Primates, the group of mammals that includes lemurs, monkeys and apes (and yes, our own species Homo sapiens) made their appearance shortly after the dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago. Originating from small arboreal insectivorous progenitors most likely in Asia, they rapidly diversified in North America, Africa and Europe. Key features of their evolution include visual acuity and binocular vision, manual dexterity (opposing thumbs) and encephalization, supporting complex social behaviors and cognitive abilities.

In this course we will follow the evolution of primates and we will concentrate on the lineages leading to modern Homo sapiens. The power of genomics and ancient DNA technologies will help us trace the evolution of humans and highlight the genetic differences that distinguish us from our ancestors and other extant great apes.

Primates, the group of mammals that includes lemurs, monkeys and apes (and yes, our own species Homo sapiens) made their appearance shortly after the dinosaur extinction 66 million years ago. Originating from small arboreal insectivorous progenitors most likely in Asia, they rapidly diversified in North America, Africa and Europe. Key features of their evolution include visual acuity and binocular vision, manual dexterity (opposing thumbs) and encephalization, supporting complex social behaviors and cognitive abilities.

In this course we will follow the evolution of primates and we will concentrate on the lineages leading to modern Homo sapiens. The power of genomics and ancient DNA technologies will help us trace the evolution of humans and highlight the genetic differences that distinguish us from our ancestors and other extant great apes.

Discover the power and complexity of Great Lakes weather in this engaging four-week course.

As one of the defining features of the upper Midwest, the Great Lakes shape a wide range of fascinating and sometimes extreme atmospheric conditions. From dramatic lake-effect snowstorms to shifting lake levels and changing climate patterns, this course will explore the science behind the region’s most compelling weather and environmental phenomena. Participants will also gain insight into how climate change is transforming the Great Lakes and what that means for the future.

Discover the power and complexity of Great Lakes weather in this engaging four-week course.

As one of the defining features of the upper Midwest, the Great Lakes shape a wide range of fascinating and sometimes extreme atmospheric conditions. From dramatic lake-effect snowstorms to shifting lake levels and changing climate patterns, this course will explore the science behind the region’s most compelling weather and environmental phenomena. Participants will also gain insight into how climate change is transforming the Great Lakes and what that means for the future.

This course will look at the rise of absolute monarchies in Europe after the Thirty Years War in Russia, Austria, Brandenburg-Prussia, and Louis XIV's France. Particular focus will be given to Russia's development going back to its origins in the Kievan state.

This course will look at the rise of absolute monarchies in Europe after the Thirty Years War in Russia, Austria, Brandenburg-Prussia, and Louis XIV's France. Particular focus will be given to Russia's development going back to its origins in the Kievan state.

This course incorporates necessary elements for a complete practice to bring strength, mindfulness, and body awareness into your daily living. While the foundations of the course are rooted in yoga, other modalities will be included to increase strength, mobility, flexibility, and balance.

A survey of the more than fifty opera houses and theatres, both legitimate and motion picture, in Champaign and Urbana over the years. We'll take a brief look at some of the earliest upper-story halls, the moving picture theatres in the nineteen-teens, our own version of "picture palaces," U of I and Parkland theatres, multi-plexes, and the current options.

A survey of the more than fifty opera houses and theatres, both legitimate and motion picture, in Champaign and Urbana over the years. We'll take a brief look at some of the earliest upper-story halls, the moving picture theatres in the nineteen-teens, our own version of "picture palaces," U of I and Parkland theatres, multi-plexes, and the current options.

Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536), the greatest scholar of the Northern Renaissance, is praised for his breadth of knowledge and for his extraordinary books, his Adages, his Colloquies, the Praise of Folly, and his editions of the New Testament.

A critic of the Church, he was urged to join the Reformation, but refused. From 1524 to 1527 he engaged in a battle of books with Martin Luther. They debated free will and the authority of scripture. The course will survey Erasmus’ life and his writings, both secular and religious.

In this 8-week introductory course you will learn and practice the basic amalgamations of two dances: American Foxtrot and International Cha Cha. The emphasis will be on proper technique, rhythm, and partnering. Even though suggested routines will be taught, the steps will be presented in such a way as to give you an opportunity to put them together in other ways which may suit you better. We will be rotating partners in this class.

