Curriculum
WEDNESDAYS
9:00–10:30am THE PROGRESSIVE MOVEMENT
The Progressive Movement developed during a time when the United States was becoming an increasingly urbanized and industrialized nation. At the turn of the century, the country was divided by extremes of want and wealth. On one hand, abject poverty, overcrowding, lack of adequate housing, and political corruption were rampant in America’s burgeoning urban centers. On the other hand, big business owners (Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, etc.) controlled vast stores of wealth. There was an ever widening gap between the rich and the poor. As a result, many Americans called for a balance among business, consumers, and labor. The Progressives campaigned to strike down big business while promoting honest government, social awareness, economic regulation, and economic and social justice. We will study the origin of this movement, its development and propagation within the Presidencies of Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson, and maybe its march into the 21st century.
WENDELL MUSSER, MD, is a retired academic physician who held faculty positions at Indiana, Duke, George Washington and Emory Universities and the University of Kentucky. He is a longtime book collector, primarily of books about Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt and feels that a day away from OLLI is a day away from happiness.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 9:00–10:30am, The Bishop’s House. Maximum: 35. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1148
9:00–10:30am TRAIN YOUR BRAIN TO REDUCE BACK PAIN: Self Care for Your Back the Feldenkrais Way
Back discomfort? Back pain that interferes with your daily activities? This class will teach movement strategies from The Feldenkrais Method of Movement Re-education and the Change Your Age program that will bring back pain relief. Some people call The Feldenkrais Method “the owner’s manual for the human body.” In this class, consider it to be “the owner’s manual for the human spine.” Discover how to harness the plasticity of your neurological system to improve the effectiveness with which your brain coordinates your spinal movement. We’ll explore some basic spinal anatomy to guide your explorations. As your unconscious and limiting spinal movement habits begin to shift to more healthy movement habits, you will move back into action in your daily life with greater ease and comfort than you have felt in a long time.
KAREN DOLD, a guild-certified Feldenkrais practitioner and well-loved teacher, has been teaching Awareness through Movement classes at OLLI since 2006 and throughout the Triangle since 2000. At her offices in Chapel Hill and Cary, she teaches her clients how to move from pain and restriction to ease and agility.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 9:00–10:30am, Judea Reform Education Building. Maximum: 25. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1149
10:00am–12:00pm or 3:00–5:00pm TREES OF THE DUKE CAMPUS: Part II
Join Riverdave Owen as we explore four additional wooded sections of Duke Campus that were not covered in the Spring 2012 term. Our goal will be to become familiar with several dozen of our native Piedmont trees. Course outline, meeting points, and a tree checklist are located at the Tree Camp section at www.theborderlife.com.
Recommended text:
- Stan Tekiela, Trees of the Carolinas Field Guide (ISBN 978-1591931997), Adventure Publications, 2007, $9.86.
RIVERDAVE OWEN is a Durham native, naturalist, and community herbalist with decades of experience in nature guiding, both locally and internationally.
4 Wednesdays, May 1–22 (please note dates; see below for times), Duke University Campus. Maximum: 15. Fee: $45.
Please note: There are two sections of this course open for enrollment. When registering online, enter the four-digit Course ID (1184) into the course search. You will then need to choose between the following sections. If registering by paper, write the preferred section on the line.
Section 1: 10:00am–12:00pm, Course ID: 1184-001
Section 2: 3:00–5:00pm, Course ID: 1184-002
11:00am–12:30pm MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND GANDHI: Life and Philosophy
Gandhi (1869-1948), known as Mahatma (Great Soul) and Bapu (father) of modern India, is one of the best known 20th-century personalities. His use of active nonviolence and respectful noncooperation was instrumental in Indian independence, and has inspired many others, including Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Innumerable scholarly and popular works are available about Gandhi; in this seminar, we will read one book supplemented by additional readings to briefly survey Gandhi’s biography as it shaped his philosophy. Topics include Gandhi’s evolution toward notions of ahimsa (nonviolence) to affect social change; understanding and respect of religions; interpretation of traditional Indian and contemporary Western philosophies; leadership in the South African civil rights and Indian freedom movements; efforts against poverty, illiteracy, and mistreatment of women, while reconciling modernity with ancient wisdom; and timelessness as well as criticisms of his legacy.
