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

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Past Study Groups 2007-present

2009

Poetry Study Group

Facilitator: Elizabeth Felts and Jim Rasner

Dates and Times: Tuesdays, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., June 2 - July 7, 2009

Description: This study group is similar to the previous Poetry Discussion Groups. We will discuss many poetry forms, including sonnets, haiku, free verse, etc. Group members will bring a well-liked poem to each class to read and discuss. Participants are encouraged to write their own poems to share, but are not required to do so. Every OLLI member is invited to participate and need not have taken the OLLI poetry class or previous discussion group to join in. Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading:Participants will use their own poetry books, library books and online resources such as poetryfoundation.org.
Other Information: Beth and Jim have successfully facilitated this group in the past.

New Yorker Magazine

Facilitator: Shirley Crouse

Dates and Times: Wednesdays, 10:30 am to noon; June 10 - July 29, 2009

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 articles from the magazine. The facilitator will lead the first two discussions, but will ask for volunteers to lead subsequent sessions. Participants should come prepared for a lively exchange of views. Three or four recent New Yorker articles will be discussed at each session. The discussion leader will select the articles and notify members at least 1 week in advance.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading: New Yorker Magazine. Participants are required to have some reliable means of obtaining the articles to be discussed. Options are to subscribe to the magazine, to be able to download articles from the New Yorker website, or to download articles from the databases on the UIUC Library's website. Articles chosen for discussion may go back several weeks.
Other Information: Shirley Crouse enjoyed the last New Yorker study group so much that she volunteered to facilitate this one.

Basic Techniques for Shooting and Editing Digital Videos

Facilitator: Don Francisco

Dates and Times: 2 sessions; Wednesday, June 17 & Thursday, June 18; 10:00 - 11:30 am

Description: Similar to the study group in May, 2008. This session is intended to help you learn what to do to edit a video piece from the video you shoot with your digital video camera. Knowledge of the basic operation of MS Windows is needed. This hands-on workshop will cover the basics of how to edit videos and how and when to add effects and music, which to use for best affect, and how to make your video more interesting to watch. We will be using MS Movie Maker which is included with Windows XP and Vista. Please indicate if you will bring your own laptop or if you need to borrow one from OLLI. Each of the 6 laptop computers, provided by OLLI, will contain a sample video (or you can bring your own video on a Flash drive) which you can edit into a finished piece. If you prefer to work with your own laptop computer bring that along and MS Movie Maker.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading: Microsoft information about Movie Maker and editing. An example movie.
Other Information: Don is a retired Broadcast Technician. He has 38 years of experience working in Public Television in the Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware markets. He was an Associate Producer/Editor of Patrick Stoner's FLICKS for 10 years. Don was nominated for several local (Philadelphia area) Emmy's, at least one for editing. He was awarded First Place for Public Service Journalism (for editing a series on health for Hispanic women) by the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and has won a First Place in journalism from The Delaware Press Women. Don and his wife, Joyce, moved to Champaign in 2007 and are OLLI members.

Blogging and Facebook and Feeds, Oh My!

Facilitator: Cheri Sullivan

Dates and Times: 3 sessions; Tuesday, May 5, 12 & 19; 10:00 - 11:30 am, 2009

Description: Have grandchildren you want to keep up with? Would you like to exchange ideas with other OLLI members? A hobby you want to share with other enthusiasts? Would you like to chat with old friends? Or exchange opinions on a particular topic? This study group will help you get connected to people all over the world. Participants will set up a free blog on Blogspot and learn to post text and photos, establish privacy limits, control comments, and make changes to the look of their blogs. Blogger does most of the work for you - no knowledge of html is needed. Join Facebook and keep in touch with old friends and relatives who live far away. You'll learn to load photos, find friends, leave comments, post on a friend's wall, load applications, and play games. Finally, learn a simple way to find out whenever new posts are made on your favorite websites by getting feeds from Google Reader.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading: Participants must bring a laptop computer or use one of OLLI's laptops (these will be available to the first 6 participants who request one when registering). Participants may arrange in advance to share a laptop, but be aware that you will have less time on the computer.
Facilitator: Cheri readily admits that she doesn't know very much about computers, so don't expect her to have all the answers -- but you don't have to be very computer savvy to use blogs, Facebook, and feeds. Cheri has two blogs and has participated in several communal blogs. She joined Facebook in 2006 and has far more feeds than she can keep up with.

