Spring 2025 Thursday Courses

Do You Know Where Your Tap Water Comes From?

Oxford, Hamilton, Cincinnati and the surrounding rural areas pull their water from the Great Miami Buried Valley Aquifer (GMBVA). With its abundant supply of high-quality groundwater, the GMBVA is the most important aquifer in southwest Ohio. Together we will explore the history and current health of the GMBVA. Learn what the EPA mandates your water providers do to ensure safe drinking water. Study the infrastructure required to pull water from the aquifer and deliver it to your house.

Instructor: Clark Kelly is a Board of Trustees member for the Southwest Regional Water District.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 9:00–10:15 am
Format: In person
Location: Oxford, Boyd Hall, Room 117
Note: We will take an optional field trip to the Southwest Regional Water District plant in Hamilton for week four, and possibly to the Oxford water plant for week five. These tours may result in our class period extending beyond its scheduled 10:15 end time.

Google Photos: Memories Organized, Searchable, Shareable Fun

Google Photos offers all you need to securely store your lifetime of photo and video memories in your personal account in Google’s cloud. You can use their powerful tools to edit, search, organize, and share photos from any authorized device with an internet connection. This online class is for beginner to intermediate users of Google Photos. Students need a Google account and their smartphone, tablet, or laptop available for this course. A PDF copy of the supplemental text, Learn Google Photos by Chris Guld, will be sent ahead of the first session.

Instructor: Robin Seaver spent her career teaching adults basic computer skills. She’s a confessed Google Apps fangirl who loves her iPad, Android phone, and Mac computer.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 9:00–10:15 am
Format: Virtual
Location: Online

Where Have All the Flowers Gone? Music and the Vietnam War

For centuries music has accompanied American troops into war. From Bunker Hill in Boston to Kabul in Afghanistan, music has entertained, inspired, and comforted our nation’s best. This survey course will focus on the sounds that reminded our servicemen and women of the home they yearned to return to, and simultaneously served as a soundtrack for an evolving pro-war and anti-war homeland. We will listen and analyze music in four main genres: rock, soul, folk, and country. We will also spend some time recalling the tragedy which occurred on May 4, 1970, at Kent State University, during my time as a student there. Join me as we recall an era of turbulence and great music.

Instructor: Nicholas Andreadis is Associate Professor Emeritus of the Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, Western Michigan University’s Department of Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 10:45 am–noon
Format: Hybrid
Location: Online or West Chester, VOALC, Auditorium

The Many Aspects of Food in Our Lives

Food is central to our lives in many ways. Community members will share insight on organically grown food, preparation for eating, food equity, what not to eat, and local sources of healthy food.

April 3 – Gleaning and Food Equity – Susan Plummer coordinates the gleaning opportunities at various farms in the Cincinnati area. This produce is then distributed to those with food insecurity.

April 10 – What Foods and Additives to Avoid – Donald Hanson is a retired dentist who has long had an interest in all aspects of food.

April 17 – Healthy Preparation of Food – Danielle Kazee is a holistic practitioner and herbal specialist.

April 24 – Organically Grown Food – Harv Roehling farmed organically in the Oxford area for many years. He has supplied lettuce and other greens to the Oxford Farmers Market and other outlets.

May 1 – Local Sources of Healthy Food – James Rubenstein is Professor Emeritus of Geography at Miami University. He writes often about food in the Oxford Free Press.

Coordinator: Donald Hanson is a retired dentist who has long had an interest in all aspects of food.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 10:45 am–noon
Format: In person
Location: Oxford, Boyd Hall, Room 117

Political Polarization: Key Sources and Depolarizing Skills

Through interactive sessions and discussion-oriented formats, we will unravel the complexities of the polarized political climate to understand its evolution and the driving forces behind it. Beyond merely exploring the issue, we will take a proactive stance by learning and practicing skills to depolarize individuals and communities.

Instructors: Poppy Evans is a trained ambassador and moderator for Braver Angels, a nonprofit organization focused on the problem of political polarization. Mel Cohen, Professor Emeritus of Political Science, is a trained ambassador and debate chair for Braver Angels.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 10:45 am–noon
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Room 128

Teaching America to Read: William H. McGuffey and His Readers

William Holmes McGuffey taught at Miami University from 1826-1836 and became one of the University’s most esteemed professors. McGuffey wrote the Eclectic Reader Series (popularly known as McGuffey’s Readers), which served as the basic primer for school children, particularly in the Midwest, for about a hundred years. We will examine the cultural climate he lived in and the development and impact of his Eclectic Reader Series.

