Whether you’re searching for meaning in a chaotic world or you simply want to explore the art and beauty it has to offer, you’ll find something to satisfy your intellectual curiosity among the 12 new OLLI courses starting in February 2023. Each course will take place either in person — in Norman, Oklahoma City, or Sooner Station — or online via Zoom and will explore a topic in political science, art, literature, philosophy, health, or technology.
OLLI courses provide seniors with the opportunity to engage with fun, educational, and inspiring concepts with people of a similar age in courses that typically run for four to six weeks. Led by some of OU’s top professors, OLLI courses meet for about two hours at a time and offer seniors an experience similar to traditional OU courses.
OLLI courses tend to fill up quickly, and many are known to sell out, so be sure to sign up soon to reserve your spot. For information about course availability, please contact OLLI directly at (405) 325-3488.
February 2023 Senior Seminars
William Shakespeare’s “Othello”
David Anderson
Wednesdays
February 1–22
1:30–3 p.m.
Online (via Zoom)
In this senior seminar, we will read and discuss one of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, Othello. A story of doomed love and racial alienation featuring one of literature’s most remarkable villains as well of one of its most luminous heroines, Othello is both piercing and vexing. Over the course of four weeks, we will work our way through the play, starting on the first week with Acts One and Two. Participants are encouraged to read the play ahead of time but are not required to.
Understanding the Death Penalty in the U.S. and Oklahoma
Susan F. Sharp
Wednesdays
February 1–March 8
10–11:30 a.m.
In-person | Norman
This course will cover fundamental death penalty issues.
In the first week, we will cover the history of the modern death penalty in the U.S. and Oklahoma. We will talk about several important Supreme Court decisions and how changes in the composition of the Supreme Court have shaped the evolution of the death penalty in the U.S.
Week 2 will focus on the different stances of different faith-based communities on capital punishment.
In Week 3, we will explore some of the major questions surrounding the death penalty. Information will be presented on costs related to capital punishment and deterrence research. We will additionally cover recent information on inequities in the use of the death penalty (race, sex, etc.). The death penalty has far-reaching effects.
In Week 4, we will examine the impact of the death penalty on family, friends, and others involved with persons on death row, both before conviction, post-conviction, and after execution or exoneration.
Week 5 will cover exonerations, and we will examine the 10 Oklahoma exonerations in detail.
Hey, You! Yes, YOU! Let’s Discuss, Cuss, Dissect, and, If You Want, Diss America’s Four Estates: Legislative, Executive, Judicial, and (of course) the Media
Cal Hobson
Thursdays
February 2–23
12:30–3 p.m.
In-person | OKC
In 2023 America, who is in charge? Who just thinks they are? Who is gaining power, and who is losing it? Do any, some, or all of the four elements of governance deserve our respect or rejection? If respect, how did they earn it, and can they keep it in a horribly divided citizenry? If rejection is your answer, why, how, and when did you come to that unfortunate conclusion, and is there anything the topics of this seminar can do to regain your trust, confidence, and loyalty?
Our four sessions will be attended by journalists, judges, executives, and politicians. Together, we will listen to their facts and opinions while doing our best to separate one from the other. Hard-hitting questions, politely posited, are not just welcomed but expected, and as your humble host, I’ll provide you with electronic handouts expertly prepared by OLLI assistant and OU graduate student Sarah Bowen.
As for our director, Chris Elliott, he’s in charge of everything else, but especially the taste and timeliness of our coffee, plentiful parking, and room temperature.
Beginning Drawing 1
Kylie Anderson
Fridays
February 3–24
10–11:30 a.m.
Online (via Zoom)
This course is geared toward students with limited to no drawing experience. Required materials are pencils and paper, though the instructor will introduce charcoal and ink for those who wish to explore further. We will cover the basics of realistic drawing: How to capture accurate proportions and shade with a full range of value. We will focus on simple shapes and forms accessible to beginners.
All lecture materials from Zoom meetings will be available for students to download throughout the course. Students can email images of their drawings each week for written feedback or speak with the instructor after Zoom lectures for verbal feedback. Intermediate and advanced students who wish to review drawing foundations are encouraged to join and receive feedback on any art project.
Human Life and its Meaning
Mark Taylor
Fridays
February 3–March 10*
10:30 a.m.–Noon
In-person | Norman
*Class will not meet on February 24.
This seminar explores how different western philosophers throughout history have answered the question, “What is the meaning of life?” Our discussion will begin with the ancient Greeks, who fought over whether true happiness depends on pleasure or joy. Later, we’ll look at the radical shift that occurred when Christian belief burst onto the scene and identified God as the foundation of human flourishing.
Though dominant in the west for centuries, the Christian answer would eventually have atheistic challengers. Some of these philosophers would question whether there could be any objective meaning to life at all; others would take up their secular task with more optimism. Through this seminar, participants will be able to see how all of these historical answers to life’s largest question are still alive and influential today. The class does not require or assume any prior knowledge of philosophy.
The Dolly Parton Principle: An Approach to American Argument
Kalyn Prince
Fridays
February 3–24
2–3:30 p.m.
Online (via Zoom)
If there’s one thing Americans can agree on, it’s that we love Dolly Parton. Uniting the nation better than any politician could, Dolly has become an American icon who practices what Dolly Parton’s America calls “Dollitics”— staying away from controversy while still being a political figure.