The Wars of the Roses

Facilitator: Sharon Michalove

Dates and Times: Thursdays, April 16 - May 21; 10:00 - 11:30 am, 2009.

Description: The period from 1450 to 1509 was one of great change in England, commonly described as the Wars of the Roses. Rather than concentrate on the military battles, of which there were relatively few, this study group will look at the political and social impact of the conflict. We will at the effects of change from Lancastrian to Plantagenet to Tudor kingship and England's relationships with France and Burgundy as the Hundred Years War drew to a close. We will look at the personalities of the main protagonists, especially Richard III, the Earl of Warwick, Louis XI of France, and Charles the Bold of Burgundy as well as the lives of the Pastons, who also left extensive letter collections. The readings will include a short basic history and primary source documents so that the group can get a first-hand feel for the period and come to their own conclusions on the questions that historians still debate. After the first session, group members will lead the discussion with the facilitator helping to formulate the questions and acting as the reference point for more information.

Details on study group.

Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading/selections from: Cunningham, Sean. Richard III: A Royal Enigma. National Archives & Records Administration, 2003; Dockray, Keith. Henry VI, Margaret of Anjou and the Wars of the Roses: A Source Book. Sutton Publishing, 2000; Dockray, Keith. Richard III: A Source Book. Sutton Pub Ltd, 2000; Dockray, Keith. Three Chronicles of the Reign of Edward IV. Sutton Pub Ltd, 1989; Horrox, Rosemary, ed. Fifteenth-Century Attitudes: Perceptions of Society in Late Medieval England. Cambridge University Press, 1997; Pollard, A. J. The Worlds of Richard III. Tempus Publishing, Limited, 2002; Virgoe, Roger, ed. Private Life in the Fifteenth Century: Illustrated Letters of the Paston Family. Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 1989
Other Information: Sharon Michalove was Associate Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of History until her retirement in 2006. She has a PhD in History of Education, and specializes in 15th century history and the history of polar exploration. She has taught at the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Your Carbon Footprint-Going from 12E to 6B

Facilitators: Kathleen Robbins and David Sharpe

Dates and Times: Wednesdays, 2:00 - 3:30 pm, April 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 and May 6, 13 & 20, 2009.

Description: The issue of global climate change becomes personal through our carbon footprint, the quantity of C02 equivalent released into the atmosphere by individuals or families, or by organizations or society. Various calculators on governmental and private websites can help us translate our own energy use, e.g., our AmerenIP bills or the miles we drive our automobiles into our carbon footprints; others help us translate energy conservation measures, e.g., lowering the thermostat, into energy and dollars saved. We will work with these to get a sense of possibilities for our personal energy conservation efforts. As we scale up from our personal carbon footprints to that of society, the issues change and become more complex. We will explore these issues using non-scientific articles that help us understand the complexities of the undertaking and provide strategies to accomplish it. We rely on the Federal government to lead the way in dealing with global climate change and related environmental issues. We will explore current legislation and policies and discuss what is needed in the future.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading: suggested reading list available at OLLI
Other Information: Kathleen Robbins is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and worked as a navigator and instructor in aerial navigation in the U.S.A.F. She is CEO of Cellular One of East Central Illinois and is an energy consultant in Haiti, Director of Clean Energy GreenMicrofinance and Coordinator of Sustainable Champaign County project.

David Sharpe's education in is forest management and geography. He is a retired professor from SIUC. His research is in landscape ecology and he has taught courses in physical geography and interdisciplinary environmental studies. He keeps a record of energy use for the Sharpe household.

Winston Churchill's World: A Books Discussion Group

Facilitator: Fred Christensen

Dates and Times: Mondays, April 13 - May 4, 2009, 10:00 - 11:30 am, 2009.

