Courses: Winter   

Osher Online Course - produced by the Osher National Resource Center

**To get to the course you will not be sent the Zoom link, but log into a portal (instructions will be provided to those enrolled)
**This course will be presented via Zoom and will not be recorded. Space is limited.**
**If you have a course package that you would like to use, please contact olli@sfsu.edu**

The Gilded Age continues to captivate the public imagination. Its glamour and excess inspire both fascination and critique. In this course, we will trace the development of this era across nearly half a century, examining how it transformed the US socially, culturally, and economically. We will begin in the mid-19th century, with the antebellum era and Civil War, then move through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Along the way, we will explore the people, scandals, places, and trends that defined the period and why they still matter today. With a focus on New York City, we will consider how one exceptional city both spearheaded the many innovations of the era and represented the transformations happening nationally at this time.

This course will be taught by the instructor Adam Kocurek 

Adam Kocurek is a PhD candidate in history at The CUNY Graduate Center. His research lies at the intersections of LGBTQ+ history, labor history, and the history of higher education. He is an adjunct lecturer at Hunter College where he teaches modern American history. He has held fellowship positions at Queensborough Community College and Medgar Evers College. He is also a tour guide for Big Onion Walking Tours, leading locals and visitors on innovative and exciting tours through New York’s ethnic neighborhoods and historic districts.

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

The death of Pope Francis and the election of the first U.S. born Pope have been in the news  repeatedly in the last few months and have caught the imagination of many people, including  non-Catholics. Are you curious about who all these men were? How were they similar and  different from each other? What were their life stories? This presentation will discuss and  explore the writings and actions of the last ten Popes, their most significant positions and their  influence on world affairs. 

Osher Online Course - produced by the Osher National Resource Center

**To get to the course you will not be sent the Zoom link, but log into a portal (instructions will be provided to those enrolled)
**This course will be presented via Zoom and will not be recorded. Space is limited.**
**If you have a course package that you would like to use, please contact olli@sfsu.edu**

Jennifer Keishin Armstrong described the evolution of the half-hour comedy as “arguably the great artistic advancement seen on television in the last decade.” In this course, we will explore how that advancement continues. From “I Love Lucy” in the 1950s to “All in the Family” and “Soap” in the 1970s, “The Cosby Show” in the 1980s, and “Seinfeld” in the 1990s, we will examine how the sitcom changed as American culture changed and as broadcast television evolved. We will then consider how the early 2000s recalibrated the form through changes in writing, structure, pacing, characters, rules and especially expectations. Along the way, we will discuss meta humor, mockumentaries, cringe comedy, sad comedies, and series such as “BoJack Horseman,” “Atlanta,” “Ghosts,” “Abbott Elementary,” “Hacks,” and “Shrinking.” Tune in for a look at all things funny in TV. Together, we will consider why today’s funniest half-hour comedies do not always have to be funny.

This course will be taught by the instructor James McKairnes

Jim McKairnes is a former CBS Television executive who writes and teaches about the history of television. He has served on the faculties of DePaul University, Temple University, and Middle Tennessee State University. He published All in the Decade: 70 Things About 70s TV That Turned Ten Years Into a Revolution. Drawing on decades of experience in the industry and the classroom, McKairnes offers perspectives on how television has shaped and reflected American culture.

**This class will be taught In-Person.**
**Please note that this class will only be one session.**

Not all operas are about young lovers! Older folks are a big part of the drama too and get plenty to sing about. Join San Francisco Opera’s Dramaturg Emeritus Kip Cranna for a lively exploration using video  examples (with subtitles) to highlight fascinating operatic characters who are in the later stages of life.  We’ll view scenes offering a wide range of emotions and situations, from nostalgia, determination, regret, joy, and sorrow, all the way to wisdom, defiance, folly, heroism, cynicism and sacrifice. And let’s not forget lustiness. Who SAYS young people have all the fun?

**This class will be taught In-Person**
**Please note that this class will only be one session.**

Navigating health and wellness requires more than a general understanding of "being healthy." This mini class offers an introduction to health literacy, defined as being able to access, understand, evaluate, and use information to make informed health decisions that promote and maintain good health and well-being.  In this interactive class, we will characterize foundational concepts of health literacy in both theory and  practice then examine how key health literacy dimensions connect to everyday wellness and illness  management. Participants will use concrete examples to analyze the challenges of navigating clinical  language, evaluate day-to-day choices, and reflect on practical communication strategies with clinicians, family members, and others. Overall, the course aims to turn health literacy into an active tool for health promotion and personal empowerment.

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

More than 7,000 languages are spoken in the world today and their variety seems unbounded. This linguistic diversity tells us a lot about the development of human language and thought. It also serves as an important tool for understanding the history of human civilization and what it means to be human. In this course, we will acquaint ourselves with the diversity of human languages; examine how languages evolve; and trace historical relationships among languages. We will take a whirlwind tour of the world’s language with stopovers in six mystery locations (a different location each week) and through examining the languages spoken in those places, we will learn the story of populations migrating, splitting, evolving, and interacting, and their languages changing and evolving.