Through short introductory presentations, film clips, and discussion, this course will begin to define and illustrate the popular narrative eco-film genre in relation to popular film genres and themes: the spectacular, environmental politics and eco-memory, eco-terrorism, reconstructing underground space as environmental adaptation, ecology and home, tragic and comic eco-heroes, evolutionary narratives, and film ecology. Instead of looking only at movies that are seen as blatantly environmental or even filmic nature writing, this class will examine popular movies revealing more hidden environmental ideas. Popular narrative movies respond to the culture in which they are embedded but also contribute to that same culture. This course will examine the eco-film as both cultural product and contribution.

Cities act as cradles for culture: the concentration of people and the energy of commerce often serve to inspire innovation in scholarship and the arts.  Wealth and creativity reinforce each other, as the rich and powerful act to patronize cultural and intellectual pursuits and bask in the status that such patronage brings.  On the other hand, cities may foster subversive ideas that challenge dominant worldviews or power structures.

In this course, we will examine seven Western cities at the very height of their cultural influence, and  we will explore the complex web of relationships that lay behind that influence.  Our topics will include: Athens (late 5th c BCE), Florence (mid 15th c), Prague (late 16th c), Amsterdam (mid17th c), London (1665-1715), and Vienna (1880-1914).

Cities act as cradles for culture: the concentration of people and the energy of commerce often serve to inspire innovation in scholarship and the arts.  Wealth and creativity reinforce each other, as the rich and powerful act to patronize cultural and intellectual pursuits and bask in the status that such patronage brings.  On the other hand, cities may foster subversive ideas that challenge dominant worldviews or power structures.

In this course, we will examine seven Western cities at the very height of their cultural influence, and  we will explore the complex web of relationships that lay behind that influence.  Our topics will include: Athens (late 5th c BCE), Florence (mid 15th c), Prague (late 16th c), Amsterdam (mid17th c), London (1665-1715), and Vienna (1880-1914).

In the last few years, the US has seen the rise of AI platforms and integration of AI into everyday life, including media. In this team-taught course from media literacy researchers and teachers from the Initiative for Media Education, Inquiry and Action (IMEDIA) at the University of Illinois, you will explore the ways in which AI is found in media - from the news stories you read to consumer search and advertising to entertainment that shapes our imagination of AI’s power. Together we will discuss its potential impact on media and society and consider the possibilities for the future.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, in the immediate post-world-war-two flush of victory, American and European war films tended to celebrate victory and romanticize war as a violent, tragic, but idealistic and ultimately necessary undertaking. They emphasized individual acts of heroism and sacrifice, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil. The Korean War dampened that enthusiasm, as war suddenly seemed omnipresent rather than a single historical phase passed through.

The rise of Italian neorealism (and later the French New Wave) in European films altered how filmmakers approached the subject of war. Beginning in the mid/late 1950s films appeared which began deconstructing the traditional view of war as glorious and (for the victors) unambiguously noble. The Vietnam War in the 1960s had an even more profound effect. In this class we will view eight films which were among those that permanently changed the way war films were made.

The 8th century witnessed the rise of a unique new culture. Arabian traditions from the desert had expanded with the spread of Islam in the 600s and been enriched by their contact with the Byzantine and Persian Empires. The city of Baghdad, founded in 762 c.e., blended these different traditions to create a cultural and intellectual milieu that changed Western civilization and the World. This class examines the different cultural traditions that nourished Baghdad for two centuries, its effects on surrounding lands, and its sad collapse in the midst of nomadic invasions from the Steppe.

The 8th century witnessed the rise of a unique new culture. Arabian traditions from the desert had expanded with the spread of Islam in the 600s and been enriched by their contact with the Byzantine and Persian Empires. The city of Baghdad, founded in 762 c.e., blended these different traditions to create a cultural and intellectual milieu that changed Western civilization and the World. This class examines the different cultural traditions that nourished Baghdad for two centuries, its effects on surrounding lands, and its sad collapse in the midst of nomadic invasions from the Steppe.

This course is Part I of a multi-part series that examines African-American art from its origins to the present. The course begins with the arrival of kidnapped Africans in British America in 1619, considering craftwork by Africans across several centuries, and then proceeds to study the rise of early professional black artists through the Civil War, and the careers of black painters and sculptors into the early 20th century. The course then continues with an examination of the careers of black artists who worked in New York as part of the Harlem Renaissance. Throughout, background racial history will be discussed, as well as art historical issues.

