Thursdays   

Session II: Apr. 3, 10
Thursdays 11:00 am - 2:00 pm (Two meetings)
*Meets at 1790 Old Pioneer Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709. 
*Two sections of the same course, please only register for one.
If you took the nativity scene class, this two-day class is a great time to add "extras" to your set, like camels, cows or angels and shepherds. If you have never worked with salt dough, come learn how. It's an inexpensive, easy to work with medium - great for teaching the grandkids. Enrollment limited to 5.
Instructor: Carla Reardon (see ART-04)
 

*This course has switched days with the Wills & Estates course listed in the printed catalog.

Session II Add-On: Apr. 14, 15
Monday & Tuesday 10:30 - 11:45 am (2 meetings)
*OLLI membership is not required.
*Course runs for 2 consecutive meetings in Add-On II.
Since the SECURE Act took effect in 2020, almost all beneficiaries will have to take the total amount of inherited retirement accounts out within a 10 year period of time, resulting in higher taxes, due sooner. We’ll discuss the SECURE act and alternative strategies to reduce your income tax and to pass, to your beneficiaries, your remaining retirement account values in the most tax efficient way. We’ll explore the relationship between IRA withdrawals, taxability of Social Security and Medicare part B payments, and how to leverage your giving power with Qualified Charitable Distributions(QCDs) from your IRA. We would encourage those attending to bring their statements or have them available to participate in this activity. In-person enrollment limited to 26.
Facilitator and presenter: Teresa Chepoda Usibelli, Major Gift Officer with UAF. Lecturer Dick Harsin, CPA, CFP®, loves helping people achieve their ideal retirement.

Zoom Section

*This course has switched days with the Wills & Estates course listed in the printed catalog.

Session II Add-On: Apr. 14, 15
Monday & Tuesday 10:30 - 11:45 am (2 meetings)
*OLLI membership is not required.
*Course runs for 2 consecutive meetings in Add-On II.
Since the SECURE Act took effect in 2020, almost all beneficiaries will have to take the total amount of inherited retirement accounts out within a 10 year period of time, resulting in higher taxes, due sooner. We’ll discuss the SECURE act and alternative strategies to reduce your income tax and to pass, to your beneficiaries, your remaining retirement account values in the most tax efficient way. We’ll explore the relationship between IRA withdrawals, taxability of Social Security and Medicare part B payments, and how to leverage your giving power with Qualified Charitable Distributions(QCDs) from your IRA. We would encourage those attending to bring their statements or have them available to participate in this activity. In-person enrollment limited to 26.
Facilitator and presenter: Teresa Chepoda Usibelli, Major Gift Officer with UAF. Lecturer Dick Harsin, CPA, CFP®, loves helping people achieve their ideal retirement.

Session II: Mar. 20, 27
Thursdays 11:00 am - 2:00 pm (Two meetings)
*Meets at 1790 Old Pioneer Way, Fairbanks, AK 99709. 
*Two sections of the same course, please only register for one.
If you took the nativity scene class, this two-day class is a great time to add "extras" to your set, like camels, cows or angels and shepherds. If you have never worked with salt dough, come learn how. It's an inexpensive, easy to work with medium - great for teaching the grandkids. Enrollment limited to 5.
Instructor: Carla Reardon (see ART-04)
 

Session I: Feb. 14, 21, 28, Mar. 7
Fridays 12:15 - 1:30 pm
*Participants should bring comfortable, non-marking shoes with smooth soles, and water. 
Learn to swing dance! Swing is an easy, fun dance that can be done to a variety of music.
Instructors Stan Justice and Barb Lorz are long time members of the Ballroom Dance Club of Fairbanks. They taught the country two step and waltz for OLLI in 2024.

