All times listed are Central Daylight Time.

EACH COURSE is identified by one of the following terms:

  • ONLINE ONLY: Both the instructor and students will meet online for the class, live via Zoom, in the designated weekly time slot. Sessions will be recorded for review, if desired.
  • HYBRID: The instructor teaches live from the Moss Building. Some students are in the classroom (limited availability), while others Zoom in. When registering, you may select either the IN PERSON or ONLINE version of the class – both options allow students to interact with the instructor. Sessions will be recorded.
  • IN PERSON ONLY: The class will take place at the Moss Building. These sessions will not offer online viewing and will not be recorded.

Important Semester Information:

Course listings by day of the week

Select a day of the week below to filter courses. Use Ctrl (⌘) + F on your keyboard or your browser's search function to search the entire page.

Monday Courses

  • Music of the Movies
  • Sustainable Housing Trends in Columbia
  • World Travels in Languages, Literatures and Cultures
  • The United States in the 20th Century

Music of the Movies

Mondays: Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30 (4 Sessions)
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

First four weeks of the semester. This is a two-hour class

Classical music has been with us for centuries. While there are many modern and contemporary styles of music that have developed, some composers have chosen to specialize in film scores. Specifically, many of the Hollywood composers of the 20th century were European classical composers who met the film industry's need for orchestral music. This course will present the evolution of films and film music. We will discuss the various styles of this genre and the composers who are responsible. This multimedia presentation will familiarize you with films and film scores; it will be both informative and extremely entertaining.

Instructor: Lee Kaufman has taught classical music listening courses in person at Parkway School District continuing education programs in St. Louis as well as at St. Louis Community College. He has also taught at Chautauqua Institution and for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes at Washington University in St. Louis, University of Cincinnati, University of Utah, Arizona State and University of Richmond. He is the founder and secretary of the North American Chapter of the Elgar Society and has co-produced theatrical performances of “George Gershwin Alone,” “Monsieur Chopin” and “Beethoven As I Knew Him.”

Sustainable Housing Trends in Columbia

Mondays: Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28 (4 Sessions)
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

Last four weeks of the semester.

This course will review innovative, emerging strategies to create housing that is more energy efficient, resilient, social and affordable. Examples from across the country will be discussed, focusing especially on solutions being explored in the Columbia area, including some of the instructor’s professional work. Planning strategies, such as pocket neighborhoods, co-housing communities and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) will be explored. Principles and examples of net-zero electric and carbon-sequestering structures will be reviewed. Practical resources and insights will be shared that could help participants thinking of building or renovating a home, especially with an eye to aging-in-place and/or intergenerational living. Zoning trends that help encourage more affordable housing and walkable cities will be discussed, as well as strategies for civic engagement to advocate for these changes.

Instructor: Adrienne Stolwyk is an architect and the owner of Monarch Architecture. After graduating from Kansas State University in 2008, she worked for various commercial firms in Kansas City and Columbia, but now focuses mainly on new custom homes and renovations under Monarch. Adrienne is passionate about creating sustainable communities and homes. During the pandemic, she and her husband, Adam Saunders, constructed a hybrid stick-frame and straw bale accessory dwelling unit that is net-positive electric. Co-presenters, such as contractors, developers and business owners, will participate, depending on availability.

World Travels in Languages, Literatures and Cultures

Mondays: Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30; Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28 (8 Sessions)
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $60
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

In this team-taught course, faculty from MU’s School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures (SLLC) will present in-depth discussions of unique cultural artifacts, traditions and events from around the world. From Chinese art through German film to Portuguese soccer culture, faculty experts will offer participants a view of the sights, sites and sounds at the center of research and teaching in world languages at MU. Prior to some sessions, participants will be invited to read short literary or historical texts, or to view films or listen to musical selections, all provided by the instructors. Make sure to consult the fall course documents webpage!

Schedule of Presentations (Updated 9-16-24)

  • Sept. 9: Michael Volz, Associate Teaching Professor of Chinese: Dying to Survive - Authority, Resistance, Morality, and the Law in China
  • Sept. 16: Seth Howes, Associate Professor of German: Remembering the Dead in New Ways: Industrial Warfare in German Art
  • Sept. 23: Seth Howes, Associate Professor of German: The Holocaust in German Art and Letters after 1945
  • Sept. 30: Jack Draper, Associate Professor of Portuguese: The Brazilian Northeast: From Civilization of Sugar to Civilization of Leather
  • Oct. 7: Jambul Akkaziev, Visiting Assistant Professor of Russian: Project GO in Estonia: Advancing U.S. National Security through Language Learning
  • Oct. 14: Iva Youkilis, Teaching Professor of Italian: Dante's Inferno in American Culture and Media
  • Oct. 21: Eunyoung Choi, Instructor of Korean: Korean Traditional Clothes: Hanbok
  • Oct. 28: Don Joseph, Postdoctoral Fellow in French: Francophone Visual Culture: Bande Dessinée and Narratives of Resistance, Migration and Masculinity

Instructor(s): All eight instructors are full-time faculty members in the School of Languages, Literatures and Cultures and will draw directly on their research, teaching and service activities to prepare lectures for this Osher course.

