Course Descriptions

COURSES

Academy courses are divided into the following categories: Fine Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Food for Thought.

DIVERTIMENTI

The Divertimenti are shorter, less serious, or more craft oriented offerings.

FINE ARTS

ART & ARTISTS OF THE ITALIAN HIGH RENAISSANCE

Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 am
10 weeks, Sept. 14–Nov. 16
$60 plus museum admission, includes numerous handouts and binder
Video lectures, discussion, museum visit

Plunge into the tumultuous world of the Italian High Renaissance by getting to know the great artists who set the standard for beauty that still dominates Western art. We begin with the Big Three of the Renaissance—Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael—by looking closely at such familiar masterpieces as The Last Supper, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and The School of Athens. We'll also get to know the Venetian painters Bellini, Giorgione, Titian, and others. We'll study these masters through the eyes of Professor William Kloss and follow up his DVD presentations with discussions and personal insights from our moderators. A visit to the Denver Art Museum takes the place of one class meeting at the church and focuses on a pair of wedding chest panels long attributed to Mantegna.

Moderators:

Sunny Wold, Denver Art Museum volunteer docent and research ssistant, teams up with long-time Italian Renaissance enthusiast Laura Pardee to add a personal dimension to your virtual tour with art historian William Kloss, frequent Smithsonian lecturer.

MAHLER: HIS LIFE & MUSIC, PART 1

Wednesdays, 1-3 pm
8 weeks, Sept. 27–Nov. 15
$55, includes copious handouts
Video lectures and performances, discussion Music critic Harold Schonberg has called Mahler “a prophet for an age riddled with doubts and anxieties.” And, indeed, understanding Mahler’s angst-ridden life is essential to understanding his complex music. Mahler was counseled by Freud (to no avail) and tormented by his love/hate relationship with his wife, the notorious Alma. We’ll unravel Mahler’s personality in more detail than he would certainly like as we explore its expression in music that brought the Romantic period to an end and launched the modern world of more complicated tonalities. If you’re ready to move beyond Mozart and Beethoven, the study of Mahler is the proper next step. This is the first of two courses devoted to exploring Mahler’s symphonies and song cycles in depth.

Presenter:

Jim Kneser, a retired economist with a passion for Western high art music, has facilitated courses on both Mozart and Beethoven for the Academy. He says that the study of Mahler’s life and music is one of the most interesting musical explorations he has ever undertaken.

TUNING UP FOR THE OPERA

Mozart & Donizetti
Wednesdays, 9:30-11:30 am
6 weeks, Sept. 13 - Oct. 4 & Nov. 1-8
$65, includes photocopies of librettos and $20 tax-deductible donation to Opera Colorado
Lectures, video performances

We’ve expanded our popular opera course to two terms so we can preview the Colorado season in greater detail and in its entirety. With these courses under your belt, you’ll be ready to enjoy to the fullest both the Opera Colorado and the Central City opera seasons. Our fall course features Leigh Holman of Opera Colorado, who will introduce Mozart’s Magic Flute and Donizetti’s Elixir of Love. After her presentations, you’ll have a chance to preview the complete operas in carefully selected video productions and even follow the librettos if you like. Course moderators Jim Kneser and Richard Timberlake, both devoted opera buffs, will add their perspectives, and Jim will share the best material from his ten-week Academy course on The Magic Flute.

You can sign up in November for part 2 of our expanded opera program, in which Leigh Holman will talk about this season’s third Opera Colorado offering, Verdi’s Masked Ball, and Deborah Morrow will introduce the three operas featured in the Central City 2007 summer season.

Note:
A limited number of group tickets for Flute and Elixir performances are available to Academy members. Check out the Divertimenti section of this brochure.

Presenter:

Leigh Holman, new director of education & outreach for Opera Colorado, sang professionally with the Resident Artists of Portland Opera, Nashville Opera, and Opera Theatre of Rochester and toured with the National Opera Company before completing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Presenter:

Moderators:

After a career in financial management, Jim Kneserhas turned his attention to teaching adults about the workings of complex economic principles in the real world. His Academy classes in economics and finance are wildly popular. Hardly a Johnny one-note, Jim indulges his lifelong love of music by occasionally offering classes about his favorite composers and/or opera. Retired CPA Richard Timberlake has been broadening his opera database since age sixteen, when he attended his first opera.

BALLET 101

Giselle Meets Dracula
Tuesdays, 1-3 pm
4 weeks, Sept. 12–Oct. 3
$50, includes $20 tax-deductible donation to Colorado Ballet
Lectures, video performance, studio visit

Whether you’re a ballet novice or a longtime enthusiast, you’re bound to enjoy this up-close-and-personal look at the dance form with the education specialists of Colorado’s premier ballet company. After a grounding in the history and basics, you’ll get an in-depth briefing on the two very different productions scheduled for performance this fall—the Romantic classical ballet Giselle and Michael Pink’s contemporary Dracula—followed by a filmed full-length performance of Giselle at La Scala. As a grand finale, we’ll visit the Colorado Ballet studios for a tour of the costume shop and the rare opportunity to sit in on a trainee class with the new ballet mistress. Participants are responsible for transportation and parking for the Oct. 3 field trip.

