Wednesday   

This course is the next installment in our romp through world history as we delve into the Reformation, Renaissance and exploration of the world. It begins with the lands and cultures of world empires: China, Japan, Mughals of India, the Ottomans, and the monarchies of Europe. Europeans need trade routes for God, gold and glory. All of this is against the background of religious upheaval in Europe that will open the door to new learning. The culmination is a global interaction that leads to a new ordering of world thought and power.

This class focuses on a notorious Colorado crime: the 1981 interstate-contract murder of a young mother. The events spooled out like a novel: exquisite planning by a “money man”; a prolific hired killer; numerous cop shops on the hunt; a trove of missing diamonds; and a murdered Florida detective.

Of course, there’s no such thing as a perfect crime. Nor is there a perfect system for addressing it. And for nearly two years, so much would go wrong: for the defendants, the investigators, the elected DA, the prosecutors, the defense attorneys, the courts … even the press.

Class leader, Dennis Wanebo, a Chief Deputy DA in Boulder at the time, was right in the middle of it all. He co-prosecuted the month-long jury trial against the Florida “money man.”

We will tread the events in the same order they played out in real life … and demystify many of the hows and whys of the criminal justice system. We will stop at various “hinge points” and discuss what was known, and by whom. We will address legal and strategic options, as well as the case’s numerous blind alleys. Should one seek the death penalty in a death-averse jurisdiction, for example? Should a dutiful prosecutor try to “turn” a guilty conspirator, in order to strengthen the case against a “bigger player”?

In this six-week course, we will explore James Baldwin’s powerful exploration of identity, love, race, and sexuality through his novel Another Country. We will also read three of his incisive essays and watch the documentary I Am Not Your Negro. Baldwin's work, though set in the mid-20th century, grapples with issues that remain deeply relevant today. Together, we will discuss Baldwin's insights into race relations, sexual politics, and the human condition, connecting his critiques of mid-century America to our contemporary social dynamics. The class will foster rich discussions, encouraging reflection on how Baldwin's vision can help us navigate today's complex social landscape. No prior experience with Baldwin’s work is required, only an open mind and a willingness to engage in meaningful dialogue.

Required: Any edition of James Baldwin’s Another Country, Recommended: James Baldwin: Collected Essays, edited by Toni Morrison, published by the Library of America

Bridge is a wonderful game for us seniors. It keeps our minds active, and it keeps us computing, deciphering, and using logic and deduction. It is also a very social game. All very good for us seniors. Also, perhaps the most important thing is that it is a fun game. This is the second beginning bridge class “Bridge Basics II.” This course is for individuals new to bridge or those who have been absent from bridge for a while. In this course, students will learn about preemptive bidding and responses, overcalls and responses, takeout doubles, and responses.

Books/Materials: Recommended: Bidding in the 21st Century. The American Contract League (ACBL) will provide the book for the students.

Other: There is a $20.00 non-negotiable or refundable fee for this class. The fee goes to offset the app fees so students can play bridge online and postage to mail the book to the students. Failure to pay the fee will result with you being dropped from the class. Students will either pay the instruction via check or Zelle (3039289187) (mdholmes8@yahoo.com). Address: 313 Clisby Austin Rd, Tunnel Hill, GA 30755. Phone# 303 928-9187.

Bridge is a wonderful game for us seniors. It keeps our minds active, and it keep us computing, deciphering, and using logic and deduction. It is also a very social game. All very good for us seniors. Also, perhaps the most important thing, it is a fun game. This course is for students who have some experience with the game of bridge.

Books/Materials: There is not a recommended text for this class. The instructor will provide notes for the classes. Students will learn Roman Key Card Blackwood, Gerber, Control Showing Cue-bids, the Jacoby 2NT convention, splinter bids and more.

Other: There is a $20.00 non-negotiable or refundable fee for this class. The fee goes to offset the app fees so students can play bridge online. Failure to pay the fee will result with you being dropped from the class. Students will either pay the instructor via check or Zelle (3039289187) (mdholmes8@yahoo.com). Students can mail a check to: 313 Clisby Austin Rd, Tunnel Hill, GA 30755. Phone# 303 928-9187.

