UD OLLI Online > Course listing home
F01
THE RISE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
11 weeks (September 8–November 24)
Tuesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructors: Charles Johnson, Ann Kneavel
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture; Video Based
This course introduces the major elements of Western civilization from the ancient world to the pre-Italian Renaissance, placing special emphasis on the Greco-Roman and Judeo-Christian traditions.
F02
(BASED ON) TRUE STORIES: MOVIES AND DISCUSSION
11 weeks (September 8–November 24)
Monday: 12:30–2 p.m.
Instructor: Sondra Weidman
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Video Based
Same as previous application Limited to 60 students.
F03
FOREIGN SERVICE POTPOURRI
11 weeks (September 8–November 24)
Wednesday: 2–3:15 p.m.
Instructor: Trudie Thompson
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Lecture
We will spend at least one session apiece on each of the five overseas locations the instructor served in (Germany, Botswana, Korea, Australia and Afghanistan) and at least one session on the life of a foreign service officer at the State Department in Washington. These sessions include how they are alike or different from the U.S., their importance to the U.S. and their role in their region and in the world. There is no expectation of previous knowledge or background except for an interest in foreign countries and how the U.S. interacts with those countries through our embassies and consulates overseas.
F04
IKEBANA: BEGINNER
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 2–4 p.m.
Instructor: Sima Sariaslani
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Active (Hands-on/Physical Movement); Video Based
Sogetsu ikebana, taught in this course, is a modern form of the formal Japanese art of flower arrangement and values discipline, which uses unconventional materials such as iron, stones, driftwood and plastic in its freestyle arrangements. Participants will first learn basic styles of Sogetsu ikebana and then transition to practicing freestyle arrangements, while internalizing the Zen influence that has transformed ikebana into a spiritual discipline. A basic package of supplies, including the required text, may be purchased from the instructor for $160. This fee is nonrefundable. Students will purchase their own flowers and branches for classes at the instructor’s direction. Limited to 8 students.
F05
IKEBANA: INTERMEDIATE
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Thursday: 2–4 p.m.
Instructor: Sima Sariaslani
Prerequisite: Completion of previous OLLI ikebana courses or equivalent.
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Active (Hands-on/Physical Movement); Video Based
This course is intended for students who have already completed the spring and summer 2020 ikebana courses with the instructor. Students are expected to purchase textbook No. 3 and 4 from the instructor. Cost of the textbook is expected to be around $20–$30 depending on the cost from the Sogetsu headquarters and shipping charges. Students are also expected to purchase additional kenzans and freestyle containers, as need be, during the course from suppliers recommended by the instructor. As usual, students will purchase their flowers and provide branches required for making arrangements as indicated by the instructor. Limited to 8 students.
F06
LGBT FILM COURSE
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Monday: 2–4 p.m.
Instructor: Larry Peterson
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Video Based
First day of class we will select films to view this semester. Limited to 20 students.
F08
THE ROMANTIC TRADITION IN SIGHT AND SOUND
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Thursday: 12:30–2 p.m.
Instructors: Jon Newsom, Derek Cole, Iris Newsom
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture; Video Based
Music and art in the secular and sacred rituals of global culture, in church, opera house, concert hall, stage, screen and wherever we gather to share in the life of the imagination. The instructors will follow the interests of participants. As the term romantic implies, the chronological scope of the course starts somewhere in 18th-century Europe and continues to the present. Music is always involved and no genre or culture is excluded. Limited to 50 students.
F09
BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING 2018
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Thursday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructor: Jeff Ostroff
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio AND video—Computer/laptop, iPad or smartphone screen
Course Format: Discussion
Everyone travels for different reasons, but one thing is certain, they come back with stories. Each year the best of these human interest stories are collected in The Best American Travel Writing. Expand your horizons in this stimulating and fun reading/discussion class! (One or two articles discussed each week.) Required text: Best American Travel Writing: 2018 by Cheryl Strayed and Jason Wilson, ISBN: 978-1-328-49769-7. Limited to 20 students.
