Fall 2023

The Fall 2023 Term of the Lifelong Learning Institute of OWU is scheduled from October 9 - November 17. It will feature 13 courses on topics including film appreciation; space exploration; the interplay between the Klais pipe organ and its music; raising your technology skills, select historical events; writing that poem, short story, or novel you have imagined; and topics in the news including the Intel project, immigration reform, Ohio's possible legalization of marijuana, pros and cons of buying an electric car, and much more! Morning, afternoon, and evening classes are offered.

There is something for every lifelong learner and gift certificates are available! (See tab to the right).

Courses are taught by volunteers, including professors, practitioners, and others in a noncompetitive environment, with each class meeting for approximately two hours. Join the community of lifelong learners 55 and older for the exciting classes presented below.

The term begins October 9 and ends November 17. Registration for the Fall 2023 Term opens August 28. 

Class Location: All class sessions will be held in the first-floor Benes Rooms of the Ohio Wesleyan Hamilton-Williams Campus Center except where noted in the individual class descriptions below. The campus map can be found here.  

Please note other highlighted class locations include:

• The Strand Theatre, 28 E. Winter St., Delaware
• Various locations on the OWU campus:
  • Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, located off Spring Street with campus parking behind the building or off Park Avenue. Parking is available in campus lots next to and behind the library, off Park Avenue, and other locations, highlighted here.
  • Gray Chapel, located inside University Hall, with campus parking off Sandusky Street or campus lots.
  • Mowry Alumni Center, located next door to Hamilton-Williams Campus Center with campus parking off Park Avenue or campus parking off Spring Street.
  • Corns Building, located at the corner of Sandusky Street and Park Avenue with campus parking off Park Avenue.
  • Parking is available in campus parking lots including next to and behind the library and other locations highlighted here.

Be sure to join our email list to be kept up-to-date on LLI happenings.

We look forward to seeing you this fall!

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Montgomery Clift: His Method and His Madness

Tracey Peyton, Managing Director, Strand Theatre

Mondays, 9 a.m.-noon (October 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20)

Class Location: This class will be held each week at The Strand Theatre, 28 E. Winter St.

One of Hollywood's first method actors, Montgomery Clift rose to film stardom a full 10 years before his contemporary Marlon Brando, although a more naturalistic performance style and less prolific resume prevented Clift from achieving the iconic status that many movie historians felt he rightfully deserved. In this class, we will examine his life, some of Clift's best and most well-known roles, and learn more about method acting. 

• Red River
  October 9
  
• The Heiress
  October 16
  
• Place in the Sun
  October 23
• I Confess
  October 30
  
• From Here to Eternity
  November 6
  
• Judgment at Nuremberg 
  November 13 (Note: This film runs 2 hours, 59 minutes, so the class will end at 1 p.m.)
• Suddenly Last Summer
  November 20
  BONUS WEEK!

Travel the World (or Closer to Home)

Mondays, 2-4 p.m. (October 16, 23, 30, November 6)

Class Location: This class will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, First Floor Benes Room.

• Small Ship ... Big Adventure with Deb Shatzer, retired Executive Director of the Delaware County Convention and Visitors Bureau
  October 16
  Experience a virtual small ship cruise. Is a small ship cruise right for you? What do you look for when planning a cruise -- adventure, relaxation, great food, fun excursions, wildlife viewing, cultural experiences, beautiful scenery, photography opportunities, warm weather, nature, etc. Discover where to find a variety of small ships, what they look like, their amenities, as well as itineraries and destinations.
• Genealogy and Travel: How Genealogy research inspired five trips to Norway and Sweden, meeting more than 100 relatives, and visiting churches, homes, and graves of dozens of ancestors with Bob Holm, retired OWU Vice President for University Relations and Co-chair of the OWU Lifelong Learning Institute Steering Committee.
  October 23
  The title says it all!
  
