Current Courses: Fall 2008
| To register by phone, please call Pat Parson at (707) 664-2612. |
Monday
POLITICS
Campaign & Election 2008
Political campaign veterans Gerald and Kathleen Hill will present their exciting insider views of the 2008 national elections. They will provide insights into the turbulent 2008 primary and final election campaigns you will not find anywhere else. Their analysis will look at the unprecedented roll of the media, strategies, issues (both spoken and unspoken), commercials, the speeches and personalities of the presidential contenders, and compare them to previous contests.
They will also keep all of us up to date on key House and U.S. Senate races as the Republicans and Democrats fight to control the Congress and White House--and how this will affect the country's wars and occupations abroad, budget deficits, environmental concerns, and the standing of the U.S. in the world. Strategies will be analyzed, campaign materials dissected, polling techniques examined, and speeches tested for reality and bias.
The Hills will “follow the money” to positions and legislative votes and trace "independent expenditures" of political organizations and political pressure groups--including business and political action committees, labor unions, and other special interests.
Kathleen Thompson Hill, M.A., and Gerald N. Hill, J.D., teach U.S. Politics and government, U.S Campaigns and Elections and Comparative Politics of the U.S.--Canada-Mexico at the University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, and Sonoma State. They have co-authored 26 books including the Facts on File Dictionary of American Politics. The Hills have hosted several election forums for OLLI and the SSU community. This will be their sixth course offering for OLLI at SSU.
- 8 mtgs: M, Sep 8-Oct 27, 9:45-11:30am
- Cooperage
- EXED NC noncredit;
- Class # 3919
CLASSICS
The Origins & Evolutions of the Greek Gods
The Olympians, the great Greek Gods, are really an assemblage of divinities, mostly Hellenic by adoption and not by origin. Under the aegis of a forced marriage between Zeus and Hera, the Olympian family formed, made up of indigenous, pre-Greek gods, others imported by traders and seafarers, and still others now of unknown or disputed origin. We are familiar with many of their names. Hermes signals designer clothing, Artemis perfume or a fine cabernet, and Apollo a space mission.
Through slide lectures and discussion, we will look at what ancient statues and temples can tell us and the revisioning of the gods by artists from the Middle Ages to modern times. By examining the major myths, we can see how the gods evolved through the process of cultural change. We will look at the hope for afterlife brought by the gods of the earth, Demeter and Dionysus. In reflecting upon these gods, we can gain a deeper understanding of the people and culture that created them and, by extension, of ourselves.
<I>This course is being generously underwritten by Jule Grant.</I>
Helen Dunn, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita, English, at SSU. A generalist, she has an M.A. from Fordham University in American literature, doctorate in medieval literature from U.C. Berkeley, and she wrote her dissertation on the image of the hunter as lover and warrior in Greek and Roman literature. She has taught numerous classical studies courses as well as Latin at SSU.
- 8 mtgs: M, Sep 8-Oct 27, 9:45-11:30am
- Multi-purpose Room
- EXED NC noncredit
- Class # 3920
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
U.S. Covert Action & Counterespionage
The most controversial activities of U.S. intelligence are so-called dark arts or black ops. Large-scale covert actions attempt to topple regimes or influence elections. Smaller activities include providing disguises and forged documents to help defectors escape to safety. Among the most debatable methods of covert action are assassination and torture. Since the attacks of 9/11, the CIA’s transport of alleged terrorists to interrogation sites around the world has generated much discussion. Though covert actions are not supposed to be traced back to Washington, D.C., it is difficult to plausibly deny the U.S. role in these operations.
Foreign intelligence services have been successful in stealing secret information from the U.S. To what extent is the U.S. able to apprehend foreign spies inside government agencies, inside defense industries, or inside high-tech firms? How has the FBI been reorganized in the wake of the 9/11 catastrophe? Options for strengthening the security of U.S. secrets will be explored.