At 0900 on 28 APRIL, 1986, unusually high radiation levels were detected at the nuclear power plant at Forsmark, Sweden. Tests showed these radioactive particles could only have come from a Soviet nuclear reactor and the wind patterns pointed to Chernobyl. That evening, in a 23 word statement, TASS, the Soviet News Agency, reported an accident had happened to one of the reactors at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Ukraine SSR. This was the first the world knew about it. With the fall of the Soviet Union and the opening of archives in Russia and Ukraine we have a good idea what happened.

This class will use the HBO series Chernobyl as a visual guide to the accident and draw on numerous books and other videos to fill in the details the HBO series left out.

These are 2 of the books I read; MIDNIGHT IN CHERNOBYL, Adam Higgenbotham; CHERNOBYL, Serhii Plokhy. You DO NOT HAVE to read the books.

 

In the classical music world, Vienna often captures the headlines. That’s what happens when a city has been home to Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and many other great master composers! But what about some of the world’s other great musical cities?

Presented by music historian and frequent OLLI instructor Betsy Schwarm, this six-week Wednesday morning online course will take us not only to that musical capital on the Danube, but also to London, Paris, Rome, Boston, and New York City. The spotlight will be on music inspired by those places, reflecting the composers’ impressions, as well as the cities’ musical personalities.

Selections from the menu include Mozart’s serenades, Haydn’s London symphonies, An American in Paris and The Pines of Rome. Boston and NYC bring World’s Fair premieres of works by star composers. Distinct places, disparate generations, and diverse musical voices! Join Betsy for Classical Destinations: Great Music for Six Great Cities!

 

This course will cover six key economic issues: the recent slowdown of US economic growth, economic inequality, the US’s mounting national debt, the US’s inefficient health care system, the US’s soaring prescription drug prices, and immigration.

Here are some of the questions that will be addressed: What caused the recent slowdown in the nation’s growth? Is faster growth a good thing? What is driving the US’s widening income inequality? Is the “American Dream” now just a pipedream for all but the richest Americans? How critical is it for America’s national deficit to be reduced? Why does the US spend so much more on health care than other high-income countries, and is it getting its money’s worth? Why are pharmaceutical drug prices so high in the US? Can drug price inflation in the US be tamed? What are the benefits and costs of immigration to US citizens, and does one exceed the other?

We will discuss the prior week’s news in the first hour. In the second hour a topic that is current will be determined by the facilitators and articles will be sent out for that discussion. The facilitators of this class express a progressive point of view on American politics, especially during this election year. They welcome conservative or other points of view and encourage discussion as part of our learning experience.

Tom is interested in the events shaping our community and policies that may make for a more robust and fulfilling society. We will discuss events each week that have either come to our recent attention or that may represent issues of recurring interest. Tom is looking for OLLI members to register for the class who are open-minded, value lively and respectful discourse, and are looking to share ideas.

No class 2/19 and 2/26

Do you find yourself reminiscing, wondering what “might have been?” “In our twenties, when there is still so much time ahead . . ., time that seems ample for a hundred indecisions, for a hundred visions and revisions . . . and the decisions we have made will shape our lives for decades to come.” (Rules of Civility) In his debut novel, Rules of Civility, Amor Towles introduces Katey Kontent, Eve Ross and Tinker Grey. At a 1966 MOMA photography exhibit, Katey contemplates her past, reflecting on Tinker and Eve, and those kaleidoscopic shifts that shaped their 1938. With each twist, Towles takes us on an unforgettable journey through NYC, until Eve Ross "just waltzes away," leaving us wondering about her. Fortunately, Eve in Hollywood, a novella in Table for Two, answers this mystery as Towles unveils Eve's life in the less-than-glamorous Hollywood. Join us as we explore the vibrant, unexpected artistry of Amor Towles.

