Study Groups

Study Groups 2014-15 Archives

Fall 2014
Study Group Descriptions

MONDAY

GMOs: Realities, promises and concerns
Facilitators: Claudia Reich and Mary Severinghaus

Since the dawn of civilization, humans have been altering the genetic makeups of plants and animals using breeding techniques to select for desired traits. This human-imposed selection has until recently been limited to naturally occurring variations. But in recent decades, advances in the fields of genetics and molecular biology have allowed for precise and targeted control of genetic changes in organisms: witness the birth of GMOs (genetically modified organisms).

Strong controversy surrounds GMOs, especially regarding their use in producing foodstuffs. We will discuss some of the facts and myths about GMOs, using reliable information to assess their importance and relevance, and to decide what our educated responses as consumers should be.

No special knowledge or prerequisites are needed. Familiarity with computers to the extent of using email and finding information via a browser will be useful (though not required), as will access to a printer if participants wish to have hard copies of readings.

Selected readings will be suggested, mostly from Scientific American and other readily available sources. Readings will be posted on the OLLI study group download page. A list of readings for each week will be given to students prior to the week they are discussed.

Facilitators:
Claudia Reich holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the U of I, she has been a Postdoctoral Fellow in Biochemistry, and Research Professor and Senior Scientist in Microbiology and the Institute for Genomic Research. Her research has been on molecular biology and genomics of microorganisms. Full disclosure: During her career she has been responsible for generating many GMOs (not to worry, mostly harmless bacteria for research purposes).

Mary Severinghaus has a master’s degree in biology from the University of Illinois. For 16 years she taught biology courses at Parkland College, among them environmental biology, evolution, and biology for majors. Since her retirement in 2008, she has developed a keen interest in genetic engineering and its roles in agriculture and the treatments of diseases, so she continues to read and study those topics, among others. Scientific literacy is one of her passions; and she has become aware that many people fear genetically modified organisms because they do not understand what they are, how they are developed, what their uses are, and their tremendous potential for improving the living conditions of humans worldwide.

Recorder Ensemble
Facilitator: Ellen Elrick

Would you like to play music in a Recorder Ensemble? All levels welcome, including beginners. Our group will focus on expressive music performance while covering basic techniques. The facilitator along with the participants will select music to match our skills. Expect an introduction to basic skills, and a mix of large and small ensemble practice and playing during our sessions. Bring your recorder, some favorite music to share (if you wish), and join the group!

The Recorder Ensemble will build on the playing progress of the individual and the group. Topics will include expressive performance through focus on tone, rhythm, articulation, phrasing and ensemble skills. In the sessions, we will organize with warm-ups, whole group practice, break-out groups for duets and trios, and eventually, opportunities to play for one another. Guest performers as well as listening examples will showcase the expressive possibilities of recorder playing. Each session will include the challenge and joy of making music together.

Participants will need to have a recorder (soprano, alto, tenor, or bass). For those who do not already have recorders at home, inexpensive versions are widely available. A recorder method book and additional chamber music will be determined by the playing experience of the group members. Guides and music will be provided on the OLLI download page. Reading music is helpful but not essential.

Facilitator:
Ellen Elrick is a music educator and performer in Champaign-Urbana. During her career she has taught flute and recorder independently; recorder ensemble and group piano at Parkland College; flute, recorder and pre-school music at The Conservatory of Central Illinois; and 20+ years as a band teacher in the Urbana public schools. Ellen has played recorder with others as a continuing interest and activity through the years. She currently plays piccolo and flute with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony. This is her first OLLI study group.

More and More American Poetry: The Best of the Best
Facilitator: Jean Weigel

Join us to study the words, the structure, the challenging ideas, and the intriguing sounds of recent American poetry. We’ll read closely and then discuss poems from among those chosen by poets as the seventy-five “best” of those first published in each of ten years: 1988-1997.

Our text will be The Best of The Best American Poetry, critic Harold Bloom’s choice of the top seventy-five poems from the original 750. Some of the poets are Louise Gluck, Phillip Levine, Anne Carson, John Ashbery, and Kenneth Koch.

Even OLLI’s longtime poetry lovers will discover new voices to enjoy together and to puzzle over. Several poems will be assigned each session to study at home and then to read aloud and discuss together.

Text: The Best of the Best American Poetry, 1988-1997 (Harold Bloom, Editor; David Lehman, Series Editor), Scribner Poetry, 1998. Available new and used at Amazon, half.com; eBay, and other book sources

Facilitator:
Jean Weigel directed plays and taught English, speech, and theater for many years. For OLLI she has facilitated study groups on short stories, The New Yorker, the sounds of poetry, reading plays aloud, and three previous ones on American poetry.

Second Chance Films III
Facilitators: Jenifer Cartwright, Barbara Kaufman, and Tom Galer-Unti

The facilitators of this group have chosen a variety of films in which characters are in need of second chances. Before the first meeting, members well receive the syllabus via email. This will include a bit about each film and the date it will be shown. Weekly sessions will begin with background information, continue with a viewing of the entire film, and end with a discussion which is usually lively and enlightening.

Films include: Being There; Blast from the Past, Brimstone and Treacle; In the Line of Fire; Scott Pilgrim vs the World; The Shipping News and Quackser Fortune has a Cousin in the Bronx. Please note that whenever possible the films will be subtitled.

Facilitators:
Jenifer, Barb, and Tom love watching films and discussing them with others. Their experiences at OLLI – on both sides of the lectern! – have greatly increased their knowledge, appreciation, and enjoyment, thanks in large measure to study group members.

TUESDAY

Writing and Performing Poetry
Facilitator: John Palen

This is a poetry workshop culminating in an optional reading, with family, friends and other OLLI members invited to the presentation. In seven sessions, participants will work from model poems to write short, free-verse poems, exchange them with partners for quick editing, and read them aloud to the group. This is not primarily a critique group, although brief periods will be set aside for discussion of such topics as writing process, effective oral presentation, revision, and how to seek publication. Participants will be encouraged to continue to revise work produced in the workshop at home.

Facilitator:
John Palen has had poems published in regional and national literary magazines for 45 years, including Prairie Schooner, Poetry Northwest, Kansas Quarterly, Passages North, The Formalist, and Upstreet, as well as in anthologies published by Wayne State University Press and Milkweed Editions. His work has been published in chapbooks by Mayapple Press, March Street Press and Pudding House, and a full-length collection of new and selected poems, Open Communion, was published in 2005 by Mayapple Press. About 25 years ago, John taught poetry writing to el-hi students in several Michigan public schools through the state Writers in the Schools project. He has been an invited reader at several universities and public libraries - most recently, "Lions in Winter" at Eastern Illinois University. A retired journalist and journalism educator, he has earned a doctorate in American Studies from Michigan State University.

The Examined Life by Robert Nozick
Facilitator: Frank Hoss

The group will read and discuss the book The Examined Life by Robert Nozick. The book is a series of philosophical meditations on such topics as death, love, happiness, the Holocaust, and religious faith. Nozick was formerly a Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University.

Facilitator:
Frank Hoss majored in Philosophy as an undergraduate. He took graduate courses in Philosophy and has a graduate degree in Divinity. He taught Philosophy and Religion at the community college level.

Visual Arts Conversations
Pathways to Twentieth Century Art #1
France 1886-1900
Facilitator: Sharon Williams

French Impressionists had rebelled against the dictates of the Academy and The Salon, recording modern life in a new style that was later termed “Impressionism”. By 1886 a group of artists believed that this style was too limiting and began forging even bolder pathways to art of the twentieth century. In this seven week study group, participants will discuss the work of artists who are considered “Post Impressionists”, seeking to identify what styles of Twentieth Century they were pioneering.

As she has before, Sharon will provide the group a “TOOL BOX” -- a guide for viewing. In the first session, they will consider the Feldman method for describing art. To set the stage, the legacy of the “Impressionists” will also be reviewed.

In each of the following sessions, Sharon will ask members to share their observations of important works of art. Following their discussions, they will view a conversation between Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker of Kahn Academy or other art historians. Additional paintings and media sources will be used to enhance understanding of the art’s content and context and the body of work of each artist. So that members will be able to view them more closely, Sharon is planning to post in advance on the OLLI website the paintings for each week’s discussion.

Facilitator:
Sharon Williams is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and is a State of Illinois licensed Interior Designer who was co-owner of a furniture and design business for over 35 years. She has an interest in art and art history and hopes to share her knowledge and learn from other OLLI members. She is the chair of the OLLI Study Group Committee and has participated in numerous other study groups and courses. This will be the fourth Visual Arts Conversation group she has facilitated.

Stories of the Best of Times and the Worst of Times—Now!
Facilitator: Paula Watson

In this group we will read and discuss stories from a recent anthology: Best of Times, Worst of Times: Contemporary American Short Stories from the New Gilded Age, edited by Wendy Martin and Cecelia Tichi (New York: New York University Press, 2011). We may supplement pieces in the collection with a few downloaded from the Internet and will read two to three stories each week. Although not all were written after 2001, the aim of the anthology is to present stories that explore social, political, and economic conditions in post-9/11 America. The editors mention themes such as war weariness, growing economic inequality, job loss, racial issues, immigration, and environmental degradation. The central question is how we respond to the challenges of modern life.

Facilitator:
Paula Watson has led numerous OLLI short story discussion groups, including most recently Modern American Short Stories 2. She holds a Master’s degree in English literature.

WEDNESDAY

Mansfield Park
Facilitator: Sharon Michalove

In many ways, Mansfield Park is the most politically explicit of Jane Austen's novels. While most of it has to do with marriages and family relationships, the issues of colonialism and slavery are certainly a subtext. We will study the novel, paying particular attention to the historical background, especially the antislavery movement as well as the creation of wealth from colonial exploitation. In addition, we will look at various film versions of Mansfield Park as well as the recently released movie, Belle. If there is time, we may also watch some scenes from the film, Amazing Grace.

Study group members may use any edition of the novel. A few additional readings may be posted on the OLLI website for downloading. Because video will be shown each week, this study group will last for two hours.

