|
- 3-Course Package - Spring
-
Fee: $200.00
This 3-course package allows you to select 3 spring courses for $200. This applies to 3-, 4- and 5-week courses. Add this package to your cart and sign up for courses in the same transaction or later. Sign up one at a time or all 3 at once. Package cannot be applied retroactively. Limit 1 package per person per quarter.
*Osher Online courses and field trips are not eligible with this package.
|
|
|
|
- 6-Course Package - Spring
-
Fee: $400.00
This 6-course package allows you to select 6 spring courses for $400. This applies to 3-, 4- and 5-week courses. Add this package to your cart and sign up for courses in the same transaction or later. Sign up one at a time or all 6 at once. Package cannot be applied retroactively. Limit 1 package per person pre quarter.
*Osher Online courses and field trips are not eligible with this package.
|
|
|
|
- Famous Sea Voyages (In-Person)
-
Speaker: Alan Dowty
Dates: 5/16/2024 - 6/6/2024
Times: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 4
Location: UW Seattle Campus Allen Library Auditorium
Fee: $75.00
The course will focus on some of the most consequential and dramatic true tales of the sea. Included are transoceanic contacts before Columbus, the voyages of Columbus, Magellan’s circumnavigation, the explorations of Captian Cook, the mutiny on the Bounty, the lost expedition of John Franklin, and Shackleton’s doomed Antarctic expedition.
|
|
|
|
- Gershwins & Company (Zoom)
-
Speaker: Misha Berson
Dates: 5/22/2024 - 6/5/2024
Times: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
Days: W
Sessions: 3
Location: Zoom Online
Fee: $60.00
Composer George Gershwin and his lyricist brother Ira wrote some of the classic, enduring songs in the Great American Songbook. Most debuted in Broadway musicals and films and of course there was timeless opera "Porgy and Bess." Through film, music and lecture, this course will explore the Gershwin Brothers history, their wealth of popular songs and opera, their collaborations with other artists, and their relationship through George's short, prolific life.
Class recordings will be available.
|
|
|
|
- Aeon+Psyche and The Sociology of Knowledge (Zoom)
-
Speaker: Ellen Berg
Dates: 5/28/2024 - 6/18/2024
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 4
Location: Zoom Online
Fee: $75.00
The sociology of knowledge, on which I will lecture, is concerned with how knowledge is shaped by sociological realities. It asks: “Who, located when and where, saw the world just this way – and not otherwise?” That question was posed by Karl Mannheim – and I will begin by introducing who, located when and where, he was.
In this class the subject matter – knowledge – will be available to us via a weekly newsletter, which we will read parts of. The newsletter is called Aeon+Psyche and is available, for free, at this website: https://aeon.co/ If you sign up for the weekly version it will arrive in your email every Friday – which is perfect for a Tuesday class.
The contents include articles and videos from all fields of knowledge. We will all read the main article, identifiable because it is headlined in the subject line of the email. Additionally, everyone will watch a video of interest to them. I will read and watch everything, and others may read and watch more – so we will all have plenty of knowledge to discuss! This course will run on two tracks: lectures and discussion. Sometimes they will cross, sometimes they will just run side-by-side, and sometimes they will jostle each other.
This class is livestream only. Class recordings will NOT be available.
|
|
|
|
- THIS CLASS IS FULL. Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
The bluffs of Puget Sound record the advance and retreat of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet over the Seattle area. The bluffs at Discovery Park are an excellent place to see the sediments that record evidence of an interglacial climate, an advancing glacier, a large proglacial lake, and the retreat of the ice sheet during the last glacial cycle. Due to the steepness and the layering of the sediments, the bluffs are also unstable and prone to large landslides. One of these landslides happened in 1996, when a portion of a street and several houses in the Magnolia neighborhood slid off the bluffs into Puget Sound.
