Spring Term 2012
Every Mon., Wed. and Thurs.
March 26 - May 3
Tuition for spring term is $80 with possible additional charges for materials. For this one tuition fee, attend as many or as few of the following classes as interest allows, or you may take one or two courses for $30 each All classes are held in the ILR classroom in Riley Court unless otherwise noted.
Check the ILR home page for cancellations due to weather.
Monday
THEY MEASURED THE WORLD—and almost everything else
9-10:30 a.m.
H.W. Enderle
The Mason-Dixon Line was determined by two English astronomers to settle a border dispute between the Penn family of PA and the Calverts of MD. It also includes a north-south leg to determine the boundary between Maryland and Delaware. Subsequently it defined the separation of free states and slave states. The survey of the Paris meridian from 1792 to 1799 was one of the desires of The French Revolution to eliminate the 'Babel' of weights and measures that existed across France. It would establish the basis for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, with the exception of three nations. The Great Survey of India was commissioned by The East India Company to determine where things were and what they owned in India. It was originally thought to take five years and ended 60 years later, or for - all-intents-and-purpose bankrupt the company. It was scientific achievement and resulted in determining that Mt. Everest was the tallest peak in the world.
Mark Twain: His Life and His Work
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Linda Suter
With the outstanding Ken Burn's Mark Twain film as backdrop, this class will examine the extra-ordinary life of Samuel Clemens, America's best-known and appreciated literary figure: Mark Twain. The focus will then turn to Twain's masterpiece, "HUCKELBERRY FINN" whose protagonists, the runaway black slave, Jim, and the 12-year-old ignorant white boy, Huck, discover American society as they travel down the Mississippi River, and the two bond as a primitive community of trust and respect.
Cities of the World
1:30 - 3 p.m.
Guest presenters
March 26
St. Kitts - The tiny Caribbean island with a big heart
Robin Bowlus
St. Kitts is located in the Eastern Caribbean just north of Trinidad and Tobago, roughly 1,200 miles from Miami, Fla. and about 45 minutes by plane from Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The island is 69 square miles with a population of 31,880. Basseterre is the capital. The recorded history of St. Kitts begins with the second voyage in 1493 of Christopher Columbus who sailed past the island but did not land. There is some doubt as to whether he named the island after himself, or after the patron saint of travelers, St. Christopher. From a distance, Columbus thought the island resembled the shape of St. Christopher carrying the Christ child on his shoulder. By the time the Englishman Thomas Warner arrived with fourteen other settlers in 1624 to found the first non-Spanish European colony in the Caribbean, the island was known as St. Christopher's. It was only later that is was affectionately nicknamed St. Kitts. St. Kitts' central peak, a 3,792-foot extinct volcano, has left its legacy of a rich geologic history and lush tropical vegetation. It stands majestically above the ever-expanding rainforests that spread like great green canopies where sugar cane was once cultivated. Along with its fertile soil St. Christopher offers fresh water, abundant forests, and salt.
April 2
Hiroshima
Bob and Alice Ruth Ramseyer
Hiroshima is well known as the place where the first A-Bomb was dropped on a city with many people killed or injured. It is less well known as a city that also looks to the future. Hiroshima today is known for its beauty; it is also an industrial center for west central Japan. We want to introduce you to this city we lived in for 12 years–discuss its past, enjoy some of its beauty spots and get acquainted with some of its people through stories.
April 16
New York City
Julia Szabo
NYC: How to get there, where to stay, what to do? Bluffton University Alumni Director, Julia Szabo, lived in NYC for 25 years and will help you plan your visit to the "Big Apple."
April 23
Edinburgh
David Adams
"Edinburgh's history includes Robert the Bruce, Mary Queen of Scots, Bonnie Prince Charlie and 18th century geniuses when Edinburgh was the "Athens of the North." David Adams made his first of many visits to Edinburgh when he was 11. He was last in this great Scottish city in 2010 at age 72, so this will be something of a memoir.