Description: Sir Winston Churchill was both a maker and a writer of history, and his vivid style and strong opinions appear in his many books. You're invited to read any one or more of his works (in their full or abridged versions) and discuss them (and your ideas) with others. His epic "History of the English-Speaking Peoples," the delightful "My Early Life," or the monumental accounts of the World Wars in "The World Crisis" and "The Second World War"-these or other brilliant works will guarantee interesting discussions and a better understanding of our heritage. We can cover not only Churchill's views and ideas, but also all the topics he dealt with--all of English, Scottish, Welsh, Irish and American history, monarchs from King Arthur to Queen Victoria, the English Civil War, the American Civil War, World Wars One and Two with all their controversies, disputes, and might-have-beens, personalities like Lincoln and Lee, Henry VIII and Elizabeth, Gladstone and Disraeli, Marlborough and Wellington, Napoleon and Bismarck, Hitler and Stalin, heroic Richard I and evil Richard III.if you have opinions or ideas about any of these, a lively Churchill quotation will get things going!
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Required reading: suggested reading list available at OLLI
Other Information: Fred Christensen is retired from the UI Records Office. He has 35 years of teaching experience. He taught history at the University of Kentucky, military science at the University of Illinois, the Command and General Staff Course for the US Army, and teaches noncredit classes in history and related fields for the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston. He is also an instructor at Parkland and OLLI.

The Seven Deadly Sins

Facilitator: Deb Townsend

Dates and Times: Mondays, April 6 - May 18, 2009; 2:00 - 3:30 pm, 2009

Description: Why does it often feel good to do something bad? In a world where we are encouraged to indulge, splurge, live a little - even visit "Sin City" - has the ancient religious concept of sin lost its way over the moral imagination? The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler, a new collection of stories published by the Great Books Foundation, allows readers to peer into the hidden recesses of sinful thought and behavior. Without moralizing, the authors in this book - Margaret Atwood, Raymond Carver, Flannery O'Connor, and D.H. Lawrence, to name a few - use fiction to explore our all too human thirst for transgressive pleasure.

For readers who know that good and evil isn't simply a matter of black and white, this collection will provoke lively conversation and sober contemplation. The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler comes with discussion questions for the study group.

Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading: The Seven Deadly Sins Sampler ($19.95 from the Great Books Foundation)
Other Information: Deb is a semi-retired psychotherapist in private practice and a retired child custody mediator. She was also a student affairs dean at Beloit College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Swarthmore College and Lawrence University. She enjoys music and sings in BACH, Amasong and her church choir. She loves to travel and loves taking OLLI classes. Deb says "I have extensive background in sin and its many variations".

Poetry Study Group

Facilitators: Anne Ehrlich and Eleanor Ray

Dates and Times: Tuesdays, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., March 3, 10, 17, 31 and April 7 & 14, 2009

Description: This study group is similar to the spring and fall '08 Poetry Discussion Groups. We will discuss many poetry forms, including sonnets, haiku, free verse, etc. Group members will bring a favorite poem to each class to read and discuss. Participants are encouraged to write their own poems to share, but are not required to do so. Every OLLI member is invited to participate and need not have taken the OLLI poetry class or previous discussion group to join in.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading: Participants will use their own poetry books as well as library books and poetry found in magazines or other sources.
Other Information: Ehrlich and Clark participated in the spring and fall '08 Poetry Discussion Groups and enjoyed them thoroughly. Clark has taken Marva Nelson's OLLI Poetry class and has been writing on her own for years. Ehrlich has discovered a latent love and is working it vigorously.

What to Listen For in Music

Facilitator: Peter Michalove

Dates and Times: Thursdays, April 16 - May 28; 1:30 - 3:00 pm, 2009.

Description: This will be a general approach to music appreciation. No prior background in music is required. Based broadly on Aaron Copland's What to Listen for in Music (McGraw-Hill, 1957), the study group will first discuss identifying continuity as the key to making sense of an unfamiliar piece of music and being a more active listener. We will have sessions on the important elements of music: rhythm, melody, tone color, and texture, and some of the important musical forms, such as sectional form, variation, and sonata. A final session will be devoted to music of the 20th century. Peter will lead the first study group session and will ask members of the group to volunteer to lead subsequent sessions, by summarizing and posing some general questions for the group based on Copland's book and suggested listening selections. Peter will be available to assist the volunteer leader if necessary.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading: What to Listen for in Music (McGraw-Hill, 1957) - can be purchased on line for under $10.
Other Information: Peter has a doctorate in music from the U of I and has taught music theory at the University. In addition, he has given numerous talks on various aspects of music to groups of general listeners. In the fall of 2008, he taught a course on the music of Beethoven for OLLI.