The United States in the 20th Century

Mondays: Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30; Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28 (8 Sessions)
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $60
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

This is a continuing series. New participants are welcome.

Our long journey through the 20th century ends with this semester. Dr. Ward will discuss the administrations of George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He will highlight the culture wars that began during the 1960s and became headline news during the Clinton years and that continue today. He will cover the invasion of Kuwait and the recession that ended the presidency of Bush 41. The Lewinski scandal, impeachment and terrorism will highlight the Clinton years. The century will end with Bush v. Gore, the hanging chads and the only presidential race to be decided by the Supreme Court.

Instructor: Dr. Jay Ward was born in Springfield, Mo., and raised in Lexington, Mo. He was an undergraduate at Northwestern University and received a medical degree from the University of Missouri. Upon retiring from medicine after 30 years, he received a master’s degree and doctorate in U.S. history from the University of Missouri.

 

Tuesday Courses

  • Mixing Religion and Politics: White Christian Nationalism
  • Drones 101: The Positive Applications of Drone Technology in Our Society
  • Peoples of Ancient Italy
  • The Eclectic Muse: British Folk Rock
  • A Touch of Mexico: Four Novels of Modern Mexico

Mixing Religion and Politics: White Christian Nationalism

Tuesdays: Sept. 10, 17, 24; Oct. 1, 8, 22, 29 (7 Sessions)
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
MODIFIED HYBRID*
Course Fee: $60
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

*Modified Hybrid: Online participants will listen in and watch the live sessions. Dr. Brown will take questions from the in-person audience live; online participants may email questions to the Osher staff to be addressed in later sessions.

This course will review the history of the development of modern Christian Nationalism in the U.S., with specific emphasis on the last 75 years and how Christian Nationalism has included racialized ideology and practice. We will consider such questions as whether or not Christian Nationalism poses a threat to democracy and if it redefines the tradition of the separation of religion and state.

Instructor: Larry Brown is a retired MU assistant professor of human geography, having earned a Ph.D. in Policy Studies, an M.A. in Geography, a Masters of Divinity and a B.A. in Sociology. Larry is a professional storyteller, musician and an ordained minister with standing in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). He is a frequent MU Osher instructor on the topics of cultural and political geography, Missouri history and religious studies.

Drones 101: The Positive Applications of Drone Technology in Our Society

Tuesdays: Sept. 10, 17, 24; Oct. 1 (4 Sessions)
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

First four weeks.

This course will explore some of the positive uses of drone technology in our everyday lives as well as practices and uses of drones that are sometimes ahead of political and legal frameworks to support such efforts. University of Missouri System faculty will share their research and applications in drone technology in different settings associated with their professional experiences across the U.S. and beyond.

Sept. 10: Drones and Archaeology. Jeffrey Ferguson, MU associate professor of anthropology, will discuss drone applications that have dramatically changed the field of anthropology, particularly archaeology. From its initial use in acquiring aerial images for research and public outreach purposes, drone use has advanced into a wide array of remote sensing applications, including light detection and ranging (LIDAR), thermal analysis, photogrammetry and magnetometry. Drones will be discussed as a versatile research tool, with particular attention to ongoing archaeological research in New Mexico and Brazil.

Sept. 17: Drones and Journalism. Dominick Lee, assistant professor/professional practice in MU’s School of Journalism, will cover how journalists use drones to produce aerial photography and video to strengthen their reporting. The session will explore how aerial content is produced and requirements for passing FAA certification for commercial drone pilots. Flying drones has become an integral and evolving part of any newsroom’s ability to gather unique, informative visuals. As a career photojournalist, learning and teaching about this emerging technology has been life-changing for our speaker. Participants will learn the basics of flying a drone and see the academic preparation required for MU journalism students to take the FAA’s Part 107 certification exam.

Sept. 24: Drones and Agriculture. Kent Shannon, MU assistant teaching professor and MU Extension field specialist in agriculture, will cover how drones have become an increasingly common feature of the agricultural landscape. Farmers can use unmanned aerial vehicles to scout for insects and disease, assist in planning irrigation strategies, collect information about crop nutrient needs and check cattle herds and fences. The latest use of drones includes the application of pesticides, specifically, fungicides. This session will focus on real-life drone applications in Missouri agriculture research and Extension work through the University of Missouri.

