Thursday Courses
Acting for Medical Simulation
Ever wonder how medical professionals prepare to care for real world patients while still in school? They use real people trained to act as standardized patients in encounters that simulate different medical scenarios. Join us to learn how to believably portray a patient in a mock encounter. If you love it, you can volunteer to serve as a standardized patient for actual simulations in the spring, helping to train the medical professionals of the future.
Instructors: Julia Guichard is a Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Creative Arts with 25 years of experience teaching a diverse range of acting classes. In her third year on the faculty at Miami University, Beth Zwilling brings decades of experience as a bedside nurse and nursing educator to support training standardized patients.
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 9:00–10:15 a.m.
Format: In person
Location: Oxford
Future Perfect: Technology Trends by 2030
One thing we all know for sure is that the pace of technological change has accelerated. Remember how you did things prior to the Smartphone? Where will technology take us in the next six years? We’ll look ahead at autos, airplanes, highways, healthcare, education, climate and environment, energy generation, and more. Are you ready for driverless cars, pilotless airliners, and the AI world? Will this be the “Future Perfect?” Let’s find out!
Instructor: Doug Stowell is a consumer and political polling veteran in both U.S. and EU markets. Doug launched Market Resource Associates in 2008 and conducts opinion research on global issues today. He is a member of the Furman University Osher LifeLong Learning Group in Greenville, SC, and conducts Zoom programs for more than 80 organizations worldwide.
1 Thursday: October 5; 9:00–10:15 a.m.
Format: Virtual
Location: Online
Where in the World is the U.S.? A Top 10 Summary
Just how well is the U.S. performing in meeting the challenges of 2023? Is there a way to measure our progress? Let’s compare our results to those of other countries by analyzing such topics as: economy, taxes, environment, education, healthcare, climate change, immigration, military preparedness, safety, prosperity, personal happiness, and more. The "top 10" format provides a quick snap-shot of how well the U.S. compares to other nations. Are we #1, #10 or not on the list? Let’s find out!
Instructor: Doug Stowell is a consumer and political polling veteran in both U.S. and EU markets. Doug launched Market Resource Associates in 2008 and conducts opinion research on global issues today. He is a member of the Furman University Osher LifeLong Learning Group in Greenville, SC, and conducts Zoom programs for more than 80 organizations worldwide.
1 Thursday: October 12; 9:00–10:15 a.m.
Format: Virtual
Location: Online
AARP Smart DriverTEK Workshop
Technology is changing the driving experience. AARP’s Smart DriverTEK Workshop will keep you in the know about the latest high-tech safety features in your current or future car. Learn with your peers about Blind Spot Warnings, Forward Collision Warnings, Smart Headlights, and more.
Instructor: Robert Bass became a volunteer with AARP in 2019 and quickly became involved in their Smart DriverTEK Workshop program (SDTEK). Robert is also serving on the committee responsible for the 2023 SDTEK curriculum refresh, where he enjoys applying his background in software and educational consulting.
1 Thursday: October 19; 9:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, VOALC, Room 100
But the Bible Says...! The Bible From its Origins to Today
Originally composed in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek, the Bible covers the history of the world from "creation" to the spread of Christianity in the first century CE. It has undergone immense changes over time. To understand the history of the Bible in its various forms and translations for various audiences, we will explore the history, philology, and politics involved in creating the Bible. NOTE: This is NOT a Bible study class.
Instructors: Paul Allen is a cradle Catholic who was a member of the Methodist Youth Fellowship and attended a United Church of Christ college, took high school Latin I and II, was a member of the Junior Classical League, has a connection to a KJV translator, and speaks fluent sailor. Kip Colegrove grew up in an Army family, the son of a Roman Catholic father and a Southern Baptist mother and ended up an Episcopal priest (now retired) with degrees in linguistics, divinity, and religion and literature. He writes poetry and owns a New Testament in Western Apache, which he can pronounce almost plausibly.
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 10:45 a.m.–noon
Format: Hybrid
Location: Online or West Chester, VOALC, Room 123
What WE Wore: Dress of Children and Teens, 1940-1975
Bobby socks. Letter sweaters. Bell bottoms. Afros. The market for children’s and teen’s clothing grew substantially after World War II. What were the social, political, and technological forces that prompted that growth and led to the styles that WE wore between 1940 and 1975? In this class we will explore the fashions worn by boys and girls from infancy to early adulthood and how those styles reflected the times. Childhood pictures will be encouraged!
Instructor: Sara Butler is Professor Emerita of Art at Miami and the volunteer curator of the costume collection at the Butler County Historical Society.
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 10:45 a.m.–noon
Format: Virtual
Location: Online
Bodily Autonomy and Reproductive Justice: What's Government Got To Do With It?
With the Dobbs Supreme Court Ruling in 2022, the landscape of bodily autonomy and reproductive justice in the U.S. shifted dramatically. Oxford Citizens for Peace and Justice explores this perilous terrain as the SCOTUS decision threatens individual and family health, choice, and humanity. Learn about the Dobbs decision, the history of Planned Parenthood and contraception, the greater vulnerability of women who are Black and living in poverty in Butler County, divides across generations and other identities that are explored in living room conversations and echoed by City Council Resolutions, and the significance of citizens voting to amend the state constitution.
Instructor: Ann Fuehrer is Professor Emerita of Global and Intercultural Studies at Miami University, currently serving as Facilitator for Oxford Citizens for Peace and Justice.
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Format: In person
Location: Oxford, Boyd Hall, Room 132
Thursday Afternoon Lecture Series
This series will have you laughing ‘til you cry, learning some intriguing secrets of Cincinnati, and getting to know some famous and notorious citizens. Get ready!
