Mondays
A Potpourri of Critical Issues and Personality
Jan. 23 and 30; Feb. 6 and 13
10 to 11:30 a.m.
Jan. 23
Perspectives on the 2012 Missouri State Legislature as the New Session launches — along with insight into the redistricting phenomenon
“House and Senate redistricting maps could result in big legislative changes in 2012 — and add to the number of Boone Countians serving as lawmakers. The House map reduces to two from three the number of full House districts wholly within the borders of Boone County. But it does make Boone County voters the majority in three more.”(Columbia Daily Tribune, 12/1/11, p. 1).
The House of Representatives will
convene at noon Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012,
for the second regular session of the
96th general assembly
What issues are likely to dominate the second regular session of the 96th General Assembly?Representative Kelly shares his vision.
Honorable Chris Kelly, Missouri State Representative, of the former 24th District
Jan. 30
Refining the Concept of Militancy as a Function of Outcome Effectiveness
It is a fascinating challenge to attempt to keep up with the interests and continued scholarship of Emeritus Professor of Political Science, Paul Wallace. The last time I contacted him, I learned that he was off to India in a few short hours. Not having time to for a brief, targeted response to my invite for an updated presentation on his terrorism perspectives, he proceeded to forward no fewer than four documents encompassing 200+ pages — all representing his latest scholarly output on the topic, all the documents have distinct content yet relate to terrorism. I was left to choose one or all. I would hope to invite the busy scholar to conduct a full course on his research findings, should he have the time to do so. For now, since I am ‘drunk’ with power, so to speak — I have chosen to suggest that he expound upon his new and most interesting conceptualization: the bifurcation of the construct ‘militarism’ into violent and non-violent components. The discourse is part of a book, published but two months ago. Paul encourages your active participation in discussion — a true seminar format.
Note
If you come to class and find the professor addressing a completely different topic, please, be not dismayed. Know that he has simply asserted decisional power. Be assured, whatever the topic, you are about to profit from insight he has labored long to convey.
Paul Wallace, PhD, MU Professor Emeritus of Political Science
Feb. 6
The Insurance Mandate and the Constitution: Issues for the Supreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed, at the Administration's request, to review an appeals court ruling striking down the Affordable Care Act's individual health insurance mandate. Argument will occur sometime in the late winter, and the ruling will come by summer. What are the issues and arguments that the parties will make, and how is the Court likely to rule?
It is with great pleasure that we present our University’s US Constitution scholar to address the issue about which many Osher students petitioned additional and insight information.
William Fisch, LLB, JUD, MU Isidor Loeb Professor Emeritus of Law
Feb. 13
The Energy/Water NexusÂ
Energy and water are critical to modern society, and the two are inextricably linked.It takes water to create electricity, and it takes electricity to supply water.This presentation will discuss this relationship and its implications, while also touching on various issues such as smart grids, smart meters, efficiency, rate structures, the flow of electrons and dollars, supply and demand, renewable power, the business of energy, future energy issues, etc.
Tom O’Connor is a graduate of some of the finest educational institutions in all of Columbia, Missouri, including Grant Elementary School.He is licensed by the State of Missouri to provide engineering services, operate a water treatment facility, and drive a motor vehicle.Tom has lived in Columbia for 40 years, where he shops local and actively participates in the arts, Rotary, and other forms of public service. His company is H2O’C Engineering, where he is happy to help a wide variety of clients with a wide variety of issues from drinking water to biodiesel.
Let’s Talk Antiques — and Acquire Skill in e-Bay Transactions
Jan.23 and 30; Feb. 6 and 13
1 to 2:30 p.m.
A four week course designed for antique lovers who want to know more about important aspects of the collectors’ hobby, such as:
- American antique collecting, an overview
- How to add value to a collection
- How to identify reproductions from legitimate antiques
- Â Buying or selling antiques on eBay and more.
Each session will also allow a “show and tell” period to share interesting antiques of which you are especially proud or, perhaps, just wondering.
Nancy Russell has been immersed in collecting and selling antiques for the past 40 years. It is no surprise that folks in our town accord her great respect for the considerable knowledge she has acquired about one of Missouri’s most popular preoccupations. Have you noticed that we borrowed the designation of the session from the title of the weekly column Nancy writes for the Columbia Daily Tribune?
Tuesdays
Viewing and Photographing the Glorious Winter Sky
Jan. 17, 24 and 31; and Feb. 7
Noon to 1:30 p.m.
Returning to our program to regale us, once again, with celestial wonders, Val Germann brings his considerable knowledge and passion for heavenly bodies — this time, those that gleam and glisten in the heart of Winter. Expect to learn about more than identifying visible Astronomical entities and phenomena. You will also acquire tips and techniques on capturing such beauty, digitally. Â It’s a glorious pursuit!