Come Sing! An OLLI Chorus-for everyone.

Facilitator: Emily Levin

Dates and Times: Fridays, 5:30 to 7:00 pm; January 30 through March 6, 2009.

Description: Everyone is invited to come and sing simple but beautiful choral pieces drawn from diverse periods, cultures and genres. The emphasis will be on singing, and will include some fundamentals of singing technique, sight-reading and some brief background knowledge of the music.

Location: OLLI at the Research Park

Other Information: Emily Levin has been teaching music and conducting choruses for over 30 years. She has a Master of Arts Degree and Teaching Credential in Music Education from the University of Illinois and a B.A. in Music History from the University of Michigan. She was on the music faculty at Heavenly Mountain Girls School, Boone, North Carolina and at Maharishi International University in Fairfield, Iowa. She has composed 280 songs, which she has performed in many countries.

New Yorker Magazine

Facilitator: Cheri Sullivan

Dates and Times: Wednesdays, 10:30 am to noon; April 15, 22 & 29; May 6, 13, & 20, 2009.

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 articles from the magazine. The facilitator will lead the first two discussions, but will ask for volunteers to lead subsequent sessions. Participants should come prepared for a lively exchange of views. Three or four recent New Yorker articles will be discussed at each session. The discussion leader will select the articles and notify members at least 1 week in advance.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading: New Yorker Magazine. Participants are required to have some reliable means of obtaining the articles to be discussed. Options are to subscribe to the magazine, to be able to download articles from the New Yorker website, or to download articles from the databases on the UIUC Library's website. Articles chosen for discussion may go back several weeks.
Other Information: Cheri Sullivan has read the New Yorker most of her adult life. She enjoyed the last New Yorker study group so much that she volunteered to facilitate this one.

Your Carbon Footprint-Going from 12E to 6B

Facilitators: Kathleen Robbins and David Sharpe

Dates and Times: Wednesdays, 2:00 - 3:30 pm, April 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 and May 6, 13 & 20, 2009.

Description: The issue of global climate change becomes personal through our carbon footprint, the quantity of C02 equivalent released into the atmosphere by individuals or families, or by organizations or society. Various calculators on governmental and private websites can help us translate our own energy use, e.g., our AmerenIP bills or the miles we drive our automobiles into our carbon footprints; others help us translate energy conservation measures, e.g., lowering the thermostat, into energy and dollars saved. We will work with these to get a sense of possibilities for our personal energy conservation efforts. As we scale up from our personal carbon footprints to that of society, the issues change and become more complex. We will explore these issues using non-scientific articles that help us understand the complexities of the undertaking and provide strategies to accomplish it. We rely on the Federal government to lead the way in dealing with global climate change and related environmental issues. We will explore current legislation and policies and discuss what is needed in the future.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading: suggested reading list available at OLLI
Other Information: Kathleen Robbins is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and worked as a navigator and instructor in aerial navigation in the U.S.A.F. She is CEO of Cellular One of East Central Illinois and is an energy consultant in Haiti, Director of Clean Energy GreenMicrofinance and Coordinator of Sustainable Champaign County project.

David Sharpe's education in is forest management and geography. He is a retired professor from SIUC. His research is in landscape ecology and he has taught courses in physical geography and interdisciplinary environmental studies. He keeps a record of energy use for the Sharpe household.

2008

Meet the Rostovs: Tolstoy’s War and Peace – the Film, History, Philosophy (and the Novel)

Facilitator: Fred Christensen

Dates and Times:Mondays, 10 AM to 12 or 12:25 PM, November 10 through December 8.

Description: This group will view the Oscar-winning 1967 Russian film version of Tolstoy's War and Peace (6 ½ hours, with English subtitles) as a miniseries, in five segments of approximately 90 minutes each followed by 45 minutes of discussion.

