Fall 2022 Term

The Fall 2022 Term of the Lifelong Learning Institute of OWU is scheduled from October 3rd - November 11. Featuring 10 courses on a variety of topics including music appreciation, journey through time with the James Webb Space Telescope, American women writers, global cuisine and much more! There is something for every lifelong learner and gift certificates are available! (See tab to the right).

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

The term begins October 3rd and ends November 11th.  Registration for the Fall 2022 Term has now closed.

Class Location: All class sessions will be held in the 1st floor Benes Rooms of the Ohio Wesleyan Hamilton-Williams Campus Center except where noted in the individual class descriptions below.  The campus map can be found here.  

Please note other highlighted class locations include the Strand Theatre, Willow Brook Christian Village and the OWU Beeghly Library 2nd floor Bayley Room (the library has an elevator).  OWU Beeghly Library is right across from the Hamilton-Williams Campus Center with campus parking next to and behind the building off of Park Avenue.

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

We look forward to seeing you this fall!

Movies About Making Movies and the History of the American Studio System

Tracey Peyton, Managing Director, Strand Theatre

James Cretella, Projectionist, Strand Theatre

Mondays, 9:00 am - Noon (October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; November 7, 14)

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

In this class we will look at films that examine the creative process of movie making – how movies are made, the various roles in making movies and the challenging decisions that have to be executed to ensure a film’s success, as well as the toll it takes on those involved. We will also visit the history of the American Studio System through the decades. In Strand fashion with the LLI Program, we will also offer a bonus week with another high-profile film.

• The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
  October 3
  Director: Vincente Minnelli.  Starring: Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, and Walter Pidgeon. An unscrupulous movie producer uses an actress, writer and director to achieve success.
• 8 1/2  (1963)
  October 10
  Director: Frederico Fellini.  Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, and Claudia Cardinale. A harried movie director retreats into his memories and fantasies.
• The Big Picture (1989)
  October 17
  Director: Christopher Guest. Starring: Kevin Bacon, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Emily Longstreth.  Film school grad Nick Chapman thought his career was made with his award-winning short film, but discovers Hollywood is not as easy as it seems.
• The Player (1992)
  October 24
  Director: Robert Altman.  Starring: Tim Robbins, Greta Scacchi, and Fred Ward. A Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected…but which one?
• State and Main (2000)
  October 31
  Director: David Mamet.  Starring: William H. Macy, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Rebecca Pidgeon. A movie crew invades a small town whose residents are all too ready to give up their values for showbiz glitz.
• Hugo (2011)
  November 7
  Director: Martin Scorcese.  Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Christopher Lee.  In 1931 Paris, an orphan living in the walls of a train station gets wrapped up in a mystery including his late father and an automaton.
• Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (2019)
  November 14
  Director: Quentin Tarantino.  BONUS WEEK! Starring: Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Margot Robbie. A faded television star and his stunt double strive to achieve fame and success in the end of Hollywood’s Golden Age in 1969 Los Angeles.

Wellness: Engage at Any Age

Mondays, 2:00 - 4:00 pm (October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; November 7)

