Session A: Charlottesville | Valley ............ Session B: Charlottesville | Valley
A11: Is High Speed Rail a Train to Nowhere?
Theo Giras 3 units
Sep. 26, Oct. 3, 10 Mon. 9-10:30 a.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
· NEW ·
The high-speed-rail infrastructure seminar presents the technology, economics and social impacts required to implement a high-speed-rail infrastructure that works in harmony with all the other transportation systems. European technology, and its supporting infrastructure, is presented as the implementation technology of choice because no American technology has been developed. The economic alternatives, such as driving, parking and air-traffic congestion, along with air quality, are discussed. Finally, the social impact of a national high-speed-rail infrastructure, as it affects lifestyle choices, is discussed. The goal of the seminar is to provide an understanding of the national high-speed-rail infrastructure choices debate taking place in the public square of voter opinion.
Theo Giras is a retired UVa professor of electrical engineering and director of the UVa Center for Safety-Critical Rail Excellence. He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University (Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering). Before joining UVa, Ted was the chief technology officer of Ansaldo Transporti of Italy. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, holds numerous patents and has authored many publications.
Suggested Reading: Strohl, Mitchell P. Europe’s High Speed Trains: A Study in Geo-Economics, 1993. Lynch, Thomas, ed. High Speed Rail in the U.S.: Super Trains for the Millennium, 1998.
A12: While You Were Sleeping: What Actually Happens during Anesthesia
Robert F. Bedford, M.D. 3 units
Oct. 3, 10, 17 Mon. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
· NEW ·
Session 1: History of general anesthesia from the publication of its discovery for surgery in 1847 to contemporary anesthetic practice. Why a patient “needs” properly administered anesthesia.
Session 2: How anesthetic agents (both general and local) work on various components of the nervous system. How anesthetic agents interact with other medical conditions and how these conditions make anesthetic care more risky.
Session 3: How anesthesiologists interact with other medical specialists and nurses to develop an optimal patient care team, be it in the operating room, the pain clinic or the intensive care unit.
Dr. Bedford was educated at Princeton, Cornell Medical College and the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Anesthesiology. He is a retired professor at UVa and taught this specialty to undergraduates, medical students, residents and faculty for over 40 years. His only previous experience teaching nonmedical people has been cocktail and dinner-party conversation.
Suggested Reading: Dr. Bedford will supply PDFs of relevant articles from the medical literature and send them to attendees.
A13: Critical Thinking for Fun and Profit
Ken Lewis 3 units
Sep. 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17 Mon. 12:30-2 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
· NEW ·
We are bombarded daily with information, ideas, demands, requests, and other attempts to sway our thinking. Some of this is rational and reliable and some of this is suspect, untrustworthy or just plain meaningless. Many times we nod our heads, accept, and march on, where, if we used critical thinking skills, we could sort the baloney from the real. We will give you techniques to detect when we are being taken in and fooled and when the ideas are real and possible. We will examine:
Issues and conclusions; Arguments; Ambiguities; Values and value conflicts and assumptions; Descriptive assumptions; Beliefs, opinions, views, convictions, prejudices; Fallacies; Persuasion.
This course is a lighthearted look at the craziness you face and provides tools for your defense.
G. Kenneth Lewis, Jr., has a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Wisconsin and an M.S. and Ph.D. in material science/solid state physics from the University of Illinois. He spent 32 years in basic and applied research for E.I. DuPont de Nemours & Co. in such diverse fields as explosives and synthetic fibers. After retiring from DuPont, he taught for 11 years at James Madison University in the College of Integrated Science and Technology, teaching materials science, statistics, critical thinking, fibers science, and other aspects relating to our world.
A14: Hitler’s Empire
John Watterson 6 units
Sep. 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17 Mon. 1:30-3 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
· NEW ·
In this course John Watterson will be the moderator of a six-session course by The Teaching Company, A History of Hitler’s Empire, presented on DVD by Professor Thomas Childers of the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Childers earned his Ph.D. at Harvard. He has received many teaching awards including the Richard S. Dunn Award for distinguished teaching in history. He is an author and editor of several books on modern German history and World War II.
John S. Watterson received his B.A. in history from the University of Virginia, his M.A. from Case Western Reserve University, and his Ph.D. from Northwestern University. He has written College Football: History, Spectacle, Controversy and Games Presidents Play: Sports and the Presidency (both published by Johns Hopkins University Press). He was an associate professor at the University of South Dakota and taught for the University of Maryland in its overseas programs. More recently he has taught “History of American Sports” at James Madison University; he lives in Charlottesville. He has developed and taught several courses for the OLLI program.
A15: Criminal Justice in Virginia
Denise Y. Lunsford 3 units
Sep. 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17 Mon. 3-4:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 75
· NEW ·
This course is designed to give participants a better understanding of and appreciation for the realities of the operation of Virginia’s criminal process. Participants will gain a better understanding of the ins and outs of the criminal justice system in Virginia through use of the novel The Legal Limit, along with criminal cases from Albemarle County and the City of Charlottesville. The course is primarily designed as a discussion of how criminal matters progress from the investigation of an offense through trial, sentencing and appeal.
Denise Lunsford is Commonwealth’s Attorney for Albemarle County. In 1990 Denise came to Charlottesville to practice commercial litigation but soon developed an interest in criminal defense. She opened her own practice in 1996 and primarily worked with people facing serious felony charges. She received her J.D. from Washington and Lee University.
Suggested Reading: Clark, Martin. The Legal Limit, 2009.
A16: Europe, 1870-1914
Ellen L. Evans 6 units
Sep. 13, 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18 Tue. 10-11:30 a.m.
Westminster Canterbury Limit: 50
· NEW ·
This period was in many ways a golden age of artistic, literary and scientific achievement; yet these same years saw a rising tide of nationalism and radicalism, leading inexorably to the catastrophe of World War I. The course will cover events in the six major powers of Germany, France, Italy, Britain, Russia and Austria-Hungary, with a final emphasis on the immediate causes of war in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
Dr. Evans received her Ph.D. from Columbia University in 1956 (modern European history). She was on the faculty of Georgia State University in Atlanta for 35 years, retiring in 1997.
Suggested Reading: Follow-ups will be provided in the class.
A17: Sand and Imagination: The Art of Glassmaking from Mesopotamia to Contemporary Glass
Thomas C. MacAvoy 6 units
Sep. 13, 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18 Tue. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
Week 1. Introduction. Film: Glass into Dreams. The First 2000 Years: Glassmaking in the Fertile Crescent.
Week 2. A Golden Age of Glassmaking: The Roman Empire, Byzantium and Islam. Film: The Glassmakers of Harat.
Week 3. Stained Glass, Venice and the Maturity of Glassmaking in Europe and America. Film: Venetian Dragon Stem Goblet.
Week 4. Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Studio Glass: The Artist Steps Back In. Film: Dale Chihuly at Pilchuck.
Week 5. The Emergence of Glass as Art. Film: Techniques for Glass Making.
Week 6. Field Trip: Visit to a local collection of contemporary glass.
Thomas C. MacAvoy is the Paul M. Hammaker Professor of Business Administration, Emeritus, at the Darden School of Business, UVa. He retired as vice chairman of Corning Incorporated in 1987 and served on the Darden faculty from 1988 to 1998. His specialties are the management of innovation and technology and the management of strategic alliances. Starting as a research scientist at Corning in 1957, he moved into operations in 1966, became president and director in 1971, and vice chairman in 1983. Among the many boards on which he has served, he is a trustee emeritus of the Corning Museum of Glass.
Suggested Reading: Zerwick, Chloe. A Short History of Glass, 1980.
A18: World War II, 1941-1945: Bomber Pilot Training and Operations, POW Life and Escape Activities
Gordon D. Nicoll 3 units
Oct. 4, 11, 18 Tue. 1-2:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
· NEW ·
If you like anecdotal, well-told stories that are at once funny and sobering, you have to:
Session 1. Hear Gordon talk about his experience joining the Royal Canadian Air Force, becoming a pilot, and bomber training in Canada and England.
Session 2. Get to know Gordon’s crew and hear about the near misses of flying night bombing operations with the Pathfinders, ending in the harrowing description of being shot down, escaping a burning plane, and being captured and interrogated.
Session 3. Be told about the POW experience, highlighted by “The Great Escape” and the digging of the tunnels made famous by the movie, and ending with liberation by the Russians.
Gordon Nicoll joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in World War II, becoming a bomber pilot. He was shot down over Germany, was captured and made a prisoner of war. He participated in the prisoner escape made famous by the movie The Great Escape.
Suggested Viewing: The movie The Great Escape.
A19: Why the Success of Japanese Companies? An Inside Look
Bob Miesionczek 3 units
Sep. 20, 27, Oct. 4, 11, 18 Tue. 1:30-3:00 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
· NEW ·
The success of Japanese companies is among the most enigmatic business stories of the past 50 years. We will explore the reasons for this success through the history and practices of the two most respected companies in the Japanese business community—Toyota Motor and Matsushita/ Panasonic. Central to this success was the business philosophies of the founders, Kiichiro Toyoda and Konosuke Matsushita, and we will examine these in depth. In addition, we will address: What particular cultural and historical distinctions nurtured this success? What role was played by the post-World War II American occupation in aiding this success? How do these companies compare to the Ford, GE and IBM of the postwar era? How do these companies operate differently today? Included in this course will be discussion of well-known (Kaizen, Just-in-Time, Kanban) and not-so-well-known (Genba/Genbutsu, Nemawashi, Shokuno Hoshin) business practices. Ultimately the class will address the question: Was it culture or circumstance that led to success, a combination of these two forces, or something else? Audience interaction and contribution is greatly encouraged.