On this trip, we will be walking along the beach at Discovery Park to view the bluffs and will be visiting the site of the Perkins Lane landslide. Access to the beach requires walking approximately two miles round trip and descending/climbing several hundred feet. Access to the Perkins Lane landslide complex requires descent/climbing a steep set of stairs. Participants with an ADA permit can park close to the beach, but will need to walk ~⅛ mile down the beach to view the bluffs.
Speaker: Dale Lehman
Dates: 5/29/2024 - 5/29/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 1
Building: Discovery Park
Fee: $30.00
|
|
|
|
- Israel & Palestine: We Need to Talk (In-Person)
-
Speaker: David Fenner
Dates: 6/3/2024 - 6/10/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 2
Location: Trilogy, Redmond Snoqualmie Room
Fee: $45.00
The current war in the Holy Land risks, as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has warned, “turning a tactical victory into a strategic defeat”. Questions we’ll address are: what are the antecedents of this unfolding tragedy; what are the political dynamics within Israel and Palestine; what are the responsibilities of allied countries (on both sides) and the world community as a whole? Is the “two-state solution” still viable? Is there a path forward? Course material and reading list sources will include a wide range of perspectives. Q&A where all opinions (respectfully offered) will be welcome.
This course is being recorded. Our intent is to record the speaker but students’ image and/or voice may be recorded.
This course is being offered in-person and on Zoom. Please select the one that you prefer.
Class recordings will be available.
|
|
|
|
- Israel & Palestine: We Need to Talk (Zoom)
-
Speaker: David Fenner
Dates: 6/3/2024 - 6/10/2024
Times: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 2
Location: Zoom Online
Fee: $45.00
The current war in the Holy Land risks, as US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has warned, “turning a tactical victory into a strategic defeat”. Questions we’ll address are: what are the antecedents of this unfolding tragedy; what are the political dynamics within Israel and Palestine; what are the responsibilities of allied countries (on both sides) and the world community as a whole? Is the “two-state solution” still viable? Is there a path forward? Course material and reading list sources will include a wide range of perspectives. Q&A where all opinions (respectfully offered) will be welcome.
**Because this course is being held in-person and not solely on Zoom, the engagement and view of the instructor will be limited. Please consider this when signing up.
This course is being offered in-person and on Zoom. Please select the one that you prefer.
Class recordings will be available.
|
|
|
|
- The Power of Choreographic Storytelling: The "Legs" of a Broadway Musical (Zoom)
-
Speaker: Lisa Yanguas
Dates: 6/3/2024 - 6/24/2024
Times: 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 4
Location: Zoom Online
Fee: $75.00
Join the instructor on a journey through a host of modern Broadway musicals and experience how dance, movement, and choreography take a leading role in both moving forward the plot of the show, and, in fact, "telling the story." The instructor will employ clips from contemporary musical theater productions to show the power of dance and choreography in their many varieties, genres, styles, and incarnations. She will highlight how these aid in advancing the plot and telling and selling the story. Class participation is highly encouraged; participants should be prepared to be delighted and entertained as well as to gain some insights into how stories are crafted and supported through the art of dance and choerography.
To provide just a few examples, we will consider the work of Jerome Robbins and his storytelling through balletic choreography in On The Town, West Side Story, Peter Pan, and Fiddler on the Roof, to name a few productions. Storytelling through nonsense words, staging, and choreography using props will be showcased in modern musicals including Mary Poppins, Shucked, and many others.
Class recordings will be available.
|
|
|
|
- Photographing Kubota Garden (Photo Shoot + Zoom)
-
Speaker: Ray Pfortner
Dates: 6/5/2024 - 6/12/2024
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 2
Location: Kubota Garden
Fee: $45.00
Do you love photography? Do you wish your photographs were better, truer to what you saw and felt as you made your photograph? You are certainly not alone. One of the best ways to improve your photography is to (1) practice, (2) look at other photographs and (3) share your photographs for feedback. In this 2-session workshop we will do all 3.