Oct. 1: Drones and Engineering. Beyond spectacular aerial photos, drones are transforming how we map and analyze our surroundings. Equipped with high-resolution cameras, drones can perform photogrammetry, generating highly accurate maps and 3D models of anything from buildings to fault lines. With all their advantages, drones can also be controversial and are part of the current public debate about airspace, privacy and national security. Jeremy Maurer, assistant professor in geological engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology, will show how drones are used to develop accurate site maps; new applications in agriculture and soil sensing and the ongoing issue of whether drones manufactured in China pose a threat to national security also will be addressed.

Peoples of Ancient Italy

Tuesdays: Oct. 15, 22, 29; Nov. 5 (4 Sessions)
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

This class will start during Week 6 of the semester and extend one week beyond the semester’s end.

This course will explore the people who lived in Italy before the Romans. We will delve into the Etruscans, with their territory that extended north to the Alps and south to Pompeii; the Greeks, who also settled in southern Italy and nearby islands; the Samnites, who came from the Apennine foothills; and the very early Romans. The course will cover the forms of government, warfare, trade, language, architecture, social structure, burial practices and religion of these peoples. How much did they influence each other and the Romans, who eventually controlled all of Italy and the Mediterranean? If you have been to or are planning to visit Florence, Rome, Pompeii or other cities in the area, this course will give you a deeper knowledge of the history of these cities and the people who founded them.

Instructor: Valerie Hammons is a retired teacher of Latin, world history, American history, newspaper, speech and special education. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Kansas and her graduate degree is from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. She loves ancient and medieval history.

The Eclectic Muse: British Folk Rock

Tuesdays: Sept. 10, 17, 24; Oct. 1 (4 Sessions)
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

First four weeks.

Instructor Evan Smith became enamored of British folk rock in 1970 upon hearing the band Pentangle. This led to listening to and buying many albums and CDs and even several trips to the U.K. Using video clips of performances and photos from his collection, Evan will describe the evolution of this musical form and how it has impacted his life. He points out that he is not a musicologist, and this class requires no musical background beyond fandom or curiosity.

Instructor: Evan Smith grew up in Kansas, the son of an archaeologist and an artist. He holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and double bachelor’s degrees in linguistics and anthropology. Even as a retiree, he is still interested in language studies and history, but he has also developed an interest in other oral traditions, such as music, especially rock, folk and medieval music.

A Touch of Mexico: Four Novels of Modern Mexico

Tuesdays: Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29 (4 Sessions)
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

Last four weeks.

In general, the average U.S. citizen has only a vague notion of Mexico and probably little of its literature, with most ideas being shaped by stereotypes. This class may not change that situation, but it will explore four novels that present a more complex picture of Mexico. We will investigate one important Mexican novel from the last 60 years each week: Carlos Fuentes’ Aura (1962), Juan Rulfo’s Pedro Páramo (1965), Yuri Herrera’s Signs Preceding the End of the World (2009) and Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic (2020).

Materials Note: All books, with the exception of Aura, are available at the Daniel Boone Regional Library and through online bookstores. Dr. Wolfshohl will make available a few copies of Aura. Contact the Osher staff to check one out.

Instructor: Clarence Wolfshohl is professor emeritus of English at William Woods University. His creative and scholarly writings have appeared in many small press and literary journals both in print and online. He has published several chapbooks and small collections of poetry, most recently Armadillos & Groundhogs (2019). He has been active in Osher as a student and teacher for several years.

Wednesday Courses

  • Five Centuries of “Underknown” Women Artists
  • U.S. Women's Fiction, 1861-1915
  • Physical Activity: How Much Is Enough?
  • The First Ladies of the United States
  • Bourbon's Backstory: The Myths, Legends and Lore of America's Native Spirit

Five Centuries of “Underknown” Women Artists

Wednesdays: Sept. 11, 18, 25; Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (8 Sessions)
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $60
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

This course will explore the lives and careers of artists who have been neglected by critics and art historians—in large part because they were women. Despite the roadblocks they faced, these female artists produced works very much worthy of greater attention. We will focus on eight “underknown” artists whose output spans five centuries: Sofonisba Anguissola, Clara Peeters, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, Rosa Bonheur, Marcello, Edmonia Lewis, Suzanne Valadon and Joan Mitchell.

Instructor: James Terry is an archaeologist and art historian. He has worked on excavations in Israel, Cyprus, Jordan and Tunisia and has led study abroad tours in southern France and Mexico. He holds a Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from MU and retired recently as an associate professor from Stephens College, where he taught for 25 years.