Val Germann has been viewing and photographing the sky since the 1960s. Currently, he is Treasurer of the Central Missouri Astronomical Association. Semi-retired, he taught astronomy at Columbia College for many years — and even had an optical business in Columbia. In Fall 2011, he assisted at Rock Bridge High School planetarium, doing presentations and helping to develop new programs. Originally from Carrollton Missouri, Val is an MU graduate and Army veteran, having served in both Vietnam and Germany. He and his wife, Marla, have one child, a daughter, Elizabeth, who is now a student at the University of Missouri.
Meet the BrewMeister — the Great, the One and Only, Larry Goodwin
Jan. 17, 24 and 31; and Feb. 7
2 to 3:30 p.m.
A gentle, intelligent giant, he seems unaware of his considerable popularity among devotees of micro-brewing — it’s our BrewMeister of whom we speak. Meet this most knowledgeable human being as he shares nuances of what may appear to the uninformed as mysteries of a fascinating art. Consider a cross section of his intriguing creations — I admit to having chosen only my impression of the exotic from the list of 107 brews and beverages that are found on the Pub’s Web site. Â The opportunity for an up close and personal interaction with this artist/chemist occurs only once per year. Don’t miss the chance to participate in unique knowledge acquisition. The samples alone are worth the ‘price’ of admission — and the course concludes with a tour of Larry’s ‘laboratory’.
- Amber Chili Ale
An old favorite with a new twist, our Amber Chili Ale is a beefed up version of our popular Green Chili Beer. We created a malty amber beer and added our usual fresh Anaheim peppers. To create the real difference we added Poblano peppers roasted in our stone oven. The resulting beer is a complex mix of hot green chilis, sweet roasted chili flavors and a mild malty brew
- Black Beer'd Schwarzbier
A tasty black beer brewed with seven different specialty malts that give it a nice toasted and caramel flavor without the burnt notes found in some dark beers. Hopping is light so as not to overwhelm the malt flavors. German Tettnang and Hersbrucker hop varieties contribute 15 BU's to the beer, and authentic German lager yeast was used for fermentation. The ABV is 4.6 percent.
- Oil Change Oatmeal Stout
Black as diesel oil, Oil Change is big in roasty chocolate flavors. A large amount of flaked oats gives this stout a velvety smoothness. Oil Change is nitrogen charged to give it a thick creamy head.
- Trappist Tripel
Brewed in the style of the Belgian Trappist ales, our Trippel is a rich golden color with a malty sweetness from the generous use of Vienna malt and Belgian specialty malts. Hopping is low to allow the yeast and malt flavors to dominate. Authentic Trappist ale yeast was used for fermentation. The ABV is 7.1 percent and hop bitterness is 14 BU's. We serve it in a stemmed brandy snifter to bring out the fermentation aromas and flavors.
Wednesdays
Shakespeare in Opera: Part Two
Jan. 18, 25 and Feb. 1 and 8
1 to 3 p.m.
As a field of study, “Shakespeare and Opera” is a mass of confusion and contradiction.Fortunately, it is possible to enjoy the basic elements of that study — the plays and the operas with libretti variously adapted from or based on the plays — without unraveling the confusion.In this course, we will begin with a quick review of the issues and materials from the truncated first part, and then move on with welcome added time for attention to the major operatic masterpieces derived from Macbeth, The Tempest, and the protean character of Falstaff.We will view or listen to scenes from the operas and discuss the challenges of “translating” great plays into great operas.
Thomas F. Dillingham, PhD, former member of the Stephens College English/creative writing faculty and professor emeritus of English, Central Methodist University.
Thursdays
Computer Training Sequence I: The Fundamentals — A Preparation for the Subsequent Acquisition of Effective Computer Skills
Jan. 19 and 26; and Feb. 2 and 9
12:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Convictions, even values, guide the construction of our courses. We have documented the fact that, for many citizens, the burgeoning technological revolution entered late into their lives. Not only has the delayed entry proved significantly challenging, technology continues to evolve at an explosive pace. Once again, the Osher program is prepared to rise to the challenge and become the comfortable setting for “fully seasoned adults” to acquire computer skills at their own pace in a peer setting. Unquestionably, we understand that an interlocking sequence — interrelated levels of knowledge — is the only real avenue to understanding and performing well on computers. Working with fine sources and a determined Osher staff, Bob Hibbs has developed a series of relatively brief courses — each only 4-weeks in length — in which you, if you “hang tough” and stay with them, will prove the envy of your peers and your grandchildren.
