ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú

Please Note

WWII and its Causes

The course begins with the background causes of WWII, such as the Treaty of Versailles, the Great Depression, and the fascist march of aggression in the 1930s. We will also be discussing events of the war itself, from the invasion of Poland to the surrender in Tokyo Bay.

Instructor: Ken Schneider taught AP European History from 1990 until his retirement. During his career, Ken read the AP European History exam and presented at AP Conferences.

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 9:00–10:15 am
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Room 128

Google Photos: Memories Organized, Searchable, and Fun

Google Photos offers all you need to securely store your lifetime of photo and video memories in your personal account in Google’s cloud. You can use their powerful tools to edit, search, organize, and share photos from any authorized device with an internet connection. This online class is for beginner to intermediate users of Google Photos. Students need a Google account and their smartphone, tablet, or laptop available for this course. A PDF copy of the supplemental text, Learn Google Photos by Chris Guld, will be sent ahead of the first session.

Instructor: Robin Seaver spent her career teaching adults basic computer skills. She’s a confessed Google Apps fangirl who loves her iPad, Android phone, and Mac computer.

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 9:00–10:15 am
Format: Virtual
Location: Online

Ageless Fitness 1 and 2

Ageless Fitness is a safe and effective program for seniors to learn how to exercise properly, see results, and have fun. By maintaining good fitness and health, we can stay above the disability threshold and add quality years to our lives. This is done by taking an in-depth approach to the needs, goals, and limitations of our bodies. A pre-training assessment is required to ensure safety and test balance, the cardiorespiratory system, musculoskeletal state, neuromuscular response, cognitive response, and mobility. Each exercise session is done in a small group setting. This program is designed for anyone over the age of 50, regardless of current state of fitness.

Instructors: Eddie Yates is an ACE-certified personal trainer and a certified Functional Aging Specialist trained to help folks over 55 move and feel their best. Joey Sauerland is a certified Functional Aging Specialist and Parkinson's Wellness Recovery Instructor who specifically works with folks over the age of 55.

5 Tuesdays AND Thursdays: October 8–November 7;
9:00–10:00 am OR 10:00–11:00 am
Format: In person
Location: Oxford, Anytime Fitness

IMPORTANT: Date Change

How Did You Create That? The Art of Functional Fused Glass

Have you ever wondered exactly how functional art pieces are created by fusing glass together? Join us as we describe the process of designing, cutting, constructing, firing, and slumping fused glass work. We will bring many examples of fused glass, as well as the materials used in creating these beautiful works of art.

Instructors: Sally Lloyd and Dionn Tron have been creating fused glass art since they attended the 2014 Craft Winter course “Glass in All Its Glory.”

1 Tuesday: October 29 (old date October 8); 10:00 am–noon
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Room 123

Happy Christmas: British Christmas Carols from Yore

Get an early start on the Christmas season by listening to stirring recordings and learning about the history of traditional Christian Advent and Christmas carols from England, Scotland, and Wales. Hear carols that may be new to you or familiar carols with different tunes.

Instructor: Having an avid interest in traditional congregational singing and history, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Emeritus Michael Hieber first taught for ILR Fall 2021 about Welsh hymn singing.

4 Tuesdays: October 15–November 5; 10:45 am–noon
Format: Virtual
Location: Online

Tim O’Brien’s Masterpiece The Things They Carried

Chosen as a New York Times Book of the Century, The Things They Carried follows an infantry platoon in Vietnam in linked stories “so searing and immediate you can almost hear the choppers in the background.” Come join this reader-centered, participatory discussion of “a striking sequence of stories that twist and turn and bounce off each other.” For our first class, please read “The Things They Carried” and “Love,” pp. 1-29/30.

Class text: Tim O'Brien, The Things They Carried, Mariner Classics, 2009, ISBN: 978-0-618-70641-9

Instructor: Don Daiker is Professor Emeritus of English at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University who taught classes in American fiction.

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 10:45 am–noon
Format: Hybrid
Location: Online and Oxford, Boyd Hall, Room 117

Let’s Finish Mining the Golden Age of Broadway

We're mining the last nuggets from the Golden Age of Broadway with musicals from the 1960s. Through discussion and film clips, we'll explore musicals including Unsinkable Molly Brown; Camelot; Milk and Honey; How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying; A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum; Oliver; and Hello, Dolly. Featured composers and lyricists include Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman, Frank Loesser, Lerner and Loewe, Jule Styne and Harnick and Bock.

