Thursday   

Tom Hanks is known for his comedic and dramatic roles, making him one of the most popular and identifiable film stars worldwide. His films have grossed over $16 billion globally. He has been the recipient of countless awards including two back-to-back Best Actor Oscars, a feat not accomplished since Spencer Tracy. Other awards include the Kennedy Center Honor, the French Legion of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. During this term we will view eight movies, including three Tom Hanks regards as his favorites, and four often judged as his finest performances. The last film will be chosen by the class. Please join me in observing some of Tom Hanks’ talented productions. There will be class discussion of each movie. The facilitator will email trivia questions to class members in advance of each class about the upcoming movie. The facilitator will also provide an explanation of why experts view the four movies as Hanks’ best works.

In this class we will explore the profound world of animated cinema with rich narratives and mature storytelling in animated features beyond traditional children's entertainment. Through films like "Grave of the Fireflies," a poignant exploration of wartime suffering; "Mary and Max," a touching tale of friendship and mental health; "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," a witty and visually stunning adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic; and "The Little Prince" (2015), a heartfelt reimagining of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's timeless story, and four other films, we look at how animation tackles deep, complex themes. Class discussions will focus on thematic elements, artistic techniques, and the impact of these films on the audience, demonstrating the power of animation to convey intricate human experiences and emotions. This course invites you to look beyond the surface and appreciate the depth and artistry of animated storytelling. We will show each film in its entirety with English subtitles for the hearing impaired (if available).

Consumed with grief, driven by vengeance, John Chenneville undertakes an unrelenting odyssey across the lawless post–Civil War frontier, seeking redemption, in this fearless novel from the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of News of the World. We approach reading as discovery in a reading community; therefore, some of the reading is done in class so that, together, we encounter the text as a group, allowing multiple insights from the class. PLEASE DO NOT START READING THE BOOK BEFORE CLASS BEGINS

This Current Events course will be a discussion-based course addressing issues that are topical at the time the course is offered. The issues discussed will be international, national, and local with general broad outlines and selections determined by a survey of class participants in the first class. Likely issues will include: International - the wars in Israel /Gaza and Ukraine, climate change, migration and immigration, threats to democracy; National - Congressional disfunction, 2024 elections, medical/health issues, abortion politics, demographic/population issues, “culture war” issues and free speech, artificial intelligence, gun rights/control; Local - 2024 elections, K-12 education, homelessness and Denver city policy, water issues, housing affordability, tax policy, and crime. Issues to be discussed in the upcoming class will be identified at the conclusion of the prior week’s class; readings from national and local publications (2 to 3 readings) will be selected by the facilitator and electronically distributed so that each participant will have a common basis for discussion.

According to experts at the 2024 Conference on World Affairs, the top 3 threats to humanity over the next 10 years are (in no particular order) pandemics, global warming, and nuclear weapons. And the underlying causes of our current global conflicts are natural resources, the rise of multi-powers, and that old stand-by, the human quest for power. Sheesh! How’s a person to sleep at night?! Join Paula Staffeldt for a hopeful look at our current reality. No rose-colored glasses or “pollyanna” tropes. But no doom and gloom filters, either. In 4 interactive sessions, consider how our individual thoughts and feelings might either support or hinder a more peaceful, sustainable future. And how the inspiration that comes from a mind that is “at ease with what is” could guide us in making more insightful decisions and taking wiser actions toward creating a more enlightened world.

Do you sometimes feel frustrated because of the complexity of using our computers? Or perhaps you have had years of hit-or-miss learning? We will learn more about today’s computer technology, including PC hardware, the Windows operating system components and settings, peripheral connections and ports, file and application management, Internet connectivity, Cloud storage with OneDrive, security, and maintenance, including backing up your computer. Understand what is happening with Windows 10 and how to use Windows 11. Become more familiar with how your computer syncs with other devices and the Cloud. Come get more comfortable with today’s technology on our desktops and laptops. You will end up with a smarter computer and a smarter you!

Some directors have an identifiable brash style that we can all appreciate; some strive to be invisible - if you can see their efforts, they feel they have usurped the story. Whichever way, the great directors with long, successful lists of films to their credit are, in reality, supreme artists of film that can get you to laugh through tears and surprise you with unexpected story twists. How do they do that? What techniques, what film grammar do they know and use on you to tell their stories in compelling ways? Take this course and see how they do it – Quentin Tarantino, Francis Ford Coppola, Sidney Lumet, Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Stanley Kubrick, Joel and Ethan Coen, Sidney Pollack. We’ll see excerpts of their work, biographic info and Interviews with them, and detailed commentaries on their techniques via YouTube videos.

