December 21, 2015 - Merced College’s Community Services offers a wide array of life-long learning and leisure activity classes beginning in January 2016.
Community Services provides area residents with opportunities for education, enrichment, and adventure. The classes are non-credit and range from belly dance and beginning water polo, to exercise and art classes. A wide variety of excursions are also offered throughout the year, including trips to sporting events, theater shows, cultural functions, educational venues, and recreational activities.
Following are just some of the classes offered:
Aikido – Understand the fundamentals of emotional and physical conflict by implementing basic Aikido techniques including basic body movement, synthesis of breathing, and physical and mental applications. Students will gain an overall understanding of the philosophy of Aikido and how it relates to both self-defense and conflict resolution. Sensei’s, Ron Duran and Brandon Wolff-Hunnicutt each hold black belt ranks with over a decade of Aikido practice in this beautiful Japanese martial-art.
Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 1–February 25, 5:30–7 p.m.
Location: Merced College, GYM-4
Cost: $65/participant
Badminton – Learn to play badminton and understand the basic rules that apply to the game. Come have fun, all levels are welcome!
Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 5-February 4, 7–10 p.m.
Location: Merced College, GYM
Cost: $40/participant
Belly Dance Fitness (Level I or Level II) – Learn the basic movements of this ancient and natural dance form. Appropriate for all age groups and body shapes, this unique dance and fitness program enhances posture, grace and self-confidence. Belly Dancing is a great low-impact way to burn calories, increase spinal strength and flexibility, tighten hips and thighs, and re-shape the entire abdominal region.
Dates: Tuesdays and Thursdays, January 19-February 25, 7-8:30 p.m. (Level I) 7:30–9:30 p.m. (Level II)
Location: Merced College, GYM -4
Cost: $60/ participant
Business Tax Strategies (English/Spanish) – When focused on starting or operating your own business, finding time to keep up on money-saving tax strategies can be a challenge — one that’s complicated by the fact that tax laws are constantly changing. Business Tax Strategies provides valuable information on concepts such as depreciation, inventory, 1099-MISC forms, and more. Participants will learn the difference between income tax and self-employment tax strategies to reduce their tax liability as well as investments in retirement and estate planning.
Date: Tuesdays, January 19-26 (English) or Wednesdays, January 20-27 (Spanish), from 6:30–8:30 p.m.
Location: Merced College, Business Resource Center, Room 120
Cost: $55/ participant
Ceramics – Explore the tactile qualities of clay and create your own ceramics through practical instruction in a relaxed atmosphere. This open lab will provide one-on-one instruction for beginners to advanced artists. Focusing on pottery as a form of visual art, the classes will cover a number of topics and techniques, from basic wheel thrown pottery to hand built pottery to raku. Your creative ceramic pieces will then be glazed and fired for you to take home or give as a gift.
Date: Mondays or Thursdays, January 11-March 14th (Monday) or January 14th- March 3rd (Thursday), from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Location: Merced College, ART-5
Cost: $70/participant, $10/material fee, $8/first bag of clay
Dancing for Birth (and Post-Partum) – Have fun learning how expecting moms can move to music, before, during, and after birth, using special dance techniques to get more comfortable during pregnancy, encourage babies into position for birth, and promote healing after birth. So tie a scarf around your hips, and spend an hour of fun bonding with your baby, as we dance and talk about birthing. Post-partum moms and newborns welcome! Sign-up anytime during your pregnancy. Check it out at www.dancingforbirth.com.
Dates: Mondays, January 11-February 8, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Location: Merced College, GYM-4
Cost: $25/participant
Digital Camera Basics – Do you have digital camera and want to learn how to maximize its potential during graduations, weddings, birthdays, or your summer vacation? Professional photographer and photography instructor Jay Sousa will be teaching a class on digital photography for beginning and intermediate photographers. This class will cover the basic use of a DSLR camera including camera settings for auto and manual modes. The class will also cover exposure, white balance, selecting the proper light, composition, downloading, basic Photoshop, and printing. The structure of the class will be lecture, demonstration, and hands on assignments. (Students will need to bring their own digital camera.)