Presenters:

Experienced dancer, choreographer, and teacher Tiffany Pallotto is the director of education and outreach at Colorado Ballet. Anne O’Connor is Colorado Ballet’s education program manager and compiles study materials for the company’s productions.

HUMANITIES

THE HERO IN LITERATURE

Alive & Well after All These Years

Thursdays, 1-3 pm
8 weeks, Sept. 28–Nov.
16 Note new dates from the original listing! This is correct.
$45, includes photocopy of Beowulf in modern English
Brief, informal lectures and discussion

Every civilization has its epic heroes, larger-than-life figures that show us how to act and how to achieve status and immortality. We’ll take a look at what heroes through the ages have in common and see how contemporary writers still rely on the story-telling strategies of five thousand years ago to create heroes for today. You should plan to read the Odyssey before the first class session, when you can pick up a photocopy of Beowulf to read before class reconvenes on October 5. After we discuss these two prototypes for the epic hero, we’ll explore the universality of the literary form by analyzing how it plays out in the first three Star Wars movies.

Required reading:

Any translation of Homer’s Odyssey; (Order from Amazon) modern translation of Beowulf (photocopy handout).

Presenter:

Carol Anthony, retired after thirty-two years as a high school English teacher, looks forward to exchanging ideas with a group of well-educated and open-minded adults.

WRITING YOUR LIFE STORIES

Tuesdays, 1-3 pm
8 weeks, Sept. 12–Oct. 31
$45
Workshop, limited to 15 participants

You don’t need to come from Lake Woebegone to have great stories to tell—and plenty of eager listeners. Learn how to wake up your memories and capture them for friends and family or simply for the pure joy of bringing the past to life. There’s no better way to start writing than by recalling the people and events that made your life worth living and no better time to begin than right now.

Coach: Life-stories guru

Kathy Boyer has taught countless beginning storytellers how to value and record their personal experiences in workshops that offer encouragement, exercises, and enjoyment.

HAIKU WORKSHOP

Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 am
5 Weeks, Sept. 14–Oct. 12
$40, no text to buy, generous handouts
Informal lectures, discussion

Hone your powers of observation and your writing skills by practicing the art of haiku, the lyric verse form developed four centuries ago in Japan. We’ll read and study great examples from the masters, past and present, develop techniques for paying close attention to the expressive details around us, and learn how to convey our insights clearly and economically in small, sharply drawn portraits of moments in our lives. Bring a notebook and pen, and dress for the weather. We’ll spend the first fifteen minutes of each session outside.

Coach:

After a career spent putting other people’s stories on paper, poet and award-winning freelance copywriter Ginny Hoyle relishes the chance to focus on reading, writing, and teaching poetry. She sees the haiku form as a practice, with the power to open our eyes and our hearts.

GETTYSBURG & THE CIVIL WAR

The End of Confederate Hopes

Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 am
4 Weeks, Oct. 17–Nov. 7
$30
Lectures, video, and discussion

Many historians believe that what we are as a country today arose from the caldron of the Civil War. We’ll take a comprehensive look at the battle of Gettysburg in the context of the larger conflict that made “America” the “United States.” We’ll start by examining the political issues leading to the war, the strengths and weaknesses of the two sides, the strategies of the opposing armies, and the results of the early battles. We’ll look at the role of women, as well as the personal tragedies and the military innovations brought about by the war, and we’ll discuss both weapons and the terrible casualties they produced. Guest lecturer Dr. John Slocumb will fill us in on the medical aspects of the war. In the last two sessions we’ll cover the battle at Gettysburg in some detail, the impact of this pivotal battle on the outcome of the war, and the effect of the war on America.

Presenters:

The American Civil War looms large among retired petroleum engineer Bob Mendes’s many interests. John Slocumb, a medical doctor and Civil War buff, is well informed about the medical issues associated with the Civil War.

SOCIAL SCIENCES

CITIES & REGIONS OF DESTINY

Tuesdays, 9:30-11:30 am
8 Weeks, Sept. 19-Nov. 7
$50
Lectures, video, slides, and discussion

Cities and regions are more than the sum of their populations and the economies that energize them. In view of our shrinking world, we’ve assembled a group of speakers from a wide array of backgrounds to help us look at the philosophical, historical, cultural, geographical, and political features of some far-flung cities and regions. No ordinary armchair travelogue, this course is sure to open your eyes and mind to little-known places and peoples, other eras and mindsets, and give you a new perspective on the world. George Hoover, professor of architecture at the University of Colorado and practicing architect, sets the stage by laying out urban design strategies for contemporary city planning that encourage people to reconnect to the natural and spiritual forces that have sustained traditional peoples throughout history. Then we’ll begin our world tour by delving into the diverse cultures of Ecuador with Susana Osorio, a transplanted native who now works in Colorado as a Spanish-English medical interpreter, before we move on to Montréal, where diplomat Marc Boucher, currently assigned to the Canadian Consulate in Denver, will give us an insider’s look at this multicultural French-Canadian city. From there, we’ll visit Ulaanbaatar, capital of Mongolia, with

E. Erdenechimeg, a lawyer and native Mongolian, who will share her personal insights into the rich history and culture of this unique region.