The first in this sequence of six courses is offered in our 2012 Winter Intersession. While you will have hands on a computer during the entire course, instruction and exercises will relate only to the computer mouse and the keyboard. It’s time you stepped away from the anxious concerns or self-consciousness about the fact that computers have gotten away from you. Join us. Take note of this well-designed technological learning sequence and register for the first in the series of Fundamentals offered this Winter. It will feel good to get out of the margins and sidelines and make strides in the acquisition of computer skills.
By mid-February 2012 you will have gained:
- Knowledge of, and how to use, the keys in the traditional four rows of a typewriter keyboard
- The special keys: Â Shift, Enter, Backspace, Delete, Enter, and the four arrow keys of the computer keyboard
- Knowledge and use of the mouse, including left & right click, scroll wheel, and how to position the cursor
- Additional keyboard special keys: Â Alt, Ctrl, Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down
Modest accomplishments? — perhaps — but once mastered you will have no trouble following instruction in the actual use of the computers’ extraordinary empowerment in human lives. Remember, this course is simply the beginning of an interrelated, interdependent sequence of six-four-week courses — that will meet weekly for a period of two hours — and that will send you well on your way of acquiring the technological literacy of the 21st Century.
Curricula — Future Courses in the Fundamental sequence that is now required of all students:
- Mouse and Keyboarding
- Browsing/Basic text entry and editing
- Windows Navigation / Finding and starting programs / Files & Folders
Robert M. Hibbs, MS, MU Electrical Engineering, Bob retired from Hubbell Power Systems after devoting his entire career to Information Technology. Professional experiences included work as a PC consultant in retail. He was a sales rep at the launch of the PC revolution and had the opportunity to consult on the first LAN (Local Area Network) devised for Grinnell College. Mr. Hibbs sold IBM XTs to Le FEBRURE to operate early ATM banking terminals. So entrenched in the technological world, his hobbies encompass reading — largely tech tombs — ask him about his Office 7 resources — home computing, lifelong learning including attending many classes at Osher, MU, and any place he discovers a good class. Bob has built three of his own PCs. Â Relaxing in his spare time, you will find that he plays an RTS (Real Time Strategy) computer game over the Internet with his grandson, a Boston resident. Retired, he continues the role of a hard-driving IT professional — now assuming leadership in technological advancement in MU’s Osher program — pro bono! We could not be more grateful.
Personal Insurance — personal property and liability insuranceÂ
Jan. 19 and 26; and Feb. 2 and 9
3 to 4:30 p.m.
Outside the insurance industry, few individuals comprehend the coverages they have, currently, or what coverages they need, or how insurance works in reality. The four insurance professionals who will conduct this course hope to fill that considerable void in information and knowledge.
Planned content of the course:
- Introduction to personal lines insurance. What is it, how does it work? We will try to find out what is of greatest interest to enrolled students and concentrate on responding to their needs. (All four conduct the first session)
- Homeowners and personal lines of insurance other than auto. (Nancy Hunter and John Stegemann)
- Automobile insurance (Chris Abernathy)
- The claims process from beginning to end. (Leslie Clay)
Nancy Hunter, CPCU, with 26 years experience in personal lines underwriting.
John Stegemann, CPCU, MBA, ChFC. With 30 years experience in personal lines underwriting.
Chris Abernathy, CPCU, with 15 years experience in underwriting and in teaching insurance.
Leslie Clay, CPCU, JD. AIC, with 34 years experience in claims handling, primarily in litigation.
Fridays
A Potpourri of the Arts
Jan. 20, 27 and Feb. 3 and 10
9:30 to 11 a.m.
Jan. 20
A Life Drawing: The Art of William A. Berry
Berry (1933–2010), formerly curators professor of art and chair of the department of art at the University of Missouri, was an internationally known artist, illustrator, photographer, designer and author.
Berry earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Texas and his Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Southern California. Before joining the University of Missouri faculty in 1978, he held academic positions at Boston University and the University of Texas.
Illustrations by Berry have been featured in numerous national periodicals: Newsweek, The Reporter, Opera News, TV Guide, Harpers, etc. He also illustrated books: Kennedy Without Tears by Tom Wicker; Still Quiet on the Western Front by Gene Smith; On Firm Ice by Carter Wilson; Journey to the Arctic. He also served as the first Art Director of Texas Monthly Magazine.
His text book, Drawing the Human Form, has been widely praised as the finest textbook in the field
In addition to his figure drawings and self portraits, Berry is best known for his large drawings in colored pencil utilizing a hatching technique. His work has been in over 500 exhibitions and has received more than 120 awards. His talent earned him invitations to art colonies here and abroad: Altos de Chavon, Dominican Republic; The Montalvo Center for the Arts, Saratoga, California; The MacDowell Colony, Peterborough, New Hampshire; The Rockefeller Foundation, Bellagio, Italy, The Camargo Foundation, Cassis France.