• The Temporary European: Notes from a Professional Traveler with Cameron Hewitt, travel writer for Rick Steves
  October 30
  Cameron Hewitt, OWU '98, travel writer, and Editorial/Content Director for Rick Steves' Europe, spends about 100 days each year traveling around Europe, writing guidebooks, making travel television, and guiding bus tours. He'll describe the life of a professional traveler and provide some updates and anecdotes about the state of European travel in our fast-changing times, when everything from the pandemic to the invasion of Ukraine to artificial intelligence is transforming the travel experience. 
  Note: This session will be held on Zoom.
• All Aboard Ohio: The Future of Passenger Rail Service in Ohio with Stu Nicholson, Executive Director, All Aboard Ohio 
  November 6
  Wouldn't you like to have the option of traveling by train to access your job, education, health care ... or something as basic as a ball game or an out-of-town concert? What's happening in Ohio to make that possible? Former broadcast journalist and All Aboard Executive Director Stu Nicholson will talk about Ohio's passenger train history and the latest efforts to revive and expand travel by rail in Ohio.
  

Universal Studios and their Magnificent Movie Monsters

James Cretella, Projectionist, Strand Theatre

Mondays, 6-8 p.m. (October 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13, 20)

Class Location: This class will be held each week at The Strand Theatre, 28 E. Winter St.

This series is an exploration into the movie studio that produced so many terrifying and enduring icons of horror and science fiction films over the years. An analysis of these classic monsters of film and why these horrific archetypes continue to resonate with audiences will also be explored.

• Phantom of the Opera (1925)
  October 9
• Dracula (1931)
  October 16
  
• Frankenstein (1931)
  October 23
  
• The Invisible Man (1933) 
  October 30
  
• The Wolf Man (1941) 
  November 6
  
• Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) 
  November 13
• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) 
  November 20
  BONUS WEEK!

LLI Potpourri

Explore an array of topics with distinguished professionals representing multiple disciplines as they share their expertise. 

Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-noon (October 10, 17, 24, 31, November 7 and 14)

Class Location: This class will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center First Floor Benes Room.

• Getting to know your right to counsel, with Carlos Crawford, Director of Delaware County Public Defender's Office
  October 10
  This class will explore the recent founding of the Delaware County Public Defender's Office and how it operates. Discussion also will focus on the basis for forming such an office and how it stems from the United States Constitution and the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.
• The Clinton Impeachment in Historical Perspective, with Dr. Michael Flamm, Professor of History, Ohio Wesleyan University
  October 17
  Twenty-five years ago, President Bill Clinton was impeached -- though not ultimately convicted -- as a result of his illicit relationship with White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Republicans charged he had committed perjury and obstruction of justice in an attempt to cover up the affair. Democrats contended it was a private matter that failed to warrant removal from office. In this multimedia presentation, Dr. Flamm will place this controversial episode in historical perspective and explore its lasting legacies.
• Cognition and Brain Health -- Preventing Mental Decline with Ashley Huber, Neuro Speech Therapist and Speech Coordinator, Ohio Health
  October 24
  This session will provide a general overview of the different components of cognition along with providing participants with suggestions for cognitive stimulation and emphasizing the importance of cognitive wellness as we age.
  Note: this one session will be on Zoom.
• Francis Beverly Kelley: Life with the Circus and Other Adventures, with Michael Hoffman, Delaware historian
  October 31
  Drawing from posters, photographs, and promotional materials from his memorabilia along with items from other resources, community historian Mike Hoffman will introduce you to F. Beverly Kelley. A longtime Delawarean, Mr. Kelley, was the publicity director for the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. Kelley, a 1928 graduate, was a published author, involved with multiple civic organizations both locally and nationwide. Among his many adventures, he was instrumental in rounding up three elephants from the John Robinson Circus and parading them through Delaware's northwest neighborhood area for a photo shoot. And there is so much more about this man that will entertain you.
• Viewing the 2024 Solar Eclipse, with Dr. Barbara Anderek, Professor Emerita of Physics & Astronomy
  November 7
  On Monday, April 8, 2024, people within a 124-mile-wide band in the state of Ohio will experience a total solar eclipse. The next such event in Ohio will be in the year 2099. So make your plans now to view next year's exciting solar event!
• Give Me Your Poor, Your Tired, Your Homeless (Some Restrictions May Apply): The United States Immigration Policy in the 21st Century, with Dr. Robert Gitter, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Ohio Wesleyan University
  November 14
  As one of today's most controversial issues, current U.S. immigration practices and policies along with ideas for effective reform will be explored. The multi-layered complex immigration system is a challenge for this country and many other nations. 

