Thursday Courses   

Would you like to become better at enjoying, understanding, and finishing crosswords, as well as impress your friends as a "cruciverbalist"? We will explore benefits of solving puzzles, crossword history and culture, solving strategies, clues, themes, and tools. We will learn about different types of crosswords, discover online sources and applications, and introduce the process of constructing crosswords. In each session, we'll also solve and discuss crosswords as a group to improve our skills. Previous students are welcome to retake the entire class, or to join only for practice (the second half of each session). For more information, see communicrossings.com/crosswords. The instructor will use Zoom for sharing lecture materials, crossword solving, and construction apps.

In this course, expect to have an enjoyable time with cut-up poetry. During each class, students will create poems from snippets they cut from a variety of  instructor supplied books. These mostly library discards or thrift store finds range from a driving manual to a sewing manual to a book about preparing for a wedding. Composing poems in this fashion will broaden one's experience of creativity with words. Looking for connections among seemingly disparate sources exercises the mind, giving the imagination free rein. Anyone who can use a pair of scissors and who has an open mind and a playful spirit will succeed in this course! There is no prerequisite and no homework.

Inspired by a short article titled "15 Fantastic Extra Uses for Your Smartphone" by Edward C. Baig in the December 2021 AARP Bulletin, this seminar will give you hands-on demonstrations of how to do more than make and receive calls and texts. We will cover smartphone features such as timer, flashlight, measurement, navigation system, voice recorder, magnifying glass and pedometer, and suggest free apps to download for other useful purposes. The sessions will cover both the Apple iPhone and Google Android phone and will be structured so you don't have to participate in the section about a phone you don't have. In this Zoom course, you will be able to see the presenter's phone and follow along on your own phone. Detailed PowerPoint slides and a recording of all sessions will be provided. Students should update their smartphones to the latest operating system, be familiar with the basic operations of their phones, and know their passwords for the App Store or the Google Play store.

The Electric Vehicle (EV) market is expanding rapidly, government incentives for them are changing, and the charging infrastructure for road trips is improving. We will give you an up-to-date picture of all of this and more. Should I buy an EV? Which EV is best for me? How can I get the electric vehicle I want? We want to help you make informed decisions based on the answers to all those questions. We will compare gasoline powered cars to Plug-in Hybrid EVs and EVs. We’ll look at the environmental effects, how each works, their pros and cons, how many are on the road, costs of buying and owning, and availability. After our two 90-minute class sessions you will be invited to attend a Siskiyou and Oregon Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Association (SOHEVA) outdoor event to see some local EVs and PHEVs and talk to their owners about their experiences.

In this lecture course, speakers will take you to South East Asia to see the people, customs, ancient treasures, river life, flora and fauna. On February 9, Marianne Werner will talk about Cambodia, Bali, and Sumatra; on February 16, David Drury will discuss the Upper and Lower Mekong River through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam; on February 23, Bobbie Kinsinger will cover Vietnam; on March 2, Maggie and Chris Mellor will visit Myanmar; and on March 9, Shaun Brink will explore Malaysia. All presenters have personally visited the areas discussed and have prepared pictures for viewing. There will be opportunities for questions and discussion.

Fire-resistant landscaping bridges two fields of expertise: horticulture and fire dynamics. This course will explore fire-resistant landscaping design and maintenance in an urban environment. Covered topics will include: wildfire dynamics; the connection between wildfire, landscaping, and home ignitions; choosing fire-resistant landscaping materials; plant placement, spacing, and maintenance best practices; conflicting objectives and guidance; hazardous vegetation and flammable plants’ codes and ordinances; and selecting plants for fire-resistance and low water use, wildlife value, deer resistance, erosion control, shade, and privacy. Students will be asked to share their landscaping objectives and photos of their yards with others in the second class to showcase problems and solutions.

NOTE: Students attending the third class should bring a personal computer that can run an Excel file which will be sent to them by email prior to the class.

Photoshop has a steep learning curve and can be intimidating to the first-time user. This course will take some of the mystery out of the software by demonstrating techniques used by photographers to improve and enhance their photographs. Students will learn how to set up and customize the workspace, make basic global adjustments to lighting and contrast, convert photos to black and white, isolate areas for correction using layers and masks, and turn their photos into art using the filter gallery and texture overlays. Students should have some knowledge of digital photography and sufficient knowledge of file management to readily access the photos on their computers. This is an introductory course and will only scratch the surface of this powerful software. Suggestions for further study will be provided. The course will be taught via Zoom with the instructor sharing her screen for live demonstrations in Photoshop. There will be plenty of time for questions.

