Osher Online   

Instructor: Dave Paquin

We will build practical computer skills at a comfortable pace, with each class focused on an essential Microsoft Office application. We will learn to create polished documents, manage email with confidence, build simple spreadsheets and deliver a presentation, while also learning how to protect ourselves online.

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Instructor: Eleanor Schrader

We will trace furniture styles in Europe and the U.S. from ancient times to the end of the 18th century focusing on marquetry, gilding, lacquering, upholstery, mechanization and other techniques while considering the artists, patrons, materials and methods behind these creations.

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Instructor: Kimberly Marshall

We will explore the remarkable history, technology and music of the pipe organ from its invention in the 3rd century B.C. to its role as both the “king of instruments” and the “instrument of kings.”

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Instructor: Caroline Nappo

We will trace the history of journalism in the U.S. and examine how control of the press has shifted from political patrons and penny-press advertisers to broadcast regulators, cable moguls and today’s social media platforms. We will consider how these changes shaped journalism’s relationship to democracy and public trust.

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Instructor: Aaron Leonard

Some of the most prominent folk singers of the 20th century were also political activists with ties to the American Communist Party. Through music, video, news clippings and records from Freedom of Information Act filings, we will explore their lives and the systematic ways they were subjected to government surveillance and suppression.

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Instructor: Matt Cooper

We will introduce key aspects of deaf culture in the U.S. and explore what defines it as a cultural minority. We will examine cultural identity, group norms, social interaction, values and traditions while emphasizing awareness, diversity and language preservation.

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Instructor: Marc DiPaolo

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, George Lucas’s underdog film that became a cultural phenomenon. We will explore how its sequels, prequels, comic books, video games and action figures made a galaxy far, far away worthy of serious study and fan appreciation.

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Instructor: Scott Fulton

We will explore healthspan, the length of time a person lives in good health, through the lens of functional ability. We will examine how strength, endurance, mobility, flexibility and cognition support independence and quality of life.

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Instructor: Howard Kerner

We will examine lesser-known stories connected to the Holocaust, moving beyond the familiar history of public atrocities to explore powerful behind-the-scenes events. These stories reveal both hidden evil and extraordinary human goodness, offering a deeper understanding of this devastating period in history.

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Instructor: Nour Hodeib

We will survey popular cultures in the Arabic-speaking Middle East. Through cinema, literature, oral traditions and music, we will consider how communities express cultural, political and social identities in relation to colonialism, nation-building and globalization.

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Instructor: Diane Carlin

From the earliest days of colonization, the U.S. legal system denied women many rights. We will examine the well known and lesser-known advocates who led the decades-long struggle for women’s rights and the tactics they used to advance equality.

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Instructor: Richard Klin

We will explore five works of fiction—The Ugly American, Peyton Place, The Jungle, Babbitt and The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit—that remain culturally significant even though they are rarely read today. We will discuss each book in its historical context, consider its relevance now and examine its place in the literary imagination.

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Instructor: Asya Pereltsvaig

We will examine 20th- and 21st-century Russian history through the personalities of its rulers. Each week, we will explore one leader’s background, rise to power and legacy, and consider how each man’s personality and peculiarities shaped Russian history.

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Instructor: Mike Agron

We will trace how vocal groups have shaped music for nearly 1000 years. We will explore duos, trios, quartets, and larger ensembles across genres from sacred chant to jazz, pop, rock, R&B and beyond.

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Instructor: Eddy Friedfeld

We will explore 20th- and 21st-century U.S. history using humor as a lens. We will focus on comedy auteurs and incubators, standup, sitcoms and political satire, and consider how Americans laughed across generations.

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Instructor: Eric Simon

We will learn about the incredible life and career of Alexander von Humboldt, Prussian naturalist, mountaineer, polymath and the era’s second most famous European after Napoleon. We will discuss how reports from his journey to South America affected politics, history, science and art.

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Instructor: Arnold Blumberg

Denzel Washington brings an intensity and dedication reminiscent of Sidney Poitier and Gene Hackman. We will examine his career across television, film, theater, directing and producing.

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Instructor: Jeri Bingham

We will unpack these myths and explore introversion as a misunderstood personality type. We will discuss the power of introverts, the exhaustion of masking as extroverts and the stigma attached to the word itself.

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Instructor: Olivia Espin

We will explore the lives of female saints through history, religion, psychology, women’s and gender studies, and cultural studies. We will examine the stories of women whose strength, complexity and influence challenge narrow stereotypes of sainthood.

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Instructor: Ladrica Menson-Furr

August Wilson was the first African American playwright to have a Broadway theater bear his name. We will read, watch and examine the final five plays in his American Cycle to trace his powerful interpretation and celebration of Black culture.

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Instructor: Emanuel Abramovits

We will explore how classical musicians, and Broadway and Hollywood composers, followed parallel paths in creating sounds that reflect the U.S. and its people. Featured composers include Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Florence Price, and more.

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Instructor: Eddy Friedfeld

We will analyze significant periods and players of the 20th and 21st centuries against their historic context and legacy, using humor as the platform. We will discuss how comedy was shaped by and responsive to U.S. society, and how comedians influenced and shaped everyday life.

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Instructor: Lauren Andersen

We will trace the evolution of the courts from their English roots to formal establishment, explore how the U.S. Supreme Court derives its authority and examine the Court’s evolution and current role.

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Instructor: Scott Jones

We will track the evolution of trade from an executive’s perspective. From the sunken treasures of Bronze Age merchant ships to today’s high-tech intermodal systems, we will explore vessels that have carried the world’s wealth and complex networks that keep our modern shelves stocked.

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