Osher Online Course - produced by the Osher National Resource Center

**To get to the course you will not be sent the Zoom link, but log into a portal (instructions will be provided to those enrolled)
**This course will be presented via Zoom and will not be recorded. Space is limited.**
**If you have a course package that you would like to use, please contact olli@sfsu.edu**

Famed naturalist John Muir, often called the “father of the national parks,” reveled in Earth’s beauty, studied how the natural world worked, and strove to preserve the planet’s most “glorious” places, including Yosemite. Throughout his life, Muir made observations that challenged ideas about the science of nature and how best to protect it. In this course, we will use Muir’s journals, letters, drawings, and manuscripts, curated at the University of the Pacific, to explore his masterful observational skills and understand his legacy in the American environmental movement.

This course will be taught by the instructor  Mike Wurtz

Mike Wurtz is associate professor and head of University of the Pacific Libraries’ Holt-Atherton Special Collections and Archives in Stockton, California. He oversees access, acquisition, and preservation of hundreds of archival collections including the largest collection of works from naturalist John Muir. He teaches courses about Muir and wrote John Muir’s Grand Yosemite: Musings & Sketches, a guide to Muir’s drawings of the park. Wurtz is awaiting publication of an article about Muir and the Giant Sequoias.

**This class will be taught In-Person**

From the Renaissance, when painters first sought to accurately capture the form, color, and texture of clothing, there has been a close relationship between art and fashion. How do the practices of real-life  fashion intersect with the idealized vision provided by painting? This is not just a course for people fascinated by clothes, but for anyone to explore fashion and art from the Fin de Siecle period from about 1890 to 1914. It explores how artists used garments as expressive ingredients in paintings. Painters made dress come alive in pictures; they are visual phenomena as strong as faces.  

Osher Online Course - produced by the Osher National Resource Center

**To get to the course you will not be sent the Zoom link, but log into a portal (instructions will be provided to those enrolled)
**This course will be presented via Zoom and will not be recorded. Space is limited.**
**If you have a course package that you would like to use, please contact olli@sfsu.edu**

From the earliest days of colonization, women and men in what is now the US recognized that the legal system denied women many rights. Because voting was not part of European tradition, early women’s rights advocates focused primarily on property and legal rights. As voting became more common and rights were extended to formerly enslaved people, the women’s movement broadened its goals. In this course, we will examine the women and men who led the decadeslong struggle for women’s rights. Along with well-known leaders, we will explore lesser-known advocates and the tactics they used to advance equality.

This course will be taught by the instructor Diana Carlin

Diana Carlin is professor emerita of communication at Saint Louis University and a retired professor of communication studies at the University of Kansas. Her teaching, research, and authorship are in political communication with an emphasis on women in politics, first ladies, presidential rhetoric and campaigns, and political debates. During the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, she lectured extensively to community and women's groups across the country on the history of suffrage.

**This class will be taught In-Person**

“Keep your government hands off my Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security.” What we expect of our government (aka the “state) has changed radically over the years. It has moved from a distant presence in a temple or royal court to an intimate engagement with our bodies, our finances, and our very knowledge of ourselves. This reflects how society has changed (including the rise of democracy) and the way groups of people/nations relate to each other (war and other modes of competition). This course will explore how the nature and functions of government have changed over the centuries. 

Writing poetry is a powerful way to communicate with your soul – an artistic and spiritual technique of examining your life as you are living it. This workshop offers the opportunity to write about the wisdom you have gained through the years, the challenges you have faced, and experiences that allowed you to see life in a new way. Each session includes an inspiring writing exercise, followed by the Writer's Toolbox, where you will receive a generous sharing of the techniques that make writing powerful and expressive. You’ll find the workshop generous with praise and gentle with suggestions. All writers are welcome, regardless of experience. Diane Frank's teaching style is joyful, loving and intuitive. She works closely with each writer to help you break through to a deeper level of expression.

This workshop explores:

* Writing Poetry as conversation with your soul.

* A writing session each week with a provocative and inspiring seed idea. .

* The Writer’s Toolbox: Techniques to write with power, style and beauty.

* Virtuoso Editing Techniques, and

* What makes a poem something you will remember for years

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

Predicated on conflict, the inherent human drama of courtroom films shows that the process often matters as much as the verdict. This six-week Zoom film course pairs classic courtroom films against modern counterparts to highlight ethical issues and how audience sensibilities have shifted over time. Each week we will cover pairs of films and examine juries under strain, legal procedures, obedience to authority, courtroom spectacles and when the letter of the law is not enough. 

Each two-hour Zoom session features PowerPoint analysis, selected film clips, and group discussion. Participants are encouraged to view the two featured films before each class. Click the course title for the complete weekly film schedule.