October 5 – Hollywood on the Ohio – Cheri Brinkman is a local published author, historian, and public speaker.
October 12 – Grand Old Theatres of Cincinnati – Kent Rawlings is Chairman of the Cincinnati Heritage Programs Speakers Bureau, a group that gives traveling lectures on Cincinnati’s rich history and heritage.
October 19 – The Sad, Seamy, Sinister Side of Cincinnati – Jay Kathman is a lifelong resident of Cincinnati who enjoys giving tours and presentations at the Cincinnati Museum Center and the Taft Museum of Art.
October 26 – Mike Hemmelgarn: Ventriloquist and Magician – Mike Hemmelgarn’s love of entertaining developed into a full-blown career which allows him to travel across the tri-state area, juggling and performing ventriloquism for audiences of all ages.
November 2 – WWI: Southwest Ohio Journeys – Cheri Brinkman
Coordinator: Jane Gegner is the Director of Community Relations at Chesterwood Senior Living and a longtime member of the ILR Curriculum Committee for the West Chester/Liberty/Monroe area.
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, Chesterwood Village, Monarch Theatre
All That Moves Us: A Journey in Neuroscience
Subtitled A Pediatric Neurosurgeon, His Young Patients, and Their Stories of Grace and Resilience, Dr. Jay Wellons' book is a narrative of compassion along a professional journey. Ann Patchett wrote: “The surgical interventions in these pages are dizzying, but the fact that Jay Wellons can write as well as he can operate provides a whole other level of amazement.” Join us for a series of discussions about these stories.
Class text: Jay Wellons, All That Moves Us: A Pediatric Neurosurgeon, His Young Patients, and Their Stories of Grace and Resilience, Random House, 2022, ISBN: 9780593243367 (hardcover); ISBN: 9780593243381 (paperback)
Instructor: Ken Grabach is a retired librarian who found as a lifelong reader the fascination the world of the sciences offers.
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 12:30–1:45 p.m.
Format: Virtual
Location: Online
Children’s Literature for Grandparents and Friends
Caitlin Campbell, Children's Librarian at the Oxford Lane Library, will offer a crash course through the colorful world of contemporary kids' books. We will explore the best and most popular books for every age group from babies to teens and share tips on engaging with kids through literature. Don't forget your library card! Each session will include time to peruse and check out the books discussed.
Class text: Jerry Craft, New Kid, Quill Tree Books, 2019, ISBN-13: 978-0062691194
Instructor: Caitlin Campbell is the Children's Librarian at the Oxford Lane Library.
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 2:15–3:30 p.m.
Format: In person
Location: Oxford, Lane Library, Havighurst Meeting Room
A Crown Julia of Hollywood
Starring in a variety of film genres, Julia Roberts’ versatility and charm have forever crowned her a leading lady of Hollywood. She has co-starred with such renowned actors as Tom Hanks, Shirley MacLaine, Denzel Washington, Sally Field, and Albert Finney. We will watch the following Roberts films in the order they were released:
October 5 – Steel Magnolias (dir. Herbert Ross, 1989) 1h 58m: A close-knit group of Southern women support their loved one who struggles with complications from type 1 diabetes.
October 12 – Sleeping with the Enemy (dir. Joseph Ruben, 1991) 1h 37m: After attempting to fake her own death, a young wife realizes she cannot escape her abusive husband.
October 19 – The Pelican Brief (dir. Alan J. Pakula, 1993) 2h 21m: A law student teams up with a reporter to piece together the mysterious assassination of two Supreme Court justices.
October 26 – Erin Brockovich (dir. Steven Soderbergh, 2000) 2h 10m: Based on the true story of Erin Brockovich, an American paralegal turned whistleblower who fought against an electric company for contaminating drinking water with carcinogenic materials.
November 2 – Larry Crowne (dir. Tom Hanks, 2011) 1h 39m: Larry Crowne, a middle-aged veteran, decides to return to college after he is suddenly fired from his retail position.
Instructor: Doug Iden is an avid theatergoer and movie buff with an extensive collection of films and original Broadway musical scores. Doug is also a critic for the League of Cincinnati Theatres (LCT).
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 2:15–5:15 p.m.
Format: In person
Location: West Chester, Chesterwood Village, Monarch Theatre
Paris: 2,000 Years of Planned Beauty
Paris is arguably the most beautiful city in the world, but not by accident. For 2,000 years, the city has been shaped by strong-willed visionaries and deliberate government planning decisions. How have two millennia of urban planning molded today’s Paris? We’ll start with Roman and medieval projects, pass through Royal-directed plans and 20th century “Grands Projets,” and end with 21st century actions to promote carbon neutrality, to help an increasingly multicultural population, and to host the 2024 Olympics. Experience some of the lesser-known sites of Paris from a city planner’s perspective, not a tourist caught in an overwhelming crush.
Instructor: James Rubenstein is Professor Emeritus of Geography at Miami University.
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 2:15–3:30 p.m.
Format: Virtual
Location: Online
Rare Rossini Operas You Might Not Know But Will Love
Of Rossini's 39 operas there are many that are rarely performed today, possibly because they are perceived as too long, as having too many characters, or as technically very challenging. Everyone knows The Barber of Seville, but The Turk in Italy and his last opera, William Tell, should offer you an exciting new appreciation for Rossini's genius.
Instructors: Anne Morris-Hooke retired from the Miami University Microbiology Department in 2007, and now shares her lifelong love of opera with ILR. Andrea Ridilla, Professor of Music at Miami, teaches oboe and opera appreciation.
5 Thursdays: October 5–November 2; 4:00–5:15 p.m.
Format: Virtual
Location: Online