Miami University

Give Sorrow Words: The Journey Through Grief
10:15 – 11:30 a.m. | 31 Peabody Hall

Every experience of grief is unique but there are common emotions. This discussion group will explore ways of coping, using literature, journaling, music, and support from one another.

Class text: C. S. Lewis, A Grief Observed

Instructor: Cynthia Kelley is a former hospice social worker and a bereaved parent. This is the third time she has offered this class for ILR.

Exploring the Miami University Art Museum Fall Exhibit
11:00 – 11:50 a.m. | Miami University Art Museum

This class will explore the art museum in two ways. First, participants will learn what goes on “behind the scenes” at the art museum as members of the staff discuss what their jobs entail. Second, museum docents will present in-depth looks at several pieces from the 2009 fall exhibitions.

Coordinator: Lee Hamill is a docent at the Miami University Art Museum and a member of the ILR Curriculum Committee.

Luncheon Lecture Series
12:15 – 1:30 p.m. | Miami University Art Museum

Each Monday the Luncheon Lecture Series presents a speaker who will discuss a topic of interest and importance. Plan to bring a brown bag lunch and enjoy an ILR tradition.

October 12 – “A Night Remembered: The Sinking and Legacy of RMS Titanic,” Bill Gracie, Professor Emeritus of English and former Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary Studies, is a member of the Titanic Historical Society.

October 19 – “A Tsunami Remembered: Miriam Schapiro’s Painting, Conservatory (Portrait of Frida Kahlo), in the Miami University Art Museum’s Collection,” Edna Carter Southard, Ph.D., Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Emerita, Miami University Art Museum.

October 26 – “The Adventures of Thobe, A Miami/Oxford Icon,” Carole Poffinbarger, Thobe’s great granddaughter.

November 2 – “Pan in Meh System: How the Steel Pan Found a Home at Miami University,” Chris Tanner, Associate Professor of Music.

November 9 – “What’s the Big Deal About Local Food?” Bernadette Unger is a Board Member of MOON Co-op working toward opening a member-owned full-service natural grocery store in Oxford.

Coordinator: Betty Rogers, Professor Emerita of Spanish, is a past-chair of ILR.

Oh, Deer!
2:00 – 3:15 p.m. | Miami University Art Museum

In recent years, the number of deer frequenting Oxford residential neighborhoods has increased significantly. This course will look at deer behavior in their natural habitat and in our neighborhoods. Information will be presented and discussion will be invited about ways to deal with the current situation and the future deer population in Oxford.

October 12 – “Deer Behavior in Appropriate and Inappropriate Habitats”
Shawn Conner, Naturalist, Hueston Woods State Park.

October 19 – “Overview of the Institute of Environmental Sciences Masters Students’ Study of the Oxford Area Deer Population”
Sandra Woy-Hazleton, Deputy Director for Academic Affairs, Institute of Environmental Sciences.

October 26 – “Deer Control Options Being Studied by the City Of Oxford”
David Treleaven, Environmental Specialist, City of Oxford.

November 2 – “A Citizens’ Committee Deer Control Proposal for Oxford”
Jeffrey MacDonald, interested citizen.

November 9 – “Where Do We Go From Here?”

Coordinator: Ann Dunlevy, is a former chair of ILR Curriculum Committee.

Class Cancelled

Reliving the Civil Rights Movement Through Fiction
3:30 – 4:45 p.m. | 415 McGuffey Hall

Historical fiction not only retells the facts, moments, and issues of a period
in history; such fiction also entices its readers to re-live or experience that historical moment—its tensions, emotional or psychological effects, pleasures
and atrocities, and impact. This fiction also complicates our understanding of history, as the fiction invites the reader to consider other perceptions of a given period in history. Bebe Moore Campbell’s Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine is a fine example of civil rights
movement historical fiction. Through its characters, the novel vividly and poignantly presents the impact of the Emmit Till murder, the Civil Rights movement, and the Black Power movement on the lives of both black and white people in this country. The course will focus on this novel’s representation of race, gender, and class differences and on how these differences, at least in a fictionalized world, can lead to understanding and healing. Blues music is a prominent metaphor in the novel, so, in addition to reading and discussion, we will listen to some blues of that era.

