CLASS CATALOG
SPRING 2008
Introduction to Digital Photography
Class No: 01S08
Enrollment Limit: 18
Dates: Friday, February 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Time: 10:00 - 11:15 am
Location: Meredith Hall, room 124B
Special Requirements: This class will teach students how to use their digital cameras.
Students are encouraged to bring their digital cameras to the sessions.
Text: None required, but some will be available for viewing
Description: The class will provide hands-on training on the use of digital cameras. The
course will be an introduction to these technologies, and it will be suitable for beginners
through intermediate users. Participants will be working some at Macintosh workstations
on software that will allow them to do minor adjustments to their images. The class will
also include a discussion of the types of cameras and software available on the market
today.
Instructor: David Wright, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean of the School of
Journalism and Mass Communication
David teaches web page design, introduction to mass communication, and multimedia for
the web. He has taught black and white as well as color photography, and was a freelance
photographer for newspapers in the north suburbs of Chicago. David has taught this
course several times for the RaySociety as demand for his instruction is high and his
classes fill quickly!
The Rhetoric of Fear
Class No: 02S08
Dates: Tuesday, February 5, 12, 19, 26
Time: 3:00 to 4:30 pm
Location: Medbury Hall, room 221
Description: In the field of rhetoric, fear, or argumentum ad baculum, is considered a
logical fallacy. And yet it works. Moreover, recent American history shows that it works
very well. Students of this class will get a better understanding of the uses – constructive
and deconstructive – of fear as a motivational political strategy in a number of
disciplines. We will examine arguments about terrorism, global warming, crime, health
care, and other current events to assess their efficacy and perhaps, to devise strategies to
make us less susceptible to the same.
12/12/2011 RaySociety at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 1
515-271-2120, www.drake.edu/raysociety
Instructor: Ralph Siddall, Visiting Instructor
Ralph has been an adjunct professor at Drake for the past three years, teaching public
speaking. This past semester he accepted an offer for a visiting position while finishing
his dissertation. He is pursuing the PhD in Political Rhetoric from the University of
Iowa, writing on the Paranoid style of American politics in a post-9/11 age, under the
direction of Dr. Bruce Gronbeck. A returning student at the age of 35, he received an
Associate in Arts from a small community college in central Illinois after which he was
awarded a scholarship to complete a B.S. in Speech and Communication at Bradley
University. From there he pursued an M.A. at the University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee in
Rhetorical Criticism, before moving to his PhD program at the University of Iowa.
Fall Prevention: Strength & Stability Class
Class No: 03S08
Enrollment limit: 20
Location: Wesley Acres Fitness Center, 3520 Grand Avenue
Dates: Mondays & Wednesdays (for 6 weeks)
February 18, 20, 25, 27; March 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19
Time: 1:30 – 2:15 pm
Cost: $30 payable directly to Wesley Acres
Note: This class is being offered by Wesley Acres exclusively for RaySociety
members. Registration and payment should be made directly with Wesley Acres.
The cost of this course is $30. Payment can be made at the first session. Checks should
be made payable to Wesley Acres. For more information or to register for this class,
contact Mary Heisterkamp at 271-6596 by Monday, February 11th. Parking is available
at the Wesley Acres site.
Description: Are you having problems with your balance? Would you like to maintain
your independence and improve your strength? Do you need some motivation to get
moving and stay active? If so, please join us at Wesley Acres. This fitness class will
focus on strength, flexibility, endurance and balance. Join us for a dynamic fitness class
that meets twice each week for 6-weeks. In each class, participants will engage in a
warm-up, lower and upper body strength exercises, lower and upper body flexibility
stretches, balance techniques to help with fall prevention, and a cool-down segment
focusing on breathing and relaxation.
The fear of losing independence and falling is high in older adults. To help prevent this
from occurring, it is important for individuals to maintain and/or increase their lower
body strength and challenge their static and dynamic balance using a variety of tools and
studied techniques. Research has proven that you can increase your fitness level at any
age. Age does not equal frailty.
