History   

Who doesn't love chocolate? Explore the history of chocolate, where it is grown and how it is produced. We will discuss why chocolate is good to eat and good for you. Learn what is bad about chocolate, including child exploitation and the difficulty of addressing child labor. Taste chocolates from several different countries. Please bring a bottle of water to cleanse your palate between samples.

The U.S. Constitution of 1789 lays out the mechanism for calling subsequent conventions, but that mechanism has never been used. Now, Nebraska is one of 19 states who have signed on to the effort to call for a Convention of the States to propose amendments to the Constitution. A minimum of 34 states is required to make a convention happen. Proponents say we need a convention to bring power back to the states and the people and out of the hands of bureaucrats. Opponents say the convention could endanger the nation’s principles and institutions since the U.S. Constitution includes no rules or boundaries for what can be done at a convention. This course’s first session will feature a constitutional scholar explaining the history and philosophy behind the Constitution and the principles it lays out. At the second session, an opponent and proponent of calling a convention will present their arguments.

The U.S. Constitution of 1789 lays out the mechanism for calling subsequent conventions, but that mechanism has never been used. Now, Nebraska is one of 19 states who have signed on to the effort to call for a Convention of the States to propose amendments to the Constitution. A minimum of 34 states is required to make a convention happen. Proponents say we need a convention to bring power back to the states and the people and out of the hands of bureaucrats. Opponents say the convention could endanger the nation’s principles and institutions since the U.S. Constitution includes no rules or boundaries for what can be done at a convention. This course’s first session will feature a constitutional scholar explaining the history and philosophy behind the Constitution and the principles it lays out. At the second session, an opponent and proponent of calling a convention will present their arguments.

Each session will offer a facility tour of Duncan Aviation, the largest family-owned maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility in the world, providing complete acquisition, sales, and nose-to-tail support services for business aircraft. Owned and operated by the Duncan family since their founding in 1956, Duncan Aviation is well known and respected by operators, manufacturers, and other service providers worldwide for their quality, work ethic and expertise. Join us for a walking tour and a peek into the many different services Duncan provides, including airframe inspections, engine maintenance, major retrofits for cabin and cockpit systems, and full paint and interior services. Be prepared to walk and stand the entire time.

Explore restored train cars, street cars, replica storefronts and farmhouses during this guided tour. Ponder numerous artifacts which showcase the area’s history, and the role transportation played. Tour the Great Hall with all its art deco glory, including a functioning soda shop. The tour will also include temporary exhibits from the Smithsonian and National Archive. Be prepared to walk and stand the entire time.

The following video programs are previously recorded OLLI courses. Learn at your own pace, on your own time and at your convenience. Over 40 hours of programming is available for a single cost of $30. After registration, you will receive an email with a “Join Code” and instructions on how to access programming.

All programming originates from OLLI at UNL.

Rural America: Wasteland or Reason for Hope – OLLI Fall, 2024 Symposium (2 sessions)

The United States seems to be divided into two different countries – an urbanized “Blue” region of social and cultural liberalism and the “Red” rural regions rebelling against social and demographic change and resenting coastal elitism. It seems everyone has an opinion about rural America. Is it gripped in a tragic decline? Or is it on the cusp of a glorious revival? Is it the key to understanding America today? Perhaps, we’re missing the real question…is rural America even a thing? Prominent experts examine this supposed divide from a social, economic, and political perspective. Presenters include: Steven Conn, W.E. Smith Professor of History, Miami (OH) University; Jena Ochsner, Double O Farms, Sutton, NE; Brad Lubben, Extension Associate Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, UNL; Cheryl Burkhart-Kriesel, Extension Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, UNL; L.J. McElravy, Associate Professor of Ag Leadership, Education and Communication, UNL; Ronnie Green, Chancellor Emeritus, UNL; Erin Schoenberg, Development Manager, Center for Rural Affairs; Jillian Linster, Policy Director, Center for Rural Affairs.