John Syer, Ph.D., after military service in Seoul, John Syer was a faculty member at the University of Illinois, Springfield, at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and at CSU Sacramento. He also taught at Kaluga Pedagogical Institute in Russia and currently teaches in OLLI, Dominican. Professor Syer received training on national security law at the University of Virginia Law School and on image interpretation at the Defense Intelligence Agency.
- 8 mtgs: M, Sep 8-Oct 27, 1-2:45pm
- Cooperage
- EXED NC noncredit
- Class # 3921
Tuesday
MUSIC & CULTURE
Country Music in California: An Adventure in Popular Culture
Nashville has by no means always been country music's most important locale. From the late 1920s until the early 1950s, California--especially the Los Angeles area--was the national leader. What happened? Much of the music was folded into different categories such as folk, rockabilly, bluegrass and western swing, while Nashville's country-pop has taken commercial center stage. In recent decades California superstars like Buck Owens, Dwight Yoakam and Merle Haggard have defied Nashville and succeeded.
This course necessitates the discussion not only of the history of the music, but also of the society, the culture, and even the various regions. A lecture-discussion format will be employed, and many samples of the music--plus a couple of videos--will be played. One glance at the contents of the recommended book will illustrate that this subject, while entertaining, is also enlightening since it moves far beyond the tunes into the cultural forces that produced them and into the people who identify with them.
Gerald Haslam, Ph.D., is a Central Valley Native. He is the author or editor of over 25 books, including his most recent novel Straight White Male, which won The Western States' Book Award for fiction. His academic training is in linguistics (B.A.), American Studies (M.A.), and literature (Ph.D.). He is Professor Emeritus of English at Sonoma State University, and is also adjunct professor at the National Faculty (Atlanta) and the Union Institute (Cincinnati). This is the sixth course he has taught for Osher LLI along with being the coordinator for two reader series.
- 8 mtgs: T, Sep 9-Oct 28, 9:45-11:30am
- Cooperage
- EXED NC; noncredit;
- Class # 4215
HISTORY
Paradise Past: The South Pacific Since Magellan
Swaying palm trees, voluptuous maidens, bronzed men, the sound of waves lapping pristine beaches--escape with us during this eight-week program to the magic of the South Pacific to look at the history and culture of South Pacific societies since the coming of western explorers in the early 16th century.
When, in 1520, Ferdinand Magellan sailed through the strait that bears his name, Polynesians, Melanesians, Papuans and Aborigines were destined to have their societies utterly transformed. This course traces how Stone Age peoples have been thrust over the last 500 years--for better or worse--into 20th century modernity.
Important topics are the peopling of the far-flung islands by Polynesian mariners, the Western explorers and the inevitable clash of cultures, the high drama of the mutiny aboard the 'Bounty,' the founding of Australia and New Zealand, exploitation of Oceania's resources, the missionaries' transformation of values and belief systems, the effect of imperialism and world wars, migration, and--finally--the threat of global warming and rising seas to the very existence of entire island cultures.
Robert Kirk, Ph.D. in European History from UC Davis, taught history, English, political science, and public speaking at Clearlake College. Since 2001 he has served on the Adjunct History faculty at SRJC. Bob has lectured on 58 cruises since 1986, several of these in the South Pacific. Bob is past president of the World Affairs Council of Sonoma County. His most recent book is A History of Pitcairn Island: The Saga of the Bounty Mutineers and their Descendants.
- 8 mtgs: T, Sep 9-Oct 28, 9:45-11:30am
- Multi-purpose Room
- EXED NC; noncredit;
- Class # 4013
HISTORY
The Decline & Fall of the Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the longest continuous republic in history (509–27 BCE). Its 500 year duration inspired our own American Republic. Its institutions were firmly grounded in family loyalties, a constitution, civic pride, a citizen army, and virtue. It seemed impossible that such strong foundations would collapse into the despotism and dictatorship of Caesars.
This course will study how these Republican institutions were slowly weakened through the strains of war, the shift of wealth to the powerful, increasing disrespect for the constitutional process, and the growing ambitions of unscrupulous, if well intended, leaders. The degeneration was a slow one, but the result led to the loss of the Republic and the growth of imperial absolutism.