"Huck Finn is a masterpiece. This retelling just might be, too."NYTimes. In James. Perceval Everett's new, Pulitzer-listed, bestselling novel, Huck's enslaved sidekick, Jim, tells the story. This shift redirects the focus from a white boy's adventure to the harrowing experiences of a runaway. Through Jim's eyes, readers realize the mistreatment he endured in Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In James, Jim sheds his fearful, subservient identity to reclaim his freedom and manhood as James. Everett deftly maintains humor and page-turning drama throughout. Everett's James:

• reveals the racism of philosophers influencing the Founding Fathers;
• explains why African-Americans switch language or dialect based on social or conversational context, code-shifting;
• explores the blackface minstrel tradition; and
• reveals the sexual exploitation of enslaved women.

Facilitator presentations will delve deeper into these topics providing scenes from Twain's Huck with racial slurs redacted. Join us to decide if James is a new masterpiece and if Huck remains one?

The current tech revolution is the integration of our devices and information through “The Cloud.” But just what IS The Cloud? And what is The Internet?! Let us ride on the cloud to learn about cloud computing and services, cloud storage, backup and sync, file sharing, and much more. Become informed about the Internet, browsers, search engines, and the technologies involved in delivering the Internet, and explore different devices, and security. Understand how your smartphones and PC “sync” with the Cloud, device continuity, and how synced data and info are accessed online. Visit the Internet of Things and see how you are already in that world. Get more comfortable with AI & Augmented/Virtual Reality. Discuss how we are using cross-platform, network-connected devices. Get Smarter about your amazing and sometimes dangerous Smart World.

Place is sometimes described as an additional character in novels, especially when an author develops a collection of characters in a specific location throughout a continuing series. "Mysterious Places" encourages armchair travel while exploring various mystery series - in this case, with a weather theme. Hurricanes, snowstorms, drought, gloomy or sunny days have all been used to establish atmosphere in a story and are sometimes the means, motive, or opportunity. In addition to our usual book club discussions of mysteries featuring weather, meteorologist Tom Corona will explain various weather phenomena that appear in our stories. A little science, some fun mysteries, lots of great discussion - another fine "Mysterious Places" class coming up!

This course will explore several social movements from the 1960s, including the Civil Rights movement, Chicano and American Indian Movements, feminist movement, Gay Liberation, Anti-War, and Economic Justice. For each of these movements, we will examine the history behind the movement, and relate it to current events and social change in the 21st century. Students are encouraged to share their own experiences and memories of this era and to use this course to reflect deeply on the questions that define us today.

Are you shy? This class offers the first steps to explore overcoming the fear of talking to new people. Learn to be comfortable at a reception, luncheon, church social, in waiting line, or in a lobby waiting to check in. How important is it to know that YOU can converse with any person willing to reply “Hi” or “Hello” back to you? We will discover how to ask simple questions. We will learn how to be interested in the other person. We will use a system based on A.E.I.O.U.: Assumptions, Expectations, Issues/Information, Observations, and Understand. These vowels are the keys to opening an informal chat connection with new people. “The Vowels of Science Workshop” will explore quotations and books that help us better appreciate the diverse reasons WHY people do what they do, not WHAT or HOW! We will enjoy the journey of being interested (vs. interesting) in our chats.

So what created this mess? William Faulkner wrote: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” This class will dive deeply into Palestine’s past and how it has contributed to, and ultimately shaped, the current-day tragedy in the Holy Land.

We will begin with 3000 BCE:

• Who were the Canaanites and where did they come from?
• How did the Israelites end up in Palestine?
• How did the series of conquerors and rulers shape the country? '
• How did the religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam influence Palestine?

We will explore the last 150 years:

• Where did the Zionist movement begin and why was it so successful?
• Why did Great Britain support the creation of a Jewish homeland in Palestine?
• Why did the newly formed United Nations advocate a two-nation solution in 1948?
• Why did the Jews win the wars of 1948 and 1967 so decisively?

And finally, what is the situation today?

This is an eight-week course that will include lecture, videos, and a lot of discussion. The class will be offered both in person at OLLI South and on-line. Each class will be limited to 35.

This 8-week course is designed to help you write the idea that has been hanging around on the fringes of your thoughts. Learn how to expand your idea and people it with characters, how to insert conflict and how to structure resolution. Most importantly – this course will help you decide where and how to begin. We also explore the different avenues of publication: publishing through a publisher, self-publishing, and contests. Join me on the adventure of unfolding your idea into a short story – the basis of storytelling.