Class text: Bebe Moore Campbell, Your Blues Ain’t Like Mine

Instructor: Cheryl Johnson is Associate Professor of English and former Director of Miami’s Women’s Studies Program. She teaches 20th Century American literature, with a specialization in African-American literature and criticism.

“I Was Reading in the Paper:” An Economic View of the Headlines
3:30 – 4:45 p.m. | 322 McGuffey Hall

What’s up with banks and the recession? What about the auto industry? What are the costs of global climate change? What is going on with the price of energy? These are among the possible topics that will be discussed in this course designed to address questions that are appearing in today’s newspapers (assuming they are still printed). A short primer in economics will be given, and that will provide a perspective for discussing current events.

Instructor: Steven Elliott, Associate Professor of Economics, has taught at Miami for 11 years. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado and has taught there, as well as at Michigan Tech, and has conducted research for the Department of Energy at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research and teaching interests include applied microeconomics–focusing on energy, and environmental issues–and the industrial regulation.

Introduction to Creative Writing: Poetry
9:00 – 10:15 a.m. | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse

This course is an introduction to the composition of formal poetry. Participants will have abundant opportunities to develop their skills as poets. Works of the greatest writers are used to demonstrate meter, simile, metaphor, personification, and other poetic devices. No experience in creative writing is required.

Instructor: Neil B. Marks, Associate Professor of Decision Sciences, has been writing poetry for 25 years, resulting in the private publication of 17 books.

Nature-Made Machine Appliqué
9:00 a.m. – noon | Oxford United Methodist Church

Bring photographs of your favorite flowers or autumnal leaves to use as inspiration in the machine appliqué class. We’ll use easily manageable shapes and forms to create a small quilted piece. Fusible raw-edge appliqué will be the primary construction method along with embellishing, machine quilting, and finishing techniques. A pattern will be provided for the hibiscus flower, or you may choose your own subject.

>> Click here to download supply list (Word document)

Instructor: Joyce Ponder has been creating quilts for over 15 years. Her quilts have been exhibited at the Miami University Art Museum and the American Quilter’s Society exhibit in Paducah, Kentucky.

Watercolor Adventures
10:00 – 11:15 a.m. | 20 Art Building

Class meets October 13, 20 & 27 only

We will explore basic techniques of using watercolor to create a watercolor painting.

Instructor: Marjorie Bowers, with an M.A. in Art Education, taught high school art in suburban Chicago and participates in various local art shows.

Shakespeare’s Comedy
10:00 – 11:15 a.m. | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse

The class will hear about and discuss Shakespeare’s life and times, with As You Like It as the centerpiece. Films will be included.

Instructor: Howard Blanning is an Assistant Professor of Theater. His principle areas of interest are directing, playwriting, dramaturgy and history, and children’s theatre.

Pet Care and Animal Fun Facts
1:00 – 1:50 p.m. | 120 McGuffey Hall

The course will be in a lecture discussion format covering such topics as breed selection, behavior, basics of good veterinary care and home first aid. Dogs and cats will be discussed. A presentation on animal kingdom “Fun Facts” will also be shared.

Instructor: Before becoming a veterinarian Ron Reagh was a chemical engineer. He received his D.V.M. degree from Ohio State University in 1983.

Elizabeth Bishop and Friends
1:00 – 2:15 p.m.| 101 Center for Performing Arts

The poetry, prose, and letters reflecting the enduring complex friendships of Elizabeth Bishop are the focus of this course. She, with Marianne Moore, Randall Jarrell, and Robert Lowell, stands at the center of the most highly acclaimed American poets and critics of mid-to late-20th Century. We will read and discuss selections from each of their works.

Instructor: Anne Lodge, a long-time teacher of literature and writing, has facilitated many ILR classes ranging from “Shakespeare’s Woman” to “Virginia Woolf and the Bloomsbury Group” to “Lunch at the Algonquin.”