NOTE: Students are encouraged but not required to subscribe to the Adobe Photography Plan which costs $19.99 a month and provides access to the latest version of both Photoshop and Lightroom software. Photoshop Elements will not be suitable for this class as the user interface and command structure are different than Photoshop. 

In her essay, “Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You are So Old and Wise,” Katherine Rundell suggests that, at its best, children’s literature “renders in their purest, most archetypal forms hope, hunger, joy, fear. Think of children’s books as literary vodka.” Maurice Sendak certainly brought us a pure, heady distillation. Some of his themes are perhaps even more thought-provoking for adults than for children. Using lecture, discussion, video, and art reproductions, this class will investigate the breadth and depth of Sendak’s thought, writing, and art. We will also explore the important influences on his work, and the ways in which his life, enthusiasms, and art were intimately intertwined. Through group discussion, we will give special attention to “Outside Over There” and to “In the Night Kitchen.” Students should obtain their own copies of these two books. No previous knowledge is necessary to enjoy the class. 

In this course, we will learn about six wine regions of the world. Each class will include a presentation by the instructor focusing on topics such as the geography, climate, soils, history, varietals, labeling, and regulatory structure of the region. We will then taste four quality wines from the region and discuss our perceptions. No special background knowledge is required, but a passion for wine is recommended.

NOTE: A class fee of $100 per student will be charged to cover the costs of the quality wines. Students will be required to pay the full fee, even if they expect to miss some classes.

This workshop is for (a) individuals who have already completed the “Nonfiction Writing Workshop” and are working on longer, personal projects, or (b) individuals who have already embarked on a personal long-form, nonfiction writing project on their own.  Participants in this workshop need to submit a Personal Writing Project (PWP) in the first week. It need not be finished, but it needs to be at least 3,000 words in length. These writing samples may be excerpted from participants’ longer nonfiction projects. Over a 10-week period, the instructor will analyze participants’ writing samples, and participants will read each other’s PWPs and share constructive feedback about the effectiveness of the content. Participants will also enhance their nonfiction writing skills by studying “Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer” by Roy Peter Clark.

NOTE: “Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer,” by Roy Peter Clark (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 2006), is required for this class.

Aspiring actors, take heart! If you would like to develop or hone your acting skills, whether you are new to acting or have been doing it for many years, the class will help you to do so. Students will have the opportunity to work on an individual monologue as well as a scene from a play with a partner, and they will be given the tools to do both with confidence. Both the monologue and the scene will be presented to the class in a supportive environment, and the instructor will provide feedback for each student’s growth as an actor. The monologue and/or scene may be comic or serious, drawn from either a classical or contemporary work. The monologue may also be original. The class will be moderately active, so a liability waiver will need to be signed. We will approach the work from an in-depth and joyful perspective! This course is preparation for the Fall 2023 performance class, which will culminate in the Fall 2023 OLLI Musical! Come play with us!

NOTE: Students are asked to pay a fee of $40 toward the rental of the rehearsal space we will be using.

This course will present eight films produced from 2000 to 2010 by directors Varda Jeunet, Veber, Tirard, Ozon, Barratier and Dahan. These films offer exposure to the French language as well as diverse aspects of life in France, both contemporary and historical. A short introduction that includes the film's historical context and information about the director and actors will precede each film, which will then be viewed in class. An interactive discussion led by the instructor will follow each film. Films are all in color and have English subtitles.

This course is designed to provide an opportunity to speak and listen to Spanish in a comfortable non-judgmental atmosphere. It is meant for those who already speak Spanish with some fluency but who don't have all the opportunities to converse that they would like. Each week, students will be provided with materials to stimulate conversation on a particular theme, including poems, prose readings, song lyrics, and discussion questions. During each class, we'll talk in a whole group and in breakout rooms. Themes vary from cars to creation and more, but it will be all right to stray from the theme. Grammar and vocabulary questions that arise will be answered, but the class is about enjoying conversation in Spanish; any learning that occurs arises from that. It will enhance our conversation if students spend some time with the materials posted on LearnerNotes before each class. Translations are provided for readings and song lyrics. 

NOTE: This is not a beginning class or even a Spanish class per se. Rather it is a chance for those who already comprehend and speak Spanish with some fluency to listen to others, converse freely, and encounter readings and songs that reflect Hispanic culture. Those who have been in previous Conversaciones courses will find new themes, readings, and music.

This course is an opportunity to discover and connect more fully with your true self and become the conscious co-creator of your life. You will discover false assumptions you hold about yourself and others, along with expanding your connection and trust in the wisdom of your internal guidance. Interactive lectures, discussions and journaling will facilitate the development of the conscious connection to your true nature. Discovering who we are at our essence, the passions of our soul, and our purpose in life can be a pathway to a happier and more productive life. This is an interactive experience in which students and teacher learn from each other.