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 12:15 - 1:30 pm
*Participants should bring comfortable, non-marking shoes with smooth soles, and water.
*Each 4-week session stands alone; you may take either one or both.
Come learn the basics of English Country Dancing! Enjoy wonderful music from the 1700s to present, and be social and physically active with others in an easy walking format. All dances will be taught step-by-step, then called as we progress through the centuries of this wonderful dance form. The most challenging thing will be remembering which is your left hand or right hand, how to walk, and then turn in a circle! Partners are not necessary.
Instructor Dennis Rogers has been dancing and playing this form of music since the 1970s.

Session II: Mar. 20, 27, Apr. 3, 10
Thursdays 12:15 - 1:30 pm
*Participants should bring comfortable, non-marking shoes with smooth soles, and water.
*Each 4-week session stands alone; you may take either one or both.
Come learn the basics of English Country Dancing! Enjoy wonderful music from the 1700s to present, and be social and physically active with others in an easy walking format. All dances will be taught step-by-step, then called as we progress through the centuries of this wonderful dance form. The most challenging thing will be remembering which is your left hand or right hand, how to walk, and then turn in a circle! Partners are not necessary.
Instructor Dennis Rogers has been dancing and playing this form of music since the 1970s.

This course is FULL, and the Waitlist is CLOSED. 

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 10:30 - 11:45 am
Let's Keep Moving! II
*Each 4-week session stands alone; you may take either one or both.
The more you do, the more you can do! A combination of strength training, stretching, and cardio will get you out of the house and your heart pumping. Enrollment limited to 20. 
Instructor Gina Jay finds movement essential in order to maintain her independence and sanity! She studied exercise and nutrition, was an exercise physiologist in cardiac rehab, and recently became certified as an MS Fitness Specialist. She now tries to incorporate daily movement for her mobility-challenged body.
 

This course is FULL, and the Waitlist is CLOSED. 

Session II: Mar. 20, 27, Apr. 3, 10
Thursdays 10:30 - 11:45 am
*Each 4-week session stands alone; you may take either one or both.
The more you do, the more you can do! A combination of strength training, stretching, and cardio will get you out of the house and your heart pumping. Enrollment limited to 20. 
Instructor Gina Jay finds movement essential in order to maintain her independence and sanity! She studied exercise and nutrition, was an exercise physiologist in cardiac rehab, and recently became certified as an MS Fitness Specialist. She now tries to incorporate daily movement for her mobility-challenged body.
 

THIS COURSE IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below. 

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 2:00 - 3:15 pm
*Meets at 3677 College Road #11 (College Campus Corner Mall).
Yoga for those that can get down on the ground and then get up. Okay for beginners on up. A slower mindful practice. Materials/facility fee: $20, please pay instructor at first meeting. Enrollment limited to 20.
Instructor Marsha Munsell has been teaching yoga in the community since 2008 and has over 5,000 hours of teaching experience. In her quest to make yoga available to as many folks as are interested, she teaches a more gentle, mindful approach. Her belief is that yoga can be accessible to everyone with modifications and props.

This course is FULL, please add yourself to the waitlist using the button below. 

Session II: March 19, 20, 26, 27
Wednesdays & Thursdays 4:30 - 5:30 pm (2 weeks)
*Course will be held at the Birch Hill ski trails.
This class is for skiers who have had little to no formal instruction in skate skiing OR are trying to improve and up their game a bit. Ideally, participants in this class have experience in classic skiing, however, this is not a requirement. The goal is to learn additional techniques on varied terrain so you can be more confident and efficient on any trail.     Enrollment limited to 12.
Instructor Sven Grage is looking forward to spending time with students on the trails and loves teaching others about cross-country skiing.

Session I: Feb. 12, 19, 26, Mar. 5, 12
Wednesdays 2:00 - 5:00 pm (5 weeks)
*Each 5-week session stands alone; you may take either one or both.
Films & Photography    "Film Noir (dark film) are films primarily based on hardboiled crime fiction novels from 1940 - 1960. These films have loosely-defined characteristics, but always present the darker side of humanity. In each course meeting, we’ll explore one aspect of film noir, then screen a representative film, followed by a short discussion. Ten titles will be chosen from Wikipedia's list of classic film noir.
Instructor Jeffrey Simonson has been watching and studying cinema, and attending film festivals for over 30 years.