Wowza! Writers Circle

Dr. Victoria King Heinsen, Author and Middle School, Community College, and University Educator

Tuesdays, 2-4 p.m. (October 10, 17, 24, 31, November 7 and 14)

Class Location: This class will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, First Floor Benes Room.

Always wanted to write? Or wonder if you still have the Book Bug in you? Or the Sizzling Short Story or Perfect Poem? Maybe you just need to reach back for that confidence you used to have when you first scribbled away. Find the piece that lurks somewhere in a drawer, and bring it with you. Or just show up with curiosity and perhaps even an idea or so. Dr. Heinsen majored in English at OWU. Together with our class, we will review some of the basics of publishing, toss around some ideas, channel the Muse, and write a bit while we are at it. No need to read if you are shy, but have at it if you wish. We writers are a pretty supportive group. As we used to say in the '70s, "Write On!" 

In the News...

Tuesdays, 6-8 p.m. (October 10, 17, 24, November 7 and 14)

Class location UPDATE: This class location has been moved to a larger venue in the Schimmel Conrades Science Center Room 163 due to robust interest. 

• Recent Advances in Artificial Intelligence: ChatGPT and Other Large Language Models with Dr. Sean McCulloch, Professor of Mathematics, Ohio Wesleyan University
  October 10
  Artificial intelligence has been in the news a lot recently, especially focused on programs such as ChatGPT, which seem to be able to converse with humans on almost any subject. We will look at what these programs are, how they work, what they are good (and not so good) at, and what people are saying about the impacts they will have in the future. 
• Ohio's Legalization of Marijuana, with Van Young, historian, President of Griswold History Study Group, Worthington
  October 17
  This talk encompasses the proposed legalization of the recreational use of marijuana in the State of Ohio. Ohio has already passed the legalization of medical marijuana use, but as other states pass recreational use, should Ohio do the same? The talk covers the pros and cons of this decision based on the economic impact combined with the social consequences and benefits. An objective talk with lots of data to support both sides. How should you vote?
• Global Warming -- The Great Dilemma, with Van Young, historian, President of Griswold History Study Group, Worthington
  October 24
  Climate change, or global warming, is a timely and controversial topic filled with lots of opinions and controversy. Is it a crisis? Should we spend vast amounts of money addressing it? Will nature take care of itself, or is the problem so severe that dramatic and immediate actions need to take place? The talk defines and explains global warming and offers pros and cons on its impact and urgency. Lots of time for open discussion and commentary. 
• The Pros and Cons of Buying an Electric Car, with Van Young, historian, President of Griswold History Study Group, Worthington
  November 7
  A fair and objective presentation on all the decisions one must make before deciding to buy an electric vehicle. With many more "EVs" available, and with gas prices increasing, electric car sales are rising fast. Should you consider another gasoline-powered vehicle or is it time to buy electric or hybrid? Plenty of facts and open discussion as we discuss many of the pros and cons of EV ownership.
• Preparing for Continued Growth in Delaware County, with Monica Connors, Delaware County Economic Development Director
  November 14
  Delaware County has been one of the fastest-growing counties in the state for over a decade and the growth is not predicted to stop for quite some time. Large recent corporate announcements by companies like Intel and Honda bring new opportunities and challenges for Delaware County. The upcoming Delaware County Economic Development Strategic Plan takes a broad look at economic development and offers strategies to capitalize on the opportunities presented when new businesses locate in Central Ohio. Learn what is in store for Delaware County! 

The Pipe Organ and its Music

Dr. Joseph Musser, OWU Professor Emeritus of English and professional musician

Wednesdays, 10 a.m.-noon (October 11, 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15)

Class location: This class will meet each week in Gray Chapel in OWU University Hall.

