A Day with Bartok and Brahms
The SLO Symphony concert will include the “Dance Suite” by Bela Bartok and the “Concerto for Violin and Cello” by Johannes Brahms. The class will include a discussion from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. in Phillips Hall and the Dress Rehearsal in Harmon Hall from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Faculty: Sandy Eastman grew up and spent his working life in the Los Angeles area before coming to his senses and moving with his wife, Lynne, to Pismo Beach. He now teaches part-time at Cuesta College and Allan Hancock College, as well as playing bassoon, baritone saxophone and bridge as often as possible. After graduating from Occidental College and Indiana University, he studied conducting bassoon with Walter Ritchie and conducting with Lauris Jones and Richard Lert. He served as a bandsman in the Air Force and taught in San Bernardino, La Canada, Paramount and Agoura Hills. He is also a former member of the Long Beach Coterie Sinfonique, the Pasadena Community Orchestra and the Topanga Symphony.
OSHR 2210
Sat., May 3, Lecture at 9:30 am, Concert at 1:00 pm
Maximum Class Size: 60
1 Meeting
Location: Cal Poly Campus, Philips Hall
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Right and Wrong — How Do We Decide?
What’s missing in life is the opportunity for thoughtful, meaningful discussion. Do you think that getting together with other OLLI members to think about complex subjects is a rich and satisfying prospect? If so, you’ll join this class for a free-wheeling and open-ended exploration with leader and questioner Paul Malykont. He will start with the question, “How does the world fit together?” You’ll answer other questions, like “Is the world getting better?” and “Is right and wrong situational?”
Come if you can talk with others about weighty issues without needing to try to change their minds. This class should be better than Sudoku for recharging your brain cells! You can participate or be a spectator; either way, the class will leave you full of new insights!
Faculty: Paul Malykont was a valuable addition to the “Cool Strategies for Discussing Hot Topics” class last fall term. His passion for history and knowledge of economics and religion provide a broad base for the exploration of ideas. He says “There are so many things to talk about,” and then proves it. His career has been in public accounting, law and investment banking and management.
OSHR 2186
Thur., May 29, Time TBD
Maximum Class Size: 35
1 Meeting
Location: SLO Veterans Hall
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The American Identity, Part 2
“What Defines an American? Part 2” considers influential Americans of the earliest 19th Century: Charles Grandison Finney (the revivalist), Horace Mann (the educator), Ralph Waldo Emerson (the philosopher), Frederick Douglass (the abolitionist), Edmund Ruffin (the champion of slavery), Brigham Young (the religious autocrat), Frederick Law Olmstead (the landscape architect), William Tecumseh Sherman (the general), Louisa May Alcott (the professional writer), Andrew Carnegie (the conscience-stricken entrepreneur), Buffalo Bill (the westerner), and Black Elk (the holy man).
Faculty: James Ragan has led many Osher courses, including two in this lecture on DVD format.
OSHR 2213-2
May 19, June: 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, 10:00 am - Noon
Maximum Class Size: 50
6 Meetings
Location: TBD (confirm class location 10 days prior by Web or phone (805) 756-7635.)
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Mission San Luis Obispo
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa is an important part of the life of the city of San Luis Obispo, which proudly calls itself “The City with a Mission.” The Mission continues to serve as a modern parish church for the many Catholics in the area. The original padres’ residence has been turned into an extraordinary mission museum containing an extensive collection of early photographs and other items, which present a vivid picture of the way of life in California before the turn of the century. Join one of our members, a dedicated Mission docent on a tour of the mission. Janet Potter will provide you with information on the background of the “Mission system,” the reasons that Missions along the California coastline were desired by the Spanish crown, and what effect the missions had upon the local Chumash population. You will also learn about Fr. Junipero Serra, and hear about mission art and architecture.
Faculty: Janet Potter’s interest in the California missions was sparked by attending high school and college instructed by the sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, one of the early religious orders brought to California for Spain. She formerly headed the education program for Santa Barbara Historical Society docents. In San Luis Obispo, she served as educational director for the South SLO County Historical Society. She is now a docent at the Mission, and also presents in-classroom local and state historical programs.
