OLLI Course Catalog :: Fall II 2014

SCHEDULE OF COURSES Fall II 2014

October 27 – December 18

DIRECTOR’S NOTE

Late fall is a good time to ponder and reflect, but it is also a time to stimulate your hearts and minds with in-depth educational classes, exciting lectures, small group discussions, fresh ideas and engaging social interaction. So, put on your coats and join our amazing instructors at the Browne Center. We will broaden our horizons and lives together.

Sheila Pantlind

COURSE HIGHLIGHTS

Women and the White House page 4

Pain and the Brain page 4

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Women and the White House 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Reconstruction (1865-1877): America’s Triumphant Tragedy 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Riches to Rags: Lessons to be learned from Detroit 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Pain and the Brain 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Mr. Lincoln’s War: The Politics of Abolition 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Mysterious Deaths and Unexplained Anomalies 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Drama and the Courtroom 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Modalities of Complementary Medicine: Aromatherapy 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Tuesday Night at the Movies 4-6 p.m.

The Art of Zentangle® 9:30-11:30 a.m.

The Organization of the Mind 1:30-3:30 p.m.

The Great American Songbook Seasonal Favorites!

9:30-11:30 a.m.

Michigan’s US -12 Heritage Trail Story 1:30-3:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

The Once and Future Book 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Eastern and Western Ideology Differences 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Valuing the Invaluable: The Economics of the Environment 1:30-3:30 p.m.

The 2014 Elections: Before and After 9:30-11:30 a.m.

New Skies over Grand Rapids 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Water Critical: Drought and Other Signs of the Greatest Challenge Yet 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Palestinian Statehood 9:30-11:30 a.m.

How Does Your Garden Grow?

1:30-3:30 p.m.

American Expansionism: End of the Indian Wars 1:30-3:30 p.m.

The Humor of Jean de La Fontaine – Part 2 9:30-11:30 a.m.

The Tao of Abundance 1:30-3:30 a.m.

Roots of American Civilization 1:30- 3:30 p.m.

The Crisis in Ukraine 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Festivals of Light 1:30-3:30 a.m.

FREE MEMBER CLASS

Cry of Freedom 1:30-3:30 p.m.

FRIDAY A Game Ever Green: Memory, Childhood and the Abiding Beauty of Baseball 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Managing the Great Lakes: An Ecological Melting Pot and Ongoing Experiment 9:30-11:30 a.m.

A Day in the Life of Aquinas College’s President 1-3 p.m.

FREE MEMBER CLASSES Bits of Wisdom Picked Up Along the Way 9:30-11 a.m.

Collaborate in the Cloud!

9:30-11 a.m.

Herbal Holiday Gifts 9:30-11 a.m.

Riches to Rags: Lessons to be learned from Detroit page 4

Reconstruction: America’s Triumphant Tragedy page 5

The Once and Future Book page 6

New Skies over Grand Rapids page 7

Roots of American Civilization with Gleaves Whitney page 9

A Game Ever Green: Memory, Childhood and the Abiding Beauty of Baseball page 9

OLLI Membership Structure (September 2014 – June 2015) For the 2014-2015 OLLI academic year, we are again offering a tiered membership designed to provide you with options and monetary savings. The tuition costs are less if you join as an OLLI member, and the savings are greater with each membership level.

Bronze Membership Savings: 4 week class 3 week class 2 week class 1 week class M NM M NM M NM M NM $63 $76 $52 $62 $35 $42 $16 $21 (M = member; NM = non-member)

The three different membership levels from which to choose are: Bronze Membership: $25 Membership fee

Silver Membership: $60 Membership fee

Gold Membership: $385 Membership fee

Bronze members receive greater discounts compared to non-members.

Silver members receive greater discounts compared to Bronze members

Gold members can attend unlimited number of classes all year. Fees may be added for special events, trips, or class materials.

4 week class - $63 to $50 3 week class - $52 to $42 2 week class - $35 to $30 1 week class - $16 to $12

Taking as few as 2 (4X) classes a year will be worth becoming a Bronze member.

And, if one attends more often, we highly recommend joining as a Silver or Gold Member for greater savings.

Advantages of Membership • Free Member classes designated in each catalog • Great discounts on classes • Discounted prices on local performing arts and events • The option (with instructor approval) of auditing a regular Aquinas College class for $150

Become an OLLI Member today!