This course will offer a historical survey of the wide range and variety of music written for the organ, demonstrated on the Klais pipe organ in the Gray Chapel concert hall at Ohio Wesleyan University. This organ, which has 4,644 pipes, is the largest of this German builder's organs in the country. The course does not assume or require any particular familiarity with the organ or its music.

Like all music, organ music has been influenced by the varying cultural expectations of different societies and nations -- the contexts and purposes for musical performances -- as well as by the available instruments, the works of composers, and the skills of performers. Those influences helped produce many different styles of organ music, which can be categorized (for example) by nation, period, genre, method, or composer.

In addition, perhaps more than for any other instrument, the range and variety of organ music also have been influenced by the physical qualities of the instrument -- by its fundamental nature, by technical developments that could be adapted for the organ, and by the mechanical capabilities and tonal designs developed and refined by prominent organ builders. The Klais organ in Gray Chapel will offer significant opportunities to consider the interplay between the instrument and its music.

Dr. Musser, a musician (organist for over 60 years, harpsichordist, composer, choral singer), will lead the audience in this unique experience, using the majestic Klais organ to explore music as well as the nature of the instrument. 

Raise Your Spirits

Wednesdays, 4:30-6:30 p.m. (October 11, 18, 25)

Class Location: Each class will be held at the respective winery or brewery. Enrollment is limited to 40 participants. Please note this class is now full.

Travel to three locations to tour and learn about their unique operations as well as sample their offerings. Locations include:

• October 11 – Nocterra Brewing Company, 41 Depot Street, Powell
• October 18 – Clo Wine Gallery and Lounge, 27 N. Sandusky Street, Delaware
• October 25 – Shamrock Vineyard, 111 County Road 25 (Rengert Road), Waldo

How Much Do You Know: Civil War Events

Van Young, historian, President of Griswold History Study Group, Worthington

Thursdays, 10 a.m.- noon (October 19, 26, November 2)

Class Location: This class will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, First Floor Benes Room.

• The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
  October 19
  April 14, 1865, Good Friday, was a shocking day in American history. It was the day John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Lincoln. This act was part of a larger conspiracy to take out the upper echelons of our government. The talk will take us hour by hour through that tragic day and cover many of the aspects of this three-pronged attack.
• The Hanging of Mary Surratt and the Lincoln Conspiracy Trial
  October 26
  On July 7, 1865, Mary Surratt was hanged alongside three others convicted of playing a part in the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Was Mary Elizabeth Jenkins Surratt an alleged collaborator in the plot to kill the country's 16th president? Or a victim of circumstances? In this presentation, we learn about the life of this convicted conspirator, her arrest, and her eventual trial. She was the first woman to be executed by the U.S. federal government. Was it justified or a travesty of justice?
• The Sultana -- A Great American Disaster
  November 2
  The explosion of the Civil War steamship, the SS Sultana, was the greatest loss of life disaster on American soil up to the attacks of 9/11. Filled with just released northern prisoners of war, over 1,700 people will die from the explosion, either by drowning or burning to death, on the early morning of April 27, 1865. The talk presents what controversial events happened to the Sultana and why so many people have never heard of this historic event.

My Life As A...

Thursdays, 2-4 p.m. (October 12, 19, 26, November 2, 9)

Class Location: This class will be held each week on Zoom.

What career path did you choose? How did you choose such a path? Hear the interesting career choices and paths followed by a number of distinguished OWU alumni in such diverse fields as science, the arts, technology, novelist, and journalism. All are fascinating journeys.