Facilitator:
Sharon Michalove was Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History until her retirement in 2006. She has a Ph.D. in the History of Education, and specializes in 15th century history and the history of polar exploration. She has facilitated several study groups for OLLI.

iWork Study Group
Facilitator: Robert Davis

The group will explore the Apple suite of software called iWork. (This software is purchased, not included, in the Apple package.) It includes Pages (word processor), Numbers (spread sheet) and Keynote (presentation). Sessions will be tailored to the needs and wishes of the group. No previous experience with iWork is necessary as we will proceed slowly so that no one is left behind. The first session will begin with some basic Apple computer orientation.

It is recommended that participants bring their Mac devices to class meetings.

Facilitator:
Bob has owned and used Apple Macintosh computers since 1986 and currently has two, a tower and a laptop. He has participated in 3 different computer users groups. For 8 years (1974-82) he taught computer programming in high school. He also conducted a number of computer introduction classes for the State of Illinois (1969-72). Recently he led two other Mac Beginners discussion groups for OLLI.

The New Yorker
Facilitator: Mary Ellen Dorner

Participants are required to have some reliable means of obtaining the articles to be discussed.

Facilitator:
Mary Ellen Dorner is a former high school literature and writing teacher and paralegal. She has been a member of the New Yorker study group for several years. She has co-facilitated two short story study groups of William Maxwell novels and the New Yorker.

Latin Study Group
Facilitator: Rosalind Faiman Weinberg

This study group will involve reading and translating Latin among friends. The group has been meeting for a year and is now about ¾ of the way through the text. Newcomers are welcome, but should have some Latin under their belts if they are considering this group.

Reading Materials: Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata Pars I: Familia Romana by Hans. H. Orberg; plus any grammars and dictionaries participants wish to bring along. Newcomers should purchase a copy of Lingua Latina Per Se Illustra Pars I.

Facilitator:
Rosalind Weinberg took the OLLI Latin course, participated in the Latin Practice study group and has facilitated the Latin Study Group. She wants to continue to study Latin.

Simon Schama's "The Story of the Jews"
Facilitators: Fred Christensen, Don Francisco, and Joyce Francisco

This study group will view and discuss "The Story of the Jews," a five-part series broadcast on PBS last spring. The episodes cover Jewish history, religion, culture, and relations with the non-Jewish world from ancient times through the Middle Ages and Enlightenment to the 20th and 21st centuries. The host and narrator, Prof. Schama, has done an excellent job of summarizing and clarifying important themes, and uses powerful visual images to make his points. Each week, we'll watch one hour-long episode, followed by an hour of discussion (our final session will be a general discussion of Jewish topics). The group will provide insights into the past, present and future of the Jewish people.

Facilitators:
The group facilitators approach this topic from differing backgrounds. Joyce Francisco is from a Brooklyn Jewish family, and Don Francisco became a Jew by Choice in 1983. Don has facilitated two study groups in which the participants viewed and discussed Holocaust survivor testimonies that he helped produce and record, and Joyce and Don together facilitated a Holocaust movie study group last year. Fred Christensen has had a lifelong interest in Jewish history, strengthened by family connections (an Israeli daughter-in-law and three Jewish grandkids). Fred, a former history instructor at the University of Kentucky, always incorporated Jewish themes in "Western Civ" survey courses he taught there.

Capital in the Twenty First Century:
An Analysis of Historical Measures of Capital Growth and Wealth Inequality
Facilitator: Franklin Shupp

This study group is based on the book Capital in the Twenty First Century by Thomas Piketty. The book was first published in the US in early 2014 and by May it topped the non-fiction best seller lists of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Amazon. The book addresses the grand dynamics that drive the accumulation and distribution of capital. Piketty analyzes a unique collection of data from twenty counties, ranging as far back as the eighteenth century, to uncover key economic, political and social patterns.

This study group will cover the following: 1) a brief history of the ideas of the most influential economists as they relate to inequality together with the basic arguments that separate micro and macroeconomics and conservative and liberal economists; 2) Two New Yorker articles by John Cassidy (the first on changes in income inequality in the US and the second on changes in wealth inequality); 3) an analysis of income and wealth inequality across countries; 4) an analysis of income and wealth inequality within a country; 5) technology changes, human capital, winner-take-all and 6) policy proposals and loose ends.

It is not necessary to obtain a copy of the book for this study group. Handouts covering the most interesting and important sections of the book will be available electronically to the group.

Facilitator:
Franklin Shupp has spent much of his career at the U of I teaching introductory, intermediate, and graduate level courses in both micro and macro theory and policy. His primary research interests are income distribution and monetary policy. He has served as a senior economist with the Federal Reserve Board and as consultant to the US Treasury.

THURSDAY

Time Magazine
Facilitator: John Moore

The group will discuss selected articles from Time Magazine (about 3 per session). Various topics –
including politics, world affairs, business, tech, health, science, and entertainment – will be discussed. Members will be encouraged to choose and lead the discussion of one or more articles during this session. This group is open to new and returning members.

Facilitator:
John Moore is a retired physician who teaches at the University of Illinois Medical School. He has been involved in the New Yorker study group for several years. He is a long time reader of Time and Newsweek Magazines.

Best American Mystery Stories of 2006
Facilitators: Bev Herzog and Tim Smith

We are working our way backwards in the “The Best American Mystery Stories” series. This session we will read the 2006 volume edited by Scott Turow, with series editor, Otto Penzler. From Booklist’s review: "If you like all your characters living at the end of a story, this may not be the book for you," writes guest editor Turow in the introduction to the latest installment in this superb series…. Indeed, homicide rests at the icy heart of these 21 taut tales, set in locales ranging from small-town Indiana and the Texas Hill Country to an ominous rock canyon on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Mystery fans will welcome the diversity of voices here, from veterans Walter Mosley, Joyce Carol Oates, Elmore Leonard, and the late Ed McBain to lesser-known but no-less--impressive talents Alan Heathcock, Jeff Somers, and Mike MacLean.” Group members will be expected to read and be ready to discuss to two to four stories each week. Group members will also be asked to volunteer to lead discussions of up to three stories, including researching the authors of the stories and developing study questions.

We will discuss to two to four stories, totaling approximately 40-60 pages, each week. Group members are asked to volunteer to lead some story discussions.

Reading materials: “The Best American Mystery Stories 2006,” editor Scott Turow, series editor Otto Penzler. This is not available for Nook or Kindle.

Facilitators:
Bev Herzog is a retired geologist who has been an avid reader of mysteries since she was introduced to Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden as a child. She has participated in mystery short stories study groups since joining OLLI in 2010. Tim Smith is relatively new to the field of short story mysteries but adds the insights of and critical analysis gained from 40 years in the field of law and readings in all areas of history. Bev and Tim have teamed up to lead six previous mystery short story study groups, which have received excellent reviews.

I Hate Math: Redux
Facilitator: Douglas Elrick

This study group is open to all who wish to become reacquainted with math concepts that were first encountered at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. The only prerequisite is a desire to become reengaged with math skills perhaps long forgotten.

Basic math computation, percents, ratio and proportion, geometry areas, volumes, statistics, probability, number theory and contributions of famous mathematicians will be covered.

Facilitator:
Douglas Elrick taught these topics for over 40 years in elementary school and at the University of Illinois College of Education – Elementary and Middle School Math for Undergraduates.

Board Wargaming: the Napoleonic and Civil War Eras
Facilitator: Fred Christensen

This group will allow you to refight some of history's most famous battles using maps showing terrain, cardboard counters representing brigades and divisions, odds tables and die rolls to resolve combat, and relatively simple standardized rules. These military simulation games were popular in the mid-to-late 20th century, and provide more insight into strategy and tactics than most of the more spectacular and flashy computer games that succeeded them. We'll use games from Fred Christensen's collection to explore the nature of combat in the nineteenth century, the basics of strategic and tactical thinking, and the problems faced by commanders like Lee at Gettysburg, Napoleon at Waterloo, and Burnside at Fredericksburg. You can try to do better than they did....but of course your opponent will try to make sure that you don't! Whether you are new to this activity, or played games from GDW, Avalon Hill, and SPI "back in the day," you'll find your inner Clausewitz awakened by these "historical chess" encounters. NOTE: This group was first conducted in late summer, and is being repeated and expanded with new emphasis on the historical and strategic background to the games.

Facilitator:
Fred Christensen is a former history instructor at the University of Kentucky and assistant professor of military science at the University of Illinois. Fred is the current president of ECIAS, the East Central Illinois Archaeological Society. As a former instructor for the Army's Command and General Staff Course, he found military simulation games to be useful teaching tools. He teaches noncredit classes for OLLI, Parkland College, and other venues, in five areas of history and archaeology: Germany, Britain, early America, Israel/the Holy Land, and military history in general.

Misrule and romance in Shakespeare’s As You Like It and Hamlet
Facilitator: Joan Larsen Klein

As You Like It and Hamlet are both concerned with deleterious relationships between misrule and romantic love. In As You Like It, a usurping duke not only banishes the daughter of the rightful duke from his court but also threatens to kill her—driving Celia, his daughter and Rosalind, his niece, to flee to the Forest of Arden where both girls, under the benevolent protection of the rightful duke, find love. In Hamlet, of course, the usurping king, Claudius, has murdered the rightful king and taken over his throne, with the result that Hamlet’s natural inclinations to court Ophelia are warped into the tragic pursuit of revenge.

Facilitator:
Joan graduated from the University of Michigan with Honors in English and High Distinction in 1953, spent a wonderful year at the University of Padua, Italy, and went on to earn a Ph.D. in English Literature from Harvard University (1958). After teaching for a few years at the University of Wisconsin and Bryn Mawr College, a brief marriage and two children, she settled down happily at the University of Illinois, where she taught Spenser, Shakespeare, Milton and other assorted English authors for over thirty years.

FRIDAY

Explore the iPad
Facilitator: Mary Avelis

As the title implies, this group will explore the secrets of the Apple iPad. It is open to new and experienced users. This is a collaborative group. We share ideas and knowledge about Apps, Settings, Photos, etc., for the iPad. Group participants need an iPad, and are asked to bring it to each session.

Facilitator:
Mary has over 27 years of experience working with technology. This includes computer support for Windows and Apple computers, troubleshooting network problems, teaching computer literacy, and recently consulting and training with computers and other devices for individuals. Mary has led this study group several times.

