Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

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Spring 2008 Courses

Please note that OLLI classes will not be held during the University's Spring Break, March 17 - 21.

Courses will be taught by University faculty, Extension staff, and community members. Courses run from 6-8 weeks. Courses are $25 unless otherwise noted.

African American Sacred Music:
Historical Settings and Singing Styles

Explore the rich heritage of African American sacred music and experience the joy and positive effects of singing together. We will be introduced to a variety of artists who have adopted the cultural style of the praise music, examine a variety of accompanying styles and learn from each other as we discuss, sing and make music, using examples from older traditional music to more contemporary African American gospel music styles. All OLLI members are welcome to participate in making a joyful noise with a truly outstanding choral director and accompanists. You need not have voice or music experience; we will sing as if no-one is listening... bring your best shower voice!

Instructors: Willie T. Summerville taught choral music in Urbana schools for over 35 years. During his tenure with the Urbana Schools, his choirs sang at many venues, including Carnegie Hall, the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, D. C., the Lobby of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Willie received many honors throughout his teaching career, including being named Hometown Hero in Education by President Clinton in 1999. His passion for music is contagious!

Assisting Willie in the class are:

Clarence Todd Taylor, at the keyboard. Todd is a choral teacher at Urbana High School, organist and choir director for Salem Baptist Church and the Church of the Living God, and director of the ML King Community Choir.

Darren Louis Warren, on drums. Darren is percussion music major at Parkland College. He is the lead drummer for the St. Luke CME Church of Champaign and plays drums for Canaan Baptist Church, Urbana. He has served as the lead drummer for the U of I's Black Sacred Music Symposium and the Indiana Baptist Workshop Choir of Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

Mark McKnight, playing drums & bass guitar. Mark has played with many jazz greats, including Dave Brubeck, and Ellis and Wynton Marsalis. He was a featured artist at a Jacksonville Super Bowl sanctioned event honoring Bob Hayes and The World of Nations Celebration.

Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Mondays, 6:30 - 7:45 pm
Duration: 8 weeks, beginning January 28; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, 2021 South First Street, Champaign
Course Fee: $25

All That Jazz…..and More!

Back by popular demand!

In the 1920's, Chicago became the jazz capital of the world as the result of a great migration of African-Americans on the Illinois Central Railroad from New Orleans in search of work in the steel mills and stockyards. Among these migrants were the amazing talents of Jelly Roll Morton, Joe" King" Oliver, and Louis Armstrong This new music blended and intertwined the sound of ragtime, marching brass bands, minstrelsy, rural blues, French opera and Caribbean songs into what we now call "jazz." This class will explore how jazz works in ways that will help you enjoy it more. Listening to America's great jazz masters-Louis, Duke, Count, Miles and Trane will sharpen an understanding of swing rhythm, jazz choruses and chord changes, and blues. We will hear both historic and current examples of how jazz improvisers create their solos through paraphrasing, use of melodic formulas, and variations on melodic motives.

The multimedia presentations will feature many audio recordings, photographs, and movie and TV excerpts to bring the fascinating human history of this unique American art form alive. All of this will prepare the class to enjoy a jazz performance at Krannert and an early evening at a local jazz club, which the class will attend together.

Instructor: Sam Reese, Associate Professor of Music Education, School of Music, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign

Professor Reese has 35 years of experience teaching the joys of music to people of all ages. He is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences and has experience as a jazz performer and a reviewer of jazz recordings. He is passionate about making jazz accessible and enjoyable. His University of Illinois Elderhostel program at the Chicago Jazz Festival attracts students from around the country.

Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Wednesdays, 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Duration: 6 weeks, March 26 - April 30 (6 class sessions and 2 performances)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, , The Ironpost, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
Course Fee: $25

Comfort Food and Wine

Mac and cheese Join outstanding faculty and staff members in Food Science and Human Nutrition for an intellectual and sensory exploration of comfort food and wine. The reasons that something becomes a comfort food are diverse, and what food is considered a comfort food is often dependent on an individual's experience, regional location, and personal preference. Comfort foods elicit thoughts of a pleasurable experience, and this course will provide that and more for participants. The course will include an overview of why we eat, an examination of foods that comfort your bones, muscles and mind, an introduction to wine tasting and the evaluation of quality, a discussion about the cultural implications of tea, and a careful exploration of the benefits of chocolate.

