OLLI Courses - Fall Semester 2017
Browse courses by subject
ARTS
More History of Photography
Craig McMonigal
Tuesday, 3:30-5:00; September 12 through October 31
This course will fill in the gaps from the instructor’s History of Photography course that was offered in the spring semester, surveying the history from invention to contemporary– and it is suitable for both those who took the earlier course and new students. The emphasis will be on the art of photography, including surrealism, influential books, the nude in photography, and developments such as Polaroid and digital photography. Examples of major genres, movements, and technical developments in photography will be discussed with PowerPoint presentations, and actual examples from the instructor’s extensive collection of historical and contemporary images will be shown.
Instructor: Craig McMonigal received his BFA from Ohio University, and his MFA from the University of Illinois. Craig worked for the University of Illinois, and taught at Parkland College, retiring in 2015 after receiving an award as a Community College Outstanding Faculty for the state of Illinois. His work is included in the collections of several museums. Craig has curated more than a dozen photography and art exhibitions. He taught traditional and digital photography, Studio Lighting, and the History of Photography at Parkland College. Craig has an extensive collection of photographs and a library of over 1400 photography books. His first OLLI course, in spring 2017, received excellent reviews for the wealth of examples he shared.
Women in Art: Renaissance – 20th Century
Kelly White
Tuesday, 11:00-12:30; September 12 through October 31
This course surveys women’s involvement in and relationship to the visual arts from the Renaissance through the 20th century. It will be organized chronologically and thematically. The imagery, artists, and patrons discussed will be examined within their social and cultural context, and as reflections of the role of women in their respective time periods. The course focuses on the factors related to women’s access to the means of artistic production and their major contributions to the history of art. We will consider the historical reality of women’s participation in art through the ages as well as revisionist art histories and strategies for examining the history of women in the arts.
Instructor: Kelly White was born in the city of Luanshya in Zambia, Africa to British parents. After living in Africa for seven years, her immediate family moved to a tiny town in Eastern Tennessee and after about 14 years, relocated to the suburbs of Chicago. She eventually attended the University of Illinois and received her BFA in Graphic Design in 1992 and in 2002 received an MFA in Painting and an M.A. in Art History at the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia. She returned to Illinois several years ago and is currently the Executive Director of 40 North | 88 West, the Champaign County Arts Council. She has been drawing and painting for most of her life and has taught art history at Parkland College for more than 10 years. This is her first OLLI course.
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
The American Health Care System
Robert Rich
Monday, 1:30-3:00; September 11 through October 30
In this course we will focus on the American health care system in 2017. To what extent will elements of the Affordable Health Care Act be retained? What new elements are being introduced in the form of "TrumpCare"? What are the major elements in a complex health care system which need to be addressed? Will Americans have universal access to health care? We will examine the American health care system as it has evolved over the last nine months. To what extents will states play a greater role? Will Medicaid expansion be retained? We will have guest speakers who are experts in health care policy and health economics.
Instructor: Robert F. Rich is the retired Director of the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs and Professor of Law, Political Science, Medicine, and Public Health. He was on the faculty of the University of Illinois from 1986 through 2012. His research and public engagement has focused on the policy -making process, health law and policy, state and local government, and public management. The first version of this course was offered during OLLI’s first semester in fall 2007; because of the changing nature of the subject matter, this course is suitable for both new and returning students. The instructor’s numerous OLLI courses have received strong evaluations for his thorough knowledge of the subject, well-chosen guest speakers, and skillful discussions.
Oligarchs: Finding them, following them, and investigating them
Brant Houston
Tuesday, 1:30-3:00; September 12 through October 31
This course will cover the rise of oligarchs from both Russia and other parts of the world. The course will show how to identify them and keep track of their activities and influence. We will look at their history and then use recent investigative journalism and research to see their involvement in global industries, in offshore money laundering, and in U.S. politics and business.
Instructor: Brant Houston is the Knight Chair in Investigative Reporting at the University of Illinois where he teaches investigative and data journalism and oversees the online newsroom, CU-CitizenAccess.org. He previously was executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, a group of 5,000 members, for more than a decade and before that an award-winning investigative reporter for 17 years. He is co-author of The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook and author of Computer-Assisted Reporting: A Practical Guide. He also is co-founder and the board chair of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, a consortium of more than 120 nonprofit newsrooms throughout the world. He taught his first of many OLLI courses in fall 2012, and his courses receive rave reviews for his thorough research and numerous resources for students to explore.
Reuse as a Sustainability Strategy
Joy Scrogum
Wednesday, 9:00-10:30; September 13 through November 1
When thinking about how to decrease their own “carbon footprint,” or to improve the overall sustainability of our society, many people typically consider strategies involving reduction of consumption or resource use, or increased recycling and use of recycled materials. This course will focus on the often overlooked “third R,” reuse, and why it is an important component of sustainability. Students will be introduced to sustainability, the waste management hierarchy, and the circular economy. The course will explore different forms of reuse (e.g. repair, food recovery, etc.), and their economic, environmental, and social impacts.
Instructor: Joy Scrogum is a Sustainability Specialist at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, a division of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois. She helps businesses, organizations, and individuals identify and implement strategies for waste reduction and efficiency. She also works on sustainability outreach projects, including the Illini Gadget Garage and Green Lunchroom Challenge. Past projects include the International Sustainable Electronics Competition, ENG 498 "Sustainable Technology: Environmental & Social Impacts of Innovations," and Greening Schools. She is an MS in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, a LEED Green Associate, and an International Society of Sustainability Professionals Sustainability Associate. This is her first OLLI course.
FILM STUDIES
Ain’t Misbehavin’: The “Sex Comedies” of the 1950s
Pat Gill
Tuesday, 5:30-8:30; October 10 through 31
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.
After the waning of the screwball and madcap comedies in the 1940s and before the reinvented romantic comedy that began with The Graduate in 1967, there were the “sex comedies” of the 1950s and early 1960s. For decades, critics viewed this era as a “low point in comedy” that indulged in farcical titillation while upholding conventional morality. The millennium brought about a reconsideration of these films, an appreciation of their sophisticated premises, quick, witty dialogue, sparkling, inspired actors and acting, and subtle appraisals of the restrictions of social convention and the personal, social, gendered costs of flaunting it. Films to be viewed: Born Yesterday, Sabrina, The Tender Trap, and Desk Set. Films will be expeditiously introduced with discussion to follow after screening.
Instructor: Pat Gill is an emeritus professor in the Department of Communication and in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois. She has taught various aspects of media and popular culture for 35 years. She has written on filth, crime, obsession, wit, and nostalgia. She still toys with the idea of completing her second book, Men Behaving Sadly: Anguished Male Cinema. Her first OLLI course was offered in fall 2007, the program’s first semester, with students noting her informative introductions and lively post-film discussions. This is her tenth OLLI course.
*** CANCELED ***
Directed by William Wyler: Favorite Movie Classics
Connie Hosier
This course has been cancelled for the fall semester. We look forward to offering the course as part of our spring semester lineup.
This course will offer a selection of movies by director William Wyler. Known to be a meticulous craftsman, Wyler gained a reputation of making films that were serious, intelligent, and popular. Among the classic Hollywood directors, Wyler made fine literary and theatrical adaptations that often addressed serious themes. His career began in the silent era and continued through the 70s, and his movies went on to win more Academy Awards than those of any other filmmaker. There is a consistency of quality in Wyler’s films, which are remembered for their striking images in capturing a fleeting emotion or the importance of a moment. We will watch and discuss eight movies that reflect Wyler’s ability to direct a wide range of genres: The Letter (film noir), Mrs. Miniver (wartime propaganda), The Desperate Hours (gangster), The Westerner (Western), The Heiress (women’s picture), Jezebel (costume drama), and Dodsworth (family melodrama).
Instructor: After receiving an M.A. in Language and Literature from Columbia University, Connie Hosier taught in the NYC public school system, then moved to Arizona, again teaching at-risk students, then on to Champaign and Parkland College, where the courses she taught included film studies. Retired for over a decade, she now reviews movies for our local community radio, WEFT 90.1 FM, and continues her love of teaching film classes at OLLI – where students regularly hail her well-structured, meticulously prepared courses. She taught her first OLLI course in spring 2012.
Moving Pictures: Inspiring Films You May Have Missed
Tom Neufer Emswiler
Tuesday, 11:00-1:00; September 12 through October 31 (note: this class meets for 2 hours)
Eight feature films that will move you emotionally and/or challenge you intellectually. None were “big hits” - lack of money or “star” power, or too unusual a subject. Included are two documentaries and six dramas. Some raise religious questions about such things as miracles, life after death, and the nature or existence of God. Others deal with the thrill of athletic competition and how it can motivate some in positive ways. Still others look at human emotions and the meaning of forgiveness and love. All are short enough for us to see the film and discuss it within a 2-hour class. Titles include Finding Joe, Saint Ralph, Henry Poole Is Here, Shouting Secrets, Angel in the House, Unconditional, Hip Hop-eration, and Delivering Milo.
Instructor: Tom Neufer Emswiler has been a student of film all his life. As a campus minister at Illinois State University he received two national grants in the area of film. He was chosen to go to Boulder, Colorado to participate in a DVD in which he discussed films of spiritual significance with producer/director/author Stephen Simon. He has a collection of over 1600 films. He taught his first OLLI course in fall 2009, and his numerous courses over the years have received enthusiastic reviews for his extensive preparations and carefully selected materials.
Pre-Code Hollywood
Chuck Koplinski
Wednesday, 5:30-8:30; September 13 through November 3
The Pre-Code Hollywood era refers to the time between the advent of sound in 1927 to July 1, 1934 when censorship rules established by the Production Code Administration (PCA) began to be strictly enforced. The films made within this brief period of time focused on such taboo subjects as prostitution, homosexuality, infidelity, abortion, promiscuity, and illegal drug use among other things. This course will examine the Motion Picture Code and the rules it contained, examine the reasons why it wasn’t initially enforced and the circumstances that led to its being strictly adhered to, and look at key figures of the era, including actress Barbara Stanwyck and directors William Wellman and Frank Capra. The films that will be shown during the course are The Divorcee (1930), Little Caesar (1931), I am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932), The Island of Lost Souls (1932), Baby Face (1933), The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933), Gabriel Over the White House (1933), and Wild Boys of the Road (1933).
Instructor: Chuck Koplinski has been a film critic for over 20 years, writing for various independent newspapers in the community. A member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Chicago Film Critics Association, he currently reviews films for The News-Gazette, the Illinois Times, WCIA-TV, and MIX 94.5 FM. This is his ninth offering at OLLI. He taught his first course in 2013, and students regularly hail his excellent film suggestions and informative introductions.
HISTORY
Basic Heraldry
Loarn Robertson
Thursday, 9:00-10:30; October 12 through November 2
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.
This 4-week course examines the elements of heraldic design, art, and history. It provides participants with exposure to the art and science of armory involving both the design and displaying of coats of arms together with the pageantry associated with state ceremonies and public displays. Course participants will delve into the medieval origins of heraldry through contemporary usage. Special and unusual coats of arms from countries like the USA, England, France, and Scotland will be presented together with matters of genealogy, pedigree, and rank affecting general armory. Participants will have the opportunity to practice the language of heraldry in Norman-French and English and construct their own personal coats of arms.