Instructor: Doug Iden is a lover of musicals and is a reviewer for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT).

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 10:45 am–noon
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Auditorium

Structures and Forms: The Citizen and Government

Got a complaint? You can be a better citizen if you know how government works. By being informed about the structure of government, you can advocate for yourself with the people who can get things done. We’ll look at the government structure of the City of Oxford, the Township of Oxford, Butler County, the State of Ohio, and what issues face us now.

October 8 – Election Integrity and Voting Machines – Eric A. Corbin is Deputy Director of the Butler County Board of Elections.

October 15 – How the State of Ohio’s Government is Structured – John P. Forren is Executive Director of ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Menard Family Center for Democracy, Associate Professor of Social & Behavioral Sciences, and Affiliate, Department of Political Science.

October 22 – Citizen Involvement and Public Issues – Kathleen Brinkman, Co-President for Organization, League of Women Voters of Oxford, will present on gerrymandering and what can be done about it.

October 29 – Oxford’s Form of Government, the Charter, the Ordinances, and the Role of Boards and Commissions – Douglas R. Elliott, Oxford’s City Manager, will discuss the structure of local government.

Coordinator: Edna Carter Southard was elected to Oxford's City Council twice, serves on a city commission that she sponsored, and has been a member of the League of Women Voters for 18 years.

4 Tuesdays: October 8–29; 12:30–1:45 pm
Format: Hybrid
Location: Online and Oxford, Boyd Hall, Room 117

Science, Science Denial, Society, and the Consequences

Science is a process that leads to greater understanding of our universe, our past, and the present. Throughout human history, the teachings of science have been met with resistance for various reasons. In this class, we will explore some subjects that caused controversy in their time and today, such as the teachings of Galileo and Darwin, climate change, vaccinations, and others. The risk of science denial has never been of greater importance than in this coming election.

Instructors: Ben Mattox is a retired Talawanda High School biology and botany teacher. His interests include evolution, ecology, birds, microbes, and all biodiversity. Karl Mattox is Professor Emeritus at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, Botany Department, and served as Dean of the College of Arts and Science. His interests include evolution and plants, primarily algae.

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 12:30–1:45 pm
Format: In person
Location: Oxford, Boyd Hall, Room 228

Pickleball: A Beginner’s Guide

This course is designed for students with little to no pickleball experience. The game of pickleball is experiencing explosive growth in the United States and internationally. It’s a loose combination of tennis, badminton, ping pong, and racquetball, played on a miniature tennis court with similar markings and a net. While relatively easy to learn, the game takes time and practice to achieve consistency. Playing pickleball offers both physical and social benefits, providing a great way to get some exercise and meet new people. All equipment provided. Please wear comfortable clothing and tennis shoes to the lessons.

Instructors: After a 37-year career in R&D at Procter & Gamble, James Hatton is an intermediate recreational pickleball player who has been on the court two to three times a week for the past three years. Additional instructors, Bryan Canter, Leighton Jones, Joe Macke, and Ike Turain, will be available to facilitate a 4:1 student/instructor ratio.

Fee: $15, payable with registration

6 Tuesdays: October 1–November 5; 12:30–1:45 pm
Format: Virtual (first week only) and in person (weeks 2-6)
Location: Week 1: online; Weeks 2-6: Middletown, Lefferson Park
Note: Early start date. Rain/inclement weather will necessitate a change (announced via email by 10:00 am on class day) to an indoor venue, RG Sports Academy, 7950 East Kemper Road, Cincinnati.

Tuesday Midday Lecture Series

Each week the Tuesday Midday Lecture Series presents a speaker who will discuss a topic of interest and importance. Join us for this ILR tradition.

October 8 – Women Helping Women – Erica Fries is currently working as an advocate for Women Helping Women on ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Oxford campus.

October 15 – Appalachian Ohio – Matthew Smith teaches American and world history at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Hamilton and directs public programming at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú’s Hamilton and Middletown campuses.

October 22 – Caring for Your Trees and Plants – With a background rooted in the tree care industry, Kevin Lester is a board certified master arborist.

October 29 – The Constitution – Rebecca Johnson is a public historian who teaches public history at Xavier University.

November 5 – Guilty or Not Guilty – Pierce Reed is the director of policy and engagement for the Ohio Innocence Project, which works to free innocent people from prison and reform the criminal legal system.

Coordinator: Gabrielle Strand was a teacher for the Lakota School District for 25 years.