• The Impact of Increasing Longevity, with Dr. Lynda Hall, Research Fellow, Franklin University
  October 3
  In the last century, we've added 30 years to life expectancy.  Healthy life expectancy has also risen. These increases, combined with decreases in birth rates, have shifted the demographic make-up of our global population dramatically, resulting in a higher proportion of people over age 60.  How will these shifts impact our lives as individuals and as a society?  What factors will influence our physical, social-emotional, and financial health and how do we leverage these factors to create widely shared, positive outcomes?
• Health in Action, with Laura Smith, Manager, Community Education, SourcePoint
  October 10
  Overview of useful tools to be an active manager of your health, including how to problem-solve health challenges and design doable action steps. 
• Meditative Art, with Carol Wallenfelz, Arts and Education Specialist, SourcePoint
  October 17
  Neaurographic Art, discovered and developed by Russian psychologist Pavel Piskarev, is a drawing process that activates connections made between brain cells and neurons, linking the conscience with the subconscious.  The result is an awareness and mindfulness that brings a sense of peace and helps turn stress into calm.  This session will touch briefly on the science of Neurographica and will include a guided meditation centered around the areas of our lives where we are seeking peace and harmony. Meditative time for creating your own Neurographic piece will follow.  No art experience is required. 
• Find Your Fun, with Marilyn Clark, Community Education Coordinator, SourcePoint
  October 24
  Research shows that people with social connections are happier.  This session creates an immersive experience for participants to engage socially in a ways and, in a light-hearted environment, sense the relationship between connectedness and happiness. 
• Fitness on Your Own Terms, with Jonell Arthur, Wellness Manager, SourcePoint
  October 31
  The Valemee Fitness Training System was originally designed to meet the needs of those with disabilities; however, this inclusive system can be successfully used with anyone who responds well to visual instruction.  Participants in the program will have the opportunity to try this simplistic system of self-led exercises to experience the positive outcomes of health and fitness.  The Valemee Fitness Training System empowers each person to overcome barriers to success.  It is a program committed to helping every individual achieve fitness and independence to reach their personal goals.
• What's Your Focus?  Photography, Gratitude and Writing, with Joan Pearse, Arts and Education Manager, SourcePoint
  November 7
  As we look back on our lives and think about what truly matters, many times we realize that it is the small things that make a big impact on our daily lives.  Feed your soul with nature photos of beautiful places, animals and living things coupled with encouraging, inspiring and thought-provoking quotes.  Focus on gratitude and the benefits it brings to our lives.  Participate in a creative writing experience.  Joan Pearse, MPA, Arts and Education Manager at SourcePoint leads this program.  Focus on peace, and things we can do daily to make these the best years of our lives.
• OPTIONAL TRIP - Hiking at Malabar Farm State Park and Lunch at Der Dutchman (Registration/payment required through SourcePoint)
  December 12
  Enjoy a day of hiking in scenic Central Ohio on one of several varied trails at Malabar Farm.  In 1941 Malabar Farm became the home of the Pulitzer Prize winning author, farmer and conservationist Louis Broomfield.  Since 1976, Malabar Farm as been a State Park, charged with reflecting the agricultural tradition of Ohio.  Lunch included at Der Dutchman in Bellville.  Activity Level 3: Lots of walking/standing for multiple hours, may include flights of stairs and/or uneven terrain.

Ukraine in Crisis

Mondays, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. (October 10, 17)

The war in Ukraine has grabbed headlines for months.  Explore the conflict in more depth from political and economic perspectives with a look to the future.

• Russia's War with Ukraine: Causes and Consequences, with James Franklin, Professor of Politics and Government, Ohio Wesleyan University
  October 10
• The Economic Impact of the War in Ukraine, with Goran Skosples, Associate Professor of Economics, Ohio Wesleyan University
  October 17

Appreciating Music: Diamonds in the Rough - Artistry from Folk to Film

Nancy Gamso, Professor Emeritus of Music, Ohio Wesleyan University

Tuesdays, 10:00 a.m. - Noon (October 4, 11, 18, 25; November 1, 8)

Class Location: This class will meet in the 2nd floor Bayley Room of the Beeghly Library at Ohio Wesleyan University.

Dr. Gamso will lead Institute participants on an exploration of diverse musical styles: Folk (1 session), Jazz (2 sessions), Classical (2 sessions), and Music for the Stage: Opera, Musical Theater and Film (1 session).  Content will cover highlights of historical context and more intently, focus upon the listening skills used to recognize and marvel at the musical features of each style.

LLI Potpourri

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

Tuesdays, 2:00 - 4:00 pm (October 4, 11, 18, 25; November 1, 8)