A Double Bicentennial: Lincoln and Darwin
2:00 – 3:15 p.m. | 132 Boyd Hall

The early years of Abraham Lincoln and Charles Darwin; Lincoln and the Civil War; Darwin and the Voyage of the Beagle; Emancipation, Evolution, and Empiricism.

Instructor: John Eicher, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, conducted research at The Ohio State University and Columbia University, and taught chemistry and biochemistry at Purdue and Miami.

Two of the “B’s,” Beethoven and Barber
2:00-3:15 | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse

Join us to learn about Ludwig von Beethoven, (18th century) and Samuel Barber, (20th century). They each composed works which have become important in the lives of 20th century Americans. In this class we will become familiar with many of their works. Live performances will be heard in most classes.

Instructor: Eleanore Vail is an accomplished pianist and accompanist. She is retired from Earlham College where she was employed after 24 years at Western College.

Wine Tour of Spain
4:00 – 5:15 p.m. | Knolls of Oxford, Commons | Supply fee $45

Over the course of five weeks we will survey the wine regions of Spain: Wine from each region will be sampled. Unique aspects of each wine will be presented and discussed in an informal atmosphere. Come prepared with three wine glasses and a sense of Oeno-adventure.

Instructor: Chris Hensey’s passion for wine was born while taking, John Dome’s wine course as an undergraduate at Miami. Chris has helped create wine lists for local restaurants–the Alexander House most recently, and has been a consultant for restaurants in five states. His Oxford shop, Main Street Gourmet, will soon celebrate its tenth anniversary.

Sundown Cinema: Movies Based on Plays
6:30 – 9:00 p.m. | 1 Alumni Hall

In previous semesters we have considered films based on novels, short stories, and even other movies. Continuing our look at film adaptations, this semester we will take a look at five movies based on stage plays. While adapting any type of source material for movies has its challenges, breaking out of the confines of a proscenium stage to fill the wide screen is often the greatest difficulty faced by the screenwriter adapting a play.

October 13 – Same Time, Next Year (1978, 119 min.)
Based on the play by Bernard Slade. Although married to others, this romantic comedy traces the unique relationship between two people who meet one weekend a year for 26 years.

October 20 – The Rainmaker (1956, 121 min.)
Based on the play by N. Richard Nash. He’s never produced a drop of rain anywhere, but a traveling charlatan sells more than his rainmaking powers to a drought-ridden Western town.

October 27 – Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean (1982, 109 min.)
Based on the play by Ed Graczyk. The Disciples of James Dean meet up on the anniversary of his death and mull over their lives in the present and in flashback, revealing the truth behind their complicated lives.

November 3 – Mister Roberts (1955, 122 min.)
Based on the play by Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan (from the novel by Thomas Heggen).
The USS Reluctant is not the most important ship of the US Navy during WWII, but it is temporary home to a stir-crazy crew and its chief cargo officer who fears the war is passing him by.

November 10 – Inherit the Wind (1960, 128 min.)
Based on the play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee. Inspired by the Scopes “Monkey Trial” of 1925, two great lawyers argue the case for and against a science teacher accused of the crime of teaching evolution.

Coordinator: Richard Brunner is a life-long film fan with a special interest in the history of the Academy Awards.

Writing
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. | Fairfield Community Arts Center

The revised course, formerly Pass It On, will retain the family writing component, allowing students to continue the excellent genealogical pieces many have written in previous sessions.

Under the simple title: “Writing,” the class will take advantage of the wealth of knowledge and decades of life experiences class members can offer. Therefore, discussion will occupy additional time. Topics for essays, poems, humor, fiction, and other things will give students a wide range of roads to take in order to travel this writing journey.

Instructor: Ercel Eaton of Fairfield has worked in the newspaper/writing field for 43 years, during which time she was a reporter, feature writer, editor, and columnist for the “Journal News” in Hamilton. She is the author of “Appalachian Yesterdays,” a book about her childhood and family.