U.S. Women's Fiction, 1861-1915

Wednesdays: Sept. 11, 18, 25; Oct. 9, 16, 23, 30 (7 Sessions)
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
ONLINE ONLY
Course Fee: $60
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

No class meeting on Oct. 2 (updated 9-26-24).

The period between the Civil War and WWI was generally a period of radical transformation in the U.S., but it was a period of particular change for women. Entering the workplace in ever greater numbers and fighting for equal rights, American women questioned their place in society. The literature produced by women during this period also saw the publication of a much greater diversity of voices, drawing from neglected regional experiences as well as racial and ethnic minorities. Perhaps for the first time in our nation's history, a contemporary audience could truly read about what it meant to be a woman in the U.S., in all of its varieties. This course will survey a range of short fiction and novels by women writers, including such figures as Louisa May Alcott, Kate Chopin, Alice Dunbar-Nelson, Sarah Orne Jewett, Willa Cather and Gertrude Stein (and many others!). This will be a discussion-based course, with the instructor offering intros and insight, but with most of class time designated for open discussion of the assigned texts.

Materials Note: The instructor will supply web links for the readings and novels; all will be available online at no cost.

Instructor: John Evelev is a professor of English at MU. His area of research and teaching specialization is 19th-century American literature. He has taught for the Osher program for several years and always enjoys the distinctive perspectives and lively discussions of his Osher students.

Physical Activity: How Much Is Enough?

Wednesdays: Sept. 11, 18, 25; Oct. 2 (4 Sessions)
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

First four weeks. Limit of 20 participants in person and 15 online.

Join us for an informative and active series where each session will share a brief educational component; its benefits, guidelines and recommendations; and how to meet them. When you engage in regular physical activity, you reduce the risk of adverse health outcomes and help to manage chronic conditions, such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and heart disease. But do you know how much and what type of physical activity you need to obtain health benefits? In this class, you will learn the current recommendations using the MyActivity Pyramid (based on the CDC's Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans) to discuss recommendations for four components of physical activity: lifestyle activities, aerobic exercise, strength exercises and balance and flexibility. Finally, we will share some of the training programs available locally. Come dressed to move!

Instructor(s): Marta Novaes Oliveira has a Master’s in Exercise Physiology and is currently a Ph.D. student in MU’s College of Health Sciences. In addition, she is a program coordinator for MU Extension's exercise program Stay Strong, Stay Healthy. Marta has a background in collegiate athletics and enjoys running in her spare time.

Kelsey Weitzel has a Master’s in Kinesiology and is a Ph.D. student in educational psychology. She is also the program manager for MU Extension's Stay Strong, Stay Healthy program and helps lead other health and wellness projects. Kelsey enjoys spending time at the Lake of the Ozarks with her family and going on active adventures in her free time.

The First Ladies of the United States

Wednesdays: Sept. 11, 18, 25; Oct. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 (8 Sessions)
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

This is a continuing series. New participants are welcome.

Dr. Jay Ward will continue his course that considers the significant women in the lives of the U.S. presidents. In most cases, the official hostesses in the White House were the wives of the presidents. In some instances, however, that was not the case, and those stories are often fascinating as well. This session will consider Eleanor Roosevelt, Bess Truman, Mamie Eisenhower, Jackie Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon and Betty Ford.

Instructor: Dr. Jay Ward was born in Springfield, Mo., and raised in Lexington, Mo. He was an undergraduate at Northwestern University and received a medical degree from the University of Missouri. Upon retiring from medicine after 30 years, he received a master’s degree and doctorate in U.S. history from the University of Missouri.

Bourbon's Backstory: The Myths, Legends and Lore of America's Native Spirit

Wednesdays: Oct. 9, 16 (2 Sessions)
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $20
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

Weeks 5 & 6

What makes whiskey bourbon, and how did the name "bourbon" come to be? Why does Maker's Mark spell “whiskey” without the "e" on its labels? Who was the master distiller who taught Jack Daniel how to distill his Tennessee whiskey using the Lincoln County Process? What is the "Lincoln County Process?" Is Jack Daniel's bourbon? Who said, "If they are dumb enough to pay that much for [Pappy Van Winkle], that's their prerogative?" All of these questions and many more will be answered in two sessions that promise to be educational and entertaining.

Instructor: Casper "Scott" Yost. Adventurous in mind and spirit, Scott enjoys trying most things once and many things twice. Scott's current passions include studying the history of ancient Rome and ancient Israel, and, of course, bourbon. Scott and his wife Betsy love to travel when they can. Recently, Scott visited various bourbon distilleries in Kentucky, Tennessee, the Lake of the Ozarks and Kansas City. So, yes, I guess you could say that Scott is a bourbon enthusiast.

