks, March 6 – April 3 (No Class March 13)
Non-Credit; $80
Outlaws as Heroes: Social Outsiders and Popular Culture
Valerie Johnson, Instructor, English Department
Robin Hood and James Bond are heroes to many, yet their positions as outlaw and assassin appear to contradict their status as “good guys.” How can an outlaw, by definition a person removed from his or her social context, overcome his status as outsider to become part of inclusive and popular culture? This course, through lecture and discussion, seeks to examine the attraction the outlaw holds for consumers of popular culture. The figures of Robin Hook and James Bond will be the particular focus of the course, students will also have the option of selecting a third outsider to study as well in the final class. Students will read several traditional Robin Hood ballads and stories, a James Bond novel and short story, and view films about each.
Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
6 weeks, February 21 – April 3 (No Class March 13)
Non-credit; $120
Wine Appreciation
Sherwood Deutsch, Vice-President of Fine Wines, Wegmans Food Markets
Educate your palate in the art of tasting wine. In five evening sessions, you can learn how to read wine labels, recognize fine quality wine, store, handle, and serve wine. Taste and compare more than 60 different wines and champagnes, including some of the most famous from France, Germany, Italy, America, etc. You will sample young and old fine wines, including the following: Dom Perignon Champagne, great French Burgundies, Chateau d’Yquem (the very finest Sauterene), famous French Chateaux, California Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnays. This class is taught by internationally known wine expert Sherwood Deutsch, Vice-President of fine wines for Wegmans Food Markets.
Attendance is restricted to persons 21 years of age or older. Enrollment is limited to 36 students.
Mondays, 7:30 – 10:30 pm
5 weeks, February 25 – March 24
Non-Credit; $295, no discounts apply
Creative Writing Workshop
Patrick Shea, Instructor, English Department
This dynamic writing workshop will provide students with an overview of creative writing, including an introduction to three literary approaches: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Students will be exposed to examples from contemporary literature and will use in-class exercises to jumpstart their own creative writing. Students engage in weekly writing exercises and share their work with the class. Participants in this class will grow and develop as writers by exploring different genres and styles of writing.
Wednesdays, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
5 weeks, February 27 – April 3
Non-Credit; $100
History of the Book in the Western World
Pablo Alvarez, Curator of Rare Books, Department of Rare Books,Special Collections, and Preservation, Rush Rhees Library
Discover the treasures in the University Book and Manuscript Library and learn how to analyze them in their historical context. Students will learn how to interpret the format and design of medieval manuscripts and later publications as well as how print affected European politics and society during the first three centuries after Gutenberg’s press. Every class meeting will involve a hands-on experience with materials in UR’s collections. Multimedia presentations in the form of short documentaries and digital slides will illustrate particular topics. The course is designed to provide a general introduction to the history of the book, a subject that will appeal to the book lover in general while also developing knowledge and understanding of specialized collectors. Maximum Number of Students: 10.
Saturdays, 11:00 – 12:30 pm
4 weeks, March 8 – March 29
Non-Credit; $120
America and the World: The City on the Hill from Across the Border
Jay Learned, Instructor, History Department
While the United States maintains a position of economic and military dominance internationally, this course will implicitly ask whether world leadership is possible without understanding the image the majority of the world holds of the United States. This course compares the perception that Americans have held of their nation versus those of outsiders during four critical time periods: early America, the major periods of immigration, the Cold War, and post-Cold War. Students will engage a variety of media to acquire a more informed understanding of America’s image around the world.
Mondays, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
4 weeks, March 31 – April 21
Non-credit; $80
The Godfather: Novel and Film
George Grella, Associate Professor, English Department
This course will examine Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather and view the three movies, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, based on the book. In addition to discussing the novel and the films, we will also consider some of the various contexts that surround them – the history and meaning of the gangster novel and the gangster film. We will also reflect on the gangster himself as a vital and significant figure in American culture in the 20th century, what he means in both the past and the present, and what he represents in the national imagination. The entire Godfather saga, the course suggests, constitutes one of the great American documents, a commentary on the nation and the society, a dark testament to the thoughts and dreams of the nation.
Wednesdays, 7:00-9:00 pm
4 weeks, April 23 – May 14
Non-credit; $100
Discovering the Wine of Europe
Holly Howell, Certified Sommelier
Join us for an exploration of the wines of Spain, Italy and France. These top wine producing nations have an incredible array of wines that are not only affordable, but also fit in extremely well at the dinner table. We’ll do an overview of the major areas of each country, covering sparkling wines, white wines, rosé wines and dessert wines. January can be a long, cold month, so come along for a virtual tour of Europe via the vine! (Road Maps provided!)
Attendance is restricted to persons 21 years of age and older.
Wednesdays, 7:00-10:00 pm
3 weeks, April 9 – April 23
Non-credit; $175, no discounts apply
The Money Maze: How to Navigate through the Financial Aid Process when Applying to College
Charles Puls, Director, UR Financial Aid Office
The college financial aid application process has long been perceived as being a complicated and confusing activity, even an “ordeal” for some. Regardless of whether this reputation is deserved, overcoming this perception can allow families to alter their role in the process. Informed students and parents can move from feeling like they are sitting helpless on the sidelines to being active participants in helping ensure their success in handling the challenges of financing a student’s higher education.
In this workshop, leaders from the University’s Financial Aid Office will face the challenge of demystifying the financial aid process. Topics ranging from the basics of “What form do I fill out and when?” to more advanced questions like “What do I do if I don’t get enough financial aid?” will be covered and viewed from the perspective of multiple institutions (two-year, four-year, public, and private).
Tuesday, 6:00 – 8:00 pm
One evening, March 11
Non-credit; $25 per family