This course is Part I of a multi-part series that examines African-American art from its origins to the present. The course begins with the arrival of kidnapped Africans in British America in 1619, considering craftwork by Africans across several centuries, and then proceeds to study the rise of early professional black artists through the Civil War, and the careers of black painters and sculptors into the early 20th century. The course then continues with an examination of the careers of black artists who worked in New York as part of the Harlem Renaissance. Throughout, background racial history will be discussed, as well as art historical issues.

This course provides an introduction to the only surviving literary texts from the ancient Canaanite civilization, the predecessor culture to biblical Israel. Found in the ruins of the Syrian city of Ugarit, these inscribed clay tablets preserve three multi-tablet epic poems that provide extraordinary insight into Canaanite culture during the Late Bronze Age just before Israelite culture began to emerge.

Two epics focus on human heroes dealing with family crises concerning preservation of the family line, while the third narrates how the storm god Baal (the main rival of Israel's God) became ruler of the divine council. These poems clearly indicate that Israel's religion was closely related to Canaanite religion. The family sagas show extraordinary connections to the ancestral stories of the Book of Genesis. Most remarkably, Israel's God plays a major role in these epics, providing a prehistory of the biblical deity that is truly stunning.

This course provides an introduction to the only surviving literary texts from the ancient Canaanite civilization, the predecessor culture to biblical Israel. Found in the ruins of the Syrian city of Ugarit, these inscribed clay tablets preserve three multi-tablet epic poems that provide extraordinary insight into Canaanite culture during the Late Bronze Age just before Israelite culture began to emerge.

Two epics focus on human heroes dealing with family crises concerning preservation of the family line, while the third narrates how the storm god Baal (the main rival of Israel's God) became ruler of the divine council. These poems clearly indicate that Israel's religion was closely related to Canaanite religion. The family sagas show extraordinary connections to the ancestral stories of the Book of Genesis. Most remarkably, Israel's God plays a major role in these epics, providing a prehistory of the biblical deity that is truly stunning.

Geology, archaeology and history combine in this survey of Illinois' beginnings. The class will examine the land shaped by Ice Age glaciers and the many peoples who lived there—Paleo-Indian hunters, Hopewell and Mississippian moundbuilders with their impressive monuments culminating in Cahokia, and the historic tribes of the Illiniwek, Kickapoo, and Potawatomi. Beginning in 1673, written history supplements archaeology. The class will portray the French explorers like Marquette, Joliet and La Salle. From Starved Rock to Kaskaskia, French outposts and villages coexisted with some tribes and warred with others. After 1765 British rule replaced French, until tenuous British control was shattered by George Rogers Clark in 1778. Instructor-made films will show these sites as we discuss the influence of environment on human cultures and the interaction of those cultures in war and peace. Last given in 2013, this class has been fully updated with new findings and interpretations.

Geology, archaeology and history combine in this survey of Illinois' beginnings. The class will examine the land shaped by Ice Age glaciers and the many peoples who lived there—Paleo-Indian hunters, Hopewell and Mississippian moundbuilders with their impressive monuments culminating in Cahokia, and the historic tribes of the Illiniwek, Kickapoo, and Potawatomi. Beginning in 1673, written history supplements archaeology. The class will portray the French explorers like Marquette, Joliet and La Salle. From Starved Rock to Kaskaskia, French outposts and villages coexisted with some tribes and warred with others. After 1765 British rule replaced French, until tenuous British control was shattered by George Rogers Clark in 1778. Instructor-made films will show these sites as we discuss the influence of environment on human cultures and the interaction of those cultures in war and peace. Last given in 2013, this class has been fully updated with new findings and interpretations.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others, are transforming everyday life — and you don't need a technical background to use them. This hands-on course provides an introduction to the remarkable ways AI can simplify, enrich, and empower daily living. After starting with the basics — what AI is, how to access it, and what to watch out for — we'll spend the class exploring practical applications you can use immediately. Learn how AI can help you navigate Medicare and Social Security, protect you from scams, plan a dream vacation, write a family memoir, pursue a hobby, or simply keep your mind sharp and engaged. Each session combines clear explanation with live demonstration and hands-on practice, so you leave every class with real skills. No prior experience required — just curiosity and a willingness to be surprised.

AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and others, are transforming everyday life — and you don't need a technical background to use them. This hands-on course provides an introduction to the remarkable ways AI can simplify, enrich, and empower daily living. After starting with the basics — what AI is, how to access it, and what to watch out for — we'll spend the class exploring practical applications you can use immediately. Learn how AI can help you navigate Medicare and Social Security, protect you from scams, plan a dream vacation, write a family memoir, pursue a hobby, or simply keep your mind sharp and engaged. Each session combines clear explanation with live demonstration and hands-on practice, so you leave every class with real skills. No prior experience required — just curiosity and a willingness to be surprised.

There are many ways now to follow the news - traditional and digital only newsrooms, podcasts, newsletters, cable, and independent experts and journalists. This course will show how to find the best trustworthy sources, look at how their forms of news coverage are changing, and the different ways they are reporting on wars, elections, government and big corporations. We will look at how they are financed. Each week we will also look at the different reporting on major news events.

1 - Organizations reporting on national and global events and topics. The traditional and new media from wire services, large newsrooms, and cable. 

2 - How to find  and follow the reliable new global, national and regional newsrooms that report on what the traditional is missing This will include nonprofit and new commercial newsrooms and digital magazines.

3 - Navigating local and regional news to find what matters. Legacy newsrooms, social media sites, digital newsrooms and think-tank news. How AI can make a difference in news about meetings, hearings, and alerts.

4 - The independent journalists: Finding and following the single author newsletters, SubStack and special issue websites and publications.

There are many ways now to follow the news - traditional and digital only newsrooms, podcasts, newsletters, cable, and independent experts and journalists. This course will show how to find the best trustworthy sources, look at how their forms of news coverage are changing, and the different ways they are reporting on wars, elections, government and big corporations. We will look at how they are financed. Each week we will also look at the different reporting on major news events.

1 - Organizations reporting on national and global events and topics. The traditional and new media from wire services, large newsrooms, and cable. 

2 - How to find  and follow the reliable new global, national and regional newsrooms that report on what the traditional is missing This will include nonprofit and new commercial newsrooms and digital magazines.

3 - Navigating local and regional news to find what matters. Legacy newsrooms, social media sites, digital newsrooms and think-tank news. How AI can make a difference in news about meetings, hearings, and alerts.

4 - The independent journalists: Finding and following the single author newsletters, SubStack and special issue websites and publications.

Standards are central to the language and history of jazz. Each we will take a tune and examine its origin and composer, the structures and music framework and the recordings that shaped how the tune is understood and played. Through guided listening we will trace how interpretations change and develop over time and identify the elements that make each song a standard.

Standards are central to the language and history of jazz. Each we will take a tune and examine its origin and composer, the structures and music framework and the recordings that shaped how the tune is understood and played. Through guided listening we will trace how interpretations change and develop over time and identify the elements that make each song a standard.

Public land-grant universities in the US aren’t works of nature like our National Parks; and they weren’t created to be “Lite” versions of affluent private schools. Often turbulent in their origins, our land-grant schools, now so big, busy, and important, have had clear and distinct missions reflecting changes in the regional and national demographic, economy, and technology. We will look into four key moments in their origin and growth: early battles to get them established; lean years and struggles for survival in the later 19th century; explosive growth in size, resources, and ambitions after c.1910; and fresh realities as these campuses resonated with American life after WWI. If this class succeeds, a second course will take us closer to the present: continuities, opportunities, discontents at contemporary “flagship” land-grant schools.

Breakthroughs in art and music mark turning points in aesthetic expression. From our contemporary perspective, these turning points emerge through noticeable shifts in artistic practices, as new directions for fields to explore, and through multiple channels of reception from fellow artists, musicians, critics, and the public at large. Music and art from the first half of the 20th century will serve as centerpieces for each week’s exploration of creativity, expression, engaging works, and related themes from noted luminaries in music and art. The overarching goal of the course is to deepen perception and engage curiosity through close encounters with thoughtfully selected examples.

Breakthroughs in art and music mark turning points in aesthetic expression. From our contemporary perspective, these turning points emerge through noticeable shifts in artistic practices, as new directions for fields to explore, and through multiple channels of reception from fellow artists, musicians, critics, and the public at large. Music and art from the first half of the 20th century will serve as centerpieces for each week’s exploration of creativity, expression, engaging works, and related themes from noted luminaries in music and art. The overarching goal of the course is to deepen perception and engage curiosity through close encounters with thoughtfully selected examples.