Card Making Using Rubber Stamps
10:45 – Noon | Fairfield Community Arts Center

You will be using rubber wood-mounted stamps and clear stamps. You will learn the difference between dye and pigment inks. You will learn “dry” and “wet” embossing. You will get some design tips and will be using embellishments such as brads, ribbons, buttons, flowers, etc. All materials will be supplied by the instructor. Bring a sense of adventure and a willingness to try new things and have fun.

Instructor: Judy Brewer taught for 30 years in the Eaton City School District and after retiring worked for five years at a rubber stamp store. She now works part-time for the Hamilton County Park District.

A Hodgepodge of Authors
1:30 – 2:45 p.m. | Fairfield Community Arts Center

The life and works of a variety of authors—Robert Louis Stevenson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Mattie Stephanek.

Instructor: Edna L. Stieg retired as Director of Education for The Presbyterian Church in Hamilton. She attended Miami University Hamilton and has presented programs and training session for over 50 years. She continues to have a great interest in learning and has always been a “reader.”

Taiji/Qigong
9:30 – 10:20 a.m. | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse

We will explore a variety of short Qigong routines. These consist of slow, flowing, simple movements, with an emphasis on deep, easy breathing, and focused mind. The whole person is involved; benefits affect mind and body and spirit, allowing one to function at higher levels of efficiency, health, and awareness.

Instructor: Carol Baker studied Taiji with Cris Trammell for four years. She leads a Taiji/Qigong class at the Oxford Community Arts Center on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, as well as teaches ILR classes.

Masterpieces of French Literature in English Translation
10:00 – 11:15 a.m. | Miami University Police Station

We will read and discuss a selection of French literary masterpieces from the 17th century (Moliere’s Tartuffe); the 18th century (Voltaire’s Candide); the 19th century (Maupassant’s short stories) and the 20th century (Prevert’s Paroles and Ionesco’s Rhinoceros). All books are available on Amazon.com.

Instructor: Mark Plageman, Professor Emeritus of French, taught language and literature at Miami and Luxembourg for 40 years and has taught six previous ILR classes about France and its literature.

Watching the Decades Roll: Miami University in Songs, Stories, and Paintings
11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse
Class meets October 14st and 21th ONLY

A tribute to Miami University in two parts, Old Miami to New Miami. These programs will include songs, stories, and paintings of Miami’s buildings through the decades of Miami’s 200-year history.

Instructors: Marjorie Bowers and Sandra Cotter, former teachers who love singing and history, have combined these into programs for the community. Piano teacher, Joanne Will, is their accompanist.

Darwin’s Legacy and Impact on Evolutionary Biology: After 200 Years
2:00 – 2:50 p.m. | Miami University Police Station

Biologists and educators all over the world are celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth, February 12, 1809, and the 150th anniversary of the publication of Origin of Species. In his book Darwin meticulously catalogued the evidence for evolution through natural selection as the basis for biological diversity and forever changed our understanding of the origins, diversity, and functioning of the biological world. The “miracle of DNA” and impact of Darwin’s theory on U.S. science education will be discussed.

Intructor: J. K. Bhattarcharjee, Professor Emeritus of Microbiology, taught from 1968 to 2005, published many research papers on yeast molecular genetics, and received several U.S. patents.

New York Times Week in Review
3:30 – 4:20 p.m. | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse

It’s time again for in depth discussions of the news of the week. All opinions will be heard and diverse viewpoints respected. We hope the full spectrum of political beliefs will be represented. New faces are welcome.

Instructors: Carol and Richard Hennessey will moderate to insure everyone has a chance to be heard.

Hamilton’s Glorious Past, 1791-2000, Part II
10:00 – 11:15 a.m. | New Location - Grace United Methodist Church, 1200 Main Street, Hamilton

In its more than 200 years, Hamilton has experienced prosperity and setbacks, challenges and tragedies, visionary leadership and apathy – and countless changes. Discussions will highlight the people and events that have shaped the city’s uneven course.

Instructor: Jim Blount is a former newspaper editor, history and journalism teacher, an active writer and speaker on local history, and recipient of numerous awards in his professions and for civic contributions.