Bob Miesionczek holds a master’s degree in teaching from Fordham University and was a past director of the Matsushita Education Center. In this role he trained many American senior executives in cross-cultural business practices. He has taught seminars throughout Asia and the U.S. and has held organization development director roles at Merrill Lynch and UBS Financial Services. In addition, Bob was the founder of two successful consulting practices and played a major role in the development of a team-based approach to business services in the financial services industry. He also has authored over twenty seminars and manuals in business practices.
Suggested Reading: A list will be provided in the course.
A20: The Changing Nature of Virginia Politics
Bob Gibson 3 units
Sep. 6, 13, 20 Tue. 3-4:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 75
· NEW ·
Virginia’s politics happens to be changing at a faster pace than in most of its history of more than 400 years. This course will explore current trends and changes in state politics and will look at elections current and past.
Bob Gibson is executive director of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at UVa and is a veteran of 30 years of reporting and column writing about Virginia politics and government.
Suggested Reading: Morris, Thomas R., and Larry J. Sabato. Virginia Government and Politics: Readings and Comments, 1990. Day, Barnie, and Becky Dale, eds. Notes from the Sausage Factory, 2005.
A21: Art and the Canadian Arctic
Judith Varney Burch 3 units
Oct. 5, 12, 19 Wed. 10-11:30 a.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 40
· NEW ·
This course will focus on Inuit art and the people who create it, with particular attention to the exhibit “Culture on Cloth: The Baker Lake Wall Hangings Collection” currently traveling the globe. Students also will learn about Nunavut Territory, the largest and newest Canadian federal area, home to the Inuit. At the second class meeting, we will have a guest speaker from UVa.
Students will have the opportunity to take a field trip to the instructor’s Arctic Inuit Art Gallery at the last class meeting.
Judith Varney Burch is a graduate of Duke University who fell in love with Inuit art decades ago. She owns and operates Arctic Inuit Art galleries in Charlottesville and Nova Scotia. In addition, she curates exhibits at museums, universities and embassies around the world, as well as leading educational workshops for children and adults on the Inuit people, culture and artwork. She is a board member of the Nunavut Arts and Crafts Association, headquartered near the North Pole. Judith is now on the Inuit Studies Conference Committee for the Smithsonian Institute. She also serves as a research collaborator for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Suggested Viewing: www.arcticinuitart.com
A22: The Examined Life
John J. Burt, D.Ed. 6 units
Sep. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12, 19 Wed. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Covenant Church of God Limit: 20
· NEW ·
Asserting that the unexamined life cannot be lived fully, the course examines options for dealing with six of the essentials of the human condition: (1) mortality, (2) fallibility, (3) aloneness, (4) meaninglessness, (5) capacity for bad will toward others, and (6) change. Other topics will include: happiness, optimism, depression and suicide. Each student will examine their own life and that of one leading personality. Students across the past 20 years have found the course a life-changing experience.
Dr. John Burt is a retired University of Maryland professor and dean of public health. He is the author of three textbooks and 25 research papers. He holds degrees from Duke University, the University of North Carolina and the University of Oregon. He has received the Distinguished Alumnus Award of the University of North Carolina and the Scholar of the Year Award of the National Association for the Advancement of Health. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. Dr. Burt has taught at the University of Toledo, Temple University and the University of Maryland. His “Examined Life” course was one of the most popular courses in the Honors Program at the University of Maryland.
Suggested Reading: Lyubomirsky, Sonja. The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want, 2007. Frankl, Viktor E. Man’s Search for Meaning, 2006. Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, 2008.
A23: Mass Media and the American Psyche
Brent Kitching 6 units
Sep. 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12, 19 Wed. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Covenant Church of God Limit: 20
· NEW ·
This is a discussion-based course that will explore the contemporary ramifications of the mass media on the deeper layers of our psyche. Are we products of massive indoctrination that not only shapes our belief systems but our daily behaviors? Although the media would have us believe that it expands our reality, conversely, does it diminish the quality of our lives? Has the massive attitude shift that has occurred in America over the past half century been primarily a product of our relationship to the media rather than genuine choices that we have made regarding the quality of our lives? Through the sharing of our collective realities, we will attempt to identify how the American psyche is constantly being reshaped.
Brent Kitching received his B.A. from Duke University and his M.A. from Temple University. He taught media studies in both high school and college. He has a deep interest in the impact of the media on our personal behavior, ranging from our biological processes, like eating and sleeping, to our psychological development, like creating identity and the invention of reality.
A24: James and Dolley Madison, Montpelier and the Founding of Our Nation
James Walker 3 units
Sep. 7, 14, 21, 28, Oct. 5, 12 Wed. 11a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 75
The course will focus on the lives and characters of James and Dolley Madison and the enormous contribution they made to the founding of our nation. Emphasis will be placed on: the “founding” events; who the founders were and what roles they played; the role of slavery in the “founding”; the tumultuous years following the Declaration of Independence; the Constitution and the ratification debates; Madison’s executive years as secretary of state and president; the Madisons’ retirement years at Montpelier; and the legacy they have left to us. There will be an optional field trip on October 12.
Jim Walker is a guide at Montpelier. In 1996 he retired after serving 30 years with the U.S. Department of Labor, the last nine as regional director of the Job Corps in Dallas, Texas. He received a master’s degree in industrial and labor relations from Cornell and a B.S. in economics from Renssalaer Polytechnic Institute. He has been conducting tours at Montpelier for the past four years.
Suggested Reading: Ketcham, Ralph. James Madison: A Biography, 1990. Cote, Richard. Strength and Honor: The Life of Dolley Madison, 2004. Cerami, Charles A. Young Patriots: The Remarkable Story of Two Men, Their Impossible Plan and the Revolution That Created the Constitution, 2005. Ellis, Joseph J. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation, 2002. Labunski, Richard. James Madison and the Struggle for the Bill of Rights, 2006. Ellis, Joseph J. American Creation: Triumphs and Tragedies in the Founding of the Republic, 2008.
A25: Alzheimer’s Disease: Behind the Growing Epidemic
Sue Friedman and Ellen Phipps 3 units
Sep. 7, 14, 21 Wed. 1:30-3 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
· NEW ·
Week 1. Every 70 seconds, another American hears the words “You likely have Alzheimer’s Disease.” What does this mean for the person with Alzheimer’s? What can loved ones and friends do? How does life change and adapt?
Week 2. You want to avoid Alzheimer’s disease. What can you do? What are the Ten Warning Signs?
Week 3. Research is gaining momentum. When will we have a cure, viable treatments, a way to prevent this mean disease? What are biomarkers? How do I participate? This three-session course will explore the history, the present, and hope for the future in Alzheimer’s disease. Interaction and discussion are encouraged. We have entered the “Alzheimer’s Generation”…and the war on Alzheimer’s has been launched. Are you prepared?
Sue Bell Friedman is president and CEO, Alzheimer’s Association-Central and Western Virginia Chapter, 2007-present. She holds a B.S. in political science from Purdue University and an M.S. in agency counseling from Indiana State University. She is a member of the Executive Staff Leadership Planning Team of the national Alzheimer’s Association.
Ellen Bikoff Phipps is vice president, Programs and Services, Alzheimer’s Association-Central and Western Virginia Chapter, 2001-present. She holds a B.S. in therapeutic recreation education from the University of Colorado (Boulder) and is a graduate student in the master’s in gerontology program, Virginia Commonwealth University. She is the author-creator of Connections: Engagement in Life for Persons with Dementia: A Complete Activities Guide and Home-based Program Supporting Caregiver and Care Receivers.
Suggested Reading: Visit www.alz.org and take the “Brain Tour.” Also visit “research” under “Alzheimer’s Disease.”
A26: Hearing as Jazz Musicians Hear
John D’earth 3 units
Sep. 15, 22, Oct. 6, 13, 20 Thu. 9-10:30 a.m.
Senior Center Limit: 75
The course will approach jazz historically, stylistically and biographically from the perspective of a practicing jazz musician. Attention will be paid to listening to the music as the musicians, themselves, experience it. Recorded examples will be analyzed for form (structure) and for the content of the improvised solos of individual jazz artists. Issues of improvisation, swing, changing styles, melodic variation and the perceived absence of a recognizable melody will be discussed. This class will not require special knowledge or skills. Familiarity with music theory and notation are welcomed but not required. No particular previous experience with jazz listening is assumed. To prepare, listen to some jazz and read about the artists. The Ken Burns series on jazz history is a good place to start.
Jazz trumpeter and composer John D'earth was born in Framingham, MA, in 1950. As a teenager, he studied with saxophonist Boots Mussulli, with trombonist John Coffey, and arranging with Thad Jones. He attended Harvard University and later moved to New York City, where he studied with Carmine Caruso, Vince Penzarella and Richie Beirach. D'earth has performed and recorded internationally and appeared on over 50 CDs. He has composed and arranged music for the Kronos String Quartet, The Kandinsky Trio, The Charlottesville Chamber Festival, Bruce Hornsby, the Dave Matthews Band, the San Diego, Atlanta, Richmond and Roanoke Symphony Orchestras, the University of Virginia Jazz Ensemble, the Great American Music Ensemble, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Youth Orchestra, and the Charlottesville and University Symphony Orchestra. As a jazz artist D'earth has recorded as a leader for Vanguard Records, ENJA Records, Double Time Jazz and his own Cosmology label. Mr. D’earth currently is the director of jazz performance at UVa, conducts the UVa Jazz Ensemble, and teaches jazz improvisation and jazz trumpet in the McIntire Department of Music.