Writers’ Café
Facilitator: Frank Chadwick

Each week we meet to exchange news about writing in the Champaign-Urbana area, share a craft tip or exercise, and then (the main activity) read passages we’ve written and have the group critique them and make suggestions for improvement. We write all genres and forms: children’s stories, young adult, science fiction, historical fiction, memoir, poetry, song, travel – you name it. All levels of experience welcome. We all start somewhere, and the best place is in the company of those who are working toward the same goals.

Facilitator:
Frank Chadwick is a published historian and novelist and his Desert Shield Fact Book reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list. He has facilitated several OLLI study groups and is currently teaching an OLLI course on “Writing the Novel”.

Early Summer 2014 Study Groups

Nutrition for Health & Fitness

Facilitator: Jaafar S. Dhahir

This study group will focus on how to apply modern knowledge of food and nutrition in improving one’s health and using nutrition in protecting the human body form different health problems.
Reading materials and sources include: Nutrition and Health in Developing Countries, Richard D. Semba & Martin W. Bloem; Nutrition and Health, Tanya Carr and Koen Descheemaeker; Nutrition for Health, Fitness & Sport, Melvin H. Williams; Alcohol, Nutrition and Health Consequences, Ronald Watson, et al and Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease, Catherine A. Ross. Articles will be available on-line.

Jaafar Dhahir has a PhD and Post doctorate in Food Science and Human Nutrition from Michigan State University. He has taught and done research in food science and human nutrition for over 20 years.

History Roundtable

Facilitator: Bill Reed

This study group will focus on several geographical areas and discuss what happened there and why, using maps as a guide. The first session will focus on the Ohio River Valley – what happened and why. Group members will select subjects for future sessions including: the Spanish American colonial period; Caesar’s Gallic Wars; the American War Between the States; Footsteps of Alexander the Great; Trails & Trade of the Native Americans; Route 66/Santa Fe Trail; the Castles of the Kings of England, and many more.

Bill Reed is an amateur historian and has been an OLLI lecturer at the University of Arizona. He taught a course on the Spanish Colonial Period in the American Southwest and was a docent for the National Park Service. He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois and the University of Kentucky, where he taught Engineering Design courses.

King Hereafter

Facilitator: Sharon Michalove

What do we really know about MacBeth? Shakespeare's Scottish play only tells a partial story and is classified among his tragedies rather than his histories. Dorothy Dunnett has some interesting theories about who MacBeth was, which she has incorporated into King Hereafter, her stunning recreation of the eleventh century world. This was her only nonseries novel and was as meticulously researched as her Lymond and Niccolò series. We will read the novel and look at some source material, a scene from Shakespeare, short excerpts from a few other novels, and the opinions on MacBeth of a few historians who have ventured into the murky history of early Scotland and try to draw some conclusions about who MacBeth was and whether he was justified in taking the throne of Scotland.

This study group will meet through both summer sessions due to the length of the book.

King Hereafter should be readily available in various formats, both new and used. Other materials will be supplied by the facilitator.

Dorothy Dunnett was born in 1923 in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. Her time at Gillespie's High School for Girls overlapped with that of the novelist Muriel Spark. From 1940-1955, she worked for the Civil Service as a press officer. In 1946, she married Alastair Dunnett, later editor of The Scotsman.

Dunnett started writing in the late 1950s. Her first novel, The Game of Kings, was published in the United States in 1961 and in the United Kingdom the year after. She published 22 books in total, including the six-part Lymond Chronicles and the eight-part Niccolo Series, and co-authored another volume with her husband. Also an accomplished professional portrait painter, Dunnett exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy on many occasions and had portraits commissioned by a number of prominent public figures in Scotland.
Sharon Michalove was Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History until her retirement in 2006. She has a PhD in the History of Education, and specializes in 15th century history and the history of polar exploration. She has facilitated several study groups for OLLI.

New Yorker

Facilitator: Mary Ellen Dorner

Description: The New Yorker provides a unique mix of articles and reviews on current topics, literature, and the arts. This study group is designed for readers of The New Yorker who want to get together to discuss current articles from the magazine. Members will be encouraged to choose and lead the discussion of one or more articles during this session.

Reading: The New Yorker Magazine

Other Information: Participants are required to have some reliable means of obtaining the articles to be discussed.

Mary Ellen Dorner is a former high school literature and writing teacher and paralegal. She has been a member of the New Yorker study group for several years. She has co-facilitated two short story study groups of William Maxwell novels and the New Yorker.

Latin Study Group

Facilitator: Rosalind Faiman Weinberg

This study group will involve reading and translating Latin among friends – newcomers to the group are welcome.

Reading Materials: Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata Pars I: Familia Romana by Hans. H. Orberg; plus any grammars and dictionaries participants wish to bring along. Newcomers should purchase a copy of Lingua Latina Per Se Illustra Pars I.

Rosalind Weinberg took the OLLI Latin course and participated in the Latin Practice study group. She wants to continue to study Latin.

Noir Short Stories of the 20th Century

Facilitators: Samuel Bostaph & Richard Helfrich

Study group participants will read and discuss stories from the book Best American Noir of the Century, edited by Otto Penzler and James Ellroy.Their list of 40 stories from 1927 to 2007 will be culled to read two or three each week.

The book is available from about $5.00 used to about $14.00 new as well as an e-Book. Members of the group will be asked to lead the discussions of stories or authors that interest them.

Sam Bostaph is a University of Dallas Emeritus Professor of Economics, who retired in December, 2010. He is currently using an inordinate amount of his post-retirement free time to read all the mysteries he couldn’t read while imprisoned in the classroom. Discussing them in OLLI study groups with mature, like-minded adults is the icing on the cake.

Dick Helfrich is a retired surgeon (since 1997), who, like Sam, has tried to read all the things denied to him while practicing. He likes many areas of fiction, biography, history, etc. but finds himself gravitating to mystery and espionage. He has facilitated mystery groups in the past as well as films about the Coen brothers and Noir.

Time Magazine

Facilitator: John Moore

The group will discuss selected articles from Time Magazine (about 3 per session).
Various topics, including politics, world affairs, business, tech, health, science and entertainment will be discussed. Members will be encouraged to choose and lead the discussion of one or more articles during this session.

John Moore is a retired physician who teaches at the University of Illinois Medical School. He has been involved in the New Yorker study group for several years. He is a long time reader of Time and Newsweek Magazines.

BFF (Best Friends Forever) Films

Facilitators: Jenifer Cartwright & Barbara Kaufman

Jenifer and Barb developed this study group to show examples of friendships among males, females, and groups. They chose seven critically-acclaimed and upbeat films that are perfect for summer viewing and discussion. Whenever possible, films will be subtitled. Films will include: The Big Chill; Circle of Friends; Stand by Me; The Wedding Banquet and more! Jenifer and Barb will give pre-film information, show the scheduled film, and lead the post-film discussion.

This study group is Jenifer's seventh and Barb’s second experience facilitating an OLLI film study group. They both love films (Barb has taken many, many OLLI Film Courses and SGs), and they believe that the greatest understanding, appreciation and enjoyment (fun!) come from watching them with others, and from observations and insights offered during post-film discussions.

Explore the iPad

Facilitator: Mary Margaret Avelis

Mary Margaret Avelis has over 27 years of experience working with technology. This includes computer support for both Windows and Apple computers, troubleshooting network problems, teaching computer literacy, and recently computer consulting and training for individuals. For the past eighteen months, she has been holding iPad training sessions with several individuals.

Writers’ Café

Facilitator: Frank Chadwick

Beatles Movies and More

Facilitators: Tom Galer-Unti & Sten Johansen

The group will view and discuss five Beatles films and two other films that are heavily infused with rock and roll. The study group will vote on the last two movies. Movies include: A Hard Day’s Night; Help!; Magical Mystery Tour; Yellow Submarine; Let It Be; Across the Universe; American Graffiti and The Last Waltz.

Tom and Sten both love movies by the Beatles and rock music. Tom previously facilitated an OLLI study group on music of the Beatles.

Spring 2014 Study Groups

About Math: It’s Not My Worst Subject

Facilitator: Joseph Rotman

This study group began meeting last November. It was interrupted after the first class, so we are pleased to offer it again.

Math solves puzzles. For example, Fermat's Last Theorem says that there are no positive integers a, b, c with a^n + b^n = c^n, where the exponent n is any integer 3 or bigger. To say that some very clever guy was able to prove this is not very satisfying. It's like watching a detective story on TV and, after seeing the clues and suspects, the story stops when you are told whodunit.
We will consider various topics in math with the aim of explaining more details so ideas make more sense and become more understandable.

Eight topics in math aimed at a general audience will be covered. Prerequisite is some high school math. Topics include: origins of notation and some etymology; Greek math and Indiana and Pi; Renaissance math & complex numbers; trisecting angles; codes; infinity; Julius and Gregory (calendars) and Fermat’s Last Theorem. PowerPoint will be used to explain the concepts, with questions and discussion encouraged from the group members.

Joseph Rotman is an Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Illinois. He has written eight math books at various levels, all still in print. He has also lectured on math all over the world.

WORKING---Films about unusual people-pursuits-places

Facilitators: Jenifer Cartwright and Barbara Kaufman

Films will include: State and Main (quirky comedy with Phillip Seymour Hoffman and fine ensemble cast); The Cider House Rules (Lassee Halstrom's award-winning film with Tobey Maguire and Michael Caine); Erin Brockovich (ture life biopic w/Julia Roberts in the title role); The Beauty Academy of Kabul (fascinating look at [peacetime] Afghan society); Modern Times (side-Splitting Charlie Chaplin classic)...and more! Jenifer and Barb developed this study group to show extraordinary examples of a universal subject. They chose eight critically-acclaimed (and enjoyable) films that are expected to engender lively discussion. Please note that, whenever possible, films will be subtitled.

WORKING---Films about unusual people-pursuits-places - is Jenifer's sixth and Barb’s first experience facilitating an OLLI Film Study Group. They both love films (Barb has taken many, many OLLI Film Courses and SGs!) and believe that the greatest understanding, appreciation and enjoyment come from watching them with others, and from observations and insights offered during post-film discussions.