G01
EARLY 20TH CENTURY UNITED STATES(1898–1942)
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Joan Miller
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture; Video Based
This course explores 11 important 20th-century events in U.S. history from the Spanish-American War in 1898 to the Battle of Midway in 1942, including the Great Migration, Theodore Roosevelt, the second Transportation Revolution, hookworm, the women’s movement, the year of strikes and bombs (1919), the New Deal and the Manhattan Project.
G02
U.S. HISTORY AS VIEWED BY AFRICAN AMERICANS
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Friday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Norwood Coleman Sr., Stanley Williams
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Video Based
This class focuses on the history of people of African descent in the Americas from the 1500s to the end of Reconstruction with possible blending into the beginning of the Jim Crow period. Sessions involve the use of videos with the possibility of links being sent to students prior to class. Discussion is strongly encouraged. Students are invited to share their experiences and/or linkages to the topics covered. Limited to 30 students.
G04
BASEBALL: HISTORY AND ISSUES
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Friday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructors: Matt Dodge, Dick Hagan
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture
History of the game (a year-by-year review; we will start this semester in the early/mid 1970s.) along with discussion of its current issues. Limited to 30 students.
G06–02
BOOK CLUB: THE LOST GIRLS OF PARIS
SECOND 5 WEEKS (OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 24)
Thursday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Bobbi Neaton
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Join me for a lively discussion of the historical novel The Lost Girls of Paris. We will also delve into the lives of the real women of the Special Operations Executive (SOE) who traveled into Nazi-occupied France to provide information for the Resistance and never returned. We will also learn about Vera Adkins who refused to accept that their fates could not be discovered. Limited to 25 students.
G07
CALICO, SPADES AND FLOUR
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Ray Glick
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Lecture
From 1820 through the 1890s, thousands of individuals settled the lands west of the Missouri River. To supply the goods these people needed arose a massive network of oxen, mule and horse-drawn massive freight wagons that carried goods from river ports on the Missouri to all points West. This will be their story. Limited to 100 students.
G10
DELAWARE IN THE CIVIL WAR
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Thomas Reed
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
Explore Delaware’s role in the Civil War and examine Delaware’s social and political history during 1862–1865. The course includes a critical examination of Delaware’s Union regiments, its African American soldiers, its contribution to the U.S. Navy and Union and Confederate heroes in major battles of the war. Limited to 100 students.
G11–02
DELAWARE’S NAVAL HERITAGE
SECOND 5 WEEKS (OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 2–3:15 p.m.
Instructor: William Manthorpe
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
This course describes a wide variety of naval activities related to Delaware: battles, heroes, bases, shipbuilding and ships during the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War II and Cold War. Limited to 100 students.
G13–02
GREAT WOMEN IN AMERICAN LIFE
SECOND 5 WEEKS (OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Veronica Grady
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Lecture
Each speaker will present a different great woman each week. You will learn about Ida B. Wells, African American journalist and civil rights activist; Sybil Ludington, a teenage Paul Revere; Fanny Kemble, actress, playwright and poet; and Pearl Buck, author of “The Good Earth. Limited to 20 students.
G14
HISTORY OF MEDIEVAL SCIENCE
11 weeks (September 8–November 24)
Tuesday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Raymond Hain
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
We will study the natural philosophical descriptions of what became the basis of today’s modern science. Medieval science was known as natural philosophy at the time and tried to answer the question of why the world worked the way it does. Today’s science tries to show how the world works. Today’s science is built on medieval natural philosophy.
G15–01
HISTORY OF PRESIDENCY THROUGH PORTRAITS
FIRST 5 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 12)
Tuesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructors: Arthur McLaughlin, Susan McLaughlin
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
The course contrasts how presidents choose to be portrayed officially and how they were portrayed in caricatures as a way of examining the major issues in each presidency and the evolution of the power of the office. Limited to 25 students.