• Why Not to Read Shakespeare, Especially Not King Lear, with John Kneisly, longtime member of the Delaware Shakespeare Club, retired computer programmer
  October 4
  Shakespeare is a great writer and King Lear is one of his greatest plays.  Don’t read them if you can help it.  Unless... NOTE: the date of this class has changed from that shown on the LLI flier distributed earlier this summer.
• Watergate: Fifty Years Later, with Michael Flamm, Professor of History, Ohio Wesleyan University
  October 11
  Fifty years ago, police arrested five burglars associated with the campaign to reelect Republican President Richard Nixon in the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Office Building. The arrests led to a political, legal, and constitutional crisis that culminated with Nixon's resignation and pardon in 1974.   What have we learned about the Watergate Scandal in the past five decades?  Why did Nixon choose to resign and what were the lasting consequences?  This presentation will explore those questions and more.
• Improvements in Weather Forecasting, with Richard Thayer, retired Navy meteorologist
  October 18
  Learn the vast improvements in weather forecasting that have been achieved over the past 50 years, the advances in technology that made them possible, how we more confidently make decisions because of it, and finally the implications for climatology forecasting.  NOTE: the date of this class has changed from that shown on the LLI flier distributed earlier this summer.
• Free and Fair Elections: A Look Ahead with Joan McLean, Professor Emeritus of Politics and Government, Ohio Wesleyan University
  October 25
  We'll begin with a quick review of the factors necessary for free and fair elections to take place in democratic societies.  Next, we'll discuss the impact newly enacted U.S. election laws - as well as changes in the implementation of existing ones - may have on conducting free and fair elections in 2022 and 2024.
• A Lost Story of the Civil War: W.G. Raymond, the Opium-addicted Pistol Toting Preacher Who Raised the First Federal African American Union Troops with Donna Burtch, OWU Class of 1979, and William Burtch, Central Ohio sibling co-authors.
  November 1
  The recently released book details the remarkable life of abolitionist and Lincoln appointed Union Army Officer W.G. Raymond, and the African American troops he recruited on the streets of D.C. The companies he raised would go on to become the 1st USCT. Prior to that, the War Department would not recognize their activities, resulting in history omitting their courageous efforts, and W.G. going broke paying for troop provisions. With more challenges to come.
• The First Stars: Dawn at the End of the Cosmic Dark Ages with Don Stevens, Director, Perkins Observatory
  November 8
  This session will be a journey back to the beginning of time with the James Webb Space Telescope as our time machine. It will carry us to the era that the first stars and galaxies formed as revealed by its gigantic mirror and high tech science instruments. We also will take a look at the history of the telescope, the astronomer the telescope is named after, and some of the latest science results released since its launch.

American Women Writers

Stephanie Tingley, Emeritus Professor of English, Youngstown State University

Wednesdays, 10:00 am - Noon (October 5, 12, 19, 26; November 2, 9)

This course offers a broad survey of key women from Colonial times through contemporary, with a focus on their interesting life stories and works and cultural contexts/American themes.

• Colonial and 18th Century Writers
  October 5
  Anne Bradstreet—first poet! Massachusetts Bay Colony; Mary Rowlandson—Massachusetts preacher’s wife who wrote about being held captive by Native Americans; Phylis Wheatley—slave woman poet who even wrote a poem about George Washington
• 19th Century Part I
  October 12
  Margaret Fuller—Feminist writer, magazine editor, and activist; Louisa May Alcott—Famous for Little Women, but wrote and did much more, including time as a Civil War nurse; Fanny Fern—Satirical humorous newspaper columnist
• 19th Century Part 2
  October 19
  Emily Dickinson—One of America’s Greatest (and most fascinating) Poets
• 19th Century Part 3
  October 26
  Harriet Beecher Stowe—abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin; Harriet Jacobs—slave and author of Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl 
• Late 19th Century Through Turn of the 20th Century
  November 2
  Edith Wharton—chronicler of Gilded Age New York’s class struggles, mores, and manners (House of Mirth, The Age of Innocence); Willa Cather—life on the Great Plains, the way west, immigrant struggles (My Antonia, O Pioneers)
• Late 19th Century Through Turn of the 20th Century
  November 9
  Toni Morrison—Pulitzer-Prize winner for her novel Beloved; Mary Oliver—meditative poet who writes about nature and humans’ relationship to it 

Raise Your Spirits

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

Wednesdays, 4:30- 6:30 p.m. (October 5, 12, 19)

• Brian Mathias, Co-founder, Ill Mannered Brewery, 38 Grace Drive, Powell
  October 5
• Sandi Weddington, Owner, Blend of Seven Winery, 1400 Stratford Road, Delaware
  October 12
• Nick Sheets, Owner, Henmick Farm and Brewery, 4380 North Old State Road, Delaware
  October 19

NOTE: Each class will be held at the respective winery or brewery.  Enrollment is limited to 40 participants.