Required Reading: Rules of Civility and Table for Two by Amor Towles 

The foreign film class will start at 12:45 each Wednesday and end at 3:00. The class will view and then discuss a different foreign film each week. The facilitator will pick films different from those he picked in previous years. Prior to each class, pertinent articles will be emailed to each class participant.

This class is a discussion class, so all students are expected to stay until the discussion component of the class is concluded.

Join us for a journey through the fascinating history of investing. We'll embark on a historical adventure and explore how humans developed new approaches to building wealth and managing risk through financial innovations - with booms and busts along the way. We’ll begin with the bonds and stocks in the 17th century and move on to the evolution of stock markets, pooled investments, modern portfolio theory, and the new frontier of cryptocurrency.

Recommended: Devil Take the Hindmost, Chancellor, Edward, 

Great Decisions is a program of the Foreign Policy Association, which is new each year. High-quality educational materials are prepared and provided to discussion groups in cities and universities throughout the United States. On each topic, there will be a chapter describing the current issues around the selected topic and a video of background information and relevant interviews with world leaders and scholars.

Required Book: Great Decisions 2025 Briefing Book, available from the Foreign Policy Association. Registered members, please order.

Once the most revered branch of the US government, this course will explore the Supreme Court’s mystique, its unbridled power and lack of an effective check and balance of it, and the events and circumstances that have led to the erosion of that reverence. The events have included the court’s controversial decisions in the Dobbs case, which reversed Roe v Wade and 50 years of precedent; Trump v Anderson, which allowed Trump on the Colorado ballot; and US v Trump, which grants broad presidential immunity to official acts of the president. The course will not only describe the impact of these decisions but also the impact of the court’s ethical issues in which it has been embroiled. Finally, the course will discuss proposed reforms that are underway to return the court to its once-lofty status

With powerful new telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), scientists are making observations that challenge our theories of the cosmos. Today’s telescopes have enabled scientists to peer back over 13.5 billion years to see the first galaxies formed out of the darkness of the early universe, and to make current observations that challenge our theories of the early cosmos. JWST’s high-resolution and high-sensitivity instruments allow it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and have revealed surprising discoveries. In this class, we will explore these recent discoveries and discuss how they support or disrupt our view of the universe. Prior knowledge of cosmology is not required, as we will review the underlying cosmological principles at an introductory level.

Pushing and pulling forces lead 34 million European people to make the wrenching decision to leave their homeland to seek land, jobs and opportunities in the United States. We will work to identify their town of origin amid constantly changing European borders. We will trace their travel to embarkation ports such as Hamburg, Le Havre, and Southampton and study immigrant guides that helped prepare travelers for processing hurdles at U.S. immigrant depots at Castle Garden, Ellis Island, Baltimore and New Orleans. Finally, we will explore ethnic settlement patterns of European immigrants in the U.S.

In Fall, 2024, I offered a course for OLLI on the Gilded Age, claiming that the period of 1870-1900 was a turning point in U.S. history. Actually, the Gilded Age was only Part I of this story. Part II examines the Progressive Era, which saw a profound shift in U.S. public sentiment about what direction people felt their country should be headed. Between 1900 and 1920, Progressives fought back against the Gilded Age’s unequal wealth, limited life chances of immigrants and the urban poor, and the power of a few unelected wealthy plutocrats. Instead, Progressives advocated for studying socio-economic problems, proposing solutions, and demanding government intervention to right the wrongs. Both the excesses of the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era’s successful calls for government intervention to level the playing field were revolutionary in our history. Significantly, the alternate swings in public preferences between the two positions have continued to the present. Please note: Participants need not have taken the previous course on the Gilded Age to enroll.

Unpack the Truth About Global Migration. Migration is a hot topic, yet it’s often misunderstood. From myths like “Immigrants are poisoning our country” to “They increase crime rates,” misconceptions abound. Join Steve Swenerton as he cuts through the noise with clear, factual insights on global and U.S. migration. Explore migration trends in the Eastern Hemisphere and dive deep into American immigration issues, with a thorough look at both historical and current perspectives. Engage in enlightening discussions and leave with a solid grasp of the real story behind the headlines. Informative handouts will be provided.