Suggested Reading: Schuller, Gunther. The Development of Jazz, 1930-1945: The Swing Era, 1991. Davis, Miles, and Quincy Troupe. Miles: The Autobiography, 1990. Mezzrow, Mezz, and Bernard Wolfe. Really the Blues, 2001 and 2009.
A27: An Overview of Shakespeare’s Plays: King Henry VI
Henry Davis McHenry 6 units
Sep. 8, 15, 22, Oct. 6, 13, 20 Thu. 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
· NEW ·
As we end the first decade of our study of Shakespeare’s canon, having ventured forward and back through the comedy, the pastoral, the tragical, the scene undividable, the poem unlimited, we may reflect on the immense satisfaction and pleasure we’ve derived not only from reading and seeing the plays performed, but from our developing familiarity with each other’s predilections and excitements in interpreting these works. Shakespeare is inexhaustible; so are we. Neither previous knowledge of Shakespeare nor previous participation in the class is a prerequisite, however. Our main activity has been reading the plays and seeing and thinking about productions, videotaped and staged, bringing our varying backgrounds and talents to examine the design of ideas as it builds through the acts and across the genres. What do we think Shakespeare’s purpose was, in play, in scene, in dialogue, in soliloquy? What themes are weighted in Derek Jacobi’s Hamlet, and what in the Branagh version? I want to provide for us a way of apprehending Shakespeare not only as a cultural artifact, but as a force for good. We want not just to argue about the plays but to appropriate them, to have them make a difference in our lives.
For the fall of 2011, we’ll read all three parts of King Henry VI.
Henry McHenry is an independent academic, English teacher and exercise instructor. He grew up in Birmingham., Alabama, attended Yale and UVa, and taught for years in the Upward Bound program at the University and as a substitute in the County schools. He holds a Ph.D. in English language, literature and pedagogy from the University of Virginia and is the author of From Cognition to Being: Prolegomena for Teachers. He recently completed nursing school and is awaiting the right job.
Suggested Reading: Any historical account of the period from mid-14th century (Richard II) through mid-15th (Henry VI) in England.
A28: Drawing Basics—Yes, You Can Draw!
Edith Montgomery Arbaugh 3 units
Sep. 15, 22, Oct. 6, 13 Thu. 10 a.m.-noon
Covenant Church of God Limit: 20
Drawing is a way of self-discovery and also the discovery of the visual connectedness of things. Sometimes frustrating and difficult, drawing also can allow us the purest pleasure of making our own discoveries. Many times people say, “I wish I could draw, but I can’t even draw a straight line.” Don’t worry; maybe that is what rulers are for!
Edith M. Arbaugh is a graduate of UVa and taught in the public schools of Virginia for 34 years. After retiring in 1991, she maintained a studio at the McGuffy Art Center in Charlottesville for 17 years. Currently she works in her home studio. In 1991 she was named High School Teacher of the Year by Phi Delta Kappa, UVa chapter, and in 2000 received the Piedmont Council of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award. In the spring of 2005 an exhibition of her “Jefferson Legacy” paintings was held in the Dome Room of the Rotunda at UVa, celebrating the 50th-year reunion of the class of ’55.
Required Materials: Five 2-B drawing pencils, 14’’ x 17’’ sketchbook, a kneaded eraser and a pencil sharpener. Also, a willingness to give drawing a chance (with a happy smile).
A29: That Terrible Conflict: The American Civil War
Ken Hipkins 6 units
Sep. 8, 15, 22, Oct. 6, 13, 20 Thu. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 75
· NEW ·
This course will consist of six sessions as follows:
Mr. Hipkins has a lifelong love of history, evidenced by a history library of some 5,000 books and magazines. He taught history for 12 years at a private school in Staunton.
A30: The English Bible in History and Literature
Gregory B. Taylor 3 units
Oct. 6, 13, 20 Thu. 1-2:30 p.m.
Westminster Canterbury Limit: 50
· NEW ·
This course will review the history of English translations of the Bible from the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts leading up to the King James version of 1611, including the struggle of translators like Martin Luther and William Tyndale to make the Bible available in vernacular tongues. Finally, we will examine various contemporary English translations such as the Revised Standard Version.
Gregory Taylor is a retired attorney and Episcopal priest with degrees from Yale, Harvard Law School and Virginia Theological Seminary. He is also an avid amateur historian, with special interest in American political and religious history. He previously has taught OLLI courses on the background of the Civil War and “Revolutionary America,” as well as “Religion in America.”
Suggested Reading: Nicholson, Adam. God’s Secretaries: The Making of the King James Bible, 2005. McGrath, Alister E. In the Beginning: The Story of the King James Bible and How It Changed a Nation, a Language, and a Culture, 2002.
A31: Basic Estate Planning
Susan Reed Bednar 3 units
Sep. 23, 30, Oct. 7, 14 Fri. 9-10:30 a.m.
Covenant Church of God Limit: 35
The course will cover three main topics: basic estate planning, tax planning, and estate administration and probate. The section on basic estate planning will cover wills, trusts, powers of attorney and advance medical directives. Subjects to be covered include the requirements for an executed will, factors to consider in designing trusts and how to choose an executor, trustee, guardian or other agent. The tax planning section will be explored in two classes with an overview of the current estate and gift tax system and available credits and deductions. In addition, we will look at various techniques used by estate planners to minimize estate tax liability. The third section will explain the probate procedure in Virginia and discuss steps necessary to administer an estate.
Suzanne Reed Bednar works with McGuireWoods LLP in the Private Wealth Services Group, practicing in the areas of estate planning and estate administration. Bednar has a B.S. from James Madison University, an M.S. from Gannon University, and a J.D. from UVa.
A32: America at War: The Great Debates
Robert B. Toplin 3 units
Oct. 7, 14, 21 Fri. 9-10:30 a.m.
Covenant Church of God Limit: 35
· NEW ·
We will examine questions that have excited lively debates among historians and students of the American past. Each session will focus on two major topics. As you will see, some of the questions involve hypothetical situations (“what-if” questions).
Session 1: Was the Civil War about slavery or something else, and was that war “inevitable”? Did Woodrow Wilson’s failure to secure agreement on a peace treaty and American commitment to the League of Nations contribute to the coming of the Second World War?
Session 2: If you were in President Truman’s situation, would you have chosen to drop the
atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki? If Kennedy had lived, would the U.S. have escalated the war in Vietnam?
Session 3: Did Ronald Reagan “win” the Cold War? Why did we go to war against Iraq in 2003?
Robert Brent Toplin served as professor of history at Denison University and later at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. He has published a dozen books and more than a hundred articles about history, politics, and the mass media.
Suggested Reading: To be determined.
A33: Writing Your Life Story
Kevin Quirk 6 units
Sep. 16, 23, 30, Oct, 7, 14, 21 Fri. 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 25
We all have a story to tell. When we capture our story in a memoir, or personal history, we offer a special gift for our family, friends, and anyone else we choose to share it with. Along the way, we find that bringing our memories to life can open a door to laughter and tears, joy and healing, unexpected discoveries, and a whole lot of fun! Writing about our life allows us to experience what Anais Nin described as “tasting life twice: in the moment, and in retrospection.” In this class you will learn how to select and preserve the stories and details that make all our lives both ordinary and magnificent. Simple and enjoyable writing exercises will help you get started on a life-story book of any length, form, and style. No writing experience is necessary, only the desire to tell your story.
Kevin Quirk is the author of the new book Your Life Is a Book—And It’s Time to Write It!, a
comprehensive guide to help men and women of all ages and backgrounds tell their life story. He is also the author of Not Now, Honey, I’m Watching the Game and coauthor of Brace for Impact: Miracle on the Hudson; Survivors Share Their Stories of Near Death and Hope for New Life, an inspirational book that chronicles 25 first-person accounts from passengers of the 2009 crash and rescue that riveted the world. A ghostwriter and editor with Life Is a Book, Quirk teaches classes on “Writing Your Life” through UVa’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. He has an M.A. in writing from the University of New Hampshire and is a member of the Association of Personal Historians.
Suggested Reading: Quirk, Kevin. Your Life Is a Book—And It’s Time to Write It! An A-to-Z Guide to Help Anyone Write Their Life Story, 2011. Goldberg, Natalie. Old Friend from Far Away: The Practice of Writing Memoir, 2008.
A34: Understanding Opera: Aida and Hansel and Gretel
Glenn Winters 3 units
Sep. 16, 23, 30 Fri. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 75
· NEW ·
This course is designed to teach students how to listen to operatic music with an ear toward its narrative/psychological functions. Works analyzed include the first two productions of Virginia Opera's 2011-2012 season: Verdi's Aida, a tale of love, betrayal and vengeance in ancient Egypt, and Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel, a beloved setting of a classic Grimm's story. Recommended for opera lovers and novices alike.
Glenn Winters received the doctor of music from Northwestern University; he also holds the B.M. and M.M. in piano performance from Indiana University. His background includes teaching college-level piano, arts administration at two universities, and extensive performing experience as a pianist. As an operatic baritone, Dr. Winters has appeared with Virginia Opera and the Operafestival di Roma in Rome, Italy. His original educational opera, History Alive!, premiered in 2007. Mr. Winters joined Virginia Opera’s education and audience development department in 2004 as community outreach musical director.