• My Life inside NASA Mission Control with James Oberg, OWU '66
  October 12
  James Oberg dedicated his career to the science of space, serving in the U.S. Air Force and working for more than 20 years as a NASA engineer. He earned NASA's Sustained Superior Performance Award in 1997 for his design of the first space station assembly mission. He also is an accomplished journalist, having written more than 1,000 magazine and newspaper articles and having worked as a correspondent and consultant for UPI, ABC, NBC, and MSNBC. PBS created a documentary series based on his book "Red Star in Orbit," which details the history of the Soviet space program. He also has written books on the Soviet and Chinese space programs as well as fantasy space travel. He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and became the first foreign member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics in 1993. Jim is fluent in English, French, and Russian and has testified before Congress many times.
• My Life in the World of American Art and Antiques Roadshow Expert with Debra Force, OWU '75
  October 19
  Debra Force is a specialist in American paintings, drawings, prints, and sculptures of the 18th through 20th centuries. Ms. Force has worked in numerous leadership capacities in the art field, including serving as director of CIGNA (formerly INA) Museum and Art Collection; senior vice president and head of the American Paintings Department at Christie's in New York; director of American Art at Hirschl & Adler Galleries, Inc.; and director of Beacon Hill Fine Art in New York. In 1999, Ms. Force formed Debra Force Fine Art, Inc., which offers American art and provides appraisal and consulting services related to areas of American art. She lectures frequently about American art, collecting, and the art market throughout the United States and can frequently be seen on Antiques Roadshow.
• My Life in High Tech from OWU 'til Today with George Conrades, OWU '61
  October 26
  Conrades is the former CEO and chairman of Massachusetts-based Akamai Technologies, Inc., which helps enterprises provide their customers with secure, high-performing cloud connections on any device, anywhere. His career also includes serving as CEO at Bolt, Beranek & Newman, whose engineers helped to create Arpanet in the 1960s, the forerunner of today's internet; and at IBM as the head of IBM United States, for which he led the creation of IBM services, and established IBM's Asia/Pacific headquarters in Tokyo. Conrades is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has served on the boards of directors for Oracle, Harley-Davidson, and Ironwood Pharmaceuticals.
• My Life as a Novelist with Richard North Patterson, OWU '68
  November 2
  A novelist, lawyer, and advocate, Richard North Patterson received his law degree from Case Western Reserve University and went on to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the State of Ohio and as a liaison for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to the Watergate Special Prosecutor. His first novel, "The Lasko Tangent," drafted as part of a creative writing course, won the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allen Poe Award for best first novel in 1979 and launched his writing career. Since then, he's written a total of 15 novels, including 11 consecutive international bestselling novels and numerous awards including the Grand Prix de Literature Policiere, the most prestigious award for crime and detective fiction in France, for his novel "Degree of Guilt"; the Maggie Award for Planned Parenthood in recognition of his treatment of reproductive rights in "Protect and Defend"; and was nominated for South Africa's highest literacy award in 2007 for his novel "Exile," which deals with the Israeli Palestinian conflict. His most recent novel is "Fall From Grace."
• My Life as a Journalist and Newspaper Editor with Greg Moore, OWU '76
  November 9
  During his 14-year tenure as Editor of The Denver Post, Greg Moore led the newspaper to four consecutive Pulitzer Prizes. Before joining the Post, Greg honed his journalism skills at The Boston Globe, The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer, and The (Dayton) Journal Herald. He is the 2015 recipient of the national Benjamin C. Bradlee Editor of the Year Award, one of the Founding Members of the Cleveland chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists, and has served his profession as a Board Member of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and as Co-Chair of the Pulitzer Prize Board.

Space Exploration

Thursdays, 7-9 p.m. (October 12*, 19, 26, November 2, 9)

*Please note the October 12 class with retired NASA scientist James Oberg is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. on Zoom, in conjunction with the "My Life As A..." class. The remaining Space Exploration classes are from 7-9 p.m. and are in-person.

Class Location: Zoom on October 12 only. All other classes will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center First Floor Benes Room.