April 30
Istanbul
Tig Intagliata
Istanbul is the larges city in Turkey, and is situated along the Bosphorus River, and separates Europe from Asia. Previously called Constantinople (after the emperor Constantine), it was the capital of the Byzantine Empire, and later was taken over by the Ottoman Turks and became an important Muslim city. Historical buildings include the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia (Church of Holy Wisdom) and the Spice Bazaar.
May 7
Delhi
Paul Dyck
Paul with discuss Delhi - both Old Delhi and its Siamese twin, New Delhi. Old Delhi is mostly Muslim, and contains what little is left of Mughal times. New Delhi is now the capital of India, with a population that is mostly Hindu or Panjabi Sikh. We will also discuss some of the convulsions that have occurred - most recently the mass migration of Panjabi's following partition, and the violence following Indira Gandhi's murder.
WEDNESDAY:
Simple Techniques to a Better Me
9 -10:30 a.m.
Tracy Steele
If you like to laugh and learn something new this is the class for you. On a quest, Jessica, from the BFR, will share her secrets with us. Learning balance, heart and more techniques to a better you.
Music Appreciation
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Guest Musicians and Composers
In this course we will be hearing about historical composers, present composers, and musical performances from Krysti Groman Schey, Carlin Carpenter, Jeremy Szabo, Tim Schumacher and Dale DeVene.
Colloquium
1:30 - 3 p.m.
Guest Speakers
March 28 - The Tree Lady with Cathy Smith
April 4 - Book Review with Fran Core
April 11 - Hydroponic Farming in Putnam County with Henry and Bryan Kaufman
April 18 - Native American Flute with Tracy Gibson
April 25 - Building a Health Clinic in Tanzania with Hassan Mosoka, Jeff Bowlus and David Woodward
May 2 - "Aspects of Poetry" with David Adams
THURSDAY
Shakespeare Movies: Take Two
9-11:30 a.m.
Pamela Grear
Join us in experiencing Shakespeare as it is meant to be experienced - seen and heard, not read. We will explore some of Shakespeare's most famous themes and characters in:
1) "Henry V" with Kenneth Brannaugh
2) "Othello" starring Lawrence Fishburn
3) "The Merchant of Venice" with Al Pacino as Shylock
4) "Looking For Richard" with Al Pacino and actor friends performing scenes from "Richard III"
5) "As You Like It" directed by Kenneth Brannaugh with an international cast for HBO
6) "The Taming of the Shrew" with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, directed by Franco Zefferelli
If you have taken the Shakespeare class given last fall, you can continue your exploration of Shakespeare's body of work. But anyone can start anywhere to build a personal body of response to some of the greatest themes and characters in all of literature.
Woodworking 101
1:30-3 p.m.
Maple Crest Senior Living Village Woodworking Shop
John Rich
Woodworking 101 is a basic beginning to woodworking using hand and power tools. Each participant will make items to take home including cutting boards, cooking utensils, woodenware, puzzles, and other simple items of your design. Not for experienced woodworkers.
Material Cost: $10.
Origami
1:30-2:30 p.m. April 12 and 19
Kazumi Okada, Masae Nakashima, Yoshie Minamisawa, Kaori Tsuruhara, Teri Sato and Alice Ramseyer
Origami is the Japanese word for paper folding. ORI means to fold and KAMI means paper. Together, they form the word, "origami." It is an art form that has been handed down from parent to child through many generations. Origami involves the creation of paper forms usually entirely by folding. Animals, birds, fish, geometric shapes, puppets, toys, and masks are among the models that even very young children can learn to make in just one sitting. During these weeks you will learn how to fold a variety of origami creations.
Material Cost: $5. (Individual Course Fee is $15 or part of the ILR Full Tuition)
Registration and course fees (if applicable) are due at time of registration. To register, contact Janet Schumacher, director of ILR at Bluffton University: 419-358-3346 or schumacherjp@bluffton.edu.
Forum programs are held on Tuesday mornings from 11 a.m.-12 noon in Yoder Recital Hall. Members of the ILR program are invited to attend the series. There is no charge.
Lunches: You may purchase a lunch for $4.25 at the Marbeck Commons. Tell the clerk you are an ILR member.
