Courses

In-Person - 200 Years of Iranian History from Qajar to Islamic Republic

This class offers a glimpse of modern Iran's history from Qajar to Pahlavi to the Islamic revolution.

This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - Argue or Inform? Reading the Essay

The personal essay is a slippery form. It can argue a perspective, inform a reader, perform literary criticism, state a manifesto, or simply collect observations of daily life. In this course we will read and discuss 12 essays from the Best American Essays of 2023 anthology.

This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - Ballroom Dancing for the Beginner

This six-week course will introduce ballroom dancing to participants. Dances to be taught will include Foxtrot, Waltz, Swing, Rumba, and others depending on time. Participants at the end of the course should be able to feel comfortable dancing several figures in each dance.

This course contains no sessions
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In-person - Civic Virtue: Can we save democracy?

This seminar examines the condition of democratic governance in the present United States. Close examination of anti-democratic forces and efforts to reform and improve democratic principles.

This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - Conversations on the U.S. Constitution

An exploration of the U.S. Constitution through facilitated small-group conversations. Some questions to be addressed include: What does a constitution do in a democracy?

This course contains no sessions
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IN-PERSON - Explore Portland's Historic Neighborhoods - On Foot

Enjoy six narrated walks through Portland's historic neighborhoods exploring the city's history, architecture, and people since Europeans arrived. Discuss historic structures, immigrant populations, and locally and regionally famous architects and view their works.

This course contains no sessions
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IN-PERSON - Explore Portland's Historic Neighborhoods - On Foot with Alessa Wylie

Enjoy six narrated walks through Portland's historic neighborhoods exploring the city's history, architecture, and people since Europeans arrived. Discuss historic structures, immigrant populations, and locally and regionally famous architects and view their works.

This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - Exploring Short Stories

Short stories are sometimes defined as being able to be read in one sitting. In this class, we will discuss a total of eleven stories over the six weeks. Past students have enjoyed the camaraderie of the group as well as the variety of topics addressed in an anthology of "BEST."

This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - Popular Music and Culture in the 1950s



This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - Rainer Maria Rilke: Cultivating the Inner World, Nurturing the Passionate Soul

This philosophical discussion class explores the rich inner world illuminated by Rilke's journals/letters/poetry/prose. He lived during times of rapid social and technological change (1875-1926).

This course contains no sessions
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IN-PERSON - Supreme Court Effect on American society

The history and evolution of the Supreme Court are examined through explanation of landmark cases emphasizing on recent developments and understanding the current term.

This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - Swingin' on the Screen: Jazz on Film

Jazz, America's greatest art form, has had a vital, if sometimes vexed, relation with motion pictures since the 1930s. The history of jazz, its sounds, its cultural and social contexts, and some of its leading performers have been the subject and/or soundtrack of many feature, short, and documentary films.

This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - The Documentary Gem

Watching a good documentary is like reading a non-fiction book that reads like fiction-it grabs your attention and keeps it. The best documentaries avoid the pitfalls of "Just the facts, Ma'am."

This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - The Electoral College /History and Biases

This workshop will utilize a number of excerpts from published pieces, extracts from the U.S. Constitution, census data, and the current distribution of Electors, current reform proposals to make the case that what may have seemed wise to our founding fathers has the ring of unfairness/bias in today's world.

This course contains no sessions
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In-Person - The Shakers - Events that Changed the World

Some events seemed to happen so quickly and had such a great impact we call them revolutions: industrial, scientific, agricultural. Other events took longer for the impact to be realized: the contraceptive pill, globalization, and the little black dress.

This course contains no sessions
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OLLI Donation

Thank you for your donation!

May 22, 2024 to July 23, 2024, Wishcamper Center

OLLI Membership 2024-2025

You must be a current member in order to participate in OLLI Programs.

July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025

Remote - A Course on Bliss and Other Nonordinary States of Consciousness

The subject of bliss, flow, and other peak states are common experiences, and yet we view them as rare and coming out of nowhere. Why? What conditions or triggers produce them? Is it possible to experience bliss more often? How are they like, or unlike, therapeutic psychedelic experiences?

This course contains no sessions
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Remote - Are Claims about "The Afterlife" Unscientific Poppycock?

The presumption pervading orthodox academic thinking is that strict materialism explains all. A corollary is that human cognition is nothing more than the cumulative effect of electrochemical processes in the body, and that consciousness vanishes at moment of bodily death. Therefore, reports of near-death experiences, reincarnation, and the like, must be "unscientific poppycock" and need not be admitted into rational inquiry.

This course contains no sessions
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Remote - Doolittle Raiders of World War II

From a personal interview with the co-pilot of plane 1 off the U.S.S. Hornet, this course follows the lives of 105 men who took the battle to Japan after their bombing of Pearl Harbor.

June 26, 2024 to July 24, 2024, Zoom

Remote - Empowering Your Life With Affirmations

Is it possible to achieve intentions and improve your state of mind with personal affirmations?How do affirmations best work and how do you create them and implement them in your life?

This course contains no sessions
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Remote - Great Political/Government Movies

A great movie about gov't or politics should reveal a fault in the system. Ideally, a great administration should not.

This course contains no sessions
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Remote - History of Great Western Movies, Part 4: The 70s

We will continue to watch and discuss western movie clips from the 1970s including: Chisum, A Man Called Horse, Lawman, The Cowboys, High Plains Drifter and The Outlaw Josey Wales, et al.

This course contains no sessions
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Remote - Remembering The '40s: A History Course Accompanied By Music

Against the backdrop of one of the most salient periods in the history of the United States and over fourscore years ago, a just war! PATRIOTISM in capital letters, the divergent contrasts of shifting times: air-raid shelters and emerging technology-and the birth of the Baby Boomers.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Retirement Income Planning

This workshop will cover key considerations for generating a sustainable income in retirement.

Friday, July 26, 2024, Zoom

Remote - Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia

We will watch a one-hour version of the movie starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes which will be followed by a discussion of this novel and of Holmesian material. Repeat remote workshop. Format includes lecture, discussion, and film.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Social Security Planning

This workshop will cover key considerations for how to get the most from your Social Security benefit.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Tax Planning in Retirement

This workshop will cover key considerations for managing taxes in retirement. We will cover topics such as how various types of income are taxed in retirement, how to avoid Social Security and Medicare tax traps, how to take distributions from retirement accounts in a tax-efficient manner, and charitable giving in retirement.

This course contains no sessions
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REMOTE - Voice-Overs: Now Is Your Time!

In what could be the most enlightening webinar you've ever taken, our instructor and professional voice coach will show you how you can begin using your speaking voice for commercials, films, videos, and more.

This course contains no sessions
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