Each participant must have a medical clearance form signed by their primary care
physician prior to the first day of class. The wellness department can fax this form to
your doctor if you provide their name prior to a week before class. All participants must
be able to stand independently and get up out of a chair with minimal support.
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Instructor: Mary McCarthy, MPH, Wellness Director, Wesley Acres
Mary (you may know her as Mary Heisterkamp!) has her Masters in Public Health from
the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and two bachelor’s degrees from the University
of Iowa in Exercise Science and Health Promotion. She is a Certified Health Education
Specialist (CHES) and a Health & Fitness Instructor with the American College of Sports
Medicine (ACSM). Mary has worked at Wesley Acres for the past three years and enjoys
working with older adults keeping them active and engaged in life.
“Insights Through Collaboration With Apes”
Class No: 04S08
Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Time: 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Location: Cartright Law Building, room 201
Registration Fee: Free
Description: This special one-time session will focus on the vision and establishment of
the Great Ape Trust and will include a presentation and discussion about the science at
Great Ape Trust which seeks to understand the origin and future of culture, language,
tools and intelligence.
Presenter: Jim Aipperspach, Director of Operations for Great Ape Trust of Iowa
Jim Aipperspach is director of operations for Great Ape Trust of Iowa, a scientific
research facility in southeast Des Moines dedicated to the study of ape intelligence,
language and culture. As director of operations, Aipperspach coordinates and supervises
all non-scientific responsibilities at Great Ape Trust including accounting, administration,
communications, fund raising, grounds and maintenance, human resources and public
safety.
Prior to joining Great Ape Trust, Aipperspach served as president of the Iowa
Association of Business and Industry (ABI) for nearly ten years. Before his position at
ABI, he was president of the United Way of Central Iowa from 1993-95. For 18 years,
Aipperspach, a native of Bismarck, ND, worked in the telecommunications industry with
Northwestern Bell Telephone Company and U.S. West, serving for seven years as vice
president and CEO for U.S. West operations in Iowa.
As a community leader, Aipperspach is a past-president of the West Des Moines
Community School Board, where he served for nine years; former president of the
Greater Des Moines Committee and former secretary-treasurer of the Iowa Business
Council. He has served on the board of directors for Mercy Hospital, Bankers Trust and
the Iowa Telephone Association. Aipperspach currently serves on the board of the Iowa
College Foundation, Institute for Character Development and Boy Scouts of America
Mid-Iowa Council.
12/12/2011 RaySociety at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 3
515-271-2120, www.drake.edu/raysociety
A Brief Look at Nine Decades of Movie Directors
Class No: 05S08
Dates: Thursday, February 28, March 6, 13, 20, 27
Time: 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Location: Olin Hall, room 206
Description: In his third RaySociety course, Professor Tom Beell will highlight the
films of extraordinary directors born during the past two centuries. From the pioneers of
the silent era to the moguls of the digital age, this five-week course will consider where
movies began and where they’re headed. The course will include scenes from more than
two dozen productions, with handouts and suggested readings.
Instructor: Thomas L. Beell, Professor of Journalism, Iowa State University
Mr. Beell is a Professor of Journalism in the Greenlee School of Journalism at Iowa State
University. Co-host of the monthly “Talk of Iowa” movie show on WOI radio, Professor
Beell has taught film making and film criticism at ISU and was film reviewer for the
Ames Tribune for 20 years. His love of the cinema dates back to the 1950’s when, as a
teenager, he managed movie theatres in his hometown of Tacoma, Washington. His
previous two classes taught for the RaySociety are: “Mysteries and Musicals – A Look at
Two Popular Film Genres” and “A Brief Look at four Film Genres”. Both of these
courses were very well received.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Internet and
Electronic Mail (E-Mail) but Never Knew Who to Ask
Class No: 06S08
Enrollment Limit: 18
Dates: Monday, March 3, 10, 17, 24
Time: 2:30 – 4:00 pm
Location: Kinne Center Computer Lab, 24th and University Avenue (lower level)
Special Requirements: Basic computer skills are required
Description: This course is designed to develop basic skills in using the Internet to
access information from the World Wide Web. You will learn how to access the World
Wide Web, how to write WWW addresses and how to search for Web sites that may
have information you are searching for. This will be done in a “hands on” computer lab
environment in which you will be “Surfing the Internet” in real time. In addition, this
course will allow you to learn to communicate with individuals next door, and around the
world, through Electronic Mail (E-Mail).