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 2:00 - 4:30 pm
*Each 4-week session stands alone; you may take either one or both.
Two-time Oscar winner Maggie Smith (1934-2024) appeared in classic Shakespeare stage plays to the fantastical film world of Harry Potter. Over her long acting career, she appealed to old and young generations, in diverse roles from the young ingenue to her classic Downton Abbey Dowager. During 2 sessions, we will view 8 films: her work with directors like Robert Altman, screen writer Julian Fellowes, solo and in ensemble casts including Judy Dench and Daniel Radcliffe. Join us on the Nile, the Orient Express, in Rolls Royces, seedy vans, and on brooms to be swept away.
Instructor and UAF retiree Ron Inouye serves as your film filter in the helter skelter of too much everything. Films are the preserved distillate of time, place, people, and history. What do you expect from someone who spent a career with libraries and museums? He free ranges in the terrific film collections of the Rasmuson and Noel Wien Libraries, and high-grades the DVDs at the Literacy Council’s “Forget Me Not Books and Media.”

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 12:15 - 1:30 pm
Southwest Colorado steam-driven narrow gauge railroads continued operating into the early 1960s. In fact, one never quit and still operates today! Others have been restored and operate today as historical treasures. Dormant locomotives have been pulled from display and put into operation. This course relates that history and delves into the operation of these railroads and the operation of steam locomotives. Modeling opportunities will be discussed.
Instructor Bill Stringer has had a life-long love for railroads and steam locomotives.

This course is FULL, please add yourself to the waitlist using the button below. 

Session II: Mar. 20, 27, Apr. 3, 10
Thursdays 2:00 - 5:00 pm
Various aspects of the Vietnam War will be examined through movies.
The Quiet American: lead-up to Vietnam war
They Were Soldiers: first major battle
Red Cross Donut Dollies: the lighter side
Jackknife: PTSD and the issues faced by returned veterans and their caretakers
Instructor Nancy Smoyer served as a Red Cross recreation worker in Vietnam in 1967-68. She was a therapist at the Vet Center, runs the yearly veterans Stand Down and volunteers at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC.

This course is FULL, please add yourself to the waitlist using the button below. 

Session II: Mar. 20, 27, Apr. 3, 10
Thursdays 12:15- 1:30 pm
Military presence in Alaska was minimal until 1935, when the war in Europe was perceivable and the US needed to take action. It was then in 1939 that the Fairbanks Air Base was established, and was renamed Ladd Field Cold Weather Test Detachment before 1940. Ladd Field Air Base Alaska became a major contributor of goods and services to the war effort in Europe between 1942-1945 through the Lend-Lease Act.
Instructor Donna Wheelock retired from Alaska Airlines and Northern Air Cargo. She also is a presenter of aviation history at the Pioneer Air Museum with a degree in History.

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 10:30 - 11:45 am
Hear from local professionals in financial planning, wealth management, estate planning, and the ADRC program manager to learn and ask questions to help better prepare for life in retirement. We encourage questions but have visual slides to help guide class discussion. 
Facilitators Jordan Hendry and Ethan Daniels are financial advisors who will talk about finances and investing. Mike Cavaliere is an attorney and will talk about estate planning. Beth Grey is the program manager at ADRC (Aging & Disability Resource Center) who will share resources for aging in Fairbanks.

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 10:30 - 11:45 am
Hear from local professionals in financial planning, wealth management, estate planning, and the ADRC program manager to learn and ask questions to help better prepare for life in retirement. We encourage questions but have visual slides to help guide class discussion. 
Facilitators Jordan Hendry and Ethan Daniels are financial advisors who will talk about finances and investing. Mike Cavaliere is an attorney and will talk about estate planning. Beth Grey is the program manager at ADRC (Aging & Disability Resource Center) who will share resources for aging in Fairbanks.