Suggested Reading: It is suggested that enrolled students read the plot summaries of both operas as contained on the Virginia Opera Web site, www.vaopera.org.
A61: Estate Planning: A Start-to-Finish Overview of Essential Information
James W. Osborne 3 units
Sep. 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17 Mon. 1-2:30 p.m.
R. R. Smith Center Limit 14
· NEW ·
This is a start-to-finish course that will present the essential information needed to decide whether or not to make a will and other estate-planning documents and devices. The course begins with the basics of property law, the forms of ownership and how that relates to the “probate estate” and determines how property passes at death in the absence of a will. Consideration then moves to the question of why make a will and, if so, how, as well
as whether and how to use other devices, including trusts. Other topics include powers of attorney, advance health directives, fiduciaries, minor children and document safekeeping.
James W. Osborne's legal career spans more than 35 years of private-sector practice and public service as an Assistant Virginia Attorney General. His private practice dealt with estate planning and property matters. Mr. Osborne was a member of the adjunct faculty of Washington and Lee University School of Law, and he has taught professional training seminars and personal enrichment courses.
Suggested Reading: The instructor will provide a course outline with attachments, including samples of documents.
A62: Fundamentals of Genealogical Research
Carolyn L. Barkley 3 units
Sep. 27, Oct. 4, 11 Tue. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Augusta Health, Lifetime Educ. Bldg. Limit: 25
This course will provide students with basic skills for quality genealogical research, including how to develop a personalized program of research, plan an effective research trip, and organize family documents. Sessions will review essential print resources, demonstrate significant Internet sites, discuss major record types used in genealogical research, explore how to document and cite resources correctly, analyze research findings, and share research with others. Discussion and interaction among participants will be encouraged, and each student will leave the course with an individualized research plan. While this course is intended primarily for beginning genealogists, it also can serve as a refresher for more experienced researchers who wish to renew their skills and become more knowledgeable and efficient in their research.
Carolyn Barkley has a B.A. from Wellesley College and an M.L.S. from the University of Pittsburgh. A genealogist for over 30 years, she is a past president of the Virginia Beach Genealogical Society and a member of several national and state genealogical organizations. She provides freelance editorial and indexing services for genealogical writers, has lectured on genealogical topics at the state and local level for many years, and writes a weekly genealogy blog at www.genealogyandfamilyhistory.com.
Required Materials: Note paper, pen or pencil.
Suggested Reading: Greenwood, Val D. The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy, 3rd ed., 2000. (The instructor will ask the UVa Bookstore to stock this title.)
A63: The Civil War in the Upper Valley: The Greatest Stories Never Told
Terry Shulman 3 units
Oct. 5, 12, 19 Wed. 1-2:30 p.m.
R. R. Smith Center Limit: 25
· NEW ·
The story of the Civil War in the Valley is the story of the war in microcosm. Local encounters between North and South—one of which brought about the near capture of Stonewall Jackson in 1862 and another which led to the fall of the Valley itself in 1864—are given scant attention by historians, though their importance in the larger scheme of the war is immeasurable.
Terry Shulman is a career historical writer, book reviewer and columnist, whose work has appeared in most of America’s mainstream history magazines and in several newspapers. He created The Staunton News Leader history section in 1997 and most recently served as the Richmond Times-Dispatch history book reviewer for several years. He has guest taught at Mary Baldwin College and has lectured on a wide variety of historical subjects.
Suggested Reading: To be provided.
A64: Masters of the Opera
George W. Fellows 3 units
Sep. 15, 22, Oct. 6, 13, 20 Thu. 10:30 a.m.-noon
R. R. Smith Center Limit: 15
· NEW ·
Masters of the Opera is designed to enhance the enjoyment and understanding of opera by studying some of the major works of composers who have produced the greatest number of the world’s most enduring operas. This course is as suitable for the beginner as it is for someone already familiar with opera. We begin with 18th century opera, focusing on the reforms Gluck brought to the art form. Moving on to Mozart, we will consider two of his masterpieces, Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute. The early 19th century brings us the genius of Rossini and Donizetti, as we look at the bel canto style. Next we take up Verdi and his grand opera, Aida, and will explore Otello, one of his last. We will study German opera in the works and dramaturgical ideas of Richard Wagner, examining the final two operas in the Ring Cycle, and pay a visit to the world of the Meistersingers. The course will conclude with the operas of Puccini and his growth as an artist, exploring Tosca, Madame Butterfly and Turandot. [NOTE: Some of the specific operas may change in order to conform to the Metropolitan Opera’s 2011-2012 season of HD transmissions.]
George Fellows attended Rockhurst University, Benedictine Heights College, and Missouri State
University, receiving his B.S. degree in 1961 and doing graduate work in history and music. He has more than 20 years of experience in community theater directing musical shows. Mr. Fellows has conducted orchestras, directed church choirs, and taught Elderhostel classes in music history and opera theater.
Suggested Reading: Copland, Aaron. What to Listen for in Music, 2002. Shaw, Bernard. The Perfect Wagnerite, 2009. Bernstein, Leonard. The Joy of Music, 2004.
A65: Emerging Trends in Managing the Global Commons
Valnora Leister 3 units
Sep. 9, 16, 23, 30 Fri. 1-2:30 p.m.
R. R. Smith Center Limit: 25
· NEW ·
This course will review the foundations of international law in relationship to the Global Commons: Antarctica, high seas, seabed and outer space. In view of recent advances in the standing of individual and civil society responsibilities, the classes will explore alternatives introduced by Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom in her book Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action to common-heritage resources in space. Our final class will examine implications for reforms of the present international law system.
Valnora Leister holds a Master of Laws (LL.M.) and a Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.) from McGill University, Montreal, Canada, as well as bachelor,
master and doctoral degrees in law from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She is Senior Fellow of Openworld, an international development research group. A former Guggenheim Fellow of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and project attorney with the Inter-American Development
Bank (IDB), Dr. Leister is an international lawyer and a legal scholar based in Dayton, VA. She is a member of the International Institute of Space Law (IISL), the International Law Association (ILA), Brazilian Society of Space Law, and the Forum of Air and Space Law of the American Bar Association (ABA).
Suggested Reading: Buck, Susan J. The Global Commons: An Introduction, 1998. Ostrom, Elinor. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, 1990. Brownlie, Ian. Principles of Public International Law (Part V, “Common Amenities and Cooperation in the Use of Resources”), 2008.
Session A: Charlottesville | Valley ............ Session B: Charlottesville | Valley
B11: Mastering Meditation
Subagh Singh Khalsa 3 units
Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14 Mon. 9-10:30 a.m.
Senior Center Limit 30
· NEW ·
Meditation is for absolutely everyone, regardless of age, faith, or previous experience. In this course we will thoroughly cover all you need to develop or deepen your practice. Several styles of meditation will be taught, and you will learn how to use meditation for personal growth and healing, as well as for simple joy and relaxation. If you already have a practice, you will be able to use this course to take meditation to new levels of satisfaction. (Bring appropriate cushions if you wish to sit on the floor. Otherwise, we will practice in chairs.)
Dr. Subagh Khalsa, the author of four popular books on meditation, has been practicing Kundalini yoga and meditation on an average of 2 ½ hours per day for 40 years. In addition to his other extensive teaching experience, he is director and lead teacher of The Mystic Heart Meditation Program at the Chautauqua Institution.
Suggested Reading: Khalsa, Subagh Singh. Healing Ourselves, Healing the World: A Manual of Mystic Meditation Practices for Absolutely Everyone, 2006. Khalsa, Subagh Singh. Anatomy of Miracles: Practical Teachings for Developing Your Capacity To Heal, 2008.
B12: Marshal Ney’s Escape from Firing Squad to America
White McKenzie Wallenborn 3 units
Nov. 28, Dec. 5, 12 Mon. 9-10:30 a.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
· NEW ·
Marshal Ney grew from a modest family background to become Napoleon’s right-hand man and chief tactician. After Waterloo he was sentenced to death by a firing squad. The death was faked, and he escaped to South Carolina; from there he ended up in Cleveland, N.C., teaching in a small academy. He designed the logo for Davidson College. He had a source of funding in Philadelphia, where another French marshal had fled. Ney’s son came to America under an assumed name and attended medical school in Philadelphia. Lots of mystery here!
Ken Wallenborn retired from the faculty of UVa’s School of Medicine and the staff of Martha Jefferson Hospital. He has taught a number of JILL (now OLLI) courses, e.g., “The Search for Amelia Earhart,” “The Bermuda Triangle,” “John Paul Jones,” etc. He was born 12 miles from where Marshal Ney died in Cleveland, North Carolina. His great-grandfather was taught swordsmanship, French and math by Marshal Ney.
Suggested Reading: Blythe, LeGette. Marshal Ney: A Dual Life, 2008. Bradshaw, H. H. Execution Denied: The Story of Marshal Ney, Napoleon’s “Bravest of the Brave,” 2004.
B13: How To Be an Olympic Swimmer in the Aging Tsunami
Richard Lindsay 3 units
Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14 Mon. 9:30-11 a.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
Aging is one of the last great frontiers for this country, the world, and particularly science. One of Dr. Lindsay’s colleagues, Dr. John Rowe, now the president of Aetna, said, “Increases in the number and proportion of our population over age 65, and the dynamic changes within the aging population itself, represent perhaps the most dramatic change in American society in this century.” Projections call for additional dramatic “graying” of America well into the 21st century. Dr. Lindsay will provide course participants with the knowledge to be part of the solution rather than of the problem.