Our focus will be on one of Seattle’s less-known gems at an unsung time of year - Kubota Gardens in early June. With its 20 acres, 11 ponds, 2 waterfalls, 2 red bridges plus140 varieties of maple and 30 of hydrangeas the photo ops are everywhere
We will meet at the Garden for a brief orientation and 2 hours of photography in person. A week later we will followup with a Zoom session online to share selects of the photographs we all make on location. In the Zoom you will receive constructive feedback from your instructor and all the participants with their collective wisdom and varied tastes, exploring in particular the principles of evocative composition.
For any skill level using any camera, from phone to mirrorless. All you need is a passion for photography.
A recording of the Zoom session will be available.
|
|
|
|
- From Hope to Hostility: The Epic Journey of US-China Relations Since Nixon - Course II: Great Power Competition (In-Person)
-
Speaker: George Liu
Dates: 6/6/2024 - 6/27/2024
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 4
Location: Trilogy, Redmond Snoqualmie Room
Fee: $75.00
This course delves into the intricate tapestry of US-China relations, tracing its evolution from the groundbreaking overtures made by Nixon in 1972 to where we are today. By dissecting the cultural archetypes and values inherent to both American and Chinese societies, participants will gain profound insights into the divergent thought and behavioral patterns that have charted the historical trajectories of both nations. The course critically assesses the impact of differing political systems on business, social transformation, and global geopolitics, with a particular focus on the cross-Pacific dynamic. From the key issue of Taiwan and the rise of China to the rapid transitioning of the world’s two largest economies from top trading partners to archrivals in just a few years, this course scrutinizes the multifaceted factors that have contributed to the current situation. Moreover, participants will examine potential pathways for the future of US-China bilateral relations.
1. The cultural archetypes of Chinese vs. Americans
2. Game of the Party
3. The evolution of U.S. policies toward China
4. Are U.S. and China destined for war?
This course is being offered in Redmond and Seattle. Please be sure you're signing up for the right location.
|
|
|
|
The Journey of Relinquishment in Herman Hesse's novel, Siddhartha
Through the reading and contemplation of Herman Hesse's novel Siddhartha, this course will explore the conscious path of relinquishment, which includes physical, mental, emotional, and psychological letting go in order to reach a spiritual state of non-attachment. Hesse's entertaining and enlightening literary work allows readers to travel along with Siddhartha on his evolutionary path while also inquiring deeply into their own attachments and areas of stuckness in their personal and spiritual lives.
We will read the whole book together during class. Jake will be doing a special presentation on Mahayana Buddhism and Mythology as part of the final class using photographs he took from various temples during his time living and traveling in Southeast Asia.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: Tu, 3/26/2024 - 4/23/2024
- Times: 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
- Instructor: Paul (Jake) Jacob
- This class is livestream only. Class recordings will NOT be available.
|
|
|
|
Two Contemporary Native Artists: Jaune Quick-To-See Smith and Preston Singletary
Historically, American Indian art has been relegated to natural history museums, not fine art institutions. This injustice is being rectified in the 21st century with exhibitions by Native artists appearing in major art venues. In this course, we will consider two Native artists with strong ties to Washington state. Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (b. 1940, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes) will have a major retrospective at the Seattle Art Museum February 29 - May 12. Funny, angry, and urgent, Smith’s work uses western modernist techniques (collage, abstraction, pop) to evoke the history and experience of American Indians vis-à-vis a majority white culture. Preston Singletary (b. 1963, Tlingit), a Seattleite almost since birth, is a glass artist who incorporates designs and themes from his Pacific Northwest Coast cultural heritage, transforming the ancient stories into stunning objects and installations that are at once timeless and contemporary.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: M, 4/1/2024 - 4/8/2024
- Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
- Instructor: Rebecca Albiani
- Class recordings will be available.
|
|
|
|
From Hope to Hostility: The Epic Journey of US-China Relations Since Nixon - Course II: Great Power Competition
This course delves into the intricate tapestry of US-China relations, tracing its evolution from the groundbreaking overtures made by Nixon in 1972 to where we are today. By dissecting the cultural archetypes and values inherent to both American and Chinese societies, participants will gain profound insights into the divergent thought and behavioral patterns that have charted the historical trajectories of both nations. The course critically assesses the impact of differing political systems on business, social transformation, and global geopolitics, with a particular focus on the cross-Pacific dynamic. From the key issue of Taiwan and the rise of China to the rapid transitioning of the world’s two largest economies from top trading partners to archrivals in just a few years, this course scrutinizes the multifaceted factors that have contributed to the current situation. Moreover, participants will examine potential pathways for the future of US-China bilateral relations.