Please call 616.632.2430 or send in a completed registration form to:

OLLI at Aquinas College

1607 Robinson Rd. SE

Grand Rapids, MI 49506

Call to register: 616.632.2430

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OLLI’S ANNUAL FUND DRIVE HELP US GROW!

It is the time of year when we ask you to support our Annual Campaign for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Aquinas College. We hope that you will help us in continuing to provide outstanding educational opportunities for those over 50 in the greater Grand Rapids community.

While earnings from our Osher Endowment finance about 20% of our program, more than 80% comes from our Annual Fund drive, tuition, memberships and fund-raising events.

Therefore, your help continues to be very important.

Your contributions will help keep our programs strong and vibrant, enable us to continue to offer a wide variety of classes and experiences, provide you great value for the money you spend, and continue to attract the best instructors. When you give to OLLI, we will place your name (with permission) on our “tree” inside the Browne Center. As always, we appreciate all you do to support us. Because of your generosity, we will be able to provide another year of outstanding programs and professors!

A gift of ANY SIZE is a gift of knowledge and makes a big difference in the program and the educational opportunities for members.

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OLLI TUITION COURSES

MONDAY Women and the White House Monday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

October 27, November 3, 10 & 17 Robert SchooneJongen, Ph.D., is assistant professor of history at Calvin College. His courses concentrate on immigration to the U.S. through 1920, the American presidency, and the impact of religion on everyday lives. He has published numerous historical articles.

Someday the United States will have a woman president. It is important to understand that in various ways in various eras, women (First Ladies, secretaries, servants, socialites and suffragettes) influenced the development of the presidency, the White House, and the American political landscape. Join Professor Schoone-Jongen for a look at the women who helped make the office what it is today.

M: Bronze $63 Silver $50 NM: $76 Location: Browne Center

Riches to Rags: Lessons to be learned from Detroit Monday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

October 27 & November 3 Peter Letzmann grew up in Detroit, attending public high school, Wayne State University and the University of Detroit Mercy Law School.

He was a lawyer for the City of Detroit assigned primarily to the police department. Peter has advised local governments for over forty years.

During this two week course, a potpourri of events that contributed to the City of Detroit’s downward

Call to register: 616.632.2430

spiral from a “city of riches to a city of rags” will be presented.

Corruption, racism, public transportation, education, unions, incompetence, and school bussing are just a few of the topics to be examined. Peter will discuss how other local governments can avoid the costly mistakes made in Detroit.

is a popular professor who has taught many classes at OLLI on Civil War and the Founding Fathers.

Pain and the Brain

Lincoln ignored the Abolition Movement, the most successful reform movement in our history, until he became the 16th president.

The Movement, albeit small, led to a complex and violent process in which 4 million people gained their freedom. Professor Stabler will explore even more than what was in Spielberg’s film, Lincoln

Monday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

October 27 & November 3

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

Daniel Bergman, Ph.D., is associate professor of Biomedical Sciences at GVSU. His doctorate is in Neuroscience from Bowling Green State University. He was a National Institute of Health funded researcher at the University of Kentucky before joining GVSU.

Mysterious Deaths and Unexplained Anomalies

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

Pain is a very subjective/personal experience, yet we almost all universally recognize painful stimuli.

Pain tells us a lot about the external environment and our internal state, and we use this information to inform us as to what types of activities or substances we should avoid. In this two part course, Professor Bergman will delve into the topic of nociception (sense of pain), the neuroscience of pain, as well as the assessment and treatment of pain.

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

Mr. Lincoln’s War: The Politics of Abolition Monday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

November 10 & 17 Scott Stabler, Ph.D., is associate professor of history at GVSU who specializes in American History. He

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Monday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

November 10 & 17 Gary Robertson, associate professor Emeritus of economics at Aquinas College, received his BA in mathematics and his MA in economics from the University of Detroit.

There are many deaths associated with the JFK assassination, the most famous is that of Marilyn Monroe.

But there were also others including the doctor who performed Kennedy’s autopsy. Professor Robertson will discuss the secrets (even those by the Secret Service) surrounding the assassination.