The Women of the Manhattan Project (4 sessions)

Instructor: Lynn Roper

The secrecy of the project hid the roles of women, leaving the perception that it was done by a few brilliant male scientists. Learn the stories of women who served as physicists, chemists, mathematicians, and lab technicians. Forbidden to talk about their work, thousands of young women never knew what purpose their tasks would accomplish. Thousands of men, women and children endured hardships in their everyday lives sequestered inside Los Alamos. They lived in hastily built barracks and had to lie to their families about where they were and what they were doing as they disappeared for years.

The Early Days of Nebraska Volleyball (4 sessions)

Instructors: John Mabry, Vicki Highstreet

Volleyball has been a part of the UNL athletic landscape for more than a century, but the sport didn’t gain much notoriety until the early 1970s, when the Huskers began to put together a program that is now known worldwide.Learn how its reputation grew from its humble beginnings, reaching a pinnacle in August 2023, when Volleyball Day put 92,003 in Memorial Stadium stands. Meet some of the players who made it possible from those early Title IX days at Mabel Lee Hall and the Coliseum.

Religion in Society: Exploring Its Influence (6 sessions)

Instructor: Dr. Jonathan Redding

Obtain a comprehensive understanding of the complex and often contentious relationship between religion and contemporary society. Examine the intersection of religious beliefs, practices, and institutions with key societal domains, including the legal system, public education, LGBTQ+ rights, economics, and responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minimizing Radon Health Danger in Nebraska (1 session)

Instructor: Adrienne Moody

Naturally occurring Radon can gather in Nebraska homes. It increases the risk of lung cancer but can be easily mitigated. Learn the best testing practices and how to make informed decisions on mitigating your home or not. We will dispel myths of radon and focus on the clear facts of the invisible gas.

Politics of Punishment: Implications of Being the World’s Largest Jailer (4 sessions)

Instructor: Dr. Kevin Smith

Why does the United States lock up more of its citizens than any other liberal democracy? How does having the world’s largest incarcerated– and formerly incarcerated – population influence the social, economic and political life of the nation? The key takeaway is that incarceration levels are rooted in struggle to manage a growing violent crime problem during a historical period marked by social changes that include widening economic inequality, increasing racial diversity and sharpening ideological divides. That struggle has produced several unintended and under-explored consequences affecting everyone in society.

Walking in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors (5 sessions)

Instructor: Christina Goodson

The Otoe-Missouria people once called south and eastern Nebraska home before they were forcibly removed to Indian Territory, present- day Oklahoma. They now reside in Red Rock, Oklahoma, the headquarters of the tribe. Learn the origins and history of the tribe, along with their migration from Minnesota and Iowa, the split from the Ho-Chunk, as well as their removal within Nebraska and further removal into Indian Territory.

Welcome to Medicare: Avoiding Confusion and Empowering You (1 session)

Instructor: Jonathan Burlison

Are you confused about Medicare? Nebraska’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) educates people about Medicare, empowering older adults and people with disabilities to make informed decisions about health care. Become more educated with Medicare so you can identify and report possible Medicare scams, errors, or waste. Learn more regarding your health insurance options, benefits, and choices.

Because the System Isn’t Broken – Non- Profits, Grant Money and White Saviors: Poverty Pimping in North Omaha (1 session)

Instructor: Schmeeka Simpson

This session critically examines the complex dynamics among non-profit organizations, philanthropic funding, and the perpetuation of systemic inequities within North Omaha. It delves into how well-intentioned charitable initiatives often inadvertently reinforce existing power imbalances and contribute to a cycle of dependency rather than fostering genuine empowerment and community-driven change. Explore the impact of "poverty pimping" – the phenomenon where poverty is commodified for financial gain – and listen to discussions on alternative approaches to creating sustainable, equitable solutions.

Democratic Partners (1 session)

Instructor: Mike Lux

Mike Lux, a political consultant who provides a variety of services for candidates and political organizations, is founder of Democracy Partners, a political consulting firm with offices in Washington D.C., Maine and California. He was born and raised in Lincoln and is a graduate of Lincoln Northeast High School. Lux was a White House employee during the administration of President Bill Clinton, served on the Obama- Biden presidential transition team and was also a staffer for the 1988 Joe Biden Presidential campaign. He discusses his career and the types of services his firm provides (e.g. fundraising, messaging, campaign services, etc.) and trends he sees from his three decades in national politics.