Recommended: “HOW MIGRATION REALLY WORKS”

Exclusive Broomfield Offer: Enjoy $10 off your registration for this class!

This section is for Members

Unpack the Truth About Global Migration. Migration is a hot topic, yet it’s often misunderstood. From myths like “Immigrants are poisoning our country” to “They increase crime rates,” misconceptions abound. Join Steve Swenerton as he cuts through the noise with clear, factual insights on global and U.S. migration. Explore migration trends in the Eastern Hemisphere and dive deep into American immigration issues, with a thorough look at both historical and current perspectives. Engage in enlightening discussions and leave with a solid grasp of the real story behind the headlines. Informative handouts will be provided.

Recommended: “HOW MIGRATION REALLY WORKS”

Exclusive Broomfield Offer: Enjoy $10 off your registration for this class!

This section is for Non-members

Whether we ski on it, drive on it, shovel it, or drink from it as a water resource, snow is an important natural resource in Colorado. This course will provide an overview of the science of snow. Over the 4-week duration of the course, we will cover the basics of snow (how it forms, melts, evaporates, etc.) The class will focus on the snowpack – how it evolves over time and how energy enters and leaves the pack influencing its structure and its gaining and release of water over time. Various factors that influence the snowpack and its eventual demise in the spring will also be covered including topography, wind effects, vegetation effects, etc. Finally, the melting process will be covered as well as science techniques used to forecast its contribution to our water supply. Impacts on snow due to climate change will also be discussed. This course will give participants an opportunity to understand and look at our snow-covered mountains with a new perspective.

Recommended: Principles of Snow Hydrology (Walle and Rango)

The Surveillance State Big Data, Freedom, and You is a 2016 Great Courses video series presented by Paul Rosenzweig, JD. Over 24 lectures (12 in Fall 2024 and 12 in Winter 2025), you will: ·

• Learn some of the history of surveillance.
• Gain understanding of how intelligence collection works in the US and why 9/11 was so transformative.
• Explore new technologies and their ramifications. 
• Examine big data.
• Learn why the Internet is a treasure trove for spies and commercial companies.
• Explore how people are trying to get off the grid or secure their communications. 
• Discover how Europe is answering some of these difficult questions.

We will watch two 30-minute lectures with a discussion of related material after each. If you have access to kanopy videos you can watch any of the lectures. See, for example: https://www.kanopy.com/en/denverlibrary/video/261085

What is the UN doing these days… with ongoing wars in Gaza and Ukraine; Russian and Israeli leaders accused of war crimes; humanitarian disasters in Gaza, Sudan, and Haiti; existential threats of climate change; intransigent poverty, and periodic pandemics? Are the UN’s founding values and its multilateral approach still relevant? In 1945, 51 nations signed the UN Charter, committing themselves to avoid another world war through collective security and respect for human rights. There are now 193 UN Member States, dozens of UN agencies, and 131 UN country offices. What are these agencies; do they work together; what impact do they have collectively? Will anything come of the growing demand for Security Council reform? Each week the course will focus on a specific aspect of the UN’s work through lectures, videos, and discussions.

Thirty thousand years ago, an agricultural peoples revering Woman as the life-giving symbol of the creator Goddess lived in and around Mesopotamia. However, invaders from the north with their violent world view and male God came to conquer. By 2000 BCE the Goddess and women had lost all status. This class will travel through ancient Mesopotamia, the Bible, and Greek Mythology, where misogyny by the Middle Ages, calcified into the “Essential Evil of Women.” By the14th Century, women began to retake a foothold in society, meeting in their own communities, questioning the male gaslighting of their world. They began to think and write openly, arguing against a male culture that did not know what to do with them, creating “The Woman Question.” Not until the Feminist Movement of 20th Century do women begin to wonder what came before. This class wrenches those voices from the past.