Businessman and volunteer international consultant Bill Korstadt introduces us to the everyday Moroccans he’s met on recent assignment to that Islamic country and reports his impressions of conversations with them about politics, religion, and the role of the U.S. in the post-9/11 world. Retired pediatric ophthalmologist Bob Sargent has had similar opportunities for intimate dialogues with the doctors and hospital staff he’s met on repeated visits to Delhi as a volunteer surgical trainer and lecturer. His account of these exchanges—covering everything from henna hair dyes to marriage customs and religious practices—is the next best thing to being there. We’ll leave contemporary India to move back in time to explore Egyptian life in the age of the pyramids with Gary Knapp, one of the two original founders of the Egypt Society in Denver. To wrap things up, Professors

Jimmy Dunn and Phil Klein of the University of Northern Colorado explain the part geography plays in the evolving global economy and show how, as new cities and regions enter the world stage, once-major centers must reinvent themselves or risk losing their position as “cities of destiny.”

Coordinators:In this moveable feast for the culturally curious, Nancy Collins, Lynn Luhnow, and Bebe Telles —all passionate sightseers of the imagination—offer a rich menu of knowledgeable experts.

ANCIENT MESOAMERICAN CULTURES

Between the Río Grande & the Río Motagua
Wednesdays, 9:30–11:30 am
7 weeks, Sept 13-Oct. 25
$45
Lectures, video, discussion, hands-on analysis of images

Long before the time of Christ, a series of civilizations flourished between the modern borders of Mexico and Honduras without the aid of the wheel or draft animals. Learn more about the ancient American cultures that created a written system for recording history, tracked the patterns of the stars, established a system of calendrics that adjusted for leap years, and saw playing with a rubber ball as a metaphor for the movement of the planets. We’ll move chronologically from the arrival of the first humans in the Americas and examine the various cultures that developed here independently of Western traditions. We’ll see how their great achievements and complex societies eventually succumbed to overpopulation, environmental degradation, and poor planning. Participants should bring at least five colored pencils to each class in order to analyze complex pre-Conquest images in closer detail.

Required reading:

Michael Coe and Rex Koontz,
Mexico: From the Olmecs to the Aztecs, 5th ed. (Thames & Hudson, 2002). (Order from
Amazon)

Instructor:

Archaeologist and photographer Inga Calvin, teaches archaeology at the University of Colorado-Denver. She’s excited about teaching adults motivated by the pure love of learning.

GENOCIDE & THE PSYCHOLOGY OF HATRED, PART 2

Thursdays, 9:30–11:30 am
8 weeks, Sept 14-Nov. 16, no class Oct. 26 and Nov. 2
$50
Mini-lectures, guest speakers, video, discussion
Part 1 is not a prerequisite

This is an extension of the Academy class offered last term, which explored how and why the unspeakable happens. This term, however, we’ll be turning our attention to how countries and individuals are attempting to recover from the impact of genocide. The instructor will share information she gathered in Cambodia and while sitting in on the Rwandan war crimes tribunal, and together we will explore the aftermath of the Holocaust, the economic suicide inherent in genocide, and such issues as “forgiveness,” the positive and negative impact of war crimes trials, and rape as a tool of war. Guest speakers include Jim Kneser, Martha Ashmore, and others who have direct experiences to relate. The videos include one purchased in Cambodia at the Documentation Center, which is preparing for the war crimes trials scheduled for 2007.

Required reading:

Alexander Laban Hinton, Annihilating Difference: The Anthropology of Genocide (Univ. of California
Press, 2002). (Order from Amazon) Weekly reading assignments will target selected parts of the
textbook and won’t exceed 50 pages.

Instructor:

Even after thirty-plus years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, Sheila Porter continues to be fascinated by the inexplicable aspects of extreme human behavior.

CAN MONEY BUY HAPPINESS?

What Science Tells Us about Living the Good Life
Thursdays, 1-3 pm
8 weeks, Sept. 14–Nov. 2
$55, no text to buy, generous handouts
Workshop, discussion, activities

Recent empirical studies have validated some new ways to make a good life even better. This interactive workshop will look at the research and give you a chance to try some of the techniques. We’ll go beyond the platitudes and happy-talk of the typical self-help guide to examine the behaviors and attitudes that have been found to be crucial to an abiding sense of fulfillment. We’ll survey the emerging discipline known as “positive psychology” through readings from the top researchers, but the emphasis will be on trying out their techniques.

Facilitator:

Psychologist John Shell became a student of the human condition out of perplexity about how people build meaningful and fulfilling lives. Most recently, he’s been helping improve individual and organizational performance with an eye to making the workplace more satisfying for all concerned.

HEALTH CARE: WHAT LIES AHEAD?

Wednesdays, 1-3 pm
4 weeks, Oct. 4–Oct. 25
$35
Lectures, discussion

Everyone has a complaint about some aspect of the health care system. It is costly, cumbersome, and politically risky to confront. Perhaps by openly discussing these issues, we might gain some idea of how to begin thinking clearly about what health care should look like in the future. We might even come up with some cogent recommendations. We’ll start our investigation with a look back at the history of the health profession in the United States and the factors leading to its current state before comparing its successes and failures to those of other countries. After we examine the trends that are dictating the direction in which health care is moving today, we’ll address the problems these trends are creating and consider what we might do to help solve them.