In this seminar, we will study Dolly’s life and work to discover how she remains uncontroversial and, perhaps more importantly, what she can teach us about engaging in respectful and effective arguments. We’ll analyze Dolly’s music and career to understand her values and motivations, crafting a theory about her worldview and investigating her approach to success and persuasion in America.
The Revolution of the Historical Novel
Dan Snell
Thursdays
February 9–March 9
1–3 p.m.
In-person | Sooner Station
We will examine the history of the historical novel and the genre’s relation to the rise of nationalism. No reading will be required, but bibliographic suggestions will proliferate.
Week 1: Defining the Historical Novel
- Beginnings: Waverley by Sir Walter Scott, 1814
Week 2: The Historical Novel Catches On
- Manzoni, The Chosen, 1827, and his On the Historical Novel, 1845
Week 3: How Define a Nation: Russia?
- Pushkin, The Pugachev Rebellion (1773-1775), in The Captain’s Daughter (1836) - Tolstoy, War and Peace (1869)
Week 4: Struggling Nationalisms
- Faulkner, The Unvanquished (1938)
- Shiba Ryotaro, Clouds Above the Hill (1968-1972)
Week 5: The Cromwell Cycle of Hilary Mantel: Wolf Hall (2009), Bring Up the Bodies (2012), The Mirror and the Light (2019)
- Nationalism and Stories: Stereotypes and Ourselves
Human Life and its Meaning
Mark Taylor
Thursdays
February 9–March 2
9–10:30 a.m.
In-person | Sooner Station
This seminar explores how different western philosophers throughout history have answered the question, “What is the meaning of life?” Our discussion will begin with the ancient Greeks, who fought over whether true happiness depends on pleasure or joy. Later, we’ll look at the radical shift that occurred when Christian belief burst onto the scene and identified God as the foundation of human flourishing.
Though dominant in the west for centuries, the Christian answer would eventually have atheistic challengers. Some of these philosophers would question whether there could be any objective meaning to life at all; others would take up their secular task with more optimism. Through this seminar, participants will be able to see how all of these historical answers to life’s largest question are still alive and influential today. The class does not require or assume any prior knowledge of philosophy.
Great Decisions 2023: Understanding Key International Issues
Chris Sartorius
Tuesdays
February 14–March 7
1:30–3:30 p.m.
In-person
OKC
Wednesdays
February 15–March 8
1:30–3:30 p.m.
In-person | Norman
The world is becoming increasingly complex, and the many challenges facing our nation require greater fluency in global affairs. This course is designed to improve our awareness, understanding, and informed opinion on international issues affecting U.S. and allied security.
We will use material from the Foreign Policy Association’s Great Decisions 2023 series to guide our discussion of four key issues.
We will focus on the following topics over this four-week series:
1) Energy Geopolitics
2) Economic Warfare
3) Iran at a Crossroad
4) China and the U.S.
Please join us for a discussion concerning major shifts in the global security landscape which will shape our world in the 21st century.
Fundamentals of iOS
Jeremy Hessman
Thursdays
February 16–March 30
9:30–11:30 a.m.
In-person | Norman
*Class will not meet on February 23
Technology is everywhere in our lives these days, and no more obvious is it than with our phones and tablets. For Apple users, better understanding your device and using more of its features can make your life easier.
This course will give users a basic understanding of your iPhone and iPad. We will cover the most general settings, common navigation on the device, as well as some security tips.
We will also cover the following additional items:
•Hardware
•Contacts
•Messages
•Maps
•Security and Location Settings
•Siri and Shortcuts
•Control Center
•Notifications and their settings
•Backing up your device (both on a computer and in the Cloud)
•Camera and photo management
•Home screen customization
OLLI Discussion Group
Wednesdays
February 22–June 28
10–11:30 a.m.
Online (via Zoom)
The Discussion Group will meet weekly on Wednesday mornings for OLLI members who would like to share their ideas, feelings, and concerns about what’s going on in our world. The purpose is fellowship and learning together through sharing concerns and ideas while responding to others’ initiation of other ideas.
This is not your typical OLLI course led by a faculty member. YOU become the leaders and decide what to talk about.
What Sort of Creative Are You?
Sandra Tarabochia and Julie Ward
Fridays
February 24–May 26*
1:30–3:30 p.m.
In-person | Sooner Station
*Class will meet February 24, March 10, March 24, April 7, April 21, May 5, May 19, and May 26.
This workshop guides each participant in answering the question, “What sort of creative are you?” by challenging the assumption that creativity is a rare gift granted to few and promoting the idea that creativity is an inherent human trait. Led by Dr. Sandra Tarabochia, associate professor of English, and Norman’s inaugural Poet Laureate, Dr. Julie Ann Ward, participants will take a deep dive into the habits of creative living.
Curated activities are designed to reignite a sense of wonder. You will come away with new strategies and tools for observing the world around you and learn how to leverage your observations to discover new forms of self-expression through creative practice. Through activities like memoir writing, mind mapping, intuitive sketching, body movement, guided reflection, and multimedia experimentation, you’ll begin to notice and value the ways creativity is already present and find new ways to express yourself creatively.
We are guided by three basic principles: The answer is always creativity, Everyone is creative, and Get curious!
Drawing on Julia Cameron’s It’s Never Too Late to Begin Again, the course will focus on the following topics:
Week 1: Awe
Week 2: Community
Week 3: Integrity
Week 4: Empowerment
Week 5: Embodiment
Week 6: Courage