OSHR 2088
Tues. May 13, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Maximum Class Size: 25
1 Meeting
Location: Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
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Jim Beckwourth — His Life and Adventures
This course is a discussion about one of California’s most picturesque characters, Jim Beckwourth. Although he was not here long, he left his mark in the Gold Country and at the Dana Adobe.
Jim’s adventurous life as a slave, mountain man, trapper, Indian chief, and trail blazer will be the focus of the course. Participants will leave with a better understanding of the contributions this restless man of the frontier made.
Faculty: Helen Daurio is a retired high school English teacher. She has been involved with the Dana Adobe docent program for three years and is currently Docent Director in charge of tour development and the docent-led school program.
OSHR 2229
Sat., May 24, 10:00 am - Noon
Maximum Class Size: 20
1 Meeting
Location: Dana Adobe, Nipomo
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A Tour Through Time
One of the most popular sites to visit in San Luis Obispo is its Mission, which has changed considerably since its founding in 1772. Through a series of sketches, pictures, and paintings, this class will compare the modern with the preserved past of the city’s icon.
Faculty: Joseph Carotenuti is a retired educator and a frequent contributor to the SLO County Journal on a broad range of local historical topics. He continues to research and write on the evolution of the present city since its founding in 1772. He has delved into a variety of topics that have highlighted San Luis Obispo as not only one of the oldest settlements in the state but also the only one so named in the world!
OSHR 2217
Wed., May 7, 10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Maximum Class Size: 35
1 Meeting
Location: SLO Library Community Room
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The University in Western Civilization
This short course covers almost 800 years of the history of western higher education. Starting with the founding of ancient universities in Western Europe through the creation of early universities in America to the development of the California Master Plan for Higher Education, the course will cover the forces and transitions leading to the creation of the modern university.
Faculty: Dr. Dennis “Skip” Parks is Dean, Continuing Education and University Outreach, and Professor-in-Residence at Cal Poly. His doctoral work included studying the history of higher education in Europe and America. Prior to joining Cal Poly, he was Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies at the University of Virginia.
OSHR 2061
Tues., May 20 & 27, 10:00 am - Noon
Maximum Class Size: 30
Meetings: 2
Location: TBD (Confirm class location 10 days prior by Web or phone (805) 756-7635.)
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Early Exploration of the Amazon River
The first Europeans to explore the Amazon River during the 16th Century faced tremendous dangers and difficulties. They experienced attacks by natives, disease and other hardships. We will learn about some of these ill-fated trips, including one that resulted in horrific crimes by its own expedition members. We will also gain geographic information of the Amazon Basin.
Faculty: Jaime Avila is a geographer who taught introductory geography at Sacramento City College. His area of study is the U.S. Southwest and Mesoamerica. He is particularly interested in Native American cultures, particularly of the Southwest and Mexico. He retired from Caltrans in 2002.
OSHR 2231
Tue., May 6, 1:30 - 3:00 pm
Maximum Class Size: 35
1 Meeting
Location: SLO Library Community Room
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How California Happened
Every California 4th grader knows that John C. Frémont’s 1846 Bear Flag Republic was the first step toward statehood, but why him, and why then? The answers to these questions take us back to St. Louis, Missouri, Frémont’s home town. During his time, Missouri had an expansive foreign policy, one product of which was the American conquest of California.
The key players in this saga of passionate nationalism were Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton, General John C. Frémont, and most importantly, Jesse Benton Frémont, the Senator’s daughter and the General’s wife. Sally Denton’s new biography of the Frémonts, Passion and Principle: John and Jesse Frémont, The Couple Whose Power, Politics, and Love Shaped 19th Century America, reads like a novel, although the story is too improbable to be fiction.
We will discuss Passion and Principle over two class sessions, exploring the Missouri roots of history, and why it was that old comrades of Karl Marx helped found the Republican Party and ran John C. Frémont as their first presidential candidate.
Participants should read the first five chapters of Passion and Principle before the first session, and jot down the pages numbers of particularly telling passages. The book is available from local booksellers, or online.
