Thursday   

When the Black Death hit Florence in 1348 it wiped out more than half of the population. However, like a burnt field yielding to new growth, Florence became fertile grounds for the rebirth of the “Humanism” of Greek and Roman Times. In two parts we will explore, first, the end of the Dark Ages in the “Early Renaissance of Rome, Venice, and Florence.” Then we will examine the “High Renaissance of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.” We will end with Savonarola’s attempt to eradicate sin in Florence’s “Bonfire of the Vanities.” This anti-renaissance conflagration destroyed many works of art including books like Boccaccio’s “Decameron”. Although it is said that Sandro Botticelli threw several of his paintings on the fire, he didn’t toss “The Birth of Venus.”

When the Black Death hit Florence in 1348 it wiped out more than half of the population. However, like a burnt field yielding to new growth, Florence became fertile grounds for the rebirth of the “Humanism” of Greek and Roman Times. In two parts we will explore, first, the end of the Dark Ages in the “Early Renaissance of Rome, Venice, and Florence.” Then we will examine the “High Renaissance of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.” We will end with Savonarola’s attempt to eradicate sin in Florence’s “Bonfire of the Vanities.” This anti-renaissance conflagration destroyed many works of art including books like Boccaccio’s “Decameron”. Although it is said that Sandro Botticelli threw several of his paintings on the fire, he didn’t toss “The Birth of Venus.”

Learn about what’s hot and what’s not in the world of buying, selling and evaluating antiques, coins and collectibles. We will cover a variety of items, including glassware, pottery, china, vintage jewelry, U.S. and foreign coins, old postcards and other paper collectibles. Class members are encouraged to bring a favorite item or mystery item each session for the instructor to appraise; for large items, bring a photo.

Do you have an indoor game that you enjoy playing…but never seem to have enough people to play? Do you simply love to play games and socialize? How about learning a new game? Game night gives you that chance. Join us, and bring along your favorite game, for an evening of fun, food, and socialization. OLLI will provide food and drink for all who attend. And if you don’t have a game to bring and simply want to join in the fun, please do so. There will be plenty of options. Game ideas: Scrabble, Checkers, Chess, Monopoly, Risk, Yahtzee, Jenga, Taboo, Pictionary, Apples to Apples, Bunko, Pitch, Gin Rummy, etc.

From the comfort of your own home, join in meditation, breath-work, balance, and mindful movements to reconnect your mind, body, and spirit. Class is for all levels, but poses will include a variety of positions requiring students to get on/off the floor. Instructor will provide modifications as needed. No homework, but you will learn some yoga tidbits to use in your future practice both on and off your mat. No equipment needed, but a yoga mat is encouraged. Consult with your physician prior to participating.

Nebraska’s native wildflowers and grasses have a rich history here on the Great Plains. These plants were not only beautiful but were also useful to the Native Americans and prairie pioneers. Most every plant had a purpose, whether it was used for ceremony, food, medicine, shelter or for play. Learn about our native wild fruits, nuts, seeds, and other edible plants which grow wild in our region or in your own yard.

Nebraska’s native wildflowers and grasses have a rich history here on the Great Plains. These plants were not only beautiful but were also useful to the Native Americans and prairie pioneers. Most every plant had a purpose, whether it was used for ceremony, food, medicine, shelter or for play. Learn about our native wild fruits, nuts, seeds, and other edible plants which grow wild in our region or in your own yard.

Learn to make bucktail jigs, marabou jigs/doll flies, and fishing flies that can be used to catch fish right here in Lancaster County. You will also learn basic jig and fly-tying techniques, including equipment, tools, materials, tying techniques, and patterns. You will be able to take home what they created in class to catch fish in the spring on tackle they created themselves.

The Constitutional right to abortion was eliminated last year by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case. The basis of that right was found in a Nebraska case, Meyer v. The State of Nebraska, decided 100 years ago. At least one Supreme Court justice has written that Meyer, like Roe, was wrongly decided. We will discuss Meyer and the loss of personal liberties should it fall.

The Constitutional right to abortion was eliminated last year by the U.S. Supreme Court in the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health case. The basis of that right was found in a Nebraska case, Meyer v. The State of Nebraska, decided 100 years ago. At least one Supreme Court justice has written that Meyer, like Roe, was wrongly decided. We will discuss Meyer and the loss of personal liberties should it fall.

We will learn about the changing history of slavery and freedom from the Revolution to the Civil War. For over seventy years and five generations, enslaved families in the U.S. filed hundreds of lawsuits for their freedom against slaveholders, often taking their cause all the way to the Supreme Court. Between 1787 and 1861, these lawsuits challenged the legitimacy of slavery in American law and put slavery on trial in the nation’s capital. Hear the intricate and intensely human story of the enslaved families (the Butlers, Queens, Mahoneys and others), their lawyers (among them a young Francis Scott Key), and the slaveholders who fought to defend slavery, beginning with the Jesuit priests who held some of the largest plantations in the nation and founded a college at Georgetown. Consider the moral problem of slavery and its legacies in the present day. We will also use the instructor’s recent award- winning documentary films "Anna" (2018) and "The Bell Affair" (2022) to discuss this important topic.

