In an easy morning of paddling, you will take in a heron rookery, the bird haven of Grassy Island, as well as have opportunities to see otters and seals. After taking in all this wildlife, you will beach your kayak on a secluded part of the outer sandspit for a fun dunes hike to a hidden Chumash shell midden. After a short walk past the midden, you will come to the Pacific Ocean and unparalleled views up and down miles of secluded beach. Back on the bay side of the dunes, you will return to your kayak for the short paddle back to the kayak docks.
Note: Dress warmly, do not wear blue jeans or sweat pants, and wear shoes you can get wet. Binoculars are recommended.
No refunds, no exceptions.
Substitutions o.k.
Faculty: John Flaherty, owner of Central Coast Outdoors, is a veritable sponge for all topics related to natural history and has been designing and running interpretive programs for private touring companies for over a decade. He has an infectious love of the outdoors and loves presenting knowledge in an interesting manner that people will remember.
091-2306-2
State Park Marina, Morro Bay
Tuesday, March 3
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
1 Session
Class Maximum size: 12
Fee: $25 per person
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The Enlightenment: A Revolution of Ideas
This course covers the history of the ideas that underlie the “shared values” that U.S. presidents and European leaders refer to: tolerance, democracy and free expression of opinion, for example. After outlining the pre-Enlightenment environment, Dr. Jackson will describe the late 17th century development of the revolutionary new ideas which would result in the overthrow of the old order and lead to the modern world.
This course will follow these ideas as they evolve through subsequent centuries up to the current era, and consider how far enlightenment thinking has succeeded and where its opponents are today.
Note: There will be ample time allowed for discussion.
Faculty: Richard Jackson has a PhD in physics and has taught it at college level. He worked as an engineer on data networks and software projects. Recently he has developed an obsessive interest in the history and ideas of the so-called Enlightenment and has studied the subject intensively.
091-2323
Pismo Beach Veterans’ Hall
Tuesdays, March 3, 10, 17
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
3 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 25
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America’s recent record of financial irresponsibility and runaway indebtedness spells a disastrous decline in our future economy and way of life, according to Kevin Phillips in his 2008 bestseller “Bad Money”. In a detailed analysis of the financial crisis unfolding in the fall of 2007, Phillips gives us an amazingly prescient roadmap to the causes and effects of the major collapse that hit a year later. In this course you will examine the book’s wide-ranging economic and political themes in a series of five discussion sessions, one or two chapters per session. Our format will resemble the one used in the Great Decisions program: participants will read the material covered in each session and help lead class discussions, formulating discussion points to illustrate, augment and/or challenge the author’s analyses and predictions. The timing couldn’t be more crucial. With the recent election of a new administration and congress, you have a chance to influence the future direction we take as a country. This class can help you more clearly focus on what needs to be done.
Note: Participants should acquire a copy of “Bad Money” by Kevin Phillips; local libraries have 9 copies and new and used hardcover editions are available online for under $20 delivered.
Faculty:
Bill Hadji is a retired electrical engineer who worked and taught in the electronics field, both domestically and abroad (Europe, North Africa, and the Caribbean). Before retiring, Bill founded and operated a commercial marine electronics sales and service facility on the East Coast.
Ben Pollard is a retired mining and civil engineer: worked mostly in the public sector in fields ranging from salmon hatchery design to municipal construction management. Ben spent 2 years in Germany and 25 years in Alaska a long way from Wasilla.
091-2322
Pismo Beach Veterans’ Hall
Thursdays, March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
5 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 30
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California is one of the few states that long empowered county grand juries with a civil watchdog function: following up on citizen complaints and initiating their own investigations of county and other local government agencies. The purpose of these investigations and their resultant recommendations is to improve government efficiency and effectiveness. No other organization in the county has such a broad mandate. County citizens apply to serve on grand juries for a year. The San Luis Obispo County Grand Jury has 19 members.
This course is provided as a source for you to learn about the purposes and roles of the grand jury, how it has helped to improve government, how it actually operates, and how you can apply to become a member of the grand jury.
Faculty: Members of the Former Grand Jurors Association of San Luis Obispo County.
091-1029
San Luis Adult School
Fridays, March 6, 13, 20
9:30 am - 12:00 pm
3 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 40
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Think of treasure hunting at the beach! This course will introduce you to some of the lesser known but fascinating organisms that live in the four zones of the intertidal—plants and animals you may have overlooked in previous outings. With an identification key and help from the instructor you will locate these organisms, identify them by name and learn where they live. By the end of the course you could have Sea Lemons, Peanut Worms and Slipper Shells on your ocean beach life list. You do not need prior knowledge about Intertidal Life, as the instructor will aid you. However, you will need to be able to maneuver on rocks in the tidepools.
