German is the most prevalent language after English and Spanish spoken at home in 77 counties in Kansas. Since 1854, thousands of German-speaking immigrants have sought better lives here, including Pennsylvania Dutch, Volga Germans, Mennonites, Austrians and Swiss. German churches dot the prairie, and some rural Kansans still speak a dialect of German.

German is the most prevalent language after English and Spanish spoken at home in 77 counties in Kansas. Since 1854, thousands of German-speaking immigrants have sought better lives here, including Pennsylvania Dutch, Volga Germans, Mennonites, Austrians and Swiss. German churches dot the prairie, and some rural Kansans still speak a dialect of German.

This class looks at the emergence and transformation of the American health care system as it faced challenges such as shifts in the nature of disease, unequal access to medicine, and escalating medical costs. We'll examine medical and scientific discoveries of the 19th century and study the challenges to organized medicine that began in the 1960s as well as discuss contemporary health care issues.

Instructor Bio: Shirley Hill holds a doctorate degree in sociology and was a professor at the University of Kansas until she retired in 2017. She has written several books and has taught classes in medical sociology, social inequality, and families.

The class will examine the first Congress to the present day on how productive they were in passing legislation to make America what it is today. How the Congress will work with the President and Supreme Court will be discussed. Sometimes the Congress was very productive in getting states added to the country, the expansion of civil rights, and fighting wars. Other times a stalemate over political ideas and conflicts with the President and Court. Deadlock versus full cooperation will be discussed. We will look at each President and Congress and see the progress and lack of progress as the country moves forward from 1791 to 2025. Join us for a trip to explore the Acts of Congress.

Instructor Bio: Russ Hutchins teaches U.S. history, Western civilization, economics, business, philosophy, and business management at Friends University. He is a retired public-school administrator and educator. 

J.R.R. Tolkien, the greatest fantasy writer of the 20th century, drew profound inspiration from medieval northwestern European literature for his works, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. This course explores the ancient literary influences on Tolkien, such as "Beowulf," the Icelandic "Njal's Saga," the legend of King Arthur and Merlin, the Irish epic "The Táin," and "The Romance of Tristan and Iseult." We'll also delve into Tolkien's life, his fascination with languages, his WWI experiences, and themes like riddles, runes, vows, curses, valkyries, and quests. Familiarity with "The Hobbit" or "The Lord of the Rings" is helpful but not required, as we'll use audio excerpts and videos to understand the legends that inspired Tolkien's work.

Instructor Bio: Vic Peterson is the author of "The Berserkers" (Hawkwood 2022/Recital 2023), set in a fictional Nordic country. He worked as a business executive and now divides his time between Lawrence, Kansas, and Northport, Michigan.

J.R.R. Tolkien, the greatest fantasy writer of the 20th century, drew profound inspiration from medieval northwestern European literature for his works, "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. This course explores the ancient literary influences on Tolkien, such as "Beowulf," the Icelandic "Njal's Saga," the legend of King Arthur and Merlin, the Irish epic "The Táin," and "The Romance of Tristan and Iseult." We'll also delve into Tolkien's life, his fascination with languages, his WWI experiences, and themes like riddles, runes, vows, curses, valkyries, and quests. Familiarity with "The Hobbit" or "The Lord of the Rings" is helpful but not required, as we'll use audio excerpts and videos to understand the legends that inspired Tolkien's work.

Instructor Bio: Vic Peterson is the author of "The Berserkers" (Hawkwood 2022/Recital 2023), set in a fictional Nordic country. He worked as a business executive and now divides his time between Lawrence, Kansas, and Northport, Michigan.

This new event from Osher gives students a look at three of Kansas City's artistic crown jewels. The morning will start at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, with a special docent-led tour. After lunch, we will head across the street to the Kemper Museum of Art for a taste of modern art curated and collected by the Kemper Family. We will end the day with some whimsy at the National Toy and Miniature Museum. Class fee includes docent-led tours and lunch.

Welcome to the 18th annual KU Mini College! This is an educational event for inquisitive adults offered in partnership with KU's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. KU Mini College is a beloved program that has continued to bring adult community members, alumni, and non-alums from all over the world to the KU Lawrence campus to attend presentations from KU faculty and other professionals on current topics of interest. This year's event will be held on campus with most events being held at Slawson Hall in the Beren Conference Center. Our 3 day lecture series will feature many of KU's outstanding professors and faculty. Attendees will have time to explore the Lawrence campus and visit with friends old and new!

Existing Osher members pay a $165 fee and includes a light breakfast each morning, light snacks, three days of presentations and one lunch. Non-Osher members pay $190 fee and includes all the same benefits of an existing member plus access to sign up for additional Osher programming and includes access to numerous exclusive Osher Member benefits such as the KU Osher Speaker Series, the Artistic Exploration Club, the Book Club, and the Osher Outings.

For more information on membership opportunities go to: https://jayhawkglobal.ku.edu/membership-discounts