By Cole Hatcher
The Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) at Ohio Wesleyan University is celebrating its fifth anniversary by offering 11 courses this fall, with topics ranging from ’50s science fiction movies, to the 2024 national election, to preserving memories with legacy letters.
For their $75 registration fee, individuals 55 and older are able to sign up for as many courses as they wish during the fall session, which runs from Oct. 7 through Nov. 15 for most classes.
As one LLI teacher and student shares, “I have thoroughly enjoyed my participation in OWU’s Lifelong Learning Institute. … It is so rewarding to be surrounded by such an enthusiastic, personable, and intellectually curious community of learners. I miss it in between terms.”
The multi-week Lifelong Learning Institute classes are taught by volunteers, including current and retired Ohio Wesleyan professors and other experts in a non-competitive environment. All classes will be held in the Benes Rooms of OWU’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware, unless otherwise noted. Scheduled fall classes are:
- Legacy Films of the Hollywood Blacklist – with showings of seven classic films including “The Thin Man,” “Citizen Kane,” and “Woman of the Year.” Tracey Peyton, managing director of the Strand Theatre will teach the class at the cinema, 28 E. Winter St., Delaware.
- Archaeology of the Bible – taught by Dr. Christopher Farrar, author of “By the Waters of Babylon” and the sequel, “Light of Exile.”
- 1950s SCI-FI – with showings of seven films including “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” “The War of the Worlds,” “Invasion of the Saucer Men,” and more. Strand Theatre projectionist Jaime Cretella will teach the course at the theatre.
- LLI Potpourri – Tuesday – featuring courses taught by several retired Ohio Wesleyan professors and including a special opportunity to observe an afternoon moonset at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 21 as part of an “Ohio Native Americans as Astronomers” lesson.
- A Matter of Balance – taught by Colleen Zombek, SourcePoint’s community education coordinator.
- Paleopathology: Physical Evidence of the Character and Origin of “Modern Diseases” – taught by Bruce Rothschild, M.D., with enrollment limited to 30 participants.
- Raise Your Spirits, with travel to three locations to learn about the unique operations of breweries and wineries. Enrollment is limited to 40 participants.
- Democracy and the 2024 Elections – featuring various instructors and topics including “Reforms Considered: The Electoral College and Beyond” and, on Nov. 14, “The 2024 Election: A Post-Mortem.”
- LLI Potpourri – Thursday – featuring courses ranging from “Owls of Ohio, Whoo, Whoo, Whoo Gives a Hoot” to “Public Schools Under Pressure: Confronting Today’s Challenges.”
- Writing a “Legacy Letter” – an online Zoom course taught by Jay Sherwin, creator of the Life Reflections Project. Enrollment is limited to 30 participants.
- Socrates Café – taught by Jane Ewers, R.N., with attendees determining each week’s topic.
Online, mail, and telephone registration for spring session opens Aug. 26 and runs through Sept. 30. The LLI is offering a limited number of $50 scholarships for the spring session. Scholarship applications are due by Sept. 23.
For additional class descriptions (including dates, times, and instructors), scholarship applications, and online registration, visit www.owu.edu/LLI. Confirmation of course registration will be sent to each paid registrant.
Launched in 2019, the Lifelong Learning Institute at Ohio Wesleyan University encourages individuals to “discover ideas, acquire knowledge, and fuel your curiosity” with fall and spring sessions each year. For questions, contact the Lifelong Learning Institute at [email protected] or (740) 368-3078.
Photo Credit: Registration begins Aug. 26 for the fall session of the Lifelong Learning Institute at Ohio Wesleyan University. The program, serving those 55 and older, is celebrating its fifth anniversary. (Photo by Spenser Hickey ’15)
Source, Photo: OWU