At the first session, group leader Fred Christensen will hand out interpretive essays, guides to the characters, and maps, and will show the film’s first segment (45 minutes)introducing the main characters.

Discussions can cover everything from personalities and plot to the history and society of the Napoleonic age, Russian national characteristics, dress and fashion, social-class relationships, Tolstoy's philosophy of history, military events, etc. As for reading the novel, group members have the options of (a) not reading it, (b) remembering it from an earlier reading, or (c) reading it in weekly portions corresponding to the film's segments. The well-reviewed new translation by Pevear and Volokhonsky is recommended.

War and Peace has been called the "greatest soap opera ever written." Here's your chance to introduce yourself to (or refresh your memory of) the world of Pierre, Andrei, Natasha, and their families, friends, enemies and destinies!

Other Information: Fred Christensen is retired from the UI Records Office. He has 35 years of teaching experience. He taught history at the University of Kentucky, military science at the University of Illinois, the Command and General Staff Course for the US Army, and teaches noncredit classes in history and related fields for the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston. He is also an instructor at Parkland and OLLI.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park

New Yorker Study Group

Facilitator: Paula Watson

Dates and Times: Wednesdays, 10:30 am to noon; November 12 & 19; December 3, 10, 17 and January 7 & 14

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 articles from the magazine. The group will have a coordinator, but starting with the third session, subsequent discussions will be facilitated by a member who will volunteer. Participants should come prepared for a lively exchange of views.
Location: OLLI at the Research Park
Recommended reading The New Yorker magazine
Other Information: Paula Watson is a lifelong reader of the New Yorker who very much enjoyed participating in the first study group on the magazine last June.
  • The Not So Classic Westerns Study Group

    The Not So Classic Westerns Study Group

    Facilitator: Ashton Waller

    Dates and Times:Thursdays, 2:00 to 4:30 p.m., November 13 & 20; December 4, 11 & 18
    1.5 hour for movie; 30 to 45 minutes for discussion afterwards

    Description: American film makers have made some great western movies. These classic movies include Stagecoach, High Noon, Shane, The Searchers and The Wild Bunch. There have been other westerns that have strayed from the myths of these classics. These movies are at times funny, goofy, entertaining, silly, sad and vulgar. They have produced characters which are hard to forget. This diverse group includes Kid Shelleen, Cat Ballou, Butch Cassidy, Junior Potter, Trigger, Trinity, Mongo, Lili Von Shtupp, Hedley Lamarr, Jack Crabb, Link Jones, Judge Roy Bean and Henry Lloyd Moon.

    At the first meeting, the group will watch and discuss Cat Ballou. The movies for subsequent meetings will be selected by the group. The movies available include: Son of Paleface, Blazing Saddles, Little Big Man, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Goin South, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Man of the West and They Call Me Trinity.

    American film makers have made some great western movies. These classic movies include Stagecoach, High Noon, Shane, The Searchers and The Wild Bunch. There have been other westerns that have strayed from the myths of these classics. These movies are at times funny, goofy, entertaining, silly, sad and vulgar. They have produced characters which are hard to forget. This diverse group includes Kid Shelleen, Cat Ballou, Butch Cassidy, Junior Potter, Trigger, Trinity, Mongo, Lili Von Shtupp, Hedley Lamarr, Jack Crabb, Link Jones, Judge Roy Bean and Henry Lloyd Moon.

    At the first meeting, the group will watch and discuss Cat Ballou. The movies for subsequent meetings will be selected by the group. The movies available include: Son of Paleface, Blazing Saddles, Little Big Man, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, Goin South, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Man of the West and They Call Me Trinity.

    Location: OLLI at the Research Park

    Other Information: Ashton Waller facilitated the study group America’s Role in the World last spring. He is a retired circuit Judge from Coles County (1983 – 2003). He likes good movies and popcorn.

    Poetry Study Group

    Facilitators: Beth Felts and Jim Rasner

    Dates and Times: Tuesdays, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m., from October 21 to November 25, 2008

    Description: This study group is similar to the spring ’08 Poetry Discussion Group. We will discuss many poetry forms, including sonnets, haiku, free verse, etc. Group members will bring a favorite poem to each class to read and discuss. Participants are encouraged to write their own poems to share. Every OLLI member is invited to participate and need not have taken the OLLI poetry class or previous discussion group to join in.

