Community University at West Liberty forlifelong learning
Offering stimulating learning opportunities to people age 50 and over
This summer, enroll in the Community University at West Liberty and take part in a “community” of like-minded older adults interested in the sheer joy of learning. The Community University is an organization with volunteer presenters. Courses are shaped by presenters’ and learners’ interests and include topics from arts and literature, music, sciences and technology, history, recreation, sports, health, finance, business and commerce, current events – and other suggested topics. Courses may be offered as a one – time presentation or in a series of classes. You are encouraged to register for courses that are taught in a series, even though you may not be able to attend all of the classes. Courses are conveniently scheduled during the day at the WLU Highlands Center. There are no entrance requirements, grades or tests. Your love of learning is what counts!
It’s easy to sign up! Fill out the enrollment form and return it with your tuition of $25, entitling you to enroll in as many courses as you wish during the summer term.
Available Courses:
101 Scandal and Disaster: The Dark Side of Wheeling, Part 2
Presenters: Jeanne Finstein, Ed.D. and Judi Hendrickson
Wednesday, June 26, 10-11:30 a.m.
Description: Like every other city, Wheeling has had its share of sensational stories, from murder to epidemics to arrests for selling watermelons on Sunday. This course will be a continuation of last term’s presentation and will focus on the dark side of our local history, man-made and natural, pathetic and humorous.
Presenters’ backgrounds: Jeanne Finstein and Judi Hendrickson have studied Wheeling’s history for many years, writing a book entitled “Walking Pleasant Valley” and making numerous presentations on Wheeling’s history and the people who were a large part of it. They are both members of the Friends of Wheeling and other local history organizations.
102 Ladies…You Can Turn Back Time!
Presenter: Sharon Welsch
Tuesday, July 9, 10-11:30 a.m.
Description: Learn how to “turn back time” by using good skin care and color application techniques. You will learn techniques designed for ladies over 50. If you are wondering how to care for your skin or what colors to wear, this class is for you!
Presenter’s background: Sharon Welsch is an Independent Senior Sales Director with Mary Kay Cosmetics. She has received extensive training in team building and customer service. She has studied with Bill Cantrell of Cantrell Training in Dallas, TX receiving training in DISC Personality Types.
103 Network Marketing: Does in Belong it My Retirement Toolbox?
Presenter: Joan Fulton
Wednesday, July 10, 10-11:30 a.m.
Description: Did you know that 80% of women earning more than $100,000 annually earn their money through direct sales or Network Marketing companies? Retirement is your chance to recycle yourself and more Boomers are becoming entrepreneurs. This class updates facts to give you information to decide if Networking Marketing should be included in your Retirement Toolbox.
Presenter’s background: Joan Fulton has been in direct sales and Network Marketing for more than 15 years. She is a Senior Distributor and Certified Trainer in her current company. She is a member of the Association of Network Marketing Professionals.
104 Music - A Formal Introduction
Presenter: Pete Holloway
Wednesday, July 10, 1:30-3 p.m.
Description: Music is often held together by large scale forms, enabling the listener (sometimes unconsciously) to better understand and follow the composer’s intent. We will visually look at several forms and then use our ears to more completely understand what is going on.
105 The Developments of Beethoven
Presenter: Pete Holloway
Wednesday, July 17, 1:30-3 p.m.
Description: The development of a musical theme is central to Western music. What does development mean and how has it been handled by different composers? We will pay a great deal of attention to one specific musical form and further enable the listener to follow the music in greater depth.
106 Love and Death
Presenter: Pete Holloway
Wednesday, July 24, 1:30-3 p.m.
Description: How have composers handled two of the most fundamental items in anyone’s life? We will sample a number of works to see how the composer approached them from the standpoint of their own personal style as well as the culture they lived in.
Presenter’s background: Pete Holloway received a bachelor’s degree majoring in both Music and Psychology in 1971 and a Master of Music Compositiondegree in 1973. While he is best known as a financial advisor at Hazlett, Burt and Watson Inc., music is a central passion that he continues to share.
107 Pictorial View of Present and Past U.S. Air Power
Presenter: Jon Letzkus
This course will be taught in a series of two (2) classes
Thursday, July 11 and 18, 10-11:30 a.m.
