Online Courses   

Introducing one of the most famous characters in literature, Jean Valjean, “Les Misérables” ranks among the greatest novels of all time. Victor Hugo takes his readers deep into the Parisian underworld, immerses them in a battle between good and evil, and carries them to the barricades during the uprising of 1832 with a breathtaking realism that is unsurpassed in modern prose. Within his dramatic story are themes that capture the intellect and the emotions and speak to the universal desire to escape the prisons of our own minds. In the words of Victor Hugo, “Wherever men go in ignorance or despair, wherever women sell themselves for bread, wherever children lack a book to learn from or a warm hearth, ‘Les Misérables’ knocks at the door and says: ‘Open up, I am here for you.’”

NOTE: We will use Christine Donougher’s 2015 Penguin Classics translation of “Les Misérables,” which is 1,456 pages long. Widely praised for its readability and fidelity to Hugo’s original French, this unabridged translation offers a rich and immersive experience for English-speaking readers.

This is the second in a six-course series on the music of Beethoven, in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of his death in 1827. We’ll look at and listen to his last four symphonies, exploring how Beethoven expanded and changed the symphonic form from his earlier symphonies and how the spirit of Romanticism began to play a role. No previous knowledge is expected. The course will be mostly lecture, using PowerPoint and YouTube for musical examples.

NOTE: This course is part of an online share with OLLI at the University of Nevada, Reno.

This course will introduce students to the gnostic philosophy and theology of one of the Nag Hammadi codices. Our focus will be on the ancient text called the Tripartite Tractate, an early Christian adaptation of Gnosticism that was purged from the Christian religion around A.D. 350 and is considered a heresy by modern churches of all denominations. Because of its exclusion by Emperor Constantine, the material remains controversial to this day. This theology answers many of life’s most important questions and will be presented from a positive point of view with practical applications to one’s life. Because of the inherent controversy surrounding Gnosticism, discussions will be handled with respect for all points of view. 
 
NOTE: The book “A Simple Explanation of the Gnostic Gospel” by Cyd Ropp, PhD, is suggested but not required.  

What is the journey of a Ukrainian woman refugee? What was the experience of growing up in Soviet Ukraine? What is the impact of the transition from communism to a free Ukraine on the life of a Ukrainian woman and her family? Becoming a refugee involves a change of identity, loss of status and economic stability, and a descent into another unknown world. Through the stories of six Ukrainian refugee women living in Ashland, these questions will be explored within the larger context of Ukrainian history, women’s spirituality and the refugee experience as a path of spiritual transformation. The course will include reflective writing and/or journaling in response to the readings. 

NOTE: Text choices: “Women and War: Letters From Ukraine to the Free World” by Aurélie Bros or “Displaced: The Ukrainian Refugee Experience” by Tamar Jacoby. 

Enjoy an opportunity to speak and listen to Spanish in a comfortable, nonjudgmental atmosphere. This course is for those who already speak Spanish with some fluency and would like more chances to converse in the language. Each week, students will be provided with questions, readings and song lyrics to stimulate conversation on the week’s topic. This term includes careers, buildings, myths and more, but it’s OK to stray from the theme. Grammar and vocabulary questions that arise will be answered, but the class is about enjoying conversation in Spanish. Students should spend some time with the materials supplied before each class. During class, we’ll talk in a whole group and in breakout rooms with three or four.

NOTE: This is not a Spanish course per se, and it won’t work for beginners; it’s meant for those who have achieved enough fluency to listen to others, converse freely, and enjoy readings and songs that reflect Hispanic culture. Translations are provided for readings and song lyrics, but not discussion questions. Those who have been in previous Conversaciones courses will find new material. 

Cook along and let’s noodle around together! We’ll explore making a basic egg pasta from scratch and experience two delicious cuisines. From the Mediterranean we’ll make a traditional Sicilian pasta with broccoli or cauliflower, and then send our taste buds to the Far East to sample pan-Asian hoisin garlic noodles. Each day will feature side dishes to complete a meal. You’ll cook in your kitchen and I’ll cook in mine; I’ll provide recipes, demonstrations and support. Students should be comfortable in the kitchen and have basic cooking skills.

NOTE: There will be vegetarian options, but gluten-free cooking will be on your own.