We will learn about the changing history of slavery and freedom from the Revolution to the Civil War. For over seventy years and five generations, enslaved families in the U.S. filed hundreds of lawsuits for their freedom against slaveholders, often taking their cause all the way to the Supreme Court. Between 1787 and 1861, these lawsuits challenged the legitimacy of slavery in American law and put slavery on trial in the nation’s capital. Hear the intricate and intensely human story of the enslaved families (the Butlers, Queens, Mahoneys and others), their lawyers (among them a young Francis Scott Key), and the slaveholders who fought to defend slavery, beginning with the Jesuit priests who held some of the largest plantations in the nation and founded a college at Georgetown. Consider the moral problem of slavery and its legacies in the present day. We will also use the instructor’s recent award- winning documentary films "Anna" (2018) and "The Bell Affair" (2022) to discuss this important topic.

The mission of “Together, One Lincoln” focuses on how each person can help create a community of racial equity by starting a conversation. Gain an understanding about these conversations, participate in small group conversations and learn how to begin these conversations in other groups.

Many are familiar with the famous air war known as the “Battle of Britain” that pitted German air forces against British defenders over British skies in 1940. Winston Churchill acknowledged the brave British pilots by his words “never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”. But the story behind how the aircraft, radar systems, and communications network performed so perfectly at the right moment is even more fascinating. Dan Heath’s 2020 book “Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen” drives home the point to not only focus on solving current problems but to also address potential problems. We will focus on how over a decade, key elements came together under great technical uncertainty and opposition just in time to defeat the German Air Force.

Many are familiar with the famous air war known as the “Battle of Britain” that pitted German air forces against British defenders over British skies in 1940. Winston Churchill acknowledged the brave British pilots by his words “never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few”. But the story behind how the aircraft, radar systems, and communications network performed so perfectly at the right moment is even more fascinating. Dan Heath’s 2020 book “Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen” drives home the point to not only focus on solving current problems but to also address potential problems. We will focus on how over a decade, key elements came together under great technical uncertainty and opposition just in time to defeat the German Air Force.

From the 1880’s to the 1950’s, Fred Harvey dining rooms along the Santa Fe Railroad line went through eight western states and offered weary travelers gourmet food, served in 30 minutes and provided with high standards of service in 65 different towns. The “Harvey Girls” were courageous young women who wanted to be independent and self-sufficient. “Young women 18 to 30 years of age, single, of good character and intelligent” served as waitresses. They received wages and tips, free room and board, clean uniforms and a train pass. More than 100,000 young women left their homes for a job, an adventure, and a new life out West. Harvey expanded to build 15 destination hotels, notably El Tovar at the Grand Canyon and La Fonda in Santa Fe, which is still operating today. Harvey hired Mary Colter as the architect, and she created the “Santa Fe style” incorporating native American art and culture.

From the 1880’s to the 1950’s, Fred Harvey dining rooms along the Santa Fe Railroad line went through eight western states and offered weary travelers gourmet food, served in 30 minutes and provided with high standards of service in 65 different towns. The “Harvey Girls” were courageous young women who wanted to be independent and self-sufficient. “Young women 18 to 30 years of age, single, of good character and intelligent” served as waitresses. They received wages and tips, free room and board, clean uniforms and a train pass. More than 100,000 young women left their homes for a job, an adventure, and a new life out West. Harvey expanded to build 15 destination hotels, notably El Tovar at the Grand Canyon and La Fonda in Santa Fe, which is still operating today. Harvey hired Mary Colter as the architect, and she created the “Santa Fe style” incorporating native American art and culture.

The NCAA uses a season-ending tournament - “March Madness” - to determine its national collegiate champion in Division I men’s basketball. The tournament field begins with 68 teams out of 319 competing schools. Which teams get in? Which are left out? Which are “on the bubble?” Processes for analyzing the prospects and predicting the bracket of selected teams have come to be known as “bracketology.” Engage in bracketology, playing the roles of the NCAA’s Tournament Selection Committee. For the final six weeks leading up to Selection Sunday, the mock selection committee will identify and work with criteria for selection, develop a mock bracket and adjust it regularly, and ultimately create a final version, which will stand in comparison to the NCAA’s official bracket.

Are you tired of using lots of pots and pans to make dinner? Find ways to reduce large recipes down to smaller amounts to feed one or two individuals. These hands-on classes will show you how easy and efficient it is to make dinner using a sheet pan. Please bring two containers to each class to take home your delicious meals.