Fall 2008 Course Offerings
For more information please contact Dana Pandey, Program Manager, at 415-458-3763 or olli@dominican.edu
Forms
Fall 2008 Session: September 15 - November 13
Mondays
Pilgrimages: Rambles on the Paths of Eminences and Eccentrics
There are few better uses of travel than to walk in the footsteps of those who gave us our history. In this course we wil go in quest of six of them: St. James the Elder, who inspired one of the great religious journeys of the Middle Ages; Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria, castle-builder nonpareil; Cleopatra, last pharaoh of Egypt; painter Vincent van Gogh; naturalist Charles Darwin and Thomas Jefferson, diplomat and Francophile.
Georgia I. Hesse, former travel editor of the San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle, was graduated from Carleton College and attended the University of Strasbourg, France, on a Fulbright scholarship. She holds the French Ordre National du Merite and is a chevalier de l"Ordre de la Republique Tunisienne.
September 15 - October 20
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (6 classes)
Location: Angelico Hall, Dominican Campus
You and Your United States Supreme Court
In this course we will explore how the court evolved from being "the least dangerous and least important branch of government" to the legal mentor we know today. You will find out about the current nine justices and how they reached the Supreme Court. We will look at how cases reach the court and whose cases never get there and why. We will choose several cases and engage each other in oral argument. As one justice said, "We are not final because we are infallible. We are infallible because we are final."
Mary Melissa Grafflin, JD, is a career secondary teacher and trainer of student teachers. She has recently written a book of ethical stories for teens. She taught street law for 14 years and was chosen with 67 other teachers from around the country to study at the U.S. Supreme Court Teachers Institute in the summer of 2000.
September 15 - October 20
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (6 classes)
Location: Alemany Library, Room 207, Dominican Campus
Tuesdays
Asian Art - Along the Silk Road and Beyond
The Silk Road was the world's first great superhighway, linking China and Central Asia to Europe. Merchants, artists and missionaries not only traded luxury goods, but also ideas, religions and art. In this course we will study the artistic traditions of Asia, including China, Japan and India, and look at how Asian art influenced Western art and architecture from the 17th to the 20th centuries.
Maureen O'Brien, MA, teaches Art History at Dominicn University of California. She received her BA in Art History from Dominican in 1993 and her MA in Humanities with an emphasis in Art HIstory in 1998. She has taught Art History at Sonoma State University and College of Marin and lectures for Elderhostel.
September 16 - October 21
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (6 classes)
Location: Dominican Campus
Wednesdays
From Charlie Chaplin to Billy Crystal: Comedy in the Movies
This class will take students on a journey from the earliest silent days of movie comedy to what is being produced as screen comedy today. We'll include slapstick, romantic comedy, great comedy teams, witty dialog as well as true classics of the comic genre. In six weeks we'll celebrate and explore movies that make us laugh...or at least smile!
Jan Wahl, best known to the Bay Area as the chapeau-adorned film critic on KRON Channel 4, graduated from San Francisco State with a degree in broadcast communication and arts. For 30 years Jan has been actively involved in the television and film industries. First as a producer, stage manager and director on such TV programs as "The Lawrence Welk Show," "Match Game," and "Good Morning America," and now as a movie critic, Jan has shared her love of entertainment with the community. She is a two-time Emmy award winner and member of the Directors Guild of America.
October 1 - November 12
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (6 classes)
No class on October 22 (makeup class will be held
on November 12)
Location: Angelico Hall, Dominican Campus
The Poets of Broadway: Musical Theatre's Most Gifted Lyricists
Lyric writers rarely receive the acclaim that is lauded upon their composer partners. Yet without these wordsmiths, the richness of thought and feeling, wit and whimsy that are such a crucial part of our most cherished show tunes and popular songs would not exist. In this series we give these verbal virtuosos their due. We'll look at the influences that shaped their art and enjoy filmed performances of beloved tunes and forgotten gems that demonstrate the artistry and craftsmanship of these Broadway bards.
Bonnie Weiss is an educator, writer and professional speaker. She has taught courses on the history of the American musical and the great composers of Broadway for institutions including the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, San Francisco State University, UC Extension, and College of Marin. Her popular lectures have received rave reviews at such community organizations as Stanford University Women's Alumni Association, and Elder Hostel. Her feature stories and reviews regularly appear in Stage Directions, a national magazine for theatre educators.
September 17 - October 22
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (6 classes)
Location: Aldersly Garden Retirement Center
326 Mission Avenue, San Rafael
Thursdays
The Language of Movement
How we move our bodies depends upon our culture, our social situations, our physical structure, and our intentions. We are usually not aware of how we communicate with body movements. This course will explore movements in different cultures from everyday movements to choreographed dance movements from Court dancing to Break Dancing. We will also look at our contemporary focus on improving our body movement in sports and exercise, Yoga, Pilates, and Martial Arts classes, and Feldenkreis, Alexander, and Rosen methods.