Civil War history is often presented in purely military terms: regiments, battles, campaigns, and sieges. In this course I would like to take the opportunity to look at the Civil War from a political perspective and see why the leaders of both the Union and Confederacy made the choices that they did. We will look at domestic politics, foreign policy, riots, and how we remember the conflict today as a nation.

Civil War history is often presented in purely military terms: regiments, battles, campaigns, and sieges. In this course I would like to take the opportunity to look at the Civil War from a political perspective and see why the leaders of both the Union and Confederacy made the choices that they did. We will look at domestic politics, foreign policy, riots, and how we remember the conflict today as a nation.

This course demonstrates the relationship between music and its periods of composition. Music dictated by the church and feudal rulers in the Middle Ages changed during the Renaissance as a result of Humanism and its emphasis on the individual and human emotions. In this course, we will study how the Church influenced the earlier music and how the exuberance of Baroque music - exemplified by composers like Vivaldi, Handel, and Bach - reflected the later influence of Humanism.

This course demonstrates the relationship between music and its periods of composition. Music dictated by the church and feudal rulers in the Middle Ages changed during the Renaissance as a result of Humanism and its emphasis on the individual and human emotions. In this course, we will study how the Church influenced the earlier music and how the exuberance of Baroque music - exemplified by composers like Vivaldi, Handel, and Bach - reflected the later influence of Humanism.

The 1990s offered a stage for new voices, new approaches to cinematic storytelling, and key changes in important American genres. 1999 in particular was pivotal. For example, 2019 is the twentieth anniversary of The Matrix. The list of other influential films produced during 1999 is extraordinary. Films to be screened represent a range of genres including horror, teenpic, science fiction, action film, film noir, crime film, and workplace comedies. We will discuss the influence of generic conventions, audiovisual experimentation, and conceptions of the relationship between a film and its spectators.

This course grapples with the origin and development over several thousand years of one of the unfortunate realities of our world, that antisemitic incidents around the world and in the United States are on the rise. All synagogues now have armed guards among their employees, as well as frequent security drills for staff, congregations, and religious school students. Using as a text Phyllis Goldstein’s A Convenient Hatred: The History of Antisemitism, this course will explore the tropes of antisemitic materials and actions, as well as the profoundly troubling questions it raises about perennial human expressions of intolerance and hatred, as well as reviewing key antisemitic acts over the last several thousand years.

This course grapples with the origin and development over several thousand years of one of the unfortunate realities of our world, that antisemitic incidents around the world and in the United States are on the rise. All synagogues now have armed guards among their employees, as well as frequent security drills for staff, congregations, and religious school students. Using as a text Phyllis Goldstein’s A Convenient Hatred: The History of Antisemitism, this course will explore the tropes of antisemitic materials and actions, as well as the profoundly troubling questions it raises about perennial human expressions of intolerance and hatred, as well as reviewing key antisemitic acts over the last several thousand years.

What if engaging with death could deepen your experience of being alive? This 8-week course invites you into a gentle, reflective exploration of death and dying as a natural part of life. Through guided conversation, contemplative practices, storytelling, and simple rituals, you will explore your personal relationship with mortality, tend to unfinished business, and reconnect with what matters most. Topics include cultural perspectives on death, fear and the unknown, forgiveness and relationship completion, end-of-life practices, and reframing legacy as eldership. Each session includes discussion, guided reflection, and optional at-home practices such as journaling, reading short passages, and simple rituals. This course emphasizes presence over productivity and connection over completion. No prior experience is needed—only a willingness to engage with curiosity and care.

Each week is dedicated to one or two musicals and different roles within them that were originated by women. Lectures would include historiographies of the musical’s creation, biographical information of the creative team, and summary of the plot. After establishing background information necessary, the class would dive into a performance analysis of the actress that originated the role. Watching the video performances, the class will aim to establish each leading lady’s “signature.” What makes their performance of the role distinct? The lecture/discussion will move into a comparative analysis of the originator’s performance with subsequent performances given by other actresses on the West End, on National Tours, in Broadway revivals, or as Broadway replacements. The goal is to explore what lasting impressions these leading ladies have made on the musical canon and how current performers may or may not be in interpretive conversation with those who came before them.