Five (More) Provocative Short Stories about Troubled Relationships
10:00 – 11:15 a.m. | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse

An in-depth discussion-based exploration of five provocative short stories sure to generate conversation and controversy: Hemingway’s, The End of Something; Tobias Wolff’s, Passengers; Amy Bloom’s, When the Year Grows Old; Irwin Shaw’s, The Girls in Their Summer Dresses; and Isabel Allende’s And of Clay are we Created.

Class text: Booklet of stories available at Oxford Copy Center.

Instructor: Don Daiker, Professor Emeritus of English, is a multi-award winning teacher and writer who taught at Miami for 43 years and who loves stories.

Reading to Others
1:00 – 2:15 p.m. | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse

With proper vocal techniques, more vivid speech can be achieved. By practicing orally, in choral reading, prose. and poetry, a deeper meaning can be conveyed to others. This is an oral performance course.

Instructor: Ronald C. Kern, Ph.D. University of Bristol, taught 38 years in the fields of theatre and oral interpretation in four universities.

Freedom Summer 1964 and its Legacy
2:00 – 3:15 p.m. | 416 McGuffey Hall

ILR is one of the sponsors of Carlyle Brown’s play Down in Mississippi. Commissioned by Miami in 2006, the play will be premiered in October 2009 and will be complemented by co-curricular events, symposia, and discussions—and by this course. “Freedom Summer 1964 and Its Legacy” includes participants in Freedom Summer itself—perhaps a pivotal moment in the history of civil rights—as well as scholars on American history and social justice.

October 15 - “Orientation to the Course and Viewing of Videos on Freedom Summer,” coordinated by Mary Jane Berman, Frank Jordan, and Bill Gracie.

October 22 - “Oxford in 1964,” presented by Barbara and Bill McKinstry.

October 29 - “Freedom Summer Volunteers,” presented by Rick Momeyer.

November 5 - “The Music of Civil Rights,” presented and performed by
Tammy Kernodle.

November 12 - “The Arts of the Civil Rights Movement,” presented by Ann Elizabeth Armstrong.

Instructors: Mary Jane Berman is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for American and World Cultures; Bill McKinstry, retired chair of the Department of Economics, and his wife Barbara McKinstry hosted Freedom Summer volunteers in 1964; Rick Momeyer, Professor of Philosophy, was a Freedom Summer student volunteer; Ann Elizabeth Armstrong, Associate Professor of Theatre, was instrumental in bringing playwright Carlyle Brown to campus in 2007 when he began research for “Down in Mississippi;” Tammy Kernodle, Associate Professor of Music, has written extensively on African-American composers and is director of the choir for First Baptist Church, Oxford, Ohio, and director of music for “Down in Mississippi.”

A Different Kind of the Same Thing: Eight Short Stories by Women
3:00 – 4:15 p.m. | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse

In Susan Glaspell’s A Jury of her Peers, two seemingly typical housewives, not really well acquainted with each other nor with a woman jailed and accused of murder in their community, read the inscribed text of her life in the clues in her surroundings. Neither the sheriff nor the county attorney apprehends her text. One of the women says of their shared understanding, “We all go through the same things—it’s all just a different kind of the same thing.” In these stories from different classes, cultures, races, and ethnicities, our aim is such understanding.

Class text: Booklet titled “Fannin ILR” available at the Oxford Copy Shop

Instructor: Alice Fannin, Professor Emerita of English, taught at Ohio University, the University of Kentucky, and, for 26 years, at Miami.

Fall Discoveries
3:00 – 5:00 p.m. | First meeting at kiosk on route 73 in parking lot east of the bridge.

A map showing each trail location with directions will be mailed to you.

We will walk the beautiful trails of Miami University’s Natural Areas and will witness first hand the delights of autumn. A different trail will be walked each week and will vary in length between 1½ to 2½ miles over flat to hilly terrain. Dress for variable weather and wear waterproof boots/shoes.

To learn more about the Natural Areas, Google: “Miami University Natural Areas” to discover the richness and beauty of these lands.