Instructor: Loarn Robertson is a native Scot and a graduate of the University of Illinois. A former university professor, clinician, and academic book editor, Robertson is currently retired and is the founder of a small business enterprise, Scotia Books and Things, that offers informational products about things of Celtic interest. Using his undergraduate training in history, Robertson has written several Scottish and Franco-Irish historical, biographical, and genealogical works, and regularly presents on topics of Scottish history to local universities and community colleges. This is his first OLLI course.
The Story and the History of Appalachia
Cam MacRae
Tuesday, 9:00-10:30; September 12 through October 31
Almost as soon as the original American colonies were first settled, adventurous pioneers began to explore and make their homes in the southern Appalachian mountains. The region has nevertheless long been viewed as a place set apart, an area so isolated that it was left behind as the rest of the country modernized. This course will present an overview of the history and culture of the southern Appalachian mountains. Each class will also include a case study illustrating in depth some aspect of that week's broader focus with the ultimate aim of unravelling the Appalachian stereotype. An earlier version of this course was offered in fall 2015, and this course is intended primarily for new students.
Instructor: Cam MacRae has long been interested in social history, looking at how people live and work with each other in their physical, social, and political environments. She holds an M.A. in history from East Tennessee State University. Her master's thesis, Women at the Loom: Handweaving in Washington County, Tennessee, 1840-1860,looks at how women in upper East Tennessee integrated themselves into the local economy in the decades before the Civil War. Cam teaches Scottish Gaelic and has taught very well-received OLLI courses on Celtic Studies and Appalachian Studies; her first OLLI course was offered in 2014. She has worked in the education departments of several museums designing programs for visitors.
The Thames: River of the English Heartland
Fred Christensen
Wednesday, 1:30-3:00; September 13 through November 1
From its source in the Cotswolds to its mouth east of London, the River Thames passes through scenic landscapes that have witnessed historic events and inspired artists and poets over the centuries. Almost every mile provides a significant or attractive topic for discussion, whether historic (medieval struggles for power or inspiration for Shakespeare’s history plays), artistic (landscapes that inspired Turner, Reynolds and Constable), literary (from Lewis Carroll to Kipling and Dickens), technological (canals, locks and weirs, flood barriers), or natural (wetlands and small preserves unchanged for millennia). This course will follow the rural river along its course toward London, and there will be interesting surprises around each bend.
Instructor: Fred Christensen is a former history instructor at the University of Kentucky and assistant professor of military science at the University of Illinois. He teaches noncredit classes for OLLI, Parkland College, and other venues, in five areas of history and archaeology: Britain, Germany, early America, Israel/the Holy Land, and military history in general. He began teaching at OLLI in spring 2008, during OLLI’s second semester, and has offered courses in every semester since then. Recent student evaluations cited his carefully chosen materials, enthusiasm, and broad knowledge of the subject matter.
The War That Changed the World: The 1973 Arab-Israeli War
Frank Chadwick
Wednesday, 3:30-5:00; September 13 through November 1
This course is a military and diplomatic history of the 1973 Arab-Israeli War, also known as the Yom Kippur War, The Ramadan War, The October War, and the War of Atonement. It begins with an overview of the series of preceding Arab-Israeli wars from the 1947 War of Independence on, then covers the plans and war aims of each side, the armed forces of all the belligerents, and the course of operations in the war. We will end with an examination of the enduring aftermath of the war which changed the balance and nature of Middle Eastern politics.
Instructor: Frank Chadwick has a B.A. in speech from Augustana College and an M.S. in communication from Illinois State University. For most of his professional career he has been a game designer and military author and columnist. His book on the 1991 Gulf War, The Desert Shield Fact Book, reached number one on The New York Times best-seller list. He has taught several well-received courses and facilitated numerous study groups at OLLI since 2011, and he currently serves as a member of the OLLI Board.
LITERATURE
Emerson’s Lectures and Essays
Willis Goth Regier
Wednesday, 11:00-12:30; September 13 through November 1
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) was a man of sorrows who preached optimism. He trained to be a minister but had too many doubts, and turned his attention to editing a journal –The Dial – and giving public lectures. A charismatic speaker, Emerson lectured across the United States (except the South), attracting large audiences. He revised his lectures into books of essays, some of which remain keystones of American literature. His lectures and essays personified the American Intellectual. His range was awesome in its depth, but sometimes formidable and difficult. Emerson’s thought reached to heaven, but his heart loved the woods, where he walked in shadows and haze. The course will be conducted as informal lectures, with special attention to Emerson’s three most important collections of essays: Essays, First Series; Essays, Second Series; and The Conduct of Life. The instructor will provide a list of suggested readings, many of which are available online for free.
Instructor: Willis Regier retired in 2015 as the Director of the University of Illinois Press. He has authored three books – two were selected as CHOICE “Outstanding Academic Books” – and edited another. In Harper’s John Leonard wrote “Book of the Sphinx is happy all the way through: a grab bag, treasure trove, and star chart of the mythic monster's whereabouts in art, religion, history, and literature, with the winks, nods, footnotes, bird trills, and memory-bank shots of a scholar so intimately at home that he seems, like his subject, to be playing with his food." Regier has published essays and reviews in American Academic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Language, Modern Language Notes, Paideuma, World Literature Today, and other journals. He taught his first OLLI course in fall 2015, and his courses receive strongly positive evaluations, with one recent student calling the experience “OLLI at its highest potential.”
Fairy Tales and Gender Formation
Vicki Mahaffey
Wednesday, 1:30-3:00; September 13 through November 1
“The consolation of the imaginary is not imaginary consolation.”—Roger Scruton
What does it mean to be female in contemporary culture, and how is that meaning related to definitions of femininity in other cultures, and at other times? Children are taught the difference between male and female roles, and one of the main ways this instruction takes place is through the pleasurable media of books, tales, and more recently films. Yet relatively few children reared on Sleeping Beauty know that once upon a time it was a tale about rape (Jane Yolen, in sharp contrast, turns it into a story about the Holocaust), or that one of the Cinderella stories (the “Donkeyskin” variant) concerns father-daughter incest. The stories currently found in nurseries are often sanitized versions of older, more complex and varied narratives that take many different forms. Our overall aim, then, is to understand how sexual identity is constructed differently in different cultures, and to explore the ways that fairy tales work to express psychological reactions to maturation while conditioning both characters and readers to adopt specific social roles in adulthood.
Instructor: Vicki Mahaffey, Clayton and Thelma Kirkpatrick Professor of English and Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Illinois, has taught at Illinois since 2008. She is the author of three books--Reauthorizing Joyce (Cambridge); States of Desire: Wilde, Yeats, Joyce and the Irish Experiment (Oxford), and Modernist Literature: Challenging Fictions (Blackwell)—and she has edited a collection of essays on Joyce’s Dubliners, Collaborative Dubliners: Joyce in Dialogue (Syracuse University Press). She has received several teaching awards and is a Guggenheim fellow. She is an elected member of the Board of Trustees of the James Joyce Foundation and serves on the advisory boards of the James Joyce Quarterly and Joyce Studies Annual. She lectures on Irish literature all over the world, and has been featured on the BBC, the RTE, and Australian public radio. She has taught several exceptional courses at OLLI since fall 2014. One student recently wrote of the experience, “I was transported on a journey of words.”
Poetics of Place
James T. McGowan
Monday, 11:00-12:30; September 11 through October 30
For all of its history, the influence of the environment on poetic expression has been incalculable. Whether urban or rural, mountainous or prairie, oceanic or arid, poets have striven to reveal character and vision by how their characters engage with their surroundings, which can be malignant or benign, inspiring or dispiriting, nurturing or destructive. Through discussion, we will explore the astonishing range of such poetic expressions. Through close readings and the application of various interpretive strategies, we, too, will engage a variety of poems in order to discern how poets re-create their environments through image, metaphor, and symbol.
Instructor: After receiving an M.A. in English at the University of Arkansas, with an emphasis in creative writing, James McGowan left academia to open a restaurant in Chattanooga, TN. Subsequent to discovering how difficult it is to be an owner/operator of a stand-alone restaurant, he rushed back into academic life, becoming a Professor of English at Parkland College for 33 years. His short fiction and poetry have appeared in a variety of literary journals and magazines, among them The North American Review, The Spoon River Poetry Review, Alligator Juniper, The Ledge, The Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, and White Eagle Coffee Store Press. His first OLLI course on poetry, in spring 2017, received strong reviews for his well-chosen poems and insightful analyses.
Victorian “Hard Times,” in TV Adaptations of Famous British Novels
John Frayne
Friday, 1:30-4:30; September 15 through November 3
England in the Victorian period was a time of great economic expansion with the accumulation of vast wealth for some, and grinding poverty for others. This course will present film and TV versions of famous Victorian novels which engage the problems in 19th century England. Works by Charles Dickens (Hard Times) and Mary Gaskell (North and South) depict directly the ills of the factory system. Works by George Eliot (The Mill on the Floss) and Anthony Trollope (The Way We Live Now) examine the moral results of relentless competition and immoral speculation. On the lighter side, we will see how the “marriage for money” game works out in Love and Friendship (Jane Austen) and Doctor Thorne (Trollope).
Instructor: John Frayne was from 1965 to 1997 Professor of English, Comparative Literature, and Film Studies at UIUC, and is now an Emeritus Professor. He specialized in Modern British Literature and Film Studies. From 1985 to present, he has been radio host on Saturdays (formerly also on Sundays) at radio station WILL-FM, where he hosts “Classics of the Phonograph,” and Opera Broadcasts. Since 2000, he has been classical music critic for The News-Gazette. In recent years, he has volunteered at the Champaign Public Library FriendShop, serving on the Board and the FriendShop committee. He offered his first OLLI course in spring 2010 and has taught regularly since then, with students hailing his insightful treatment of topics from literature and film to classical music.
MUSIC
21st Century Jazz Masters
Sam Reese
Wednesday, 11:00-12:30; October 11 through November 1
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.
In the recent film La La Land, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) proclaims, “Jazz is dying… And the world says, ‘Let it die.’” This is clearly an “alternative fact” from the perspective of those who have followed the jazz world since 2000. Jazz in the 21st century has continued the vital and progressive evolution that characterizes its 100-year history. This 4-week course will profile four recent jazz masters who have received lifetime achievement awards since 2000: Tony Bennett, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. We will analyze masterworks, investigate artistic histories, and place their work within the larger historical context of jazz.
Instructor: Sam Reese is Associate Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of Illinois. He has taught the joys of music to people from 3 to 93 as a public school music teacher and administrator for 24 years and as a member of the Illinois music faculty for 11 years. He taught his first OLLI course in fall 2007, during the program’s inaugural semester, receiving outstanding evaluations for that and the numerous phenomenally popular courses that have followed. He recently completed a term as a member of the OLLI Board.
Big Bands in Jazz: Loud and Proud
Jenelle Orcherton
Monday, 11:00-12:30; September 11 through October 30
From dance bands to modern large ensembles, big bands have always been part of the jazz idiom. Here we will trace big bands from their famous swing beginnings to the new ensembles forging their own styles. Subjects will include Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Maria Schneider, Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band, and others.
Instructor: Originally hailing from Montreal, Jenelle Orcherton is an active educator and jazz performer. Her degrees are from University of Saskatchewan (B. Education) and the University of Illinois, (M.Mus, Jazz Performance), and she has served on many jazz and community organizations including the Saskatoon Jazz Society, Music Defying Boundaries, and most recently the Urbana Public Arts Commission. She is the Artistic Director and Founder of the Champaign-Urbana Jazz Festival in its third season. Jenelle has over ten years of education experience and is passionate about giving all audiences the opportunity to engage with jazz. She taught her first OLLI course in spring 2017, with students noting her thorough knowledge of the subject.