Instructor: Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti is administrator and curator of the William Holmes McGuffey Museum at Miami University.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 10:45 am–noon
Format: Virtual
Location: Online

Resources and Information for Older Adults

Many services and resources may be accessed by seniors in Oxford and the surrounding communities. The presenters in this course will describe the mission and services of the organizations they represent.

April 3 – Oxford Seniors – Emily Liechty is Executive Director of Oxford Seniors.

April 10 – Social Security, Medicare, Healthcare at Home, and Nutritional Services – Sabrina Jewell is Outreach and Marketing Coordinator, and Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program (OSHIIP) and Medicare Counselor at Oxford Seniors.

April 17 – Butler County Elderly Services Program – Heather Nelson is Butler County Elderly Services Program Care Manager with LifeSpan, a partner of Community First Solutions.

April 24 – Age-Friendly Oxford – Jennifer Heston-Mullins is Associate Director of Research and Senior Research Scholar at Scripps Gerontology Center, Miami University.

May 1 – Recent Findings in Gerontology – Samuel Van Vleet is a Ph.D. candidate in Gerontology at Miami University.

Instructor: Rich Daniels, retired CEO of McCullough-Hyde Hospital.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 12:30–1:45 pm
Format: In person
Location: Oxford, Lane Library, Havighurst

Falling in Love at the Movies

Romance has been a staple in Hollywood. During our three-hour class, we will watch an entire movie and then have a discussion. Films include Gilda (a film noir), An Affair to Remember (romance), Bells Are Ringing (musical), Moonstruck (romantic comedy), and Princess Bride (fantasy comedy). Actors include Glenn Ford, Rita Hayworth, Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant, Judy Holiday, Dean Martin, Cher, Nicholas Cage, Cary Elwes, and Robin Wright.

Instructor: Doug Iden has been an avid viewer of musicals for years and is currently a theater critic for the League of Cincinnati Theaters (LCT).

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 12:30–3:30 pm
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, Chesterwood Village, Monarch Theatre

Travel with Friends

The Haynes are inviting you to experience their most recent travel adventures to Australia, New Zealand, and the Atlantic coast of Norway. Get your sunscreen ready as temperatures rise on the Australian Outback, then meet us for a close visit with endangered kiwis in New Zealand, and finally, bundle up as we sail on the freezing waters of the Arctic Circle and visit the unforgettable and awe-inspiring fjords of the Norwegian coastline.

Instructors: Since their retirement, MaryEllen and Bill Haynes have enjoyed traveling around the world with each other.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 12:30–1:45 pm
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Auditorium

Honey, I'm Home! What's for Dinner?

Following World War II, the U.S. experienced a shift in societal norms and expectations. Women had become accustomed to working outside the home and were enjoying their new status. At the end of the workday, there was precious little time to cook and clean up. Through classroom demonstrations, this course will teach you how to prepare recipes from 1946 through the 1950s in less than one hour with minimum time spent on prep and clean up. Samples of the featured dishes will be available.

Instructor: Michael Clements is an avid cook, presenter, and author of two cookbooks. He enjoys the challenges of creating and adapting recipes to create a new culinary experience.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 2:15–3:30 pm
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Room 100

Guilty Pleasures

Have you ever regretted that Jane Austen only wrote six novels? Take heart! Georgette Heyer wrote 50, 35 of which are set in Austen’s Regency England. Smart, beautifully researched, and witty, they are the thinking woman’s perfect escape. In the course of our five weeks together we will read and discuss these four of her novels, in the following order: Frederica, The Foundling, Venetia, and The Nonesuch. Much like Jane Austen, Heyer writes against the traditions of romance.

Class texts: Any edition of The Foundling, 1948; Venetia, 1958; The Nonesuch, 1962; and Frederica, 1965; by Georgette Heyer

Instructor: Patricia Klingenberg, Professor Emerita at Miami University, is a specialist in Latin American literature with a broad comparative view of women writers across cultures.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 2:15–3:30 pm
Format: Virtual
Location: Online

Sports Around the World

Let’s take a look at the most popular sports from places outside of the U.S. We will delve into the history and rules of international sports such as cricket, rugby, Australian football, lacrosse, and polo, to name a few.

Instructor: Paul Allen, retired U.S. Navy officer and Ohio civil servant, is a member of the ILR Board, Curriculum Committee, and Instructor Support Team.

5 Thursdays: April 3–May 1; 2:15–3:30 pm
Format: Hybrid
Location: Online or Oxford, Boyd Hall, Room 228