Instructor: Dr. Robert Lutz, PhD, Associate Professor Emeritus, Physics
Dr. Lutz “returned” to Drake in 1969 as an Assistant Professor of Physics. (He is also a
Drake Alum.) After teaching in the Physics Department until 1974 Bob held several
administrative positions until 1998 when he returned to teaching Physics. He was
Director of the Computer Center and later became the Director of Telecommunications
and Computing and finally Associate Provost for Information Resources. He retired in
2002, but continues to teach part-time in the Physics Department and does computer
consulting. He played a major role in the implementation and expansion of computing
resources at Drake University. Bob has taught this course several times for the
RaySociety with a great deal of success.
12/12/2011 RaySociety at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 4
515-271-2120, www.drake.edu/raysociety
The Brothers Karamazov
Class No: 07S08
Enrollment Limit: 30
Dates and Times: Tuesday, March 11 - 1:30 - 2:30 pm
Thursday, April 10 - 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Location: Levitt Hall (for both sessions)
Description: Dr. David Maxwell, President of Drake University, will lead a discussion
of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky’s famous novel, The Brothers Karamazov. It is the
last novel written by the Russian author and is generally considered to be the culmination
of Dostoevsky’s life work. The Brothers Karamazov has been acclaimed globally as one
of the most profound achievements in world literature. President Maxwell will meet with
participants for 2 sessions - the first to provide background and guidance as members of
the class prepare to read the novel. The second session will involve group discussion of
the novel, including the recurring themes of the moral struggles between faith, doubt,
reason and free will. President Maxwell will provide a list of additional questions for
consideration in advance of the class. President Maxwell recommends that participants
follow the Norton Critical Edition of The Brothers Karamazov, available online (new and
used copies) and at bookstores and libraries.
Instructor: Dr. David Maxwell
David Maxwell, Ph.D., has been the president of Drake University since May of 1999.
Previously, he was director of the National Foreign Language Center from 1993 to 1999
and president of Whitman College from 1989 to 1993. Prior to serving as president at
Whitman College, he was at Tufts University for 18 years, from 1971 to 1989. At Tufts,
he was a full-time faculty member for 10 years, teaching Russian language and literature
and chairing the Soviet and East European Area Program, before becoming Dean of
Undergraduate Studies for the next 8 years.
A widely published scholar on Russian literature, Dr. Maxwell has extensive experience
in higher education administration, institutional strategic planning, curriculum planning
and international education.
Born in New York City, Dr. Maxwell earned his bachelor’s degree in Russian area
studies at Grinnell College in 1966. He was graduated from Brown University with both
master’s and doctorate degrees in Slavic languages and literatures in 1968 and 1974,
respectively.
Dr. Maxwell has been on the executive and the strategic planning committees of the
board of the Council on International Educational Exchange; he also served as chair of
the Commission on International Education of the American Council on Education from
1999-2002. He was a Fulbright Fellow and received the Lillian Leibner Award for
distinguished teaching and advising at Tufts University, where he also twice received the
Senior Class Citation for Distinguished Service. In 1991 the Brown University Graduate
School of Arts and Sciences gave him the Distinguished Alumnus Citation.
Currently, President Maxwell serves on the board of the Downtown Community
Alliance, and on the Community Board of the Wells Fargo Bank, Iowa/Nebraska. He
served as President of the Des Moines Higher Education Collaborative from 2000 - 2006,
12/12/2011 RaySociety at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 5
515-271-2120, www.drake.edu/raysociety
and as Chair of the Board of the Iowa Association of Independent Colleges and
Universities in 2005-2006. He is a member of the Greater Des Moines Committee.
