Senior College offers a chance to clear out the cobwebs

Winter got you down? Forget driving – are you having “white-out conditions” of the brain? OK, maybe it’s just me. Nonetheless, according to my impeccable sources, spring is surely on its way. Traditionally a time for renewal and growth, it is also the perfect time to clean out the mental cobwebs and expand your mind. How, you ask? Ideally, by taking a class through the Penobscot Valley Senior College.

An affiliate of the University of Maine Center on Aging, PVSC has been in operation for two years, its popularity increasing with each semester. The spring session runs from March 5 to April 9. The class schedule is available now through PVSC and Eastern Agency on Aging. With an array of courses ranging from orchid growing to ancestry and genealogy, there is something for everyone.

Designed as an education venue for people 50 and older who want to learn new things while having fun, PVSC is “very nonthreatening,” said Stan Marshall, president of PVSC.

“There’s a lot of participation in the classes, which are discussion-based,” he said. “There is no pressure because there are no exams.”

In fact, he said, the answer circled most on the survey completed by students at the end of each course was “very good, which is a testament to the level of enjoyment experienced by the participants.”

Ann Davis, 60, who has taken several classes, agrees.

“I like the opportunity to be a lifelong learner,” she said. “It keeps one mentally active and it’s affordable. I took ‘Write Now’ and really enjoyed it. It was wonderful. There was a lot of discussion in class and some of the students even stayed in touch after the class ended.”

The class “Write Now” is being offered again this semester.

Marshall emphasized that enrolling in a PVSC course requires no prior college attendance, just an eagerness to learn.

“Taking courses from PVSC is a way for older people to flex their interests and study topics that may have eluded them in the past,” said Marshall.

The PVSC annual membership fee is $25. The tuition fee for each course, which includes all materials, is also $25. Classes are located at the University of Maine in Orono and the University College of Bangor and are held on Fridays. There are morning or afternoon sessions, depending on the class, and each course runs six weeks. Occasionally, one-day programs are available to members at no cost.

Here is a very brief sampling of classes:

. Intro to Macintosh: This is the class for those of you with Apple Macintosh computers instead of PCs.

. The Post-Game Show: Go behind the scenes of school and college sports. Each class will have guest speakers ranging from coaches and players to sports broadcasters.

. You and Your Ancestry – The Arts and Sciences of Genealogy: Ever wonder where you came from? This class can help. You’ll explore the basic methods of researching and recording data, finding and understanding documents such as censuses, maps, vital records and grave markers.

“There are 12 classes from which to choose. It is really a wonderful thing,” said Marshall. “And PVSC is run completely by volunteers – there is no staff. Everyone involved strongly believes in this program.”

Other courses include Human Population and the Global Environment, Passionate Pastimes (hobbies), The Ecology and Management of Maine’s Wildlife, Orchids Are a Joy to Grow, and Tai Chi Ch’uan for Health and Life.

To receive a class listing or registration form, call 581-1947, but “please keep in mind this is a message phone only, so leave your name and phone number. Someone will call you in a day or two,” Marshall added. “Learning, laughing and meeting new people – PVSC has it all.”

And then some.

“I was a single parent of four children, so there was not a lot of time to focus on myself,” said Davis. “This is the chance to do something just for me.”

Carol Higgins is director of communications at Eastern Agency on Aging. For information on EAA, call 941-2865 or log on www.eaaa.org.