Save the Dates - Upcoming 2008 Courses
Note: We add courses periodically. If you would like to be on our mailing list (e-mail or postal mail), call the Osher office at 408 - 924 - 2734 or send an e-mail message to: info@osher.sjsu.edu. We will send you notice when we post additional course and programs. To register or for more information, call 408 - 924 - 2734.
Last Updated : July 1, 2008
Courses and Events Beginning in....
JULY
Searching for Health Information on the Internet
Saturday, July 12, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon (one session)
IES Classroom Bldg, 384 S. Second St San José
Fee: $12
Free parking is available in the City garage at Second and San Carlos
The Ribbon Around The Bomb: The Art of Frida Kahlo
Saturday, July 12, 2008, 10:00 am-12:00 Noon
IES Classroom Bldg, 384 South Second, San José
Fee: $12
Free parking is available in the City garage at Second and San Carlos.
There is a major Kahlo exhibit at SFMOMA, June 14 to September 28.
The Grapes of Wrath
Wednesdays, July 16, 23 and 30, 2008*, 1:00-3:00 pm (Three sessions and 1 optional tour)
The Villages
Fee: $40
*Saturday, July 19, 1:30-2:30 Tour of SJSU’s Steinbeck Center
Osher Information Session
Saturday, July 19
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
IES Classroom Bldg, 384 S. Second St San José
Free
AUGUST
Book Discussion:
Bill and Dave: How Hewlett and Packard Built the World's Greatest Company
by Michael Malone
Saturday, August 2 (one session)
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
IES Classroom Bldg 384 S. Second St., San José
Fee: free for members
SEPTEMBER
War and Peace
with George Moore
Fridays, September 12 - October 10 (five sessions)
10:00 a.m. - 12 noon
Sobrato Community Conference Center, Milpitas
Fee: $75
The Vietnam War
Wednesdays, September 17 - October 22 (six sessions)
2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
The Villages: Foothill Center
Fee: $90
Brown Bag Cinema:The Vietnam War Class Free Add-On
Wednesdays, September 17 - October 22 (six sessions)
11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
The Villages: Foothill Center
Fee: Free (Limited to the Vietnam War Class attendees)
· September 17: Hamburger Hill
· October 1: Letters from
· October 15: Coming Home
Paste Paper and More: Turning Paper into Art
Saturday, September 27 (one session)
9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
IES Classroom Bldg
Fee: $45
Materials fee $20 (check payable to Patricia Smith)
OCTOBER
Book Discussion:
The World Without Us
by Alan Weisman
Saturday, October 4 (one session)
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
IES Classroom Bldg 384 S. Second St., San José
Fee: free for members
Great Men of the Silver Screen
Tuesdays, October 7 - November 4 (five sessions)
10:00 a.m. - 12 noon
The Villages- Vineyard Center
Fee: $65
DECEMBER
Book Discussion:
Where I was From and The Year of Magical Thinking
by Joan Didion
Saturday, December 6 (one session)
1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
IES Classroom Bldg 384 S. Second St., San José
Fee: free for members
** Course Descriptions **
Searching for Health Information on the Internet
Saturday, July 12, 2008, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
384 S. Second Street, San José
Fee:$12
Free parking is available in the City garage at Second and San Carlos
Ever get lost surfing the Web? Hours go by and you're not sure which site you're on and why you're not finding the health information you need. Medical libraries from the PlaneTree Health Library
conduct a hands-on workshop featuring the best of reliable, non-commercial Web sites. Learn about valuable and trustworthy sites from the National Institutes of Health and National Library of Medicine, as well as techniques for finding, personally relevant health and medical information.
Note: this workshop will take place in a computer lab. You should know how to use an Internet browser and operate a mouse. The workshop focuses on information retrieval and not on computer skills.
Candace Ford has directed one of the oldest and largest consumer health libraries in the U.S. since 1987. She received her MLIS from UC Berkeley and has also worked in corporate, hospital and public libraries. Ford co-authored the chapter Informing and Empowering Diverse Populations for the upcoming second edition of the national PlaneTree textbook, Putting Patients First.