Instructor:

Dr. Toby P. Cole joined the newly formed Colorado Permanente Medical Group in 1971 and was elected its second medical director in 1984. Although he is now retired, he says his involvement in a system that changed health care in Denver makes him eager “to be part of a non-governmental solution to the next health revolution.”

THE SUPREME COURT FOR NON-LAWYERS, PART 1

Decisions that Affect You Today
Wednesdays, 1–3 pm
6 weeks, Sept 20-Oct. 25
$45, includes cost of photocopy of course textbook
Brief lectures, discussion

We face fresh reminders every day of Tocqueville’s aphorism that “scarcely any political [or social] question arises in the United States that is not resolved, sooner or later, into a judicial question.” This is the first of a two-part course designed for non-lawyers who want to learn more about the workings of the Supreme Court and its enormous power in our everyday lives. We’ll start by looking at two cases that established the supremacy of the Court over Congress and the President before we move on to consider two historic cases dealing with the rights of citizens during war—the 1944 decision upholding the detention of Japanese-Americans and the 1968 decision criminalizing the burning of a draft card. Finally, we’ll follow three pivotal decisions on slavery and segregation made over a century of social change. Rather than getting bogged down in tedious technical matters, we’ll focus on the issues before the Court, the gist of the Court’s rulings, and the historical importance of each decision. Throughout, we’ll consider the relevance of the Court’s actions to today’s hot-button issues.

Required reading:

Irene Morgan, “The Supreme Court in Action: An Introduction to American Constitutional Law for Non-Lawyers” (1994) will be mailed 9/1.

THE WORLD IS FLAT

What Does Globalization Mean
for Us?
Thursdays, 9:30–11:30 am
8 weeks, Sept 14-Nov. 2
$45
Discussion

In his recently revised and expanded best-seller, The World Is Flat, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Thomas Friedman details the series of technological and social tremors that have leveled the economic world and warns that, as invigorating as this seismic event is, Americans will be crushed underfoot if they don’t adapt to the new digital landscape. Now that it’s possible to do business, or incite terrorism, almost instantaneously with countless people all over the world while wearing your bathrobe, it’s become a matter of survival to explore strategies that can help insure a better and more secure future for our children and grandchildren. We’ll review and critique Friedman’s analysis of the current state of affairs—one that finds India, China, and other countries jockeying for position as purveyors not only of goods and services but of high-end research and design. And we’ll consider factors that can influence the likelihood and speed of change such as national foreign policy and desktop freelancers. By gaining a better understanding of the causes and implications of the world’s new “connectedness,” by recognizing this as both desirable and inevitable, we will be better prepared to deal with the issues and challenges it presents.

Required reading:

Thomas Friedman, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, expanded and revised 2d ed. (Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 2006). (Order from Amazon)

Facilitator:

Retired human resources expert, Ralph Plimpton has been a lifelong student of world events, history, and politics. He looks forward to this opportunity to discuss Friedman’s insights with other Academy members.

FOREIGN POLICY DECISIONS

What’s Hot Now?

Wednesdays, 9:30–11:30 am
8 weeks, Sept 13-Nov. 15, no class Nov. 1 and Nov. 8
$60, includes cost of Foreign Policy Association booklet PBS video programs, guest speakers, discussion

Does U.S. foreign policy weigh heavily on your mind these days? Based on the Great Decisions Global Affairs Education Program, the longest running series of its kind, this class offers you a chance to study, exchange ideas, and formulate informed opinions on timely issues that affect us all. Each year, the Great Decisions national editorial board selects eight of the most pressing global issues and regions to be the focus of study. Ralph Begleiter returns this year to moderate the video series, which brings together top experts to discuss United Nations reform, the U.S. and Iran, energy, Brazil, human rights in an age of terrorism, China and Indian relations, Turkey and the U.N., and pandemics. Their reasoned and differing points of view are sure to jump-start class debate.

Required reading:

The Great Decisions “Briefing Booklet.” Includes historical context, maps, photographs, discussion questions, and annotated reading and website resources for each topic. Booklets will be mailed to participants September 1.

Moderator:

Vee Sabel, who has led the Academy’s Great Decisions discussion groups for the past three years, says she can’t wait to get started on the 2006 program and hear the ideas of others interested in current events and foreign affairs.

COLORADO BALLOT INITIATIVES

Your Vote Counts
Tuesdays, 1–3 pm
6 weeks, Sept. 26–Oct. 31
$40, includes cost of copious photocopies
Lectures, discussion

To address its contentious fiscal and public policy issues, Colorado has increasingly turned to ballot initiatives and referendums that take the form of amendments to the state constitution. This puts the burden on all of us, as taxpayers and voters, to make informed decisions at the polls. This year we’ll face probably the largest number of new ballot proposals in the history of the state, including proposals about K-12 funding, gay marriage and civil unions, eminent domain, immigration, and more—perhaps even one calling for a state constitutional convention. We’ll scour these proposed amendments (and others if they make it to the ballot) to ferret out all their intended and unintended consequences before we have to decide how to vote. We look forward to lively discussions as we separate fact from fiction on these important state issues.