Beyond Modernism: American Poetry in the Mid- to Late 20th Century

Facilitators: Jean Weigel assisted by Helen Thursh

Inspired by the shocking Modernism of the early 1900's (Eliot, Pound, Stevens, Marianne Moore), a huge second wave of poets emerged... from traditional to experimental and everywhere in between. We'll study work from a variety of these writers to examine
the unique ways they expressed meaning through such aspects of poetry as word choice, structure, and style.

Our source for the poetry will be "The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry" (Second Edition, 2003) by J.D. McClatchy.
Poets to be studied will include Robert Lowell, Richard Wilbur, Elizabeth Bishop, W.S. Merwin, and Denise Levertov, among others.

Jean is particularly interested in the structure and sounds of poems. She is looking forward to working with a study group to demystify some of the ideas. For a long time she directed plays and taught high school English, speech, and theater. At OLLI she has led study groups on short stories, the sounds of poetry, reading plays aloud, and the New Yorker.

Helen is a lapsed English major who pursued other paths … first as a medical editor, then as a nurse, and finally as a nurse-practitioner/psychotherapist. She tends to be most interested in discovering the message of a poem but enjoys seeing how the form and structure illuminate and intensify the meaning.

Helen and Jean facilitated a study group on early modern poetry in the last OLLI session.

Evolution: A Continuing Discussion

Facilitators: Mary Severinghaus, Rich Blazier, Michael O’Connor and Gayle Goold

This study group will follow the outline of the lectures in the course that Mary and Rich taught in the Fall 2013 term at OLLI. The group will discuss and explore in-depth Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. The facilitators intend to solicit input from the participants each session and tailor question and answers and resource materials to that feedback. They expect to have a lively, ongoing, informative series of discussions. There are no prerequisites or special knowledge required, beyond the usual OLLI-level of curiosity. Suggested topics are: 1) Charles Darwin; The Man and His Ideas; 2) Theory(s) of Evolution; 3) DNA, Chromosomes, Sex and Genetics; 4) Genes, Populations, and Mutations; 5) The Abundant Evidence of Evolution; 6) How Life Began and What Has Happened Since Then; 7) Human Evolution and 8) A Short History of the Teaching of Evolution in the United States.

The notes from Mary and Rich’s class are available on-line and can be used as a refresher for those who took the course, or as a primary source for any study group members who were unable to participate in the course last fall.

https://sites.google.com/site/olliunderstandingevolution/home

Both Mary and Rich have taught Biology at Parkland College and have extensive and insightful knowledge of Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection. They also taught this subject matter at OLLI and are therefore uniquely qualified to facilitate any discussion group focused on this topic for our membership. Mike O’Connor is a highly accomplished Engineer/Scientist who was Director, Research & Development for the US Army Corps of Engineers at the time of his retirement. Gayle has pursued a 20+ year-long interest in this subject through reading and discussion. His interest in the subject was originally inspired by his work as a central Illinois farmer, now retired.

Writing and Performing Poetry

Facilitator: John Palen

This is a poetry workshop culminating in an optional public reading, with OLLI members not otherwise in the group invited to the presentation. In seven sessions, participants will work from model poems to write short, free-verse poems, exchange them with partners for editing, and read them aloud to the group. Brief periods will be set aside for discussion of such topics as writing process, effective oral presentation, revision, and how to seek publication. Participants will be encouraged to continue to revise work produced in the workshop at home.

John Palen has had poems published in regional and national literary magazines for 45 years, including Prairie Schooner, Poetry Northwest, Kansas Quarterly, Passages North, The Formalist, and Upstreet, as well as in anthologies published by Wayne State University Press and Milkweed Editions. His work has been published in chapbooks by Mayapple Press, March Street Press and Pudding House, and a full-length collection of new and selected poems, Open Communion, was published in 2005 by Mayapple Press. About 25 years ago, John taught poetry writing to el-hi students in several Michigan public schools through the state Writers in the Schools project. He has been an invited reader at several universities and public libraries. A retired journalist and journalism educator, he has earned a doctorate in American Studies from Michigan State University.

Visual Arts Conversations
The French Impressionists’ View of Society 1850-1886

Facilitator: Sharon Williams

The French Impressionists are probably some of the most talked about and viewed artists. Yet, we too will view and talk about them with the intent of seeing what they reveal to us about the society they painted. Rather than following the artists’ chronological development, we will view paintings based on subject category.

During the first session we will set the stage for the Impressionists and review tools and terminology that are helpful in describing and talking about paintings. (Sharon has prepared a Toolbox, which she will provide to the group before the first session.) Before each week’s meeting, Sharon will provide via Drop Box a link to the paintings that will be viewed and discussed. After the discussion of each painting, we will compare and add to our understanding by viewing the ideas of art historians and critics.

Sharon Williams is a graduate of Illinois Wesleyan University and is a State of Illinois licensed Interior Designer who was co-owner of a furniture and design business for over 35 years. She has an interest in art and art history and hopes to share her knowledge and learn from other OLLI members. She is co-chair of OLLI Study Group Committee and has participated in numerous study groups and courses. This is the third Visual Arts Study Group she has facilitated.

Science Now

Facilitators: Claudia Reich, Jean Paley & Sharon Michalove

Scientific inquiry and discoveries have molded the world we live in. From advances in medicine, to finding new sources of energy; from the development of a digitally interconnected world to the more rarefied fields of cosmology and the evolution of galaxies and life on our own planet, science impacts society in myriad ways. As both beneficiaries and consumers of science, it is important that we be literate and knowledgeable of the current scientific trends. Scientific literacy becomes indispensable in how we approach societal problems and in defining public policy. Moreover, science is a lot of fun.

In this Study Group we will try to keep informed about news on the science front that impacts our current understanding of the different scientific fields and may have consequences for our lives and our planet. The facilitators will choose selections, usually from publications like the Tuesday Science supplement of the New York Times, or articles from the ‘News of the Week’ and ‘News and Analysis’ sections of Science magazine (published weekly by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and available on-line through the University of Illinois library). Selections will be chosen and announced the week before each meeting to participants, who are expected to read them. Participants will be instructed on how to obtain the on-line materials. At our meetings, and after a brief introduction to summarize the material, participants are expected to fully engage in the discussions. Also, participants are strongly encouraged to submit ideas, reading materials, commentary, etc. as discussion topics.

This will NOT be a Study Group for scientists, but for anyone with an interest in keeping abreast of scientific discoveries and gaining understanding of the complex nature of our world and science’s efforts to elucidate it. You’ll be surprised at how interesting and creative the world is.

Claudia Reich got her PhD in Biological Sciences at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. At the U of I, she has been a Postdoctoral Fellow in Biochemistry, and Research Professor and Senior Scientist in Microbiology and the Institute for Genomic Research. Although most of her career has been in Molecular Biology and Microbial Genomics, she still harbors a very soft spot in her heart for Zoology (her first love) and all things nerdy.

Jean Paley received a MS in Animal Genetics in 1965, and an MBA in 1982, both from the U of I. More recently, she was co-facilitator of the “Food” study groups. She comes from a family liberally populated with geeks and nerds, and has always been fascinated by how stuff works.

Sharon Michalove received her PhD in the history of education in 1996 from the University of Illinois. She has taught several OLLI courses and facilitated various study groups. She has become something of a technogeek and has an interest in the history of science and the science of cooking.

Bring Up the Bodies

Facilitator: Sharon Michalove

In another tour-de-force, Booker Prize winning novel, Hillary Mantel continues the exploration of the life of Thomas Cromwell, the man who engineered Henry VIII's divorce from Katherine of Aragon and his marriage to Anne Boleyn. Now working on Henry's divorce from Anne Boleyn and his own revenge on the enemies of his late mentor, Thomas Wolsey, we see Cromwell become more like the Cromwell readers of Tudor history find familiar.

The group will read the book and the facilitator will lead the discussion and fill in the historical background. A short bibliography will be available for those who want some more history with their literature.

Bring Up the Bodies should be easily available new and used as well as an ebook and an audiobook.

Sharon Michalove was Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History until her retirement in 2006. She has a PhD in the History of Education, and specializes in 15th century history and the history of polar exploration. She has facilitated several study groups for OLLI.

New Yorker

Facilitator: Mary Ellen Dorner

Reading: The New Yorker Magazine

Other Information: Participants are required to have some reliable means of obtaining the articles to be discussed.

Word Play

Facilitators: Mary Kuetemeyer & Cheri Sullivan

Encore. Repeat. Reiterate. Ditto. Once again. We’re baaaack… This session the study group will have the same format but different puzzles, so both new and repeat members are welcome. We’ll look at curious phrases and word use, and play a variety of word games – sometimes individually and sometimes in ad hoc teams. No special skills are needed, just be ready to think hard and have fun!

Mary Kuetemeyer and Cheri Sullivan had such a good time facilitating the Word Play study group last session that they’re offering it again. Both are long-time OLLI members who like to have ETM VHSG VNQCR. (Hint: E=F, V=W, R=S)

Latin Study Group

Facilitator: Rosalind Faiman Weinberg

This study group will involve reading and translating Latin among friends – newcomers to the group are welcome. Kay Neal, former OLLI Latin teacher, will also participate.

Reading Materials: Lingua Latina Per Se Illustrata Pars I: Familia Romana by Haus H. Oberg; plus any grammars and dictionaries participants wish to bring along.

Rosalind Weinberg took the OLLI Latin course and participated in the Latin Practice study group. She wants to continue to study Latin.

Honest to God

Facilitator: Frank Hoss

This study group will be a discussion of the 1963 best seller “Honest to God” by Bishop John Robinson. It shook up the religious (especially Christian) world with its radical reinterpretation of the Christian religion through the writings of Paul Tillich, Rudolf Bultmann, Dietrich Bonhoeffer and others. We will consider this book in light of present thinking regarding faith with the rise of secularism, atheism and the growth of the “none’s” (i.e. no religion).

The book Honest to God is available (used) on Amazon. A 40th anniversary reprint is available at Barnes and Noble. Both are paperbacks.

Frank Hoss has an A.B. in Philosophy; B.D in Theology and M.A. in Classical Language.