Thursday Courses

  • Technology Potpourri
  • Elections 2024
  • VALUE ADDED SESSION: Pundits, Polls and Politics! The ’24 Election
  • Apocalypse Now!
  • Homelessness and Housing Issues in Missouri: A Status Report from the Experts
  • Where Is Jane?: MA&A Art of the Book Club
  • The Cold War, its Challenges and Remarkable Achievements

Technology Potpourri

Thursdays: Sept. 12, 19, 26; Oct. 3 (4 Sessions)
9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
IN PERSON ONLY
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

First four weeks. Limit of 20 participants.

In this series, participants will gain hands-on experience in emerging technologies from MU’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Week One will cover GoGo Robot, where you will learn to program a robot car and explore the “Internet of Things.” During Week Two, we will play with making 360 videos for YouTube and Virtual Reality. We will design objects for 3D printing and learn about rapid prototyping during Week Three. And we will learn how to use AI to write computer code and Excel functions during Week Four. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops and/or iPads.

Instructor(s): Sophia Rivera Hassemer, an MU grad, holds a B.S. in accounting, a Master’s of Accountancy and an M.B.A. As a Division I Track and Field athlete and team captain, she developed strong leadership, time management and planning skills. Her experience includes roles as an audit intern for accounting firm Plante Moran and director of operations for Mizzou’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

J Scott Christianson (Prof C) is an associate teaching professor of management at MU, where his interests are focused on the impact of emerging technology on society and geopolitics.

Elections 2024

Thursdays: Oct. 17, 24, 31; Nov. 7 (4 Sessions)
9:30 – 11:00 a.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

This class will start during Week 6 of the semester and extend one week beyond the semester’s end.

Both Biden and Trump have said that this is the most important election of your life and that this may be the last democratic election. Is that true? Maybe! This course will review the earlier elections this year. We hope to cover most of the candidate elections and the issue elections. Here in Missouri, we are guaranteed a new governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, and state senator; and for voters living south of Broadway, a new member of Congress. We will review other issues on the November ballot.

Instructor: David Leuthold has taught numerous courses for Osher. He was a political science professor at Mizzou for 29 years and is the author of books on Congressional and Missouri elections.

SPECIAL VALUE ADDED SESSION - Pundits, Polls and Politics! The ’24 Election

Thursday, Sept. 19
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
ONLINE ONLY
Course Fee: $0 with membership
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

This class is a value added course included free with all membership options.

The '24 Election is here! Let’s (1) review the POTUS “approval” history, from 1945-2020, (2) explore how better voter polls are conducted, (3) discuss pundits, (4) define “generations” and (5) review current polls and focus on the issues by doing some in-class polls. Next, we’ll try a corporate assessment model (CAM), a business tool by which we can rank the issues and candidates. Finally, we will do a class electoral vote prediction. Do just 6% of eligible voters actually decide an election? How can we voters be part of that 6%? A cellphone and some familiarity with QR codes is helpful but not required. This is a nonpartisan discussion.

Instructor: Doug Stowell is a consumer and political polling veteran in both U.S. and EU markets. His career includes market research director for Xerox Corp., U.S. clients director for the U.K. polling firm NOP, Ltd, in London, and senior polling executive for Wirthlin Worldwide in Washington, D.C. He launched Market Resource Associates in 2008 and conducts opinion polls on U.S. and global issues. He is a member of the Furman University OLLI in Greenville, S.C., and conducts Zoom programs for more than 80 groups nationally. This is his fourth quadrennial election program.

Apocalypse Now!

Thursdays: Sept. 12, 19, 26; Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (8 Sessions)
10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $60
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

From The Book of Daniel and the Dead Sea Scrolls to Matthew and Mark’s Gospels, Paul’s Epistles and John’s Revelation, belief in an imminent apocalypse appears in both ancient and modern times. This course will explore the historical, religious and psychological forces that create apocalyptic movements, such as the Branch Davidians and current beliefs that war in Israel portends the “Rapture” and “The End of Days.”

Materials Note: All readings are available online.

Instructor: Timothy Materer is an MU emeritus professor of English. Among his books on modern literature is James Merrill’s Apocalypse (Cornell U. Pr., 2000).

Homelessness and Housing Issues in Missouri: A Status Report from the Experts

Thursdays: Oct. 10, 17, 24, 31 (4 Sessions)
1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

Last four weeks

This course will provide a multifaceted view of the state of homelessness in Columbia and within Missouri and will also touch on other housing-related issues. Topics will include the work of local nonprofits in serving unhoused persons and others in need plus how zoning regulations contribute to the scarcity of affordable housing. We will also hear what is being done by some federal and local agencies, including the challenges they face.