Required text:
- Stanley Wolpert, Gandhi’s Passion: The Life and Legacy of Mahatma Gandhi (ISBN 978-0195156348), Oxford University Press, 2002, $21.95.
DILIP BARMAN is a long-time OLLI instructor who has taught at numerous schools. He is a professional photographer.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 11:00am–12:30pm, The Bishop’s House. Maximum: 15. Fee: $45. Course ID: 0619
11:00am–12:30pm WRITING FROM THE READER’S PERSPECTIVE: A New Way to View, Analyze, and Control the English Language
This is not a course in writing; it is a course about writing. You will not write anything for the instructor but instead will learn a new way of approaching the language that he has been using since 1980 to train professionals in all fields across this country and around the world. It looks at language from the perspective of the reader, explaining how readers go about the interpretive process. The new news is this: Readers take about 85 percent of their clues for interpretation not from word choice nor from word meanings, but rather from structural location. Where a word appears in a sentence will control most of the use to which it will be put by most readers. We all know these things intuitively as readers; the instructor will try to make them conscious in you as writers. And it’s great fun, as well.
Please note: There will be a materials fee of $10 to cover the cost of a course pack. Please bring exact change the first day of class. Refunds are at the discretion of the instructor.
GEORGE D. GOPEN, a veteran of years of courses at OLLI, is Professor Emeritus of the Practice of Rhetoric at Duke. The new approach to writing taught in this course has been adopted by the Canadian federal government for the drafting of all its legislation.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 11:00am–12:30pm, The Bishop’s House. Maximum: 20. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1153
11:00am–12:30pm NEW YORK STORIES: Slices of the Big Apple
New York City, the metropolis of our nation, has entered the psyche of America in dozens of ways, some exciting, some disreputable, some mysterious. Our course initially proposes to examine Times Square and the theater, the saga of the World Trade Center, the NYPD (cops and robbers), city architecture, food and the city, and neighborhoods and boroughs. Topics can be adjusted to meet the interests and concerns of participants.
Professor emeritus of history at City University of New York, GEORGE LANKEVICH has written and edited over thirty books of history and teaches several OLLI courses.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 11:00am–12:30pm, Galloway Ridge Retirement Community, 3000 Galloway Ridge Rd, Pittsboro. Maximum: 30. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1175
11:00am–12:30pm A TASTE OF RUSSIAN OPERA
Enjoy the music, pageantry, and politics of Russian opera through a sampling of 18th- to 20th-century operas and recitals by famous opera singers. Glinka’s A Life for the Tsar and Ruslan and Ludmila; Mussourgsky’s Boris Godunov; Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Pique Dame; Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride, Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, and The Golden Cockerel; Stravinsky’s Mavra and The Rake’s Progress; and Prokofiev’s War and Peace will be our focus. We’ll hear bass Feodor Chaliapin, baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, soprano Anna Netrebko, and a local musician who specializes in Russian opera.
MARGIE SATINSKY has been an opera devotee since 1976. She’s attended more than 100 operas at the Metropolitan Opera and in Europe and has also traveled to Russia. As the owner of Satinsky Consulting, LLC, and a yoga teacher in Durham, she is an experienced teacher and presenter.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 11:00am–12:30pm, Judea Reform Education Building. Maximum: 30. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1151
11:00am–12:30pm THE WORLD TODAY
This course is for those who are interested in current events. Each week we discuss news from the United States, the world, and the Triangle. We begin each class with a list of proposed topics and discuss those of interest to the group. Class members also offer topics for discussion.
Active participation by class members is encouraged (but not mandatory), as it expands our mutual understanding of the many events that might affect us. Discussions are enriched by the variety of backgrounds, expertise, and viewpoints of class members. Topics are discussed knowledgeably, respectfully, and sometimes with passion, but we always end with humor, looking forward to the next class.
We offer two sections of this class. The discussion leaders will rotate between the two sections. Each has participated in “The World Today” discussions many times, each brings a distinctive style and background to the class, and most important, each will elicit a wide spectrum of views from class members.
HENRY BLINDER is an attorney and served in several different positions as a legal counsel to local government and state agencies. He was the city attorney for the City of Durham for many years prior to his retirement in 2008 and has lived in Durham for more than thirty years.
RICHARD ELLMAN is a CPA, having spent most of his career as chief financial officer of various companies. He and his wife, Sioux, retired to Durham in 2006.