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

Drama and the Courtroom Monday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

November 24 & December 1 Jon March is a graduate of Harvard Law School and is a trial lawyer with Miller Johnson. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the

COURSES CONT. International Society of Barristers.

Jon is also an amateur actor, having appeared in over a dozen Civic Theatre productions.

Do you like good courtroom drama: tense cross examination; emotional witnesses; impassioned closing arguments? But do you ever wonder how realistic they are? Could what you have seen on stage or the silver screen actually happen in a real courtroom? Or are real trials just too tedious and boring to make for great drama? Jon will analyze scenes in several well-known plays and movies for legal validity and dramatic effect. Along the way he may throw in a few war stories from his professional life in court and explain why being a good trial lawyer does not make one a good actor and vice versa.

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

Modalities of Complementary Medicine: Aromatherapy Monday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

December 1 & 8 Gayla Jewell, Ph.D., RN, NP, is associate professor Emerita at GVSU. Grounded in decades of experience as nurse practitioner, professor and medical sociologist, Gayla integrates her knowledge and skills for the benefit of each individual.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils on the body to balance, harmonize, and promote health of body, mind, and spirit. This class is for those who are interested in basic information about the science behind aromatherapy as well as uses and applications of essential oils and hydrosols in a safe and effective manner.

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

TUESDAY Reconstruction (1865-1877): America’s Triumphant Tragedy Tuesday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

October 28, November 4, 11 & 18 Fred Johnson, Ph.D., is associate professor of history at Hope College. He earned his masters and doctorate degrees at Kent State University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Divinity degree. His primary field of study is 19th Century U.S. History, specifically, the Civil War. Professor Johnson has received many outstanding teaching awards including the Faculty Achievement Award in 2013. He has also authored numerous historical books and novels.

The Civil War profoundly altered the United States, but the subsequent period of Reconstruction imposed lasting changes that finally fulfilled, but nevertheless failed, the noble aspirations espoused in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. This course examines the turbulent period of Reconstruction and how the attempt to create a more just and democratic society ultimately fell victim to the cultural and socioeconomic forces that had produced the Civil War. M: Bronze $63 Silver $50 NM: $76 Location: Browne Center

Tuesday Night at the Movies Tuesday, 4-6 p.m.

November 4, 11 & 18

MOVIE S! TALK! PIZZA!

Henry Idema received a BA and an MA at U of M and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago and is an ordained Episcopal priest

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who did his theological training in Cambridge, MA. He has authored two books and for over 25 years has been writing columns for newspapers in West Michigan.

In this new movie format at OLLI, Henry will present two classic examples of the film noir genre from the 1940s, and a classic revival from the early 1970s in their entirety. A discussion led by Henry will follow these films: Laura, Out of the Past, and Chinatown.

M: Bronze $58 Silver $48 NM: $68 Location: Browne Center Note: Additional charge covers pizza and refreshments

The Art of Zentangle® Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

November 11 & 18 Georgianna Klein, Ph.D., is professor Emerita of mathematics GVSU and certified Zentangle® teacher, had a career of university mathematics teaching. Georgianna came to Zentangle® via yoga, meditation, and ten years of process painting with Stewart Cubley.

Zentangle® is a fun, easy-to-learn, relaxing method of creating images using repetitive patterns.

No drawing experience or special skills are necessary except an open heart and the ability to hold a pen.

Students will create several small ink drawings on paper tiles.

M: Bronze $45 Silver $40 Gold $10 NM: $52 Location: Browne Center Note: Lab fee included

The Organization of the Mind Tuesday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

November 11 & 18 David Bernstein, Ph.D., is Emeritus professor of psychology at GVSU. His area of specialization is human

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thinking. He loves to explore the relationships between psychology and neuroscience.

What is the relationship between the mind and the brain? What do baffling neurological cases such as those of phantom limb pain and Capgras Syndrome (patients think that close relatives are imposters) tell us about the organization of the mind – brain? And how do possible answers to those questions help us approach enduring puzzles such as our own experiences of free will and consciousness? We will rummage around the mind-blowing world that exists at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience and philosophy. We will also look at whether brain games can improve memory and intelligence.

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

The Great American Songbook Seasonal Favorites!

Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

December 2 & 9 Dr. Robin Connell spent over a decade honing her skills as a singer-pianist in NYC. Professor Connell continues to perform while also teaching at GRCC, Aquinas College, Interlochen Arts Camp and privately. Her Doctorate of Arts, in music theory and composition, is from the University of Northern Colorado.

Join singer-pianist, Professor Connell as she blends American history with musical selections from the Great American Songbook and old fashioned holiday favorites.

Recordings, videos, and even her own live performance, right in the classroom, will enliven each class. Digging a little ‘behind the scenes’, this class will discuss the relationship between the songs and

Call to register: 616.632.2430

the socio-cultural realities of the time when they were written. A little group singing may be part of the class - who says you can’t have fun while learning?

The Once and Future Book

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

October 29, November 5, 12 & 19

Michigan’s US -12 Heritage Trail Story Tuesday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

December 2 Gladys Saborio and Susan Kosky, historic preservationists, served as Washteneaw County representatives to the Michigan US-12 Heritage Trail Council.

In addition to their soon to be published, A Road Runs Through It, they have written extensively on preservation and the history of Michigan.

If only our roads and highways could speak, oh, the stories they could tell! Gladys and Susan have travelled many miles on this famous stretch of US-12 bridging Detroit to New Buffalo. They will share a few of these stories with us including the infamous Michigan’s Longest Garage Sale and also how paleontologists from U of M excavated the longest mastodon trail ever found near Saline. Learn how prominent forms of transportation (the stagecoach, the railroad and the automobile) influenced the environment built along this highway. Important buildings and structures will be identified by their architectural style, and settlement site choices will help us understand the area’s history. If you love Michigan’s rich history, this road trip is for you!

M: Bronze $16 Silver $12 NM: $21 Location: Browne Center

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WEDNESDAY

Gary Eberle is professor of English at Aquinas College and the author of many books including his recent book Aquinas College: The First 125 Years. Eberle has twice been awarded Outstanding Member of the Faculty and has been a popular Emeritus/OLLI professor for more than 20 years.

We are living through a second Gutenberg revolution in which the means of getting and preserving information are being changed forever. What does this mean for the future of books and reading?

The history of the book is one of the hottest areas in contemporary literary study and this course will give students a chance to find out what books have been, what they are and what they might become.

M: Bronze $63 Silver $50 NM: $76 Location: Browne Center

Valuing the Invaluable: The Economics of the Environment Wednesday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

October 29, November 5 & 12 Todd Yarbrough, Ph.D., from the University of Tennessee, is assistant professor of economics at Aquinas College. Professor Yarbrough’s research focuses on tax and expenditure policy, social safety nets, and issues of environmental economics.

Why do we accept environmental disasters and what impact will such disasters have on our longrun economic growth? What are

COURSES CONT. the cost-effective approaches to curbing global climate change?

And what does our energy portfolio say about our commitment to both economic and environmental vitality? In this three part course, Professor Yarbrough will discuss the underlying issues of Environment Valuation, efficient responses to Environmental Degradation, and the Economics of Energy.

M: Bronze $52 Silver $42 NM: $62 Location: Browne Center

New Skies over Grand Rapids Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

November 5 Join Dave DeBruyn, under the dome of the updated Chaffee Planetarium for an illustration of how planetarium technology has evolved allowing for greater realism of the night sky and space transit simulations. As curator Emeritus, Dave will then draw upon both his 50 years of experience in astronomy and the remarkable capabilities of the new Digistar 5 full color projection system to take attendees on a simulated trip through the solar system and the galaxies beyond!

M: Bronze $19 Silver $ 15 Gold $10 NM: $24 Location: 272 Pearl St NW – 2nd Floor Grand Rapids Public Museum Note: Tuition includes parking and entrance fees. Use the Museum’s ramp on Front Street, south of the main entrance. Please arrive in the Chaffee Planetarium no later than 9:15 a.m.

Water Critical: Drought and Other Signs of the Greatest Challenge Yet Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

November 12 & 19 Deborah Steketee, Ph.D., serves as associate professor of sustainable business at Aquinas College, with

a doctorate in comparative politics and environmental science from Indiana University’s Department of Political Science and School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

What would happen if Lake Michigan dried up? How about siphoned off? Access to clean and abundant water poses perhaps one of the greatest challenges in the 21st Century.