Topics will include the strains of war, the importance of values, the weakening of the Roman constitution, the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few, attempts at reform, the purging of opposition forces, the impact of alien cultures, the role of leading figures, and the lessons for contemporary democracy.
This course is being generously underwritten by Jeanne Johnson and the Johnson Family Foundation.
Robert Jefferson, Ph.D., attended UC Berkeley, where he developed a strong interest in late Medieval and Renaissance studies. In addition to teaching Renaissance studies at Indiana University and Chico State, he has taught European History at SSU and its extension campus in Ukiah. He has traveled extensively through Italy. He has taught six courses for the OLLI program at SSU.
- 8 mtgs: T, Sep 9-Oct 28, 1-2:45pm
- Cooperage
- EXED NC noncredit
- Class # 3922
Wednesday
ART & HISTORY
European Renaissance: Age of Exploration
The Renaissance transformed Europe, sparking revolutions in religion, political thought and artistic expression. As it moved northward from Italy during the 16th century, the Renaissance confidence in human powers inspired a new spirit of exploration. Scientists and mariners employed imaginative approaches to extend the frontiers of man’s knowledge. Painters built on the work of Italian artists to fashion a mode of visual representation remarkable for its realism and sensitivity. Northern rulers sought new ways to extend the reach of government. This course charts how this exploratory impulse manifested in the different national contexts: in Germany--unprecedented religious questioning, in France--exercise of Royal power, in Spain--adventurous
empire-building, in England--Elizabethan cultural awakening.
Unlike most History courses, which tend to emphasize written texts, we will employ artwork as our main primary source material. Artists have always been sensitive commentators on their times. In this course, we will use works of great masters such as Van Eyck, Dürer, and El Greco to illustrate the major shifts in outlook that galvanized Europe in the Age of Exploration.
Bruce Elliott, Ph.D., teaches courses in European History at UC Berkeley,
Stanford Continuing Studies, SSU OLLI and Oakmont OLLI. As part of his unique multi-media approach to history, Dr. Elliott has been known on occasion to appear in period costume.
- 8 mtgs: W, Sep 10-Oct 29, 9:45-11:30am
- Cooperage
- EXED NC noncredit
- Class # 3926
HISTORY OF IDEAS
Revolutions that Changed the World
In hindsight it seems easy to spot the great landmarks of cultural history to see a towering figure or a momentous event as a signpost of (to use James Burke's fortuitous phrase) "the day the universe changed." Hindsight is like that. But at the time, it may not have been quite so obvious that history was being made.
What conditions serve as the context for great scientific breakthroughs? Can genius alone explain them?--Could only Newton have come up with Newton's Laws? Or do such revolutions require a special alignment of cultural circumstances?
We will consider four scientific revolutions that are uniquely relevant to the way we understand ourselves and the world here at the beginning of the 21st century. They are the revolutions associated with the names of Copernicus, Darwin, Freud, and Einstein. In addition, we will consider two philosophers, Francis Bacon and Immanuel Kant, who contributed significantly to our understanding of these revolutions.
The hope is that critical reflection on past revolutions may provide insight into those that are unfolding before us today.
William Garrett, Ph.D., has taught at UC Berkeley, John F. Kennedy University, and San Francisco State. His first course offering for OLLI at SSU was Reconsidering the Jewish Jesus. He has taught an additional six other courses through OLLI at SSU and a course at Oakmont OLLI program.
- 8 mtgs: W, Sep 10-Oct 29, 1-2:45pm
- Cooperage
- EXED NC noncredit
- Class # 3925
Thursday
CLASSICAL MUSIC
Music of 19th Century Russia: From Glinka to Glazunov
Other than the names of a few well-known composers and their works, few of us know much about 19th-century Russian music. Boris Godunov, the Pathétique Symphony, Swan Lake ballet, and Rakh Third--these top the list of works familiar to most Western concertgoers. But 19th-century Russian music is a luxuriant mix of many traditions. The Orthodox Church and folk music form age-old native traditions. With these, ballet from France, opera from Italy, and symphonic music from central Europe coalesce in the development of a uniquely Russian repertoire.