Nationally, Dr. Maxwell is a member of the executive committee of the Business/Higher
Education Forum, the editorial board of Peer Review, an Education Associate of the
Conference Board. He currently is chair of the Board of Directors of the Associated
New American Colleges. He served as chair of the Presidents’ Council of the Missouri
Valley Conference in 2004-2005.
Dr. Maxwell is married to Madeleine Mali Maxwell, a creative director. They have two
sons: Justin, director of user interface design at Theranos, Inc., and Stephen, a post-
doctoral fellow in atomic physics at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
GRAVE Matters: Diversity in the Approach to Dying, Death & Loss
Class No: 08S08
Dates: Tuesday, April 1, 8, 15, 22
Time: 10:00 - 11:30 am
Location:
Class 1 @ Drake University - Cartwright Law, room 202
Class 2 @ Hamilton’s Funeral Home (Lyon Street)
Class 3 @ Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Gardens (crematory)
Class 4 @ Hamilton’s on Westown Parkway
Description: This course will utilize a variety of discussion topics, as well as locations,
to encourage participants to:
Understand the cultural context of life altering events in a death denying & death
defying culture
Embrace the grave matters that surround life threatening illness, loss & death &
explore some cultural differences in our community
Empower themselves to utilize this understanding when they experience loss, or
seek to support others who are/have experienced loss through death.
We will explore attitudes & beliefs about the dying process and death. Some of the
questions presented will be:
What are the needs of a seriously ill/dying person? Am I prepared for my end-of-life?
What happens when death takes place-next steps? Impact of the ethnic diversity in our
community-the richness of differences.
Grieving-is it closure we seek or ways to continue our bonds with our loved one who
died? How can we support others?
Instructors: Norma Hirsch, MD
Dr. Hirsch is the associate medical director of the Kavanagh House on Grand and clinical
assistant professor of geriatrics and ethics at Des Moines University. She serves as
clinical assistant professor of pediatrics in the College of Medicine at the University of
Iowa. She is board certified in hospice and palliative medicine. She embraces the power
of traditional medicine and the strength of non-traditional modalities of care. Seeking a
broad based understanding of healing & wholeness, she has studied and collaborated
extensively with a wide variety of nationally respected, innovative practitioners.
12/12/2011 RaySociety at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 6
515-271-2120, www.drake.edu/raysociety
Trudy Holman
Trudy is the Director of the Academy of Grief & Loss at Hamilton's Funeral Home.
Starting in the early’80’s, she served as an external consultant to the President to help
implement many of the grief, healing and educational projects for children and adults
offered through Hamilton's today. The unexpected death of her husband, Brian, in 2000,
has expanded her interest in and desire to impact the death-denying attitude in our
culture. Her professional career has been focused as a consultant and trainer. She spent
many years traveling the country conducting training sessions on communication,
management development and strategic planning. Trudy is a Des Moines native and
attended Drake University.
Socrates: Outwardly a Monster - All Beauty Within
Class No: 09S08
Enrollment Limit: 25
Dates: Tuesday, April 1, 8, 15, 22
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Location: Medbury Hall, room 221
Description: Very often the Socratic dialogs are viewed as endless debates. It seemed
Socrates triumphed through the very tricks that he accused the Sophists of using. This
was the Socrates I mis-taught for several years. Students would ask why he was
considered a moral hero; and I never had a very good answer. Well, this is not the
Socrates of this course! Instead we will journey through the positive, and very moving,
discussions found in the Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, and the beginning of the Phaedo.
These very readable texts provide an understanding of Socrates' mission and
why Socrates is an heroic figure. It is especially fascinating to see how his understanding
of his mission unfolds and how it relates to contemporary issues in politics and religion.
The journey began on a mountaintop in 1978, continued with my work with MacArthur
Award Recipient Gregory Vlastos in 1989, and will continue through this class.
