Fires. Riots. Assassinations. Cannons. Slaughtered animal blood. Suicides. This survey of Shakespearean theatrical history will expose you to the elements, props, and events that were incorporated into the staging of his plays. We'll also examine some interesting moments, major actors, and notorious performances. After all, the play was only a piece of the drama.

Outcomes: Gain a better understanding of Shakespeare's theater and some history of Shakespeare performances since then.

Format: 80% lecture, 20% discussion

Despite an unremarkable childhood and a lackluster military career up to the outbreak of the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant became one of the most consequential leaders in American history. He became the greatest general of the Civil War and with the exception of Abraham Lincoln, no man did more to preserve the Union. As President, he confronted the Ku Klux Klan and protected the rights of millions of newly freed black Americans. Grant was a simple, humble Midwestern man who as Walt Whitman once put it was, “nothing heroic, and yet the greatest American hero.”

Outcomes: Understand the role Ulysses Grant played in leading the Union army to victory in the Civil War.
• Comprehend how Grant managed Reconstruction through his Presidency.

Format: 90% lecture, 10% discussion

They’re not just buildings where you check out a book! From clay tablets 5000 years ago to the evolution of classification systems to our current digital collections, the library serves not just as a bastion of knowledge for the prolific consumer, but also as the repository of the history of empires, as well as a record-keeper of the political, economic and cultural changes that define our world. The lecture will also take a special look at the public library and explore the architectural designs of some of the most innovative contemporary libraries from around the world.

Outcomes: Explore library origins.
• Review the evolution of communication through the written word.
• Understand the multiple functions of private, public, and personal libraries.
• Examine the iterations of library technology.
• View digitally some of the newest architectural library designs from around the world.

Format: 80% lecture, 20% discussion

Professor Kim Keeline will give you background and information about this Shakespeare play while we analyze videos of important scenes. We will enjoy the romance of Beatrice and Benedick, while also diving into how Hero is betrayed. This play is in many ways partly the plot of Othello, if that play were a comedy. Find out how and what that means for Shakespeare’s definitions of comedy and tragedy.

Outcomes: Understand Shakespeare's comedy/tragedy tropes.
• Know the play better (themes, language, etc).

Format: 65% lecture, 20% videos, 10% Q&A, 5% class analysis

Karen Horney–one of the first women psychoanalysts–was a rebel who challenged Freud’s views of women and insisted that the socio-cultural context and events of a historical moment impacted the development of human personality. In other words, personal psychology and internal conflicts do not originate only “inside the mind”. Her views on women and the importance of cultural factors prompted other analysts to reject her theories and expel her from official circles of Psychoanalysis. However, her views continue to be influential today. Her writings are accessible and thought-provoking despite her Psychoanalytic terminology and wording.

Outcomes: Examine Horney's life, ideas, and most important writings and contributions to psychology and feminist thought

Format: 65% lecture, 20% videos, 10% Q&A, 5% class analysis

It was record-shattering, precedent-setting, groundbreaking, earth-shaking, and money-making. The Beatles' 1964 tour of North America would turn the entertainment business on its ears and forever change the landscape of the concert touring industry. In February 1964, after finally achieving a #1 hit in America, the Fab Four came to the country with high hopes, performing on the wildly popular Ed Sullivan Show in both New York City and Miami and even playing concerts at Carnegie Hall and the Washington Coliseum. In just 15 short days, the Beatles conquered America and left fans hungering for more. In August of 1964, the group performed an astonishing 32 concerts in 26 venues in 24 cities in just 33 days!

Outcomes: Comprehend how The Beatles forever changed the concert landscape.
• Affirm that the tour sprouted the multi-billion dollar concert industry of today.
•Recognize how the group bravely broke new ground by inserting a clause to desegregate all their concerts.
• Understand American fandom came out full-force.

Format: 75% lecture, 5% activity, 20% Q&A

The idea of gathering to discuss literature, philosophy, morality, culture, and politics is not new. The concept can be traced to the Socratic era in 400 BCE, with private male reading clubs and women’s groups forming. Some book clubs were founded by Benjamin Franklin, Margaret Fuller, and Oprah Winfrey. Historically known as catalysts for resistance and revolution, book clubs have contributed to women’s rights movements, black pride, and progressive politics. Ultimately, these groups showed that reading and intellectualism can be engaged in by people of any gender, age, ethnicity, or class.