G16
PLAGUE IN THE MEDIEVAL WORLD
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Monday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Rita Meek
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Video Based
Travel into the medieval world of the mid-14th century and experience the wide-ranging impact of the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death, as it swept across Europe, leaving one-third of its population dead in its wake. Similarities and differences to the coronavirus pandemic will be briefly discussed as well, but the focus of the course is on the events of the 14th century. This course is based on The Great Courses DVD series “The Black Death: The World’s Most Devastating Plague” with Professor Dorsey Armstrong.
G18
LONDON IN THE 19TH CENTURY
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Thursday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Robert Ehrlich
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
London weathers the Napoleonic threat to become the capital of a vast political and commercial empire. Explore social, cultural and political changes and their impact on rich and poor from the London of George III to the London of Victoria and Dickens. Specific topics include national funding for education, Gothic Revival and the architecture of London, Corn Laws, Chartists and popular protests, immigration, the Great Exhibition of 1851, dealing with water and air pollution, and women’s rights. Limited to 60 students.
G19–01
NEW YORK OVER AND UNDER
FIRST 5 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 12)
Tuesday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Peter Harrigan
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
Bridges and tunnels of all sorts help make New York the city that never sleeps. This course examines how bridges and tunnels transformed the city, the extraordinary engineering behind these public works, and the politics driving (or hindering) big-ticket projects.
G20
PRELUDE TO WORLD WAR II IN EUROPE
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Stuart Siegell
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture; Video Based
Explore European history starting with causes of World War I, then skipping the war to focus on the results, including the Treaty of Versailles and the Weimar Republic. Then review the emerging totalitarian states followed by the policies of Hitler leading to the outbreak of total war in 1939. The course uses PowerPoint lectures and videos. Limited to 70 students.
G21
TALKS ON AMERICAN HISTORY
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Thursday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Daniel Pritchett
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
From our founding documents—the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution—through the searing events of southern secession, the Civil War, Reconstruction and the Great Depression—while focusing on some of the leaders who truly gave their lives for their country, like Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr—this class offers some keen insights on how we, as a country, arrived at where we are today. Limited to 150 students.
G22
THE 16TH CENTURY CRISIS OF AUTHORITY
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructor: Katherine Henn
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Lecture
How shall we be ruled? Why did alternative answers to this question reach a tumultuous breaking point in the 16th century? Explore government dynamics and the ideological roots of the social, economic, political and religious upheavals that challenged Europe’s power structures and ultimately contributed to the United States’ governmental formation.
G23–01
THE CRUISE VACATION: 1970–2020
FIRST 5 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 12)
Tuesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructor: Thomas Powderly
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
The cruise industry has experienced incredible growth and diversification over the last half century. We will discuss how holidays at sea have evolved in terms of ship size, accommodations, onboard amenities, food and service, and ports of call. We will take a look at popular cruise itineraries and discuss how to differentiate one cruise ship and brand from another. The impact of COVID-19 on the cruise industry will be highlighted. Limited to 25 students.
G25
THE HOLOCAUST: TWO WARS
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Jack Vinokur
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture; Video Based
How does one teach about the Holocaust? One must begin with questions. Between 1941 and 1945, the German state led by Adolf Hitler murdered 6 million Jews and countless others. This course considers many questions in order to gain insight into how this monstrous occurrence happened. Limited to 40 students.
G31
SING THROUGH THE 2020 ELECTION
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Glenn Rill
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Lecture; Active (Hands-on/Physical Movement)
Presidential elections from Washington through Trump have been surrounded by music. Learn about historic campaign songs. We will also have nonpartisan weekly updates on the 2020 election. Sing along at home or just listen. Guitarists can play along at home. You are required to have fun. No campaigning. Limited to 50 students.
G26–01
THE POISONED WELL: ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT 1948–1968
FIRST 5 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 12)
Tuesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Nicholas Simmonds
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
This is a continuation of the Seeds of Conflict course, which dealt with the origins of the now more than century-old conflict between Arabs and Jews in Palestine. Seeds of Conflict ended with the United Nations Partition Resolution, the subsequent founding of the state of Israel and the exodus of some 650,000 Palestinians. For this course, we will examine the 20-year period between 1948 and the Six-Day War of 1967. Participants will learn about the Palestinian refugee problem, the flight to Israel of thousands of Jews from Arab lands, the growth of Arab nationalism, the Suez crisis of 1956, the Six-Day War and the founding of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization). Attendance at previous course not required. Limited to 80 students.