TOM HAUCK grew up overseas and then worked for Texaco, managing petroleum marketing companies in West Africa and Central and South America, ending his career in Nigeria.
DOUG LONGMAN has taught several classes at OLLI on international political economy, public policy, and economics. He has a doctorate in business administration and has taught previously at the University of Chicago, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, and the University of Texas.
BOB LYNCH has taught and counseled students from the 7th grade to university level during a forty-four-year career in education. With two master’s degrees (Antioch College in social studies and NYU in counseling), he has spent the bulk of his career as a high school counselor.
JIM MARKSBURY was a member of the faculty at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts for thirty-three years. He has been both a participant and discussion leader in “The World Today” since joining OLLI in 2002.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 11:00am–12:30pm, Judea Reform Education Building. Maximum: 30 in each section. Fee: $45.
Please note: There are two sections of this course open for enrollment. When registering online, enter the four-digit Course ID (0393) into the course search. You will then need to choose between the following sections. If registering by paper, write the preferred section on the line.
Section 1: Course ID: 0393-019
Section 2: Course ID: 0393-020
11:00am–12:30pm WOMEN ON WEIGHTS PLUS: Resistance Training and Aerobic Activity
The benefits of strength training for bone health and slowing muscle loss associated with aging continue to be documented through research. This popular class is now adding an aerobic component. The first 30 minutes will consist of moderate, low-impact aerobic activity performed with music. After a quick water break, we will move into traditional strength training exercises modified to meet your level of fitness. Enjoy the support of a group of amazing women while you exercise under the watchful eye of a certified personal trainer. Stretching and balance training exercises are an integral part of this program that will contribute to improved posture and energy. Basic equipment used includes dumbbells and resistance tubes. Yoga mats are provided or bring your own. It’s always recommended to check with your doctor before engaging in a new exercise program.
Please note: Students are encouraged to purchase resistance tubes or bands, which come in a variety of levels (est. $10–$15). More information will provided at the first class.
JULIA ROSE is a certified personal trainer with the American Council on Exercise (ACE). She leads exercise classes in a variety of settings and has been helping active older adults get stronger at OLLI since 2006.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 11:00am–12:30pm, Judea Reform Education Building. Maximum: 18. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1152
1:30–3:00pm THE WISDOM OF DREAMS: Learn to Interpret Your Dreams
Dreams are an integral part of spiritual awakening, and they are a natural way of knowing God and our true nature. We receive dream guidance on every aspect of our being and nothing of significance ever happens to us unless it is first previewed in our dreams. So claimed Edgar Cayce, an American mystic of the 20th century, who was referred to as the “sleeping prophet.”
This course is based on Cayce’s method of dream interpretation, and the instructor will share his own dreams, those interpreted by Cayce, as well as biblical dreams. In this course, you will establish a foundation for dream work, recognize the fourteen purposes of dreams, learn interpretation skills, analyze dream imagery and symbols, identify varieties of dreams, enhance recall strategies, make sense out of “bizarre” dreams, and practice interpreting your dreams in a facilitated dream group.
Required text:
- Jerry Lazarus, Dreams: Listening to the Voice of God; Our Dreaming Mind (ISBN: 978-0982755808), $17.12. The instructor will bring the book for you to purchase in the first class. Please bring exact change.
JERRY LAZARUS, MA, is a spiritual counselor, author, and speaker. He is the dream columnist for Venture Inward magazine and the author of Dreams: Listening to the Voice of God (released Spring 2011). He conducts workshops and retreats throughout the United States.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 1:30–3:00pm, The Bishop’s House. Maximum: 18. Fee: $45. Course ID: 0760
1:30–3:00pm IRISH SHORT FICTION WRITERS: John McGahern and Mary Lavin
Two of the most influential literary writers of the 20th century who best portray contemporary Ireland are John McGahern and American-born Mary Lavin. Although their works may be lesser known than those of William Trevor and James Joyce, both writers rank as important voices in capturing the isolated lives and enclosed worlds of rural Ireland. Giving voice to such central themes as disillusionment, death and betrayal, McGahern and Lavin bring into focus inevitable social changes in Ireland that come to redefine their characters and the Irish landscape. In class we will discuss McGahern’s novel and Lavin’s stories. Students should have McGahern’s book read before the first class session.
Required texts:
- John McGahern, The Collected Stones (ISBN 978-0679744016), Vintage, 1994, $12.98.