Oct. 10: Panel by Experts from Loaves and Fishes, LOVE Columbia, and the MU Law School
Ruth O'Neill, who has managed Loaves & Fishes since 2008, will discuss how the challenges of living a food and housing insecure life complicate the difficulties of surviving on and adjacent to the streets as well as how meeting people’s basic needs for food and shelter can give them a foundation to overcome or avoid homelessness.
Jane Williams, the cofounder and executive director of the nonprofit Love Columbia,
will speak about the services they provide and how these services have evolved throughout its 16-year history in response to changing community needs and priorities. She will discuss the local housing crisis, including the work of our local affordable housing coalition and note hopeful signs for the future.
Professor Rigel Oliveri is a nationally recognized expert on fair housing law, focusing on housing discrimination, zoning and property rights, and sexual harassment. Rigel will discuss ways in which zoning can provide obstacles to affordable housing and to shelter housing as well as about fair housing and how it intersects with homeless issues.

Oct. 17: Columbia Housing Authority
Randy Cole, CEO of the Columbia Housing Authority (CHA) since 2021, will provide an overview of the CHA, including his partnership with the CHA Board of Directors, staff, residents, and community leaders to help secure funding for renovating and expanding the CHA’s housing portfolio at CHA’s Kinney Point and Park Avenue developments, projects representing over $34 million in investments for Columbia’s most vulnerable citizens. He will also discuss barriers and solutions to affordable housing and the importance of supportive services and the coordination of property management.

Oct. 24: USDA Rural Development Housing Programs
Lindsay Cheek, USDA Rural Development, Single Family Housing Program Director will discuss their housing programs, which are available to rural individuals and households. The agency offers home loans that rural homeless individuals can potentially qualify for, thereby helping to alleviate homelessness in rural areas on an individual/family level. She will also share about the agency as a whole and the other programs they have available for communities, businesses, etc. and how those programs have positively impacted rural Missourians.

Oct. 31: City of Columbia, Housing and Neighborhood Services
In March 2024, Becky Thompson, a lawyer and former assistant city counselor specializing in land use and development law, became the Director of the City of Columbia's new Housing and Neighborhood Services Department, formed to address the city's need for affordable housing. Becky and city staff will discuss this new department and what the city is doing to support the acquisition, rehabilitation and development of affordable housing and supportive services. The presentation will include a discussion of the countywide housing study currently being conducted as well as city initiatives to help individuals experiencing homelessness.

Where Is Jane?: MA&A Art of the Book Club

Thursdays: Sept. 12, 19, 26; Oct. 3 (4 Sessions)
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

First four weeks

The Museum of Art and Archaeology (MA&A) Art of the Book Club (ABC) is excited to explore a legendary Missourian who is so famous that she has a record three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And this incredible singer called Columbia her home town! This semester we will feature the book Jane Froman: Missouri’s First Lady of Song, by Ilene Stone. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the book, watch a classic movie, learn about Froman’s life and legacy and what kind of art she did, and explore artifacts you can find and visit locally.

Materials Note: The book (Jane Froman: Missouri’s First Lady of Song by Ilene Stone) and movie (“With a Song in My Heart”) are available from the Daniel Boone Regional Library. The book can be purchased at Skylark Bookstore with an ABC discount, at the MO State Historical Society and at the Boone County History and Culture Center. Osher will screen the film on Thursday, Sept. 12, at 12:30 p.m., just ahead of the first meeting of the 3:00 p.m. class.

Sept. 12: The Importance of the Movie "With a Song in My Heart”
The movie starring Susan Hayward and directed by Walter Lang tells the Hollywood version of Jane Froman. It received an Academy Award for Best Original Musical in 1953. After watching the movie at your leisure (or in the Moss classroom directly before class, at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 12), Barbara Montgomery, docent at the MA&A, will present on how the movie was produced and its importance in Jane’s life. Then we will break into discussion groups.

Sept. 19: Jane Froman: Missouri’s First Lady of Song Book Discussion
The class will watch two or three short film featurettes (34 minutes) before breaking into groups for the book discussion, moderated by MA&A docent Valerie Hammons.

Sept. 26: “The Jane Froman Show”
Jane Froman starred in this CBS American musical variety television series that aired from 1952 to 1955. The class will watch one episode (15 min.). Then Dr. Megan Murph, director of MU’s Budds Center for American Music Studies and a visiting assistant professor of musicology, will provide an introduction to Missouri music.

Oct. 3: So… Where Is Jane Today?
ABC started a quest to find a missing portrait of Jane Froman that was located in the Memorial Union on the MU campus. ABC founder and coordinator Christiane Quinn will present on where you can find objects from Jane’s collection in Columbia. Then, Jennifer Gravley, curator and assistant director of Columbia College’s Stafford Library, will present on and display some materials from the library’s Jane Froman collection.