Note: Wear shoes that can get wet. Instruction will be given to show where and how to move from rock to rock for best safety. Sunscreen and a hat are recommended.
Faculty: Jerry Kirkhart has taught Zoology for 41 years and has led field trips to this area during that time frame. This same course was offered for OLLI last spring. Jerry’s qualifications are a Master’s Degree in Biology stressing Marine Biology and related courses such as Field Biology and Photography of Marine Life and a real desire to share and enjoy life seldom seen by most.
091-2334
Morro Bay Community Center Studio
Lecture: Friday, March 6
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Field Trip: Monday, March 9
2:45 pm - 5:45 pm
2 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 20
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Who are the “Shakers”?
The Shakers, whose official name is the United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, arrived in America in 1774 under the leadership of Mother Ann Lee. Their demonstrative way of worship and communal living appealed to over 6,000 people during its peak in the 19th century. Among the Shakers’ many contributions is their collection of songs, which they considered “gifts.”
In this course you will be introduced to a few of those gifts and to a glimpse of Shaker history, beliefs, lifestyle, and inventions. And you will learn about their innovative contributions to American society with an emphasis on their music.
Faculty: Kitty Wooldridge became interested in the Shakers as a result of many visits to Pleasant Hill, a restored Shaker village in her native Kentucky. She has a BA in Music Education from Spalding University, Kentucky, and has been actively involved in church music for 30 years. She has incorporated many of the Shaker tunes in her church’s music selections. She has presented this course to both middle school music classes and adult groups.
091-2312
Cal Poly Campus, Kennedy Library, Room 202
Saturday, March 7
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
1 Session
Maximum Class Size: 35
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Shakespeare’s bread and butter were his plays. These works were written to be performed and seen, not read. However, for most of us that was not the experience. Instead, a majority of us read Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Othello while in high school with the literary bar mitzvah, reading HAMLET! If we then watched a production of Shakespeare, we often missed a lot because we weren’t experiencing it; rather, we were still “studying” it.
The objective of this course is about relaxing with Shakespeare, learning some strategies and techniques to introduce the “seeing and hearing” of his works. It’s to fortify the idea that he is simply a wonderful artist of the human experience. His work is contemporary and timeless and will be as long as people are in our future. This course will emphasize group work, problem solving, word play and language study. You won’t have to act but you’ll be on your feet a bit and you will do some directing (berets and megaphones are a personal choice). Some film of Shakespeare’s works will be used, and there will be an optional meeting (April 1) for those who would like to apply their class study to an entire play. [See Notes, below.]
Session one will begin with a quick look at sonnets: numbers XVlll, LXlll and LCXXX. You will also study passages from “Romeo and Juliet”, “King Lear”. “King John”, “As you Like It” and “Taming of the Shrew”, the acts and scenes of which will be given along with a “detective’s list” to apply to your considerations.
Sessions two and three will start with an optional 30 minutes for participants who would like to try a little Renaissance dance, do more Shakespearean word play and creative modeling, discuss some of the culinary specifics and recipes of food in his plays, etc.
You will come away from this course with the confidence that you can understand, enjoy and relax with Shakespeare as a wonderful contemporary experience and not a mystery or a history lesson.
Note: Please read “Much Ado About Nothing” or watch a film version before the first session, and bring a notebook to class. There will be a fourth session (April 8) for participants who would like to study “Much Ado About Nothing” to completion.
Faculty: Bill Weatherford graduated UC Berkeley in ’68 and went on to teach for 33 years, direct 78 major productions, work as a fight choreographer for 37 productions, and design sets and lights for 106 productions. He was also an adjunct instructor at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and taught Masters classes in teaching and directing.
091-2310
Morro Bay Community Center Library
Wednesdays, March 11, 25, April 1, 8
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
4 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 25
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Glass is a fascinating material without which modern life would not be possible.
This class is a comprehensive but fun look at glass incorporating video and slides. It will be a virtual tour. It covers methods for making Artglass including blowing, fusing, torch working, and different ways of casting, as well as “visiting” different studios. It will cover the history of glass from ancient to modern times, and you will “visit” factories where artglass and functional glass are made, several museums, and a brief discussion of glass chemistry and why it is unique.
You will come away with an understanding of the importance of glass in our lives and how and why it became so important.