Following World War II and modified by the end of the Cold War, world order was characterized by support for democracy, conflict management, free trade, and Western conceptions of human rights. The last decade, however, has exhibited significant cracks in this order with wars, democratic backsliding, and other challenges to the international system. This course undertakes a three stage examination – (1) the post-war order, (2) the breakdown of that order, and (3) possible future paths – for each of four system components. These components are (1) war and peace, (2) economic interactions, (3) democratic governance, and (4) human security (human rights and the environment).

The Coen Brothers have put a distinctive stamp on American filmmaking. This course will examine the diverse nature of their movies and their tweaking of various genre conventions.

Schedule (Subject to change):

• Week 1 – Screwing with the Screwball Comedy. The Hudsucker Proxy and gender dynamics.
• Week 2 – An unlikely hybrid – the Prison movie and the musical. Screening O, Brother Where Art Thou?
• Week 3 – Post modern Film Noir – Existentialism and the futility of action. Screening The Man Who Wasn’t There.
• Week 4 – Sexual politics through the Rom-Com lens. Screening Intolerable Cruelty.
• Week 5 – The paranoid thriller meets the absurdist comedy. Screening Burn After Reading.
• Week 6 – Tackling Western Icons. Reimagining the Old West. Screening True Grit.
• Week 7 – Floundering in the ‘60’s. Futility in the era of Folk Music. Screening Inside Llewyn Davis.
• Week 8 – Behind the curtain in the Hollywood Dream Factory. Screening Hail, Caesar!

By understanding the genetic makeup of plants, scientists at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology aim to make stronger, more resilient crops that perform better in challenging environmental conditions. This OLLI course will introduce students to genomic sciences and the potential to improve food security by changing the genome. DNA is the molecular blueprint for life on earth, holding the key to crop improvement. By manipulating DNA and genomes, scientists are introducing genes to protect plants from damaging pests and diseases, improve the nutritional quality of fruits and seeds, and increase photosynthesis, the process by which plants harvest light from the sun. Using breeding, biotechnology and gene editing, scientists are adapting crops to changing environments and improving the way they use water and nutrients. This course will introduce students to the technologies and strategies scientists are taking to use plant genomics to improve food security.

By understanding the genetic makeup of plants, scientists at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology aim to make stronger, more resilient crops that perform better in challenging environmental conditions. This OLLI course will introduce students to genomic sciences and the potential to improve food security by changing the genome. DNA is the molecular blueprint for life on earth, holding the key to crop improvement. By manipulating DNA and genomes, scientists are introducing genes to protect plants from damaging pests and diseases, improve the nutritional quality of fruits and seeds, and increase photosynthesis, the process by which plants harvest light from the sun. Using breeding, biotechnology and gene editing, scientists are adapting crops to changing environments and improving the way they use water and nutrients. This course will introduce students to the technologies and strategies scientists are taking to use plant genomics to improve food security.

Whether you have osteoporosis, osteopenia, or want to prevent these diseases from developing altogether, this course gradually introduces all of the necessary elements for a complete yoga practice that helps holistically to build bone and muscle strength.

During his lifetime Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) published seven novels, six collections of short stories and more. In this long and distinguished career, he wrote nothing more remarkable or stunning than his first two published works of fiction: the short story collection In Our Time (1925) and The Sun Also Rises (1926). We will read both books. Along the way we will also explore Hemingway’s world: his Midwestern roots, his post-war trauma and his life in Paris in the 1920s. In the century since these books were published, Hemingway’s influence on American literature has remained profound. In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises are the reasons why.

During his lifetime Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) published seven novels, six collections of short stories and more. In this long and distinguished career, he wrote nothing more remarkable or stunning than his first two published works of fiction: the short story collection In Our Time (1925) and The Sun Also Rises (1926). We will read both books. Along the way we will also explore Hemingway’s world: his Midwestern roots, his post-war trauma and his life in Paris in the 1920s. In the century since these books were published, Hemingway’s influence on American literature has remained profound. In Our Time and The Sun Also Rises are the reasons why.

Illinois looks flat, but hidden beneath its cornfields and prairies lies a dramatic landscape carved by glaciers and modern technology is finally letting us see it. In this four-session course, we'll use LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a laser-based remote sensing technique that reveals the bare surface of the Earth in extraordinary detail, to explore Illinois's glacial history. We'll move through three scales of discovery: the bedrock geology that channeled ancient ice sheets; the glacial deposits that filled the bedrock topography; and the subtle ridges and buried valleys visible only in high-resolution elevation data, but which control where rivers run and water flows across the state today.