Hillary Farkas received her MLS from San José State University and has worked for more than 20 years in all areas of medical librarianship. She works as a medical librarian at Stanford University Medical Center and the School of Medicine and has been with PlaneTree for more than 18 years.
Gloria Singer, Osher member, holds an MLS degree from San José State University and worked as a reference librarian for the San Jose Public Library for 20 years. She is a PlaneTree Health Library volunteer.
The Ribbon Around The Bomb: The Art of Frida Kahlo
Saturday, July 12, 2008, 10:00 am-12:00 Noon
384 South Second, San José
Fee: $12
Free parking is available in the City garage at Second and San Carlos.
There is a major Kahlo exhibit at SFMOMA, June 14 to September 28.
Explore the self-portraits and other paintings of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954). You will see Kahlo’s work through the lens of her personal tragedies and tempestuous relationship with her husband, painter Diego Rivera, but also consider its political meanings and its links to Surrealism and to Mexican art of the past. You will look too at the significance of Kahlo’s trademark Tehuana (indigenous Mexican) style of dressing.
Patricia Albers, a visual arts writer, independent curator, and teacher, recently completed Lady Painter, a biography of painter Joan Mitchell published by Knopf. Her previous book was Shadows, Fire, Snow, a biography of photographer Tina Modotti. She also curated the traveling exhibition Tina Modotti and the Mexican Renaissance.
The Grapes of Wrath
Wednesdays, July 16, 23 and 30, 2008*, 1:00-3:00 pm
The Villages
Fee: $40
*Saturday, July 19, 1:30-2:30 Tour of SJSU Steinbeck Center
Many say that The Grapes of Wrath is just as relevant today as it was when the book appeared in 1939. What lessons have we learned? What have we forgotten?
July 16-An overview and discussion of the novel
July 23-Showing of the 1940 film (open to members enrolled the class)
July 30-Discussion of the making of the film and the film itself; lecture and images of Dorothea Lange’s Farm Security Administration Depression photographs
Audry Lynch, author of With Steinbeck in the Sea of Cortez and Steinbeck Remembered, has studied the life and works of John Steinbeck since her college days and has amassed a world-class collection of Steinbeckiana. In writing her books, she met and interviewed Steinbeck’s wives, sons, friends and schoolmates. Her doctorate is from the University of San Francisco. She just won a national award for her book manuscript, Two Rebels with a Cause: John Steinbeck and James Dean.
Roger Johnson taught well-received courses on Citizen Kane and Scorsese on Film for the Osher Institute. He received his degrees in Chemical Engineering (B.S., M.S., and Ph.D.) from UC Davis and Stanford. He has been a film buff his whole life, probably averaging a couple of movies a week over most of his 60 years. Among Roger's favorite films are Schindler's List, The Godfather I and II, Dances with Wolves, and Dr. Strangelove. Roger is an OLLI@SJSU member and volunteers his time to lead this course.
Susan McGough holds a Master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Hawaii. She has taught both American literature and history and has led courses on Jefferson as architect, American women’s history, and other topics for OLLI@SJSU. Her interest in Dorothea Lange began with the 1996 book Dorothea Lange’s Ireland, a collection of photographs taken in 1954. Susan is an Osher member and, like other Osher members, volunteers her time to teach this course.
War and Peace
Fridays, September 12 - October 10 (five sessions)
10:00 a.m. - 12 noon
Sobrato Community Conference Center, Milpitas
Leo Tolstoy's huge epic built around Napoleon's invasion of Russia, is massive, daunting and engrosses. War and Peace has a huge cast of characters, beautifully portrayed and a driving plot which once entered is not easily set aside. It is partly historical but largely the product of the author's creative imagination. The novel is a classic of world literature having influenced writers and readers for generations after it was published. Perhaps you have wished you had read it. Now is your opportunity. While five weeks may seem only enough time to examine it superficially at best, the hope is that we can recognize the depth and power of Tolstoy's creation. It can be a wonderful experience.
You may read it in any edition, but the edition Dr. Moore recommends is: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy, Richard Peaver and Larissa Volokhonsky (2007). This edition is available in most libraries and booksellers (used and new).
George Moore is emeritus professor of history and humanities at SJSU. He chaired the history department for many years and has taught for OLLI@SJSU since the beginning. His Ph.D. is from UC Berkeley.