Faculty: Howard Miller, professor of History Emeritus at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, is a frequent OLLI instructor and has extensive experience in public history programming and exhibit development. This course is sponsored by Heritage Shared, a San Luis Obispo-based historical organization, as part of its on-going series of history courses developed for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
OSHR 2256
Thurs., May 1 & 8, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum Class Size: 35
2 Meetings
Location: SLO Adult School
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Welcome to the Aging of America!
Where are we as a society in addressing the issues involved in aging? What should be we doing, what can Boomers (aged 49-61), Builders (aged 62-75), and Elders (aged 76+) contribute in order for society to successfully address the issues?
This course is an overview of the issues created by an aging society in the United States: challenges, problems, opportunities and solutions. We will cover the adequacy of and access to health and medical care, housing, long-term care, transportation, community support and activities, legislation and marketing.
What can seniors and their families do to help society address these issues? What issues do we need to concentrate on? Who else needs to be involved? How can we get them involved? What can we do to create the best aging society in the world?
Faculty: Dr. Charles R. “Chuck” Carlson was the first in the U.S. to write a doctoral dissertation about whether senior adults could learn and, if so, whether they would benefit from association with colleges and universities. He has taught Gerontology-related courses for Bakersfield College, UC Santa Barbara Extension and CSU Bakersfield. He served as the President of the Center for Living and Learning (CLL) at CSU Bakersfield from 1996 to 2006 and founded the Kern Senior Collaborative, serving as its Executive from 2000 to 2006.
OSHR 2162
Fri., May 23 & 30
Maximum Class Size: 45
2 Meetings
Location: SLO Adult School
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Keys to Handling Confrontation
Confrontation can be destructive, but it can often, surprisingly, be constructive. Either result is often up to you. Just as there’s more than one way to skin a cat, there’s more than one way to conduct confrontation.
In this class we will address our discomfort with confrontation and our fear of it. It will provide us with some choices for in-the-moment, non-caustic responses and some long-term practices that can help us be masters at productive confrontation.
Faculty: Linnea Duvall is always challenging and seldom predictable. Her classes are a mix of drama, common sense and a good bit of original thinking. Her broad experience (actress, magazine editor, businesswoman and counselor) means there is seldom a life issue she hasn’t dealt with herself. She brings a lot of fun to difficult subjects.
OSHR 2253
Fri. May 2, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum Class Size: 40
1 Meeting
Location: SLO Adult School
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Tips for Mastering MS Word and PowerPoint
This course provides basic information about how to produce effective presentations using Word outlines, PowerPoint and other software. The course will include how to design and use master slides, storyboarding, readability and legibility (including for the color blind), rooms with difficult lighting, appropriate fonts for ease of viewing, properties, etc.
Prerequisites: Participants should have a basic knowledge of word processing software and access to PowerPoint or other presentation software. Note: Participants may bring portable computers.
Faculty: Jean Anderson has a BA from San Jose State University, an M.A. from Portland State University, a Graphic Design Certificate from UC Davis Extension, and has taught a variety of classes to children and adults.
OSHR 2246
Mon., May 5 & 12, 10:00 am - Noon
Maximum Class Size: 20
2 Meetings
Location: Ludwick Center, Room A
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What is Special About the Jack House?
The Jack House, a carefully restored historical house in downtown SLO has inspired dozens of docents and thousands of visitors. What is the special draw of this particular house and its history?
Hear a dedicated docent tell of the background of the house and the family it was built for, and how it fit into the life of the antebellum town. Discover the contributions of Nellie Jack made that motivated their heirs to donate their property and all its contents to the City of San Luis Obispo.
Learn how volunteers preserve this rare gem as docents and Committee members, while they strive to bring the Jack family alive. Then tour the house itself for a rare opportunity to see living history at its best. Consider sharing lunch afterwards with the docent and some interested class members.
Faculty: Toni Kincaid is a trained docent and the current president of the Jack House Docents. Her lively curiosity has made her a delightful person to learn from.
OSHR 2254
Wed., May 28, 10:00 am - Noon
Maximum Class Size: 25
1 Meeting
Location: Jack House, San Luis Obispo.
Meet at the Coast National Bank community room to start tour.