G27–02 Class Canceled
THE ROOSEVELTS AND THE TAFTS
SECOND 5 WEEKS (OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Stuart Forman
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
Teddy, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and William and Robert (“Mr. Republican”) Taft; their impact on their times and ours.
G29
THOMAS JEFFERSON’S LIFE/LEGACY
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Burton Cutting
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture
This course focuses on issues inadequately addressed in most Thomas Jefferson biographies. Topics include slavery, Native Americans, pirates, suffrage/gender, health concepts, routine and condition, world affairs, the Industrial Revolution, economics and others. We will strive to understand the context of his life as well as the social and cultural environment in which he lived, grew, survived and thrived.
G30–02
TRAIL OF TEARS: SOUTHEASTERN INDIAN REMOVAL
SECOND 5 WEEKS (OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 2–3:15 p.m.
Instructor: John Gardner
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture; Video Based
In the 1830s, led by Andrew Jackson and backed by planters, particularly in Georgia and Florida, the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws and Seminoles, the largest, most “civilized” Native American Nations of the Southeast and some smaller tribes in the Northwest were forced to abandon their homes and resettle in Oklahoma. On this “Trail of Tears,” thousands died. In this PowerPoint and discussion course we study the history and prehistory of the Southeastern Indians, the Removal and their continuing history east and west of the Mississippi. Required text: Unworthy Republic: The dispossession of Native Americans and the Road to Indian Territory, by Claudio Saunt. Limited to 15 students.
G32
LYNDON JOHNSON AND VIETNAM 1945–1967
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructors: John Bullock, Lewis Martin Jr.
Optimal Viewing Device: Any screen
Course Format: Lecture
Great Society initiatives were joined by Vietnam involvement as U.S. commitments kept getting bigger. Among others, we will discuss Vietnamese communism and its merger with nationalism and the American dilemma of assisting noncommunist nationalism without crowding out nationalism. Views of Johnson, McNamara, Ball, Fulbright and Kennan.
G33
MODERN FRANCE INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION— 17TH CENTURY
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructors: John Bullock, Lewis Martin Jr.
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Lecture
Religion, reason, science. We will review the old science and its merger with religion, religious views of the scientists such as Pascal and Descartes, the beginning of the Enlightenment and new science and disentangling from religion.
G34
AMAZING HISTORY OF THE WORLD’S SHIPS
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Edward Grygo
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Video Based
From the beginning of recorded history, ships have played a vital role but often gone unnoticed. Ships affect every part of our lives, from commerce and recreation to amazing and powerful war ships. We will go from the famous British man o’ war of yesterday to the monstrous tankers of today. Class limited to 40 students.
G35
THE POWER OF THE PRESSES
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday 10:30–11:45
Instructor: Edward Grygo
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Video Based
The history of printing is a story of BC China to the present. Get an inside look at the evolution of the printing trade, its history, how the advent of newspapers and books gifted literacy to the world. Learn about amazing machines and the incredible craftsmen who kept the presses running. End with a glimpse of what’s new and what’s coming. Class limited to 40 students.
H02
AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE,HISTORY, MUSIC
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 2–3:15 p.m.
Instructor: Aimee Wiest
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Discussion
African American literature, history and music including the vernacular by delving deeply within prose, poetry and drama through historical traditions. Limited to 50 students.
H03–01
DICK FRANCIS
FIRST 5 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 12)
Tuesday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Paul Collins
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Lecture
The life and works of Dick Francis, pilot, jockey and mystery writer. We will discuss his Edgar Award books, the Sid Halley series and his own favorites. Books include Dead Cert, Odds Against, Banker and Forfeit. Limited to 50 students.
