Lee University will once again be hosting the Encore program which offers individuals aged 60 and over the opportunity to take general university courses as well as specially-designed mini-courses for a small fee.

This semester's mini-courses will involve conversational Spanish, an examination of the cultural diversity of Cleveland, a history of marriage in the western world, discoveries in Biblical archeology, an examination of the impact of media on our society, woodworking, and a variety of computer courses.

Conversational Spanish, or "Espanol a la Carte," will be taught by Carmen Guerrero, visiting lecturer in Spanish. This class will be based on several language functions: description, comparison, expressing likes/dislikes, and narration. The main goal will be to provide students with tools to gain confidence in speaking in various contexts. The six-week course will be meeting on Thursday afternoons from 1:10-2:25 p.m. Meeting days will be Jan. 29, Feb. 5, Feb. 12, Feb. 19, Feb. 26, and March 5.

Cleveland the Beautiful: A Mosaic of Cultural Diversity, led by Professors Murl Dirksen and Richard Jones, will explore the question of "Who are the citizens of Cleveland, Tn., and where are they from?” This course will invite people from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds who live and work in Cleveland to discuss with students the diversity of the city. This four-week course will meet on Monday evenings from 6-7:30 p.m. Dates for this class will be Feb. 9, Feb. 16, Feb. 23, and March 2.

They Shall Become One Flesh: The History of Marriage in the Western World, taught by Dr. Randy Wood, associate professor of humanities, will explore the legal status and definition of marriage as well as the cultural traditions which surround marriage in various western traditions. Students will begin in the ancient world with the Greeks, Romans, and early Christians and continue through key developments of the medieval, early modern and contemporary periods. This five-week course will meet on Tuesday evenings from 6-7:30 p.m. Dates for this class will be Jan. 27, Feb. 3, Feb. 17, Feb. 24 and March 3.

The Best Discoveries in Biblical Archeology, taught by Dr. Daniel Hoffman, will survey the most important archeological discoveries in connection with the Bible and its history, culture, geography, and related facts with the intent of showing how archaeology supports the accuracy and reliability of the Bible in these areas. Topics will include the Dead Sea Scrolls, evidence of King David and other noted figures and will also briefly deal with some of the more sensational but less certain recent archeological claims like the James, "brother of Jesus", ossuary. This five-week course will meet on Tuesday evenings from 5:30-7 p.m. Dates for this course will be Jan. 27, Feb. 3, Feb. 10, Feb. 17, and Feb. 24.

Mind Your Media, taught by communications faculty Matthew Melton, Margaret Moe-Lunger and Kristie Kleinmann, will explore the impact of media and discover tools that will help students think critically while experiencing film, television, magazines and sports. This four-week course will meet on Thursday evenings from 4-5 p.m. Dates for this course will be Feb. 5, Feb. 12, Feb. 19, and Feb. 26.

Beginners Guide to Woodworking, taught by Catherine Bradley, theatre technical director, is designed for individuals who have always wanted but never had the opportunity to work with power tools on craft projects. During the first meeting, students will select individual projects to be created during the course. Students will learn shop safety, tool identification, construction terms, and how to use various power tools-including, but not limited to, miter saws, electric screw guns, and pneumatic tools. Project ideas range from children's picnic tables (perfect for those grandkids!) to letter holders or small bookshelves. Due to the consumable supplies in this course, there will be a $15 materials fee. This four-week class will meet on Tuesday afternoons from 12-2 p.m. Dates are April 7, April 17, April 21 and April 28.

Back by popular demand, all of our Computers for Beginners classes will be offered and will be taught by Mike Seago. Computers for Beginners I is designed for the complete computer novice. Students will start at the very beginning and go through all the steps of logging on, emailing, and accessing the internet. The six-week course will meet on Wednesday evenings from 4:30-6 p.m. Dates are Jan. 28, Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18, Feb. 25 and March 4.

Students can then continue on to Computers for Beginners II which will provide students with tools for better ways of searching the web, making better use of e-mail, and becoming more comfortable with computers. This seven-week course will meet on Wednesday evenings from 4:30-6 p.m. Dates will be March 18, March 25, April 1, April 8, April 15, April 22 and April 29.

Computers for Beginners III will offer accomplished beginners a refresher of computer applications and will explore creating practical spreadsheets, online photo storage, and other useful, free and safe program downloads. Students will learn handy shortcuts and tips to become skilled users of the most popular computer functions. The eight-week course will meet Thursday evenings from 4:30-6 p.m. Dates will be Jan. 29, Feb. 5, Feb. 12, Feb. 19, Feb. 26, March 12, March 19, and March 26.

For more information on Encore or to register for classes, please contact Merica Stum at 614-8598 or visit http://www.leeuniversity.edu/encore/.