You will also have the opportunity to read my flawed, but possibly interesting, paper
entitled, “Socrates: Outwardly a Monster; All Beauty Within (A Journey With Those
Who See the Beauty Within)"published in the journal Metaphilosophy. The article (which
I'll provide) might help you to understand how one can learn to read a familiar text in a
radically different way. You will be expected to buy and read one of the paperbacks that
includes those four dialogs. I like to use the Library of Liberal Arts book (it only cost me
fifty cents...back in 1961). You can get it at the University Bookstore. Just ask for
Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito LL4. If you have another edition or questions, please
e-mail me at btorger1@mchsi.com or call 276-2907.
Instructor: Dr. Jon Torgerson, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Philosophy
Jon has recently retired from Drake as Professor Emeritus of Philosophy after thirty-
seven successful years of teaching and research. Besides serving as department chair for
nineteen years, he was also Director of the Humanities Center for three years, and
Director of Environmental Studies for one year. He taught a very successful RaySociety
course entitled, “Cuba: Social Justice and Human Rights”, during the Fall 2007
semester. Now, he plans to share with us his passion for Socrates. Jon has published
articles about Socrates, economic rights, the philosophy of time, the teaching of
philosophy, and other areas. He also founded the Philosophy of Time Society in 1993.
12/12/2011 RaySociety at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 7
515-271-2120, www.drake.edu/raysociety
Astronomy: Ventures Beyond Our Solar System - Part II
Class No: 10S08
Dates: Thursday, April 3, 10, 17, 24
Time: 10:30 am - 12:00 noon
Location: Cartwright Law, room 202
Description: We continue with the second four week course – learning about some
of the major players, discovering the unfolding universe, and making the case for modern
cosmology.
Hubble and the Expanding Universe
o Mysteries of Deep Space: To the Edge of the Universe
o When we look out in space, we look back in time!
o No Center
Runaway Universe
o Type Ia Supernovae
o Dark Energy
o Dark Matter
Black Holes are Major Players
o Monster of the Milky Way
o Galactic interactions
The Big Bang: Putting all the Pieces Together
o Origins: Back to the Beginning
o WMAP: Foundations of the Big Bang theory
o A Universe Hospitable to Life--What's Our Place?
Beyond Hubbert's Peak: What Can We Do When the Oil Runs Out?
Class No: 11S08
Dates: Wednesday, April 16, 23, 30, May 7
Time: 3:00 – 4:30 pm
Location: Harvey Ingham, room 102
Description: An open-ended discussion of energy resources that can be (will be?) used
to replace petroleum. How about Biofuels? Solar? Nuclear?
Attendees are encouraged to bring questions, expertise, and opinions.
Suggested reading: The End of Oil, Roberts, Paul, 2004, Houghton
Mifflin Company.
Instructor: Dr. Dennis O’Brien, PhD, Professor Emeritus, Geology
Dr. O’Brien taught a variety of geology courses at Drake for 32 years. Dennis took his
students on numerous trips throughout the U.S. to explore various geologic phenomena.
He retired in 2000. He has a BA Degree from Cornell College (Iowa), MS Degree from
Miami University (Ohio) and a PhD from the University of Massachusetts. In past years,
has taught two successful courses for the RaySociety: “Earth: A Risky Place to Live” and
“Understanding Volcanic Eruptions”.
12/12/2011 RaySociety at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 8
515-271-2120, www.drake.edu/raysociety
In My House - A Look Into Diverse Faith Traditions
Class No: 12S08
Dates, Times and Locations:
Monday, April 21st - 2:30 - 4:00 pm at Cowles Library, Room 201
(Drake University Library)
Monday, April 28th - 2:30 - 4:00 pm at the Muslim Community Center
(1087 25th Street)
Monday, May 5th - 2:30 - 4:00 pm at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George
(1110 35th Street - 35th Street & Cottage Grove)
th
Saturday, May 10 - 11:00 am - 1:30 pm at the Hindu Temple, Madrid, IA
(3392 155th Lane, Madrid, IA 50156)
Cost: $30 (registration fee and light lunch at the Hindu Temple)
Description: Join us as we delve into a few of the faith traditions that are presently
established in and new to our community. We will begin with our first introductory
session on campus. Subsequent classes will meet at 3 different sites for an “up close”
look at the teachings, ceremony and symbols of each tradition. Our sessions will be
hosted by a leader of the faith tradition featured that week (see details below). Please
note that the final session will be held on Saturday, May 10th at 11:00 am at the Hindu
Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa located on Highway 17 near Madrid, Iowa.