Description: Learn about military aviation through an impressive presentation of photos taken by Jon Letzkus during his visits to military installations. This presentation differs from Jon’s summer term 2012 course.New photos of military air craft will be featured in this course.
Presenter’s background: Jon W. Letzkus is a graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University. He retired as Chairman of the Board of Ohio State Financial Services, Inc. He was also President of Bridgeport Savings and Loan. He taught Real Estate Law, Finance, Appraisal and Principles at WLU for 17 years.
108 Exploration of Internet TV
Presenter: Jim Clark
Thursday, July 11, 1:30-3 p.m.
Description: Learn about devices and sites that will deliver “Free” internet based TV programs, movies, documentaries and educational programming. Course will focus on Apple TV and Roku 3 as delivery devices and sites such as YouTube and Vimeo.
Presenter’s background: Jim Clark, Chief Technology Officer at WLU, has taught college level courses on system analysis and recent cloud computing apps as an Adjunct Professor. He has adapted and developed a higher education model of the “lights out” data center. Jim is an alumnus of WLU.
109 History of Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company, 1879 to Present
Presenter: Stuart Bloch
Tuesday, July 16, 10-11:30 a.m.
Description: Learn about the rich history and tradition of one of Wheeling’s most famous businesses. Discussion will include some of the company’s brands including Mail Pouch Tobacco and Kentucky Club Pipe Tobacco as well as the company’s change in ownership over the years.
Presenter’s background: Stuart Bloch enjoyed a successful career as president of Bloch Brothers Tobacco Company from 1968-75. Currently he serves as executive vice president and director of Hazlett, Burt and Watson Inc.
110 The Battle of Stalingrad: A 70-Year Anniversary
Presenter: Leonard Rinchiuso
Wednesday, July 17, 10-11:30 a.m.
Description: Seventy years ago, one of the bloodiest battles in the history of all warfare was concluded in the Russian city of Stalingrad. In this lecture, we re-visit this epic struggle and discover why it has been described as the decisive conflict of World War II. The narrative becomes even more compelling in the light of top-secret Soviet documents that have been made public since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Presenter's background: Leonard Rinchiuso is an Assistant Professor of Russian at WLU and an avid student of Russian and Eastern European history. He most recently visited Eastern Europe in 2004.
111 Reading the Stories of Iconography
Presenter: Jeremy Larance, Ph.D.
Thursday, July 18, 1:30-3 p.m.
Description: Explore the beauty and meaning of one of the world’s most fascinating forms of storytelling in this introductory class designed to give participants a broader appreciation of iconography. Focusing primarily on the use of icons in the Eastern Orthodox tradition, this class will briefly cover the history of icons before focusing on the various ways in which iconographers use visual rhetoric to tell stories and impart wisdom through images often referred to as “sacred windows.”
Presenter’s background: Dr. Jeremy Larance is a faculty member in Department of Humanities at West Liberty University where he frequently teaches classes on British literature, sports-lit, and graphic narratives.
112 Women and Money, Savvy Women Take Charge of Their Financial Future.
Presenter: Josh Braunlich
Thursday, July 25, 1:30-3 p.m.
Description: A class for women only. How women look at money and investing. The course will cover experiences that shape how they do this, and the gender differences in processing information. The challenges that are often left to women: balancing the financial worries of care giving, whether it be for your children/grandchildren and aging parents, as well as the concerns women have regarding investment planning and investing.
113 Caring for Aging Parents and Loved Ones
Presenter: Josh Braunlich
Monday, August 12, 1:30-3 p.m.
Description: Caring for loved ones is something you hope you can handle when the time comes. There are steps that you can take to make your life (and theirs) a little easier. This class will discuss the broad issues that face caregivers and provide tips for addressing them: housing options, understanding long term care options, incapacity documents and securing finances.
Presenter's background: Josh Braunlich is a vice president and financial advisor with Hazlett Burt & Watson Inc. and a registered investment advisor with Security Capital Management. He earned his undergraduate degree in Finance from WVU and his Master's of Business Administration from Wheeling Jesuit University. He has worked in the financial services industry for the last 13 years.