Outcomes: Describe the origins and history of book clubs.
• Explore book clubs as catalysts for resistance and revolution.
• Recognize book clubs as a way to level the socioeconomic playing field.

Format: 80% lecture, 20% discussion

This is a half-day workshop where students can bring in their work in progress memoirs for a peer and instructor review session. Together, we will evaluate students' work, discuss ways to improve their use of writing techniques and continue expanding on their writing progress.

Outcomes: Apply the peer review process.
• Learn editing techniques for your writing.
• Understand methods of adding sensory details.
• Create a writing schedule for the summer.
• Obtain relevant and helpful feedback on your writing.

Format: 30% lecture, 70% discussion / activity

Possible Scenarios: US vs China • US vs N Korea • US vs Iran • Israel vs Iran • US vs Russia • India vs China • India vs Pakistan (Kashmir) • the US vs Turkey • ...And the list goes on.

Will it be a nuclear war? Will it be a cyberwar? Will it be an accident? Will it just be a misunderstanding in translation or culture? Who will move first? Does it make a difference if the leader is male or female? Who will you bring to the dance? This class brings hypothetical scenarios that examine all the possibilities about who, how, why, and (maybe) when WW3 might begin. Or perhaps it’ll just become a board game.

Outcomes: Recognize geopolitical machinations of powerful and not so powerful nation states.
• Hypothesize various riggers for WW#3 or any war.
• Consider who your war partners might be.
• Analyze which nations will opt out and why.
• Examine how misunderstandings in language and culture are dangerous in a diplomatic crises.

Format: 70% lecture, 30% discussion

This course will explore current events with a focus on constitutional law at the Supreme Court and in other corridors of power. Largely driven by what’s “hot” in the news when the course is taught (and responsive to issues that class members wish to focus on), this course will dig beneath the surface perspectives presented by the media and pundits. We’ll focus on legal doctrines and tradeoffs behind these controversies. For example, assuming that the Court continues to take cases about vaccine and mask mandates, the course would focus in-depth on the legal issues about personal liberty and religious freedom that underlie these controversies.

Outcomes: Analyze and discuss current news events within the context of legal doctrines and precedents.

Format: 80% lecture, 20% Q&A / group problem-solving

What did the daily lives of the Kumeyaay people look like before 1769? Which plants and animals did they harvest? What were their medicines, tools, and household items? Discover how Kumeyaay women processed acorns and the interesting way they cooked them to make shawee and how a home, or 'ewaa, was built. How did the Europeans impact the Kumeyaay way of life? Following the morning presentation, participants will meet at Mission Trails for an easy, shaded walk at Old Mission Dam* to view archaeological sites and flora.

Outcomes: Explore the Kumeyaay way of life prior to the 1769 arrival of Europeans.
• Explain how the Europeans impacted the Kumeyaay way of life.
*More details will be communicated via course confirmation email approximately 1 week prior to the class meeting. Wear closed-toed shoes, a hat, sunscreen & bring water.

Format: 75% activity & demonstration, 25% Q&A

Osher Office Hours are an informational hour held weekly throughout the semester on Mondays by Osher Staff. Each hour is an opportunity for you to ask questions on a variety of topics including courses, registration, membership, and what's new.

OLLI Happy Hour Summer RSVP - While there’s a lot of learning taking place in our courses, it’s important to have fun and connect with one another outside the classroom in a relaxed, informal setting: OLLI Happy Hour.

Open to members and non members, OLLI Happy Hour is a social event held monthly during the Fall & Spring semesters, and once during Summer. It's an opportunity to mingle with other current, former and potential Osher @ SDSU members to organically build camaraderie and community.

The Summer 2022 OLLI Happy Hour will take place on campus at Eureka! right after our class on the Beatles. Food and drink are available for purchase and we will be outside. We hope you will join us for both. Parking validation is available for up to one hour if you park in the Eureka parking structure. See front desk for stamp.

Time: 3pm
Date: Thursday, July 21, 2022
Location: Eureka! 5140 College Ave. Suite 111 San Diego, California 92115
RSVP by July 20th as space is limited.