Wednesday   

Did you know that Lincoln Parks and Recreation manages 7,000 acres of public land? We enjoy a comprehensive parks and recreation program fundamental to our shared quality of life in Lincoln. The Lincoln Parks and Recreation Department and the Lincoln Parks Foundation are partnering to provide this overview about parks and recreation facilities and programs in Lincoln. We will meet and learn from people who manage our parks and recreation facilities and programs. These include pools, ball fields, tennis and pickle ball courts, dog runs, the Nature Center, recreation centers and programs, open space conservation, trails, golf courses, street trees, public art and much more. Course sessions will be in-person at parks and recreation facilities throughout Lincoln.

Before she passed away in 1974, Felicia Bornstein Lubliner wrote about her internment in Polish ghettos and two Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz and Gross-Rosen. Her powerful stories have recently been published by her son, Irv Lubliner, an emeritus Southern Oregon University professor and OLLI instructor. He will share excerpts from “Only Hope: A Survivor’s Stories of the Holocaust,” shedding light on his mother’s experiences and indomitable spirit, as well as his experience as a child of Holocaust survivors and his process in bringing the book to fruition.

Before she passed away in 1974, Felicia Bornstein Lubliner wrote about her internment in Polish ghettos and two Nazi concentration camps, Auschwitz and Gross-Rosen. Her powerful stories have recently been published by her son, Irv Lubliner, an emeritus Southern Oregon University professor and OLLI instructor. He will share excerpts from “Only Hope: A Survivor’s Stories of the Holocaust,” shedding light on his mother’s experiences and indomitable spirit, as well as his experience as a child of Holocaust survivors and his process in bringing the book to fruition.

Are you interested in focusing on photography using your mobile devices—smart phones and tablets (not limited to Apple products)—and doing some limited post-processing of these photographs? The small class size provides for personalized assistance. In preparation for the course, please download Snapseed for photo processing to your device.

You hopefully have learned a lot more about your camera and are making much better pictures, after taking the OLLI Intro to Digital Photography course. This course has been designed to help you turn great photos into masterpieces through post-processing/editing. You will learn how to control brightness, contrast, sharpness, cropping, and much more. You will need a laptop with an editing program such as Photoshop, Affinity Photo, Nikon NX Studio, Luminar, Canon Digital Professional 4, DXO PhotoLab or another comparable recent editing program. Bring at least two photos in RAW format and two photos in JPEG format to the class to get started. The prerequisite for this course is having previously completed the OLLI Digital Photography course. Contact John Keller, the instructor, if you have questions about what program(s) can be used for this course or if you have any other related questions.

Creating a play based on history can be a creative challenge, particularly when staging plays about recent history and living people. Join the creative artists in Angels Theatre Company’s production of “Predictor” for a fascinating behind-the-curtain look at creating and staging a new play. “Predictor” is the real-life story of Margaret Crane who, in 1967, defied all odds and expectations to become the inventor of the first home pregnancy test. Registrants are encouraged to attend the production of “Predictor” at the Johnny Carson Theatre in the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Performances run February 10-19. Please check the Lied Center website at liedcenter. org/events-page for showtimes and availability. OLLI members receive a discounted ticket rate of $23.80 per ticket. The cost of tickets to attend the performance is not included in the cost of the course.

Creating a play based on history can be a creative challenge, particularly when staging plays about recent history and living people. Join the creative artists in Angels Theatre Company’s production of “Predictor” for a fascinating behind-the-curtain look at creating and staging a new play. “Predictor” is the real-life story of Margaret Crane who, in 1967, defied all odds and expectations to become the inventor of the first home pregnancy test. Registrants are encouraged to attend the production of “Predictor” at the Johnny Carson Theatre in the Lied Center for Performing Arts. Performances run February 10-19. Please check the Lied Center website at liedcenter. org/events-page for showtimes and availability. OLLI members receive a discounted ticket rate of $23.80 per ticket. The cost of tickets to attend the performance is not included in the cost of the course.

Are you curious about how stress can be managed in your body? Learn about basic stress signaling concepts, the latest biochemistry techniques, and how to measure stress levels in the cell. Gain an understanding of the stress adaptation process at the microscopic level. The type of stress your body can get and how tissue damage can occur will be discussed, along with autophagy as a stress adaptation process and how cells recover to alleviate stress. Learn more about how your body reacts to stress and increase your ability to cope with stress in the future.

Are you curious about how stress can be managed in your body? Learn about basic stress signaling concepts, the latest biochemistry techniques, and how to measure stress levels in the cell. Gain an understanding of the stress adaptation process at the microscopic level. The type of stress your body can get and how tissue damage can occur will be discussed, along with autophagy as a stress adaptation process and how cells recover to alleviate stress. Learn more about how your body reacts to stress and increase your ability to cope with stress in the future.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls 75 years ago was a paradigm changing event in biblical studies. The biblical scrolls from the Judean Desert caves revealed all sorts of information about the text of the Hebrew Bible and the history of its development in the Second Temple period. The instructor is one of the editors for the biblical Dead Sea Scrolls and has spent her career working with this material. She will discuss the new insights we have learned about the Hebrew from the scrolls.