    Location: OLLI at the Research Park

    Recommended reading: Participants will use their own poetry books as well as library books and poetry found in magazines or other sources.

    Other Information: Beth Felts and Jim Rasner participated in the spring ’08 Poetry Discussion Group and thoroughly enjoyed it. Felts has a BA in English Literature from the U of I and studied poetry as an undergrad.

    Poetry Study Group

    Facilitators: Elizabeth Abraham, Patricia Taylor

    Dates and Times: 2:00 - 3:30pm, Mondays, July 7, 14, 21, and 28.

    Description: As a follow-up to the spring poetry class Patricia Taylor and Liz Abraham are organizing a poetry study group. The class time will consist of participants bringing a different poem each week for the group to discuss. Participants may bring their own work as well as published poems.

    Location: OLLI at the Research Park
    Recommended reading Recommended reading materials: Members will bring poems to discuss for each class.
    Other Information: The class is open to anyone who wants to discuss poetry, not only former members of the poetry class. As we want to have enough time for everyone to participate, we would like to keep enrollment at 8-10 people, including Patricia and Liz in the count.

    While Liz and Patricia are lovers of poetry, neither have a background in teaching literature. They completed the OLLI Poetry Class.

    To register call OLLI @ 244-9141 or email OLLI@uiuc.edu

    The U.S. Military System

    Study Group Leader: Fred Christensen

    Dates and Times: Thursday, June 5, 12, 19 & 26 – 10:00 am – 11:30 am

    Description: What is a Unified Command? Why are there sergeants? What’s the difference between National Guard and Reserves? Why do the Army and Navy have such different cultures and traditions (and similarities as well)? This Study Group will provide an overview of America’s military forces—how they’re organized, where they're located, how they are changing in some ways, unchanging in others. Less than one per cent of our population is directly involved with our all-volunteer forces, and there is a growing lack of awareness of military realities among politicians, the media, and the public at large. Whether you have military memories and experience to share, or want to learn about an unfamiliar but important part of American life, this Study Group will be interesting and informative. Handouts and recommended-reading lists will be provided (contact OLLI, or email fchriste@uiuc.edu for a list).

    Location: OLLI at the Research Park
    Recommended reading
    Other Information: Now retired from both the UIUC Admissions and Records Office and the US Army Reserves, Fred Christensen (LTC AR USAR) has been an Assistant Professor of Military Science and an instructor for the Army’s Command and General Staff College. He teaches noncredit classes in history and related fields for Parkland College, the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in Evanston, and OLLI.

    New Yorker Magazine Study Group

    Study Group Leader: Jean Weigel

    Dates and Times: Tuesday, June 3, 10, 17 & 24 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm

    Description: Calling all you sometime, former, never-miss, or wannabe New Yorker readers!

     

    Join us for four ninety-minute sessions in June when we focus on significant pieces from recent issues -- articles, stories, even Talk of the Town, poems, and cartoons.  You'll receive the materials to read at home and then we'll all discuss the ideas, ask questions, and explore the writers' styles. This could be our prototype for a semester-long "New Yorker" study group similar to the popular ones at Northwestern University's OLLI. No previous experience with the New Yorker magazine or with the city is necessary.

    Location: OLLI at the Research Park
    Recommended reading New Yorker Magazine articles TBA
    Other Information: Jean Weigel is an Illinois native and a U of I grad. She piled up New Yorkers and even carried them from state to state, always hoping to have time to read them cover-to-cover while teaching and directing plays for almost forty years in Illinois, Missouri, mostly California, and finally Utah. She says “maybe there's time to try again now."

    Walking on Eggshells: Navigating Delicate Relationships between Adult Children and Parents

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

    Dates and Times: Thursdays, May 15, 22, 29 10:00 – 11:30 am

    Description: Come share your thoughts and strategies with fellow parents of adult children who are learning how to steer a clear course around the rocky reefs of Anger and Despair that come with: offering advice, living a long-distance away from your children., living in close proximity to your children, lending money, and last, but not least, learning how to be a good grandparent.