Session 1: Individual Aging: Normal, usual and successful aging. Ways to decrease vulnerability to disability.
Session 2: An in-depth discussion of the “Aging Tsunami” and its impact on Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, all of which are expected to be
of great interest in the upcoming elections. Practical tips, such as what to look for in your primary-care physician and your hospital and other health-care facilities.
Session 3: Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementing illnesses, with particular attention to the caregiver’s needs. The use and abuse of medications, with an updated review of the new Medicare drug-benefit laws.
Session 4: What it means to be old in the 21st century. We will look at transitions in living situations and some of the options available. There also will be some advice on how to become a vintage person or, as some choose to call it, “a chronologically gifted person.”
Dr. Richard Lindsay is professor emeritus of internal medicine and family medicine at UVa. One of the original seven academic awardees chosen by the National Institute of Aging, he is past president of the American Geriatric Society. He served as head of the Division of Geriatrics at UVa from 1977 until retiring in 1999. He continues to teach in the School of Medicine and lectures throughout the U.S. on aging and aging issues.
Suggested Reading: Handouts will be provided in each session.
B14: Talking College Sports
Gene Corrigan 3 units
Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14, 28 Mon. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
This course will deal with issues in intercollegiate athletics, including recruiting and changes in the ACC. Guests will be athletic directors and coaches from major programs, along with sports personalities.
Gene Corrigan, a graduate of Duke University, coached basketball, football, soccer and lacrosse at St. Paul’s School, Washington and Lee University and the University of Virginia. In 1969 he became athletic director at W&L; in 1971, at UVa; and in 1982, at Notre Dame. He was commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference from 1987 to 1997 and president of the NCAA from 1995 to 1997.
B15: Mozart’s Da Ponte Trio: The Marriage of Figaro, Don Giovanni and Cosi fan tutti
Donald G. Loach 3 units
Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14 Mon. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
· NEW ·
For three of his greatest operas, Mozart chose the brilliant playwright and poet Lorenzo Da Ponte to provide the librettos. Discussion of these and of Mozart's uncanny sense of theater, accompanied by the viewing of choice scenes on tape, will form the substance of the class sessions.
Donald Loach is associate professor of music emeritus at the University of Virginia, where he taught courses in music history and theory and conducted two choral groups for 34 years. He holds a B.A., University of Denver; M.Mus., Yale; and Ph.D., University of California, Berkeley. He teaches an evening course each semester through the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at UVa.
Suggested Reading: Cairns, David. Mozart and His Operas, 2006. Heartz, Daniel. Mozart’s Operas. Edited by Thomas Bauman, 1992. The Great Operas of Mozart: Complete Librettos in the Original Language with English Versions by W. H. Auden and Chester Kallman, Ruth and Thomas Martin, and John Bloch; Essays on Mozart and Each Opera by Nathan Broder, 1962.
B16: Scene as Seen
David W. Weiss 3 units
Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14 Mon. 1-2:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
· NEW ·
The course will examine the development of what we see on the stage and in film viewed from the simplicity of the beginnings of drama in ancient Greece to the complexity of what we find in theatre and other performance media in the 21st century. Discussion will include observations on the artistry involved, the technology required to achieve various results, and the reasoning behind what audiences have seen in their entertainment throughout history.
David Weiss is professor emeritus and former chair of the Department of Drama at UVa. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a doctorate from Indiana University. His teaching specialty was scenery design and stage lighting. During his career he designed scenery or lighting for over 200 productions.
B17: Freud’s Moses and Monotheism: The Religious, Psychological, Political and Scientific Implications
Robert J. Nathan, M.D. 6 units
Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 28, Dec. 5 Mon. 2:30-4 p.m.
OLLI Conference Room Limit: 15
· NEW ·
This will be a seminar where we discuss this penultimate monograph of Freud, published in 1939, the year in which he died. We will explore the genesis of it, which had begun in one form or another over the course of a quarter century. Freud called himself a “Godless Jew” but treats of both Judaism and Christianity with insights and respect. Aware of the controversy that would attend the monograph’s publication, he persisted in finishing it with full knowledge of his mortality. The initial reaction to his statement that Moses was an Egyptian priest was deplored by both Jews and Christians and had significant political implications. The work was questioned on archeological, evolutionary and Biblical grounds. There have been many attempts to “analyze” Freud’s reason for the book, as well. The course will contain weekly assignments for discussion
Robert Nathan received his M.D. from the University of Illinois in Chicago; his psychiatric residency was there, as well. He is also a graduate of the Philadelphia Psychoanalytic Institute, where he became a faculty member and taught classes on Freudian theory, history of psychoanalysis, and case conferences. As professor and vice chair of the Department of Mental Health Sciences of Hahnemann Medical University, he taught general psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine and geriatric psychiatry. He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.
Required Reading: Freud, Sigmund. Moses and Monotheism, 1939. Translated by Katherine Jones, 1955. “Book of Exodus.” In the Holy Bible.
Suggested Reading: Yerushalmi, Yosef Hayim. Freud’s Moses: Judaism Terminable and Interminable, 1993. Bernstein, Richard J. Freud and the Legacy of Moses, 1998. Meissner, W. W., S.J., M.D. Psychoanalysis and Religious Experience, 1986.
B18: Psychiatry in Transition
Knight Aldrich 6 units
Oct. 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29, Dec. 6 Tue. 10:30-noon
Westminster Canterbury Limit: 50
· NEW ·
Psychiatry in transition? So what else is new? Psychiatry always has been in one or another kind of transition: From totally descriptive to psychobiology to psychoanalysis to social and community psychiatry to biopsychiatry, always with a group of dissidents trying to change the focus and take control. This time, though, the outcome may be a bit more permanent. The “New Psychiatry” seeks to match the best from the past with new findings that will encourage the individualization of both diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Aldrich will discuss the nature of the New Psychiatry and how it probably will approach patient care.
Knight Aldrich is a retired psychiatrist who taught for many years at the universities of Minnesota, Chicago and Virginia.
B19: An Elephant’s Mind
Michael Garstang 3 units
Nov. 8, 15, 29 Tue. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
· NEW ·
This course will introduce this remarkable animal: its evolution, current species, critical physiological and behavioral characteristics, with particular emphasis upon the mind. Evidence will be presented that probes questions of intelligence, memory, emotions, senses and the ability to survive. The course will be illustrated from the instructor’s research into elephant communication and behavior.
Michael Garstang is an emeritus professor and still an active research professor in environmental sciences at the University of Virginia. He has published well over 100 scientific papers in leading national and international journals in meteorology, behavioral biology and ecology. He has contributed to a number of technical books, has a text on tropical meteorology and has published a
novel about an African elephant family. He is an active African wildlife artist.
Suggested Reading: Bradshaw, G.A. Elephants on the Edge: What Animals Teach Us about Humanity, 2010. Masson, Jeffrey Moussaieff, and Susan McCarthy. When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals. Moss, Cynthia. Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family, 2000.
B20: Lost 150 Years of American History: The First 75 Years
Dick Somer 3 units
Oct. 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15 Tue. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
This course covers the period after the initial settlements of Jamestown, Plymouth, Boston, Hartford, Albany, New Amsterdam, Quebec, and Montreal. Emphasis will be on the action of the colonists with each other, the indigenous people, and other European settlers. It will end with the culmination of King Philip's War, Bacon's Rebellion and the transfer of New Amsterdam to the British.
Dick Somer received his B.A. in English history, primarily the 17th and 18th centuries, from California State University. As the historian for his family, whose roots extend from Jamestown and Plymouth throughout New England, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, he has researched this time period in depth. He is a voracious reader of histories concerning this period.
Suggested Reading: Shorto, Russell. The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony That Shaped America, 2005. Philbrick, Nathaniel. Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community and War, 2007. Webb, Stephen Saunders. 1676: The End of American Independence, 1995.
B21: Furniture Craftsmanship in the 18th Century: Design, Styles and Construction
W. Mitchell Sams, Jr. 3 units
Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29, Dec. 6 Tue. 2:30-4 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 30
This course will cover furniture designed and built prior to the Industrial Revolution by American craftsmen using hand tools. We first will learn how proper design proportions led to elegance, how wood was chosen, and how wood behaves. We then will cover furniture styles beginning with Pilgrim and progressing through William and Mary, Queen Anne, Chippendale and the Federal Periods. Handworking tools, such as planes, gouges, measuring devices and saws, will be brought to class; and specialized techniques for joining two pieces of wood and hand-carving techniques will be demonstrated. We also will bring to class several examples of period furniture, so that design and construction techniques may be viewed in a “hands-on” experience. By the conclusion of the course, the student will be able to identify furniture styles, appreciate the skill involved in construction, and be able to identify some of the tool marks and characteristics that distinguish true antiques from fakes.
Mitch Sams is a retired medical school professor whose avocation is building reproduction furniture using primarily hand tools of the type employed by Colonial American craftsmen.
B22: Seeing Art, the Art of Seeing
Jane Anne Young 3 units
Oct. 25, Nov. 1, 8 Tues. 2:30-4 p.m.