114 Trash or Treasure: How to Tell Everyday Objects from Valuable Assets (and learn what to do with them)
Presenter: Amelia Jeffers
Wednesday, July 31, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Description:Learn the factors necessary to value antiques and family heirlooms. Amelia will teach the concepts of "good, better, best" among many categories andsuggest strategies for shopping at auction, estate sales and antique shops. Each student is encouraged to bring one item to be appraised so they may apply newly learned lessons.
Presenter’s background: Amelia Jeffers is President of Garth’s Auctioneers & Appraisers in Delaware, Ohio. With experiences ranging from professional consigning to business marketing to real estate sales, Amelia dons many hats at Garth’s. During her 14 years at the auction house, she has skillfully managed every aspect of the business, particularly those related to design and marketing.
115 Maladies and Celebrities
Presenter: Dr. Matthew Zdilla
This course will be taught in a series of three (3) classes
Wednesday, July 31, August 7 and 14, 1:30-3 p.m.
Description: Learn about diseases by using famous actors, musicians, athletes, and historical figures as case studies!Find out about thyroid disease from Kim Cattrall, Lyme disease from Daryl Hall, sickle-cell disease from Miles Davis, Crohn’s disease from Dwight D. Eisenhower, rheumatoid arthritis from Renoir, and much more!
Presenter’s background: Dr. Zdilla is an Assistant Professor of Biology at West Liberty University. He has taught health care professionals anatomy & physiology, nutrition, and pathology at the bachelor, master, and doctoral levels. “Dr. Z” earned his B.S. from the University of Pittsburgh and his clinical doctorate in chiropractic from New York Chiropractic College.
116 Take Me Out to the Ball Park!
Presenter: Bill Bryson
Wednesday, August 7, 10-11:30 a.m.
Description:This course is for the baseball enthusiast! Bill Bryson has visited every major league ball park (many minor league parks, too) with the exception of Safeco Field in Seattle. He has escorted 40 multi-day tours to major league cities. Hear firsthand about his travels, as he discusses his experiences: favorite parks, featured amenities of ball parks, Fenway Park tour and side trips to other attractions in major league cities.
Presenter’s background: Bill Bryson and his wife Sally have owned Uniglobe Ohio Valley Travel for 25 years. An active member of the community, he has been chairman of the “Fantasy in Lights Parade” for 28 years and is a member of the Elby’s Distance Race Hall of Fame. Bill is an alumnus of WLU.
117 The Horn of Africa:Political and Economic Developments in the Past Decade
Presenter: John Egan McAteer
Thursday, August 8, 1:30 – 3 p.m.
Description:This class, in one and one-half hours, will outline recent developments in Ethiopia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, and South Sudan. Maps provided.
Presenter's background: John Egan McAteer, a West Virginia native, is a retired U.S. Foreign ServiceOfficer. He spent ten years living and/or working in most of the countries of the Horn. John resides in Wheeling and is a member of the Rotary Club of Wheeling.
118 Every Picture Tells a Story
Presenter: Georgette Stock
Thursday, August 15, 1:30-3 p.m.
Description: Learn about iconic works of art and the person who created it. What circumstances influenced the artist? What statement are they attempting to make? Their artis an extension of their lives based on childhood experiences, socio-economic factors, political views, religion, science and other factors.
Presenter’s background: Georgette Stock has been an art educator for 17 years. She was chair of the art department at Mt de Chantal and an adjunct professor at Bethany College. She served as an AP Studio Art Reader for the College Boards. She received her BA in Fine Arts Management from Wheeling Jesuit University and a MA in Art History from the University of Cincinnati.
Questions? Please contact Jeff Knierim, Vice President for Community Engagement, at 304.336.8301, e-mail: or Dr. Tom Michaud, Dean of Professional Studies, at 304.217.2800 Ext. #2, e-mail: .
Community University Web Site
westliberty.edu/community-university
Community University at West Liberty
WLU Highlands Center
355 Wharton Circle, Suite 200
Triadelphia, WV 26059
(Entrance to the WLU Highlands Center is located across from the Marquee Cinemas)
Community University at West Liberty – Summer Term 2013 Registration Form
Name______
Address______
City______State_____ Zip Code______
Telephone______E-mail______
Circle the number/s below that correspond to the course/s that you wish to attend.
101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
Please clip and return registration form along with a $25 check (payable to West Liberty University) to:
Community University at West Liberty
WLU Business Office
208 University Drive
College Union Box 109
West Liberty, WV 26074