It’s August again, and that means it’s time for me to check out the COC schedule of classes to see what our local community college is offering this fall. Since I don’t have kids, I usually have a lot of time in the evening, and I’ve found that education keeps me out of trouble. And since COC is well-renown state-wide and run by Supreme Chancellor Dianne Van Hook, our local college has something for almost everyone. So check it out!

On our walks in Newhall, my wife and I often gaze at couples and individuals dancing the night away at a place called Preciado’s Ballroom Dance Studio. The studio fronts Lyons Avenue near Orchard Village Road, and inside is a large, empty room with a hard-wood floor and rails on the walls.

We’re greatly entertained by the dancers inside: sometimes you see couples practicing a ballroom dance, other times you see hot Latinas doing Salsa, and yet other times you just see what I’d call fast dancing; people really cutting a rug to borrow a phrase from my parent’s generation.

Unfortunately, lessons at Preciados are quite expensive: only $35 for the initial one, but $300-$500 for a complete 5 lesson class, so we decided to see what COC has to offer. And I think we found one!

 DANCE 134 BALLROOM AND SOCIAL DANCE

Units: 1.00 - UC:CSU, May Be Taken 4 Times

Introduces students to selected social dance styles and performance techniques.

That sounds just about what we want to do! But they also have a Flamenco Dancing class that might fulfill my desire to be Antonio Banderas:

 DANCE 137 FLAMENCO AND SPANISH DANCE

Units: 1.00 - UC:CSU, May Be Taken 4 Times

Introduces the fundamental skills involved in flamenco and Spanish Dance.

I could take either of these for around $60 I think. Heck of a deal!

But as I looked up these classes, I found so many more that I might be interested in. Now I’m conflicted.

Two years ago, I took a basic Journalism 105 class at COC in order to sharpen my writing for this website. Now I’m thinking of taking a class to sharpen my reading and interpretive skills; COC has me covered there: I’m considering either an American Lit II class or possibly “Bible as Literature” class that unfortunately meets during my work hours.

Of course, my interests could possibly be broadened if I took a music class. COC offers not only a Music Appreciation class, but a Fundamentals of music class, a series of four classes on “Musicianship Skills,” history classes on Rock ‘n Roll and the Development of Jazz, Opera appreciation, Latin Percussion Techniques, Popular Songwriting and more. Holy cow!

Then there’s what I like to call the utterly impractical classes. These are the classes that will not help me earn more money, or get famous. Rather, they are just classes attractive to me for their content alone. Here’s a hot one from the Sociology department:

 SOCI 198D GOD AND POLITICS

Units: 1.00 - CSU, May Be Taken Once for Credit

Examines the relationship between religious and political change in the United States; suggesting that generational perspectives of social and cultural life are embedded in society’s politics and spirituality.

It’s like COC knows exactly what I think about during trips to Starbucks!

The Sociology department has a number of interesting (and likely entertaining) classes.  If God and Politics doesn’t float your boat, you could explore human sexuality, war, genocide and human rights, juvenile delinquency, something called “self and society,” and the always useful “Thinking Critically about Social Issues,” which bills itself as a way to “compare and contrast the content, meaning and interpretation of social phenomena as reported by the media and scientific community.”

What about classes that may help improve my knowledge, understanding, and tolerance for the Santa Clarita Valley? COC has me covered: not only have the renamed all their buildings with the names of various canyons around town, but they offer a number of classes you could apply to the SCV:

• Geology of California: helpful in understanding last week’s quake and just how bad things are going to be when the SCV becomes beach-front property
• Waterworks Mathematics: Despite the subject matter, it sounds like a rather dry class that would “study the mathematical principles in solving problems related to treatment systems.” I’d probably be no closer to understanding how CLWA does what it does after taking this class
• History of California: Perhaps after taking this class, I could settle once and for all whether Gold was discovered in Santa Clarita before Sutter’s Mill
• Fire Technology 110: This class “covers topics related to wildland fire behavior such as weather, fuel, and topographic factors” and would help me escape to the safest place during the forthcoming OMG FIRESTORM 2008 sure to hit us this fall
• Introduction to Ethics: I’ve taken this Philosophy 210 class before, but it might be useful again as the “Ethics Debate” is sure to rage this fall at City Hall

But in the end, I have to be honest and admit that my academic career is likely over. I’ve got far too much going on in my life to really jump back into academic classes, so I’m seriously pondering some of these “less academic” classes that COC offers to the 30/40 something set in the valley. Here’s a sample:

• Kinesiology 106: A fancy way of saying you can go bowling and get instruction twice a week at Santa Clarita Lanes.
• And KPEA 110: Yes, COC actually teaches a class in Mountain Biking. Not surprisngly, this class meets at the college’s new Canyon Country campus, located up Sierra Highway where there are hills and snakes o’plenty
• Wine Appreciation 100: Perhaps after taking this class, I might actually know the difference between a Merlot and a Syrah, rather than just pretending I do. I’d really enjoy studying for this class.

There’s only a few sections of classes missing from COC’s catalog this fall. While they have many Administration of Justice classes, they’re not teaching any firearms handling classes this fall (which would make a great companion class to Wine Apperciation), and the Real Estate section doesn’t appear to have a class on foreclosures (yet). But as usual, COC doesn’t dissapoint!

 Link to full Schedule