Instructors: see course schedule Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Thursdays, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Duration: 8 weeks, beginning January 31; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at Research Park, 2021 South First Street, Champaign
Course Fee: $40.00 ($25.00 plus $15.00 for food and wine)
Download course schedule

Don't Bee Afraid

Among the most important pollinators in both natural and managed systems are the 5000+ species of bees in the family Apidae, a group that includes honey bees and bumble bees. Until the recent publicity about the dramatic decline in bee numbers, the public knew very little about bees, other than that they buzzed, flew from flower to flower, and stung. Now we have a glimpse of how critical these fascinating little insects are to human survival, and research on bees is beginning to inform us about human behavior. In this class, we will learn about all this and more, including how to avoid bee stings! May Berenbaum, one of the University's most distinguished scientists (and the force behind the Insect Fear Festival), and her colleagues will keep us interested, amused and astounded. In addition, May will give us a presentation on the history of the Insect Fear Festival, which is celebrating its 25th year in February 2008. The class will have a block of seats reserved and will have access to the backstage festivities.

Instructors: May Berenbaum, coordinator of the class, is professor and head of the Department of Entomology. In recognition of her work she has been awarded virtually every honor that the campus can bestow, including a Swanlund Chair and a Jubilee Professorship. She has received numerous national and international awards, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Professor Berenbaum has a passion for fostering scientific literacy and has written many magazine articles for the general public.

Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Thursdays, 11:30am - 12:30pm; Insect Fear Festival: Saturday, February 23, 2008
Duration: 8 weeks, beginning January 31; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, 2021 South First Street, Champaign
Course Fee: $25
Course Schedule

Early Illinois: From the Ice Age to the American Revolution

Mastodon Geology, archaeology and history combine in this survey of Illinois' beginnings. Ice Age glaciers shaped the land that would be home for many successive cultures-Paleo-Indian hunters, the Hopewell and Mississippian moundbuilders with their remarkable artistic achievements and impressive monuments culminating in Cahokia, and the historic tribes of the Illiniwek , the Kickapoo and the Potawatomi.

Beginning in 1673, written history supplements archaeology. French explorers like Marquette, Joliet, La Salle and Tonti created a remarkable "empire" of trade and cooperation with the Indians, a "middle ground" covering the Midwest. From Starved Rock on the upper Illinois to Kaskaskia on the Mississippi, French outposts and villages coexisted with some tribes and warred with others. British rule replaced French, until tenuous British control was shattered during the American Revolutionary War. Videos of scenic and historic sites will bring history alive as we discuss the influence of environment on human cultures, and the interaction of those cultures in war and peace.

Instructor: Recently retired from the UI Records Office, Fred Christensen has 35 years of teaching experience. He taught history at the University of Kentucky, military science at the University of Illinois, the Command and General Staff Course for the US Army, and teaches noncredit classes in history and related fields for Parkland College and for the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston.

Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Wednesdays, 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Duration: 8 weeks, beginning January 30; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, 2021 South First Street, Champaign
Course Fee: $25.00

Landscaping Patios and Small Spaces

Hanging basket of flowers

Do you dream of relaxing on your patio with a newspaper in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other? But instead your patio is as inviting as a highway median. In this series of four classes you will discover ways to landscape around and on your patio to create a secluded, restful space. In this hands-on class you will learn basic design principles, plant selection, and creative uses of containers and night lighting that will help you turn your patio, courtyard or other small space into an extension of your home.

Instructor: Sandra L. Mason, U of I Extension Educator in Horticulture

Sandra Mason provides leadership and expertise in horticulture and environmental programs in Champaign County. She uses her expertise in horticulture to supply answers to questions and educate the public through workshops and other educational programs. She trains and assists in coordinating the Master Gardener program, is a regular on local radio and television programs in the area, and writes for the Champaign-Urbana News Gazette.

Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Fridays, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm; March 28, April 4, April 11, April 25
Location: U of I Extension, 801 North Country Fair Drive, Champaign Course fee: $25

Poetry: Yoga for the Mind

Are you looking to flex your mind and find your voice? You are welcome to join an interactive discussion that explores how to thoroughly read and wrestle meaning from contemporary poetry. Through the works of such poets as Lucille Clifton, Rodney Jones, Ted Kooser, Mary Oliver and Lucia Perillo, we explore how poetry fits into the fabric of our lives. What are the messages these poets have for us? Some of the poems will touch on spirituality, others on changing lives and relationships, still others on positive ways to deal with some of life's more challenging issues: illness, disability and aging.

We also will have an opportunity to learn the craft of writing poetry. We learn to express ourselves through a number of poetic forms, including haiku, sonnets and free verse.