500 Marsh St, SLO
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Turtles and Tortoises from Around the World
You will tour Bob & Judy Thomas’ Arroyo Grande ranch, where they houses more than 300 turtles and tortoises representing over 40 species.
You’ll learn about how habitat loss, superstitions and misunderstandings threaten these interesting animals. Hear about and discuss turtle and tortoise preservation, how to protect the health of captive turtles, and how to provide homes for them through adoption.
Faculty: Robert and Judy Thomas have studied and raised turtles and tortoises for more than 18 years. Their Triple T Ranch is a “Home for Wayward Turtles and Tortoises.” They work with several zoos, breeding endangered species. They are docents with California state parks and also give talks at the Pismo Nature Center during the spring, summer and fall. Bob is chairman of the California Turtle and Tortoise Club.
OSHR 2094-1
Fri., May 9, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum Class Size: 15
1 Meeting
Location: 313 E. Ormande Rd., Arroyo Grande
OSHR 2094-2
Fri., May 23, 2:00 - 4:00 pm
Maximum Class Size: 15
1 Meeting
Location: 313 E. Ormande Rd., Arroyo Grande
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Tour of a Working Lavender Farm
Tour the Green Acres Lavender Farm. This farm is the largest lavender grower and distiller in San Luis Obispo County, with over 12,000 plants. The intoxicating fragrance of lavender has been sought after for centuries for healing, lifting the spirits, calming the nerves and sweetening the air.
Discover the many uses for lavender, including culinary, personal and household. Lavender is native to the Mediterranean climate and is a member of the mint family, which also includes coleus, catnip salvia and thyme. Lavender blooms in late spring through late summer.
Faculty: Janice Silva and Bob Bostwick are the owners of Green Acres Lavender Farm. Janice worked in the New York City Floral Design and Event Planning Industry, where she helped stage the Today show, Good Morning America, Live with Regis and Kathy Lee and other shows. She brought her love of working with flowers to the Central Coast. Bob’s construction expertise, love of gardening, design instinct and respect for nature helped to inspire the lovely swirling lavender fields at the farm.
OSHR 2145
Fri., May 16, 10:00 am - Noon
Maximum Class Size: 35
1 Meeting
Location: Green Acres Lavender Farm, Atascadero
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Nethercutt Museum of Functional Art
Take a day trip to the Nethercutt Museum of Functional Art, located in Sylmar, California. This museum is a very special place. It houses a collection of many items put together by Jack and Dorothy Nethercutt, which they describe as “Functional Art.”
The collection includes things of beauty that have a useful, functional purpose. These items include classical automobiles, musical apparatus, unique timepieces and a large collection of Lalique glass in a most unexpected form.
Faculty: Ed English is a Cal Poly and Cuesta College faculty emeritus. He was a faculty member in Industrial Technology, Engineering Technology and Electrical Engineering at Cal Poly and Division Chair for Engineering and Technology Department at Cuesta College. Ed has been interested in automobiles since he was a child watching his father as an automotive salesman. He has a small collection of antique cars.
OSHR 2227
Thurs., May 22 (Time TBD: early morning)
Maximum Class Size: 22
1 Meetings
Location: Meet the bus at the Costco parking lot in SLO.
There will be a South County pick-up, location TBD by class angel.
Additional Fee: $35 bus tour fee
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Point San Luis Lighthouse Hike
Walking the Pecho Coast Trail to the Point San Luis Lighthouse offers a unique opportunity to access private lands along one of the wildest and most spectacular stretches of the California coast. Join us for a moderately strenuous four-mile, round-trip hike on uneven terrain (elevation: 440 ft.) to the lighthouse.
This is one of the most important historical sites in San Luis Obispo County. This hike features beautiful coastline views, a tour of the unique Victorian lighthouse, snack on the lighthouse grounds, and a walk back to the port. There will be several stops for discussion of geology, plant and wildlife, history, views and other features.
Notes: Participants must have experience with and be conditioned for strenuous hiking along a narrow trail along a steep, high mountainside. PARTICIPANTS MUST WEAR HIKING BOOTS OR SHOES. Bring lunch, water, sun screen, camera, binoculars, hooded windbreaker, and wear layered clothing. No pets, smoking, or collecting allowed. The hike is moderately strenuous with uneven terrain and an elevation gain of 440 ft. Not recommended for those with a fear of heights. Waivers are provided by PG&E and must be signed prior to entering the area.