Best American Mystery Stories of 2013

Facilitators: Bev Herzog & Tim Smith

The group will read and discuss The Best American Mystery Stories of 2013, which is the newest installment in this series, edited by Lisa Scottoline, with series editor, Otto Penzler. Perhaps because the editor is female, a third of the selected stories this year were written by women. Booklist writes, “there is a nice mix of big names (Connelly, Oates, Pronzini) and lesser-knowns, who, judging by their contributions here, won’t be lesser known all that much longer. Best in show this time, though, goes to Eileen Dreyer’s The Soldier in the Picture, which takes as its starting point the iconic Eisenstadt photo of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square on V-J Day.--Bill Ott”. Group members will be expected to read and be ready to discuss two to three stories, totaling approximately 30-65 pages, each week. Group members will also be asked to volunteer to lead discussions of up to three stories, including researching the authors of the stories and developing study questions.
Reading materials:
“The Best American Mystery Stories 2013” editor, Lisa Scottoline, series editor, Otto Penzler.
This book is available in paperback for under $12 and electronically for somewhat less than that.

Bev Herzog is a retired geologist who has been an avid reader of mysteries since she was introduced to Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden as a child. She has participated in mystery short story study groups since joining OLLI in 2010. Tim Smith is relatively new to the field of short story mysteries but adds the insights of and critical analysis gained from 40 years in the field of law and readings in all areas of history. Bev and Tim have teamed up to lead five previous mystery short story study groups, which have received excellent reviews.

Beginning German – Step Three

Facilitator: Anna Merritt

This eight-week study group will focus on speaking and reading German. While it will build on the vocabulary and grammar learned by participants in the previous two study groups on basic German, anyone with knowledge of the language is welcome.

Everyone participating in the group will be expected to purchase the second/revised edition of German: A Self-Teaching Guideby Heimy Taylor and Werner Haas, published by John Wiley & Sons; an audio cassette is available, but it will not be needed unless a person wishes to spend additional time and effort. Additional reading materials will be provided by the instructor.

Anna Merritt was born in New York City to German-immigrant parents and grew up speaking German. Her major in college was German-English comparative literature, and after graduation she accepted a Fulbright scholarship that provided a year of study at the Free University of Berlin in Germany. She and her husband, a political scientist whose research focused on post-war German politics, especially the divided city of Berlin, spent many years with their three sons in Berlin. Anna has continued to visit friends in the city since Dick’s death several years ago. Before OLLI’s first foreign trip, which was to the wine country in Germany, Anna offered participants a well-received but very brief introduction to the language.

Alice Munro’s Quietly Revolutionary Short Stories

Facilitators: Linda Coleman & John Lansingh Bennett

When Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize last fall, the New York Times noted that “most Nobel winners tend to focus on novels or poems,” but that Munro had “revolutionized the architecture of short stories, often beginning a story in an unexpected place then moving backward or forward in time, and brought a modesty and subtle wit to her work.” Munro herself says, "A story is not like a road to follow . . . it's more like a house. You go inside and stay there for a while, wandering back and forth and settling where you like and discovering how the room and corridors relate to each other, how the world outside is altered by being viewed from these windows...." Perhaps this hints at what prompted Jonathan Franzen to observe “she is one of the handful of writers, some living, most dead, whom I have in mind when I say that fiction is my religion.”

We’re eager to get to know Alice Munro’s work better and invite you to join us. Each of our eight sessions will typically consider one or two of her stories, and our readings will be taken from her Selected Stories (widely available new or used; also available as an e-book).

Professor Emerita of English and Women's Studies at Eastern Illinois University, Linda S. Coleman is one of the authors of Literature and the Writing Process. Semiretired, John Lansingh Bennett continues as an adjunct member of the humanities faculty at Lake Land College and serves on the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s Faculty Advisory Council.

Wilson Brothers’ Movies: A lot of Owen, a little of Luke, less of Andrew; with a fair amount of Wes Anderson

Facilitator: Mary House

Mary says "I am in love with Owen Wilson, so naturally, I love his whole family, especially his two brothers. But I am willing to share them with you and show some very interesting films in the process. I hope you will love them too."

The group will view and discuss movies starring, written, or directed by the talented Wilson brothers. The list of movies includes: Bottle Rockets; The Royal Tenenbaums; The Darjeeling Limited; Death at a Funeral and Midnight in Paris. Other possibilities are: The Big Year; Rushmore; Henry Poole is Here; The Wendell Baker Story and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

Mary House is a movie buff who co-won 2013’s OLLI Oscar Prediction Contest! She has seen hundreds of movies, often 2-3 per week. She has a Social Work degree, is a retired stay-at-home mom, and an OLLI Latin dropout.

Modern American Short Story Discussion Group: Part II

Facilitator: Paula Watson

During this class we will continue to read stories from the The New Granta Book of the American Short Story. You do not need to have participated in the earlier group to participate. OLLI members who were not in the earlier study group using this anthology are urged to sign up. Although they will get to discuss only about half the stories in this hefty anthology, they will not regret investing in the text which provides an excursion into the imaginative worlds of some of America’s best writers of fiction. We will read and discuss two to three stories each week. Authors to be read range from some of the canonical masters (e.g., Welty, Barthelme, Updike) to quite contemporary writers such as Jhumpa Lahiri, Junot Diaz, and Nathan Englander .

Participants should acquire The New Granta Book of the American Short Story edited by Richard Ford, published in 2012 by Granta (ISBN-13: 978-1-84708-978-6). There is an earlier edition of this book called The Granta Book of the American Short Story, Volume II. This was published by Granta in 2007 (ISBN-13: 978-1-84708-025-7). BE CAREFUL NOT TO BUY: The Granta Book of the American Short Story, Volume I which was published in 2001 and also edited by Ford.

Paula Watson has led numerous OLLI short story discussion groups, including most recently Modern American Short Stories. She holds a Master’s degree in English literature.

Elizabeth II and the House of Windsor

Facilitators: Anne Russell & Susan Feuille

Using videos and oral presentations we will learn about the 20th/21st Century British Monarchy, particularly Elizabeth II and the people and events that shaped her. Topics include: 1) George V and Queen Mary; 2) Abdication and WWII – George VI; 3) Accession and Peter Townsend; 4) Dissent in the press; 5) Margaret Thatcher; 6) Annus horribilis; 7) Death of Diana; 8) Camilla.

Ann Russell watched the Coronation on TV at age 8 and fell immediately and irrevocably in love and has been studying the British Monarchy ever since. Susan Feuille is the same age as Prince Charles and was introduced to the British Monarchy by her Grandmother. She has followed them since childhood.

Explore the iPad

Facilitator: Mary Margaret Avelis

As the title implies, this group is specifically for the Apple iPad. It is open to new and experienced users. We will begin with basic information, such as “General” settings and security. The group will then help determine the agenda for subsequent meetings. Suggested topics for the sessions include: settings; security; backup; Apps; printing; photos; Face Time; movies and accessories.

Writers’ Cafe

Facilitator: Frank Chadwick

Early Summer 2014 Study Groups

Nutrition for Health & Fitness

Facilitator: Jaafar S. Dhahir

Jaafar Dhahir has a PhD and Post doctorate in Food Science and Human Nutrition from Michigan State University. He has taught and done research in food science and human nutrition for over 20 years.

History Roundtable

Facilitator: Bill Reed

King Hereafter

Facilitator: Sharon Michalove

This study group will meet through both summer sessions due to the length of the book.

King Hereafter should be readily available in various formats, both new and used. Other materials will be supplied by the facilitator.

New Yorker

Facilitator: Mary Ellen Dorner

Reading: The New Yorker Magazine

Other Information: Participants are required to have some reliable means of obtaining the articles to be discussed.

Latin Study Group

Facilitator: Rosalind Faiman Weinberg

This study group will involve reading and translating Latin among friends – newcomers to the group are welcome.

Rosalind Weinberg took the OLLI Latin course and participated in the Latin Practice study group. She wants to continue to study Latin.

Noir Short Stories of the 20th Century

Facilitators: Samuel Bostaph & Richard Helfrich

The book is available from about $5.00 used to about $14.00 new as well as an e-Book. Members of the group will be asked to lead the discussions of stories or authors that interest them.

Time Magazine

Facilitator: John Moore

BFF (Best Friends Forever) Films

Facilitators: Jenifer Cartwright & Barbara Kaufman

Explore the iPad

Facilitator: Mary Margaret Avelis

Writers’ Café

Facilitator: Frank Chadwick

Beatles Movies and More

Facilitators: Tom Galer-Unti & Sten Johansen

Tom and Sten both love movies by the Beatles and rock music. Tom previously facilitated an OLLI study group on music of the Beatles.

Late Summer 2014 Study Group Descriptions

Study Group Schedule

Macintosh Computer Beginners
Facilitator: Bob Davis

Description: This study group session will deal with personalizing your computer, file management, security, and OSX basic programs such as Safari, Mail, iCal and Address Book. Due to the numerous differences between the various versions of software, participants who can bring their own computer will profit the most. Participants are invited to bring their own laptop or desktop.

Bob Davis has owned and used Apple Macintosh computers since 1986 and currently has two, a tower and a laptop. He has participated in 3 different Mac computer users groups. For 8 years (1974-82) he taught computer programming in high school. He also conducted a number of computer introduction classes for the State of Illinois (1969-72). Recently he led several Mac computer discussion groups for OLLI.

More American Poetry: Later Twentieth Century
Facilitator: Jean Weigel

The poems just kept coming! More and more have been published and anthologized – in a widening range of styles. We’ll read poems by about ten poets (for example) to study the techniques they have used/are using to convey their ideas through words, sounds and patterns.

We’ll read and study poems outside of the classroom – and then discuss them together. The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, Second Edition, 2003 – edited by J.D. McClatchy - is the source.

For a long time Jean directed plays and taught English, speech, and theater. At OLLI she has facilitated study groups on short stories, the sounds of poetry, the New Yorker, reading plays aloud, and earlier modern American poetry.

New Yorker

Facilitator: Mary Ellen Dorner

Reading: The New Yorker Magazine

Other Information: Participants are required to have some reliable means of obtaining the articles to be discussed.