Session II: Mar. 20, 27, Apr. 3, 10, 17
Thursdays 10:30 - 11:45 am (5 weeks)
What would it be like to be a mediator? This Beginning Mediation course will show you. You will begin by learning 3 fundamental communication skills for mediators to resolve conflicts. Then you’ll apply the skills in role-played mediations, with students as both mediators and disputants. This hands-on class will be useful for everyone, and the roleplaying will be fun! No experience necessary. Bring a friend! Enrollment limited to 16.
Instructor Dave Frey managed a successful peer mediation program at Tanana Middle School for 16 years. He also worked part time as a mediator, primarily in child custody cases.

Session II: Mar. 20, 27, Apr. 3, 10
Thursdays 3:45 - 5:00 pm
A team variation of the board game "Trivial Pursuit" using an older edition where only seniors will know the answers. Will include Alaska Trivia questions. Exact format determined by how many sign up. There will be prizes for the winning teams!
Instructor Shirley Liss is just a senior who likes games and card playing (and OLLI staff thinks she’s pretty great!!).

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 10:30 - 11:45 am
Parasites are clever creatures that have evolved to invade all reaches, including the human body. We will discuss the basic biology, morphological features, life cycles, modes of reproduction, host-parasite interactions, methods of transmission, and pathology of parasites. Emphasis will be on human parasites worldwide, but especially those that will be encountered in Alaska.    
Instructor Janice Ott, UAF adjunct and retired high school biology teacher, has a passion for unusual things. She holds a M.S. in Biology with emphasis on Wildlife Disease.

This course is FULL, and the Waitlist is CLOSED. 

Session II: Mar. 20, 27, Apr. 3, 10
Thursdays 2:00 - 3:15 pm
How do ocean currents work? What forces lead to ocean currents? Will climate change alter ocean currents? This course will cover the three major drivers of ocean currents: tides, winds, and buoyancy, how they impact the ocean, and the role of climate change. No math, lots of pictures and diagrams!    Dr. Kay McMonigal researches the role of ocean currents in climate, using insight from ships and climate models.

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 2:00 - 3:15 pm
This course will be focused on retirement accumulation and distribution, Social security, long term care planning and maximizing finances in retirement. Enrollment limited to 25.
Instructor Charles Spencer is a financial advisor and former K-12 teacher.

THIS COURSE IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below. 

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 3:45 - 5:00 pm
Each week different presenters will share their photos and experiences of travel.
February 13: Thailand; Martha Hanlon and Jeannette Smith
February 20: Namibia; Sarah Swift Masterman
February 27: Traveling the Silk Road; Jim and Mary Beget
March 6: Tasmania; Kate Bull
Facilitator: Ann McCann

Zoom Section

Session I: Feb. 13, 20, 27, Mar. 6
Thursdays 3:45 - 5:00 pm
Each week different presenters will share their photos and experiences of travel.
February 13: Thailand; Martha Hanlon and Jeannette Smith
February 20: Namibia; Sarah Swift Masterman
February 27: Traveling the Silk Road; Jim and Mary Beget
March 6: Tasmania; Kate Bull
Facilitator: Ann McCann

Session II: Mar. 20, 27, Apr. 3, 10
Thursdays 10:30 - 11:45 am
China has a long history and covers a vast land area. A good starting point for this all-encompassing topic is a brief overview of Chinese geography and history. We will then chat about people’s lives in areas of food, education, music, as well as how Confucius’ teachings have shaped and influenced Chinese society. As time allows, we will dabble in Chinese language, painting, and Chinese opera. Short video clips will be included in class meetings. 
Instructor Rosalind Kan is a retired highway design engineer, and currently teaches Chinese at UAF.