Bernice Goldmark, PhD. More than 60 years of teaching has taken Bernice Goldmark from Harlem Elementary Schools to Sonoma State University, where she taught for 28 years. She has a PhD in Educational Philosophy and English, and an MFC Counseling license and has been studying dance and painting continuously. She has exhibited Asian brush paintings, water colors, drawing and computer generated water colors, and pastels in many Marin County shows.
September 18 - October 23
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (6 classes)
Location: Angelico Hall, Dominican Campus
Those Terrible Terrific Tudors
The Tudors were a dynastic, dialectic, bloody, benevolent, kind, cruel, enlightened, despotic, loyal, aldulterous, but, above all, self willed and directed by a determination to do what was best for their realm. It was this shared vision of England's importance in the world at large which exonerated them in the writings of national historians. From the late fifteenth through the early seventeenth centuries, the Tudors secured their position because they ruled well in England. This course covers the topics of : The Problems of Succession and Legitimacy; The Religious Conflict.; Wives, Husbands and Lovers; The Crown and Parliament; War and Dipolmacy; and Serving Learning and the Arts: The Tudor Legacy.
Robert Jefferson, PhD, is professor emeritus (retired) of history at Sonoma State University. He received his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley and his PhD from the University of Utah. He has taught late medieval, Renaissance, and Tudor studies at Indiana University, Marian College, and Chico State University and has published primarily in the area of English fifteenth and sixteenth century law.
September 18 - November 6
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (8 classes)
Location: Villa Marin
100 Thorndale Drive, San Rafael
Fridays
French Literature in the Middle Ages
Join us as we discover the origins of the French language and learn how social, political, philosophical and religious environments influenced the evolution of an especially rich period of French Literature. We will discuss both the oral and poetic traditions from the twelfth through the fourteenth centuries: Songs of Heroic Deeds, The Song of Roland, Courtly literature, and the legends of King Arthur and the Round Table by Chretien de Troyes. Other topics include the "Romance of the Rose," popular literature, and the first French fables. The course will conclude with the fifteenth century, including the works of Christine de Pisan (the first woman who earned a living through writing) and the poems of Francois Villon.
Erika Harkins-Blatt, MA, received her degrees in French Literature in Bucharest, Romania, and at the University of Paris in France. She has twenty years of teaching experience. In addition to her background in Humanities, Erika also has a scientific background with a master's degree in Organic Chemistry.
September 19 - October 24
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (6 classes)
Location: Margaret Todd Senior Center
1560 Hill Road, Novato
Psychology 101: Mind and Body
This course will consist of six lectures by distinguished Psychology faculty of Dominican University of California.
Five Things Everyone Should Know About Psychology
A brief overview of five perspectives in Psychology
Psychology Department Faculty
September 19
Moving Past Childhood Memories and Insight: Positive Psychology Offers New Hope For Happiness
This session focuses on findings from Positive Psychology that can enable us to have meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Gail Matthews, PhD
September 26
Living with California's Faults: Public Response to Earthquakes and Other Natural Disasters
The session will include a discussion of factors related to risk perception and disaster preparedness, as well as post-traumatic stress and recovery following natural disasters, with particular emphasis on earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes.
Matt Davis, PhD
October 3
All Those English Poets: Exploring the Relationship Between Mood Disorders and Creativity
Among well-known artists, the rates of mood disorders are reported to be between 10 and 30 times greater than in the population at large. In this session we wil explore the relationship between mood disorders and creativity.
LeAnn Bartolini, PhD
October 10
"I Don't See the Elephant In the Room" and Other Examples of Attention Processes
A discussion of how faulty our attention can be, including demonstrations that support the idea that our attention is much more limited than we might think.
William Phillips, PhD
October 24
Old Dogs, New Tricks, and Why We Age
A review of theories of aging and treatments that may reverse cognitive aging in animal models. The focus will be on oxidative stress as a potential mechanism of aging and research on the effects of antioxidants on learning and memory in old age.
Afshin Gharib, PhD
October 31
September 19 - October 31
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. (6 classes)
No class on October 17 (makeup class will be held on October 31)
Location: Alemany Library, Room 207, Dominican Campus
Seminars, Clubs, Trips, and Partnerships
Fitness Moves: Smart, Safe, and Simple
The benefits of exercise are numerous, and scientific studies continue to identify more of them. Which ones are essential, and how can you get the most out of them? During this workshop you will receive the training to build a well-rounded, succinct fitness program, even if you have previous injuries and ailments. You'll learn the rationale for key exercises and how to perform them safely and effectively. You'll see that a smart fitness program won't infringe upon your social calendar or zap your energy. Most important, fitness can be fun! Please wear clothing that you can move in, and close-toed shoes.