- Mary Lavin, Selected Stories (ISBN 0140056025), Penguin, 1984, $55.77. Copies are available online at a substantially reduced rate.
ANN EVANGELISTO taught high school and college English in Pennsylvania and North Carolina.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 1:30–3:00pm, The Bishop’s House. Maximum: 15. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1118
1:30–4:00pm MORE CONTEMPORARY LATIN AMERICAN CINEMA: The New Wave
This class continues to explore significant films from Latin America since 2000, a notable period of global recognition for the region’s cinema, including the Latin American New Wave, or Vanguard. We will examine six films (not included in the Fall course), their social context and production conditions, and the critical national and transnational issues they illuminate.
A specialist in Latin American Studies, KATHLEEN MORRISON earned a PhD from UCLA in comparative and international education. She taught at UCLA and Stanford for over twenty-five years and in 2000 earned the Walter Gores Prize, Stanford’s highest teaching award. After moving to Durham in 2008, she cofounded KiZNotes, a local nonprofit that transforms the lives of at-risk children through a classical, orchestral music program, based on Venezuela’s renowned El Sistema.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 1:30–4:00pm (please note times), Judea Reform Education Building. Maximum: 25. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1160
1:30–3:00pm INSIDE THE WORLD OF SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS
Have you ever wondered how a symphony orchestra operates? Why did they program “that piece”? How much do guest artists make? How do you get into a major orchestra? How much are musicians paid? What do the music directors actually do, and are they really necessary? All these and many more “behind the scenes” questions will be answered as we look “inside the world of symphony orchestras.”
RICHARD HOFFERT is a retired arts administrator. He was the CEO and president of the North Carolina and Indianapolis Symphonies as well as vice president of development and marketing for the St. Louis Symphony.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 1:30–3:00pm, Judea Reform Education Building. Maximum: 30. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1154
1:30–3:00pm A CULTURAL & HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE OF ANTIQUES & DECORATIVE ARTS AS VIEWED THROUGH AN AUCTION GALLERY: History, Appreciation, and Value
Lecture topics in this course will include the evolution and design of midcentury furniture, the literacy and culture of schoolgirl needlework, the periods and design of jewelry, the artist and research, silver through the ages, and the artistic expression of Southern furniture.
Each of the presenters, LELAND LITTLE, PAM BRIGGS, NANCY BLOUNT, CLAIRE FRASER, and LUKE NEWBOLD, is a specialist from the Leland Little Auctions and Estate Gallery in Hillsborough, North Carolina, in their respective fields of midcentury furniture, textiles, jewelry, fine art, silver, and Southern furniture, with extensive experience in research and cataloguing of the items as they come to auction.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 1:30–3:00pm, Judea Reform Education Building. Maximum: 30. Fee: $45. Course ID: 1161
3:15-4:45pm WINE EDUCATION
In this course, grape varieties prevalent in wine production will be introduced, wine regions around the world will be identified, and distinctions between grape varieties and wine-making differences within the same grape variety will be explained. You will be able to physically identify the differences through the tasting of the wines.
Please note: There will be a one-time nonrefundable charge of $10 per student to pay for the cost of the wines. Please bring exact change to the first class.
DICK ISABEL is a lifelong wine buff who is wine manager at The Fresh Market in Chapel Hill.
GEORGE HITLER, a graduate of Northwestern University, is a forty-year veteran of the tire industry, retiring from Michelin North America as director of private and associated brand sales. He and his wife moved to Chapel Hill ten years ago and have enjoyed many OLLI courses.
4 Wednesdays, April 24–May 15 (please note dates), 3:15-4:45pm, The Bishop’s House. Maximum: 25. Fee: $35. Course ID: 0923
3:15-4:45pm YOGA FOR BEGINNERS
In this course we will practice basic breathing techniques. Learn basic yoga poses (asanas) that will prepare you for more advanced classes. You will also engage in brief meditation sessions. Pillows, blankets, straps, blocks, and other props are welcomed.
CYNTHIA FEREBEE is a retired public school teacher and a retired YMCA and American Council of Exercise (ACE) certified fitness leader and currently teaches “Yoga for Beginners” at the Durham Center for Senior Life.
6 Wednesdays, April 17–May 22, 3:15–4:45pm, Judea Reform Education Building. Maximum: 15. Fee: $45. Course ID: 0928
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