Facilitators: Legislative representative Toni Larson teams up with retired economist

Jim Kneser to present a balanced analysis of some of this year’s ballot issues. Larson is executive director of Independent Higher Education of Colorado (the governmental affairs arm of Colorado College, Regis University, and the University of Denver). Economist and public policy junkie Kneser now pursues these interests through his work with the Academy.

THE DILEMMA OF IMMIGRATION

Tuesdays, 9:3011:30 am
4 weeks, Sept. 12–Oct. 3
$50, no book to buy, generous handouts
Lectures, discussion

No issue has gripped America in 2006 like immigration. Who should be permitted to enter American society and in what numbers are hotly debated questions. Tom Tancredo, Dick Lamm, Samuel Huntington, and others suggest that current immigrants differ materially from those of the past and should therefore be repulsed. Immigration proponents maintain that the current wave of immigration is consistent with past patterns and is of great economic value to America now and in the future. Is America ready to turn its back on its 250-year history as a nation of immigrants? Can America afford to absorb all the new entrants, authorized and unauthorized? Conversely, can we afford to turn them away? We’ll review the history of American immigration and the laws governing immigration in the past and present. We’ll also compare relative rates of assimilation and changing attitudes toward immigrants. Finally we’ll look at the economic impact of immigration and weigh its costs and benefits.

Facilitator:

Jim Kneser, economist and public policy maven, leads this lively investigation into one of today’s hottest topics.

ECONOMIC GROWTH, EGALITARIANISM & INEQUALITY

A Look at U.S. Policy, Part 1
Thursdays, 13 pm
8 weeks, Sept. 28–Nov. 16
$60, includes cost of stacks of photocopies
Lectures, discussion, video

Does a “rising tide lift all boats,” as President Kennedy once promised? The debate has raged among economists for centuries and is expected to become the biggest single issue in the 2006 and 2008 national elections. It is generally agreed that free markets and democracy combine to generate economic growth more effectively and efficiently than any other approach. But whether the American form of economic and political organization can also deliver income and wealth equalities that satisfy society is less well settled. To the extent that public policy goals that embrace both economic growth and egalitarianism are mutually exclusive, we will attempt to determine and analyze the social and economic tradeoffs of favoring either goal over the other.

Required reading:

Gene Sperling, The Pro-Growth Progressive: An Economic Strategy for Shared Prosperity (Simon & Schuster,
2005). (Order from Amazon)

Instructor:

With an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, economist Jim Kneser retired from a career devoted to mergers and acquisitions, speculative markets, and other lighthearted enterprises. His special interest lies in the way economic principles influence decision making in both personal life and public policy.

RATIONAL INVESTOR WORKSHOP

Tuesdays, 13 pm
4 weeks, Sept. 12 and Sept. 19, Nov. 7 and Nov. 14
$40, no book to buy, generous handouts
Lectures, discussion

The Academy’s previous courses on rational investing have focused on theory. Now we get down to brass tacks with this workshop. Past participants have often asked about the proper role and use of financial planners, so we’ve invited financial planner Holly Baroway to join us for a workshop session on how to get the most out of this relationship. To address questions many members had about how to manage the interplay of the various retirement plans and funds on which they rely, we’ve planned two workshop sessions with Shirley Muggli. An avid amateur investor and student of financial markets for over thirty years, Shirley has recently focused on how to get the most from a judicious blending of taxable and tax-advantaged retirement accounts. Finally Jim Kneser will discuss current market conditions and other topics of interest.

Guest

Presenters:

With an MBA from the University of Denver and certificates in asset management and retirement planning from the College for Financial Planning, Holly Baroway currently provides investment advice to families, foundations, and small business owners for A. G. Edwards. Shirley Muggli works hard at her investment portfolio and has made a special study of retirement accounts such as all types of IRA’s, 401(k)’s, 529 college savings plans (for grandchildren), and donor-advised charitable funds.

Instructor:

Responding to practical questions voiced by students in his previous classes on investing, retired economist Jim Kneser has put together what promises to be a rewarding “how-to” course.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

EXPERTS & ENTERTAINERS

Wednesdays, 11:45 am-12:30 pm
10 weeks, Sept. 13–Nov. 15
$5 each or $40 series, BYO Lunch
Sign up for as many or as few as strike your fancy

Academy member Lois Martin, founding editor and publisher of the Aurora Sun, has put together an appetizing array of experts and entertainers for this noon-hour lecture series. Bring your own lunch, your friends, and prepare for lively lectures. You can find out more about the speakers at the Academy web site, www.academyLL.org, by clicking on Courses, then Facilitator Profiles.

A) Sept. 13. Jane Grogan, The History of Marriage

Jane Grogan, educator and community leader, discusses the methods devised by different societies to establish paternity in the age-old struggle to claim power and inheritance.

B) Sept. 20. Richard Kerr, The Egyptian Book of the Dead

Geographer and world traveler Richard Kerr is a popular lecturer for special events at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. He’ll discuss the rules
for living from the funerary chapters that began to appear in ancient Egypt around 1600 B.C. and compare them to the rules we live by today.

