Mondays

Public Science -- Information of critical importance to citizens who want to understand issues on which they are asked to vote

Time
9:30 to 11 a.m.

Dates
June 9, 16, 23 and 30

Description
Citizens from all levels of educational backgrounds are faced with public policy decisions on a regular basis that require extensive scientific knowledge to evaluate. We're asked to vote directly on stem cells, water fluoridation, and nuclear power. Politicians campaign on global warming and evolution. We write letters to representatives expressing our opinion on many more areas of science. How can we make informed decisions without getting a new degree each time?

Finding current, accurate information is a daunting task. Searches online or in libraries drown us in information years old. Apparently current information turns out to be based on studies that are practically ancient history. Other reports are outright lies, propaganda for one agenda or another. Without a team of PhDs and lawyers, how do we sort the wheat from the chaff?

In this interactive class, we'll share our search strategies (online and traditional), and discuss how to identify hidden agendas. Rather than debate the issues, we'll talk about how to interpret studies, statistical and graphical tricks to watch out for, and how to be confident that our choices are based on true facts, not propaganda.

Instructor
Rachel Ruhlen is a postdoctoral fellow researching breast cancer prevention through diet, nutrition and lifestyle. She received her BS in Biology from Southwest Missouri State in 1996, and her PhD from the University of Missouri in 2003. Her postdoctoral training is funded through fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, and from the Komen Foundation. She volunteers for the National Postdoc Association and for the Missouri Bicycle Federation. Her daughter swims for Mid Missouri Aquatic Center, plays clarinet, and will attend eighth grade at Jeff Jr.

Tuesdays

Summer Birding -- Early Missouri Mornings in Conservation Habitats

Time
7:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Dates
June 10, 17, 24 and July 1

Description
Our cadre of OLLI bird cognoscenti miss no opportunity to monitor fields and woods discovering, identifying, taking pleasure in Earth's beautiful feathered wing creatures. Four weekly field trips are now offered, with the more experienced participants enjoying the tutelage of Edge Wade and relatively beginning birders chaperoned by delightful Ol' Clark.

Instructors
Bill Clark is immediate past president of the Columbia Audubon Society and historian of the Audubon Society of Missouri. He has birded in many areas of the world, but his favorite spots are in central Missouri . He writes a monthly birding column in the Columbia Daily Tribune and leads weekly field trips to remote spots in the area. This is his sixth birders' class for the Osher Institute, and he finds them exciting because he learns as much as he teaches.

Edge Wade began birding at age 50 and became intrigued with birds and birders. A member of the American Birding Association, she has traveled Missouri's 114 counties to see more than 350 species of a possible 400, and driven, flown, biked, boated and trekked through Alaska, Nova Scotia, Florida, south Texas and California to see more than 700 species.

Summertime Gardening Potpourri

Time
9:30 to 11 a.m.

Dates
June 10, 17, 24 and July 8 (No Class July 1)

Description
Will this flower bloom in the shade? Will this plant wilt in our Missouri heat? Can wildflowers really work in my landscape? If you have ever asked yourself these types of questions, then this is a course for you! Students will be guided through plant selection, including flowers, shrubs and native wildflowers. Please come join us!

Topics

June 10
Shade Gardening
June 17
Attracting Birds, Bees and Butterflies
June 24
Cool Plants That Don't Melt During Missouri Heat
July 8
Using Natives in the Garden

Instructor
Mary Kroening is an MU Extension horticulture specialist and state Master Gardener coordinator.

The Civil War in Missouri's North

Time
1 to 2:30 p.m.

Dates
June 10, 17, 24 and July 1

Description
In 1821, Missouri is admitted to the Union and gives its name to the Missouri Compromise. To maintain the balance among the 10 slave and 10 free states , Missouri and Maine (1820) are admitted as a package. More importantly, Missouri 's southern boundary is set as slavery's northernmost border. As history shows, Missouri becomes a region surrounded by free territory and hence a continual fount of controversy and turmoil. The Missouri compromise is repealed, in effect, by the Kansas-Nebraska Act in 1854. Almost as an afterthought, the concept of ‘popular sovereignty' is written into the law, allowing settlers to determine if slavery is allowed in new territories. Pro-slavery settlers, mostly from Missouri, go to Kansas and local elections are influenced by the votes of Missouri settlers. Abolitionist from the north come to Kansas and the clashes, now named ‘bleeding Kansas,' are inevitable. In 1860, there are 3,572 free blacks in the state of Missouri and 114,931 slaves. Read the Civil War Missouri blog.

Instructor
William F. Berry is past president of the Boone County Historical Society, life member of the State Historical Society of Missouri and a member of the latter organization's speakers' bureau.

Wednesdays

Making Your Life Easy: Modifying Home, Auto and Garden to suit your abilities—a Wellness/ Health Promotion Course

Time
9:30 to 11 a.m.

Dates
June 11, 18, 25 and July 2

Description
No matter what age you are, change is the rule in life. Learn how to make your personal world adapt to changes as you experience them. Along with “leisure modifications” related to gardening, hobbies and driving, you will learn how to work easier in the home, amplify visibility of important objects, decrease risks of falling and, in general, make things friendlier around the house—aches decrease as energy levels rise.

The course offers participants an unusual opportunity for a 12-point assessment of you and your vehicle —it's called a “car fit”. The focus is on how well you and your vehicle work together. Adjustments are recommended that are designed to increase comfort and safety in your auto. Please note the car fit assessment will not be limited to local students. The instructor will actually travel to distant learning locations to conduct car fits in library parking lots during non-class hours for individual class participants. Appointments for the examinations will be arranged during the summer session.

Instructor
Diana Baldwin, OTR,is an occupational therapist, Missouri Arthritis Rehabilitation Research and Training Center at MU.

Sketch/Watercolor Class

Time
1 to 2:30 p.m.

Dates
June 11, 18, 25 and July 2

Description
This sketch/watercolor class is designed to assist you to draw and paint for fun. The class is somewhat different from our past classes in a couple of ways. First, it will involve both sketching and watercolor and involve only four class sessions. Second, the first and third class sessions will be a 1.5 hour sketch/watercolor demonstration that Jerry will provide. These demonstrations require no drawing or paint materials from you unless you want to paint along. An enlarged projection of the art work on a SmartBoard should allow you to see in impressive detail the painting in progress.

The course will be taught indoors. You will need a drawing pencil and sketch paper, and a few watercolor tube paint colors, such as Cadmium Red, Winsor Red, Alizarin Crimson, Winsor Yellow, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, French Ultramarine, and Winsor Violet or Cobalt Violet (Winsor and Newton brand preferred). You should also buy a 9"x12" or 12"x16" watercolor paper block (Aquarelle Arches preferred). You may substitute similar size single sheets of watercolor paper (Arches brand preferred) with a sheet of acrylic (Plexiglas) the same size as or slightly larger than the paper for support. You will also need 1/2- and 1-inch flat brushes, and #6 and #4 round brushes (synthetic sables), as well as a plastic water jar. These materials should be available at most local art supply stores, such as Michael's or Hobby Lobby. Unfortunately, watercolor materials are not inexpensive. So, bring whatever you have or can afford and enjoy the class.

Instructor
Jerry Thompson is a local architect and member of the Missouri Watercolor Society, with watercolor paintings recently on exhibit at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, Poppy, The Tiger Hotel, and The Cherry Street Artisan Café in Columbia . His watercolors have been used as cover art for two of Osher Lifelong Learning Institute's course bulletins, as well. View some of his work.

Updated 5/1/08