Female Composers: Their Lives and Music
Cathrine Blom
Tuesday, 1:30-3:00; September 12 through October 3
This is a 4-week course that meets during the first half of the semester. Another music course on the role of conductors will meet during this time slot in the second half of the semester; that course requires a separate registration.
Until the late 19th century, female composers lived obscure lives, often being forbidden by their fathers and husbands to publish their works or perform in public. Nonetheless, the last one thousand years produced outstanding female composers, women with exceptional strength and personality who fought for their art and talent and won respect for their music, and for themselves as composers. They persevered in writing not only songs and piano pieces – which were regarded as suitable for the fair sex as long as they were composed for domestic consumption –but chamber music, cantatas, overtures, oratories, operas, and symphonies. This 4-week course will cover twelve outstanding composers and examine their music, as well as their private and public lives.
Instructor: Cathrine Blom holds a Ph.D. in musicology from the University of Illinois, and a B.A. in psychology and music. She co-taught the primary introductory music classes for music majors several times, receiving excellent student evaluations. In 2005 she was nominated for an Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching award, and received an honorary mention by the College of Fine and Applied Arts. Since fall 2015, she has taught three courses, with enthusiastic evaluations noting her knowledge of the subject matter.
Music Conductors: What Do They Do and How Do They Do It?
Joe Grant
Tuesday, 1:30-3:00; October 10 through 31
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester. Another music course on female composers will meet during this time slot in the first half of the semester; that course requires a separate registration.
This course will take an inside look at the role of music conductors. We will examine the responsibilities of a conductor, how they prepare themselves and their organizations for concerts, select music, interpret musical scores, and bring performances to fruition. The class will also be introduced to the fundamentals of the conducting gesture: starting/stopping, basic conducting patterns, various expressive styles, and leading the group in simple musical examples. Conducting examples will include simple folk, patriotic, popular, and classical music. No prior music experience is required.
Instructor: Joe Grant is an Associate Professor Emeritus from the U. of I. He taught there for 26 years, chairing the Music Education division and heading the choral music education program. His teaching responsibilities included choral conducting and methods, and music theater production. He also conducted the U. of I. Women’s Glee Club. Under his direction the choir sang at state and regional conferences of Music Educators National Conference and state, divisional, and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association. He is currently the Director of Music at First Presbyterian Church, Champaign. This is his first OLLI course.
Papa Haydn’s Children
Anne Mischakoff Heiles
Wednesday, 9:00-10:30; September 13 through November 1
Franz Joseph Haydn composed more than a thousand works – his children: chamber music, symphonies, sonatas, songs, operas, and oratorios. He essentially established the string quartet and symphony genres. Haydn was wildly popular during his life and was invited to London, where he mixed with the royal family and wrote some of his greatest music. We will look at his remarkable life story (much of it through his journals and letters), his wit, work for the greatest employer of his time, and his personal relationships with and influence on Mozart and Beethoven. We will listen to a great variety of his delightful music and view a comic opera.
Instructor: Anne Mischakoff Heiles’s interest in Haydn was piqued by an undergraduate course on Haydn, but she was hooked on his music by hearing and playing it, which always improved her mood! During a varied career as violist, she was a member of the Detroit Symphony and a regular substitute in the Chicago Symphony, recorded for Motown, and performed in three professional string quartets. She earned a DMA at the U. of I., where she also taught as a visiting faculty member. She has been on the faculties of the University of the Pacific, Northwestern University, and California State University, teaching viola, music history, and chamber music. She taught her first OLLI course – an earlier version of this course – in fall 2011, and her courses have received praise for her exceptional teaching and deep knowledge of the subject.
Poets of Tin Pan Alley 1920s-40s
Eve Harwood
Friday 10:30-12:00; October 13 through November 3
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.
From the Jazz Age to the Second World War, many of the American songs we now call “standards” were heard first on Tin Pan Alley, the Broadway stage, or in a Hollywood musical. The lyric writers in this course worked in all three settings. We will explore the art and craft of lyric writing in the careers of Irving Berlin, Ira Gershwin, Yip Harburg, and Dorothy Fields. In songwriting, it generally takes two to tango (Berlin and Porter excepted) and the lyricist has often been an underrated partner. Class meetings will present biographical information to inform our understanding of each writer’s range and unique contributions to the development of lyric styles. Participants will be invited to study individual songs in detail, analyze how the lyrics fit what Hammerstein called “the inexorable mathematics in music,” and sing as the spirit moves them.
Instructor: Eve Harwood is Associate Professor Emerita in Music Education at the University of Illinois where she taught courses in general music, folksong in the classroom, and music teacher education. She has published articles on playground learning styles and undergraduate teacher education, and she is a current member of the OLLI Board. She taught her first OLLI course, on Stephen Sondheim, in fall 2016, and a student described that exceptionally well-received course as “polished, well-prepared, personable presentations, conveyed with passion for the subject.”
PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION
History of Early Islam: The Creation of a New Civilization
Janice Jayes
Thursday, 9:00-10:30; September 14 through November 2
Within a century of the first revelations the new religion proclaimed by the Prophet Mohammad transformed life in the Arabian Peninsula. It spread rapidly across North Africa and Central Asia and absorbed previous civilizations as it created a new community that combined elements from tribal, Roman, and Persian cultures. The Islamic Golden Age remains a source of pride for Muslims today, but is also central to current disputes over the role of religion in public life. This class will use lectures and visual resources to explore the world of early Islam (600-900 c.e.) and the debates it still occasions. This course was first offered in fall 2015 and is suitable primarily for students who did not take the earlier course.
Instructor: Janice Jayes teaches Middle Eastern history at Illinois State University. She earned her Ph.D. in History (with a specialization in U.S. foreign relations) from The American University, and her M.S. from Georgetown University. She was a Fulbright Teaching Scholar at the American University of Cairo in Egypt and taught in the politics department at Al Akhawayn University in Morocco before moving to Champaign. She is interested in contemporary foreign relations and security issues and has also worked in Latvia, Argentina, Kyrgyzstan, and Mexico. She taught her first OLLI course in 2014, and her courses on a wide variety of historical and contemporary topics have been among the best-received offerings of recent years. One student wrote of her course on the Syria conflict, “Beyond excellent. Janice did not try to make issues simple. Rather, she kept the complexity but helped us understand it and we learned ways to interpret news and events.”
The Problem of Evil in Western Thought
Robert Alun Jones
Monday, 9:00-10:30; September 11 through October 30
In philosophy and theology, the “problem of evil” concerns the apparent contradiction between the existence of evil and belief in the goodness, omniscience, and omnipotence of God. Three centuries before Christ, Epicurus put it succinctly: “Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?” These questions concern not just moral evil (the harm done by humans to one another), but also the seemingly “unjust” pain and suffering caused by natural phenomena (disease, earthquakes, hurricanes, drought, famine, etc.), and even to the fragility and brevity of human life itself.
Instructor: Robert Alun Jones is Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies, History, and Sociology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Professor Jones is a member of the Campus Honors faculty. His major research interests include Durkheim and his intellectual context, the methodology of the history of ideas, and the scholarly use of electronic documents and networked information systems. He teaches courses on the history of religious thought and social theory. This course has been offered twice before – the first time in fall 2007, during OLLI’s first semester. This and the instructor’s other courses on philosophy and ethics have received strong evaluations citing the instructor’s deep knowledge and engaging teaching style.
SCIENCE
Chaos or Cosmos – Did the Greeks Get It Right?
Andrew Jones
Tuesday, 9:00-10:30; September 12 through October 31
This course will survey the history of cosmology, revolutions in our view of the solar system and universe, and the discoveries and theories that formed our current thinking. We will explore the (mostly) accepted details of our universe, beginning with ancient beliefs and myths about the earth’s creation and how the Greek view of the universe ultimately resulted in a comprehensive description of the heavens. We will look closely at astronomy, cosmology, the Big Bang, and current theories of the universe.
Instructor: Andrew Jones has been an astronomer, eclipse chaser, and cosmologist – without portfolio – since graduate school. Almost everything he learned in his undergraduate and graduate studies has been repudiated in the past forty years, so he is keen on watching developments and tracking current theories from his perch outside academia. For many years he has specialized in bringing new software, network infrastructure, and medical technology to market. He has taught undergraduate, graduate, and off-campus seminars on information systems, marketing, and technology commercialization at the University of Illinois. He also taught courses in astronomy, physics, math, and programming at the University of Alabama and Stillman College. His first OLLI course, in fall 2016, received excellent reviews for his use of illustrations to explain complex concepts.
From the Sun to the Stars
Jim Kaler
Monday, 9:00-10:30; September 11 through October 30
The course will examine the Sun and how it works, and look at the solar spectrum and how it is used to determine the solar chemical composition. The view will then expand to the Solar System and its members, to the different kinds of stars, and how they are born, live their lives, and die. We finish with the discovery and study of planets orbiting other stars. The overall theme is the interconnectedness of the stars and their galaxies, and how they are all needed to create us. The talks are flexible and topics will naturally overlap.
Instructor: Jim Kaler, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy, earned his A.B. at the University of Michigan, his PhD at UCLA, and has been at the University of Illinois since 1964, where his research involved dying stars. Jim has held Fulbright and Guggenheim Fellowships, received the 2003 Campus Award for Excellence in Public Engagement and the American Astronomical Society's Education Prize for 2008, and has published nearly 20 books. He maintains various websites that include "Skylights," which gives bi-weekly sky news, and "Stars," featuring the "Star of the Week." Asteroid 1998 JK was named "17853 Kaler" in honor of his outreach activities. His first of many OLLI courses was offered in 2010, and students regularly note his vast knowledge and the remarkable images he uses in his presentations.
Physics from Cosmos to Baseball
Faculty of the Illinois Physics and Astronomy Departments (team-taught); coordinated by Inga Karliner
Thursday, 1:30-3:00; October 12 through November 2
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.
Physicists try to figure out how things work, at all scales. In this course, world-renowned scholars in the University of Illinois Physics and Astronomy Departments will help us understand our fascinating world. They will discuss cosmology, the world of black holes, quantum mechanics, and things they have learned about the physics of baseball. The team-taught course consists of four lectures by four different speakers. The talks are entirely self-contained and independent.
Presenters:
Charles Gammie - “Monster in the Middle: the Black Hole at the Center of the Milky Way” – Professor Gammie’s research involves black holes, star and planet formation, and accretion physics.
Alan Nathan - “Physics and Baseball: An Intersection of Passions” – Professor Nathan serves on the editorial board of the journal Sports Engineering and has served on panels advising Major League Baseball, the Amateur Softball Association, the NCAA, and USA Baseball.
Paul Kwiat - “All Things Small and Quantum…” – Professor Kwiat joined the Physics faculty at Illinois as the second Bardeen Chair in 2001. His current research spans Quantum Optics, Quantum Information, Photonic Quantum Information Systems, Hyper-entanglement for Advanced Quantum Communication, and Optical Quantum Computing.
Joaquin Vieira - “A Brief History of the Universe” – Professor Vieira is an observational cosmologist whose scientific interests include the cosmic microwave background, experimental tests of inflation, dark matter, dark energy, and instrumentation.