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls 75 years ago was a paradigm changing event in biblical studies. The biblical scrolls from the Judean Desert caves revealed all sorts of information about the text of the Hebrew Bible and the history of its development in the Second Temple period. The instructor is one of the editors for the biblical Dead Sea Scrolls and has spent her career working with this material. She will discuss the new insights we have learned about the Hebrew from the scrolls.

We will listen to and discuss the history of this opera along with its structure, the different musical elements and other information outlining its contributions to the genre. Composed by Richard Wagner in 1848, the opera tells the story of Lohengrin, Holy Grail ambassador, in the form of a knight in shiny armor, who comes to defend Elsa, wrongfully accused of murdering her little brother. They fall in love, yet the desire to possess power and reign over the whole country of Burgundy pushes Elsa's relative count Telramund and his evil wife Ortrud to use magic spells and treachery. Lohengrin successfully defends Elsa. Because of Telramund’s and Ortrud’s actions, Elsa, who promised never to ask Lohengrin of his origin, breaks her promise. Lohengrin must leave the earth and return to the Holy Temple of Grail to Monsalvat. Before Lohengrin vanishes, he returns Elsa’s brother to her and announces him as a ruler of Brabant.

Do you have a Mac computer, or an iPad, or an iPhone, or an Apple Watch…or, even a Home Pod? From editing photos to word processing to spreadsheets to turning on and off the lights in your home, these incredibly high-tech devices can be both easy to use and fun. We will touch on some of the more useful features of Apple’s amazing products, as well as demonstrate some practical features and apps to help with “what ails ya,” or, to make your life a bit easier.

Severe weather comes to us through our senses, whether it’s the sound of thunder, the feel of high winds and driving rain, the view of storm clouds or the soreness in your joints when bad weather is predicted. Learn the details behind severe weather statistics, safety and terminology. Stories of historic storms and tornadoes will be shared, enhanced by many pictures and videos.

Severe weather comes to us through our senses, whether it’s the sound of thunder, the feel of high winds and driving rain, the view of storm clouds or the soreness in your joints when bad weather is predicted. Learn the details behind severe weather statistics, safety and terminology. Stories of historic storms and tornadoes will be shared, enhanced by many pictures and videos.

We will learn about the background and research conducted by the author which led to the writing of “The Bones of Paradise,” the 2022 selection for “One Book One Nebraska” sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska and the Nebraska Library Commission. The story explores the aftermath of the Massacre at Wounded Knee on both a Lakota family and a Sandhills family, as they struggle to survive in the Nebraska Sandhills.

We will learn about the background and research conducted by the author which led to the writing of “The Bones of Paradise,” the 2022 selection for “One Book One Nebraska” sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Humanities Nebraska and the Nebraska Library Commission. The story explores the aftermath of the Massacre at Wounded Knee on both a Lakota family and a Sandhills family, as they struggle to survive in the Nebraska Sandhills.

This class is structured for the student who has no or little knowledge of the game of bridge. We will cover how the game is played, bridge vocabulary, basic Standard American bidding, and basic card play. There will be ample opportunities to play hands that will illustrate what has been taught in class. The students will dictate how fast the class will move.

Have you heard about Nebraska’s best kept secret? Nebraska Extension has been engaging with people in all 93 counties for more than a century as a trusted educational resource; inspiring fulfilled, prosperous, and healthful lives. Discover how Extension engages with Nebraskans wherever they are, connecting them with the resources, research, and innovation of the University of Nebraska. Part I of this series focuses on an overview of the Nebraska Extension system followed by focused sessions on Water and Cropping Systems, Agricultural Profitability, Early Childhood, and Urban Extension. By living and working in communities, Extension educators rely on local relationships to respond to local needs, build trust, and engage effectively. Discover how you too can learn, engage, collaborate, and volunteer with Extension in your community. Nobody connects with the people of Nebraska like Extension!

Have you heard about Nebraska’s best kept secret? Nebraska Extension has been engaging with people in all 93 counties for more than a century as a trusted educational resource; inspiring fulfilled, prosperous, and healthful lives. Discover how Extension engages with Nebraskans wherever they are, connecting them with the resources, research, and innovation of the University of Nebraska. Part I of this series focuses on an overview of the Nebraska Extension system followed by focused sessions on Water and Cropping Systems, Agricultural Profitability, Early Childhood, and Urban Extension. By living and working in communities, Extension educators rely on local relationships to respond to local needs, build trust, and engage effectively. Discover how you too can learn, engage, collaborate, and volunteer with Extension in your community. Nobody connects with the people of Nebraska like Extension!

Do you have a Mac computer, or an iPad, or an iPhone, or an Apple Watch…or, even a Home Pod? From editing photos to word processing to spreadsheets to turning on and off the lights in your home, these incredibly high-tech devices can be both easy to use and fun. We will touch on some of the more useful features of Apple’s amazing products, as well as demonstrate some practical features and apps to help with “what ails ya,” or, to make your life a bit easier.