Podcasts: Free,  Fun and Customized for You (2 sessions)

Instructor: Kelli Bohling

Podcasts are on-demand, user-selected audio content that allows listeners to go beyond radio's geographic and temporal restrictions and listen to content at their leisure. More than 50% of Americans over 12 have listened to a podcast, and 22% consider themselves regular podcast listeners. But what are they listening to? That’s the cool part: Whatever they want! News, music, stories, comedy, history, theatre, and more are ready and waiting for you 24/7. What will you listen to? Learn from an avid fan of podcasts, specifically true crime, about how this new information source came to be, how to get started enjoying podcasts, and her recommendations for a few to try in different genres. Come prepared to be wowed by this new media option.

Learn about Nebraska’s history of lawlessness during the early years of statehood, through original narrative poetry and music (guitars and vocals). Discover Nebraska’s obscure, colorful, complex characters and situations of the Western Movement from a sister duo who grew up along “Nebraska’s Outlaw Trail Scenic Byway Highway 12.” These Nebraska Humanities presenters have incorporated their rural experience and research to provide an educational yet entertaining look at Doc Middleton (Nebraska’s Robin Hood), Kid Wade, outlaw wives, and the situation of “frontier law:” rustlers vs. vigilantes.

Learn through this hands-on course how to gather information from family members and check facts using trustworthy sources. Explore places to research, like libraries and online databases, and learn how to find information in newspapers and census data. Discover how to document and organize your findings and understand your ancestors’ lives in the social context of their lives. Find ways to tackle research challenges and connect with local and online genealogy groups for support. Confidently begin the journey that preserves your family’s story for future generations.

Learn through this hands-on course how to gather information from family members and check facts using trustworthy sources. Explore places to research, like libraries and online databases, and learn how to find information in newspapers and census data. Discover how to document and organize your findings and understand your ancestors’ lives in the social context of their lives. Find ways to tackle research challenges and connect with local and online genealogy groups for support. Confidently begin the journey that preserves your family’s story for future generations.

Step back in time and engage with history as questions are posed to iconic historic figures. Edith Kermit Roosevelt has been called the “first of our modern First Ladies.” Behind the scenes, she was a trusted advisor to her husband. She was said to be an excellent judge of character and her children said she had “a longer head in politics” than her husband. How influential was Edith?

Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States from 1868-1875. During this time, most journalists and historians thought the Grant administration accomplished very little and was involved in political corruption. What does Ulysses say about those accusations?

Ansel Adams is known for his black and white photographs of the western United States. He was an innovator in the science of photography and organizer of professional photographers. Ansel was also an environmentalist and advocate for photography as art.

Step back in time and engage with history as questions are posed to iconic historic figures. Edith Kermit Roosevelt has been called the “first of our modern First Ladies.” Behind the scenes, she was a trusted advisor to her husband. She was said to be an excellent judge of character and her children said she had “a longer head in politics” than her husband. How influential was Edith?

Ulysses S. Grant was President of the United States from 1868-1875. During this time, most journalists and historians thought the Grant administration accomplished very little and was involved in political corruption. What does Ulysses say about those accusations?

Ansel Adams is known for his black and white photographs of the western United States. He was an innovator in the science of photography and organizer of professional photographers. Ansel was also an environmentalist and advocate for photography as art.

Learn about two highly regarded German visual artists: Gerhard Richter (b. 1932 - ), in a fictionalized treatment of his life and career, and Anselm Kiefer (b. 1945 - ), in a documentary. The first film is “Never Look Away,” 188 minutes, by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, the other is “Anselm,” 93 minutes, by Wim Wenders. We will explore and discuss trends and works by several German visual artists, looking at works from both East and West Germany, and also reference works throughout the 20th into the 21st century. Discover how art is embedded within a given culture and has clear connections to political and social history.