Osher Online Course - produced by the Osher National Resource Center

**To get to the course you will not be sent the Zoom link, but log into a portal (instructions will be provided to those enrolled)
**This course will be presented via Zoom and will not be recorded. Space is limited.**
**If you have a course package that you would like to use, please contact olli@sfsu.edu**

This multimedia course celebrates the expressive power of voices coming together. Based on a previous Osher Online course, this term with greater depth and a wider lens, we will trace how the human voice (blended, layered, or sung in unison) has shaped music for nearly a thousand years. Designed for curious music lovers, the course will explore the evolution of vocal groups, including duos, trios, quartets, and larger ensembles, across genres and eras. From sacred chant to jazz, pop, rock, R&B, and beyond, we will celebrate iconic performers, unexpected connections, and how their legacies live on through contemporary groups and digital-age innovators who continue to unite, inspire, and move us with their vocal magic. No theory required – just ears, curiosity, and a love of great music.

This course will be taught by the instructor Mike Agron

Music Aficionado Mike Agron, raised in LA’s entertainment scene, is a former high-tech executive and entrepreneur turned storyteller. He creates dynamic, multimedia seminars exploring music and film for the Sacramento Renaissance Society, numerous OLLIs nationwide, Osher Online, Encore Learning, and other lifelong-learning programs. This winter, he returns for his third seminar series with Osher Online —bringing curiosity, context, and great music to audiences who love to learn by listening.

**This class is a Hybrid. This section of the class will be taught In-Person**

In his first decade, Bob Dylan transformed from a traditional folk singer to a rock star  who influenced countless folk and rock performers. This course traces his evolution  from his roots in New York folk clubs through his ascendance to folk revival stardom with anthemic protest songs; his successful, controversial move into rock with mid- ‘60s hits such as “Like a Rolling Stone”; and his subsequent collaborations with the  Band and journey into country-rock. Featuring common and rare film and audio clips, it also covers the numerous interpretations of his compositions by artists like the Byrds and Peter, Paul and Mary. 

**This class is a Hybrid. This section of the class will be taught In-Person**

In his first decade, Bob Dylan transformed from a traditional folk singer to a rock star  who influenced countless folk and rock performers. This course traces his evolution  from his roots in New York folk clubs through his ascendance to folk revival stardom with anthemic protest songs; his successful, controversial move into rock with mid- ‘60s hits such as “Like a Rolling Stone”; and his subsequent collaborations with the  Band and journey into country-rock. Featuring common and rare film and audio clips, it also covers the numerous interpretations of his compositions by artists like the Byrds and Peter, Paul and Mary. 

**This class will be taught on Zoom**

The major theories, problems, and case studies of international security in the post  Cold War; concentrating on the security interests of the leading states; such as the  U.S., Russia, China, Japan, and Europe as they face today's challenges. 

This full course surveys the fascinating career, development of style and legacy of the world's preeminent film composer, John Williams. Using numerous excerpts from his films, recordings, and interviews with scholars and the composer himself, we'll take a trip through the early, middle, and later stages of Williams' celebrated career, unpacking his influences and discussing the legacy he has left on the film industry and the world at large.

This course is inspired by the books and articles of Martin Gardner. Some students may remember Gardner’s regular column in Scientific American which focused on making mathematics “come alive” through puzzles, games and fascinating examples. In addition, rather than simply being a math course (which by its very nature may be intimidating), this course views math as social and historical phenomenon and how it was used (and invented) by human civilizations as a means of expression and communication just like the spoken, written and artistic languages. Too often, math is viewed as just a tool that we are forced to learn in order to succeed in life. In later life it should be viewed for its inherent beauty and subtlety. This course is designed to be accessible and engaging to students of all backgrounds and ages, encouraging a deeper appreciation for mathematics and the lifelong journey of learning.

**This class will be taught In-Person**

To most people, Jimmy Stewart’s onscreen persona is that of an American everyman who triumphs over extraordinary circumstances. But there was a darker side to his later characters: the haunted man of the West, out for justice or seeking redemption for a violent past. 

In this class we’ll discuss Stewart’s life and career, with an in-depth look at five of his classics (Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; It’s A Wonderful Life; Rear Window; Anatomy of a Murder; The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence) and the lesser-known Winchester ’73. 

**This class will be taught In-Person**

We are story telling creatures. It is through narrative that we understand and share our life experiences. The popularity of telling and listening to personal stories is attested to by such  shows such as This American Life, The Moth, Snap Judgment and the performances at our local Marsh Theatre.

In this class you learn the principles of creating and performing an effective dramatic narrative. You choose an event from your own life, out-line it, and present it in a  3-5- minute monologue, followed by constructive feedback from the instructor and the class. The goal is to improve your skills as both a writer and an oral storyteller while enjoying the gift of myriad shared stories. No prior writing or performing experience is necessary.

**This class will take place on Zoom**

This 6-week yoga series will focus on realigning your body’s optimum posture using a stable chair. Stretches will involve lengthening and strengthening of muscles that also support a healthy back. In addition to the chair, please have these yoga props available: strap, blocks and a blanket. (In lieu of the metal yoga chair, a sturdy dining/desk chair with no wheels will suffice; a belt/scarf, thick books and throw for the others.) It will also be helpful to set up the chair in front of a blank wall or tall, bar-height table.)