Coordinator: Inga Karliner earned her Ph.D. in Particle Physics from Stanford University and has worked in elementary particle theory and experiment, and in observational cosmology. She initiated and coordinated the Physics Outreach program at the University of Illinois Physics Department that includes the Saturday Physics Honors Program and Science at the Market. She coordinated very well-received “Matter, Energy, and Universe” courses at OLLI in 2008, 2011, and 2013.
The Science Behind. . .
Scientists of the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois (team-taught); coordinated by Michael Jeffords
Thursday, 11:00-12:30; September 14 through November 2
This course will feature eight retired scientists from the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois. Each will contribute one presentation on the science behind an aspect of their research. The Prairie Research Institute is a multidisciplinary research center focused on objective research, expertise, and data on the natural and cultural resources of Illinois, and it comprises the Illinois Natural History Survey, Illinois State Archaeological Survey, Illinois State Geological Survey, and Illinois State Water Survey. The Institute has facilities at the U. of I. and field offices and research stations throughout the state.
Presenters:
David Enstrom – “The Science behind Displays of Birds: Costume, Song, and Dance” – Dr. Enstrom has worked on the evolution of color patterns and song in birds.
Joyce E. Hoffmann – “The Science behind the Natural History and Conservation of Bats” – Dr. Hoffmann’s work at the Natural History Survey has focused on the distribution and natural history of the mammals of Illinois, including endangered and threatened species.
Michael Jeffords – “The Science behind Mimicry in Insects” – Dr. Jeffords is an entomologist, freelance photographer, writer, and educator focused primarily on the issue of biodiversity.
Donald Luman – “The Science behind Remote Sensing: Revealing Illinois’ Hidden Landscapes Using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Technology” – Dr. Luman is a specialist in the use of satellite and aerial photography for natural resource applications.
John Marlin – “The Science behind Encouraging Native Bees and Some Other Pollinators” – Dr. Marlin studies native bees in Carlinville, Illinois over long periods of time, and has devoted his research to various conservation issues.
Ken Robertson – “The Science behind the Structure of Flowers: An Evolutionary Perspective” – Dr. Robertson has spent many years conducting field research in the natural areas of Illinois, especially prairies.
John Taft – “The Science behind Botanical Habitat Assessment” – Dr. Taft’s research has focused primarily on the influence of environmental interactions and management of native plant communities through ecological restoration and biological conservation.
Sarah Wisseman – “The Science behind Art Forgery Detection” – Dr. Wisseman’s primary research areas are the science of Egyptian mummies, ceramic technology, experimental archaeology, and archaeometry. She has taught numerous well-received OLLI courses and currently serves on the OLLI Board.
Coordinator: Dr. Michael R. Jeffords is the retired education/outreach director for the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS). He was the staff photographer for the Illinois Steward magazine and has co-authored Illinois Wilds, a coffee table book about the natural habitats of Illinois, Exploring Nature in Illinois: A Field Guide to the Prairie State, A Field Guide to Illinois Butterflies, and the newly released Curious Encounters with the Natural World. He taught his first of numerous OLLI courses in spring 2009, to enthusiastic reviews from students who noted his many exceptional examples.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS SESQUICENTENNIAL
150 Years of Art at the University of Illinois
Ian Wang
Monday, 1:30-3:00; September 11 through October 2
This is a 4-week course that meets during the first half of the semester.
This course will be an illustrated highlight of the role that art played in the earliest days of the University of Illinois, and how it shaped the U. of I. to become what it is today and beyond. We will examine 150 years of art at the university, along with the major art movements during this period – John Gregory’s vision for the university, the first art collection, and the development of the University Art Gallery, the Krannert Art Museum, and the World Cultures and Heritages Museum (now Spurlock Museum). This course will also examine works created by U. of I. faculty, staff, and students through the years, from traditional works to digital and online art.
Instructor: After a career in medical sciences in China, Dr. Wang has been committed to the role of art in the community, writing for local publications and organizing exhibits to promote local arts and artists. Since 1999, he has been on the Board of Directors of the Spurlock Museum, serving as President of the Board from 2006 to 2008; and has been a curator in the East Asian Galleries of the Spurlock Museum. He won the Champaign County Arts Council’s annual ACE Awards twice, the Community Advocate Award in 2005 and the Media ACE Award in 2008. This is his first OLLI course.
Illinois at 150: Celebrating the University of Illinois Sesquicentennial
Joe Rank and Ryan Ross
Tuesday, 3:30-5:00; September 12 through October 31
Illinois at 150 will celebrate the University of Illinois’ 150th anniversary by telling its story through the eyes of the hundreds of thousands of students who have passed through its doors. Focusing on the fascinating history, traditions, and culture of the University, this course will show how world events – wars, Depression, technical revolutions, globalization, and evolving societal norms – profoundly affected the student experience. We will examine how a handful of visionary leaders transformed the school from a small industrial college into one of the world’s premier institutions of higher learning. Prominent guest speakers will share firsthand accounts. An optional “field trip” to the University’s Student Life and Culture Archives will allow students to examine rare documents and artifacts. This course will appeal to Illinois graduates, faculty, and staff, and anyone interested in local history and changing social customs.
Instructors: Joe Rank, retired vice president and historian at the University of Illinois Alumni Association, is an Urbana native who earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in Advertising in the U. of I. College of Media. A 20-year career naval officer, he served as assistant professor of naval science at Illinois, where he was named to the list of excellent instructors. Following his Navy career, he joined the staff of the Alumni Association. His keen interest in University of Illinois history and traditions led him to propose the development of a campus Welcome Center to open at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center in conjunction with the university’s 2017 sesquicentennial celebration. He co-taught an earlier version of this course – his first at OLLI – in fall 2016.
Ryan Ross (Coordinator, History and Traditions Program, U of I Alumni Association) is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a B.A. in English who also holds a M.S. degree from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science. Prior to joining the Alumni Association staff in 2015, he was an archivist and researcher at the University of Illinois Foundation and at the University Library, where he created 2012 exhibits celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Land Grant Act displayed in the Main Quad buildings. This is his second OLLI course, having co-taught this course in fall 2016.
WELLNESS AND MOVEMENT
Become Strong, Stable, Secure, and Balanced with LV Chair Yoga™
Instructor: Robin Goettel
Monday, 3:00-4:30; September 11 through October 30
LV (Lakshmi Voelker) Chair Yoga honors each student’s individual differences. Each posture helps nurture self-acceptance, understanding, and patience. Through this class, students will experience a calming atmosphere to help them de-stress and gain increased self-awareness. They will also learn about important yoga principles they can carry into their everyday life for improved health and wellness. Chair Yoga integrates body, mind, and spirit for those unable to practice Yoga on the mat. It creates a safe environment by: teaching how to do a pose safely, based on individual challenges; having an expanded awareness that every body is different; and adapting to the varied levels of flexibility in each class.
Instructor: Robin Goettel retired from the U. of I. in 2014 as an Associate Director for Education with the Sea Grant Program. She then decided to become more involved in promoting good health and wellness as a certified Chair Yoga instructor. She was trained by Lakshmi Voelker, a nationally-respected Chair Yoga teacher trainer who created her LV Chair Yoga program “Get Fit Where You Sit” ® in 1982. Robin has taught chair yoga classes at Clark Lindsey Village, Sinai Temple, the Mettler Center, and the Urbana Park District’s Fall Fitness Program. She has taught this course twice since spring 2016, and students have noted the instructor’s professionalism and strong preparation during this very beneficial class.
Introduction to Meditation/Mindfulness
French Fraker
Thursday, 9:00-10:30; October 12 through November 2
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.
This 4-week course will give students the knowledge and the guidance to develop a personal meditation practice. The lectures will present a basic overview of the history of meditation and physiological and psychological foundations of meditation. Students will learn techniques to relax and calm their body and their mind. Each class will include a series of short meditations designed to give the students the skills to begin a meditation practice at home. Students will be taught techniques to overcome the barriers and challenges faced by beginning meditators. The last class will cover mindfulness and give the students practice and variety of mindful activities. Students are encouraged to practice meditation on their own. This course was offered in spring 2017, and it is intended for students who did not take the earlier course.
Instructor: French Fraker first became interesting in meditation in the early 1970s when he was writing his M.A. thesis on biofeedback relaxation. He went through TM meditation training and studied the mind-body connection. He received his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Illinois. He taught at Eastern Illinois University in a graduate counselor education program, with a focus on substance abuse. Upon retirement in 2005 he took his first OLLI class, which was a tai chi class. He has studied meditation and tai chi with several nationally renowned teachers. He taught his first OLLI course, a very well-received version of this one, in spring 2017.
Introduction to Tai Chi and Qigong Fundamentals
Mike Reed
Tuesday, 11:00-12:30 (section A) and Thursday, 11:00-12:30 (section B); Section A – September 12 through October 30, Section B – September 14 through November 2; there will be two sections of this course, with identical content, and students may register for only one section, which will meet weekly for 8 weeks.
Qigong is an ancient practice whose Chinese origins extend back in time nearly four thousand years. It was developed as a holistic art for nurturing a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Over the millennia it has evolved into a wide variety of forms, which have played important roles - spiritual, social, political, military, and medical - in Chinese cultural history. The practice of taijiquan, more commonly known in the West as tai chi, is a relatively new application of the principles of qigong to the purpose of martial arts. Tai chi was created as an internal martial art in the 17th century, and has since flourished as a general health practice as it is practicable for people of all ages and physical abilities. Each of the 8 sessions will be structured to provide an overview and acquaint students with the principles and practices of tai chi and qigong. This course is intended for both students who are new to tai chi and those who have taken it at OLLI or elsewhere in the past.
Instructor: Mike Reed has been studying and practicing Tai Chi and Qigong since 1998. He has shared his experience and understanding for the past 16 years with local students at OLLI, at the Savoy Recreation Center, and with research participants at the U. of I. and in a variety of other settings. This course was offered in OLLI’s first semester and has been taught in nearly every semester since then. One recent student said of this course, “I learned enough about tai chi that I would like to continue to practice. It has improved my health!”
Popular Ballroom Dances
Alex Tecza
Monday, 1:00-2:30; September 11 through October 30
With growing popularity of ballroom dancing and more exposure on TV, new studies have been conducted to test the benefits of this activity. The multidimensional benefits of dancing include all areas of health: physical, mental, social, and emotional. In this course, you will learn the basics of popular ballroom dances and how to create your own patterns so you can have fun improvising. We will also show you how you can dance what you learned to almost any music. Thus, you will never feel left out at any dance party. No partner required. Dances will include the waltz, rumba, cha cha, swing, and foxtrot.
Instructor: Alex Tecza is a former competitive ballroom dancer. His achievements include titles of professional national and world finalist, Dancers Cup Tour Professional Couple of the Year two years in a row, and several wins in professional standard, smooth, and showdance divisions. Since retiring from competitions, Alex has continued to teach and perform all over the country. Locally, he has taught master classes and workshops for Dance Department at the U. of I. and Regent Ballroom, choreographed and performed in productions at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and has coached Illini Dancesport team. Alex teaches students of all ages and levels. This is his first OLLI course.
OLLI Courses - Spring Semester 2018
We are pleased to present these descriptions of our spring semester courses, arranged by subject area. (Note: These categories recognize the predominant discipline, but many of these courses are interdisciplinary in their focus.)
The schedule of class meeting times can be found here, with additional information included in each listing below. All courses meet for 8 weeks unless otherwise noted in the description.
