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FALL CLASSES START SEPTEMBER 2 — Registration & drop/add available through September 15
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Dover (Wyoming Church): September 2, 2025 to September 30, 2025
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
This class centers on gesture drawing — identifying the tilting, leaning, twisting and foreshortening of the body, shadows and more to make objects feel three dimensional. Students identify specific elements of light and apply it to the form.
Taught by: Sheila Exum
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 2, 2025 to November 11, 2025
Tuesday at 12:45 PM
This is a survey of 11 films written and/or directed by Billy Wilder, demonstrating his absolute mastery of cinematic storytelling. High comedy, drama and mystery are all handled with wit, intelligence and psychological insights that enable the audience to recognize the human connection between themselves and the characters on the screen.
Taught by: George Christensen
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 2, 2025 to September 30, 2025
Tuesday at 2:30 PM
Learn about the Great American Folk Music Movement and its Revival. We will cover the music’s origins and performers of ‘folk music’ over the years. Lots of Guthrie, Seeger, Almanac Singers, The Weavers, The Kingston Trio, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter Paul & Mary, Smothers Brothers and many more. Part 1 will cover into the early 1960’s.
Taught by: Glenn Rill
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 2, 2025 to November 11, 2025
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
Prerequisite: Prior semester’s recorder class or equivalent proficiency on the recorder. Students continue their progress and increase their skill in playing the recorder. Course covers folk music as well as music of the Renaissance and Baroque periods.
Taught by: Carol Neild
Dover (Wyoming Church): October 14, 2025 to November 11, 2025
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
In this time of head-spinning news stories, are you finding things from the print news media that grab your attention? Each week, students share what captures their attention — not from network or cable news or social media, but an actual print media news story. Please name the source and share the author’s byline and two to three sentences that give the gist of the story. We discuss each participant’s offering, as time allows. We might not solve any problems, but we walk out of class with new insights.
Taught by: Joseph Bailey, Denise Kaercher
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 2, 2025 to November 11, 2025
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
At the close of the Civil War in 1865, the U.S. government embarked on a policy of “reconstructing” the union of the states while at the same time wrestling with the enormous task of ensuring a “new birth of freedom” for four million formerly enslaved people. The next several years saw a serious effort to create, for the first time in our history, a biracial democracy; but it ended in the abandonment and betrayal of African-Americans. This class looks back at this crucial and defining era.
Taught by: Daniel Pritchett
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 2, 2025 to September 30, 2025
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
One encounters the name Lafayette in almost every state of the Union. What did he and his countrymen do to have left such a lasting imprint? At age 19, Lafayette disobeyed his king and secretly left France to fight alongside the revolutionaries, and he demonstrated his courage at the Battle of Brandywine where he was wounded. Was Lafayette searching for personal glory, or was he fighting for the cause of liberty? This course explores the ideas and people that influenced him.
Taught by: Alice Cataldi, Susan Watkins
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 4, 2025 to October 2, 2025
Thursday at 12:45 PM
Delaware made extraordinary sacrifices that led to freedom from British rule. With the expertise of Delaware historians, this class explores the Delaware Continental Regiment, which had a hard-earned lasting reputation for ‘punching far above its weight.” Students learn about these ‘battle buddies’ that led their companies through 32 battles over eight years of war and hear tales about these ordinary people coping with extraordinary circumstances. This is part one of a two-part class. Part two to be held in spring 2026.
Taught by: Elizabeth Jelich, Susan Watkins
Dover (Wyoming Church): October 16, 2025 to November 13, 2025
Thursday at 12:45 PM
In the 1960s, Greenwich Village pulsed with rebellious energy. Folk music thrived in its cafes, hosting Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and others. It was a haven for artists and activists, and it embodied counterculture. Class explores the music, poetry and literature that permeated the area of New York City known as “The Village.”
Taught by: Susan Watkins, Larry Watkins
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 4, 2025 to November 13, 2025
Thursday at 2:30 PM
This class will present a series of biographies of people who made significant contributions to the development of the automobile industry in the early twentieth century.