The Cold War, its Challenges and Remarkable Achievements

Thursdays: Oct. 10, 17, 24, 31 (4 Sessions)
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
HYBRID
Course Fee: $40
Premium Members: Unlimited classes; no additional fees

Last four weeks

Who could imagine that Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., would host one of the most important foreign policy addresses following the end of World War II? Some say that the term “Cold War” first began with George Orwell, while others claim that Bernard Baruch and Walter Lippmann first started using it. Foreign policy addresses by Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill in early 1946 presented ominous warnings that an unstable future lay ahead for the new superpowers and their allies. This course will address opening and subsequent events, key turning points, and will also define foreign policy challenges and strategic solutions that took place up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and its aftermath. Time permitting, current challenges to world stability will be explored as well as future policy implications.

Instructor: Whit McCoskrie is a Churchill Fellow and tour guide for America’s National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Mo. A graduate of Virginia Military Institute, he is a retired lieutenant colonel, having spent three and one-half decades in military service. He’s written two books on the Civil War in Missouri and served as an ROTC instructor at MU.

Friday Value-Added Sessions

  • 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. each Friday of the semester (Sept. 13 – Nov. 1)

Each semester, Osher@Mizzou offers a collection of one-time, 90-minute lectures that are open to all current Osher members. Yes, this is another value-added perk! Sessions marked as HYBRID will allow participants to choose whether they attend via Zoom or in person.

Not an Osher member yet? It costs only $30 to join and gain access to all of the Value-added semester content. Join today!

Sept. 13: Tall Grass Prairies: Visible Beauties and Hidden Threats
HYBRID

Tall grass prairies are an ecosystem that has largely disappeared over the centuries. Since homesteading began in the 1830s, tall grass prairies have declined by 82-99%. These prairies once ranged from Canada and Minnesota to Texas and from the Rocky Mountains to western Indiana and Wisconsin. Recently, there has been an increased effort to reconstruct the areas once home to these beautiful grasslands. Reconstruction is a priority for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and many private organizations are also taking up the mantle of preserving this ecosystem. The emphasis on reconstruction can increase human contact with disease-transmitting vectors and ticks. Tick-borne diseases pose a severe threat to public health, with 40,000-60,000 cases reported annually; and with a warming climate, this number will likely increase. This class will give a brief history and background about tallgrass prairie ecosystems; provide insight into how prairies are managed and being restored, from small-scale (individual homeowners) to large-scale (organizations); and supply details about ticks that inhabit the prairies, diseases they might carry and protection tips.

Instructor: Skylar Ciccolini is a second-year master's student in natural resource science at Mizzou, studying tick-borne diseases on tallgrass prairies. Skylar spent time training as part of the Mizzou Track and Field team while researching for her master’s degree and teaching an introductory biology course. Originally from Pennsylvania, she has made Mizzou her home for the last five years. She intends to stay at Mizzou to complete a Ph.D. in Natural Resources.

Thursday, Sept. 19: Pundits, Polls and Politics! The ’24 Election

SPECIAL VALUE-ADDED THURSDAY SESSION
See Thursday's schedule for more details.

Sept. 20: Let’s Talk About Tapping
ONLINE ONLY

David Feinstein, Ph.D., and Donna Eden have written a new book entitled Tapping, Self-Healing with the Transformative Power of Energy Psychology. This talk is an introduction to their book and the tapping exercises included. A quote from reviewer Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D., sums up the book in a powerful way by saying that tapping is “a lucid guide that can bring about remarkably rapid changes in the way people feel and move through the world.”

Instructor: Karen R. Onofrio, M.D., artist and former pathologist, continues to deepen her knowledge and understanding of the human body and the human spirit. She is an Eden Energy Medicine Certified Practitioner, Usui Reiki Master, Healing Touch Level 1 student, a Free Soul Instructor and a HealthRhythms trained facilitator. She continues to study Wisdom Healing Qigong with Master Mingtong Gu.

Sept. 27: Mark Twain Introduces a Black Man to White America
HYBRID

At the time Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, there was, as there still is today, a great feeling of nostalgia and romance for the Antebellum South. People remember sweet-tempered ladies in fine satin gowns and gentlemen with impeccable manners wearing starched white linen suits, all of them caring and forthright Christians. In Huckleberry Finn, Twain wreaks havoc on those mistaken ideals by writing his memories of the South. More importantly, through Huck’s narration of the novel, the reader meets Jim, a runaway enslaved person whom Huck befriends and comes to know intimately. It becomes obvious that Jim is a loyal friend and family man who loves and cares as much about his family as any white man. Twain develops Jim as a character whom the reader cannot help but think of as anything less than a whole person.
 
