The Office of Community Education at Greenfield Community College and the Senior Symposia Program announce their Fall 2008 slate of offerings for people 50 and over, taught by some of the area's most talented and accomplished instructors and offered at the College's convenient Downtown Center location at 270 Main Street. Symposia get under way in September and continue throughout the semester. The cost for all symposia is $10 per 2-hour symposium. Financial assistance is available for all symposia for pre-registration only. There is no financial assistance available for same-day registration. To register or request a full program brochure, please call (413) 775-1681. You can also view our full semester's program at https://www.gcc.mass.edu/community_education/.

On Thursday, 9/25 7, from 2-4 pm, Amherst College professor Frank Couvares will present the opening symposium of the semester entitled Immigration: Good, Bad, Stoppable, Unstoppable?  Immigration is neither a new phenomenon in US history, nor a newly controversial one. Made by migrants, the US has often been convulsed by anti-immigration movements that decry the deterioration of American living standards and the fragmentation of American culture. This talk will put recent controversies over immigration into that historical context. Francis G. Couvares received a Ph.D. in History from the University of Michigan. He is the author of The Remaking of Pittsburgh: Class and Culture in an Industrializing City 1877-1919 (1984) and co-author of Interpretations of American History, 7th ed. (2000). A professor at Amherst College, he teaches courses in 19th – 20th century U.S. social and cultural history, as well as in American Studies. The cost for this symposium is $10.

On Thursday, October 2, from 2-4 p.m., independent art historian and Senior Symposia veteran instructor Gretchen Fox will present New England Homes: Styles of our Early Domestic Architecture. The first homes built in the English colonies through the Federal and Queen Anne periods have remained popular in reproduction and imitation in all parts of the country. We are fortunate to have in the Pioneer Valley fine examples of the originals, many built by master architects and craftsmen.  Their use of fine detailing in carpentry and decorative elements— some echoing classical design as it appeared in the Italian Renaissance—brought refinement and dignity to the new country. The evolution of these styles resulted in singular American architectural types that we will survey and compare with an eye to recognizing styles and sources, thereby gaining greater appreciation of the local built environment. Gretchen Fox is an independent art historian who has taught at several area colleges, lectured at a variety of local museums, and served as an advisor in the preparation of exhibits for many institutions. She holds degrees from the University of California at Berkeley, George Washington University, and UMass Amherst. ($10)

On Monday,  October 6 from 2-4 p.m., musicians and educators Matthew Shippee and Jack Brown will perform and present a symposium entitled Gypsy Jazz. Swing Caravan guitarists  Shippee and Brown will discuss and perform the music of the great Gypsy guitarist, Django Reinhardt.  The presentation will include discussion of Django's Gypsy heritage and his musical influences and stylings, interspersed with live renditions of this spirited 'hot jazz'. Swing Caravan is a Pioneer Valley based jazz quartet led by GCC music professor Shippee.  The band specializes in Reinhardt compositions and jazz standards from the 1920s and 30s. Whether playing fast and fiery tunes or evocative ballads, the band members share a great respect for the tradition of Gypsy Jazz—the classic Gypsy rhythm, the stabbing and melodic guitar lines—and a love of Django's classic repertoire. ($10)

On Wednesday, October 15, from 2-4 p.m., Five College Professor of Peace and World Security Studies, Michael Klare will present The New Geopolitics of Energy.   As the global demand for energy grows and worldwide stockpiles dwindle, the competition for available supplies will become increasingly fierce.  For the most part, this competitive struggle will be expressed in monetary form, with ever rising prices and resulting economic hardship.  But it will also be expressed in political and military terms, with major consuming powers like China and the United States using military means to dominate foreign energy zones in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.  The results could include regional conflicts, a new Cold War, and a heightened risk of World War III.  Professor Klare will propose a range of possible responses to these threats, including diminishing our reliance on petroleum and moving quickly to develop alternative forms of energy. Michael Klare is the Five College Professor of Peace and World Security Studies, based at Hampshire College and a regular contributor to The Nation. His most recent book is Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet: The New Geopolitics of Energy. ($10)

On Wednesday, 10/22, from 2-4 p.m., Smith College Professor Ginetta Candelario  will present Place Matters: Latina/o Racial Identity in the Americas. This talk offers a historical comparative overview of racial formation in Latin America and the U.S. We will explore the commonalities and differences among Latina/o immigrant groups, looking at migration history, settlement patterns, identity formations and cultural expressions. In discussing inter- and intra-group diversity we will consider issues of race, gender, class and sexuality as well as the relationship of Latinas/os to the black/white dichotomy in the U.S. We will conclude with an overview of contemporary data on racial identity among Latinas/os in the United States. Ginetta Candelario is Associate Professor in Sociology and Director of Latin American and Latina/o Studies at Smith College. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from the City University of New York, was a Fulbright scholar in the Dominican Republic, and has received numerous fellowships and awards for her work in Latina/o communities and in Latin American Studies.  ($10)

In the immediate wake of the 2008 Presidential Election, Northfield Mount Hermon educator James Cerillo will present War & Culture: Why the West Has Won on Thursday, Nov. 6, from 2-4 p.m. Few, if any, forms of human activity are more dramatic, compelling and morally fraught than war.  While war has been a nearly universal phenomenon, Western societies have, until quite recently, been especially successful practitioners. Why?  Beginning with the classical world of Greece and Rome, this presentation will identify some of the factors present in Western societies, such as freedom, civic obligations, discipline, competition, and capitalism, and suggest why they have made us such lethal players in an ever more destructive game. James Cerillo has taught in the History and Social Science Department at Northfield Mount Hermon School for 35 years, where he developed and taught courses on American Foreign Policy, Use & Abuse of Power, Ideology & Revolution, War, and Asia Rising. ($10)

Senior Symposia will conclude its Spring 2008 semester on Wednesday, 11/19, from 2-4 p.m., with Northfield Mount Hermon educator Lorrie Byrom offering a symposium entitled Turkey: An Enigma in Our Times. Occupying territory in both Europe and Asia, Turkey holds a strategic geopolitical position in our contemporary world. Yet both internally and externally, Turkey's identity remains complex and often ill-defined, even by her own citizens. Of particular importance are these questions: what geographic and demographic realities are playing a role for the Turks in the 21st century?  How do these affect Turkey's immediate neighbors and the broader international community? How are the Turks balancing Islam, the EU, Kurdish pressures and US foreign policy interests? How important will the issue of water in the region become? Lorrie Byrom has served in various capacities at Northfield Mount Hermon School  including as a History/Social Science Department Chair, Director of Studies and Dean of Faculty.  She has led many study-abroad trips to Egypt and to Turkey, and has recently travelled to Lebanon, Jordan, China, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore, seeking a deeper understanding of the world of Islam.  ($10)

The Senior Symposia Program at Greenfield Community College is a collaborative effort between Greenfield Community College's Office of Community Education and area senior citizens to provide a way for seniors to continue their education in a format that best suits their unique needs, interests, and resources.

To request a flyer or for registration and/or financial assistance information, please leave a message on the Senior Symposia phone at (413) 775-1681. You can also view the full brochure with symposia descriptions on the web at gcc.mass.edu/community_education/.