Faculty: Richard Lasiewski, D.O. is a retired Radiologist who for the past 10 years has been studying methods of working with Artglass at Cal Poly and other locations. He has taught “Introduction to Glass Fusion” at Cal Poly for 5 years, which is an intense class at Cal Poly through Continuing Education. He and his wife Kersti have a large studio in Arroyo Grande and have sold at several local galleries locally, currently “The Gallery at the Network”. Some of this material is used in the Cal Poly Glass Class.
091-2313
PG&E Community Center
Wednesdays, March 11,18
1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
2 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 75
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One of the most controversial issues in the U.S. is the role and rights of women. Determined to break from rigid European traditions, Americans struggled—and continue to struggle—with deeply ingrained cultural behaviors, political currents, and religious teachings that influenced their thinking as they sought to realize the goal of a truly egalitarian society. In this course, you will examine the factors both for and against women’s equality that earlier generations considered, as well as the personalities and major events that led to the role of women in today’s America.
You will develop an understanding of the evolution of equal rights for women in American society, and the ways in which the pursuit of women’s equality influenced and was influenced by the struggle for equal rights for minorities and immigrants.
Faculty: John Colangelo is New York City native. He graduated from Fordham University and pursued a graduate degree from NYU. He then began his career in the field of Human Resources working for the New York Times and ABC, Inc. He came to California in 1978 and was employed by Northrop Grumman Corporation until 2000. Since moving to the central coast, he has led several history courses for OLLI.
091-2318
Cal Poly Campus, Bldg. 2, Room 203
Saturdays, March 14, 21, 28
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
3 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 30
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This course is the second of a two part series. Part One, Aristotle Universe through Einstein’s Relativity, was presented in the Fall 2008 term. Part Two will cover Quantum Mechanics and recent developments in physics.
It doesn’t take an Einstein to understand modern physics. There now is a clear, complete and mind-boggling picture of the entire universe. The science behind this picture of the universe is relativity and quantum mechanics. Relativity and quantum physics touch the very basis of physical reality, altering our commonsense notions of space and time, cause and effect. Both have reputations for complexity. But the basic ideas behind relativity and quantum physics are, in fact, simple and comprehensible by anyone. The essence of relativity can be summed up in a single sentence: The laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion.
The same goes for quantum theory, which is based on the principle that the “stuff” of the universe—matter and energy—is not infinitely divisible but comes in discrete chunks called “quanta.”
Why should you care about these landmark theories? Because relativity and quantum physics are not only profound and beautiful ideas in their own right, they are also the gateway to understanding many of the latest science stories in the media. These are the stories about time travel, string theory, black holes, space telescopes, particle accelerators, and other cutting-edge developments.
From this course, designed for laymen, not for scientists, you will get a clear picture of the key ideas of modern physics. This will enable you to understand many of the latest science stories in the media, including how science has been able to develop a complete picture of the universe.
This course is the second in the series of 24 lectures on DVD by a noted university professor, complete with hundreds of images and on screen definitions and…almost no equations! There will be time for questions and discussion during class.
Faculty: Lew Brown has a BA degree in Physics and Math from the University of Minnesota and has worked in high tech his entire career. Since retiring he has become intensely interested in the recent advancements in understanding the macro and micro aspects of the universe and their implications for humanity.
091-2294
Cal Poly Campus, Bldg. 8, Room 123
Saturdays, March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11, 18
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
6 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 100
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What defines an American? Is it the love of liberty, the pursuit of justice, the urge to invent, the desire for wealth, the drive to explore, the quest for spiritual values?
This course is the fourth of four sessions offered over three terms that has followed a roughly chronological pattern. The entire course is a series of 48 lectures by a noted university professor on DVD, complete with hundreds of images. Parts 1 - 3 covered our history up to the early 20th century.
Part 4 bears witness to the nation’s development of a global reach in the mid- to late-20th century, highlighting 11 famous Americans: Helen Keller, Duke Ellington, Charles Lindberg, Douglas MacArthur, Leonard Bernstein, Shirley Temple, George Wallace, William F. Buckley, Jr., Roberto Clemente, Betty Friedan, and Jesse Jackson.
This course investigates the national character by introducing you to notable Americans from all eras of the nation’s history, whose lives speak eloquently about the qualities that make one truly American.
You will learn about the famous, the infamous, and the relatively unknown. Each person covered in this course manifests certain characteristics that are quintessentially part of the American identity, or reveal some underlying aspect of the American identity.
Each lecture in this course takes as its subject a single individual or pair of individuals. Each person is then treated in terms of a particular activity, which is reflected in the lecture’s subtitle: for example, “Frederick Douglass—The Abolitionist” or “Samuel Gompers—The Trade Unionist.”