VA Foundation for the Humanities Limit: 12
How do we see? How do we interpret or even really look at art? What internal and cultural sensibilities affect the way we see? Using iconic and well-known works of art we will explore the world of visual literacy together. No art history required—simply a desire to think about how we learn to see. Bring your imagination, your sense of humor and a willingness to discover for yourself and begin a lifelong adventure in looking at art. As a class, you will be encouraged to examine not only what you see but what you don’t, and why you see what you think you do. Arguments will ensue and stimulate as we examine and discuss familiar and not-so-familiar images of our culture and others and how they relate to our lives today. Demystifying, decoding and debunking—have fun!
Jane Anne Young, retired director of education at the UVa Art Museum, has been exploring the art of seeing philosophically and practically for many years. She holds a B.A. from the University of Delaware and an M.A. in teaching from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She was appointed to the UVa faculty in 1987. Among many innovative programs she began, she was involved with the Writer’s Eye competition for over 20 years. She has consulted and collaborated on ways people learn with museums throughout the country, such as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, National Gallery, Maier Museum at Randolph Macon, MOMA, Toledo Museum of Art, Denver Museum of Art, Monticello, Virginia Museum of Art, and Smithsonian American Museum of Art.
B23: Short Stories by Women
Charlotte Goodman 6 units
Nov. 2, 9, 16, 30, Dec. 7, 14 Wed. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 25
· NEW ·
Women authors have always excelled in the writing of short stories. In this course we shall consider short stories by a variety of women authors, as well as one novel in short stories, Moral Disorder and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood. Prior to each class meeting, participants will be required to read the assigned stories indicated on the syllabus, focusing on such elements as the title, plot, characters, point of view, symbolic elements, and themes.
Charlotte Goodman, Ph.D., received a B.A. from Wellesley College in 1955; an M.A.T. from
Harvard in 1956; and a Ph.D. from Brandeis in 1971. From 1974 to 2001 she taught English and women’s studies at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. She has written a biography of American writer Jean Stafford and numerous articles on American literature.
Suggested Reading: Cahill, Susan, ed. Women and Fiction: Short Stories by and about Women, 2002.Atwood, Margaret. Moral Disorder and Other Stories, 2008.
B24: Provocative World-Class Ideas about theState of Humanity Today and Tomorrow
Allen E. Hench 3 units
Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 14 Wed. 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Covenant Church of God Limit: 40
· NEW ·
This course will deal with current issues, thought and ideas, and humanity. It is anchored by video presentations of "TEDtalks" recorded at the annual TED conference, which began in 1984 and originally was devoted to the converging fields of technology, entertainment and design. More than a thousand people from all over the world now attend the conference—indeed, the event sells out a year in advance—and the content has expanded to include science, business, the arts, and global
issues facing our world. The speakers at TED present amazing performances, perspective, and analysis about new knowledge and thinking that is evolving in many fields and that affects how we live now and will in the future. Each speaker has 20 minutes to present the talk of their lives. We will view, discuss, and supplement some of these talks each week. If you are interested in where knowledge in the world is and where it is headed, this course is a must!
Allen Hench holds a B.A. in governmental administration and a J.D. from Dickinson School of Law in Pennsylvania. He has served as director of the UVa Law School’s Nonprofit Clinic and was a past volunteer with the Miller Center at UVa, doing research for interviews conducted by Charles Signor on “For the Record” on WHTJ. For 33 years he was the owner of a small-town Pennsylvania general law practice, with concentration in estate planning/administration and real estate law. He also was a founder of the Perry Public Policy Forum in Perry County, PA.
Suggested Reading: Short articles and short videos will be suggested at the beginning of the course. Access to the Internet is required.
B25: Celebrating American Song and Singers
Michael J. Intintoli 6 units
Nov. 2, 9, 16, 30, Dec. 7, 14 Wed. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 30
· NEW ·
Let us celebrate American songs and singers by reading a lyric, listening to two or three performances of the song, and then sharing our observations about the music. I have chosen standards from around the turn of the century to 1970, songs such as Stardust and I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, as well as some blues, such as St. Louis Blues and Everyday I Have the Blues. I am partial to jazz singing, so we will be listening to popular singers, including Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, who strongly reflect jazz influences. Similarly, blues singers like Jimmy Rushing and Big Joe Turner cross the boundary of blues and pop. The boundaries became porous, especially after Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby transformed popular singing in the 1930s.
Michael J. Intintoli is a retired anthropology professor who recently returned from a seven-year stay in Guanajuato, Mexico, where he produced a program on the history of jazz for the university radio station. Dr. Intintoli is a lifelong admirer of Louis Armstrong.
Suggested Readings: Zinsser, William Knowlton. Easy to Remember: The Great American Songwriters and Their Songs, 2006. Friedwald, Will. Jazz Singing: America’s Great Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop and Beyond, 1996. Lees, Gene. Singers and the Song II, 1999.
Other Resources: A variety of singers and songs may be sampled at Pandora Radio, www.pandora.com. Put in favorite singers or songs and Pandora will play those selections and others of similar style. The Web site www.lyrics.com offers a similar program.
B26: Women, Islam and Rising Fundamentalism
Nesta Ramazani 3 units
Oct. 26, Nov. 2, 9 Wed. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
The course will explore the rise of fundamentalist Islam in the Middle East and how the phenomenon has impacted the lives of women. Western stereotypes of Muslim women will be explored, as well as the diversity within Islam. We will trace the evolution of Sharia law (Islamic law) and draw on concrete examples from several Muslim countries to show how specific economic, social, historical and cultural conditions affect its
interpretation. The confrontation of Islamic countries with the West will be considered, as well as the impact of international human-rights organizations on practices in those countries.
Nesta Ramazani is a freelance writer and lecturer. She holds an M.A. in English literature from the University of Virginia. She has published extensively on Muslim women and is the author of Persian Cooking: A Table of Exotic Delights, The Dance of the Rose and the Nightingale, and “Human Rights of Women in Iran”in The Future of Liberal Democracy: Thomas Jefferson and the Contemporary World. She has been a visiting lecturer at many universities in the United States and in Pakistan, Israel, Turkey, and Germany.
Ramazani, Nesta. The Dance of the Rose and the Nightingale: Gender, Culture, and Politics in the Middle East, 2002. Abdul-Baki, Kathryn K. Fields of Fig and Olive: Ameera and Other Stories of the Middle East, 1991. Rugh, Andrea B. Simple Gestures: A Cultural Journey into the Middle East, 2009.
B27: Weather and Weather Forecasting
William Bonner 3 units
Oct. 26, Nov. 2, 9 Wed. 1-2:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
· NEW ·
The goal of the course is to help you to better understand and evaluate the weather information available on TV and the Internet. The course will emphasize weather forecasts, describing how daily, weekly and longer-range forecasts are made. It will discuss the accuracy of these forecasts, the limitations to forecast accuracy, and the special challenges involved in issuing forecasts and warnings of rare but severe weather events, such as the thunderstorms, floods, heavy snows and ice storms we may experience in Virginia.
Dr. Bonner has a Ph.D. degree in meteorology from the University of Chicago and has taught meteorology at several universities. He is a former deputy director of the National Weather Service and, through the 1980s, was director of the U.S. National Meteorological Center. (The Center provides the general forecast guidance upon which local forecasts, both public and private, are based.) For a short period of time, he also was a TV weather broadcaster in Los Angeles.
B28: Writing Your Own Life Story: Finding Meaning in Your Experience
Lois V. Conrad 3 units
Nov. 9, 16, 30, Dec. 7 Wed. 2:30-4 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 25
· NEW ·
Are you trying to write an autobiography or your memoirs for your family? Looking at what others have written about their lives may help you turn your own experiences inside out to see them in new ways—and lead you to better writing. This course will engage the class in a discussion of several life stories to see what the writers reveal about their lives and, more importantly, how they use writing as an effective tool to examine their worlds. The class will read and discuss several short autobiographical pieces and engage in writing exercises designed to help you get the most out of your personal writing. This class is appropriate for both those who took “Life Stories: Fact or Fiction” and new students.
Lois Conrad has an M.A. and Ph.D. in 19th century British literature and autobiography from Tulane University in New Orleans. At Tulane she served as dean of admissions for 17 years, taught honors sections as an adjunct assistant professor of English, and was the director of the freshman writing program.
Suggested Reading: Conway, Jill Ker. When Memory Speaks: Exploring the Art of Autobiography, 1999. Also, the instructor will provide several short pieces.
B29: The Faiths of the Postwar Presidents
David L. Holmes 3 units
Oct. 26, Nov. 2, 9 Wed. 3-4:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 75
· NEW ·
The course will proceed in three segments: 1) Truman-Johnson; 2) Nixon-Reagan; 3) Bush-Obama. Originally delivered as part of the George H. Shriver Lecture Series on Religion in American History, Mr. Holmes’s book, The Faiths of the Postwar American Presidents: From Truman to Obama, will be published by the University of Georgia Press in late summer of this year.
A church historian, David L. Holmes is Walter G. Mason Professor Emeritus of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. He has taught also at Carnegie Mellon University and at UVa. He holds degrees from Michigan State, Columbia, and Princeton, as well as honorary degrees from Lycoming College and Hood College
Suggested Reading: Holmes, David L. The Faiths of the Postwar American Presidents: From Truman to Obama, 2011.
B30: Climbing Your Family Tree: Genealogy for Beginners
Susan DuBar and Susan Emert 3 units
Nov. 3, 10, 17, Dec. 1, 8 Thu. 9-11 a.m.