    This study group will meet for 3 weeks. It is strongly suggested that you purchase the book, Walking on Eggshells by Jane Isay, but purchasing the book or reading the book is not a requirement for participating in this study group.

    Location: OLLI at the Research Park
    Recommended reading: Walking on Eggshells by Jane Isay (not required)

    Basic Techniques for Shooting and Editing Digital Videos

    Learn how to make your vacation videos easier for your friends and family to watch!!

    Study Group Leader: Donald Francisco

    Dates and Times:
    Tuesday, May 6th, 10:00 am – 11:30 am
    Thursday, May 8th, 10:00 am – 11:30 am
    Maximum of 6 participants (participants will attend both sessions)

    Description: Have you ever wondered how to transfer the videos from your vacation or special occasions to a professional looking “Reader’s Digest” version? This hands-on workshop will cover topics such as how to shoot videos and how to edit them to make them easier to watch. With the instructor’s assistance, you will learn the basics of Windows Movie Maker. Each laptop will contain a sample video, which you will edit into a finished piece. (We will use OLLI’s laptops, so you will not need to bring one!)

    Location: OLLI at the Research Park

    Recommended reading
    Information about Movie Maker and editing
    An example of what can be done

    Other Information: Don is a retired Broadcast Technician. He has 38 years of experience working in Public Television in the Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware markets. He was an Associate Producer/Editor of Patrick Stoner’s FLICKS for 10 years. Don was nominated for several local (Philadelphia area) Emmy’s, at least one for editing. He was awarded First Place for Public Service Journalism (for editing a series on health for Hispanic women) by the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. Don and his wife, Joyce, moved to Champaign last fall and are OLLI members.

    A Discussion of America’s Role in the World

    Group Status: Completed

    Study Group Leader: Ashton Waller

    Description: A discussion of America’s Role in the World

    Recommended reading material: TBA

    Day and Time: Tuesdays, 1:00pm (see schedule)
    Start Date: March 4, 2008
    Duration: 5 weeks
    Class sessions:
    1. international cooperation - Tuesday, March 4 at 1:00 pm
    2. terrorism and security - Tuesday, March 11 at 1:00 pm
    3. weapons and arms control - Tuesday, March 25 at 1:00 pm
    4. globalization and trade - Tuesday, April 1 at 1:00 pm
    5. energy and global warming - Tuesday, April 8 at 1:00 pm
    Location: OLLI at the Research Park

    Other Information: Ashton Waller is a retired circuit Judge from Coles County (1983 – 2003). He has a B.A. and J.D. from Northwestern. He resides in Champaign and Egg Harbor, WI.

    The Idea of Happiness

    Group Status: Completed

    Study Group Leader: Ron Szoke

    Description: This is a discussion on what happiness is and how it might be pursued. We can discuss pop-psychological theories that happiness consists of "feeling good", especially about oneself, or in pleasure or prosperity or nirvana. Can personal happiness be measured? Is there a recipe or formula for becoming happy? We can quickly survey some past ideas about what makes for happiness, from Aristotle to antidepressants. A considerable amount of academic literature on the "positive psychology" of happiness has begun to appear.

    Recommended reading material:
    Happiness, Mortimer J. Adler
    A Guide to Personal Happiness, Albert Ellis & Irving Becker
    Stumbling on Happiness, Daniel Gilbert
    The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, Jonathan Haidt
    The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want, Sonja Lyubomirsky
    Are You Happy, Some answers to the Most Important Question in Your Life, Dennis Wholey & others

    Day and Time: Wednesdays, 3:00pm
    Start Date: January 30, 2008
    Duration: 8 weeks
    Location: OLLI at the Research Park

    Other Information: Ron Szoke is a retired computer consultant and teacher of mathematics and of educational theory and philosophy (UIUC and Cornell). He has taught numerous noncredit adult classes on computer use and on various philosophical and religious topics.