1. The cultural archetypes of Chinese vs. Americans
2. Game of the Party
3. The evolution of U.S. policies toward China
4. Are U.S. and China destined for war?
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: Th, 4/4/2024 - 4/25/2024
- Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Instructor: George Liu
- This course is being offered in Seattle and Redmond. Please be sure you're signing up for the right location.
|
|
|
|
Readers Theater
Readers Theater is the simplest kind of theater performance: Actors reading aloud from scripts on music stands. No scenery, no costumes, no props. So the performers (and their audience) are able to focus solely on the words, the characters, and the story.
It also frees actors from memorizing lines! The script is right there in front of you. That makes it possible to have the fun of giving a theater performance after only a few sessions of rehearsal. No acting experience is necessary; everyone is welcome.
Please note: When you register for this course, you are committing yourself to a role in a play. While it’s not required that you attend every class session, full attendance will be appreciated by your fellow actors!
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: Tu, 4/16/2024 - 5/14/2024
- Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
- Instructor: Mark Waldstein
|
|
|
|
The Fourth Dimension: One billion Years of Washington Geology
The Fourth Dimension: One Billion Years of WA Geology will piece together our state’s geology through the last one billion years of geologic time. Simply put, we will learn how Washington’s geoscape evolved by going back through geologic eons, eras, periods, and epochs. We will piece together events which led to the geologic wonderland we explored in the first two courses! You will enjoy this class even if you were unable to attend the first two courses in the series (we will review as we go along.) Join us as we explore the timing of our earthquakes, our volcanic eruptions, our earthquakes, our natural disasters, and of our intriguing glacial landscape!
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: W, 4/17/2024 - 5/8/2024
- Times: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
- Instructor: Dale Lehman
- Class recordings will be available.
|
|
|
|
Enhance Your Memory and Attention Skills
Learn ways to strengthen your memory and attention skills. In this 4-week course, Drs. Del Piero and Liu, licensed clinical psychologists and experts in brain-behavior relationships, will share practical tools for increasing your ability to remember important information and strengthen your focus. They will explore the complex interactions between our emotions, daily activities, and thinking skills to help participants better understand the interconnections between cognition and other aspects of their life. Concrete and easily-applicable tools to improve memory and attention in daily life will be discussed.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
|
|
|
|
Theodor Jacobsen Observatory
Join us for a tour of the Theodor Jacobsen Observatory of the University of Washington. Learn about the history of the building and Theodor Jacobsen and view through the telescope (if weather permits). Built in 1895, the Observatory and its lovely brass 6-inch refracting telescope are presently committed to public viewing and exploration of the wonders of the Universe. The telescope was designed in the days before electricity was common. So, the telescope tracks the sky using its original gear-and-weight mechanism—much like the wind-up drive of a grandfather clock. It was used by UW astronomers for research until about 1945. You will enjoy the 1895 “transit room” with ornate 19th century brass equipment that was used to calibrate the time on precise clocks used throughout the state. The TJO honors the remarkable career of Prof. Theodor Jacobsen at UW between 1928 until his death at age 102. (His last book was published in 1999.)
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: Th, 4/25/2024 - 4/25/2024
- Times: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM
- Instructor: Tour Guide
|
|
|
|
America in the 1850s: Origins of the Civil War
In the 1850s the American political system collapsed. Americans were bitterly divided over the issues of slavery, immigration and western expansion. The decade featured four of the worst Presidents in US history, one of the worst decisions ever handed down by the Supreme Court, and a Congress so divided that members of the House of Representatives and Senate often brought guns to the floor for protection.
