… and a few evil ones. This curious lecture/discussion class will explore the lives of a series of women of many faiths and differing beliefs, all of whom have had powerful influences through their contrasting times, views, and actions. Class participation and toleration serve as a foundation of adult education.

Dr. Judith Chandler is a retired Furman professor, and she has taught at OLLI since its inception. She is also an artist and community volunteer. 

Interesting Characters has a different subject and presenter each week. The Summer term will include Bernard Hermann by Jann Howell on June 4, Sam Clemens by Jim Maurer on June 11, and Sir David Attenborough by Kathy Vyrostek on June 25. (A fourth character and presenter is TBD) 

If you are a news junkie and enjoy discussing issues of the day with diverse thinkers, this class is for you. We will examine news articles from various perspectives as a foundation for small group discussions. If you are a person who does not want to hear an opposing point of view, you will not have a good time in this class. Discussion will be facilitated through questions with a goal to have thoughtful, respectful, open class participation.

This is the second part of a course begun in Spring 2025. Part I is not required. This class will cover terrorism types and characteristics, the historical background of terrorism, the psychology of terrorism, and the globalization of terrorism.  Explore the varied manifestations of terrorism, from state-sponsored terrorism carried out by authoritarian governments to anti-government terrorism driven by political motives or religious objectives. Delve into historical cases of terrorism, examining their impact on affected communities and analyzing the motives that fueled extremist beliefs. Investigate the psychological underpinnings that lead individuals and groups to adopt radical beliefs and pursue dangerous methods. We'll also cover approaches to de-escalation and potential strategies for reintegrating radicalized individuals back into society. Finally, a focus on the internationalization of terrorism beginning in the mid-1960s, emphasizing the role of a key group that trained over 40 radical organizations worldwide. 

Bob Fannin worked at Army Intelligence School and is a thirty year member of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers with a masters in Information Science.

The Second World War was won, not only by the courage and determination of our fighting forces, but also by the ability for the allies to rely on the skills and daring of our intelligence services. This course will describe how many of the major achievements in World War II were possible by the use of espionage used by both sides of the war. The classes were focus on the following:
1. Pre war espionage and the agents of influence who attempted to keep the US out of the war.
2. The rapid deployment of expertise, organization and manpower to engage the enemy with espionage and covert operations.
3. The successful use of tradecraft and intelligence collection technology that turned the tide of the war.
4. How the victorious nations continued, evolved or abandoned their skills and assets of intelligence collection, their most valuable weapon of maintaining peace.