Browse courses by subject
ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE
4 Weeks, 4 Cities, 16 Artists
Barbara Kendrick
Thursday 11:00–12:30; January 25 through February 15
This is a 4-week course that meets during the first half of the semester. Another art course on Portraits, Flowers, and Abstractions, taught by Rosalyn Schwartz, will meet during this time slot during the second half of the semester; that course requires a separate registration.
This course will use videos from the PBS show Art 21, Season 8 to stimulate discussions about issues in contemporary art. The award-wining Art 21 series is highly regarded for its exploration of contemporary art told from the artist’s point of view. The artists in Season 8 are grouped by the unique and revealing relationships to the places where they live: Chicago, Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Vancouver. The artists share universal experiences through their life stories and creative works: resistance, pleasure, mortality, and the hope for a better future. The season features 16 artists, each of whom actively participate in conversations about the pressing issues of our time, from terrorism to environmental crises to the struggle for civil rights. During each class we will watch the video for one of the cities, followed by class discussion.
Instructor: Professor Emerita Barbara F. Kendrick taught in the Painting and Drawing Program, School of Art and Design, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana from 1987 to 2007. She has exhibited her work in France, England, and Greece as well as throughout the United States. She has received fellowships from Yaddo, the Millay Colony, the MacDowell Colony, the Henry Luce Foundation, and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. Other residencies include Ragdale, Jentel, Banff, Fundacio Artigas, Gallifa, Spain, and the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan, Ireland. She was awarded grants from the Illinois Arts Council, the Mid-America Arts Alliance, and the Pollock-Krasner Foundation. She taught an earlier, well-regarded course on documentaries of leading artists.
The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright
Laura O’Donnell
Monday 11:30–1:00; January 22 through March 12
Frank Lloyd Wright, one of America’s greatest architectural pioneers of the 20th century, had a career which spanned seven decades. His early Prairie style houses transformed American residential design by moving away from popular Victorian and European revival styles to a style that advanced the United States into the Modern era and reflected “American” values. Then, after a decade of scant commissions in the 1920s, Wright had a major relaunch of his career in the 1930s and went on to design some of his most memorable buildings such as Fallingwater, the Guggenheim Museum, and Johnson Wax. (Although a survey of Wright’s architecture cannot be completely divorced from his biography, this course aims to focus on the architecture of Wright, not the drama of his personal life.)
Instructor: Laura O’Donnell teaches Art History and serves as Collections Coordinator for the Giertz Gallery at Parkland College. In conjunction with the Art Gallery and Community Education she helps organize and lead Art Expeditions traveling to the Chicago area, Indianapolis, and various Frank Lloyd Wright sites. She has published articles and given talks on contemporary ceramic art, taught ceramics to undergraduates at the University of Illinois, and worked at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio in Oak Park. She received an M.A. in the History of Art (Modernism from 1880–present) as well as an MFA (Ceramics) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her OLLI courses on art history have been well-regarded for the details and rich illustrations she provides.
Portraits, Flowers, and Abstractions: Just Another Pretty Picture?
Rosalyn Schwartz
Thursday 11:00–12:30; February 22 through March 15
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester. Another art course on 4 Weeks, 4 Cities, 16 Artists, taught by Barbara Kendrick, will meet during this time slot during the second half of the semester; that course requires a separate registration.
In this course we will look at how and why painters, both past and present, continue to use certain subject matter in their work, particularly portraits, flowers, and abstractions. For the first three sessions we will examine paintings by both well-known and lesser-known artists. In addition to discussing the formal elements, i.e., composition, color, and shape, we will also discuss if certain subject matter, when seen over and over again, can become boring, just more of the same, a cliché. Is making a painting of flowers today just too trite, “too cute,” even corny? And if so, who decides? We will look at works by such historical masters as Rembrandt, Gentileschi, Monet, O’Keefe, Redon, and Matisse and compare their work to a number of contemporary painters who are currently exploring the very same subject matter but in completely new, unexpected, and surprising ways. Another way to think about this might be: Can paintings of flowers or abstractions be more than mere decoration, more than just another “pretty picture” that goes perfectly over the couch? For the fourth lecture, there will be an overview of a wide variety of contemporary art being made today that makes use of non-traditional and very eclectic materials including clay, glitter, mirrors, fabric, ballpoint pens, hair, artificial flowers, chocolate, and more. This course will both affirm and challenge some of your assumptions about what you have always thought of as “good art” and hopefully stimulate you to broaden your curiosity and become more receptive to new and fresh ways of looking at art and the world.
Instructor: Professor Emerita of Art Rosalyn Schwartz taught painting and drawing for twenty years at the University of Illinois. In May 2008, Ms. Schwartz took an early retirement so that she could devote herself full-time to working in her studio. She is the recipient of a number of prestigious grants including a Bush Foundation Fellowship, a McKnight Foundation Fellowship, and a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. In 2010 she had a mid-career survey exhibition of her paintings at Gallery 210 on the campus of University of Missouri-St. Louis. In 2013 she had a solo exhibition at the McNay Museum of Art in San Antonio, Texas titled “Rosalyn Schwartz: A Brief History of Seduction” and in 2014 her work was included in a group exhibition titled “Beauty Reigns: A Baroque Sensibility in Recent Painting.” A catalogue was published for this exhibition with essays by noted art critics Lilly Wei and Stephen Westfall. She maintains an active studio practice and is currently developing a new body of work. Her OLLI courses on art are well-received for the extensive examples and fresh perspectives that she shares.
Italian High Renaissance and Mannerist Art
Rosemary Trippe
Monday 5:30–7:00; January 22 through March 12
This course provides a survey of painting, prints, sculpture, and architecture in Northern and Central Italy from ca. 1490–1580, a period commonly termed High Renaissance and Late Renaissance or Mannerism. Rather than considering the relation of works and artists to one another in terms of unconscious or inevitable influence, they will be examined through a historical understanding of the artistic and literary practices of imitation and emulation. The growing dominance, in Central Italy, of court and princely patronage will be contrasted with the development of corporate and individual patronage in Northern Italy. The course will also examine artistic production and identity through the publication of the first history of Italian art, early works of artistic biography and criticism, the founding of academies of art and literature, and the Catholic Church’s program of Counter-Reformation.
Instructor: Rosemary Trippe works as a librarian in the Acquisitions Department at the University of Illinois Library. She received a Ph.D. in the history of art (Italian Renaissance) from Johns Hopkins University and has a M.L.S. from the University of Illinois. She taught at Michigan State, American University, and the University of Michigan. She has published on text and image relationships in Italian Renaissance books and manuscripts and the role of humanist learning on visual culture in the period. Her OLLI courses on art and architecture have received exceptional evaluations for the instructor’s deft teaching style and well-illustrated presentations.
CONTEMPORARY ISSUES
Fact-Checking the Fake News
Brant Houston
Wednesday 3:30–5:00; January 24 through March 14
Over the past two years, the term "Fake News” has become ever-present. At the same time, new digital tools and methods have been developed to find what is true and what is fake. This course will trace the rise of fake news, the responses to it by news organizations and social media, and the ways that citizens can determine what may be fake news and protect themselves from being misled by it. The instructor will share information about determining the veracity of news sites, social media, photos and videos, and claims made by the government – using the same fact-checking tools that journalists use.
Instructor: Brant Houston is the Knight Chair in Investigative Reporting at the University of Illinois where he teaches investigative and data journalism and oversees the online newsroom, CU-CitizenAccess.org. He previously was executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors, a group of 5,000 members, for more than a decade and before that an award-winning investigative reporter for 17 years. He is co-author of The Investigative Reporter’s Handbook and author of Computer-Assisted Reporting: A Practical Guide. He also is co-founder and the board chair of the Global Investigative Journalism Network, a consortium of more than 120 nonprofit newsrooms throughout the world. He taught his first of many OLLI courses in fall 2012, and his courses receive rave reviews for his thorough research and numerous resources for students to explore.
Lawyers, Guns, and Money: Cartel Culture in America
Janice Jayes
Tuesday 11:00–12:30; January 23 through March 13
Criminal organizations in the Americas have come a long way since the playboy kingpins of the 1980s. Their ability to branch into newly profitable fields like human trafficking, their transnational reach, and their chaotic levels of public violence keep them in the public eye, but less visible is the way they have altered societies. This course will briefly examine the recent history of cartels in the Americas, cartels in popular culture, and the cartel threat to the functioning of states. U.S. drug enforcement policies and U.S. participation in the economics of cartels are also important parts of the story.
Instructor: Janice Jayes is interested in contemporary security issues and has taught several courses for OLLI, including the Syrian Civil War and the U.S. Military in Africa. Although she now teaches Middle Eastern history at Illinois State University, she actually focused on Latin American politics in graduate school and is looking forward to the chance to investigate new developments in transnational crime and their effect on the hemisphere in this class. She taught her first OLLI course in 2014, and her courses on a wide variety of historical and contemporary topics have been among the best-received offerings of recent years. One student wrote of her course on the Syrian conflict, “Beyond excellent. Janice did not try to make issues simple. Rather, she kept the complexity but helped us understand it and we learned ways to interpret news and events.”
From Farm to Table: Good Food
Ming Kuo
Wednesday 11:00–12:30; January 24 through March 14
Where does our food come from? As we follow food in its journey “from farm to table,” we address questions such as, What difference does eating “fresh and local” make? Where does our meat come from? Why do farmers use pesticides? Are GMOs safe?This course provides a delicious introduction to the world of food, drawing on readings, guest appearances from farmers and other members of the food system, taste tests, and virtual (or if possible, real) visits to the origins of food. Come prepared to discuss! If there’s interest, we’ll close with an (optional) fresh and local meal.
Instructor: Ming Kuo is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois, where she teaches in the Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences and Psychology Departments. In a survey of graduating seniors, her course was most frequently mentioned as a “favorite” in the department. Dr. Kuo gives keynote addresses to a variety of audiences, from urban foresters, to psychologists, to environmental educators, to landscape architects. This is her first OLLI course.
Donald Trump and the Press
John Palen
Monday 9:00–10:30; January 22 through March 12
The American press and the American President are adversaries by design: the President is one of the most powerful people on the planet, and the Constitutionally-protected press has a core responsibility to speak truth to power. Whoever occupies the White House can count on close and often negative coverage. Nevertheless, the Trump presidency has taken this inherent conflict to new levels of intensity, with consequences for the presidency, the press, and the public. This course examines why and how this is happening and what the future may hold. Topics will include the norms of President/press relations, lies and leaks in American political discourse, and the changing media landscape in the age of Twitter.
Instructor: John Palen is a retired journalist and journalism educator. He worked as a reporter, copy editor, and editor at daily newspapers in the Midwest, and taught journalism at Central Michigan University for 26 years. Also a published poet, he has a new full-length poetry collection coming out this year. He has facilitated several successful OLLI study groups, and his first course, in spring 2017, received excellent reviews for its thorough information and thoughtful discussions.
The Executive and Congressional Agenda in the Trump Era
Robert Rich
Monday 1:30–3:00; January 22 through March 12
This course will focus on the Presidential and Congressional policy agenda in the Trump era. We will focus on the domestic and foreign policy agenda. What is and has been the role of the President and Congressional leaders in developing and setting the agenda? The topics to be covered include: stimulating the economy, job growth, the tax structure and tax reform, entitlement reform including Social Security, Medicare, and welfare payments, infra-structure, and education. We will also examine trends in foreign policy especially with respect to Russia, China, Korea, and the Middle East. The tensions between Congress and the President will also be explored.