The ballet barre is how professional dancers start their day. Often referred to as a “warm-up,” it brings blood flow to the small and large muscles of the body. A simple ballet barre, including stretches, will bring students to a new level of wellness, body awareness and confidence. During the four sessions, participants will learn the eight progressive elements of barre work, including ballet stretches focusing on posture, strength, flexibility and artistry using household items as a ballet barre. While practicing the ballet stretches, the instructor will share notions specific to ballet, including French ballet terminology from the Opera de Paris, discuss ballet history of the 20th century and share techniques in the art of ballet from around the world. No prior experience is necessary.

NOTE: Participants should be able to stand on their feet for 45 minutes and have a mat or blanket for floor stretches. All students are encouraged to practice at their own pace. An optional book is recommended: “Ballet Dictionary” by Thalia Mara. Liability waiver required to participate.

Take your stock studies to the next level! Evaluate high-quality growth stocks selling at a fair price using the BetterInvesting (BI) online SSG PLUS tools. See www.betterinvesting.org. Find companies to study that meet BI guidelines. Learn shortcuts for collecting company research. Find essential information in 10-Ks and 10-Qs; skip the boilerplate. Present a stock to classmates using trend analysis, business modeling and revenue analysis. We require BI membership at the SSG PLUS level ($12.08 a month). This course is part lecture, part activity workshop, with outside reading and tools practice. A PDF copy of “The Stock Selection Guide & Portfolio Management Magic” is provided. This class is a prerequisite for next term’s DIY Stock Portfolio Management class. 

NOTE: DIY FUNdamental Stock Analysis for Beginners is a prerequisite for this course. Equities are for educational purposes only; no recommendations will be made. We do not present alternate investment strategies, such as technical analysis. We do not discuss penny stocks, ADRs, ETFs, index funds, bonds, mutual funds, cryptocurrencies or foreign stocks; nor do we recommend financial advisers. Newer Windows or Mac OS versions only. No iPads. BI SSG PLUS runs best on Google Chrome, and students are encouraged to download it before class begins. 

This course is an open discussion forum to explore and discuss breaking news from Oregon and around the globe each week. All differing views and opinions are not only welcome but essential to create lively discussion in the group. We cover a wide range of topics, including politics, climate change, technology and medicine. An agenda with articles will be sent to you before each class. Students are also encouraged to send in topics and news articles to add to each week’s agenda. Please join us for a sizzling hot journey around the world in our fast, fun and sometimes controversial class whose success is largely a product of the wisdom, knowledge and experience of our great group. Many people take the class again because it’s better than a strong cup of coffee to get your week going!

If you are experiencing serious problems in your manufactured home community, read on. This course is designed for residents of manufactured and floating homes in Oregon, especially those age 55-plus. Using lecture discussions, videos and interviews, the instructor will provide the 10 steps to form a tenants’ association and familiarize students with Oregon Rental Statutes (ORS). Mediation and small claims information will also be provided. The instructor is not a lawyer, and this class is not intended to replace legal advice. The material will be presented in everyday language. Students are expected to come prepared to work.

NOTE: A PDF of ORS, Oregon Rental Statutes (Chapter 90) and the organizing forms discussed in class will be provided. Students must have the necessary software to use these items. No OSTA (Oregon State Tenants Association) membership is required for this class.

This course is an introduction to qigong and simple stretching patterns. Movements will be taught both as physical and energetic exercises and as methods for improving present moment awareness and mindfulness of subtle perceptions. No special clothing or experience is required. Come as you are, ready to have fun with others! Although qigong can be studied for a lifetime, this brief series will provide a taste of the practices. Over the course of the classes, students will learn a set of simple movements that can be integrated into a daily routine. Students will also have access to videos on the instructor’s YouTube channel, and a DVD and digital material are available for purchase. The exercises will challenge and enhance flexibility, balance and coordination.  

NOTE: Classes consist mostly of active movement and will not be recorded. Students must be prepared to take complete responsibility for their own physical well-being. The course will include social time with other students using breakout rooms. Liability waiver required to participate.

This course will be an introduction to astronomy, specifically observational astronomy. Students will learn how to look in the night sky without a telescope to see constellations, identify planets and discern lunar phases. This class will specifically focus on our Southern Oregon skies in spring. Students will get a chance to practice their knowledge by observing in the North Medford High School Planetarium. The planetarium features a Digistar 7 system, a fully digital system capable of manipulating space and time with real-time data and stellar computer graphics. The course will be half online lecture, half lab-based in the planetarium. There is no background knowledge necessary; all levels of learners are welcome.  