California’s drought is only a glimmer of what is happening worldwide. With implications for human health, national security, ecological integrity and economic development, effective management of our water resources is proving elusive. Case studies from places close to home and around the world will highlight the complex dimensions of water quantity and quality. New ways of thinking are needed to avert the looming crisis.

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

Palestinian Statehood Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

December 3 & 10 Roger Durham, Ph.D., is professor and chair of the political science department at Aquinas College. He teaches international relations and comparative political courses and coordinates the International Studies Degree. He has received the Outstanding Faculty Member from students numerous times.

Under International Law all states enjoy the legal status of sovereignty.

With state sovereignty comes a host of powers, responsibilities and - most importantly - recognition as an “equal” actor in world politics.

The Palestinian people have

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been struggling for statehood for decades, culminating in a 2011 application to the UN General Assembly for full membership status. The following year, Palestine was granted “non-member observer state status” in the UN. Nevertheless war and conflict continue. This two week course will explore the history and recent issues relative to establishing a Palestinian State.

Included will be discussions of crucial Palestinian groups, relations with other Arab states, the role of the UN and international law, and of course, relations with Israel.

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

THURSDAY Eastern and Western Ideology Differences Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

October 30, November 6, 13 & 20 Rui Niu-Cooper, Ph.D., is assistant professor of education and the bilingual programs coordinator at Aquinas College, as well as a published author. She has drawn upon her experience as a professor in both China and the U.S. to offer multiple presentations on China-related topics.

The class will focus on the differences between Eastern and Western ideology, the reasons for such differences in their thinking, the phenomena surfaced from these differences, and the results of it. Professor Niu-Cooper will use artifacts, stories, and some hands-on activities to help students understand the ideology differences and discuss possible ways to avoid or resolve any conflicts.

M: Bronze $63 Silver $50 NM: $76 Location: Browne Center

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The 2014 Elections: Before and After Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

October 30 & November 6 Glenn Barkan recently retired as professor of political science and dean at Aquinas College. In addition to his professional writing, Professor Barkan has written about politics in The Grand Rapids Magazine, The Paper, and The Grand Rapids Press. He has also spent time commenting on local elections and politics on WZZM-TV 13.

The November 2014 off-year election will likely be critical for the next decade, and the outcome will not only influence the policies adopted in the next two years, but also the 2016 Presidential Election.

Professor Barkan will take students beyond the candidates and look at the meaning and process of elections in this country. After the elections, he will examine what our voters have done. Who won, who lost will be known within a few hours of the polls closing. It may take a little longer to figure out what it all means – how the outcomes will translate into public policy and tactics that will be applied in the next elections.

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

Mary, Mary – How Does Your Garden Grow?

Thursday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

October 30 Mary Jane Dockeray, Ph.D., was Curator Naturalist of the Blandford Nature Center from 19681990. She was recently named one of Michigan’s Women of the Year and inducted into Michigan’s Hall of Fame.

Call to register: 616.632.2430

When Mary Jane moved into her current home, she had an almost blank slate to develop her “electric garden.” She calls it her play pen.

Join Mary Jane as she takes students through the evolution of a double city lot into an ever changing scene of a cooperative venture between Mother Nature and Mary Jane’s inventive and very personal tinkering.

M: Bronze $16 Silver $12 NM: $21 Location: Browne Center

American Expansionism: End of the Indian Wars Thursday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

October 30, November 6 & 13 William Katerberg, Ph.D., professor and chair of history at Calvin College, received B.A. degrees in history from Redeemer University College, Ontario and Calvin College, a M.A. in U.S. History from Notre Dame and his Ph.D. from Queen’s University, Ontario. He is a cultural historian of the U.S. and Canada and was the director of the 2012 National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Institute for Teachers.

The U.S. was born in a revolution against the British Empire in the name of liberty, natural rights and self-government. In 1898 the U.S. conquered the Philippines. More widely, between the end of the Civil War and the start of WWI, the U.S. finished the “Indian Wars” in the mainland U.S., defeating native peoples such as the Sioux and Apache, and took control of an overseas empire that stretched 10,000 miles from the Philippines in the Pacific to Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Atlantic. Why did the U.S. do this? Who opposed and who favored the creation of overseas empire and on what grounds? How did America’s empire compare to those of European powers?