• My Life inside NASA Mission Control with James Oberg, OWU '66, former NASA Space Engineer
  October 12 (NOTE: this class will be held via Zoom from 2-4 p.m.)
  James Oberg dedicated his career to the science of space, serving in the U.S. Air Force and working for more than 20 years as a NASA engineer. He earned NASA's Sustained Superior Performance Award in 1997 for his design of the first space station assembly mission. He also is an accomplished journalist, having written more than 1,000 magazine and newspaper articles and having worked as a correspondent and consultant for UPI, ABC, NBC, and MSNBC. PBS created a documentary series based on his book "Red Star in Orbit," which details the history of the Soviet space program. He also has written books on the Soviet and Chinese space programs as well as fantasy space travel. He is a Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and became the first foreign member of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics in 1993. Jim is fluent in English, French, and Russian and has testified before Congress many times.
• Cosmology with Dr. Robert Harmon, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio Wesleyan University
  October 19 and 26
  Cosmology is the scientific study of the history of the universe. As such, it touches upon fundamental questions that humans have pondered since the dawn of civilization. Did the universe have a beginning? Will it end? What is our place in the universe? Humanity has been able to approach the study of the universe as a whole from a rigorous scientific perspective for only a little more than a century, starting with Einstein's formulation of general relativity, the modern theory of gravity. Observations of distant supernovae and of patterns in the cosmic microwave background radiation that pervades the universe have revolutionized cosmology over the last 25 years. In these two sessions, we will begin to explore these exciting developments along with earlier work that provided the foundation for our modern scientific understanding of the origin and development of the universe.
• The Apollo Program with Dr. Robert Harmon, Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Ohio Wesleyan University
  November 2
  On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth, challenging the perceived world leadership of the United States in science and technology. This began the Space Race, an offshoot of the Cold War competition between the two superpowers to win the hearts and minds of the world's people by demonstrating the superiority of the communist or capitalist systems as the best way forward for humanity. The U.S. is generally considered to have won the Space Race when on July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission, fulfilling a promise made by President John F. Kennedy eight years earlier. In this session, we will look behind the scenes of NASA's achievement, highlighting some of the remarkable people who made it possible, and discuss the lasting impact of the Apollo Program on technological progress and modern society.
• Rooting for Answers: Research with the International Space Station with Dr. Chris Wolverton, Professor of Biological Sciences, Ohio Wesleyan University, and co-chair of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine's panel on Biological Sciences in Space
  November 9
  Recipient of two NASA grants, Dr. Wolverton will share his exciting research that has included sending plant seedlings to the International Space Station. Growing plants in microgravity is helping to determine protocols for use in space but also to aid in plant yield on earth. Learn what is next for the work with NASA and collaborating institutions.

Raising Your Tech-Savvy

David Soliday, Instructional Technologist, Ohio Wesleyan University

Fridays, 10 a.m.-noon (October 13, 20, 27, November 3, 10, and 17)

Class location: This class will meet each week at the Corns Building Room 303, at the corner of Sandusky Street and Park Avenue. Enrollment is limited to 35 participants. Please note this class is now full.

Learn from David Soliday, OWU's staff member who teaches the faculty and staff how to use technology. Get an overview of exciting new developments, such as generative AI - artificial intelligence - and wearable gadgets, plus highlights of concerns and debates about them. More practically, learn how to keep your personal information private and avoid scams. Find out what apps are trending and why. Get tips on how to use Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and What's App, among others. These sessions will be highly interactive, with some presentation and ample time for discussion.

Aging Mastery

Allison Chakroff, Community Education Coordinator, SourcePoint

Fridays, 2-4 p.m.(October 13, 20, 27, November 3 and 10)

Class location: This class will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center First Floor Benes Room. 

The Aging Mastery Program combines evidence-informed knowledge-sharing with goal-setting and feedback routines, daily practices, peer support, and small rewards. Participants gain the skills and tools they need to manage their health, remain economically secure, and contribute actively in society. The goal of the 10 core topics is to provide participants with an overview of the challenges encountered while navigating longer lives and offer support to master new skills. Two of the top ten core topics listed below will be covered in each class.

• Navigating Longer Lives: The Basics of Aging Mastery
• Exercise and You
• Sleep
• Healthy Eating and Hydration
• Financial Fitness
• Advance Planning
• Healthy Relationships
• Medication Management
• Community Engagement
• Falls Prevention