NOTE: The required text is "The Evolving Higher Self: A Directed Guide to Fulfillment" by Charles Albert Huth.  This spiral-bound book can be purchased from Lighthouse-Empowerment.com for $14.99 + SH $4.50 or the e-book on Amazon.com for $5.95.

The Enneagram is an ancient, sacred symbol, understood in many ways. The most popular is as a system of nine personality types. When a person discovers their dominant type, things are revealed that can be highly useful for psychological growth and spiritual development. Then one can move with greater self-awareness, sensitivity, and tools to consciously grow, as well as help relieve oneself and others of needless suffering. There are numerous applications in diverse areas including: business, leadership, medicine, psychotherapy, literature, cinema, religion and spirituality, addiction recovery, and education. After reviewing the basics of the system, we look at how knowledge of these nine types can be applied in daily life. This online class will include guided meditations, teaching pieces, Q and A and discussions, breakout groups, required readings and video clips. All students must already know their personal enneatype and have worked with this knowledge for at least a year, preferably longer.  

Required Text: “Enneagram Applications: Personality Styles in Business, Therapy, Medicine, Spirituality and Daily Life,” by Thomson and Condon, and “The Enneagram: Understanding Yourself and the Others in Your Life” by Helen Palmer.

Play between mammals can incorporate movement, facial expressions, sound—and with humans—music. Play is based on shared mutually delightful agreements and if set to rhythm, you get dance.  In this class we’ll play a wide variety of movement games. Some will look like dance, and others more like martial arts. Might your life be more fun with a little more play and laughter in it?  This class will challenge your balance and coordination, your perceptions of and sensitivity to others, and tendencies you may have to be dour or handicapped by self-consciousness. It will also teach you how to dance to any music with anyone, even if you're clueless about the steps! Sounds a little edgy...and intriguing doesn’t it? Join us if you’re ready to not take yourself too seriously, make some discoveries, and have fun with other human primates! Great for life-long dancers as well as those with two left feet!

NOTE: Students will be asked to sign a waiver before the first class. Class will consist primarily of activities done standing up, though some can be done seated. You will partner with a variety of people. Some games will be done to music, some without; some with touch, some without.

The 60's and 70's were a time of social upheaval, which brought forth the so-called "New Age.” A leading architect of this new paradigm was a relatively obscure woman named Jane Roberts who found herself channeling a non-physical entity named Seth. In this course we will explore the phenomena of channeling and the major ideas that Seth introduced through Jane. Topics covered will include the nature of consciousness (especially how it impacts and creates physical reality), reincarnation, the soul, multidimensional personalities, the death experience, life between lives, alternative earth histories, and probable realities. Some of these concepts have been given credence by modern science, especially quantum physics.  We will use audiovisual materials extensively as well as transcripts of Jane’s sessions. Small class size will allow time for students with an open mind to entertain and discuss these intriguing ideas.  No orthodoxy will be taught, and no pressure to believe anything will be presented.  

G’day, mates! “Landmark Australian Films” offers some of the best films made in Australia, or by Australians, since 1971, as designated by the Australian Film Institute and others. By viewing exceptional Australian films, the class will see how cinema has developed in Australia in the last 50 years and learn more about Australian culture through some of the compelling social, historical, and political stories Australian cinema has offered. The course also examines this culture’s satirical bent. And we will see how filmmakers’ attitudes about Australian culture and geography, in particular, have affected their approach to storytelling about the region. Each week, the instructor will formally introduce one film on Zoom, backgrounding the filmmaker, the performers, and key aspects of the film. Students will watch the film independently, then meet on Zoom for discussion during which the instructor and the class will analyze the filmmaker’s cinematic technique and storytelling skills.

NOTE: The instructor will provide an annotated "Movie List" which documents where all the assigned films are available for streaming or rental online, for $3.99 or less.

One of the surprising facts about the development of nomadism on the vast Eurasian Steppe is that it began about 6,000 years ago in the west and only slowly, and fitfully, moved east. This course will survey that development, starting in the first few weeks of class with a survey of steppe nomadism's beginnings in the southwestern corner of today's Ukraine and its subsequent movement east of the Urals. The course will then highlight major developments in this process over the next three millennia until the arrival of nomadic groups from the west in China around 1250 BCE. The bulk of the course will then focus on the history of eastern nomads, including early peoples like the Xiong-Nu and Yue-Zhi, and later ones like the Uighurs, the Turks, and finally the Mongols. No background in this subject is needed, and necessary materials will be furnished.   