Instructor: Robert F. Rich is Professor of Law, Medicine, Political Science, and Public Health (retired) and Director of the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs (retired). He was Director of IGPA from 1986 to 1997 and from 2005 to 2012. He was on the faculty of the University of Illinois from 1986 to 2012. His areas of specialty include: health and mental health policy; science and technology policy; pension reform; and educational policy. The instructor’s numerous OLLI courses have received strong evaluations for his thorough knowledge of the subject, timely topics, and skillful discussions.
Trump vs. Putin: American-Russian Relations in a National and Global Context
Richard Tempest
Tuesday 1:30–3:00; January 23 through March 13
For the first time since the fall of communism, Russia stands at the center of the political conversation in the United States. The U.S.-Russia relationship is personified in the charismatic and controversial figures of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. This course will coincide with the 2018 Russian presidential election. It will compare the Trump and Putin agendas while examining the geopolitical, economic, and institutional factors shaping the competition between the two countries. It will also look at key diplomatic, military, and national security players on both sides as well as the role of public opinion in shaping U.S. and Russian foreign policy.
Instructor: Richard Tempest is an Associate Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Illinois. Of British-Bulgarian parentage, he spent his childhood in Moscow, where his parents worked as foreign journalists, and holds a B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Oxford. He is a former director of the Russian and Eurasian Center at Illinois. Tempest’s interests include Russian history and culture, the political science of the body, and popular culture and science fiction. He has lectured on these topics nationally and internationally. Tempest is the author of several books as well as a novel, Golden Bone (2005), which he wrote in Russian. It tells the story of an American professor who travels to Putin’s Russia, discovers he is descended from Catherine the Great, though on the wrong side of the blanket, and decides to crown himself tsar. He has recently completed a book on the fictional works of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and is researching a monograph on the politics of charisma in the 21st century. His OLLI courses on Russian politics and policy have been among the best-received courses of the past few years.
FILM STUDIES
History of the Hollywood Movie Musical
Christine Catanzarite
Friday 9:00–12:00; January 26 through March 16
This course will trace the history and evolution of the Hollywood movie musical - from its origins in the early days of sound films through the landmark productions of MGM’s famed Freed Unit and the experimentation of the post-classic era. This course will look at the uniquely cinematic examples of the musical genre: while musical films often borrow their performers, stories, and rhythms from other entertainment forms, including the Broadway tradition, the Hollywood musical quickly developed its own distinct vocabulary. We will devote our attention to those films that are not adaptations of Broadway productions, focusing on examples of Hollywood’s rich tradition of original musicals and the particular qualities that define them. Considerable attention will be paid to the conventions and evolution of the musical genre in film, from the stars and creative personnel to the stories and songs and dances that define the movie musical. Each session will feature a lecture/introduction, amply illustrated with clips and examples, followed by a screening of the feature film and a post-film discussion. Feature films will include: Meet Me in St. Louis, An American in Paris, The Band Wagon, That’s Entertainment!, Pennies from Heaven, Beauty and the Beast, and La La Land.
Instructor: Christine Catanzarite has been a professor of film studies, theater, and popular culture at the University of Illinois, Illinois State University, and Bowling Green State University. She has lectured and written extensively on topics related to the musical on stage and screen, the development of popular genres, the history of the Hollywood studio system, and popular entertainments and rituals. She has been the Director of OLLI at Illinois since January 2012. Evaluations from her spring 2017 course on the Broadway musical cited “the wonderful blend of history and background with video and music.”
Films Directed by William Wyler: Master of Genre and Performance
Connie Hosier
Monday 3:30–6:30; January 22 through March 12
This course will focus on a small selection of movies by director William Wyler. Known to be a meticulous craftsman, Wyler gained a reputation of making films that were serious, intelligent, and popular. Among classic Hollywood directors, Wyler made fine literary and theatrical adaptations that often addressed serious themes. By always demanding fine performances from his actors, he earned the title “40 take Willy,” and that most likely contributed to his winning more Academy Awards than any other filmmaker. Wyler was never really appreciated by the influential Auteurist movement, yet there remains a consistency in the high quality of his productions. Many are remembered for their striking images, for capturing fleeting emotion, or for highlighting a poignant moment. Issues of race, class, and gender also become interesting issues worthy of discussion. Our screenings will include eight movies that reflect Wyler’s ability to direct a wide range of genres and will include: The Letter (film noir), Mrs. Miniver (wartime propaganda), The Best Years of Our Lives (war), The Desperate Hours (gangster), The Westerner (Western), The Heiress (women’s picture), Jezebel (costume drama), and Dodsworth (family melodrama). In a career that that began in the silent era and continued on into the 70s, William Wyler is remembered as one of the most accomplished and honored filmmakers in Hollywood history.
Instructor: After receiving an M.A. from Columbia University, Connie Hosier taught English in the New York City Public School System. She also taught at-risk students in Tucson and was the administrator for a school funded through an LEAA grant that she had written. After moving to Champaign, she taught film courses among other subjects at Parkland College for 23 years. Retired now for over a decade, she has taught numerous OLLI courses on film-related topics – where students regularly hail her well-structured, meticulously prepared presentations.
Orson Welles: Citizen Kane and Beyond
Chuck Koplinski
Wednesday 5:30–8:30; January 24 through March 14
Taking Hollywood by storm in 1940 and releasing the landmark Citizen Kane one year later, Orson Welles’ revolutionary approach to film was revelatory. However, he lived in the shadow of his first film for the rest of his career. Though he never topped Kane, he continued to bring his unique sense of innovation to all of his films for the next three decades. This course will examine Citizen Kane as well as Welles’ later works, including The Magnificent Ambersons, The Stranger, The Lady from Shanghai, Othello, Touch of Evil, Chimes at Midnight and F is for Fake.
Instructor: Chuck Koplinski has been a film critic for over 20 years, writing for various independent newspapers in the community. He currently reviews films for The News-Gazette, the Illinois Times, WCIA-TV, and MIX 94.5 FM. A member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Chicago Film Critics Association, he’s an annual presenter at the Embarras Valley Film Festival as well as a frequent collaborator with the American History Teachers Collaborative. This is his tenth offering at OLLI. He taught his first course in 2013, and students regularly note his excellent film suggestions and informative introductions.
HISTORY
The Thames: London’s River
Fred Christensen
Wednesday 1:30–3:00; January 24 through March 14
Following last fall’s class on the rural Thames, this course will follow the river through London, from Hampton Court to the Thames Estuary. History, nature, art, literature, and technology are all linked to the river, with its character changing dramatically along this stretch. West of London, the “royal Thames” with affluent towns like Richmond and Kew inspired Turner’s paintings and Handel’s music. The river passes through the heart of the great city, past the Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London, then through the new and fascinating 21st-century developments of Canary Wharf and Docklands. Beyond Greenwich, industrial sites alternate with carefully maintained nature preserves. As the river widens, the landscapes of Kent and Essex provide rural vistas once again. Every mile of London’s river provides significant or attractive topics for discussion, and there will be interesting surprises around each bend. This course is suitable for both new and returning students.
Instructor: Fred Christensen is a former history instructor at the University of Kentucky and assistant professor of military science at the University of Illinois. He teaches noncredit classes for OLLI and other venues, in five areas of history and archaeology: Britain, Germany, early America, Israel/the Holy Land, and military history in general. Fred has walked the full length of the official Thames Path from source to sea, and will present the river’s story in this class. He began teaching at OLLI in spring 2008, during OLLI’s second semester, and has offered courses in every semester since then. Recent student evaluations cited his carefully chosen materials, enthusiasm, and broad knowledge of the subject matter.
The Forgotten World War: The China-Burma-India Theater
John McCord
Tuesday 3:30–5:00; January 23 through March 13
If the European and Pacific Campaigns were examples of allied forces learning the art of war under fire and succeeding, the war in Burma was a war won despite the best efforts of all allies to lose. It is a war little understood in the U.S. mainly because the Navy was not there at all, the Army sent less than a division, and most of the Air Force was transport planes. It was as far from supplies as one could get. It was fought in part to support an ally (China) that was everything the western allies were fighting against and between allies that would not work together even if their lives depended upon it. Its legacy was anarchy, and it has been mostly forgotten.
Instructor: From 1990 to 1993, John McCord was in charge of the Navy and Marine Corps planning and implementation of the Panama Canal Treaties for the turnover of U.S. installations and relocation or closure of our various activities. He was recognized as the expert on the Canal and the Navy presence there and one of the Department of Defense experts as well. He has served as an instructor at the U.S. Naval Officer Candidate School at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida and Newport, Rhode Island, teaching Administration, Military Law, Naval Warfare and Tactics, and Seamanship. He holds a B.S. in history from the United States Naval Academy and a law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law. His past OLLI courses on military history have received strong reviews for the instructor’s deep knowledge and detailed presentations.
LITERATURE AND STORYTELLING
Urban Legends
Kath Brinkman
Tuesday 11:00–12:30; January 23 through February 13
This is a 4-week course that meets during the first half of the semester. Another course on Thoreau’s Walden and Other Works, taught by Willis Regier, will meet during this time slot during the second half of the semester; that course requires a separate registration.
Ever wonder if the story you heard that happened to a friend of a friend or your cousin’s neighbor’s boss is really true? Perhaps, the incredible (and incredibly detailed) story you heard about Mrs. Fields’ cookie recipe is really part of the rich modern folklore that makes up the urban legends we hear and read. Find out more about the urban legends that pervade our culture in their many forms. In this 4-week class, we will explore humorous, cautionary, and scary legends as well as cryptozoological characters such as Big Foot. Learn how the internet has morphed urban legends into sites such as Snopes and Creepy Pastas, which exist to confirm or demystify these durable stories.
Instructor: Kath Brinkmann has taught four storytelling classes at OLLI to enthusiastic participants and has been a guest lecturer at the U. of I. Graduate School of Library and Information Science. She holds a master’s degree in Folktales and Storytelling from the University of Illinois at Springfield. Her book, The Gift of the Unicorn and Other Animal Helper Tales, co-authored with Dan Keding was published in June 2016. As a founding member of the CU Storytelling Guild, she performs locally as well as regionally in the Midwest.
Echoes across Time: Gloria Naylor’s Mama Day and Shakespeare’s The Tempest
Linda Coleman and John Bennett
Thursday 1:30–3:00; January 25 through March 15
Gloria Naylor’s Mama Day belongs to the tradition of wresting past stories from their historical moorings and watching them play out in the writer’s own place and time. The novel contains allusions to a number of works by well-known African American writers. Naylor reaches even further afield, however, weaving in echoes of Romeo and Juliet, King Lear, and most impressively The Tempest. A gumbo of stories oft told!
This highly interactive course will be an exploration of this novel’s fascinating connections to these other works – most directly to Shakespeare’s The Tempest. We’ll also screen the recently re-released film Daughters of the Dust to immerse ourselves in the Gullah culture and the beauty of South Carolina's once-isolated Sea Islands, where the novel is set. Any unabridged edition of The Tempest (preferably one that numbers, say, every fifth or tenth line) and any edition of Mama Day will work, but about three weeks before the course starts the class will receive an email with recommended editions (to facilitate following along during class discussion).