Some public collections owning work by Berry include: the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Addison Gallery of American Art, Fidelity Investments, The Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Hallmark, and Rutgers University
For more information and a “sneak preview” of his art work visit this website.
Janet Berry, wife of the artist, facilitated exhibits during the lifetime of artist, William A. Berry, and continues to bring his art to the public today.
Jan. 27
F.A.R.M.: Food, Art, Revolution, Media - a Focus on Photography to Re-vitalize Agriculture and Strengthen Democracy
Working as a team, Dan and Melinda Hemmelgarn have found a unique and effective way to use Art in the service of a cause — actually, multiple interrelated causes — about which they share great passion.
Using the synergistic power of photography and storytelling, Dan and Melinda’s Food, Art, Revolution, Media (FARM) project blends compelling photographs with relevant stories from rural America in a force that influences public opinion and drives public policy to support a more just and sustainable food system.
The FARM project contrasts the pervasive media campaigns of powerful industrial agribusiness with rural realities. With the looming 2012 Farm Bill, their unique application of media literacy education can help raise national awareness, fuel community engagement and promote "food citizenship" over blind consumption.
Together, Dan and Melinda have created two philanthropic "Farm Hands" calendars to raise funds, awareness, and appreciation for those who feed us. Their greeting cards blend F.A.R.M. Project images and interviews to help disseminate the wisdom of organic farmers and food producers. The couple also produces a weekly, award-winning radio program to help listeners "think beyond their plates" and connect the dots between food, health and agriculture. "Food Sleuth Radio" is broadcast on Thursday evenings from 5 to 6 p.m. from KOPN studios in Columbia, Missouri: 89.5 FM.
Join us as the Hemmelgarns utilize photography to document the American food and agricultural landscape and amplify the voices of sustainable family farmers and food producers across the United States.
Melinda Hemmelgarn, MS, RD, is a registered dietitian, and award-winning columnist and radio host, better known as the “Food Sleuth.” Prior to her freelance writing and speaking career, Melinda developed and directed the Nutrition Communications Center at the University of Missouri, where she discovered the potential of using media literacy to combat childhood obesity. In 2004, she received a Food and Society Policy Fellowship which allowed her to connect the dots between food, health and agriculture. Today she writes and speaks nationally, uniquely applying critical thinking skills to media messages about food and farm policy to advance "food system literacy." She serves on the Midwestern Organic and Sustainable Education Service Board, and the Organic Farming Research Foundation Board. See her blog.
Dan Hemmelgarn is an award-winning freelance photographer. His interest in photography has grown from a childhood fascination to an avocation, creating images that stimulate thought and discussion about our environment and the human condition. Dan exhibits his work regularly at the Columbia Art League and assorted venues in Columbia. Visit Main Squeeze on 9th Street in March to see intimate images and farmscapes from the F.A.R.M. project. See enduring image blog.
Feb. 3
Art’s Postmodern Culture — an artist’s philosophical musings
A departure from his earlier Osher seminars, David’s central focus at this session will not be his own work, at least not for an extended period of time. … ”What I'm interested in now, is talking about another artist who is working with a variety of mediums and medias, which incorporate classical, avant-garde and modern appropriations to make comments on the postmodern culture. Through his artwork I get to relay the myths of western art history and re-contextualize it with similar contemporary events. “
David Spear, artist extraordinaire — with an exquisite mind!
Feb. 10
The True/False Film Festival: a preview of the 2012 event
The True/False Film Fest returns March 1-4, 2012 for its ninth edition. The festival highlights innovative work with a cinematic scope, creative takes on contemporary currents, and most of all work that provokes dialogue about its subject and the documentary form itself.
For four days, downtown Columbia, Missouri is transformed into a small-town Midwestern utopia. Most films come freshly discovered from Sundance, Toronto and other festivals. Others appear mysteriously before their official premieres elsewhere. Sandwiched between the nonstop movies, we throw parties, host debates and field trips, and challenge local filmmakers to re-imagine the possibilities of nonfiction filmmaking.
New for 2012! All festival theaters will be located in downtown Columbia, all within easy walking distance of one another. We're adding two new venues this year: Jesse Auditorium on the MU campus and The Picturehouse, located inside the Missouri United Methodist Church across the street from Shakespeare's Pizza. Returning venues include the Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts, The Blue Note, the two-screen Ragtag Cinema, the Forrest Theater at the Tiger Ballroom, and the Globe Theater (at the First Presbyterian Church next door to Ragtag).
Passes are on sale now. You can also volunteer for the festival.
David Wilson, artist, film director, and co-owner of Ragtag Cinema, is the founder and co-producer of our town’s spectacular True/False Film Festival. He joins us to share the exciting details of the 2012 festival.
Updated 12/22/11