C) Sept. 27. Nancy Bowen, Emotional Systems

Thinking A graduate of Yale Divinity School, Nancy Bowen works as a church consultant who offers training in organizational and emotional systems theory, constructive conflict management, and civil discourse. She’ll explain how we can improve our effectiveness in the countless systems within which we live.

D) Oct. 4. Dean Sobel, The Best Unknown Painter in American History--And Why Denver is Building Him a Museum

Former director of the Aspen Art Museum, Dean Sobel heads the effort to build a home for 2,500 works by Clyfford Still donated by the artist’s widow to Denver. He’ll present an overview of Still’s art and times and show how his work relates to more famous contemporaries like Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning, and Mark Rothko.

E) Oct. 11. Earl Staelin, Who Wrote Shakespeare’s Plays?

As a trial lawyer, Earl Staelin is accustomed to setting forth evidence. He’ll explain why Freud, Bismarck, Supreme Court Justice Stephens, and others have found the evidence compelling in favor of Edward DeVere, seventeenth earl of Oxford, as the “real” Shakespeare—and why we should care.

F) Oct. 18. Lorraine Sherry, The Cartography of Lithuania

Did you know that the Lithuanian-Polish Commonwealth, which included Hungary and Bohemia, was the largest country in Europe in the 1400s? Lorraine Sherry, a longtime member of the Rocky Mountain Map Society and honorarium faculty member at CU-Denver, will use her collection of antique maps to trace key events in the history of Lithuania, Poland, Russia, and Eastern Europe from about A.D. 600 to the present.

G) Oct. 25. Ray Nelson, What You Don’t Know about Dubai Can Hurt You!
Focusing on the unique characteristics that distinguish the United Arab Emirates from most of its Middle East neighbors, Ray Nelson reprises the recent political furor over Dubai’s presence in six U.S. ports. An eight-time visitor to Dubai, where his son has worked as a television executive for nine years, Ray will share his first-hand experiences with Dubai natives, UAE government officials, and Third-World workers.

H) Nov. 1. Karen Fox, Stories to Tickle Your Fancy Imagination

Long-time teacher, actor, writer, and widely acclaimed storyteller for adult audiences, Karen Fox—who has been called a strange and wonderful mix of a crazy person and the Pope—promises to make you laugh, think, and perhaps blink back a tear or two. She'll introduce you to some proper New England spinsters, a courageous Eskimo, and a discontented cow.

I) Nov. 8. Ed Schreiber, The Balkans: Powder Keg of Europe

Why has this rich and beautiful region been branded the “powder keg of Europe”? Your guide to the many cultures and colorful history of the Balkans will be Ed Schreiber, former Democratic candidate for Congress, who was born during World War II to an aristocratic fascist Catholic family in Zagreb, Croatia, and educated in communist schools in Yugoslavia before coming to the U.S. at thirteen.

J) Nov. 15.H. Harrison Cochran, What is a Newspaper? Myths and Realities

Although a newspaper is as familiar as your morning coffee, you may never have questioned why it exists in the form it does or even why it exists at all. Based on thirty years of newspaper publishing in Colorado, Harrison Cochran, president of the Aurora Publishing Company and past director of the Colorado Press Association, will explain some of the nuts-and-bolts realities of publishing in a world of rapidly changing technologies and communities.

DIVERTIMENTI

WINE & CHEESE OPEN HOUSE

Thursday, Sept. 7, 4:30–6:30 pm
$5

Kick-off the fall term with a party. Everyone enjoyed the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra string quartet so much at the last Open House, that the quartet will return to serenade us as we sip, nibble, and chat. Scope out the Academy’s digs, schmooze with facilitators and fellow Academics, and pick up any hand-outs you’ll need to get ready for your first classes. (Can’t make it? We’ll mail anything you miss.) Bring along friends and neighbors to join the fun and find out what the Academy is all about. They’re sure to discover a great course they’ll want to sign up for.

LEARN TO FACILITATE

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 9:30–1 pm, Tuesday, Oct. 3,
11:45-12:45
$5 (nonmembers $20) Two lunches are included
Academy Director, Sally Kneser

Facilitating is FUN! Have you enjoyed participating in The Academy? Would you like to become more involved? Here’s your chance to learn techniques to make you both a great facilitator and a better group member. This course is designed for both current and future facilitators. If you’re uncertain as to whether you’d ever like to facilitate, sign up to see what it’s like. Then you’ll be ready to say yes when the curriculum committee contacts you. If you have been a member at any time since The Academy began, the fee is only $5 for the two sessions. What you’ll learn: How to organize an Academy class, the best ways to ask questions, how to begin a group activity, how to keep a group focused, and how to promote participation. What you’ll do: Listen to presentations, practice giving instructions, analyze and offer comments on the techniques of others, take home material for review, and receive advice from former facilitators. What have others said? “I have two main reasons for facilitating. First is that I enjoy The Academy so much that I want to make a significant contribution. Secondly, facilitating gives me the nudge to study the subject in more depth than if I were just taking the class, and accordingly, I learn more.” Session 2 will be an optional round-table discussion of techniques you have observed, what works, what doesn’t, etc. Trained in the early 80’s by Michael Doyle, author of Making Meetings Work, Sally Kneser has since taught PTO Presidents, Junior League Chairmen and Facilitators, Girl Scout Leaders, and Lifelong Learning Facilitators.