No prior geology experience needed, just bring your curiosity!

Illinois looks flat, but hidden beneath its cornfields and prairies lies a dramatic landscape carved by glaciers and modern technology is finally letting us see it. In this four-session course, we'll use LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a laser-based remote sensing technique that reveals the bare surface of the Earth in extraordinary detail, to explore Illinois's glacial history. We'll move through three scales of discovery: the bedrock geology that channeled ancient ice sheets; the glacial deposits that filled the bedrock topography; and the subtle ridges and buried valleys visible only in high-resolution elevation data, but which control where rivers run and water flows across the state today.

No prior geology experience needed, just bring your curiosity!

This course explores philosophical, psychological as well as religious and practical dynamics in our understanding of care.

Course outline (subject to change):

• Week 1: Responsibility and Duty, utilitarian, deontic and pragmatic aspects.
• Week 2: Care in the context of our fear of death/mortality. Can care be selfless?
• Week 3: Care understood through Buber's I/Thou. Do we understand 'otherness' as an inhibiting or sustaining aspect of care?
• Week 4: Apology and Forgiveness as ways of understanding deep care. Can we apologize enough? When are apologies 'overrated'?
• Week 5: Care as repair. How can we show care and a willingness to repair without simply wanting 'to fix it'?
• What are the social emotional aspects of care?
• Week 6: Healing as the ultimate goal of care. Healing is never a return to a previous state. How can care take this into consideration? Can we be future oriented in our care without forgetting the past?
• Week 7: Kindness and Care. Is the story about human beings being aggressive and selfish beings, out to promote themselves but not others, really trueat? What is the evidence for 'kindness' as an evolutionary factor rather than survival of the fittest?
• Week 8: Care in the era of articial intelligence. Can robots replace humans and particularly, human care?

This course explores philosophical, psychological as well as religious and practical dynamics in our understanding of care. (For the best course experience, please register to attend this course in person. The ZOOM option is offered as a courtesy to those who otherwise might not be able to attend at all.)

Course outline (subject to change):

• Week 1: Responsibility and Duty, utilitarian, deontic and pragmatic aspects.
• Week 2: Care in the context of our fear of death/mortality. Can care be selfless?
• Week 3: Care understood through Buber's I/Thou. Do we understand 'otherness' as an inhibiting or sustaining aspect of care?
• Week 4: Apology and Forgiveness as ways of understanding deep care. Can we apologize enough? When are apologies 'overrated'?
• Week 5: Care as repair. How can we show care and a willingness to repair without simply wanting 'to fix it'?
• What are the social emotional aspects of care?
• Week 6: Healing as the ultimate goal of care. Healing is never a return to a previous state. How can care take this into consideration? Can we be future oriented in our care without forgetting the past?
• Week 7: Kindness and Care. Is the story about human beings being aggressive and selfish beings, out to promote themselves but not others, really trueat? What is the evidence for 'kindness' as an evolutionary factor rather than survival of the fittest?
• Week 8: Care in the era of articial intelligence. Can robots replace humans and particularly, human care?

The novel is a well-known source of plots for films, but short stories have also offered fertile material for filmmakers. In some ways it is easier to expand a short story than to contract a long novel. Groups of 3 or 4 short stories were successfully presented as full length films, and single short stories have been expanded into full length films. This course will examine how short stories and novellas by authors such as E.A. Poe, O. Henry, Somerset Maugham, de Maupassant, Hemingway, Conrad, Joyce, and Thomas Mann have been successfully translated from the printed page to the film screen. The stories to be studied include O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi" and "The Last Leaf," Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," Hemingway's "The Killers," Joyce's "The Dead," Conrad's "The Heart of Darkness," and Thomas Mann's "Death in Venice."

Join us as we travel through time watching and discussing movies set in the Midwest. The films cover a variety of genres and eras and include: Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940), The Male Animal (1942), Some Like it Hot (1959), Where the Boys Are (1960), The Blues Brothers (1980), The Fugitive (1993), While You Were Sleeping (1995), and Return to Me (2000).

Class does not meet on September 25. Final class session is November 6.