Covenant Church of God Limit: 30
Genealogical research can be entertaining, exciting, exasperating, and addictive. Finding your ancestors is part history, part mystery and wholly absorbing. In this course we will cover the basics: how to get started, materials needed; using pedigree charts; family group sheets and other forms; computer programs; Internet and other sources; organizational methods; and, finally, what to do with all that data. We also will discuss pitfalls to avoid and separating fact from fiction. Classes will include lectures, useful handouts, videos, and time for questions. There will be one field trip. Familiarity with computers and the Internet is useful, but not necessary for this course.
Both instructors are officers in the Central Virginia Genealogical Association (CVGA), have been engaged in genealogical research for ten years or more, and have experience presenting programs on genealogy. Their varied backgrounds demonstrate the appeal of the subject to people of all disciplines.
B31: Introduction to the U.S. Health Care System
Carolyn L. Engelhard 3 units
Nov. 10, 17, Dec. 1, 8 Thu. 9-10:30 a.m.
Senior Center Limit: 50
This course will examine the evolution of the U.S. health-care system from a health-policy and health-values perspective, with an emphasis on the current health system. Topics include issues surrounding the financing, organization, and delivery of health care, including access, coverage, cost, and quality of health services; the influence of medical and nonmedical determinants of health; review of the new health-care reform law; and an analysis of the respective roles of government and the private sector in regulating health care.
Carolyn L. Engelhard is an assistant professor and health-policy analyst at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. Ms. Engelhard’s academic activities include studying and monitoring changes in health policy at the federal and state governmental levels and teaching in both the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine. In 2007 Ms. Engelhard coauthored a book looking at the myths surrounding the U.S. health-care system. In 2009 she completed a project in conjunction with the nonpartisan Urban Institute examining the use of public policies to reduce obesity. More recently, Ms. Engelhard coauthored an article in the New England Journal of Medicine examining health-insurance premium-rating regulation under the new health-care reform bill and completed a book chapter examining future health workforce needs in the U.S.
B32: The Supreme Court of the United States VIII: Fundamentals
Henry Abraham 3 units
Oct. 27, Nov. 3, 10, 17 Thu. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Westminster Canterbury Limit: 50
· NEW ·
This course is designed to acquaint participants with the nature of the judicial process as it evolves in the modus operandi of the highest federal tribunal in our land, concentrating on the following topics:
Henry J. Abraham is the James Hart Professor of Politics, Emeritus, at UVa, specializing in constitutional law, judicial politics, civil rights and liberties, and the nature of the judicial process. He was the winner in 1983 of UVa’s Thomas Jefferson Award and in 1993 of the first Lifetime Achievement Award of the law and courts section of the American Political Science Association. He has written numerous books and articles and has lectured widely abroad on U.S. State Department assignments between 1964 and 1991. His Ph.D. is from the University of Pennsylvania, and he holds five honorary degrees.
B33: Sustainability: Origins, Meaning, Trajectory
Richard C. Collins 6 units
Oct. 27, Nov. 3, 10, 17, Dec. 1, 8 Thu. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
This course will explain the meaning(s) and boundaries of the concept of sustainability. It will include elements concerning biology, economics, demography and technology.
Richard C. Collins is Sydney Lewis Professor of Urban and Environmental Planning, Emeritus, School of Architecture, University of Virginia. He has served in that position since 1974. He is also the founder of the Institute for Environmental Negotiation at UVa and has been an environmental mediator in disputes or planning processes involving land use, water, toxic substances, air quality, energy and other areas where sustainability is a relevant factor in deliberations and settlement.
Suggested Reading: Wachernagel, Mathis, William E. Rees and Phil Testemale. Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, 1998. Meadows, Donella, Jorgen Randers and Dennis L. Meadows. The Limits to Growth: The 30-Year Update, 2004.
B34: Jamestown, 1607-1698: From Founding to Demise
D. Alan Williams 6 units
Oct. 27, Nov. 3, 10, 17, Dec. 1, 8 Thu. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 75
In the midst of the 400th anniversary celebration of the founding of Virginia, the tendency was to concentrate on the early years from 1607-1624. But the Jamestown Experience was much more. It covered the founding, near-failure, and then the conversion into a royal colony and the development of institutions the founders never anticipated—a shift from the English village model to a plantation society, from an English yeomanry to a slave labor force, from producing scarce commodities England needed to one she did not need—tobacco, and the emergence of a semiautonomous governing colony. By the end of the century with the burning of Jamestown City one final time, the roots of Virginia society were firmly in place. How this evolution took place will be the theme of this course.
D. Alan Williams is emeritus associate professor of history, UVa. He holds a B.A. from Westminster College and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University. He taught colonial American and Virginia history at UVa from 1957 to 1998.
Suggested Reading: Kelso, William M. Jamestown: The Buried Truth, 2008. Townsend, Camilla. Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma: The American Portraits Series, 2005. Horn, James P. P. Land As God Made It: Jamestown and the Birth of America, 2006. Morgan, Edmund S. American Slavery, American Freedom, 2003.
B35: Digital Photography: From Camera to Presentation
Bob Stroud 6 units
Oct. 27, Nov. 3, 10, 17, Dec. 1, 8 Thu. 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Senior Center Limit: 30
This course is well suited for the beginner or uneasy amateur user of a digital camera, but more advanced users also will find tips and advice that can improve their digital images. The six sessions are intended to increase skill in using digital cameras, from taking a picture to printing and showing it. There will be three principal segments to the course, which will build on each other as the course progresses: (1) digital cameras and digital images, and ways to take better pictures; (2) basic techniques to improve and enhance digital images through an introduction to Photoshop Elements, and strategies for storing, managing and retrieving pictures; and (3) ways to share and enjoy photos through traditional prints, e-mail, collages, and slide shows for viewing on a TV or computer. Class sessions will involve lectures, liberally supplemented with examples and demonstrations, and will include time for questions. A course syllabus will be available at the first session and periodic handouts will be distributed. Although there are no formal prerequisites for this course, it would be helpful to have a basic familiarity with Windows (or Mac), including the ability to use a mouse and to create, name and move folders and files.
Stroud holds degrees from Washington and Lee University: A.B., 1956; LL.B , 1958. In addition to practicing law before retirement in 2002, he has been a lecturer at W&L and its Law School, the Darden School of Business, UVa Law School, and Virginia State Bar continuing legal education. He has had a long-time interest in both photography and computers. He switched from film to digital cameras a few years ago and has extensive experience as an advanced amateur using Photoshop and Proshow programs for editing, viewing and displaying digital images. He has been printing his own images for a number of years and now also produces video DVDs of his pictures for viewing on a TV or the Web.
B36: The Bill of Rights
James S. Todd 3 units
Nov. 3, 10, 17, Dec. 1, 8 Thu. 2:30-4 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
· NEW ·
As we proceed toward the 220th anniversary of the adoption of the Bill of Rights on December 15, we will look at the origins of the Bill of Rights, the debate over whether it was necessary, and the role played by James Madison in getting it added to the Constitution. Then we will look at the evolution of the interpretation of Bill of Rights’ provisions, concentrating especially on the gradual—and ongoing—application of Bill of Rights’ provisions to the states. Last, we will look at why it is so difficult to interpret Bill of Rights’ provisions, concentrating on specific provisions of the First, Second, Fourth, Eighth and Ninth amendments.
Jim Todd received a B.A. from Gettysburg College in 1965 and J.D. and M.A. degrees from the University of Georgia in 1969 and 1971, respectively. He practiced law for ten years in Washington, from 1971 to 1981, the last seven years with the Interstate Commerce Commission. From 1982 to 1985 he pursued doctoral studies at the University of Virginia under the guidance of Henry Abraham and received his Ph.D. in 1993. He taught courses in American government and constitutional law and history for a year at Tulane and 21 years at the University of Arizona before retiring in December 2007 and moving back to Charlottesville. He taught a senior seminar on the growth of presidential power at UVa in the spring of 2008.
Suggested Reading: Abraham, Henry J., and Barbara A. Perry. Freedom and the Court: Civil Rights and Liberties in the United States. 8th ed., 2003.
B37: China: Getting beyond the Headlines
Myrle Langley 3 units
Nov. 4, 11, 18, Dec. 2, 9 Fri. 9:30-11 a.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 30
Sessions 1 and 2: A simplified history of China, with emphasis on the period from 1949 to the present and how it may relate to the attitudes and expectations of ordinary people.
Sessions 3 and 4: Current issues and observations; inferences derived from discussions with Chinese students in the classroom and as a guest in their homes.
Session 5: A continuation of Session 4, followed by an open, moderated exchange to address the thoughts and concerns of the course attendees and to exchange ideas about the future U.S.–China relationship.
Myrle Langley holds a B.A. and an M.A. in international relations from the University of Virginia, 1999 and 2001, respectively. He has been a volunteer teacher in the Ukraine, Vietnam, Rarotonga and China (Xi'an, An Shang Village, Yanliang, Haikou, Kunming and Sanyuan) and is also a retired airline pilot.
B38: Monsters under the Bed: Jung’s Shadow Archetypes in Dreams and Fairy Tales
Halley Willcox, D. Min. 3 units
Oct. 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18 Fri. 1-2:30 p.m.
Meadows Presbyterian Church Limit: 45
· NEW ·
C. G. Jung’s theories of Shadow and Archetype enlighten pathways of personal and spiritual growth for the seeker. This course will examine Shadow figures (e.g., the positive and negative animus and anima; the witch, the king, the princess, the wolf) embedded in fairy tales and dreams that communicate interesting paradoxes to
help us work through the psychological struggles of our daily lives. This will be a fun course. Bring your dreams!