The three major political parties, the Whigs and Democrats and Republicans all failed to restrain the increasingly passionate and violent debates and the political center collapsed. The class will look at the key events that propelled America on the path to Civil War.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: M, 4/29/2024 - 5/20/2024
- Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- Instructor: James Rigali
|
|
|
|
Museum Masterpieces in the United States, part 1
In this 4-part series, art historian and critic Kolya Rice investigates some of the greatest works of art housed in American museums. Organized as a travelogue, participants will travel to museums in Washington D.C., New York, and Philadelphia. Along the way, participants will be introduced to key concepts, themes and critical analyses frequently used by art historians and critics.
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: Tu, 4/30/2024 - 5/21/2024
- Times: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM
- Instructor: Kolya Rice
- Class recordings will be available.
|
|
|
|
Mathematical Models of Dynamic Physical Systems: How engineers think about things - Models, methods, attitudes
Course objectives: I want to acquaint attendees with the ways by which engineers analyze and predict the behavior of natural and engineered systems. The most interesting of these to me are dynamic systems and random systems. Dynamic systems display behavior that changes over time while random systems display dynamic behavior that cannot be predicted exactly. Our lives are full of such systems: the climate, the spread of diseases, rise and extinction of species, swaying of buildings in earthquakes. What limits the height of trees? Why is the Eiffel Tower swoop-shaped? Why don’t elephants look like big daddy longlegs? How many trucks does Amazon need to serve a given region? How can methods of modeling physical dynamic systems be used to model people interacting with machines and even interacting with each other? How do economists explain the business cycle? I will try to convey what it is like to design something so that it not only works but will not be subject to the many kinds of challenges that lurk in the design and its natural and human working environment. I will provide plenty of down-to-earth examples and will minimize the use of actual mathematics.
Topics:
• What is a math model and what kinds of things can be modeled
• Mathematical and pictorial models: explaining dynamic behavior without equations
• Continuity: persistence of stuff and energy – the most useful of all the Laws of Nature
• Static and dynamic systems: time delay, growth, shrinkage, oscillation
• Scaling laws, growth patterns, what happens when things get really big or really small
• Regularity and randomness, predictability within limits, mistakes people make
• How engineers think, what keeps them up at night
• What engineering designers do, with examples (Polaroid SX-70, Space Shuttle Booster rocket explosion)
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: W, 5/1/2024 - 5/22/2024
- Times: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
- Instructor: Dan Whitney
- Class recordings will be available.
|
|
|
|
From Hope to Hostility: The Epic Journey of US-China Relations Since Nixon - Course I: The Movers and Shakers
This course delves into the intricate tapestry of US-China relations, tracing its evolution from the groundbreaking overtures made by Nixon in 1972 to where we are today. By dissecting the cultural archetypes and values inherent to both American and Chinese societies, participants will gain profound insights into the divergent thought and behavioral patterns that have charted the historical trajectories of both nations. The course critically assesses the impact of differing political systems on business, social transformation, and global geopolitics, with a particular focus on the cross-Pacific dynamic. From the key issue of Taiwan and the rise of China to the rapid transitioning of the world’s two largest economies from top trading partners to archrivals in just a few years, this course scrutinizes the multifaceted factors that have contributed to the current situation. Moreover, participants will examine potential pathways for the future of US-China bilateral relations.
1. Historical overview of US-China relations since Nixon
2. Nixon and Mao: for whom the door opened
3. Deng Xiaoping’s “Hide and Bide”
4. China Dream: where is Xi Jinping taking the world
REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS CLOSED. This class is already in session.
- Dates: Th, 5/9/2024 - 5/30/2024
- Times: 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM
- Instructor: George Liu
Class times: May 9 from 9:30- 11:00
May 16, 23, 30 from 10:00 - 12:00
|
|
|
|