Date: Saturdays, January 23–February 6, 9 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
Location: Merced College, ART- 8
Cost: $125/participant + $9/lab fee
Fitness Lab Membership – Want a gym membership without the application fee and yearly contract? Join the Merced College Fitness Lab with membership available for a one month period.
Dates: Monday-Friday, January 1-29, 5:30–7:30 a.m.
Location: Merced College, GYM-5
Cost: $25/participant (Register for multiple sessions & save $5/session)
Lap Swim – Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise. Enjoy open lap swim at the Merced College Pool throughout the Spring Term at any of the three time slots. Please note that on occasion, Lap Swim is cancelled due to other events being held at the Merced College Pool. In the event of such cancellations, Community Services strives to provide adequate notice to all participants so that arrangements can be made to swim during open time slots.
Dates: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, January 4-February 29, 5:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
Location: Merced College Pool
Cost: $40/participant
Merced Shakespeare Community Theatre Production: Julius Caesar -- Performance Dates: Fridays & Saturdays, January 22–23 & January 29–30 at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays, January 24 & 31 at 2 p.m.
Location: Merced College Theatre
Microsoft Office 2013 – In this Office 2013 training you will learn to transition from Microsoft 2007/2010 as you explore a variety of enhancements, from Word’s ability to edit PDF files to the new Flash Fill functionality in Excel that dramatically increases the speed at which you can add data to a spreadsheet. You’ll discover how the cloud has been deeply integrated into your Office experience and how collaborating with colleagues has never been easier.
Dates: Fridays. January 22-February 5, 8:30-11:30 a.m.
Location: Merced College, Business Resource Center Room #215
Cost: $145/participant
T’ai Chi Ch’aun – T’ai Chi Ch’uan is an ancient form of the pugilistic art often referred to in the West as “shadowboxing”. Originally designed for self-defense, T’ai Chi Ch’uan has been refined into a slow, graceful, rhythmic exercise that promotes good health in all – young and old alike. Naser Ataee began his study of T’ai Chi Ch’uan in 1986 at the Los Angeles T’ai Chi Academy under the tutelage of Master Tung. Come practice T’ai Chi in order to relax the mind as well as the body. Learn how this relaxing movement improves the nervous system and blood circulation, relieving stress.
Dates: Mondays, January 25–March 14, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Location: Merced College, GYM-4
Cost: $65/participant
Western Line Dance – No need for a partner in this active, fun-filled class where you can meet new friends while learning the latest western line dances along with the oldies but goodies.
Dates: Fridays, January 15-February 26, 7:30–8:30 p.m.
Location: Merced College, GYM-4
Cost: $35/participant
Western Partner Dance – Don’t dress up - just come, socialize and have fun while learning to dance! In this lively and interactive class, you’ll learn the basic steps to dances such as the Two Step, Ten Step, Cotton Eye Joe, Schottische, and the well-known Swing.
Dates: Fridays, January 15–February 16, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
Location: Merced College, GYM-4
Cost: $35/participant
World Dance – Learn easy folk dances from around the world. No experience or partners required. Dances are mostly line and circle patterns. All ages are welcome; children must be accompanied by an adult. Come meet new folks, stimulate your minds and toes alike, and get some good low aerobic exercise while relieving stress and dancing to music from a variety of cultures worldwide--Europe, Greece, the Middle East, and beyond. You will gain an appreciation for how other folks come together traditionally to celebrate and have a lot of fun too!
Date: Wednesdays, January 20-February 24, 7-8:30 p.m.
Location: Merced College GYM-4.
Cost: $40/participant
Yoga – Are you looking for a workout program that’s easy to learn, requires little or no equipment, and soothes your soul while toning your body? If strengthening your cardiovascular system, toning and stretching your muscles, and improving your mental fitness are on your to-do list, come learn more about the basics of yoga.
Dates: Tuesdays & Thursdays, January 12–March 3, 4:30–5:30 p.m.
Location: Merced College, GYM-4
Cost: $55/participant
For more information, contact the Merced College Community Services office at (209) 384-6224 or register at www.mercedcommunityservices.com.