A light vegetarian lunch will be shared as part of this particular tour - the cost of which
has been added to your class registration fee. Be aware that you may be asked to sit on
the floor at some stage during the tour. The coordinator of this exploratory class is John
Ayres, currently Vice President of the Des Moines Area Religious Council and a leading
advocate of interfaith outreach and understanding in our community.
Speaker/Hosts include:
Session 1: Monday April 21st, 2:30 pm
Reverend Sarai Schnucker Rice, Executive Director, Des Moines Area Religious Council
Session 2: Monday April 28th, 2:30 pm
Mohammed Khan, Muslim Community Leader
Session 3: Monday May 5th, 2:30 pm
Father Basil Hickman, Greek Orthodox Church of St. George
Session 4: Saturday May 10th, 11:00 am
Staff and representatives from the Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa
World War II: Iowans in the Greatest Generation Speak, Part III
Class No: 13S08
Dates: Tuesday, April 29, May 6, 13, 20, 27*
Time: 2:00 – 4:00 pm
Location: Legal Clinic Courtroom (24th and University)
*Note: The last session on May 27 will be a Big Band Concert of WW II era music
presented by the Iowa Military Veterans Band, to be held in the Harmon Fine Arts
Building “Performing Arts Hall”.
12/12/2011 RaySociety at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 9
515-271-2120, www.drake.edu/raysociety
This is the last World War II course that is being planned. It is our hope that the
first two have been meaningful to those who attended and to those who were willing
to share their experiences. We trust that we did justice in our attempt to honor
those who fought and died in this war and their loved ones who kept the home fires
burning. It is recognized that there are many stories yet to be told. As in the past,
all WW II Veterans and a spouse/guest are invited to attend this course at no cost.
Due to limited seating, please contact Rena Wilson at the RaySociety office if you
are a veteran who plans to attend. Rena can be reached at 271-2120 or via e-mail at
rena.wilson@drake.edu.
Description:
Session 1: In this session we will look at the role of the U. S. Air Corp from the view of
the those men who manned the bombers and fighter planes in the European and Pacific
Theaters.
Session 2: The important role of the U.S. Navy and the men who served aboard the ships
will be explored.
Sessions 3 and 4: Open Microphone - There are so many experiences that need to be
shared that we are going to open the microphone to any one who would like to share their
WW II experience. The presentations would be limited to fifteen minutes. Each presenter
would be required to submit a prepared copy of what they are going to share. This is
done to make sure we stay within the fifteen minutes that is allotted. The text provided,
will be copied, and made available to all registered participants. This is a great
opportunity to share experiences that might otherwise not be heard by other
members of the Greatest Generation. Those persons who are interested in sharing their
experiences during the Open Microphone sessions should contact Don Moon at
278-1134 or dkmoon49@mchsi.com.
Session 5: We will once again have a Big Band Concert of WW II era music presented
by the Iowa Military Veterans Band.
Great Books Discussion Group
Class No: 14S08
Dates: Second and Fourth Tuesday of each month throughout the year
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Location: Medbury 115
Description: Dr. Bruce Martin will lead the discussion of various “Great Books”. There
is no fee to participate, but as a RaySociety member, we ask that you register when you
register for other courses. The class has been studying excerpts from Great
Conversations III, ISBN # 978-1-880323-17-5. The book is available online at
Amazon.com (new or used) or you can call Borders or Barnes and Noble to see if they
might have it in stock. Please contact Betty Grandquist at (515) 282-0321 or Laurie
Jones (515) 274-1389 with any questions.
Instructor: Dr. Bruce Martin, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, English and
Ellis and Nelle Levitt, Professor of English, Drake University.
12/12/2011 RaySociety at Drake University, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311 10
515-271-2120, www.drake.edu/raysociety