H04
MOSTLY MALICIOUS MYSTERIES
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Rebecca Worley
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture
As the title suggests, we will read and discuss mostly mystery novels, especially those that don’t quite fit comfortably within the genre mold. Such novels keep us all reading into the wee hours, but some others do as well. And so we will also read and discuss those, novels that beguile me with the quality of their writing and dazzle me with the depth of their insight. Course information and reading lists will be provided prior to the start of class. Limited to 60 students.
H05
ROBERT BURNS: SCOTLAND’S BARD
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructor: Joseph Olinchak
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture; Video Based
Discover the life, times, poetry and songs of Robert Burns. Each poem includes an English glossing of Scots words and historical information on its development. The class will hear each work recited or sung by a native Scots performer. Biographical and historical information on Burns and his times supplement the presentations. The class is presented using PowerPoint with an abundance of audio and video, which is best viewed on a computer or laptop screen. Limited to 35 students.
H06
SHORT SUBJECTS: STORIES ALOUD
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Monday: 2–3:15 p.m.
Instructor: Chenda Davison
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Lecture
Enjoy the luxury of hearing a wide variety of stories read aloud, ranging from humorous to serious to provocative to hilarious. Among those chosen are works by authors such as Saki, T.C. Boyle, Dick Francis, Roger Angell, Maupassant and Ray Bradbury.
H07
THE NEW YORKER: REVIEW AND OPINION
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 2–3:15 p.m.
Instructor: Carol Banz
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
The class reviews and discusses various articles that appear in The New Yorker magazine. Everyone is encouraged to share summaries and opinions on various articles and offer their viewpoints for the class to consider. Participants are requested to have a subscription to The New Yorker or access to current issues. Limited to 30 students.
J01–02
THE POWER OF NOW BY ECKHART TOLLE
SECOND 5 WEEKS (OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 24)
Monday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Deborah Brown
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Class reads and discusses two chapters each week of The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle and discusses salient points or questions. Class participants should acquire a copy of the book prior to the first day of class. Limited to 9 students.
J02
AGELESS SOUL
11 weeks (September 8–November 24)
Tuesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructors: Jo-Ann Baca, Cathy Davey
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
This is a discussion-based course in which students are encouraged to read and share how Thomas Moore reveals a fresh, optimistic and rewarding path toward aging. Moore guides us through each of aging’s stages on a journey that need not be feared, but rather embraced and cherished, a process by which one becomes more distinctive, complex, fulfilled and connected. Required text: Ageless Soul by Thomas Moore, ISBN: 9781250135810. Limited to 15 students.
J03–01
AGING WITH GRACE AND SOULFULNESS, PART 1
FIRST 5 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 12)
Tuesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Susan Dagenais
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture
The goal of this course is to learn more about our own personality types as tools to increase our understanding of ourselves and our spiritual journeys as we age. Through lecture, class discussion and reflection, we will develop some important insights that provide glimpses into how we continue to grow and nurture ourselves throughout our spiritual pathway. Please bring a journal of your choice to each class. Limited to 30 students.
J04–02
AGING WITH GRACE AND SOULFULNESS, PART 2
SECOND 5 WEEKS (OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Susan Dagenais
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture
We will read and discuss Parker J. Palmer’s book, On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity, and Getting Old (ISBN 9781523095438), which views aging as a dynamic passage of discovery, engagement and deeper development of our inner lives. We will also read some brief selections from contemporary writers such as Joan Chittister and Mary Oliver. This class is a spiritual, somewhat philosophical look at the aging process. Please bring a journal of your choice to each class. Limited to 30 students.
J05
CHRISTIANITY AFTER RELIGION
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Friday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: John Holden
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Religious affiliation is plummeting in all denominations. Yet interest in “spirituality” is on the rise. What is behind the changes in American religion? This study of Diana Butler Bass’ Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening offers direction and hope to individuals and churches. This is a call to approach faith with a newfound freedom that is life giving and service driven. Participate in creating a fresh, vital, contemporary way of faith that stays true to the real message of Jesus. Limited to 15 students.