Board War Gaming: the Napoleonic and Civil War Eras
Facilitator: Fred Christensen

This group will allow you to refight some of history's most famous battles using maps showing terrain, cardboard counters representing brigades and divisions, odds tables and die rolls to resolve combat, and relatively simple standardized rules. These war games were popular in the mid-to-late 20th century, and provide more insight into strategy and tactics than most of the more spectacular and flashy computer games that succeeded them. We'll use games from Fred Christensen's collection to explore the nature of combat in the nineteenth century, the basics of strategic and tactical thinking, and the problems faced by commanders like Lee at Gettysburg, Napoleon at Waterloo, and Burnside at Fredericksburg. You can try to do better than they did....but, of course, your opponent will try to make sure that you don't! Whether you are new to this activity, or played games from GDW, Avalon Hill, and SPI "back in the day," you'll find your inner Clausewitz awakened by these "historical chess" encounters.
Fred Christensen is a former history instructor at the University of Kentucky and assistant professor of military science at the University of Illinois. Fred is the current president of ECIAS, the East Central Illinois Archaeological Society. As a former instructor for the Army's Command and General Staff Course, he found military simulation games to be useful teaching tools. He teaches noncredit classes for OLLI, Parkland College, and other venues, in five areas of history and archaeology: Germany, Britain, early America, Israel/the Holy Land, and military history in general.

Detectives in Literature, TV and Film
Facilitators: Sam Bostaph, Pauline Cochrane and Shirley Crouse

Join us for a summer vacation from our usual short story selections and explore early 20th century detectives who leapt from the printed page to television and film. This six-week, late summer Mystery Group will read a short story featuring a detective whose stories were adapted to TV and/or film. Once we get to know the detective, we will watch how the character is portrayed on screen.
Group members will be asked to volunteer to lead a discussion of a story, including researching the author of the story and presenting some information about the fictional detective. Facilitators will provide the TV/Film.

Reading: Great TV & Film Detectives, edited by Maxim Jakubowski, 2005. Note that there are many used copies available through Amazon.com’s sellers and through other used book sellers found on the internet.

Sam is a retired professor of economics who enjoys reading and discussing fiction, especially that of the espionage and mystery genres.
Pauline Cochrane is a retired professor from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois and Syracuse University. She has been interested in learning all of her life and wants to continue.
Shirley is a long-time reader of mysteries and has previously facilitated one of OLLI’s first mystery study groups. The printed word and the visual world have been her focus as an English teacher and owner of a commercial printing/publishing business.

Time Magazine

Facilitator: John Moore

Alice Munro’s Quietly Revolutionary Short Stories

Facilitators: John Bennett & Linda Coleman

When Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize last fall, the New York Times noted that “most Nobel winners tend to focus on novels or poems,” but that Munro had “revolutionized the architecture of short stories, often beginning a story in an unexpected place then moving backward or forward in time, and brought a modesty and subtle wit to her work.” Munro herself says, "A story is not like a road to follow . . . it's more like a house. You go inside and stay there for a while, wandering back and forth and settling where you like and discovering how the room and corridors relate to each other, how the world outside is altered by being viewed from these windows...." Perhaps this hints at what prompted Jonathan Franzen to observe “she is one of the handful of writers, some living, most dead, whom I have in mind when I say that fiction is my religion.”
We’re eager to get to know Alice Munro’s work better and invite you to join us. Though this one builds on a previous study group, both new and ongoing participants are warmly welcomed. Each of our seven sessions will typically consider one or two of her stories, and our readings will be taken from her most recent collection Dear Life(widely available in hardbound, paperback, and Kindle formats).
Professor Emerita of English and Women's Studies at Eastern Illinois University, Linda S. Coleman is one of the authors of Literature and the Writing Process. Semiretired, John Lansingh Bennett continues as an adjunct member of the humanities faculty at Lake Land College and serves on the Illinois Board of Higher Education’s Faculty Advisory Council.

Best Friends Films 2

Facilitators: Jenifer Cartwright, Barbara Kaufman and Linda Mickey

This study group will watch and discuss movies involving the theme “best friends forever”. Everyone is welcome, as this is a brand new study group, not a continuation of Best Friends Forever 1.
Titles will include: Circle of Friends; Limelight; Good Will Hunting; Almost Famous and more!

Jenifer, Barb and Linda developed this study group to show examples of friendships among males, females and mixed groups. They chose seven critically acclaimed and upbeat films that are perfect for summer viewing and discussion. Whenever possible, films will be subtitled.

This is Jenifer’s eighth, and Barb and Linda’s third experience facilitating an OLLI film study group. They all love films and believe that the greatest appreciation, enjoyment and understanding come from watching them with others, and from observations and insights offered during post-film discussions.

Contemporary Israeli Cinema
Facilitator: Marganit Weinberger-Rotman

Study group members will view Israeli movies of the last ten years, which reflect various aspects of Israel’s varied and complex society. The screenings will focus on fiction films and narratives that are not directly related to political issues. Some titles are: Walk on Water, Jagger and Yossi, The Band’s Visit, Broken Wings, The Bubble, The Matchmaker, To Fill the Void, Campfire, The Other Son and Footnote.
Marganit is familiar with Israeli Cinema. She worked for many years for Israeli Television and attends the International Jerusalem Film Festival every year.

Writers’ Café
Facilitator: Frank Chadwick

Each week we meet to exchange news about writing in the Champaign-Urbana area, share a craft tip or exercise, and then (the main activity) read passages we’ve written and have the group critique them and make suggestions for improvement. We write all genres and forms: children’s stories, young adult, science fiction, historical fiction, memoir, poetry, song, travel – you name it. All levels of experience welcome. We all start somewhere, and the best place is in the company of those who are working toward the same goals.

Frank Chadwick is a published historian and novelist and his Desert Shield Fact Book reached number one on the New York Times bestseller list. He has facilitated several OLLI study groups.

SPRING 2015
Study Group Descriptions

Study Group Schedule

MONDAY

Best American Mystery Stories of 2014
Facilitators: Bev Herzog and Tim Smith

We are continuing to read and discuss The Best American Mystery Stories series. This session we will read the newest volume, 2014, edited by Laura Lippman, with series editor, Otto Penzler. Publisher’s Weekly writes “these crime stories impress with their quality, diversity, and almost complete absence of private detectives or policemen as main character”. The many gems include “Almost Like Christmas,” a recently discovered, heart-wrenching story by the late Joseph Heller, as well as selections from such well-known mystery writers as James Lee Burke (“Getting Across Jordan”) and Megan Abbott (“My Heart Is Either Broken”). Newcomers are welcome.
Suggested topics for each session: Group members will be expected read and be ready to discuss to two to four stories, totaling approximately 40-60 pages, each week. Group members will also be asked to volunteer to lead discussions of up to three stories, including researching the authors of the stories and developing study questions.

Reading materials:
The Best American Mystery Stories 2014, editor, Laura Lippman, series editor, Otto Penzler. This is available electronically.
Facilitators: Bev Herzog is a retired geologist who has been an avid reader of mysteries since she was introduced to Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden as a child. She has participated in mystery short stories study groups since joining OLLI in 2010.

Tim Smith is relatively new to the field of short story mysteries but adds the insights of and critical analysis gained from 40 years in the field of law and readings in all areas of history. Bev and Tim have teamed up to lead seven previous mystery short story study groups, which have received excellent reviews.

Continuing Latin
Facilitators: Priscilla Fortier and Anne Firestone

Those who have completed Kay Neal’s second course in Orberg’s Lingua Latina, including those who took that course in previous semesters are welcome to join this group. Group members will assist in leading the class. This group is open to anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Latin.

Reading materials: Lingua Latina, Part 1

Both facilitators studied Latin in high school and have completed the first two OLLI classes, taught by Kay Neal.

Poetry: The Invitation Continues
Facilitator: Jean Weigel

Our world is full of poetry, more than full. It’s spilling over! Which poets and poems speak to you?
For several study group sessions we’ve narrowed the poetry search-and-study to American writers in modern times – and followed recommendations of other poets and of scholars. Now we’ll take a broader, more general view – in time and in place. We’ll focus on the poems submitted to The Favorite Poems Project established by Robert Pinsky when he was the United States Poet Laureate. (Eventually we’ll get back to the moderns, of course.)

Each week we’ll study poems at home; then together we’ll read them aloud and talk about them. Sometimes we may view filmed interviews with the people whose favorite poems are in our book. How is it that a poem connects strongly enough with a reader – with you – to become a favorite? How do the poet’s ideas and time and place and techniques encourage that connection? Group members may get involved by reading aloud, investigating poets’ backgrounds, and participating in close study and discussion about the poems.

Reading materials: An Invitation to Poetry by Robert Pinksy and Maggie Dietz, editors – W. W. Norton and Company, 2004, or the paperback version (This is the third book developed by the Project.) You will find new and used copies at bookfinder.com; half.com; Amazon; libraries – all usual sources. A DVD is included with new copies, but will not be necessary.

Facilitator: Jean Weigel directed plays and taught English, speech, and theater for many years. For OLLI she has facilitated study groups on short stories, The New Yorker, the sounds of poetry, reading plays aloud and American poetry.

The Arab-Israeli Conflict as Reflected in Movies
Facilitator: Marganit Weinberger-Rotman

The group will watch and discuss movies by Israeli and Palestinian filmmakers (dramas as well as documentaries) that show different, often conflicting perspectives of the Israeli-Arab conflict. Only a few of these movies have been shown commercially in the U.S. Marganit has chosen films that she believes will provide information and insight into one of the most persistent and contentious conflicts of our times (not likely to be resolved any time soon…). Movies to be shown include:
Waltz with Bashir; Lemon Tree; The Other Son (French/Israeli co-production); The Attack (Lebanese director) and The Law in These Parts (documentary). Other films will be chosen depending on their availability.

Facilitator: Marganit Weinberger-Rotman worked for Israeli Television for many years and attends the International Jerusalem Film Festival every year. She facilitated a study group on contemporary Israeli films last summer.

TUESDAY

Understanding Trauma:
A study based on Bessel Van Der Kolk's new book The Body Keeps the Score
Facilitator: Dirk Mol

At a time when PTSD is everywhere, on the front page of the newspaper and in the daily TV news, whether it be stories of violence and suicide among combat vets, or the latest reports about the abuse of children, it is important to understand the origins and dynamics of post-traumatic stress. As is often the case, the media does not have time to do justice to the complexity of the matter.