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What were the consequences of creating this empire? This course will examine the creation of an American overseas empire as an outgrowth of its expansion and conquest of the continental U.S. from the 1780s to the 1870s.

M: Bronze $52 Silver $42 NM: $62 Location: Browne Center

The Humor of Jean de La Fontaine – Part 2 Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

November 13 Marcel E. Pichot holds a Ph.D. in French language and literature from U of M, and a MA in Islamic Studies from The Hartford Seminary, CT. Born and raised in French North Africa, he taught and lectured in the United States, Europe and Africa.

Join in or continue on with Dr. Pichot as he introduces students to the “ecolo-politico-philosophical” humor of Jean de la Fontaine, the incomparable 17th century French fabulist. You will learn and never forget some of his best fables as they now exist in a sparkling contemporary English translation.

M: Bronze $16 Silver $12 NM: $21 Location: Browne Center

The Tao of Abundance Thursday, 1:30-3:30 a.m.

November 13, 20 & December 4 Kathleen Delp Higgins is a clinical social worker, a genetic counselor at Spectrum Health and is an adjunct professor at MSU College of Human Medicine. A lifelong learner through self-study, Kathleen is expanding her knowledge and practice of the Tao te Ching and Buddhism.

Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and poet. His writings are well known and have been referenced in our modern day to glean wisdom in our daily lives.

Laurence Boldt authored The Tao of Abundance, and in this class through small group and experiential learning, we will explore samples of his text and engage in dialog and exercises to examine how we spend our time, circulate our gifts and talents, and how we cultivate chi or energy and joy in our lives.

nation’s capital (and Capitol) wanted the U.S. to fulfill the dream of ancient Rome to found an enduring, free republic that would be a model to the rest of the world.

M: Bronze $52 Silver $42 NM: $62 Location: Browne Center

Heather L. Tafel, Ph.D., associate professor of political science at GVSU. Her research centers on the development of political institutions in post- Soviet Russia.

She has lived in Russia, Germany and Austria for extended periods.

Roots of American Civilization Thursday, 1:30- 3:30 p.m.

November 20 & December 18 Gleaves Whitney is director of GVSU’s Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies.

Gleaves writes and lectures nationally on presidential history and leadership. He has designed this series of OLLI lectures on “the idea that to rightly understand American culture, we cannot start in 1776 or even 1492, but must go much further back.”

November 20 – Ancient Greeks Look around and you will see numerous ways America’s early culture was shaped by the ancient Athenians and Spartans – from Greek revival architecture to the Socratic method in our classrooms.

We Americans owe a huge debt to the Greek way of life, their aesthetic, and their thought for ordering our polity and some elements of our democracy.

December 18 – Ancient Romans Any visitor to Washington, DC, must be struck by how classical the area around the National Mall appears. That’s because the founders thought of themselves as latter-day Roman republicans, and the visionaries who designed our

M: Bronze $16 Silver $12 NM: $21 per lecture Location: Donnelly Center

US-Russian Relations: The Crisis in Ukraine Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

December 11

Whoever said US-Russian relations aren’t dynamic just isn’t paying attention. Professor Tafel will present the latest on what’s been happening in US-Russian relations, with particular emphasis on events in Ukraine and the U.S. and European responses. Be sure to bring your questions, as she will leave a second hour for what is sure to be an interesting Q&A session.

M: Bronze $16 Silver $12 NM: $21 Location: Browne Center

Festivals of Light Thursday, 1:30-3:30 a.m.

December 11 Fred Stella, writer and lecturer, is an ordained Pracharak (Outreach Minister) for the Hindu Temple in Grand Rapids. He is currently president of Interfaith Dialogue Association, and hosts its weekly radio program.

There is a common thread that weaves through Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism and other world

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faiths as each attempts to kindle a light in the heart of darkness. Fred will look at various religious holy days that take place throughout autumn and up to the beginning of winter. He will discuss the various theologies, legends and traditions surrounding these occasions.

M: Bronze $16 Silver $12 NM: $21 Location: Browne Center

FRIDAY A Game Ever Green: Memory, Childhood and the Abiding Beauty of Baseball Friday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

October 31 Charles Honey is a national and local award winning writer who specializes in issues of faith, values, and spirituality. He was with the Grand Rapids Press for over 25 years, serving as Religion Editor for fifteen years. He continues to write stories for other publications including Christianity Today and recently began writing for the School News Network, part of KISD. Charley just published his first book, Faith on First: Thoughts on God, Nature and Sacrifice Bunts.