This course is designed to help participants take, organize, store, edit, and share digital photos and videos. Emphasis will be on using Apple Photos on the iPhone, Mac, and iCloud. Students will learn to manage iCloud settings; store photos and videos; perform basic edits; set up albums and slideshows; share photos; search and organize photos by person, location, and activities; and remove duplicate photos. Privacy and security issues will also be discussed. Participants should be able to use Zoom for video conferencing and have a basic comfort taking digital photos and accessing the Apple Photos application on your iPhone and computer.

Make a leap in your awareness by exploring and embracing one’s own truth in order to achieve enhanced fulfillment in life. In this highly interactive Q and A wisdom-sharing experience, utilizing presentations and discussion, students will learn how to use self-inquiry tools to recognize and replace destructive, fear-based limitations with positive, truth-based self-confidence. In this course students will explore topics such as minimizing feelings of vulnerability, guilt, and shame while strengthening accountability, inner calm, and personal integrity. Students will learn to use tools that help eliminate stressful issues and silence the pain-inducing inner critic so that they consciously enrich their lives with affirming constructive energy and love from their essence. The course will focus on the benefits each of us can enjoy by learning to replace fear with truth, thereby empowering overlooked personal potentials. 

The dynamics of the federal government in 2023 are uncertain at the time this is being written (late August). No matter who wins the November elections, there will be much to discuss. Early classes will cover the November election results, who will lead the House and Senate, how the election results will determine relations between the executive and legislative branches, and between the House and Senate if different parties control the two chambers.  Current events in the country and in Congress and the executive branches will be discussed. The intersection of current events with constitutional provisions will be a central point of the class.  Classes will begin with short lectures, followed by open class discussion where all viewpoints will be welcomed.  Students will be encouraged to respect a variety of opinions. 

Professor John Greene of the University of Louisville has prepared a 24-session video course showing the history and scenic beauty of France with excellent graphics. Sessions include the birth and rise of Paris, the splendor of Versailles, and the French Revolution. Then NE to Champagne and the battles of World War I, followed by the beaches and bunkers of WWII on the west coast. Then the Painters and Pilgrims of Normandy and the Wild West of Brittany. Next the beautiful Chateaux's of the Loire, followed by Bordeaux  (which I will visit in October). On to the French Basque region, the Pyrenees, and Carcassone (which my family has visited). Next Arles, Marseilles, Cannes, the Isle of Corsica, and Avignon. Going north it’s on to Lyon, Beaujolais, Dijon, Burgundy, Alsace and Lorrraine and then back to Paris. Thus, the tour covers most of France, the most visited country in the world. Each class will include two-three videos plus personal photos, as well as time for class interactions.

NOTE: $2-3 for the course is requested for the $100 fee to the Great Courses. 

In this class we will take our time reading through the wonderful but often dismissed fourth novel by Thomas Pynchon, “Vineland.” Set in 1984, mostly in Northern California but frequently flashing back to the sixties, and with a definite anti-establishment attitude, “Vineland” should resonate with many of us. Vineland of the eighties is a place where the dream of a new age of peace, love and harmony has withered in the face of Reagan era authoritarianism. Yet, in this novel steeped in paranoia, the outlook is still weirdly hopeful. It is also hilarious, filled with typical Pynchonian zaniness. Though we may all get a kick out of the many references in the book to popular culture of those years, we will also be called upon to recognize the damage that the escape from reality, which pop culture encouraged, did to the promise of the counterculture movement of the sixties. We'll talk about what we have read and offer our own reflections on that strange and fascinating era. 

NOTE: You will be expected to provide your own copy of “Vineland” by Thomas Pynchon. Expect to read 40 to 50 pages per week.

This is a fun, lively “everything but the kitchen sink” course in theater skills, designed for performers at every level. Whether you are new to acting or have been doing it for many years, this class is for you! Students will learn solid performing techniques through theater games and exercises designed to help them develop technique, expertise, and confidence. Skills taught will include voice, body movement, character development, ensemble work, and mime. The class will be active, so it is important for students to come prepared for a moderate level of movement, and they must sign a liability waiver. It’s pretty much guaranteed that students’ efforts will result in lots of laughter, joy, and community, plus an increased sense of confidence and expertise! "The Play's the Thing" or "Alas, Poor Yorick” (or a Spring 2023 theater course) is recommended for anyone wishing to participate in the Fall 2023 OLLI Musical.

Note: Students are asked to pay a fee of $40 toward the rental of the rehearsal space we will be using.