Copiah-Lincoln Community College is welcoming back students this week after the holidays. Everyone is getting geared up for another great and rewarding semester. We would like to invite you to be part of the experience. As wonderful as we hope your holidays have been and that you enjoyed time spent with friends and loved ones, we are all too aware of how exhausting the season can be. As 2015 gets rolling, maybe it is time to start thinking about what you can do for yourself. We may have just what you are looking for through our non-credit special interest classes.

There are many new special interest class opportunities this spring as well as some old favorites, of course. Coming up Thursday evening, Jan. 15, we are very excited to welcome Rod Davis, author of “American Voudou,” “Corina’s Way” and most recently “South, America.” Davis will be at Co-Lin to teach a writing workshop on the “Art of Crime & Mystery Fiction.” This event will be free to the community and is a great chance to nurture the writer in you. Or maybe this just happens to be one of your favorite genres of literature. If so, how interesting would it be to get inside the creation process? The author will have books for sale and be available for a book signing following the seminar.

Also starting in January are “The Causes & Consequences of WWI,” part 2 (12-week course), “Oil Painting” (six-week course) and introducing another new class, “Women’s Self-Defense” (three week course). The self-defense course will focus on pressure point control tactics (PPCT) and spontaneous knife defense. Ladies, this is a great way to give yourself some peace of mind, knowing you are prepared for any situation, even unfortunate ones that can happen to anybody. You can protect yourself.

February brings yet another new and unique workshop. We are thrilled to partner with Steampunk Coffee Roasters to bring you a “Coffee Roasting Workshop: Introduction to Specialty Coffee.” On Wednesday, Feb. 18, you will have the opportunity to learn a bit about the world and culture of coffee, including its history, roasting and brewing methods and specialty coffee as a career. This will be a hands-on experience that your taste buds will appreciate. The workshop will be hosted at the Steampunk Espresso Bar at 114 High St.

For those of you that are ready to shed those winter pounds or just focus on being your healthiest self for 2015, Tai Chi (12 week course) and an indoor group walking class called “Walk Live” (12 week course) will begin the first of week February. There are other courses being offered to give people the opportunity to enhance or develop those skills that current and prospective employers are putting more emphasis on and can improve your resume. “Intro to Computer Concepts & Microsoft Word” (three-week course) is a class focused on computer basics, which will begin on Feb. 19. You could easily follow that up with “Intro to PowerPoint Presentation” (five-week course) starting in March and is also new to the schedule.

Can’t figure out what to do with that sewing machine? Let’s get it threaded. Learn the basics of sewing and machine maintenance with “Sewing Basics” (four-week course), starting in April. We will also host the “Benefits Available to Veterans” class again on Tuesday, April 14. This class is offered at no cost. If you are a veteran, you deserve to understand and take full advantage of the benefits that are available to you. Let us help.

All classes are offered at low cost and are designed to be stress free. Our aim is provide an avenue for life-long learners in our community to have fun while striving toward new skills, hobbies or personal enrichment. As always, I welcome your feedback. This program is created with you in mind. If you have any comments on past classes or suggestions for future classes or workshops, please let me know. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available for some classes. For more details on classes available, please visit our website, colin.edu, or contact me by phone at 601-446-1103 or by email at emily.edwards@colin.edu. Pre-registration is required for all courses. All courses must meet a minimum number of participants to prevent cancellation. You may also register at the Willie Mae Dunn Library on the Co-Lin Natchez campus. So don’t wait until the last minute to register. If a class is cancelled for any reason, full refunds will be available.

On behalf of the Co-Lin family, I invite you to take full advantage of the classes in this program that would benefit or interest you. While doing so, take the time to explore…to create…and to discover why Copiah-Lincoln Community College is “the place to be” for you.

 

Emily Edwards is the learning resources coordinator for the Copiah-Lincoln Community College.