Of all the major American sports, baseball historically has most lent itself to literary analysis and nostalgic sentiment. What is it about a mere game that evokes such lyrical reflection and deep yearnings? How does baseball play such a strong role in connecting generations and different segments of society? And why does it continue to provide spiritual sustenance to fans despite its increasing commercialization and outlandish salaries? We will explore baseball’s place in our national and personal consciousness through

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COURSES CONT. selected readings, video clips and shared personal experiences.

M: Bronze $16 Silver $12 NM: $21 Location: Browne Center

Managing the Great Lakes: An Ecological Melting Pot and Ongoing Experiment Friday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.

November 7 & 14 Eric Snyder, Ph.D., is an associate professor of biology at GVSU. Dr. Snyder received his BS from Manchester College, his MS in aquatic sciences from CMU and his Ph.D. from Idaho State University. He completed postdoctoral research with the University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological

Station and teaches classes at GVSU in aquatic science, stream ecology, and aquatic ecosystem management.

The Great Lakes have experienced an extraordinary degree of change in the last 150 years, whether from overfishing, planned and unplanned exotic species introductions, and food web cascades, to legal status and environmental policies that provide for protection and management. We will highlight key portions of this history and then explore contemporary issues facing this unique ecosystem. Finally, can science assist in making predictions about future conditions and potential threats?

M: Bronze $35 Silver $30 NM: $42 Location: Browne Center

A Day in the Life of Aquinas College’s President Friday, 1-3 p.m.

November 14 Join Dr. Juan R. Olivarez, president of Aquinas College, for a talk on “a day in the life” of a college president.

Following the talk, Mary Olivarez has graciously offered to give a tour of the main floor of the historic Brookby Estate. Enjoy the talk, the tour, the ambience, and of course, the coffee and cookies.

M: Bronze $16 Silver $12 NM: $21 Location: Corner of Plymouth Rd. and Robinson Rd. Maximum: 50 Carpooling is recommended as street parking is limited.

FREE MEMBER CLASSES Cry of Freedom Thursday, 1:30-3:30 p.m.

November 6 Grand Rapids Poet Laureate, Linda Nemec Foster, and Ann Arbor musician Laszlo Slomovitz will perform excerpts from an extraordinary album, Cry of Freedom, written from a collection of poems by Foster and put to music by Slomovitz. Foster’s poetry featured on the album is from her book, Ten Songs from Bulgaria, and was inspired by photographs by Jacko Vassilev. Enjoy a unique multi-art presentation of poetry, music and photography.

Location: Browne Center

Bits of Wisdom Picked Up Along the Way Friday, 9:30-11 a.m.

November 7 The benefit of growing older is that we have time to reflect and learn from

M = members

NM = non-members

Call to register: 616.632.2430

our numerous life experiences, both the good and the bad. Join educator and author, Dave Kampschulte in this stimulating, interactive session as we reflect on what life has taught us and what wisdom really means. You might find out that you are smarter than you think!

Location: Browne Center

Collaborate in the Cloud!

Friday, 9:30-11 a.m.

November 21 Would you like to learn how to use Google more efficiently? The AQ Tech Club is at your service! Learn how to filter your spam e-mail, organize your in-box (or create an e-mail account if you don’t yet have one!) use the Google calendar to plan your events and invite others. Other web-based collaborative applications to support your volunteer/non-profit work will also be demonstrated.

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Location: Grace Hauenstein Library Computer Lab - Rm. 112

Herbal Holiday Gifts Friday, 9:30-11 a.m.

December 5 Connie Hanson, owner of Grand Shire Farm in Sand Lake, will demonstrate a variety of ways to use herbs and essential oils to make gifts for all your holiday needs. She will discuss and share some tasty foods that can be packaged as gifts including peppermint shortbreads and Christmas cappuccino to name a few. Creative ways to use essential oils for bath sachets, bath salts and linen sprays will also be demonstrated – start planning your holiday gifts with this class!