The Vietnam War
Wednesdays, 2:00-4:00 pm (See note below about added movies with discussion.)
September 17, 24, October 1,8, 15, 22
The Villages:
We all lived through the era, but what do we really know about its history? It is time to reflect.
Join a six-week course on the circumstances and decisions that led the
Dr. E. Bruce Reynolds of SJSU’s History Department, specializes in Southeast Asian history and the history of international relations in
Added Benefit: As a member of the class, you will also have the opportunity to view and discuss three films on the Vietnam war. These will also be in the
· September 17: Hamburger Hill
· October 1: Letters from
· October 15: Coming Home
Paste Paper and More: Turning Paper into Art
Saturday, September 27 (one session)
9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
IES Classroom Bldg
Fee: $45
Materials fee $20 (check payable to Patricia Smith)
Using multimedia materials and surface processes, we'll transform paper into beautiful and unique covers for books, backgrounds for calligraphy, elements for collage, pages for journals and more. Results are unlimited. Combine traditional methods and materials and add some new twists to make it easy for your to continue making gorgeous papers at home. In this hands-on workshop, learn to make paste paper and bubble paper and investigate several other processes for surface decoration. All skill levels are welcome.
- Appreciate the traditional arts of decorating paper
- Learn to combine colors and various media
- Produce at least four unique, decorative art papers
The materials fee covers all supplies. You will need to bring a roll of paper towels and disposable gloves, as well as an apron or old shirt/smock. Don't forget your lunch.
Paticia Smith, an SJSU alumna, taught classes in memoirs writing, illustrated travel journaling and bookbinding for UCSC OLLI. She is an active member of Bay Area Book Artists and will participate in their upcoming exhibition of fabric artists' books in October 2008. She has studied book arts and paper decoration with Kent Manske, Elise Krupnick, Sarah Loesch, Frank and Jody Alexander at the San Francisco Center for the Book.
Sally Cole,
artist and instructor, recently taught bookbinding: the ancient art of making books by hand for UCSC OLLI. She has a degree in art history, graduating with honors from California State University-East Bay. She also holds certificates in graphic design and leadership. Cole has continued her art experience by taking classes from local book artists Elise Krupnick and Jody Alexander of the San Francisco Center for the Book.
Great Men of the Silver Screen
Tuesday, October 7 - November 4, 10:00 a.m. - 12 noon
The Villages- Vineyard Center
Fee: $65
Movies have molded our lives and reflect the times we live in. The actors were all handsome and many could act. Some made us laugh; some made us cry. We will explore the male actors and the films they made. Why did some have long and thrilling careers and some faded away? There will be time to discuss your favorite actors and films, so come prepared with your list.
Note: Cy Axelrad, course instructor, has suggested several films for each week. Please try to view them before the class meeting. They are available from the public library, Netflix, Hollywood, Blockbuster and other film outlets. Why not invite friends and neighbors to take this class with you? Its great fun to see a film together and then discuss it. Get that popcorn popping!
October 7 -A quick look at the stars of the silent films, followed by a discussion of the early years of the talkies. See Humphrey Bogart in Petrified Forest and James Cagney in White Heat.
October 14 -The greats of the 30s, 40s and 50s: Grant, Cooper, Fonda, Gable, Steward and Tracy to name a few. See Gentlemen's Agreement with the wonderful Mr. Peck.
October 21 -A discussion on who is really great and who is not: Marlon Brando, Kirk Douglas and the famous John Wayne. See The Shootist.
October 28 - What makes for success and longevity in a film career? Dustin Hoffman, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, not to forget DeNiro and Nickelson. See Tootsie and A Few Good Men.
November 4 - The new guys are on the screen: Clooney, Pitt and Depp. See Good Night and Good Luck.
Cy Axelrad was director of publications at the State University of New York-Farmingdale from 1982 to 1995. She received the SUNY-CUAD Distinguished Service Award in 1991. Cy earned a BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York. She regularly teaches film courses for the Brandeis University National Women's Committee and the Osher Institute and is a lifelong film buff. Cy volunteers her time to teach this course, making a gift of her expertise and time to the Osher Institute and its members.