Instructor: Jim Reid is the Field Manager for Miami’s Natural Areas.

A Matter of Balance
11:00 – noon | New Location - Grace United Methodist Church, 1200 Main Street, Hamilton
$10 booklet fee paid at the first class

A Matter of Balance is an evidence-based wellness program that focuses on the attitudes associated with the fear of falling and fall prevention itself. This award-winning program from the Royal Academy of Boston University engages participants physically, emotionally and intellectually. Participants will be given a course binder and participate in group discussion and exercise. Students can expect to gain a better understanding of fall prevention and also recognize the seriousness of fall-related attitudes.

Instructors: Both Julie McCarthy and Leta Kranbuhl are Master Trainers for “A Matter of Balance” program for the State of Ohio. Julie McCarthy, Wellness Coordinator for Partners in Prime, is also a certified Tai Chi for Arthritis and Back Pain Instructor. Leta Kranbuhl, In-Home Program Manager for Partners in Prime, also has a degree in Physical Education.

Re-Discover Oxford’s Historic Architecture: 1805-1960
9:00 – 10:15 a.m. | 33 Farmer School of Business

From the DeWitt log house to Charles Cellarius’ designs, this course will examine greater Oxford’s vernacular architecture, building types, and construction technologies. You will learn about the architects and local builders who helped shape this historic environment. Briefly examining Miami’s campus architecture, the course will focus on Oxford and its environs, discussing the context of indigenous building and design forms within the mainstream of national architectural trends.

Instructor: Stephen Gordon has thirty years of professional experience in historic preservation in Ohio and Kentucky and currently serves as Curator of the McGuffey Museum. He holds BA and MA degrees in history from Miami University.

The Principle of Mutual Freedom
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. | 132 Boyd Hall

Freedom is not an arbitrary decision based on the will of an individual. A free choice is a discovery made from your mutual activities such as speaking, feeling, doing, or thinking, within a given setting defined by other persons. You will discuss each of these mutual activities in turn to find out how they work on you and what degree of freedom they give you. So your freedom depends on your efforts to make the persons around you free, by the way you feel about them, speak to them, and do things together.

Instructor: Jack Sommer has a Ph.D. in Humanities from the University of Chicago and taught philosophy at Western College, Miami University and other schools from 1957-1994.

Hatha Yoga
10:45 – noon | Knolls of Oxford, Clubhouse

Class meets October 16 - November 20

The practice of yoga helps increase flexibility, mobility, circulation and mind-body coordination. Some yoga positions are done standing up, others are done seated on the floor. Adaptations are given as needed so participants can focus on their breathing and be relaxed. The class will be adapted to meet the needs of those who attend. Classes end with a brief meditation.

Instructor: Kathy Hunter has been a yoga instructor since 1971. She has taught in Colorado, the Soviet Union, Cincinnati, and Oxford, Ohio.

Introduction to Islam
11:30 – 12:45 p.m. | 107 Boyd Hall

We will discuss two main sources of the Islamic tradition: the Quran, which claims to be the message from God to all humanity, and the life of Prophet Muhammad. We will also look at some of the core teachings such as belief in God and His Will, understanding life as God’s purposeful and continuous creation rather than the act of “Nature,” the need for continuous remembrance of God, as well as the role of Jesus and other prophets in Islam.

Class Text: to be announced

Instructor: Zafer Ozdemir, Assistant Professor of Information Systems, and faculty adviser of the Muslim Student Association at Miami, is married with two children and is originally from Turkey.

Lace Techniques
1:00 – 1:50 p.m.| Lambikin’s Hideaway

Come and learn the fundamentals of Lace Knitting. You will learn the basics including YO, K2tog, SSK, and a few more. This class is for beginners through advanced knitters. We will make a different lace swatch each week. It will use medium yarn and medium sized needles so you do not have to be afraid of anything “small.”

Instructors: Christina Greene owns Lambikin’s Hideaway and enjoys teaching the art of knitting. Donna Schulthess has knitted for over 20 years and enjoys teaching.