Instructors: Professor Emerita of English and Women's Studies at Eastern Illinois University, Linda S. Coleman specialized in Restoration and 18th century British literature, as well as Women’s fiction and life-writing. She is the current OLLI Board Chair. John Lansingh Bennett, a freelance editor working from Coffee Break Studio, taught literature for several decades at Lake Land College, the University of Scranton, and other schools. Their numerous OLLI courses and study groups on literary topics have been some of the most popular and well-regarded offerings in recent years.
Shakespeare on the Movie Screen
John Frayne
Friday 1:30–4:30; January 26 through March 16
The plays of William Shakespeare have for centuries found a secure place on the world’s stages. In the 20th century, some of these plays were adapted into filmed versions. Among these versions, there were many hits and misses, but along the way a series of memorable successes were created. This course will offer for study, comparison, and discussion the screening of a series of memorable Shakespeare filmings of such plays as Macbeth, Othello, Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Merry Wives of Windsor. Although the major emphasis of this course is on spoken drama, we will, time permitting, view for comparison memorable scenes from opera versions of Shakespeare’s works by composers such as Giuseppe Verdi, Charles Gounod, and Benjamin Britten.
Instructor: John Frayne was from 1965 to 1997 Professor of English, Comparative Literature, and Film Studies at the U. of I., and is now an Emeritus Professor. He specialized in Modern British Literature and Film Studies. From 1985 to present, he has been radio host on Saturdays (formerly also on Sundays) at radio station WILL-FM, where he hosts “Classics of the Phonograph,” and Opera Broadcasts. Since 2000, he has been a classical music critic for The News-Gazette. In recent years, he has volunteered at the Champaign Public Library FriendShop, serving on the Board and the FriendShop committee. He offered his first OLLI course in spring 2010 and has taught regularly since then, with students hailing his insightful treatment of topics from literature and film to classical music.
Short, Short Stories
James T. McGowan
Monday, 11:00–12:30; January 22 through March 12
To fabricate a completely realized short story – fully developed characters, a compelling plot, evocative descriptions of time and place – in less than a thousand or so words bespeaks a masterly control of language and fictional techniques that is relatively rare among writers, particularly modern writers. Such stories are not to be confused with Slices of Life, Anecdotes, Flash Fictions, Aphoristic Sketches, Prose Poetry, or other abbreviated forms of storytelling but as an admirable sub-genre in and of itself, one that blends the compression of poetic expression with the expansiveness of prose to create a unique literary way of expression. Through close readings and the application of various interpretive strategies, we will analyze and discuss a variety of Short, Short Stories to explore how and what a writer can achieve within the constrictive parameters emblematic of this genre, particularly as it applies to the careful selection of detail, terse, illuminative dialogue, and firm control of plot development. Stories by writers from Luigi Pirandello and Virginia Woolf to Katherine Anne Porter and Doris Lessing will be among the works under discussion. Readings will be provided by the instructor.
Instructor: After receiving an M.A. in English at the University of Arkansas, with an emphasis in creative writing, James McGowan left academia to open a restaurant in Chattanooga. Subsequent to discovering how difficult it is to be an owner/operator of a stand-alone restaurant, he rushed back into academic life, becoming a Professor of English at Parkland College for thirty-three years. His short fiction and poetry have appeared in a variety of literary journals and magazines, among them The North American Review, The Spoon River Poetry Review, Alligator Juniper, The Ledge, The Sow’s Ear Poetry Review, and White Eagle Coffee Store Press. His two recent OLLI courses on poetry received strong reviews for his well-chosen poems and insightful analyses.
Thoreau’s Walden and Other Works
Willis Goth Regier
Tuesday 11:00–12:30; February 20 through March 13
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester. Another course on Urban Legends, taught by Kath Brinkmann, will meet during this time slot during the first half of the semester; that course requires a separate registration.
Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862) has many claims to fame. He was one of the first American naturalists, an outspoken abolitionist, and author and practitioner of “On Civil Disobedience.” His first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (1849), sold so poorly that he bought the unsold copies himself. He told his journal that he had a library of 900 volumes and had written 700 of them. Emerson coaxed him to begin a journal, now one of his most admired works. Emerson’s celebrated gift to Thoreau – permission to build and occupy a cabin by Walden Pond – resulted in an American classic.
Instructor: Willis Regier retired in 2015 as the Director of the University of Illinois Press. He has authored three books – two were selected as CHOICE “Outstanding Academic Books” – and edited another. He has published essays and reviews in American Academic, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Language, Modern Language Notes, Paideuma, World Literature Today, and other journals. He taught his first OLLI course in fall 2015, and his courses receive strongly positive evaluations, with one recent student calling the experience “OLLI at its highest potential.”
MUSIC
Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, op. 66 (1963)
Chester Alwes
Monday 1:30–3:00; February 19 through March 12
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester. Another course on Beethoven: His Life and Music, taught by Kelli McQueen, will meet during this time slot during the first half of the semester; that course requires a separate registration.
Britten’s War Requiem will be performed by the U. of I. choruses and orchestra in May 2018. Having established itself as the major choral/orchestral work of the 20th century in the fifty years since its debut, a preparatory study of the work will greatly enhance the performance experience for those unfamiliar with the work. Commissioned for the consecration of the new Coventry Cathedral in 1963, the work fuses the Requiem mass with a series of anti-war poems by Wilfrid Owen, who died in the final weeks of WWI. All materials will be provided by instructor. Optional reading: Cooke, Mervyn. Britten: War Requiem. Cambridge University Press (New York, 1996)
Instructor: Chester Alwes is Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Illinois, where for 29 years he conducted various choral ensembles and taught graduate courses in the history of choral literature. Alwes is the author of a definitive, two-volume History of Western Choral Music, published by Oxford University Press (2015, 2016) and has published articles and given lectures on Britten’s War Requiem. His OLLI music courses have received high marks for the instructor’s mastery of the subject.
Beethoven: His Life and Music
Kelli McQueen
Monday 1:30–3:00; January 22 through February 12
This is a 4-week course that meets during the first half of the semester. Another music course on Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem, taught by Chester Alwes, will meet during this time slot during the second half of the semester; that course requires a separate registration.
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) lived during a revolutionary period when political movements toppled monarchies and intellectual movements chased the hope of liberty, fraternity, and equality. No less revolutionary was the life of this composer who suffered great personal difficulties, but persevered beyond them to create music that startled his audience with innovation, pathos, and heroic ideals. This class will look at the details of Beethoven’s life and times in relation to the music that he produced.
Instructor: Kelli McQueen is a Ph.D. student in musicology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her primary research includes poetry and song in the Middle Ages, performativity, book culture, and the history of musical notation. She is also interested in Romanticism in music and literature and has a forthcoming article in the journal Arietta titled “From Minnelied to Liederkreis: Locating the Middle Ages in Beethoven’s Work.” Her first OLLI course, in spring 2017, was well-received by students who appreciated her detailed presentations.
A History of Electronic Music CANCELED
Barry R. Morse
Monday 3:30–5:00; January 22 through March 12
This is a historical survey of the various styles, techniques, and personalities of the musical genre of electronic music (aka electro-acoustic music) in its many forms. The course will introduce students to early live electronic music and instruments such as the Theremin; fixed-media sound collage known as musique concrete; the evolution of the synthesizer; and the advent of computer music. Personalities range from John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen to the Beatles and Mouse on Mars, and styles from classical academic studio techniques to synthesized film soundtracks, electronica, and Blip-Hop.
Instructor: Barry R. Morse received his Doctorate of Music Arts degree in composition from the University of Illinois in 2016. He has composed over 100 pieces, including educational music and music for multiple Theremins. In 2016 he founded the Etherphonic Theremin Orchestra, comprising eight Theremin instruments, which he conducts in group improvisations. As an improviser on trumpet, Theremin and electronics, he co-formed the Wu-Morse Duo, also in 2016, with collaborator Allen Wu, a laptop computer performer. Barry has taught various Music History and Appreciation courses at the University of Southern Maine and the York County Community College, in Wells, Maine. This is his first OLLI course.
Women in Jazz
Jenelle Orcherton
Wednesday 9:00–10:30; January 24 through March 14
There have been many great women jazz musicians, some well-known and recorded, others overlooked. This course will follow some of the women who helped push jazz forward and those who are continuing the tradition today. Artists will include “Empress of the Blues” Bessie Smith; Mary Lou Williams, songwriter for bandleaders including Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman; Ella Fitzgerald, the “First Lady of Song”; Marian McPartland, host of Piano Jazz on NPR until 2011; singer and pianist Diana Krall; bassist and singer Esperanza Spalding; Ingrid Jenson, who has recorded over 35 albums; and guitarist Mary Halvorson.
Instructor: Originally hailing from Montreal QC, Jenelle Orcherton is an active educator and jazz performer. Her degrees are from University of Saskatchewan (B. Education) and the University of Illinois (M.Mus, Jazz Performance), and she has served on many jazz and community organizations including the Saskatoon Jazz Society, Music Defying Boundaries, and most recently the Urbana Public Arts Commission. She is the Artistic Director and Founder of the Champaign-Urbana Jazz Festival in its third season. Jenelle has over ten years of education experience and is passionate about giving all audiences the opportunity to engage with jazz. Her OLLI courses on jazz history and performance have received high marks from students for her deep knowledge of the subject matter and engaging teaching style.
PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION
Meeting Joseph Campbell through Film
Tom Neufer Emswiler
Tuesday 1:30–3:00; January 23 through March 13
Joseph Campbell was a foremost interpreter of world mythologies, author or editor of twenty books, lecturer and researcher around the world, and professor at Sarah Lawrence College for 38 years. Bill Moyers had the great privilege of talking with Campbell about his understandings of mythology, his thoughts about religion, politics, and human interacting during the last two years of Campbell’s life (1986-1987). Many of these conversations made up the hour-long presentations which were featured on PBS and made available through DVDs. We will meet Campbell through these conversations and through other films and videos.
Instructor: Tom Neufer Emswiler has taught four well-received film classes at OLLI along with many other classes on a variety of topics. He has been a student of film all his life and has a collection of over 1,600 films. He is a retired United Methodist minister and his work for almost forty years in churches and campus ministries help him to bring theological and philosophical insights and understandings to these films featuring Joseph Campbell.
A Rabbi Encounters (translations of) the Koran
Rabbi Norman Klein
Wednesday 11:00–12:30; January 24 through March 14
This course will explore the scope of the Koran, its style, structures, content, teachings, and what we can derive concerning the events and peoples depicted in its chapters and verses, including pre-Muslim Arabia, and its resident pagans, Christians, and Jews. We shall also explore what can be known about its collection as a religious document, and its interpretation. The structure of the course will be similar to the instructor’s recent, well-received course, A Rabbi Encounters the New Testament. The title of this course includes the parenthetical phrase “(translations of)” because Muslim believers consider only the Koran in its original Arabic as authentic, as that was the way it was received from Allah by the Prophet Mohammed.
Instructor: Norman Mark Klein, M.A.H.L., D.D., is retired as the emeritus rabbi at Sinai Temple in Champaign after serving as the interim rabbi at Temple Beth Orr, Coral Springs, FL, Temple Israel, Ottawa, Canada, and at Temple Beth Torah in Wellington, FL, 2013-2017. Before becoming Rabbi Emeritus at Sinai Temple, Champaign, IL, he served as rabbi from 1995-2013. Rabbi Klein was ordained at the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in 1985. He was rabbi of Temple Ohav Shalom, Allison Park, Pennsylvania from 1985 to 1991, and the rabbi of Temple Rodef Shalom, Waco, Texas, from 1991 to 1995. Rabbi Klein came to rabbinic school at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion with an interest in literature, having done graduate work at Indiana University, Bloomington (A.B.D. in the Ph.D. program of the English Department), with his thesis work on the subject of the interaction of character and place in contemporary novels set in exotic places. His rabbinic thesis focused on a contemporary Israeli novel. He has taught several extremely well-received courses at OLLI on subjects related to religious studies.