Discover the Dinosaurs

Dale Gnidovec, Curator, Orton Geological Museum, The Ohio State University

Thursdays, 10:00 a.m. - Noon (October 6, 13, 20, 27)

Class Location: The first class session on October 6th will meet in the 2nd floor Bayley Room of the Beeghly Library at Ohio Wesleyan University.  All other class sessions will be held in the Ohio Wesleyan Hamilton-Williams Campus Center 1st floor Benes Room. 

Dinosaurs fascinate everyone, from little kids to PhD scientists. In recent years our knowledge of them has exploded – we now know of over a thousand species. They lived on every continent, in environments from dry deserts to wet swamps and warm to snowy climates. This class will look at the huge variety of dinosaurs, covering the major groups: the huge “brontosaurs”, the theropods (carnivores, including birds), and the strange varieties with horns , spikes, plates, and tail clubs.  We will also discuss how scientists find, excavate and reconstruct these marvelous beasts, what other animals shared their world, and why they became extinct. Come learn more about dinosaurs than your grandkids!

Global Flavors, Trends and Ingredients That Are Changing the Culinary Landscape  

John Lindeboom, Corporate Director of Culinary Services, Willow Brook Christian Communities

Thursdays, 2:00-4:00 pm (October 6, 13, 20, 27; November 3, 10)

Have you noticed the recent impact of global cuisine in restaurants and grocery stores?  Chef Lindeboom and others will present a variety of cooking demonstrations that illustrate how these trends are here to stay.

NOTE: This course will be held in the Terrace Room at the Willow Brook Christian Village, 100 Willow Brook Way, S., Delaware.  Enrollment is limited to 40 participants.

Putting Delaware County on the Map - People, Places and Things That Have Shaped Our Community

Fridays, 9:30-11:30 am (October 7, 14, 21, 28; November 4, 11)

Class Location: All class sessions will be held in the Ohio Wesleyan Hamilton-Williams Campus Center 1st floor Benes Room. Please note this is a change from what has been previously published.

You'll want to join this group of community presenters to learn about the origins of Delaware County and the people, places and things that make it unique.

• How It All Started -- Part I with Brent Carson, President Emeritus, Delaware County Historical Society
  October 7
  Trace the beginnings of Delaware County through history makers such as Moses Byxbe, the moundbuilders, the Lytle Family and more.
• Railroads in Delaware County with Jack Hilborn, Longtime Railroad and Train Enthusiast
  October 14
  Participants will learn about the history of local railroads.  Long-time railroad and train enthusiast Jack Hilborn will provide amusing anecdotes throughout the session.
• How It All Started -- Part II with Brent Carson, President Emeritus, Delaware County Historical Society
  October 21
• Little Brown Jug with Jay Wolf, Little Brown Jug Publicity Chair and Race Historian
  October 28
  For nearly 80 years, Delaware has been the “home of the Little Brown Jug.”  In this session, we will look at the race’s history and its impact on the community as well as share stories from the “Great American Harness Race.”
• From Adam Poe to Rock Jones: 180 Years of Ohio Wesleyan History with Bob Holm, OWU Class of 1960, Retired Vice President for University Relations, Ohio Wesleyan University and LLI Steering Committee Co-Chair
  November 4
  Bob will lead a journey through Ohio Wesleyan’s 180 year history, including its leadership, campus growth, and changing times, featuring some personal experiences during his 66 year association with OWU.
• Grady Memorial Hospital with Armin Rahmanian, President, OhioHealth Dublin Methodist Hospital and Grady Memorial Hospital, and Sue Bennington, OWU Class of 1969, Retired Director of Development, Grady Memorial Hospital
  November 11
  From its founding in 1904 as the Jane M. Case Hospital Association to its current existence as OhioHealth Grady Memorial Hospital, this facility has a fascinating history.  Participants will enjoy this journey through time.