WHAT'S AT STAKE WITH THAT STEAK?

3 Tuesdays, 1:00-3:00 pm Oct. 3, 17 and 31
$15 (nonmembers $25)

Moderators:

Socially conscious Becky Orr and veterinarian Paul Oberbroeckling

Do you know how food gets from its sources in nature to your plate? Do you know how politics, science, history, economics, psychology, and even morality have influenced what we eat? These questions and more will be the driving force as we examine Michael Pollan's best-selling book, The Omnivore's Dilemma. This superbly researched, engaging book “is as much about visionary solutions as it is about problems…for anyone who reads it, dinner will never again look, or taste, quite the same.”

THE END OF FAITH

Tuesday, Nov. 7, 1:00-3:00 pm

Facilitator:

Deep thinker
Iris Fontera
$5 (nonmembers $15)

How do you tackle a BIG book? In The End of Faith, Sam Harris argues that we have been slow to recognize the degree to which religious faith perpetuates man's inhumanity to man and to condemn the intolerance and hatred bred by religious fervor. Here’s a chance to explore the ramifications of this topic with a panel who hold widely varying views about Harris’s conclusions. You’ll want to have studied the book and formed your own opinions so you can share fully in the discussion that follows the panel. Find out more about the book at Harris's website, www.samharris.org.

WATERCOLOR STUDIO

4 Tuesdays, Oct. 17-Nov. 7, 9:30-11:30 am
$25 (nonmembers $35)

Instructor:

Sharon Rouse, an experienced teacher of adult classes and
workshops in a museum environment
Limited to 20

Watercolor is a seductive and exciting medium with a character all its own. During these four weeks, we’ll explore the mysteries of this most demanding medium and learn to deal with such personality quirks as washes, texturing, and lifting. Discover your own potential by finding out how to unleash the potential of watercolor. Open to both beginners and experienced hands. Open to both beginners and experienced hands. The materials list is given at the very bottom of this page.

CREATE YOUR OWN BOOK

6 Thursdays, Oct. 12-Nov. 16, 1:00-3:30 pm
$35 (Nonmembers $45)

Leader: retired art teacher Diane Carrick with the assistance of Priscilla Dunbar
Limited to 16

Have you been collecting personal stories, philosophies, or tributes to others? Need a little push to go out on a limb with photos and stories for your Family Tree? We’ll get you started by helping you select a subject for your book and exploring different ways to organize and display materials or photos. This is the time to create or at least begin your masterpiece. You get to be author, illustrator, and publisher of a lifetime treasure to share and pass along.

BEADING 101: EASY & BEAUTIFUL

4 Wednesdays, Oct. 18-Nov. 8, 1:00-3:00 pm
$35 (Nonmembers $45) (Fee includes supplies for making items in the first class)
Leader: master beader Bebe Telles
Limited to 10

Find out how easy and rewarding it can be to create one-of-a-kind beaded jewelry once you learn a few basic techniques. We’ll practice beading and create something fun to take home on the first day. Then we’ll visit two stores to check out available components and buy materials and tools. Put creativity into your final project: anything from earrings or necklace to an eyeglass lanyard. You will open your eyes to the world of beads—an endless variety of textures, colors, and shapes. Don’t forget to bring those reading glasses if you need them for close work.

YOGA: GET HEALTHY NOW

6 Mondays, Sept. 11-25, Oct. 9-23, 11:00–12:15 pm
$40 (nonmembers $50)

Instructor:

Rose Kauffman, registered yoga teacher
Strictly limited to 16

Increase your activity level….boost your energy….tone your muscles….exercise with purpose…become more flexible…and have fun. Learn to nurture yourself by tuning in to your body and your heart. These sessions teach yoga postures for the beginning or intermediate student. Wear loose, comfortable clothing that allows easy movement. No perfumes or scented lotions. Best not to eat for two hours before class. Bring a yoga sticky mat and a foam or wooden block if you have them.

KNIT WITS

4 Tuesdays, Sept. 12, 26, Oct. 10, Nov. 14,
9:30–11:30 am
$20 (nonmembers $30)
Lead knitters:

Donna Belber and
Jeanenne Stepleton

This friendly group welcomes newcomers at all skill levels. The first session meets at Knitty Cat, 7475 E. Arapahoe Rd., for inspiration, tips about the latest trends and yarns, and any help you need in choosing a project. Other sessions meet at the church, where you’ll get plenty of encouragement and advice if you get stuck. An experienced knitter will offer instruction in the latest novelty knit items.

COMPUTER ABC’S

1 Thursday, Sept. 21; 1:00–3:00 pm, PC’s
1 Thursday, Sept. 28; 1:00–3:00 pm, Mac’s
$5 (nonmembers $15) each session

PC instructor: computer nerd Sally Kneser

Mac instructor: computer jock Darwin Rolens

Would you like to spend one-third less time at your computer? You can, by learning some simple tricks and getting your computer organized. Find out how to make the Ctrl key and right-click your new best friends. BYO keyboard or laptop plus a list of your most important wantaknow’s.