Faculty: Jim Ragan, former OLLI president, is a frequent OLLI instructor, and has led many of our DVD-based courses and discussion groups.
091-2213-4
Morro Bay Community Center
Mondays, March 16, 23, 30, April 6, 13, 20
9:45 am - 12:00 pm
6 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 40
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Self Hypnosis
Although we may not realize it, we all carry around within us the necessary resources for personal evolution and success. Self-hypnosis can be a very effective tool for utilizing those resources to make changes in our lives. In this course you will learn how to use self-hypnosis to make specific changes in areas of life, such as stopping smoking, managing stress, increasing concentration, improving your sleeping and achieving goals such as weight loss. Self-hypnosis is a perfectly safe, pleasant, non-toxic and often more effective alternative to tranquilizers or painkillers. Self-hypnosis allows you to rejuvenate your body and mind, leading to a greater sense of well being.
Faculty: Jerry Sanger is a certified clinical hypnotherapist who lives in the South County. He has led OLLI courses in the past.
091-1165
SLO Veterans’ Hall Lounge
Wednesdays, March 18, 25
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
2 Sessions
Maximum Class Size: 35
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The San Luis Obispo Botanical Garde: Big Vision Lecture and Tour
There is a “Big Vision” master plan to remake the San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden into an international visitor attraction. If all goes as planned, the Garden, located on 154 acres halfway between San Luis Obispo and Morro Bay on Highway I, will have an impact on the county that is on par with that of the Monterey Aquarium. First through a lecture, you will learn about the mission of the Garden and find out why the American Society of Landscape Architects in 1999 selected the Garden’s Master plan as the winner for the best site planning and analysis. You will then have the pleasure to tour Phase I—the Education Center at the Botanical Garden. This fascinating building—heated by the sun, insulated with straw bales and cooled by our coastal Mediterranean breezes—is a model of sustainability. In addition you will enjoy a 45 minute walking horticulture tour. You will be truly amazed at the scope of this project for the county, the state and the world.
Note: Prior to the tour, you should visit the Botanical Garden’s website at www.slobg.org to review the master plan. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a jacket or sweater.
Faculty: Liz Scott-Graham has been involved with the Botanical Garden since 2001. She has made hundreds of presentations throughout the county about this project. Liz is a retired attorney and teacher.
091-2243
San Luis Obispo Botanical Garden
Thursday, March 19
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
1 Session
Maximum Class Size: 20
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A New Stress Management Tool
Stress affects people’s mood, their behavior, and ways of thinking. Stressed people may tend to feel irritable and intolerant of minor disturbances, jumpy and worrisome, exhausted and unfocused. They tend to hold their breath or take rapid, shallow breaths. The heart pounds and muscles clench as the adrenaline kicks in. When the stressor is resolved, they let out a deep breath, signaling the brain that everything is okay again. If deep breathing continues, the heart rate decreases, the lungs expand and the muscles relax. Equilibrium is restored. Deep breathing is a simple, but very effective, method of relaxation. It is a core component of everything from the “take ten deep breaths” approach to calming someone down, and step on a path to healthy lifestyle. In this course you will learn:
- Five different types of Exhalation Techniques that balances and stabilizes your body system.
- A basic of Tapping Therapy using the Emotional Freedom Technique which is a pioneering approach to stress management that targets your disrupted energy meridian system as the real driver behind heightened stress levels. Tapping Therapy balances your energy and eliminates your body and mind’s stress response.
- The Master Relaxation Technique – This will enable you to relax totally in less than ten seconds. You frequently will experience a gloriously natural and healthy “stretch” that will revitalize your entire system. If you are troubled with insomnia, you can use the technique to induce a refreshing, deep sleep quickly and easily.
Faculty: Nisa King is an IT Project Manager and has worked for industry leaders such as Philips, Sema, IBM, EDS and Satyam. She also has remarkable skills in coaching and healing as a Wellness Medical Qigong Practitioner. She uses various techniques including Qigong, Energy Healing, SMILE Techniques, Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), and Intuitive Counseling. She also holds Qigong classes and conducts various workshops.
091-2325
SLO Veterans’ Hall Lounge
Tuesday, March 24
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
1 Session
Maximum Class Size: 30
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The techniques you will learn in this course could easily save you hundreds of dollars per month, even with the current economic mayhem!
You will learn how to free up money for your vacations, how to pay less in inheritance taxes, and how to really enjoy the money you have worked so hard to earn—I mean really enjoy it!
You will discover how to encourage your grandchildren to save for their own college education, and how to motivate your own children to be very financially responsible so they can take care of you in your sunset years.