Faculty: Barton Dennen is an Osher volunteer and long time area resident. He has completed the PG&E docent training for this hike and has walked the trail numerous times, studying the natural and historical features of the area. Other faculty includes Karin Leonard, Lyle Yager, Randy Bello and Paul O'Connor.
OSHR 1142-2
Sat., May. 31, 10:00 am - 3:30 pm
(This program is also offered March 29. Click here for OSHR 1142-1)
Maximum Class Size: 20
1 Meeting
Location: Park in the Port San Luis Harbor parking lot at the end of Avila Beach Drive. Meet at the dolphin fountain on Avila Beach Drive midway between the parking lot and the PG&E Diablo Canyon Power Plant entrance.
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Reservoir Canyon Hike
In the late 1800s a private water company purchased the land in Reservoir Canyon and built several diversion structures along the creek to carry water to a holding reservoir (remnants of the old water collection system still exist). The system operated until about the 1950s, when the City of San Luis Obispo gained access to a larger and more reliable water supply.
The city never sold the Reservoir Canyon property and eventually designated it as a City open space. The canyon has retained its beauty and integrity largely because it was an important watershed for the community.
We will hike through Reservoir Canyon. On the first mile and a half of the hike you will follow a creek at the rocky canyon bottom. On the trail you will experience an interesting mix of the riparian, chaparral and oak woodland habitats of San Luis Obispo County. Along the creek are cascades, small waterfalls and pools. If you want to, on the next part of the hike, the last half mile, you’ll walk across the creek to climb a steep hill through brush and broken rock, and then continue up an open hillside with rugged serpentine outcroppings and panoramic views of rolling hills. If you want to return after the first part of the hike, you will be led back.
The second part of this hike is one of our most strenuous. You should have experience with and be conditioned for strenuous hiking conditions. You need to be able to walk approximately four miles (round trip) on a rocky trail with an elevation gain of 500 feet. In places the trail is narrow and winds across steep hillsides and through loose rock. Hikers should wear sturdy shoes suitable for steep trails and loose rocks. We strongly recommend that you wear hiking boots. Wear a hat and layered clothing. Bring plenty of water and a lunch or snacks. You may want to bring a camera, binoculars and/or a plant guide. Expect to encounter poison oak and ticks. There are no bathroom facilities.
Faculty: Paul O’Connor, former Cal Fire Captain, is an experienced outdoorsman, Pecho Coast Trail Docent, Buchon Point Trail Docent, San Luis Lighthouse Keeper/Docent and OLLI leader of local area hikes.
OSHR 2175-2
May 1, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Maximum Class Size: 15
1 Meeting
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Montana De Oro Bluff Walk
Hike the Bluff Trail at Montana de Oro State Park with experienced docent interpreters. A panoramic, rugged shoreline, rocky inlets and Coastal Scrub, provide a seasonally changing experience of diverse plant and animal life in addition to dramatic and dynamic geology.
Observe numerous bird and plant species along with land and marine animals. Human history includes the Chumash, early ranching in the “Pecho,” the search for black gold and the development of a unique State Park. This is a moderate round-trip walk of approximately four miles on mostly level ground, with a stop for lunch and beach exploration at Corallina Cove.
Notes: Bring a lunch and water. Layered clothing and sturdy shoes are advised.
Faculty: Randy Bello is a trained interpretive docent with California State Parks and the Natural History Association in Morro Bay, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Pecho Coast and Buchon Trails Docent, and Cal Poly OLLI program leader.
Paul O’Connor, former Cal Fire Captain, is an experienced outdoorsman, Pecho Coast Trail Docent, Buchon Point Trail Docent, San Luis Lighthouse Keeper/Docent, and OLLI leader of local area hikes.
OSHR 2219-2
Thurs., May 15, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Maximum Class Size: 20
1 Meeting
Location: Travel west through the community of Los Osos and meet at the Montana de Oro state Park Vistor Center/ Spooner Ranch House on Pecho Road.
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