Dr. Halley L. Willcox is an Episcopal priest and pastoral psychotherapist at the Wellness Center in Charlottesville. She studied Jung’s psychology in Boston and at the Jungian Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, in her doctoral program. She went on to post-doctoral work in psychoanalytic therapy at the Boston Psychoanalytic Society and Institute. She blends theory with experience in practical and inspirational ways and helps people use their dreams as inner pathways to spiritual growth and wholeness. Her introductory course on “Jung’s Psychology and Dreams” is not a required prerequisite for this course, although students are encouraged to read Jung’s biography, Memories, Dreams, Reflections, in advance.
Suggested Reading: von Franz, Marie-Louise. Shadow and Evil in Fairy Tales, 1995. Jung, Carl G. Memories, Dreams, Reflections. Edited by Aniela Jaffe. Translated by Clara and Richard Winston, 1989. Bettelheim, Bruno. The Uses of Enchantment: The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales, 2010.
B61: China: Getting beyond the Headlines
Myrle Langley 3 units
Oct. 31, Nov. 7, 14, 28, Dec. 5 Mon. 10-11:30 a.m.
R. R. Smith Center Limit 25
Sessions 1 and 2: A simplified history of China, with emphasis on the period from 1949 to the present and how it may relate to the attitudes and expectations of ordinary people.
Sessions 3 and 4: Current issues and observations; inferences derived from discussions with Chinese students in the classroom and as a guest in their homes.
Session 5: A continuation of Session 4, followed by an open, moderated exchange to address the thoughts and concerns of the course attendees and to exchange ideas about the future U.S.–China relationship.
Myrle Langley holds a B.A. and an M.A. in international relations from the University of Virginia, 1999 and 2001, respectively. He has been a volunteer teacher in the Ukraine, Vietnam, Rarotonga and China (Xi'an, An Shang Village, Yanliang, Haikou, Kunming and Sanyuan) and is also a retired airline pilot.
B62: Late 20th Century Presidents and Their Families: Personal Observations and Reflections
Don W. Wilson 3 units
Oct. 24, 31, Nov. 7 Mon. 1-2:30 p.m.
Woodrow Wilson Library Limit: 40
· NEW ·
During his professional career Don Wilson, an historian by training, has had the privilege and opportunity to observe and personally know nearly all the U.S. presidents from Dwight Eisenhower through George W. Bush. In this course he will provide participants with first-hand observations of these men and/or, in some cases, immediate family members he worked with over the span of his career as a presidential library director or archivist of the United States. He worked most directly with Presidents Ford and George H. W. Bush but had interactions with every president or an immediate family member of the others.
Dr. Wilson, a former achivist of the United States and director of three presidential libraries, has been president and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum since July 2009. A Kansas native, he received his undergraduate degree from Washburn University of Topeka and his master’s and Ph.D. in American history from the University of Cincinnati. He served as historian and deputy director of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library in Abilene, KS (1969-78), and associate director of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin (1978-81). From 1981 to 1987 he served as the first director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in Michigan. In the summer of 1987 President Ronald Reagan appointed him as the seventh Archivist of the United States. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and held the position until 1993. From 1993 to 1999, as the executive director of the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation, he was responsible for the establishment and development of that presidential library, which opened in 1997.
Suggested Reading: Ford, Gerald R. A Time to Heal: The Autobiography of Gerald R. Ford, 1987. Bush, George H. W. All the Best, George Bush: My Life in Letters and Other Writings, 2000.
B63: Practical Concerns for the End of Life: What You Need To Know
Mary Ann Stripling 6 units
Nov. 1, 8, 15, 29, Dec. 6, 13 Tue. 10-11:30 a.m.
R. R. Smith Center Limit: 30
· NEW ·
So often people put off the planning until it’s too late. We wonder why certain things were special or why our loved one never made out a will or power of attorney or medical directives. This course will address the myriad of decisions that can be made BEFORE we die—a ”how to” for planning your “going-away party,” if you will. You can make it an enjoyable event, not only for you but for your family. This course will leave you with many good ideas for “getting your ducks in a row.” Several guest speakers will address your legal and medical questions.
Mary Ann Stripling earned her English degree from Texas Tech, her counseling degree from UVa, and her family-studies degree from Virginia Tech. The major part of her career was spent in high schools, first as an English teacher, then as a counselor. She enjoys retirement with its freedom to pursue many interests, including genealogy. Recent experiences before and after the death of her mother have made her passionate about her topic.
Suggested Readings: Jenkins, Margie. You Only Die Once: Preparing for the End of Life with Grace and Gusto, 2002. Jenkins, Margie. My Personal Planner, Expanded Edition, 2009(for use with the book You Only Die Once).
B64: Prisons in America: An Insider’s View
Ray Jacquin 3 units
Oct. 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15 Tue. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Augusta Health, Lifetime Educ. Bldg. Limit: 25
Time magazine has called America “the Inmate Nation”; there are approximately two million people incarcerated in our prisons and jails. This course will provide a rare look at life behind the walls of a maximum-security prison. We will discuss the inmate subculture, how various criminal personalities fit into the inmate hierarchy (pecking order), and the issues of criminal activity, violence and drugs within the prison. The causes of prison riots, such as Attica, will be explored, as well as what penologists call the treatment/ punishment dichotomy. We will discuss offender case histories, the prohibitive cost of incarceration and alternative sentencing.
Ray Jacquin, a retired warden of a maximum-security prison, started his career at Rikers Island Penal Complex in New York City. He has served in various capacities, including commanding officer of the first Prison Hostage Negotiation Team in New York State and commanding officer of the Corrections Training Academy. He is a certified police instructor who has authored and instructed courses in prison security and prison-management strategies. He also has served on the Criminal Justice Task Force on Prison Overcrowding.
B65: The Time of Our Lives: Experience, Memory and Meaning
Mac Warford 3 units
Oct. 25, Nov. 1, 8, 15 Tue. 3-4:30 p.m.
R. R. Smith Center Limit: 25
· NEW ·
What we think we know, understand, and assume to be true often changes as we get older, when matters of belief, vocation, character, and responsibility take on different meanings. In this context, we have a chance to reconsider who we are, the things that are important, and where our life might yet lead. The course provides a setting in which to explore these issues of time and memory through discussion of T. S. Eliot’s Four Quartets and other writings.
Mac Warford is a theological teacher who has served on the faculties of Saint Louis University and Union Theological Seminary in New York. He has been a pastor, seminary president, and longtime consultant to the Lilly Endowment, Inc., and The Teagle Foundation. He holds a doctorate in education from Columbia University and has published widely on vocation, theological education, and the practice of ministry.
Suggested Reading: Eliot, T. S. Four Quartets, 1968. (Online text: http://www.tristan.icom43.net/ quartets/) Hillman, James. The Force of Character: And the Lasting Life, 2000. McConkay, James, ed. The Anatomy of Memory: An Anthology, 1996
B66: Contemporary Ideas: Where the World Is and Where the World Is Headed
Hal Aaslestad and John Mason 3 units
Nov. 2, 9, 16, 30, Dec. 7 Wed. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
R. R. Smith Center Limit: 25
· NEW ·
This course will deal with current issues, thought and ideas, and humanity. It is anchored by video presentations of "TEDtalks" (www.tedtalks.com) recorded at the annual TED conference, which began in 1984 and originally was devoted to the converging fields of technology, entertainment
and design. More than a thousand people from all over the world now attend the conference—indeed, the event sells out a year in advance—and the content has expanded to include science, business, the arts, and global issues facing our world. The speakers at TED present amazing performances, perspective, and analysis about new knowledge and thinking that are evolving in many fields and which affect how we live now and will in the future. Each has 20 minutes to present the talk of their lives. We will view, discuss, and supplement some of these talks each week. If you are interested in where knowledge in the world is and where it is headed, this course is a must!
Hal Aaslestad holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from Louisiana State University. Now retired, his research focused on molecular biology of viruses. He was a senior administrator at the National Institutes of Health during the 1970s and 80s and ended his professional career as associate dean for research at the Yale School of Medicine. He has traveled widely and presently is active as a stone sculptor.
John Mason holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Birmingham, U.K. His teaching and research interests in 20th century European history are closely linked to living in particular places. In England he taught for the Open University for 25 years and in the late 1990s did research and taught in the post-Soviet countries of Slovakia, Hungary and Armenia. John is also an active stone sculptor.
Required: Access to the Internet
Suggested Reading: Short articles and short videos will be suggested at the beginning of the course.
B68: Science and Religion: How Are They Related?
Paul Nancarrow 3 units
Nov. 3, 10, 17, Dec. 1, 8 Thu. 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
R. R. Smith Center Limit: 25
Science and religion are often portrayed as being necessarily opposed to each other. But serious thinkers from the Middle Ages to today have explored ways that science and religion might complement each other, leading to a richer understanding of ourselves and our world. This course will use Ian Barbour’s paradigm of four basic ways of relating science and religion—conflict, independence, dialogue, and integration—to explore how we can relate to science and religion in our lives.
Paul S. Nancarrow holds a B.A. from Ripon College, an M.A. from the University of Minnesota, an M.Div. from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. He has taught for the Deacons School of the Diocese of Minnesota and the United Seminary of the Twin Cities, concentrating in theology and the dialogue between science and religion.
Suggested Reading: Barbour, Ian G. Religion and Science: Historical and Contemporary Issues, 1997.
Session A: Charlottesville | Valley ............ Session B: Charlottesville | Valley