Western Nevada College News & Notes: Winter, spring classes have something for everyone

Embrace lifelong learning with winter session and/or spring semester classes at Western Nevada College. The college has something for everyone, whether you’re looking for something “just for fun” or looking to spark an interest to pursue something new.

WINTER

Introduction to Ethics (PHIL 135): If you like watching “The Good Place,” this class is for you! This 5-week winter session class is offered Dec. 16-Jan. 17 and satisfies the humanities requirement, as well as Silver Core 12 on Ethics at UNR. Learn basic ethical theories and improve your writing and augmentation skills.

View the class schedule at wnc.edu/class-schedule/?sorter=winter for other interesting topics such as The Roaring 20s (HIST 290), Health and Wellness (CHS 102), Career Choices and Changes (CPD 123), Healthcare Provider CPR (EMS 100), Crisis Intervention (SW230) and more.

SPRING

Molecules and Life in the Modern World (CHEM 100): A popular class for future elementary education teachers, instructor Cindy Kuehn is choosing materials intended to be helpful to those future instructors (although they are also meant to be useful for anyone taking the class).

Intermediate Algebra (MATH 96) at Douglas campus: A typically smaller class size than a mathematics course offered on the Carson campus should appeal to students who desire more individual attention.

Technique of Songwriting (MUS 215): Release the music inside of you that’s just waiting to get out. Whether you are a beginner or you have studied music before, you will enjoy this unique class about how music is written. This class will help you find inspiration by collaborating with other students, a practical method of jotting down your ideas, and sharing your songs. You will learn some short, tried and true methods of helping you write great-sounding songs of your own music. This is a course on how to compose pop music. We will analyze hit songs and have discussions of songs written by the class. Each student will compose melodies and lyrics, helping the poet with music and the musician with poetry.

World History II (HIST 209): In some ways this may not seem like a unique class, but history buffs will disagree. This class is for anyone who is interested in learning about the history and cultures of all different parts of the world.

Intro to Audio Recording (MUS 233): Do you want to produce great-sounding recordings of your own music? Acclaimed musician, sound designer, composer and WNC instructor John Shipley will teach you about basic audio concepts, show you how to use your own home studio, and much more. With interesting lectures, hands-on lessons and projects, you’ll master concepts like signal flow, multi-tracking, equalization, signal processing, MIDI, and everything you need to turn your Mac or PC into a multi-track studio. Whether you are a beginner or you have studied audio recording before, you will enjoy this unique class about how music is recorded in professional and home studios.

Personal and Social Adjustment (PSY 102): This course just might change your life. Students say that they finish the course understanding so much more about their personality, values, stressors, coping strategies and relationships than they knew before. Discover more about yourself and identify the life-improving strategies that will work for you.

Introduction to Book Arts: (ART 214): This is the perfect class for someone who wants to take art but is not confident about their art skills. You don’t have to be able to draw, paint or sculpt to make a wonderful artist book. Come learn several binding techniques and print on old letterpress machines. We will also get to look at the old books and see how books used to be made during the Renaissance.

History of Witchcraft (HIST 285): This class is a survey of the supernatural from the ancient Mesopotamians through modern day, with an emphasis on the European Witch Trials. We will cover regional witch history, art and media, and gender, and discuss what witchcraft is and isn’t historically.

Here are some other topics that you might like:

Find Power in the Numbers with multiple sections of accounting topics including Quickbooks and Bookkeeping.

Learn a Language such as Spanish, French, Italian or Japanese.

Get Creative with Art or Graphic Design Classes including Drawing, Ceramics, Printmaking, Digital Photography, Web Design and more.

See Stars with an Astronomy class.

Fix it Yourself in Automotive Mechanics or Auto Body courses.

Make it Yourself in Machine Tool or Welding courses.

Live Healthy with tips from Community Health Science or Nutrition courses.

Computer Whizzes might like IT Essentials or Intro to Information Systems.

Managing others and change is an art. Topics such as Career Choices and Change, Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior can help.

Get Moving in multiple sections of Dance and Physical Education.

Save a Life with EMS 100, Healthcare Provider CPR.

History Buffs might like Nevada History, Witchcraft and the Roaring 20s.

Get Philosophical while discussing like Critical Thinking and Reasoning, Judeo-Christian Tradition, Ethics, Political Philosophy and World Religions.

Sell it Yourself. Business and Real Estate courses for the entrepreneur inside of you.

View the full class schedule at wnc.edu/class-schedule/

Take Care of Winter, Spring Registration Now

Transform your holiday break into an investment in your educational future.

Earn your college credits in 3 to 5 weeks or catch up or get ahead in your higher education plans. Enroll in WNC’s winter session classes now, as they begin on Dec. 16, as well as Dec. 30, and conclude by Jan. 17.

It’s also time to enroll in spring semester classes at WNC. Classes begin Jan. 21.

View classes for both winter and spring at wnc.edu/class-schedule/. If you are new to WNC, apply for admission and take care of other pre-registration requirements at wnc.edu/starthere/.

Thomas to Give Talks on Early Humans, History of Aviation

This month, Mike Thomas will talk about “Civilization” and the “History of Aviation” at Western Nevada College’s Jack C. Davis Observatory.

On Friday, Dec. 13, his “Civilization” presentation will cover startling new archaeological discoveries that have changed our understanding of early humans.

Thomas will cover the first aviation attempts to the exploration of space in his presentation “History of Aviation” on Saturday, Dec. 14. Both presentations are free and begin at 6:30 p.m. Doors to JCDO open at 6 p.m.

Thomas has been providing free lectures at Western Nevada College’s Jack C. Davis Observatory as part of his Northern Nevada lecture series for more than a decade. Last February, the Northern Nevada lecturer began giving two presentations per month at WNC. His Friday talks are usually about history and his Saturday presentations customarily focus on science.

On Saturday nights when lectures aren’t scheduled, the observatory is open to the public from sundown to 11 p.m. At this time, the Western Nevada Astronomical Society hosts Star Parties, bringing together people with an interest in astronomy. The observatory is located at 2699 Vanpatten Drive in Carson City.

Other Upcoming Events at WNC

Toys for Tots Collections Drive: Through Dec. 20. Collection bins for new toy donations located around WNC’s campus in Carson City.

Spaghetti Feed: Friday, Dec. 13, 3 to 8 p.m., in Carson Nugget Hall in the Aspen Building.

La Posada Celebration: Saturday, Dec. 14, noon to 3 p.m., in Carson Nugget Hall in the Aspen Building.