Bessel Van Der Kolk of the Trauma Center in Boston is a leading brain researcher in this country and among the top trauma experts in the world. His recently published book summarizes decades of research and clinical work. A very readable combination of theory and case studies, the book conveys the unique perspective of a courageous and brilliant leader in the field.

The group will meet for eight weeks and each session will be based on selected readings from the five parts of the book: The Rediscovery of Trauma, This is Your Brain on Trauma, The Minds of Children, The Imprint of Trauma, and Paths to Recovery.

Group members will be encouraged to supplement the readings with their own research and expertise. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of this critical issue in today's world.

Purchasing a copy of the book will be essential for participation.

Facilitator: Dirk Mol is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over four decades of counseling experience in various fields and two decades in mental health. He has trained in techniques for the resolution of trauma, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. He has read extensively in the literature of traumatology and studied with experts, including Bessel Van Der Kolk.

Recorder Ensemble
Facilitator: Ellen Elrick

Would you like to play music in a Recorder Ensemble? All levels welcome, including beginners. Our group will focus on expressive music performance while covering basic techniques. The facilitator along with the participants will select music to match our skills. Expect an introduction to basic skills at the beginning of each session, followed by a mix of large and small ensembles both beginner and beyond. Bring your recorder and some favorite music to share (if you wish), and join the group! The Recorder Ensemble will build on the playing progress of the individual and the group.

Topics will include expressive performance through focus on tone, rhythm, articulation, phrasing and ensemble skills. In the sessions, we will organize with warm-ups, whole group practice, break-out groups for duets and trios, and eventually, opportunities to play for one another. Guest performers as well as listening examples will showcase the expressive possibilities of recorder playing. Each session will include the challenge and joy of making music together.

Participants will need to have a recorder (soprano, alto, tenor, or bass). For those who do not already have recorders at home, good quality plastic instruments are recommended: soprano--Yamaha YRS 302B or YRS 312B; alto--Yamaha YRA 302B or YRA 312B. A recorder method book and additional chamber music will be determined by the playing experience of the group members. Guides and music will be provided on the OLLI download page. Reading music is helpful but not essential.

Facilitator: Ellen Elrick is a music educator and performer in Champaign-Urbana. During her career she has taught flute and recorder independently; recorder ensemble and group piano at Parkland College; flute, recorder and pre-school music at The Conservatory of Central Illinois; and 20+ years as a band teacher in the Urbana public schools. Ellen has played recorder with others as a continuing interest and activity through the years. She currently plays piccolo and flute with the Champaign-Urbana Symphony. This is her second recorder study group.

Happy Gay Films
Facilitators: Scott Badman and Casey Sutherland

The group will watch eight LGBT films and discuss them afterwards. This Study Group is intended as a follow-up to Connie Hosier’s and Scott Badman’s Out of the Closet film course, but with less of a focus on cinematic theory. The films will be picked because they are just plain good and enjoyable movies, with positive portrayals of gay characters. There will be an emphasis on comedies; no suicides or murders here. There will be one Transgender film, three Lesbian films, three Gay Male films, and one historical film about the Gay Pride movement.
Each session will start with a short film that complements the feature film in some way, then a brief introduction followed by the feature, a break, and then a group discussion. The movies we have selected are: Brothers (the first three episodes of the Showtime situation comedy) (1984); Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994); The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls In Love (1995); In & Out (1997); But I’m a Cheerleader (1999); Were the World Mine (2008); Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement (2009) and Pride (2014).
Facilitators: Scott Badman team taught, with Connie Hosier, two well received OLLI courses in LGBTQ film history. In preparation for those courses he has done extensive reading and movie viewing. A lifelong gay movie buff, he has seen most of the gay related movies that have come out since 1969.

This is Casey’s first foray into study group facilitation; although she has participated in film study groups and classes every term since joining OLLI in January 2014. She earned a B.A. in Drama and Communications from the University of New Orleans and a Masters in Library Science from the University of Illinois. She is a happily recently-retired librarian, whose most-used iPad app is IMDb.

Reading and Discussing Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal
Facilitators: Martha Wagner (Weinberg) and George Perlstein

This study group will discuss Atul Gawande’s best-selling book Being Mortal and its implications for both the health care system and community and family care as we age. This is not meant to be a discussion only of “end-of-life” issues, but, more broadly, to focus on how we can understand what it means to lead “the good life” and preserve independence, spirit and dignity as we grow older and become more physically dependent on others. Like Gawande, we will examine how the health care system historically has responded to health issues involved with growing older, the
“medicalization” of old age, and what it means to provide “compassionate care” in the healthcare system, in communities and in families. We also hope to discuss participants’ own experiences with exemplary care and how we might recognize and encourage exceptional care in our own community.

The study group will have four meetings, during the weeks of April 20, April 27, May 4 and May 11. We ask that as many participants as possible read Gawande’s book before the discussion sessions begin, though, of course, the discussions will not depend on a detailed textual analysis of the book. During session 3, the group will be joined by Gloria Valenti, RN and founder and head of Diversified Healthcare Services for a discussion on what it means to provide and encourage “compassionate care”.

Reading materials:
The study group will focus on Atul Gawande’s book Being Mortal, available in hardcover and as an e-book at Amazon. There are also numerous copies at the Champaign and Urbana public libraries. Supplemental readings include Gawande’s August 2, 2010 New Yorker article entitled “Letting Go,” his early work that led to the book, and the basis for Chapter 6. Participants might also want to read Leo Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” the classic story used in medical school to “sensitize” medical students to “end of life” issues. In addition, we hope study group participants will suggest other useful readings.

Martha Wagner (Ph.D) is a consultant who has taught at MIT, Harvard Business School and the U of I. She served as Vice President of Partners Healthcare System, the Massachusetts-based “parent” organization of Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital and during her time there designed and built out the system’s “non-acute” care divisions. She also cared for both of her parents as they aged in their home, came to recognize the importance of attentive and compassionate care and, as a result, with her father and family, established the Gloria Valenti Award for Compassionate Care, an award designed to recognize annually exceptional caregivers in all parts of the community who have demonstrated their ability to provide “the healing touch.”

George Perlstein, MD is a retired physician. He practiced urology for 33 years. He had a near death experience in 2005, has lost both parents and two sisters. He has coordinated the OLLI course “Confronting Inevitability: Planning to Die”. He says his attitude is shaped in part by his mother’s philosophy, expressed by her as she neared death, - “don’t look so worried, if I croak, I croak”.

Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
Facilitator: Frank Hoss

Marcus Aurelius was a Roman emperor and a follower of stoicism. The meditations are one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection even written. The group will read and discuss two chapters of the book for each session.

Reading materials: The Meditations – using the new translation by Gregory Hays

Facilitator: Frank Hoss has an M.A. in Philosophy and Classics and a B.D. in Theology. He has facilitated several study groups, including The Examined Life, in the fall of 2014

WEDNESDAY

Simon Schama’s A History of Britain
Facilitator: Fred Christensen

This study group will view and discuss A History of Britain, a 15-part BBC/PBS series, with the first eight episodes shown during this study group session and the remaining seven in a separate study group in the summer session. The series has been widely praised for its splendid visual portrayal of Britain's heritage, and for its clear and gripping discussion of events, personalities, and historical forces. The host and narrator, Prof. Schama, has done an excellent job summarizing and clarifying important themes, and uses powerful visual images to make his points. Each week, we'll watch one hour-long episode, followed by an hour of discussion. The series begins with the prehistoric origins of England, Scotland, and Wales, and moves through Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods to portray the Norman Conquest, Plantagenet kings, Wars of the Roses, Tudor monarchy, and Stuart struggles between king and Parliament. Britain's later history in the 18th through 20th centuries will then be covered in the summer study group session. This group will provide insights into the heritage, culture and society of the diverse peoples of the British Isles.

Facilitator: 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.

The New Yorker
Facilitators: Kathleen Holden and Marilyn Resch

The New Yorker provides a unique mix of articles and reviews on current topics, literature, and the arts. This study group is designed for readers of The New Yorker who want to get together to discuss current articles from the magazine. Members will be encouraged to choose and lead the discussion of one or more articles during this session. Participants are required to have some reliable means of obtaining the articles to be discussed.
Facilitators: Kathleen Holden is a retired UIUC administrator and the founding director of OLLI (2006-2012). She has been a member of several interesting OLLI study groups, including the New Yorker.
Marilyn Resch is a retired attorney. She is a newcomer to OLLI (having joined in late 2013), but she has participated in a number of study groups on a variety of topics. The New Yorker has been one of her favorites.

Life after Life: A Novel by Kate Atkinson
Facilitator: Sharon Michalove

If you could restart your life until you got it right, would you? What choices would you/could you make? Would you stop? Could you stop? This is not involuntarily living one day over and over like Groundhog Day but years and decades relived, memories of other paths seeping into current experiences. Seeing big and little consequences coming home to roost. This is the historical game of “what if” on a grand scale. Kate Atkinson plays with this concept in the life of Ursula Todd and its effect on not only those immediately around her but much of the world from her birth in 1910 through 1967. This is a book primarily about war, but also about family, relationships and choices. What if …

We will explore this award-winning book, easily available in print and electronically, and find plenty to discuss, many questions to ask and answer and perhaps a new way to look at much of the 20th century in Europe.

Facilitator: Sharon D. Michalove has four degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, including a PhD in the History of Education. Retired from the university, she has taught a variety of courses and facilitated many study groups for OLLI.

World War I Anti-War Films
Facilitator: Charles Cowger

One hundred and one years ago Western Europe began the second year of the “war to end all wars”. In commemoration of that war fought to make the world safe for democracy, this study group view four World War I anti-war films. The films chosen for this session were all made between 1957 and 1971. There will be a 10 – 15 minute introduction to each film and a discussion afterward.

Films are: Oh What a Lovely War (1969); Johnny Got His Gun (1971); Paths of Glory (1957); and King of Hearts (1966).

Additional reading sources for each film will be provided.

Charles Cowger’s Quaker religious tradition has stimulated a long time interest in anti-war films and he has a collection of such. As a college history major with a focus on the first half of the 20th century and with a grandfather and grand uncle who fought in World War I, he continues to be curious about that war. Charles has presented a World War I anti-war film series at the U-C Friends Meeting.