Location: Browne Center

Registration Form (Fall II 2014)

Call to register: 616.632.2430

Name _______________________________________________________________________ Student #______________________ Address _____________________________________________ City________________________ State ______ Zip_____________ Home #_____________________________________________Cell #___________________________________________________ Email _______________________________________________ Emergency Contact ______________________________________ Sign me up for an OLLI at Aquinas Membership (2014 - 2015 academic year)

q Bronze $25 q Silver $60 q Gold $385

Please remember all OLLI members may select any and all Free Member Classes MONDAY Women and the White House q$63 (B) q$50 (S) q$76 (NM) Riches to Rags: Lessons to be learned from Detroit q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM) Pain and the Brain q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM)

Mr. Lincoln’s War: The Politics of Abolition

q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM)

Mysterious Deaths and Unexplained Anomalies q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM) Drama and the Courtroom q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM) Modalities of Complementary Medicine q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM)

TUESDAY Reconstruction: America’s Triumphant Tragedy q$63 (B) q$50 (S) q$76 (NM) Tuesday Night at the Movies q$58 (B) q$48 (S) q$6 (G) q$68 (NM) The Art of Zentangle® q$45 (B) q$40 (S) q$10 (G) q$52 (NM)

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

The Once and Future Book q$63 (B) q$50 (S) q$76 (NM)

Eastern and Western Ideology Differences q$63 (B) q$50 (S) q$76 (NM)

Valuing the Invaluable: The Economics of the Environment q$52 (B) q$42 (S) q$62 (NM)

The 2014 Elections q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM)

The Organization of the Mind q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM)

New Skies over Grand Rapids q$19 (B) q$15 (S) q$10 (G) q$24 (NM)

The Great American Songbook Seasonal Favorites! q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM)

Water Critical: Drought and Other Signs q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM)

Michigan’s US - 12 Heritage Trail Story q$16 (B) q$12 (S) q$21 (NM)

Palestinian Statehood q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM)

FRIDAY The Game Ever Green q$16 (B) q$12 (S) q$21 (NM) Managing the Great Lakes q$35 (B) q$30 (S) q$42 (NM)

How Does Your Garden Grow? q$16 (B) q$12 (S) q$21 (NM) End of the Indian Wars q$52 (B) q$42 (S) q$62 (NM) The Humor of Jean de La Fontaine – Part 2 q$16 (B) q$12 (S) q$21 (NM) The Tao of Abundance q$52 (B) q$42 (S) q$62 (NM) Roots of American Civilization ___ Nov. 20 – Ancient Greeks ___ Dec. 18 – Ancient Romans q$16 each (B) q$12 each (S) q$21 each (NM)

A Day in the Life of a College President q$16 (B) q$12 (S) q$21 (NM)

FREE MEMBER CLASSES Bits of Wisdom Picked Up Along the Way q Nov. 7 Collaborate in the Cloud! q Nov. 21 Herbal Holiday Gifts q Dec. 5

The Crisis in Ukraine q$16 (B) q$12 (S) q$21 (NM) Festivals of Light q$16 (B) q$12 (S) q$21 (NM) FREE MEMBER CLASS: Cry of Freedom q Nov. 6

q A check for $___________________ payable to OLLI at Aquinas College is enclosed. q Charge my credit card : q Mastercard/Visa q Discover q AMEX Number __ __ __ __

__ __ __ __

__ __ __ __

__ __ __ __

Amount $____________________

Exp. Date ___/___

Name (as it appears on the card)_________________________________________________________________ Billing address and zip code (required)____________________________________________________________ Please mail form with check or credit card information to: OLLI at Aquinas 1607 Robinson Road SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1799

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Aquinas College OLLI at Aquinas 1607 Robinson Road SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506-1799

Look for these exciting January 2015 classes:

My Favorite Movie Scenes with John Douglas Living Well Israeli Palestinian Dispute

Fall II 2014

Music of the 40s and 50s

Course Schedule

Travel to Alaska Presidential/Congressional Relations

MISSION STATEMENT

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Aquinas College is a community of adults joining together to achieve personal transformation of mind, body, and spirit through lifelong learning and community service.

Call to register: 616.632.2430

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Classes begin: October 27 Phone: 616.632.2430 Fax: 616.732.4480 aquinas.edu/olli

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