J06
FOUNDATIONS OF PHILOSOPHY
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Monday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructors: Marion Ehrlich, Robert Ehrlich
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Video Based
The questions asked by ancient philosophers remain current even though the approaches and attempted answers have become more refined. We will view videos covering philosophers from before Socrates to the Hellenistic and Roman periods and discuss the issues raised and their current relevance. Limited to 40 students.
J07
JESUS AND HIS JEWISH INFLUENCES
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructor: Chuck Miller
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture; Video Based
The aim of this course is to provide an understanding of how Jesus’ teaching and views were shaped by his Jewish background and context. We draw on various sources including the Hebrew Bible, Dead Sea Scrolls, Philo of Alexandria, Flavius Josephus and the New Testament. Limited to 30 students.
J08–01
MISSES IN SCRIPTURE
FIRST 5 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 12)
Monday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Anna Berger
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Lecture
This lecture series continues surveys of Old Testament women who, with their femininity, broke social mores, spoke prophecy, deceived husbands and even lied while serving God! Explore the historical, literary and religious meaning of Scripture by examining Ruth, Tobit, Esther and more. Discussion includes applicability to modern life. No text, no prerequisites, Bible needed.
J09
MYSTERIES OF DEATH AND DYING
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Thursday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Gary Soulsman
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture; Video Based
A look at dying from many perspectives through lectures, film, class discussion and weekly readings to give us perspectives on how to fully live now and offer us a chance to prepare for the larger mystery ahead. Limited to 25 students.
J10
READING THE BIBLE AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Monday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: John Holden
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Exploring understanding the Bible by emphasizing history and metaphor rather than forcing literal interpretation, this course is a guided discussion of Marcus J. Borg’s Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously but Not Literally. This methodology is then applied in an overview of the biblical record. Limited to 15 students.
J11
RICHARD ROHR’S THE UNIVERSAL CHRIST
11 weeks (September 8–November 24)
Tuesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructors: Christine Loveland, Winifred Hayek
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
In The Universal Christ, Richard Rohr considers what it means to refer to Jesus as Christ. Rohr sees Christ as the “indwelling of the Divine Presence in everyone and everything.” The course uses Rohr’s book as a springboard for recognizing that universal presence and for exploring our own beliefs. Required text: The Universal Christ, Richard Rohr, ISBN 978-0281078622. Limited to 20 students.
J12
SUFI STORIES AND POEMS: READ AND DISCUSS
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Thursday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Claire Brown
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Learn about a different way of looking at the world. Explore Sufism, “to be in the world but not of it.” Based on love, not intellect or asceticism, Sufism is recognized worldwide as a mystical spiritual tradition. Sufis teach through tales and poems. So, we will read aloud and discuss short Sufi stories and poems as a way into this tradition. Get any book of stories translated by Idries Shah, and/or any book of poems by Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks. Limited to 10 students.
J13
THE LIFE OF ABRAHAM
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Michael Kramer
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture
Abraham—a critical review of the life of the Biblical patriarch from entering Canaan, his various trials, including the binding of his son Isaac at the top of Mt. Moriah. Limited to 30 students.
J14
WHERE DOES IT SAY THAT IN THE BIBLE?
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructor: Joe Theranger
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Discussion; Lecture
This is a survey course of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. It focuses on the Biblical events themselves but include a historical, political and geographical context to those events. The course provides information with perhaps some new insights. Controversies are not avoided and are covered from all sides. A sense of humor and fun are encouraged. Limited to 30 students.
J15
RELIGIOUS HAIR DISPLAY
FIRST 5 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 12)
Thursday: 2–3:15 p.m.
Instructor: Bill Innes
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and video—Computer/laptop, iPad or smartphone screen
Course Format: Lecture
The major world faith traditions all use hair to tell us something about the spiritual state of the adherent. This could be hair cutting, head shaving, hair covering, beards or no beards and more. Why are these done and what might they mean? Are they consistent across traditions? How do they connect with the religion’s belief systems? We will explore with lecture, visuals and discussions the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh traditions and hair. Students are asked to bring their own experiences to class and be willing to share. No prerequisites or materials needed.