The Price of a Life: Rational Thought as a Guide for Empathy
Melih Sener
Thursday 3:30–5:00; January 25 through March 15
What is the price of a life? Who decides it? Whether we choose to know or not, society assigns numerical values to most aspects of our lives. Numbers paint a clear picture as to who we are as a people, including our inherent biases based on race, gender, or nationality. Using case studies on controversial topics such as plastic waste, climate change, wealth distribution, and child labor, we will paint an evidence-based mirror to our actions and inactions. The class seeks a consilience between the quantitative arguments of rational thought and the lyrical pleas of humanist literature in their common quest for constructing a society based on mercy, justice, and empathy. The course is accessible to those who would rather sit at a dentist chair then worry about mathematics.
Instructor: Melih Sener is a research scientist at Illinois who specializes in the harvesting and conversion of sunlight in nature as a source of energy to sustain all life. The questions addressed in his work as a biophysicist include how cellular mechanisms achieve high efficiency, robustness, and optimality and what we can learn from nature to design better solar energy solutions. With a theoretical physics and mathematics background, he applies computational and theoretical tools to complex problems in biology. As an extension of his quantitative studies of nature, he advocates that numerical literacy provides an improved decision making platform in public policy. He presented two extremely successful lectures at OLLI in 2017, and this is his first OLLI course.
PHYSICS AND THE SCIENCES
Golden Ages of Astronomy
David Linton
Thursday 1:30–3:00; February 22 through March 15
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.
From time to time, a branch of science surges forward, adding an abundance of new ideas to our understanding of the world around us in a relatively short period of time. These “surges” have sometimes been driven by new technologies, sometimes by new ways of analyzing observational or experimental results, and sometimes by performing an experiment or observation with greater accuracy than ever before. These “Golden Ages” can also be very interesting times to be alive. This course will examine four such periods during the history of Astronomy: (~500 BC) The Ancient Greeks Seek Natural Causes; (1609) The Telescope Leads to a Revolution in Thought; (1920s) The Discovery of the Universe; and (1957) Astronomy From Above Earth’s Atmosphere.
Instructor: Now EIU Professor Emeritus, Mr. Linton was named Illinois Professor of the Year in 1988. He earned an M.S. in Astrophysics at the University of New Mexico in 1971 and taught physics and astronomy at Parkland College from 1971 to 2002 and at Eastern Illinois University from 2004 to 2017. He has lectured on cruise ships and in planetariums, led student groups to the Rockies, to North Dakota (1979 Total Solar Eclipse), and to Mexico (to see Halley's Comet in 1986), taught Astronomy in Japan, ridden a mule into the Grand Canyon and a camel into the Sahara Desert, visited the homes of Galileo and Einstein, and hosted a Russian Cosmonaut as his house guest. After two successful lectures in August 2017 that inspired many OLLI members to become amateur eclipse-chasers, this is his first OLLI course.
Science in Current Events
Kevin Pitts
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SCHEDULE FOR THIS COURSE
Thursday 9:00–10:30; January 25 through March 15; click the link above to see the schedule for this course
Many of the things that we encounter every day, as well as many events that we read about in the newspaper, have a basis in science and technology. Examples include smartphones, driverless cars, North Korea’s nuclear tests, the Paris Climate Accords, and election hacking. In this course, we will investigate the science behind some of these issues and discuss how they influence our lives as well as public policy.
Instructor: Kevin Pitts earned his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Oregon. He worked at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory before coming to the University of Illinois in 1999 where he continues to perform research in high energy physics. At the U. of I., he is a Professor of Physics and the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education. His OLLI courses have received outstanding evaluations, with students citing his excellent teaching and deep knowledge of the subject matter.
A World of Color
David Tracy
Thursday 9:00–10:30; January 25 through March 15
Our most important sense is that of sight, to which a large part of our brain is devoted. A crucial aspect of vision is color perception, but our color discrimination is in some ways extremely limited, and yet in other respects highly sophisticated. With only three primary color sensors, we manage to separate a million or so hues, while failing to distinguish at least as many others. This course will explore the remarkable ways in which color is physically formed, detected in our eyes, and finally perceived, with numerous “eyes-on” demonstrations and experiments. It will also cover color in art and photography, color illusions, and the deep connections between color and other senses, especially sound. This course builds on an earlier OLLI course, Seeing the Light. While covering new ground, it will be self-contained and suitable for both returning and new students. No scientific background or knowledge is required.
Instructor: Dave Tracy earned his B.S in physics at the University of Florida. After a 2.5 year stint in the Peace Corps teaching high school math and physics in Malaysia, he obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1972. Following spectroscopy postdocs at Imperial College in London and at UW, he switched gears and entered industry, working over twenty years at Perkin Elmer developing semiconductor processing equipment and analytical instruments for chemistry and biochemistry, mostly involving optics. He retired from Perkin Elmer as VP, Science and Technology in 2000. Since then, he has consulted extensively in optical design – principally for biotechnology instrumentation such as DNA sequencers – for startups, research institute, and large corporations, in the U.S. and abroad. He has accumulated about 48 patents. His OLLI courses have been well-regarded for his skill in describing, and demonstrating, complex topics for non-specialists.
WELLNESS AND MOVEMENT
Introduction to Classical Pilates
Elizabeth Bartell
Monday 3:30–5:00; January 22 through March 12
This class will offer an introduction to Classical Pilates, mainly through physical instruction and a brief look into the history of this modern exercise. Joseph Pilates began creating his method as a prisoner of war during World War I, when he helped bedridden patients use springs and hospital beds to create resistance. The method is known for its rehabilitative power and for helping with back pain, mobility, flexibility, and balance. Each class will include a combination of exercises that focus on stretching, strengthening, and balance. The instructor will guide students through these exercises from both sitting and standing positions, and include modifications for all fitness levels.
Instructor: Elizabeth Bartell is the owner of Dulak Pilates Center in Champaign and a certified instructor in the Romana’s Pilates method. Elizabeth is passionate about Pilates and how it can change and improve the lives of those who practice it. This is her first OLLI course.
LV Chair Yoga ™ for Advanced Beginners
Robin Goettel
Monday 1:00–2:30; February 19 through March 12
This is a 4-week course that meets during the second half of the semester.
Practicing yoga helps improve balance, flexibility, and strength, along with concentration and patience. This Advanced Beginner class is tailored for those who have previously taken Robin’s chair yoga class or who have other yoga experience. We’ll go deeper into topics such as the mind-body connection, stress reduction, and adaptation of yoga principles into daily life – with the goals of increased self-confidence and improved health/wellness. This class creates a safe environment by:
teaching proper ways to do a pose, based on individual challenges; expanding student awareness that every “body” is different; and adapting to varied levels of flexibility.
Instructor: Robin Goettel retired from the U. of I. in 2014 as an Associate Director for Education with the Sea Grant Program. She then decided to become more involved in promoting good health and wellness as a certified Chair Yoga instructor. She was trained by Lakshmi Voelker, a nationally-respected Chair Yoga teacher trainer who created her LV Chair Yoga program “Get Fit Where You Sit” ® in 1982. Robin has taught chair yoga classes at Clark Lindsey Village, Sinai Temple, the Mettler Center, and the Urbana Park District’s Fall Fitness Program. She has taught this course three times since spring 2016, and students have noted the instructor’s professionalism and strong preparation during this very beneficial class.
Introduction to Tai Chi and Qigong Fundamentals
Mike Reed
Tuesday, 11:00–12:30 (Section A) and Thursday, 11:00–12:30 (Section B); Section A – January 23 through March 13, Section B – January 25 through March 15; there will be two sections of this course, with identical content, and students may register for only one section, which will meet weekly for eight weeks
Qigong is an ancient practice whose Chinese origins extend back in time nearly four thousand years. It was developed as a holistic art for nurturing a healthy mind, body and spirit. Over the millennia it has evolved into a wide variety of forms, which have played important roles - spiritual, social, political, military and medical– in Chinese cultural history. The practice of taijiquan, more commonly known in the West as tai chi, is a relatively new application of the principles of qigong to the purpose of martial arts. Tai chi was created as an internal martial art in the 17th century, and has since flourished as a general health practice as it is practicable for people of all ages and physical abilities. Each of the eight sessions will be structured to provide an overview and acquaint students with the principles and practices of tai chi and qigong. This course is intended for both students who are new to tai chi and those who have taken it at OLLI or elsewhere in the past.
Instructor: Mike Reed has been studying and practicing Tai Chi and Qigong since 1998. He has shared his experience and understanding for the past 16 years with local students at OLLI, at the Savoy Recreation Center, and with research participants at the U. of I. and in a variety of other settings. This course was offered in OLLI’s first semester and has been taught in nearly every semester since then. One recent student said of this course, “I learned enough about tai chi that I would like to continue to practice. It has improved my health!”
Ballet for Adult Beginners
Lei Shanbhag
Monday 9:30–11:00; January 22 through March 12
Ballet is a classical dance form applicable as an artistic performance, as well as an elegant fitness and wellness exercise. Ballet develops strength, tone, flexibility, balance, and grace through extension. Ballet not only transforms how your body looks, but it also affects the way you move. Its total mind and body engagement ultimately develops a more athletic, functional, and refined mind and body connection. This class focuses on the adult beginner; however, experienced participants will also benefit from the class. It is a low impact workout, suitable for all ages.
Instructor: Lei Shanbhag has been learning and dancing ballet for more than 25 years since she came to the United States from China as a graduate student. The first adult ballet she attended opened her eyes about the possibilities of what ballet could offer. She believes ballet can be an excellent means for fitness and wellness. She has been teaching ballet for adult beginners for the past two years in several fitness venues, including the Champaign Fitness Center, Mettler Center, and Savoy Recreation Center. She has also been a Zumba instructor for the past four years. This is her first OLLI course.
Popular Ballroom Dances
Alex Tecza
Wednesday 1:00–2:30; January 24 through March 14
With the growing popularity of ballroom dancing and more exposure on TV, new studies have been conducted to test the benefits of this activity. The multidimensional benefits of dancing include all areas of health: physical, mental, social, and emotional. In this course, you will learn the basics of popular ballroom dances and how to create your own patterns so you can have fun improvising. We will also show you how you can dance what you learned to almost any music. Thus, you will never feel left out at any dance party. No partner required. Dances taught in this session will include rumba, tango, cha cha, and mambo. This course is suitable for both new and returning students.
Instructor: Alex Tecza is a former competitive ballroom dancer. His achievements include titles of professional national and world finalist, Dancers Cup Tour Professional Couple of the Year two years in a row, and several wins in professional standard, smooth, and showdance divisions. Since retiring from competitions, Alex has continued to teach and perform all over the country. Locally, he has taught master classes and workshops for Dance Department at the U. of I. and Regent Ballroom, choreographed and performed in productions at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, and coached the Illini Dancesport team. Alex teaches students of all ages and levels. This is his second OLLI course, and students in the fall semester appreciated the lively class sessions and skilled instruction.