Spring 2009 Courses

Introduction to Film - Documentary Film: The Individual and Society                                               With Sharon Russell, ISU Professor Emerita

This four-week course will examine the way techniques of the documentary film deal with four very interesting individuals.  The reality of the lives of these men proves that truth is stranger than fiction.  THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK (1984) is the academy award winning film that is the real presentation of a person who is fictionalized in MILK.  In CRUMB (1994) the filmmaker explores the relationship between an eccentric life and the art produced by this life. LITTLE DIETER NEEDS TO FLY (1998) tells the story of a man who experiences terrible events that alter the rest of his life.  The last film, KEEP THE RIVER ON YOUR RIGHT: A MODERN CANNIBAL TALE (1999), follows a man’s return to a part of his fascinating past so that he can reevaluate his experience.  All of the films demonstrate the importance of documentary techniques in dealing with real individuals.

Date/Time: Mondays, April 20 - May 11, 2009 from 12:30 - 2:30 PM

Place: ISU Cunningham Library, LL028

Cost: $10

The Cubs, Italian Baseball & Women

With Robert  Pabst, ISU Professor Emeritus;  Peter Carino, ISU Professor of English and Andrea Myers, Retired ISU Director, Intercollegiate Athletics

This three-part course is sure to keep you interested while it discusses three very different aspects of sports.

If It Takes Forever (Robert Pabst)

 A loyal, diehard Cubs fan since 1926 when, at the age of four, I saw my first Big League baseball game, I have lived and died a thousand deaths following the ups and downs, hopes and failures of my beloved Cubs for the past 83 years. Wrigley Field is like a home to its fans. Its history goes back a long way, and the players who played the game stand out in my memory from the 1932, 1938, 1969, and 1984 teams. If you have never been to a game at Wrigley Field, then you have no concept of heaven.

No Hot Dogs in the Bleachers: Professional Baseball in Italy (Peter Carino)

Known for Renaissance art, fabulous opera, unparalleled cuisine, and world class soccer teams, Italy, though far less illustriously, fielded professional baseball teams for more than fifty years. Following World War II after the introduction of the game by American servicemen, young Italians began forming teams up and down the boot with the first season commencing in 1948. Though Italian baseball is still light years behind soccer in the national consciousness, fans enjoy a game that boasts a strong history of native-born players and teams, attracts a few foreign players, and provides a richly satisfying experience at the ballpark.

From GAA to the WNBA (Andrea Myers)

This presentation will focus on the evolution of women’s sports over the past 50 years from the Girl’s Athletic Association to the Women’s National Basketball Association and include discussion on the societal influences contributing to that growth.

Date/Time: Tuesdays, April 21, 28, and May 5  from 1-3 PM

Place: ISU College of Education, Room 313

Cost: $10

Current Events                                                                                  With Linda Maule, ISU Associate Professor of Political Science

This course will be a discussion group on current event issues. Topics to be discussed will be mailed to participants the week prior to meeting.  The focus will continue to be on President Obama’s administration. However, as we all know,  the future is a mystery and as new issues arise the topics may change.

Date/Time: Monday, April 27, June 8 & 29, 2009  from 5-7 PM

Place: ISU Rhoads Hall Honors Lounge

Cost: $10

Bats

 With John Whitaker, ISU Professor of Biology, Director of the Center for North American Bat  Research and Conservation

The first session will be on bats of Indiana, the second on diseases of bats, and the third on food and benefits of bats.  The May 5 session will meet at Dobbs Park with time to be announced. This third session will have a lecture, followed by an outdoor experience (weather permitting) that will allow us to see bats in flight eating insects and hear them with a bat detector and amplification.  

Date/Time: Tuesdays, April 21, 28 and May 5, 2009 from 4 - 5:30 PM

Place: ISU College of Education, Room 226

Cost: $10

CASA, CODA & Lifeline: Community Helping Hands      With Nikki Fuhrmeister, Vigo County CASA Director; Volunteer from CODA; & Michelle Swiger, Executive Director of Lifeline

CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) - This is an agency that advocates for abused and neglected children to ensure they don’t become lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in an inappropriate group or foster home. CASA provides a voice for the child, making recommendations to the court regarding what is in the best interest of the child. Ms. Fuhrmeister will be joined by a CASA volunteer who will speak about their experiences with the organization.

CODA (Council on Domestic Abuse) - CODA is a not-for-profit organization whose goal is to eliminate domestic violence. CODA continues to strive to meet this goal by educating the community and providing shelter for domestic violence victims. CODA enables victims to learn to make decisions, renew their dignity, and work towards taking charge of their own lives.

Lifeline - The primary purpose of Vigo County Lifeline is to operate a 24-hour emergency crisis intervention hotline and information/referral service for Vigo County and the surrounding areas. In 2008, Lifeline addressed more than 13,000 inquires from Wabash Valley residents needing help or information. Lifeline listeners are also trained by community professionals to help callers who may be depressed, suicidal, or victims of abuse.

Date/Time: Thursdays, May 21, 28 & June 4, 2009 from 1 - 3 PM

Place: ISU College of Business 514

Cost: $10

Great Decisions                                                                                With Michael Chamber, ISU Associate Professor and Chairperson of Political Science; F. Robert Hunter, ISU Professor of History; Michael Erisman, ISU Professor of Political Science and Gregory Bierly, ISU Associate Professor of Geography/Geology/Anthropology

Rising Powers (Michael Chambers)                                                    Since the end of the cold war, the U.S. has emerged as the world's predominant power. However, in the 21st century some rapidly developing countries have become increasingly influential. Who are these “rising powers”? Will their emergence change the global balance of power? How will the U.S. react?

Egypt (Robert Hunter)                                                                                    Egypt has long played an important role in the Arab world while maintaining a strategic relationship with the U.S. With elections scheduled for 2009, how will Egypt deal with serious domestic issues, ranging from Islamic radicalism to food shortages? What factors will influence the path of this regional heavyweight?

Cuba (Michael Erisman)                                                                              Since Fidel Castro handed over the presidency of Cuba to his brother Raúl in early 2008, signs of greater economic openness have led to much speculation. Will Raúl seek to reopen ties with the U.S.? What role will Cuba's American exiles play in shaping a post-Castro Cuba?

The Arctic (Gregory Bierly)                                                                       Rising global temperatures have created new opportunities in the Arctic for resource extraction and inter-continental transport. How will sovereignty disputes among the five countries that border the Arctic affect its potential development? What impact will this race for the Arctic have on an environment already in serious flux?

Date/Time: Tuesdays, May 26, June 2, 9 & 16, 2009 from 1-3 PM 

Place: ISU College of Business, Room 514

Cost: $10 for course

Great Decisions Text Book $20

Shakespeare’s - Much Ado About Nothing With Tom Derrick, ISU Professor of English

We will study the competitive jesting between characters and consider the ironic contrast in the title: a play that announces that its serious actions amount to nothing important.

Date/Time: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, June 16, 17 & 18, 2009 from 3-5 PM

Place: ISU College of Technology, Conference Room 101E

Cost: $10

Join other OLLI members for the Crossroads Repertory Theatre production of Much Ado About Nothing on June 19, 2009. Please see page 20 for more information.

To register for any of these courses, call the Osher Lifelong Learning registration office, 812-237-8707.