Liberal Studies

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Liberal Studies

• Autumn 2009

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The Liberal Studies Course

• Three parts
• Speaker meetings
• Trips
• Taught courses

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Taught Courses

• 3 stretches
• Different subject each time
• 7 sessions

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Influences On Popular Culture In The 1960s

• The 1960s were without doubt the defining decade
  for popular culture in the twentieth century. The
  first half of the century had been dominated by
  the two world wars and the fifties were a period
  of recovery. By the time the sixties began, rock
  and roll had been invented and young working and
  middle class people were living a relatively
  economically comfortable existence. The Cold war
  was entering a very tense and potentially
  world-ending phase and young people were thinking
  that they had better do what they had to as
  quickly as possible. This led to major
  developments in fashion, music, film and
  literature. The aim of this course is to look at
  the developments in these areas and also to
  examine the political changes that took place in
  this decade by focusing on the major icons of the
  time.
• JFH

5
British Cinema Since 1940

• The course looks at seven films made in Britain
  since 1940 and aims to give pupils an overview of
  different styles and eras of British film-making.
  Films covered range from the classic 1940s
  weepy, Brief Encounter, through to The Dam
  Busters, the 1955 Ealing comedy The Lady-Killers
  and then encompasses modern film-making including
  the surreal dark comedy Drowning by Numbers
  (1987) and the bleak vision of modern Britain in
  All or Nothing (2003).
• ADB

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Contemporary World Cinema

• This course looks at a number of contemporary
  films from different countries around the world.
  All films are shown in the original language with
  English subtitles. If you prefer movies with
  non-stop action and thumping-loud soundtracks
  then these films will probably not be for you
  however, if you relish a chance to watch and
  discuss films that are thoughtfully made, assume
  a certain degree of intelligence on the part of
  the audience, and provide a window into different
  cultures, then you should give this course a go.
  Films come from a range of countries that include
  Brazil, France, the Czech Republic, Russia and
  Iran, and embrace a number of different genres
  including documentaries, thrillers and dramas.
• ADB

7
Critical Thinking Crash Course

• Aimed specifically at Oxbridge, Law and Medical
  candidates, this course serves as a primer for
  the various logical and reasoning tests likely to
  be encountered during the application process. It
  will not lead to the full AS qualification as in
  previous years but any student interested in
  sitting the exam under their own steam would be
  well advised to give this some consideration.
  Numbers are strictly limited no time wasters.
• JPF

8
Creative Writing

• This workshop course provides an introduction to
  the writing process, and aims to develop an
  awareness of the skill inherent in creating high
  quality written work. Students develop their own
  writing, using a selection of 'interesting' tales
  as a basis for investigation of the short story
  form. The group will critically examine their own
  procedures in workshop. There are two aims to
  promote the short-story form and to write within
  it, building to the limited publication of the
  best work.
• TCM

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Digital Imagery

• Exposure and colour can be corrected with a few
  clicks as most of you know, but Working with
  Digital Images will introduce you to the wider
  range of possibilities involved in manipulating
  digital images.
• The course will introduce you to Photoshop CS3
  and will cover restoration, tinting, sharpening
  and cloning (inserting missing pieces). You will
  explore photo manipulation techniques which will
  help you to create new and unique images or
  alternatively enable you to restore your old
  family photographs to the original glory.
• Tutor PZ

10
Introduction to Financial Markets

• If you know your puts from your call options, can
  explain why a P/E multiple is important and
  advise on suitable capital issues, if you know
  when you are in the settlements department and
  when you are on a dealing floor and if you can
  tell the joke about fund managers and shopping
  trolleys and make it funny then this course is
  probably not for you. If you cant but you are
  interested in a career in finance or simply keen
  to find out how someone can send US64mn to the
  wrong place over a long weekend and still keep
  their job, sign on the dotted line. Pay nothing
  now - all fees based on future earnings.
• JPF/AH

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Introduction to Photography

• In this short introduction to non-digital
  photography you go through from taking a photo,
  developing a film, to producing a black and white
  print. If you have access to a 35mm camera you
  can use that. Other materials and equipment will
  be supplied. Look at the display outside room P2
  to get an idea of what we do.
• EMG

12
Bridge for Beginners

• A short introduction to Bridge, probably the best
  card game in the world.
• EMG

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Looking at Paintings

• The course will consist of looking at paintings
  with a view to understanding what they are
  communicating. We will look at material from the
  15th century to the 20th ... possibly even the
  21st. Pupils will be invited to talk to the group
  about a painting they have selected from the
  100 I have catalogued or, indeed, anything they
  care to bring in as long as it is a painting.
• Tutor JACY

14
Lifeguard

• A short course leading to a basic qualification
  (tbc)

15
Musical Appreciation The Quest For Quality

• This course is aimed at non-musicians and is
  certainly not for anyone doing Music A level.
  Where most studies of this nature focus (not
  unreasonably) on western classical music, this
  course has wider ambitions and is in search of
  quality. So, rather than concentrating on a
  specific type, NAL will be looking for good
  music and asking what it is that makes it good.
  In this quest for quality, no genre is safe
  obviously classical music will feature but the
  course enjoys licence to roam freely from jazz,
  reggae, ska, rock and to even pop simply
  anywhere where good music can be found.
  Absolutely no previous knowledge or interest is
  needed to participate in this course, just an
  open-minded attitude and open ears.
• Tutor NAL

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Practical Film Making

• The purpose of the course is to familiarise the
  students with the basics of film-making. The
  students will have the opportunity to operate a
  video camera and use digital editing hardware and
  software to enhance video clips. During the
  course we hope to be able to complete a short
  documentary film about the life of the college.
  The course will be taught on a number of Thursday
  afternoon sessions, but there might also be
  editing sessions scheduled elsewhere.
• Taught by visiting tutor

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Salsa

• Lessons in salsa
• Tutor external

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Screen Printing

• On this course students will learn how to produce
  screen-prints using various drawing techniques
  and also produce artwork from photographs and
  computer generated imagery using Photoshop. You
  will explore the possibilities of printing your
  images onto a variety of surfaces such as paper,
  wood, metal, fabric and even ceramic objects such
  as plates and mugs. This process does not require
  any previous experience.
• DH

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Tai Chi

• The course aims to give an introduction to this
  Chinese system of moving meditation and exercise.
  It is based on martial arts principles but is not
  a course in self defence more an insight into
  conserving and using ones energy. It will rely
  on learning by doing and cover basic relaxation
  exercises and an introduction to the Short
  Form-Yang style of Tai chi. This is a series of
  movements that promote health and agility.
  Students will hopefully complete the learning of
  this whole routine over the course of seven
  sessions and there is a possibility of further
  practice during the mornings, before school.
• Tutor PDA