After briefly tracing 18th-century antecedents, the course will follow a chronological tour beginning with Lvov and Glinka, the first composers of distinctively nationalist opera, continuing with "the Five"--Mussorgsky and colleagues dedicated to the creation of a characteristically "Russian" music--as well as the more cosmopolitan Chaikovsky, and finishing around 1917, the date of the Russian revolutions. Opera will figure prominently (as it does in Russia) as will exotic works by such composers as Gliere and Skryabin.
This course is being generously underwritten by Larry and Pat Kocher.
Gardner Rust, Ph.D. is a native of Los Angeles who received his B.A. from UCLA. He moved north in 1957 to undertake graduate work at UC Berkeley where he received his M.A. and Ph.D., also in Musicology. He began teaching at SSU in 1968, where he made world music and dance his specialty. He published Music and Dance of the World's Religions: A Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography Materials in English in 1996. He has taught five previous courses on music for OLLI.
- 8 mtgs: Th, Sep 11-Nov 6, 9:45-11:30am; No Cls Oct 9
- Cooperage
- EXED NC 3927 noncredit
- Class # 3927
LIFE SCIENCES
21st Century Genetics:
Understanding our Evolutionary Past, Shaping our Evolutionary Future
The Genetic Code is a billion years older than the Da Vinci Code, and its secrets tell us much about evolution and genetic diseases. Unraveling its mystery has revealed the fantastic possibilities of moving genes from one species of organism to another and allowing them to function in their new environment.
This course will provide you with an understanding of how genetic information is stored in cells, how that information is expressed, and current thoughts on how gene products interact with each other and the environment to produce Darwin’s "endless forms most beautiful."
We will look into the significance of a number of current genome projects and what they can tell us about what makes us human and how we have spread across the surface of the earth in the last 50,000 years. We will also discuss genetically modified crops and animals--their production, unusual properties and what limits we should impose.
A field trip to a genetics laboratory at the Buck Institute in Novato will be an optional addition to the classes.
Phil Harriman Ph.D., UC Berkeley taught and did research on the genetics of microbes as a faculty member of the Duke University Medical School and the University of Missouri. He then served for 24 years at the National Science Foundation in Washington DC as Program Director for Genetics. Since retiring to Sonoma County he has taught three OLLI courses each for SSU and Dominican University in San Rafael.
- 8 mtgs: Th, Sep 11-Nov 6, 9:45-11:30am; No Cls Oct 9
- Multi-purpose Room
- EXED NC
- Class # 3924
HISTORY & POLITICS
Nation State or Energy Empire:
Russia's Search for National Identity in the 21st Century
The course presents and analyzes most recent facts and developments in the political and ideological spheres of life, economy and culture of modern Russia, with particular emphasis on the politics of Vladimir Putin and the emerging post-Putin era. These modern developments will be looked at in light of Russia's interesting history, the messianic characteristic of its literature, and the Slavic ideas concerning the uniqueness of the Russian spirituality. We will examine the Russian imperial ideas and the ways in which the Bolshevik revolution initiated and ideologically supported a formation of a new Soviet identity for the Russian people.
We will observe and explain on a concrete basis why a majority of Russians view today's crisis of their national identity as a root cause of the ongoing degradation of major national, political and social institutions. Two of the major problems of the country--pervasive corruption and a worsening demographic situation--will be investigated. Finally, we will look at Russia's relationship with the West (and the U.S. in particular) in terms of their socio-cultural and political implications.
Ismail Agayev, Ph.D., from the Academy of Science of Azerbaijan has researched, written articles and taught in Baku and Moscow on a variety of subjects including Islam, Russia and Turkey. He has offered a wide variety of courses for the OLLI programs in Santa Cruz, San Francisco, Dominican College and CSU East Bay.
- 8 mtgs: Th, Sep 11-Nov 6, 1-2:45pm; No Cls Oct 9
- Cooperage
- EXED NC noncredit
- Class # 3928