Taught by: Larry Watkins, Susan Watkins
Dover (Wyoming Church): October 14, 2025 to November 11, 2025
Tuesday at 10:45 AM
We follow the trail of Asian spirit foxes over hills of culture and history, through and beyond and into our contemporary world. At the center of the class is Sally Wen Mao’s cunningly written contemporary short story collection, Ninetails, which presents a soulful exploration of Asian identity and history from a perspective of a Chinese born American woman poet.
Required text: Ninetails, Sally Wen Mao, ISBN#9780143137894.
Taught by: Russ Endo
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 4, 2025 to October 2, 2025
Thursday at 9:00 AM
As Britain fought the Nazis in WWII, the codebreakers at Bletchley Park worked to break the codes that protected their communications and their operations. Women played critical roles in all areas at Bletchley Park throughout the war. This book follows three of those women during and after the war as they hunt for a spy who threatens their post-war safety. This class reviews Bletchley Park, the roles of women there, how women helped win WWII and what happened after the war.
Required text: The Rose Code, Kate Quinn, ISBN 978-0-06-294347-7.
Taught by: Patricia White
Dover (Wyoming Church): October 16, 2025 to November 13, 2025
Thursday at 9:00 AM
Required text: Before We Were Yours, Lisa Wingate, ISBN 9780593599006. This historical novel explores the abuses of Georgia Tann, director of the Memphis branch of the Tennessee Children’s Home Society. The book centers on Rill Foss and her recollections of life on the river with her family as well as Avery Stafford and her search for answers to her grandmother’s secrets. Class encourages discussions of adoption, elder care and rights to privacy and personal history.
Taught by: Bobbi Neaton
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 4, 2025 to November 13, 2025
Thursday at 10:45 AM
Required text: No Fear Shakespeare, Othello, #978 1 58633 8528. We read and discuss the great play Othello by William Shakespeare. Through reading and discussion, class explores the issues of betrayal, racism and jealousy. In addition, we analyze the unique nature of Shakespeare’s language and setting in the play. We come to understand the structural nature of the classical five-act play. As always, we seek the relevance of the play to contemporary life.
Taught by: Robert Heifetz
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 4, 2025 to October 2, 2025
Thursday at 12:45 PM
Required text: James, Percival Everett #978 0 385 55036 9. We read and discuss the current National Book Award-winning novel, James by Percival Everett, which is a brilliant reimagining of the Mark Twain masterpiece, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Participants should reacquaint themselves with the Twain novel before attending the class to fully appreciate this new novel.
Taught by: Robert Heifetz
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 2, 2025 to September 30, 2025
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
The goal of this course is to provide information and practice in order to improve communication in French. Participants will learn the basics of French phonetics. They will practice the sounds of French in meaningful contexts. They will compare and contrast the sound system of English and French, as well as the rhythm and intonation of both languages.
Taught by: Alice Cataldi, Susan Watkins
Dover (Wyoming Church): September 2, 2025 to September 30, 2025
Tuesday at 9:00 AM
This course involves student participation each week as a new/current controversial issue is presented. Lively discussion (respectful) is the substance of the course.
Taught by: Joseph Bailey, Denise Kaercher
This one-session class has been added since catalog publication.
Dover (Noble’s Pond Clubhouse, Dover): October 8, 2025 to October 8, 2025
Wednesday at 4:00 PM
October in Germany isn’t all about beer; join Walter Makarucha as he introduces some of Germany’s fine wines. An appropriate food pairing will accompany each wine sampled.
This event will take place at Noble’s Pond Club House in Dover, DE on Wed., Oct. 8, 2025.
The cost is $20.00, which will be collected at the site on the day of the event.
Taught by: Walter Makarucha
Dover (Wyoming Church): October 9, 2025 to October 9, 2025
Thursday at 10:45 AM
If you are new to Medicare, close to Medicare age, or currently on Medicare this free educational seminar is for you. We will discuss strategies for all your health insurance and Medicare needs. You will learn about Medicare changes, difference between observation and admittance, and helping you understand all the letters (A, B, C, and D) and Plans (G, and N). We’ll discuss the time frame for signing up for Medicare, penalties, and the importance of reviewing your prescriptions during Open Enrollment.
Taught by: Joseph Cisco
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at the University of Delaware
OLLI is an academic cooperative for adults 50 and over to enjoy classes, teach, exchange ideas and socialize together, with no exams or educational requirements for participation. OLLI welcomes you.
Kent/Sussex | Wilmington