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 12:30–1:45 pm
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Auditorium

Joyful Conversations: Basic Spanish for Seniors

Join us for an exciting five-week Spanish class designed specifically for seniors, where we'll delve into the world of cognate words that are similar in both English and Spanish. This course aims to empower senior learners with the tools and knowledge needed to bridge the language gap between English and Spanish effortlessly. By exploring these linguistic connections, participants will discover a wealth of vocabulary that can enhance their language skills and improve communication in both English and Spanish. No prior Spanish is needed.

Instructor: As a native speaker and former Spanish teacher, Teresa Arcuri is able to share direct insight into the vocabulary and techniques needed to understand and use the language.

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 2:15–3:30 pm
Format: In person
Location: Oxford, Boyd Hall, Room 132

 Mysteries with a European Accent

Those with a love for mystery and a desire to vicariously travel to Europe should join us for the continuation of our European Mysteries class. Please read each book before its respective class.

October 8 – Charity written by Len Deighton

October 15 – Death in a Strange Country written by Donna Leon

October 22 – Bloodhounds written by Peter Lovesey

October 29 – Murder in Moscow written by Kelly Oliver

November 5 – Reflection and Class Discussion

Class texts: Any edition of the texts listed above

Instructor: Tom Gard is an avid reader of mysteries and likes discussing them with fellow devotees.

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 2:15–3:30 pm
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Room 123

Reading Gravity’s Rainbow, Continued

“A screaming [continues] across the sky.” Even if you didn't ease into Gravity's Rainbow with us in April by reading Part 1, everyone is welcome to join us on the Riviera as we start with Part 2. Then, after VE Day, we move into ravaged Germany, Southwest Africa, Central Asia, and elsewhere to experience more of the challenges and rewards of this surreal, masterly novel of emergent postwar international culture. We will reach the two-thirds point in the novel. For our first class, please read the first six of Part 2's eight episodes.

Class text: Thomas Pynchon, Gravity’s Rainbow, any edition. Older editions include Viking, 1973; Bantam, 1974; and Penguin, 1987. More recent editions include a repaginated Penguin Classics, 2006 (ISBN: 9780143039945), and Kindle or Nook Book, 2012 (ISBN: 9781101594650)

Instructor: John M. Krafft, Professor Emeritus of English at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University, was a founding co-editor of the journal Pynchon Notes and is coauthor (with Luc Herman) of Becoming Pynchon: Genetic Narratology and V. (2023).

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 2:15–3:30 pm
Format: Virtual
Location: Online

Eleanor Roosevelt, First Lady to the World

Eleanor Roosevelt overcame a difficult childhood to take charge of her life and make a difference in the world, proving to be a truly multi-faceted woman. Acting as the eyes and ears of her husband, Eleanor encouraged the nation during the challenges of WWII, supported the military and desegregation, was a UN delegate and an author of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and continued as an activist and writer after the death of her husband.

Instructor: Deb Price loves history and learning, not necessarily in that order.

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 2:15–3:30 pm
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Auditorium

Safe, Fair, and Nonpartisan Election Reforms

Many citizens favor reforms to our election processes to ensure the safety and fairness of elections, expand access of third-party candidates, and minimize the influence of extreme partisanship from major parties. We'll explore and discuss several possible reforms.

Instructor: Robert Viney is a former Procter & Gamble business executive, U.C. adjunct professor, and the author of American Turning Point—Repairing and Restoring Our Constitutional Republic.

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 4:00–5:15 pm
Format: Virtual
Location: Online

Noble Grapes and Global Wines II

What are the noble grapes, and why are they vital to winemaking all over the globe? We will discuss differences in grape cultivation, including the geography, soil, climate, and more, delving into the history of grape growing. We will also learn about the culture of winemaking, such as key influencers of the wine world and business dynamics. Each class will feature four wine tastings.

Instructors: As wine director, Nicholas Gantenberg is responsible for the wine inventory, purchases, tastings, and programs offered by The Spicy Olive. Melanie Cedargren is the owner of all three Ohio locations of The Spicy Olive, a tasting emporium for olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

Supply Fee: $64, payable to the instructor on the first day

5 Tuesdays: October 8–November 5; 4:00–5:15 pm
Format: Hybrid
Location: Online or Oxford, LaRosa’s
Note: Students electing to participate online must live within driving distance of LaRosa’s or The Spicy Olive for in-person pickup of wine samples on each class day.