Come discover the healing power of poetry and take something tangible away from this course: a poetry portfolio. Participants will receive a list of publishing venues for consideration.

Instructors: Marva Nelson is a poet and essayist and an Associate Professor of English at Parkland College. She graduated with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois. She has facilitated several poetry workshops including Parkland College's Women's Retreat at New Harmony, Indiana and also served as a Writer-in-Residence at Marion Federal Penitentiary, Marion, Illinois, teaching inmates the art of writing poetry, fiction, and essays.

Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Tuesdays, 10:00 am - 11:30am
Duration: 8 weeks, beginning January 29; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, 2021 South First Street, Champaign
Course Fee: $25.00

The Short Story: A Pathway to Explore Spirituality

The arts offer a means of exploring and even deepening our spirituality. In this course we will examine the short story as a way to explore the mystery and value of life, consider complex moral issues, and find meaning in our own experience. We will also explore various understandings of God as revealed through the stories we read. These stories come from a variety of religious traditions including Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Native American. We expect that through readings and discussions, we will challenge assumptions and find surprises which may lead us to places we have never been before. The course does not assume any particular set of answers; all points of view are respected. We will use as our text A Celestial Omnibus-Short Fiction on Faith along with brief video interviews of outstanding contemporary writers such as Alice Walker, John Updike, Andre Dubus and Raymond Carver.

Instructor: Tom Neufer Emswiler is a retired United Methodist minister and author of many books and articles who has been reflecting on the intersection between the arts and faith all of his life. His M.A. thesis at Northwestern University was on using the short story as a means of teaching theology. He has taught courses in this area for many years.

Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Tuesdays, 3:00 - 4:30pm
Duration: 8 weeks, beginning January 29; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, 2021 South First Street
Course Fee: $25.00
Download detailed course schedule (PDF, 90K)

Shadows, Strangers and Crime: Hitchcock's America

Alfred Hitchcock began making films in Hollywood in 1939. He was fascinated by the dark underside and violent impulses of what he saw as the bourgeois ordinariness of American life. The male protagonists of his films all suffered from moral failings, telling weaknesses that were revealed through bizarre, serendipitous circumstances, while his female leads have come to be known as Hitchcockian Blondes-women endowed with a cool self-possession, a sexual poise and social confidence that attracted and unsettled men. The class will view and discuss some of Hitchcock's best known films, and in the process, investigate the director's dark, sly exposure of what he felt was the subterranean malevolence of conventional mid-century American culture.

Film List
Shadow of a Doubt (1943) 108 min
Notorious (1946) 101 min.
Strangers on a Train (1951) 101 min.
Rear Window (1954) 112 min.
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) 75 min./The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) 120 min.
Vertigo (1958) 128 min.
Psycho (1960) 109 min.
The Birds (1963) 120 min.

Members can bring a snack or sandwich to munch while viewing the movie beginning at 5:15 pm, or watch the movie on their own and arrive at 7:15 pm for the discussion.

Instructor: Pat Gill, Associate Professor, Department of Speech Communication and the Gender and Women's Studies Program, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. Professor Gill studies gender and film, popular culture, and interpretive and psychoanalytic theories. She has taught numerous courses in and written extensively on media, film and cultural studies, and comes back to OLLI by popular demand, after the success of the fall "Film Noir" course.

Day and Time: Tuesdays, movie screening and dinner 5:15 -7:15 pm, discussion 7:15-8:30 pm
Duration: 8 weeks, beginning January 29; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, 2021 South First Street, Champaign
Course Fee: $25

So Strange and Wonderful:
A History of Polar Exploration

Scott's Expedition


Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale. - Robert Falcon Scott (1868-1912)

Men Wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success. - Ernest Shackleton (1874-1922), supposed newspaper ad for the Endurance expedition

Europeans have been fascinated by the poles since early times--especially the ideas that a Northwest Passage existed that could take travelers and traders west to reach the east and of Antarctica as an inhabitable place. With the debate about global warming, the possibilities of trade and the exploitation of natural resources has been revived. This course will start with ideas about the poles in the Middle Ages and then look at the explorers of both the Arctic and the Antarctic from the sixteenth into the twentieth centuries through their own words as well as through the lenses of various historians. We will analyze primary source materials and evaluate conflicting historical ideas, partly by viewing actual films of early 20th-century exploration by Amundsen, Scott and Shackleton.