    • 2007

    The One-Volume World: From H.G. Wells to Jared Diamond

    Group Status: Completed

    Study Group Leader: Fred Christensen

    Description: Can the stories of all the world's peoples be told in a single volume? Many historians have made the attempt, each selecting themes that help to explain humanity's diversity. H.G. Wells, William McNeill, J.M. Roberts, Geoffrey Blainey, David Fromkin, and others have examined the cultures, religions, and societies of Islam, China, India, Africa, Europe and elsewhere. You're invited to read any one or more of these thought-provoking surveys, and to discuss their (and your) ideas. The range of discussion topics is almost limitless! In today's world it's more important than ever to understand other cultures as well as your own.

    Day and Time: Thursday, 10:00am - 11:30am.
    Dates: GROUP IN PROGRESS, January 17 - February 14

    Registration deadline: open to additional participants through January 10 as space permits. Please email Janet at jis@uiuc.edu or call 244-9141 to register.

    Reading Materials: See OLLI for list.

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

    The Tall Grass Prairie Peninsula: Its role in Shaping American Culture

    Group Status: Completed

    Study Group Leader: Jim Fay

    Description: A couple of the fundamental principles of the study of innovation and its diffusion is that innovation occurs where diverse ideas come together, and that ideas are diffused much more effectively along an east-west axis than a north-south axis. The tall grass prairie peninsula is at the confluence of an extraordinary system of east-west flowing rivers and is not dominated by any one regional culture. It is also extraordinarily rich in natural resources. As such it has been the center of extraordinary innovation. The study group will discuss: 1) the definition of the tall grass prairie peninsula; 2) overview of the ecology; 3) overview of the prehistory and archaeology; 4) the prairie peninsula as one of four or five cradles of agriculture on the globe; 5) its central role in the development of Algonquian culture; 6) Johathan Baldwin Turner and the invention of the modern research university; 7) Abe Lincoln and the re-invention of America and 8) the entry of jazz into mainstream American culture.

    Day and Time: Wednesdays at 3:00pm
    Start date: November 14 (no class November 21).

    Resource Materials:
    The Tall Grass Prairie Peninsula: Its Role in Shaping American Culture, by Jim Fay
    Lincoln at Gettysburg: The Words That Remade America, by Garry Will

    What's Next? Issues for the Second Half of Your Life

    Group Status: Completed

    Study Group Leader: Alice Faron

    Description: Are you nearing "retirement age" or already in that second stage of life trying to figure out how to productively spend you time and energy? In this three-part study group, we will explore the emotions, issues and possibilities related to life after retirement. Using current literature and books, as well s our own personal stories and wisdom, we will explore everything from the anxiety and excitement of abundant free time to communicating with adult children, managing aging parents, and figuring out if there's a second career in the future. The format of this study group will focus on guided questions and "prompts" that evoke thoughtful discussion. No one will be the expert!

    Day and Time: Wednesday, 9:00am - 10:30am
    Dates: January 16, 23 and 30
    Registration deadline: open to additional participants through January 10 as space permits. Please email Janet at jis@uiuc.edu or call 244-9141 to register.
    Location: OLLI at the Research Park

    Other information: Alice Faron is on the OLLI Curriculum Committee, and has a background in leadership training and higher education. She is a 1970 LAS graduate of the University of Illinois.

    Improving Thinking: Cognitive Hygiene

    Group Status: Completed

    Study Group Leader: Ron Szoke

    Description: This is a series of brief presentations and discussions on topics in the area of critical and productive (straight) thinking, or what Ron calls "cognitive hygiene". Some guided questions to evoke thoughtful discussion include: Do our unconscious assumptions and presuppositions filter and distort our beliefs about what is true or real? Is everyone biased? Is truth important or only "what works"? What is sophistry, and how do we identify it?

    Day and Time: Thursdays at 3:00pm
    Start date: November 15 (no class November 22)
    Registration deadline: open to additional participants through November 21 as space permits. Please email Janet at jis@uiuc.edu or call 244-9141 to register.

    Resource Materials:
    Thinking Straight: Principles of Reasoning for Readers and Writers, Monroe C. Beardsley
    Critical Thinking, Robert H. Ennis
    Politics and the English Language, George Orwell
    The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark, Carl Sagan
    Mistakes Were Made…(but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts, Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson

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