THE ART OF SELF-HYPNOSIS

2 Wednesdays, Nov. 1-8, 9:30–11:30 am
$10 (nonmembers $20)

Leader:
Ellen L. Hughes, certified clinical hypnotherapist

Find out how to use self-hypnosis to make positive changes in your life. We’ll see how the triune mind works and explore some of the common uses for hypnosis—from pain control to weight loss. You’ll learn how to reach your own natural level of relaxation, how to use affirmations correctly, and how to identify subconscious patterns that dictate your behavior. Homework assignments provide practice so that you can ask questions and get pointers for future use.

INTERMEDIATE BRIDGE COMPARISON

8 Tuesdays, Sept. 19—Nov. 7; 1:00-3:00
$5 course fee + $5 at the door each week (nonmembers $5 course fee + $10
each week)
Organizer: bridge enthusiast
Sally Kneser

Choose from two options each week for comparing your bridge play. You can play pre-set hands: after bidding, see what bidding sequence was recommended, and, after playing, find out what others made and read tips on the best line of play. Or you can choose to compete with one team of four against another team of four and pause to review your play with your teammates after every four hands. As always, you can come with a group of four, with a partner, or as a single who will be matched up with others. Any leftover singles can stay to watch and learn (for free) rather than play.

FIVE WISHES: BEYOND A LIVING WILL

2 Wednesdays, Sept. 13, Nov. 8, 1:00-3:00 pm
$10 (Nonmembers $20)

Leader: financial consultant Judy Boyles

Five Wishes is an easy-to-use document that enables you to design a personalized plan for end-of-life care. It helps you express how you want to be treated if you’re unable to speak for yourself and provides a format for discussing your wishes in advance with your family members and physician. By addressing your personal, spiritual, and medical concerns ahead of time, it allows you to maintain your human dignity in adverse circumstances. We’ll walk through the document in session one and celebrate its completion in session two.

HEARING LOSS: FIXES, CURES & MIRACLES

Thursday, Nov. 9, 9:30–11:30 am
$5 (nonmembers $15)

Lecturer: audiologist
Linda Van Dyke

Technological advances happen so fast in the complex area of hearing loss that it is hard to keep up. In just a couple of hours, you can learn about the latest technologies for treating hearing problems. We’ll discuss implantable and digital hearing aids, cochlear implants, and more. You have to hear it to believe it.

BALLET TICKETS

3 different performances
Sunday, Oct. 8, 2:00 pm,
Giselle, $43
Sunday, Oct. 22, 2:00 pm, Dracula, $43
Sunday, Dec. 8, 2:00 pm,
Nutcracker, $43
(Nonmembers add $10 for each selection)
Seats are limited. Academy members receive preference until Aug. 15.

We had these blocks of tickets set aside in April at a group discount. They’re located at the front of the Parterre at the Ellie on the left and right sides. If you don’t have a season ticket, here’s your chance to follow up the ballet course in the company of new friends.

OPERA TICKETS: MUCH BETTER SEATS!

2 performances—GREAT NEW SEATS
Thur., Nov. 16, 7:30 pm,
Magic Flute, $75 (nonmembers $85), must order by
Sept. 8.
Sun., Feb. 18, 2:00 pm, The Elixir of Love, $80 (nonmembers $90), order by
Feb. 1
Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Here’s an upgraded seating opportunity: Side Orchestra, rows G through N. Wow! We had these blocks of Opera Colorado tickets set aside at a group discount before individual seat sales began. If you don’t have a season ticket, this is the perfect opportunity to follow up the opera course at bargain prices.

Watercolor Class Materials List

Please gather the following items (from home or Meiningers, Guiry’s, Jerry’s Artarama in Englewood, Michaels, or Hobby Lobby) and bring them to the first class on Tuesday, October 17 at 9:30. Please arrive early in order to set up the work space.

-Paper: 140 (or 300 if you prefer) lb. cold-pressed individual sheets, pads, or watercolor sketchbooks in 9 X 12 minimum size. Possible brands: Strathmore 400 (student level, good prices), Arches, or other preferred brands
-Salt (table or Kosher)
-2H or HB Pencil, Eraser
-Viva Paper Towels
-Water Containers (2)
-Masking Tape
-Board (Masonite or other hard surface) or foam core to use for painting
-Brushes: 1-1/2 inch flat brush, #6 round, # 10 round, and any other you wish to bring
-Paints: Cotman or Grumbacher Student Grade, Van Gogh, Winsor Newton or
Other brands if you are working with them.

Suggested Colors
-Alizarin Crimson
-Cadmium Red or Winsor Red
-Gamboge or Cadmium Yellow Light
-Aureolin
-Yellow Ochre
-Raw Sienna
-Burnt Sienna
-Cerulean Blue
-Ultramarine Blue and/or Cobalt Blue
-Hooker’s Green
-Terre Verte
-Payne’ Gray

It will be helpful to also bring Visual Resources such as photographs, pictures from newspapers, magazine pictures, etc.

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( categories: Fall 2006 )

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