Wednesday   

In this course, we will explore the history and cultural impact of kit homes in North America, focusing on their peak from 1905 to 1945. We will learn how to identify these mail-order houses and examine their rise, decline, and industrial innovations. We will also consider how kit homes intersected with issues of race and gender. Through examination of the industry and the stories of the people who lived in these homes, we will discover why they remain an important part of the cultural landscape.

PRESENTER:  Nigel Tate

Nigel Tate is an urban planning student at Michigan State University and an architectural preservationist and historian. Tate has studied kit homes for more than a decade, delivered talks across mid-Michigan, and created a guide to kit homes in Grand Blanc, MI. His interest began with a childhood discovery and has grown into ongoing research and advocacy focused on identifying and documenting these distinctive homes.

There are no winners in war. Only losers. In this course, we will examine the role of the American military and covert CIA activities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) across several major interventions since World War II, from Tunisia and Lebanon, to Iraq and Iran. We'll explore why we get it wrong over and over again, while generating countless enemies and squandering American lives, treasure and global standing.

Michael Baker is a retired surgeon who also served in the military and retired as a rear admiral. He was deployed into both combat and humanitarian missions. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and has lectured at national and international conferences.

 

There are no winners in war. Only losers. In this course, we will examine the role of the American military and covert CIA activities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) across several major interventions since World War II, from Tunisia and Lebanon, to Iraq and Iran. We'll explore why we get it wrong over and over again, while generating countless enemies and squandering American lives, treasure and global standing.

Michael Baker is a retired surgeon who also served in the military and retired as a rear admiral. He was deployed into both combat and humanitarian missions. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and has lectured at national and international conferences.

 

It's Grand. It's Glorious. It's Larger than Life. It's Opera! 

• Curious about opera but don't know how to get started?
• Know a little about opera but want to know more?
• Love opera but would like better background knowledge?

Join San Francisco Opera's Kip Cranna for a brief insider's look at the world of opera with hints on how to better enjoy this wonderful art form.

It's Grand. It's Glorious. It's Larger than Life. It's Opera! 

• Curious about opera but don't know how to get started?
• Know a little about opera but want to know more?
• Love opera but would like better background knowledge?

Join San Francisco Opera's Kip Cranna for a brief insider's look at the world of opera with hints on how to better enjoy this wonderful art form.

Charles Darwin’s geologic education formed the foundation of his scientific worldview and profoundly shaped the development of his theory of evolution by natural selection. During the HMS Beagle voyage, he documented uplifted coastlines, marine fossils high in the Andes, active volcanism, island evolution, and widespread earthquake deformation across South America. These observations convinced him that Earth’s crust is immensely old, dynamic, and continually reshaped - insights that provided the context necessary for understanding how species diverge and adapt over time. This talk will examine Darwin’s geologic insights and illustrate how modern plate tectonic theory now explains many of the processes he observed.

 

Charles Darwin’s geologic education formed the foundation of his scientific worldview and profoundly shaped the development of his theory of evolution by natural selection. During the HMS Beagle voyage, he documented uplifted coastlines, marine fossils high in the Andes, active volcanism, island evolution, and widespread earthquake deformation across South America. These observations convinced him that Earth’s crust is immensely old, dynamic, and continually reshaped - insights that provided the context necessary for understanding how species diverge and adapt over time. This talk will examine Darwin’s geologic insights and illustrate how modern plate tectonic theory now explains many of the processes he observed.

 

SAVE THE DATE:  OLLI members are invited for a festive afternoon to welcome the holiday season and wrap up 2026.  Guests are welcome at this invite.  Additional event details will be made available in November.

SAVE THE DATE:  OLLI members are invited for a festive afternoon to welcome the holiday season and wrap up 2026.  Guests are welcome at this invite.  Additional event details will be made available in November.

How Will the Elections in Israel and the United States Shape the Next Chapter? 

The Middle East is changing before our eyes. Peace initiatives, ceasefire negotiations, shifting alliances, and regional rivalries are reshaping one of the world's most volatile regions.
Following recent national elections in both Israel and the United States, this timely seminar examines how new or old political leadership and changing priorities.

How Will the Elections in Israel and the United States Shape the Next Chapter? 

The Middle East is changing before our eyes. Peace initiatives, ceasefire negotiations, shifting alliances, and regional rivalries are reshaping one of the world's most volatile regions.
Following recent national elections in both Israel and the United States, this timely seminar examines how new or old political leadership and changing priorities.