Our discussions will seek to answer the following questions. How does mythology shape history? How do beliefs in scientific "certainties" influence actions? How do polar explorations relate to the beginnings of Western European exploration and colonialism? Why were nations competing to discover the Northwest and Northeast passages and Antarctica? What kinds of cultural differences are at play when historians look at polar exploration?

Instructor: Sharon Michalove was Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History until her retirement in 2006. She has a PhD in History of Education, and specializes in 15th century history and the history of polar exploration. She has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Mondays, 1:30 - 3:00pm
Duration: 6 weeks, beginning January 28; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, 2021 South First St., Champaign
Course Fee: $25.00
Course schedule details

Taiji (Tai Chi): To Your Health!

Professor Yang Yang leads group in Taiji and Qigong The Chinese believe that the ancient wellness exercises of Taiji and Qigong produce the elixir of longevity. Two recent U of I research studies have proven their health benefits for older adults. Qigong (chee-kung) and Taiji - or Tai Chi, as it is more commonly known in the U.S. - combine simple, graceful movements and meditation. Qigong is a series of integrated exercises believed to have positive, relaxing effects on a person's mind, body and spirit. Taiji is a holistic form of exercise, and a type of Qigong that melds Chinese philosophy with martial and healing arts.

In a report released in 2006, the U of I research studies found that healthy seniors who practiced a combination of Qigong and Taiji three times a week for six months experienced significant physical benefits after only two months. In addition, many participants gained noticeable improvements in tests of balance and lower body strength, as well as enhanced sleep quality, concentration, memory, self-esteem, and overall energy levels. These results mirror those found in numerous other studies, including research commissioned by the National Council on Aging and the American Society on Aging. Now students of Professor Yang Yang, the lead researcher in the UI studies, will lead this class in exercises.

Instructor: Michael Reed began studying Taiji with Master Yang at Center for Taiji Studies in 1999. He began working as an assistant teacher in 2001 and currently leads a class at the Center. He was directly involved in Master Yang's research with seniors at the University of Illinois. He has participated in a leadership role at numerous conferences and workshops.

David Skadden has studied Taiji from Master Yang through the Center for Taiji Studies since 2001. He has lead several research classes and currently teaches a class at the Center. He has presented at a variety Taiji workshops and conferences over the years through his affiliation with the Center.

Both are enthusiastic proponents of Taiji's benefits for everyone and enjoy sharing their experience with students interested in this healing art.

Day and time: Level II: Tuesdays, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Beginning class: Thursdays, 10:00am - 11:00am
Duration: 8 weeks beginning the week of January 28; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, 2021 South First Street, Champaign
Course fee: $25

Your Brain and You
University of Illinois Neuroscience Program

The University of Illinois has some of the best scholars in the world working to uncover the mysteries of the brain. In this course, we will have an opportunity to learn about how our wonderful brains work, and what the research is telling us about how to make them work better. Starting with basic anatomy and physiology, moving to adult development and the effects of exercise, nutrition, stress, biological rhythms, and genetics on the aging brain, this class will give us theoretical and practical information.

Coordinator: Gene Robinson, coordinator of the class, is professor and director of the Neuroscience Program. He has been honored as a University Scholar, a Fulbright Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow, and he is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the National Academy of Sciences. Most recently, he was awarded a Swanlund Chair in recognition of his exceptional contributions to his field.

January 28: The Brain's Fountain of Youth: Stem Cells. Professor Phil Newmark, Institute for Genomic Biology, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
February 4: Aging and Memory. Professor Paul Gold, Institute for Genomic Biology, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Psychology
February 11: Your Brain on Steroids. Professor Donna Korol, Institute for Genomic Biology, Department of Psychology
February 18: Use It or Lose It. Professor Art Kramer, Beckman Institute, Institute of Aviation, Department of Psychology
February 25: Many Memories, Many Memory Systems. Professor Neal Cohen, Beckman Institute, Department of Psychology
March 3: Brain Rhythms. Professor Martha Gillette, Institute for Genomic Biology, Beckman Institute, Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Head, Cell and Developmental Biology
March 10: Genome Dynamics in the Brain. Professor David Clayton, Institute for Genomic Biology, Beckman Institute, Department of Bioengineering, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology
March 24: Beyond Nature & Nurture. Professor Gene Robinson, Institute for Genomic Biology, Beckman Institute, School of Integrative Biology, Department of Political Science, Department of Entomology

Semester: Spring 2008
Day and Time: Monday, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Duration: 8 weeks beginning January 28; no class the week of March 17 (Spring Break)
Location: OLLI at the Research Park, 2021 South First Street, Champaign
Course Fee: $25

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