Advanced Latin
Facilitator: Rosalind Faiman Weinberg

Advanced Latin is a continuation of the Latin Study Group which has been meeting through OLLI for the last two years. Participants should have some prerequisite skills in the Latin language, namely a certain familiarity with Latin grammar and an ability to use a basic Latin text (such as Wheelock or D’Oolge’s or some other Latin Grammar) as well as a Latin dictionary for reference.

The Advanced Latin study group will be reviewing the Latin we have studied in Orberg’s Lingua Latina Pars I, Familia Romana (also used in Kay Neal’s Latin I and II classes), and we shall begin Orberg’s Lingua Latina Pars II, Roma Aeterna, which introduces us to Latin poetry and literature.
Reading materials: Orberg’s Lingua Latina: Pars I and II; A Latin Grammar and a Latin Dictionary

Facilitator: Rosalind Faiman Weinberg has been studying Latin for two years as a member of OLLI, as a result of taking Kay Neal’s course “Introduction to Latin”.

New Biotechnologies and Their Impact
Facilitators: Gayle Goold, Jean Paley, Claudia Reich, Bill Severinghaus, Mary Severinghaus

According to Merriam-Webster online dictionary, biotechnology is “the manipulation of living organisms (as through genetic engineering) or their components to produce useful usually commercial products (as pest resistant crops, new bacterial strains, or novel pharmaceuticals).” The last twenty years have seen a veritable tsunami of technologies developed to manipulate the biological world. These technologies have changed the landscape in fields like medicine, agriculture and plant breeding, environmental amelioration, energy, forensics, etc.

We will investigate and assess these new technologies in this study group. What are their gains? Are there losses? How can we assess their risks, both on a personal and environmental level? How do we develop a working toolbox to evaluate their merit? What is our responsibility as consumers of these technologies, and what role should public action take?

We envision this study group as a truly collaborative learning space. Although we provide a (short) list of suggested topics, these are just suggestions. Topics will be agreed on by participants, reflecting our common interests and concerns.

This study group does not require any special knowledge, only a desire to understand the changing world around us. In fact, the more areas of expertise we can bring to the group, the better.

Reading materials will be made available in a timely manner to participants.

The facilitators combine strong knowledge of Biology and Molecular Biology with expertise in Agriculture and Farming. They are very interested in science as it relates to our changing world and our response as a society to emerging technologies. They have successfully facilitated previous study groups in matters related to Science and Biotechnology and Evolution, among other topics.

THURSDAY

The Molecular Me 2
Facilitators: Bill Reed and Jeff Moore

This study group will take deep dives into topics that were covered in the Molecular Me Spring 2015 OLLI course. Topic selection will be finalized by the second session. Participants will break into subgroups based on selected topics. Study group participants are expected to use basic internet browsing skills to learn more from their DNA test results, but advanced computer skill will not be needed. We will be studying how our health and ancestry is correlated with specific DNA variants. The group is open to any OLLI member. Therefore, if they have not already done so, anyone enrolling in this study group is recommended to seek testing from 23andme as soon as possible. The kit costs approximately $100 to purchase on-line. Group participants are expected to take an active role in surveys and helping to select topics for the group to study.

Reading materials: Molecular Me course notes (will be available on the OLLI download page)

The co-facilitators are both eager and knowledgeable in the field. Each brings different perspectives and approaches. Bill Reed has previously facilitated an OLLI study group and taught OLLI courses in Arizona. Jeff Moore received his B.S. in chemistry (1984) and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering with Samuel Stupp (1989), both from the University of Illinois. He then went to Caltech as an NSF postdoctoral fellow working with Robert Grubbs.

Time Magazine
Facilitator: John Moore

Passion for Puzzles and Paradoxes?
Facilitator: Douglas Elrick

Do you like to venture into the land of puzzles? Do you wonder about paradoxes? Are conundrums a lure for further investigation? This study group will explore math and math related topics such as geometry and probability. Also included are logic problems, word play, science puzzles, paradoxes and fallacies from physics, astronomy and the living world.
We will begin with the books by Martin Gardner (the puzzle master extraordinaire!): aha! Insight; aha! Gotcha, and The Colossal book of short puzzles and problems. Another source, Science Braintwisters and Paradoxes by Christopher Jarcocki will be used. Doug will bring overhead copies of the contents of these books to share with the group. As the group proceeds, group members are invited to bring their favorite problems and puzzles to share.

Facilitator: Douglas Elrick taught these topics for over 40 years in elementary school and at the University of Illinois College of Education – Elementary and Middle School Math for Undergraduates.

Revisiting Ken Burns’ “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History”
Facilitators: Frank Chadwick, Craig Cutbirth, Bonnie Hudson, Tim Smith

This group will view and discuss the popular and well received Ken Burns documentary, “The Roosevelts: An Intimate History.” The group will meet for three hours a week. Each meeting will watch one two-hour episode of the series and then discuss/react to it for the remaining hour. The facilitators will propose a continuing series of questions for each episode of the documentary.
Topics include: The Roosevelts as people; The Roosevelts as political leaders and the documentary itself.

All episodes of the documentary are available on YouTube; students will be encouraged to view them prior to each meeting as well as watching the relevant episode in class each week. PBS has produced a book to accompany the series. One of the facilitators may purchase it for use in guiding the discussions. OLLI’s relationship with the NEH may offer additional opportunities for background/interaction on the documentary.

All of the facilitators have a keen interest in history and politics. We have all written and/or taught in these areas and are familiar with the people and relevant events of the time period covered in series. More specifically:

Facilitators: Frank Chadwick has a Master’s Degree in Communication from Illinois State University. He was a game publisher for many years and remains an active military game designer and author. He currently also writes science fiction novels. He has taught writing at OLLI and facilitated a number of film study groups on World War II films. One of his favorite films is "The Wind and the Lion," in large part because of Brian Keith's brilliant portrayal of Teddy Roosevelt.

Craig Cutbirth is a retired professor from the School of Communication at Illinois State University. His primary interests were in political communication and communication and controversy. He used the historical-critical approach in his research and teaching. He has taught material on both Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt.

Bonnie Hudson has loved history and biography all her life and has a Master’s degree in American Intellectual History. Her interests have framed her thinking, questioning, and viewing the world in both professional and personal life. Bonnie grew up in a family that loved Franklin Roosevelt and whose dinner table conversations were always about the larger world and politics; her mother was active in politics when few women were so engaged. She looks forward to both dialogue and discussion with her fellow OLLI members about an amazing period and amazing people.

Tim Smith is a retired attorney with a lifelong interest in history. As a personal project he is currently researching Joseph Gurney Cannon, an East Central Illinois Congressman from 1873 to 1923 ( but for four years )and Speaker of the U S House from 1903 to 1911, and a political rival of Theodore Roosevelt and an opponent of the Progressive movement.

Secrets in Films
Facilitators: Jenifer Cartwright, Tom Galer-Unti, Linda Mickey

The facilitators have chosen a variety of films in which one or more characters have one or more secrets that drive the action. Before the first meeting, members will receive a syllabus via email with a bit about each film and the date it will be shown. Weekly sessions will start with 15 minutes of background information and continue with a view of the film and finish with discussion. After each film, facilitators will email discussion recaps and links for further optional reading.
Films will include: Blast from the Past; Cabaret; The Dish; Iris; Lars and the Real Girl; The Rocket; Tootsie and Secrets and Lies.

Facilitators: Jenifer, Linda and Tom love watching films and discussing them with others. Their experiences at OLLI have greatly increased their knowledge, appreciation and enjoyments of films, thanks in large measure to the perception of other OLLI members.

Contemporary American Short Story Discussion Group
Facilitator: Paula Watson

We will again explore the modern American short story as an art form and a source of reading pleasure, this time using The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories, edited by Tobias Wolff—himself an expert practitioner. The stories in this somewhat older anthology were mainly written between 1980 and the early 1990’s by authors with, according to Wolff, “an exuberant, unembarrassed faith in the power of stories to clarify our sense of reality.” Writers represented include, for example, Richard Bausch, Stuart Dybek, Richard Ford, Allan Gurganus and Amy Tan. We will read and discuss three stories per week, perhaps supplementing the anthology with a few stories downloaded from the web.

Participants should obtain a copy of The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Short Stories, edited by Tobias Wolff (New York: Vintage, 1994).

Facilitator: Paula Watson has led numerous OLLI short story discussion groups. She holds a Master’s degree in English literature.

FRIDAY

iPad Squared
Facilitators: Mary Margaret Avelis and Candace Wilmot

This Study Group will continue to investigate "using the iPad more effectively". We will be building on the concepts, functions and procedures studied in the original iPad Study Groups. Topics for sessions will be determined by the group. Sessions will be exploration and sharing of Apps by group members guided by group facilitators. To fully participate, you should have attended an Exploring the iPad Study Group, or have a strong understanding of the iPad functions and procedures, i.e. Settings, Apps management, Photos, and Wi-Fi.

This study group will begin the second week, April 24th.

Group participants need an iPad.

Facilitators: Mary Margaret Avelis has over 27 years of experience working with computer technology. This includes computer support for Windows and Apple computers, troubleshooting network problems, teaching computer literacy, and recently consulting and training with computers and other devices for individuals. She has been the lead facilitator of this group.

Candace Wilmot has 37 years working with computer and networking technology at the University, for both the academic and administrative computer centers. Since retirement, she seems to be the go-to tech person for her friends with PCs and tablets.

Creative Writing
Facilitator: Sandra Cuza

Blogs, emails to friends, an entry in a travel journal or an account in a diary should be as interesting as a short story or novel because they all are composed of the same basic elements. Where do we get ideas? How can we bring a back-yard family picnic to life in an email? Participants in this study group will discover strategies enabling them to write lively non-fiction and fiction, as well as acquiring guidelines for a novel. Exercises and readings will be included.

Optional Reading Materials: A Game of Chance by Sandra Cuza and Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr

The group will not meet on Friday, April 22, 2015.

Facilitator: Sandra Cuza has taught Creative Writing and Writing the Novel at UCLA. She has published novels, short stories, essays and a cookbook. She has received many writing awards and her first novel was made into a feature film.

Writers’ Café
Facilitator: Frank Chadwick

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Fall 2014 Study Group Descriptions

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Early Summer 2014 Study Groups

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Fall 2014
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