In Hannah's powerful historical novel The Women, has been on the NY Times best seller since the beginning of the year. The protagonist, Frankie McGrath, is a young woman from a wealthy family who decides to enlist as a nurse in the Vietnam War after her older brother is killed in action. In doing so, she leaves her sheltered and comfortable life in California to serve in a war-ravaged country working under dangerous conditions. When she returns, the atmosphere in America is hostile to veterans, dismissive of women's contributions in the war and she struggles to re-assimilate. In a story about patriotism, friendship, remembrance, and defying expectations, The Women tells an often-overlooked story of the courageous women who served in Vietnam.

Required:  Book - The Women by Kristin Hannah

There is growing interest in prolonging not just the lifespan, but what has been called the “healthspan”: the portion of life spent enjoying good health and functional status. This course will draw on two recent books (Outlive, by Peter Attia, MD, and Embrace Aging, by Jeannette Guerrasio, MD), as well as other sources in the medical and popular literature, to expand on this concept. We will explore preventive strategies as well as adaptations to existing disease, always with our focus on quality of life.

Recommended: Outlive (by Peter Attia); Embrace Aging (by Jeannette Guerrasio)

Long-time OLLI West Music and Art facilitators Hille Dais and Susan Elliott will first take you to the Middle Ages: Hille introducing Medieval music on week one with Susan following with the art of the period on week two. The two facilitators will take turns with alternating sessions in this eight-week course. The next stop in time travel is the European Baroque Era. Then, leaving the “long ago” behind, they will take you to the “not so long ago” to cover the melodic music and art of the Impressionism period and end with the challenge of the musical composers and visual artists of the 20th Century.

Most Americans are curious about, if not interested in, some kinds of American Indian art. But art goes beyond just a painting or a piece of jewelry. When most Americans are asked “What do you know about American Indian art?” they often answer “Not much.” However, American Indian art dates back thousands of years when designs of animals and various objects were carved on stones known as petrographs. American Indian art has evolved over thousands of years resembling all kinds of beautiful and interesting art that is found on pottery, weavings, clothing, sand paintings, kachina dolls, fetishes, paintings, and jewelry-just to mention a few examples of art given to us by the skills and talents of American Indians. Come learn about many aspects of American Indian art through PowerPoints, DVD’s, and written articles and share your own during “show-and-tell” time.

Written in the aftermath of World War II, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was created over seventy-five years ago in the United Nations. Its founders included Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles Malik (Lebanon) Peng-chun Chang (China), Rene Cassin (France), and Alexei Pavlov (Russia). They represented a broad variety of cultural, religious, and national traditions. Conflicts were confronted and compromises were made while maintaining the philosophical differences and a document emerged that remains a standard internationally. While it was written in response to a world of sovereign conflicts, it survives in our very different world. We will explore contemporary issues of seeking equal justice, equal opportunity, and equal dignity without discrimination through the lens of the UDHR.

Recommended: A World Made New. - Mary Ann Glendon

We will examine the decline in “social capital” in America since the 1970s and what this means to neighborhoods and our future if the decline continues. We will talk about what we remember from our own childhood neighborhoods. How did folks get to know each other? What was shared? What were the routines and expectations of the inhabitants of strong, functioning communities? Belonging to a community is a choice. If we refuse to join, then what is missing? Do we have something better? If not, then how do we begin to restore vibrant neighborhoods and re-discover our need for community? What are some local examples of “abundant communities?” What kind of communities should our children and grandchildren inherit? What will they look like? How do we begin to build community with them? The final class meeting will be your ideas for healthy communities that you would like to help create and nurture.

This class will be interactive and feature discussion as well as TED Talks and other videos. All viewpoints are welcome as we explore changes in cultural interactions before and after 1970.

Robert Putnam is a social scientist and Professor of Public Policy at Harvard University. His book, Bowling Alone, was published in 2000. It described the decline in public participation in community events. His book, The Upswing, appeared in 2020 and noted improvements in social interactions in America. I will use these books as starting points for discussion. Having access to them will be helpful but is not required.