NOTE: The course will alternate between online instruction using Zoom one week followed by lab-based practice of concepts at the North Medford High School Planetarium the next week. Weeks 1, 3 and 5 will be online and weeks 2, 4 and 6 will be at the planetarium. Liability waiver required to participate.

Mary Oliver’s poetry invites us to see the natural world — and our inner lives — with renewed attention. In this course, we’ll share selected poems by Oliver through the perspective of Louise Rosenblatt’s Reader Response theory, which emphasizes the active, personal relationship between reader and text. Rather than seeking a single “correct” interpretation, we’ll explore how each poem speaks uniquely to our experiences, memories and imaginations. Participants will be encouraged to share responses; reflect on how meaning is made; and consider how Oliver’s work fosters empathy, mindfulness and a sense of belonging in the natural world.

NOTE: Students will be expected to access Mary Oliver’s poetry, either in hard-copy books or online. They also will be expected to post work and respond to other students’ work every week on OLLI’s Raider Moodle, an easily accessible communication platform.

This is the foundation course for four courses of history that describe how current America was shaped. Two key events are covered: the idealistic founding of the Republican Party and Reconstruction that it created. After the Civil War, formerly enslaved people, women, abolitionists and radical Republicans courageously fought to create an interracial, nonpatriarchal democracy. In the face of a hegemonic white and male supremist strategy of misrepresentation and terror, they succeeded in creating the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments, the legal basis for citizenship, equality before the law, voting rights for all men regardless of race and abolishing slavery. This is their story and the consequences of their defeat. Required is an interest in how historical events shaped today’s America. 

NOTE: Strongly recommended reading before the class: “The Fall of the House of Dixie: The Civil War and the Social Revolution That Transformed the South” by Bruce Levine (2013). 

Why is the Rogue Valley a low area and why are the adjacent mountains so high? This course aims to help students interpret the landscape where they live. Using the local area as our laboratory, we’ll explore the factors that create diverse landscapes. Via interactive lectures, the course will review the regional geology with a focus on local details and explain the basic principles needed to understand how Earth works and changes through time.

NOTE: The in-person section will include a field trip to local sites; students may choose either Saturday, May 9 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) or Tuesday, May 12 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.). The trip will require students to carpool and sign the SOU liability waiver. Walking distances will be short. No prior geologic experience is needed. This course was offered before, most recently in Spring 2023.

Anyone can write a song! Whether you are a seasoned lyricist or have never written a song at all, this course will help you create something totally new. Some class time will be spent listening to and analyzing songs that are well-crafted. We will discuss how the example songs can be used as guides and inspiration. Most of the class will be spent doing writing exercises that will result in the beginning of songs. Over the ensuing week, each student will expand and refine the in-class work to fashion a song. We will listen to and talk about the completed (or incomplete) songs the following week. 

NOTE: The course will require significant time outside class. It is highly recommended that each student be able to play an instrument. No one has to be an accomplished player, but basic knowledge of chords is helpful.  

People with a healthy curiosity are welcome to join us for this introduction to the Cyrillic alphabet, used by Russian and about 50 other modern languages. No special preparation is needed. The course will begin with a brief historical survey of the alphabet’s creation, its place in European geography and culture, and its transformations from the ninth century until today. We will then take a close look at the letters of the Russian alphabet and examine the vowels and how they affect pronunciation of Russian words. With just a little practice participants will be able to sound out this beautiful, exotic tongue! 

NOTE: This course would be helpful preparation for the OLLI course Russian: Focus on Pronunciation.  

For National Poetry Month, this course will look at the inspiring poetry that has sought to influence social and political change in the U.S. and worldwide. Through videos and live readings, the course will explore poets who used their platforms to spark activism in social movements. We will examine the social contexts and the impact of compelling words written by Phillis Wheatley, Pablo Neruda, Martin Niemöller, Pedro Pietri, Julia de Burgos, Amiri Baraka, Audre Lorde, Sonia Sanchez, Gil Scott-Heron, Maya Angelou and many others. Each writer will be profiled, and students will have opportunities to read their words aloud. Amateur poets in the class may bring in their own poetry to share.

NOTE: No previous experience with writing or poetry is required. All class materials will be provided by the instructor.