This presentation takes participants through the novel and delineates the developing relationship between Huck and Jim while at the same time showing Twain’s genius as he makes white readers face their own prejudices as well as society’s.

Instructor: Bryan Kasten has a B.S.Ed. and an M.S. in Mass Communications. Bryan taught for 40 years, 38 of which were at the high school level in the St. Louis Archdiocesan School System. American Literature was his major focus. He taught the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn at least three dozen times, and it easily became his favorite American novel. Bryan and his wife, Diane, lived and worked in St. Louis all their adult lives until they retired to Piedmont, MO., in 2018.

Oct. 4: Friday Morning Book Talk Series: Poet Walter Bargen, Radiation Diary (2023)
HYBRID

Instructor: Walter Bargen, first poet laureate of the state of Missouri, needs no introduction. He is the prolific author of numerous volumes of poetry, including Trouble Behind Glass Doors and Days Like This Are Necessary.

Oct. 11: Visual Art of the Harlem Renaissance
ONLINE ONLY

Starting around 1920 and extending for about 15 years, the Harlem Renaissance encompassed a flowering of African American culture, involving literature, music, the visual arts and the theatre. While centered in the Harlem section of New York City, the energy and creativity of the movement flourished in other American cities and in Europe. The Renaissance emerged in the context of the migration of African Americans from the South to the North and concurrent with the rise of the “New Negro” movement. It ended in the depths of the Great Depression, but the effects reverberated for decades, impacting broader American culture and fertilizing the Civil Rights movement of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Focusing on visual art, our presentation will draw heavily on the special exhibition “The Harlem Renaissance and Transatlantic Modernism,” held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City earlier this year. We will feature paintings, sculptures and photographs created by artists Charles Alston, Aaron Douglas, Archibald Motley, Jr., Augusta Savage, James Van Der Zee, Laura Wheeler Waring and others. We will consider the art in the context of the social, economic and political conditions of the time, with attention to the ways in which art contributed to and documented the rich, meaningful lives of African Americans.

Instructors: Robin and Cokie Blake have provided numerous Osher presentations on art history, including one during the Winter 2023 semester on African American artists.

Oct. 18: Stories of the Single Most Deadly Day of WWII, October 24, 1944, and Writing Your Own Story
ONLINE ONLY

On Tuesday, October 24, 1944, nearly three years into World War II, a staggering 2,616 Americans perished, more than on any other single day of the war, yet the day remains overshadowed by more widely remembered dates in WWII history, such as the Normandy invasion or the attack on Pearl Harbor. That death toll is also more than the number of U.S. forces killed in any one day during the iconic battles of the war, including Midway, Guadalcanal, Anzio and the Battle of the Bulge. And while it might be customary to examine the events of that day through the battles that occurred, Rona Simmons instead elects to tell what transpired through the eyes of the fallen––the privates, seaman, colonels and commanders across the globe––in her new book, No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of these remarkable stories is the attention she gives to the human side of conflict, to ordinary individuals as they grapple with the horrors of war. Following a discussion of the book’s stories, the author will share how anyone can write their own, a friend’s or a family member’s story.

Instructor: Rona Simmons is an author of historical fiction and nonfiction centered on the period from the First World War to the Great Depression to World War II. Rona has written for literary journals and online and print magazines and newspapers, and she is active in her local writing communities. She frequently speaks to service groups, military organizations, veterans’ communities and writers’ associations, but she finds the opportunity to help others discover their own at-risk stories most gratifying.

Oct. 25: Horticulture in the Netherlands
ONLINE ONLY

When people think of the Netherlands, one of the first things to come to mind is tulips. However, the Netherlands has so much more to offer in the realm of horticulture—technology, water management, nurseries, greenhouses, plant and seed breeding, cut flowers, etc.!

Instructor: Katie Kammler has been a horticulture specialist with University of Missouri Extension since 2008. She received her bachelor’s degree from College of the Ozarks and her master’s from Southern Illinois University. Her favorite aspect of working for MU Extension is that there is always something new to learn about horticulture. She works with commercial horticulture producers and home gardeners, teaching about growing horticulture crops and solving problems through workshops, one-on-one interactions and site visits.

Nov. 1: Friday Morning Book Talk Series: Author E. N. Klinginsmith, The Shopkeeper's Family (2024)
HYBRID

Instructor: Nyle Klinginsmith, retired teacher and administrator in the Columbia Public Schools for 38 years, is the author of historical novels, including The Brothers Barnhart, Harmony Revisited, and The Shopkeeper’s Family. The Shopkeeper’s Family is a novel based on the life of a real person who lived in Europe during World War II.