This fast paced fun course is a must if you want to expand your financial knowledge in a way that will benefit you now.
Faculty: Helen Saulsbury has been preparing tax returns and doing financial counseling for over 31 years. She has done the “Financially Smart Seminars” in locations throughout the world. Helen’s 39 years of experience running her own tax business, seven years with the IRS, and ten years on the seminar speaking circuit makes for a course that is loaded with practical knowledge.
091-2327
Pismo Beach Veterans’ Hall
Thursday, March 26
10:00 am - 12:30 pm
1 Session
Maximum Class Size: 35
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Stop feeling bullied by that computer sitting on your desk and the terms and lingo used to describe how it works.
Find out what your children and grandchildren are talking about when they use the terms: desktop, menu, programs, hardware, software, boot, reboot, cookies, cursor, files, folders, dialog box, left click, right click, single click, double click, title bar, tool bar, menu bar, mouse over, e-mail, e-mail attachments and the “web.” All this and more in a classroom setting without even touching a computer!
These everyday computer terms are a part of life in today’s world. In this course you will gain knowledge about the thought process behind computers and become comfortable with, and understand, the terms and lingo. You will learn where these items exist on your computer and how they can help you manage your computer better.
Faculty: Josh Ruiz is a self-admitted computer geek and has over 20 years of experience working on computers. He is currently the administrative assistant to the Dean of Cal Poly Continuing Education.
091-2282
SLO Veterans’ Hall Lounge
Friday, March 27
1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
1 Session
Maximum Class Size: 25
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On this moderately easy five mile round trip walk you will experience the riparian habitat of Coon Creek with its many bird and animal species as well as the trees, plants and wild flowers of the Montana de Oro coastal plain and foothills. Through geologically dramatic formations, the gently ascending trail follows Coon Creek, a native steelhead trout stream surrounded by one of the most diverse and lush populations of native plants in the county.
Note: You should be able to walk about five miles along a gently ascending, descending and sometimes overgrow trail. Bring water and a lunch. You should wear sturdy shoes suitable for uneven and wet surfaces. Bring a jacket, hat, sunscreen, camera, etc. You may encounter poison oak, stinging nettles, ticks and mud. Rain will cancel the walk.
Faculty: Lead docent Lyle Yager is a docent for the Pecho Coast Trail and the San Luis Lighthouse. He teaches the OLLI Lighthouse Hike Course, Reservoir Canyon and the Coon Creek hikes. Lyle has developed a special interest in the geology of the Central Coast, and has studied the Pismo Beach site many times as a member of geology courses he has taken.
Randy Bello is a third generation native of the area and is a trained interpretive docent with California State Parks and the Natural History Association in Morro Bay, Pacific Gas and Electric Company Pecho Coast and Buchon Trails Docent, and Cal Poly OLLI program leader.
Paul O’Connor, former Cal Fire Captain, is an experienced outdoorsman, Pecho Coast Trail Docent, Buchon Point Trail docent, San Luis Light House Keeper/Docent and OLLI leader of local area hikes.
Barton Dennen is an active local docent who regularly leads hikes in San Luis Obispo County, giving special emphasis to the native plants, geology and history of the surroundings. He is part of the team that leads the Coon Creek hike, Montana de Oro Bluff walk, Point Buchon walk, Point San Luis Lighthouse hike, and Reservoir Canyon hike.
091-2095
Montana de Oro State Park
Friday, March 27
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
1 Session
Maximum Class Size: 20
Meet at the parking area near the end of Pecho Road at the southern boundary of the park.
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A Comparative Analysis of WWII Veterans’ Experiences
This class is a comparative analysis of the contributions of African Americans and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians during the Second World War. Contributions of these two groups have gone unrecognized too long and this is an opportunity to view, read, and discuss their contributions.
Dr. Bob Hall based his book, “Fighters from the Fringe and the Black Diggers” on first hand interviews. Maggi Morehouse, the author of “Fighting in the Jim Crow Army,” interviewed fifty men and women from two black segregated infantry divisions who fought on two fronts against a fascist enemy abroad and the racial segregation pervasive in 1940’s America, including the U.S. Army. You will leave this class with a different perspective on the Second World War after reading and discussing the contributions these two groups have made to our nation.
Note: Please read “Fighters from the Fringe and the Black Diggers” and “Fighting in the Jim Crow Army” prior to attending class.
Faculty: Archie Mitchell recently retired from the United States Air Force. He has also worked as a reporter for various news organizations, including UPI, the Los Angeles Herald Examiner and the Pasadena Star News. He is a graduate of CSU Northridge.
091-2324
Cancelled - Watch for a future date
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