Vicki Jackson, MA, has been teaching older adult fitness classes for over 13 years at various venues in Marin County such as the College of Marin, the YMCA, and the San Rafael Recreation Center. She completed her master's degree in Kinesiology in 2004 from Sonoma State University. The focus of her coursework was on adult fitness, and her master's research was on balance and mobility training.
September 20, 2008
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Location: Multipurpose Room, Conlan Center, Dominican Campus
Cost: $25 for all members
Theater Appreciation Club
This club, led by one of our own premium members, will meet four times during the fall session. Its purpose is to give members the opportunity to sample the excellent and varied community theater that exists in Marin County. 90 minutes in a classroom will be used to read and discuss the play that we will see that evening. Registrants for the club must purchase all four theater tickets and their own dinners; there is no other charge for the club. Dinner will follow the class, and after dinner participants will drive, separately or together, to that night's selected theater.
Sandy Levitan, MA, has participated in past community productions both as a performer and director and regularly attends theater productions around the Bay Area and beyond.
Setpember 25, October 16, October 30 and November 13
4:00 - 5:30 p.m. (four classes)
Location: Guzman Hall 114, Dominican Campus
Maximum of 20 participants
Up Close and Personal with the Marin Symphony
Live classical music becomes even more fascinating when you understand the fabric of each composition and the composer's motivations while writing it. Treat yourself to an insider's view of an entire symphony season as professor and musician Sally Johnson takes you behind the scenes of the Marin Symphony's program to explore the works performed, their historical contexts, and even the mechanics of putting on the shows. Participants will enjoy a 10 percent discount on a Marin Symphony season subscription. Four classes spread throughout the season will include guest visits by Marin Symphony personnel, including the Maestro, Executive Director and orchestra musicians. All participants must be OLLI members and purchase a Marin Symphony six-concert subscription.
Sally Johnson has been a professor of music for 30 years at several institutions including Wright State University and the Baptist Theological Seminary in Mill Valley. At Wright State, she chaired the Music Department and served as guest lecturer for the local Symphony and Opera associations. She served as Director of Music of the First Presbyterian Church in San Anselmo for 17 years and now is Music Director Emerita. She is a member of the Festival Singers, Marin Symphony Chorus and an associate conductor of the Consort Chorale. For the past year she has been a lecturer for the Marin Symphony.
Season subscriptions are available on Sundays and Tuesdays.
Sunday Series: October 5, November 2, January 18, March 1, April 7, and May 3
Tuesday Series: October 7, November 4, January 20, March 3, April 7, and May 5
Six-concert season subscriptions (including discount) are $135 - $328.50. Call 415-479-8100 to subscribe and specify "OLLI" for discount.
Class dates: September 24, 2008, January 14, April 1, and May 2, 2009
4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Location: Dominican Campus
Maximum of 20 participants
Ashland Theater Trips
Marin Shakespeare Company offers two trips to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Trips include travel in a private luxury coach, accomodations at the elegant Ashland Springs Hotel, talks by special guests from the Festival, your choice of three to five plays, and optional side trips, this year to Crater Lake. The trips are led by Marin Shakespeare Company Directors Lesley and Robert Currier. For information contact Lesley at 415-499-4485 or management@marinshakespeare.org. Sign up forms are also available online at www.marinshakespeare.org.
Trip 1 is October 10 - 13, 2008
Trip 2 is October 24 - 27, 2008
Cost (including three plays) is $540 for double occupancy
AgeSong
AgeSong is an interactive discussion grup designed to provide participants with a new, existential way to think about their inevitable aging. It will motivate them to create their final years exactly tailored to their own desires and values. Using the book AgeSong: Meditations for our Later Years by Elizabeth Bugental as a guide, we will work as a group to access the reality, the potential goodness and beauty, and the life enhancing connections available to us in these challending days of our maturity. Accepting loss as a given, we will look beyond the obvious into the riches still open to us if we use our minds, our experience, and our senses to enjoy each day of life made more precious by the passing of time.
We recommend that those who have suffered a very recent loss complete a program focused on dealing with grief prior to attending this group.
An interview with the facilitators is encouraged prior to the first group meeting.
Ann Coffey, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, is the co-founder with Elizabeth Bugental, PhD, of the AgeSong program at Family Service Agency of Marin.
Sheila Ali, RN, is a facilitator and the coordinator of the AgeSong program at Family Service Agency of Marin. Call 415-491-5700 ext. 5726 to arrange an interview.
Mondays
September 15 - November 3
2:30 - 4:00 p.m. (8 weeks)
Location: Family Service Agency of Marin
555 Northgate Dr., San Rafael
Cost: $80 for all members
Maximum of 10 participants