K01–02
IN-LAWS AND OUT-LAWS: EXPLORING THROUGH WRITING
SECOND 5 WEEKS (OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 2–3:15 p.m.
Instructor: Susan Dion
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Focus is on the characters who have entered our lives or inhabited the stories of earlier generations through kinship by marriage or close relationships (rather than strict familial lines). Weekly writing suggestions offered to probe the past. Supportive sharing. Limited to 12 students.
K02
POETRY WRITING WORKSHOP
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Thursday: 2–3:15 p.m.
Instructor: Helen Griffith
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Device
Course Format: Discussion
For those who enjoy writing poetry and those who would like to give it a try. Assigned topics and poetic forms encourage you to write in a variety of styles. The object is to help each other to improve as poets, so critiquing in this class is as important as the writing. Examining other poems can broaden your outlook and enrich your own work. Limited to 16 students.
K03
READY, SET, WRITE! PART ONE
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Monday: 9 a.m.–noon
Instructor: Roz Gregor
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Active
There is no WRITING here, just a series of exercises that stimulate your creative imagination while you are busy making lists. Then comes the writing, in the same session, of course. No writer’s block, just tons and tons of wonderful stuff generated by the lists. Students need to bring two different colored pens and a wide-ruled notebook. Prepare to be amazed! Limited to 10 students.
K04
WRITING A MEMOIR
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Rae Tyson
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
As a means of preserving your personal legacy, memoirs have become one of the most popular forms of creative expression. But crafting a good memoir can be a challenge. To guide that journey, this course helps you master and practice the art of writing a good, readable memoir. Limited to 14 students.
K05—01
WRITING NONFICTION
FIRST 5 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–OCTOBER 12)
Monday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Rae Tyson
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
When it comes to creativity, fiction writing dominates. Or does it? Good nonfiction also relies on heavy doses of creative writing. The nonfiction bonus is writing about things that are true. This course explores a variety of nonfiction genres, including memoir and other forms of creative nonfiction. This offering is suitable for all, regardless of prior writing experience. Limited to 12 students.
K06–02
WRITING NONFICTION
SECOND 5 WEEKS (OCTOBER 20–NOVEMBER 24)
Monday: 9–10:15 a.m.
Instructor: Rae Tyson
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Same as K05—01 except for dates. Limited to 12 students.
K07
YESTERDAY FOR TOMORROW
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Monday: 10:30–11:45 a.m.
Instructors: Rose Greer, Rebecca Varlas
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Beginning and experienced writers practice principles and enjoy the pleasures of memoir writing. We write at home. Then in class, we read aloud our times of laughter, sorrow, fear and joy. We express our history, leave treasures for our descendants and inspire each other to chronicle memorable moments. Come! Write your memoirs! Notice: We request confidentiality. What you see, what you hear, when you leave, leave it here. Limited to 35 students.
K08
YOUR STORY PAINTED IN WORDS
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Tuesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructor: Ruth Flexman
Optimal Viewing Device: Any Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Express yourself through memories or stories. Share your work aloud with classmates. Exercises in class help you connect with your inner writer. Achieve increased understanding and appreciation for your lived experiences and stories. New and experienced writers, bring your creativity for interesting writing inspirations. Limited to 22 students.
K09
ADVANCED POETRY WORKSHOP
11 WEEKS (SEPTEMBER 8–NOVEMBER 24)
Wednesday: 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Instructors: Betsey Cullen, Pat Goodman
Optimal Viewing Device: Audio and Video—Computer/Laptop Screen
Course Format: Discussion
Write! Collaborate! This workshop, conducted by two published poets, is geared to serious poets who have workshopped poems and understand basic issues of critique and craft. We will focus on transforming poetry, dealing with feelings, rethinking and revising poetry, and achieving tone. Each student will write and revise four free-verse poems and critique the poems produced by their classmates. Some experience with writing and critiquing poetry is necessary. Limited to 10 students.