Today is the first day of school in my part of Virginia. The school buses were out this morning, and the high-school-age kids in my neighborhood were walking to the nearby high school before the absurdly early start time of 7:20.
School starts for grown-ups in September as well. The chart at the top of this page shows the Osher classes I’m enrolled in this semester. Only a couple of them are in September; the rest are sprinkled through October and November. Here are brief descriptions of these classes:
September 26: “And What Do You Think You’re Listening To?” A Composer’s Toolbox
Tim Kloth.
1 session
There are many books on music appreciation that help listeners better appreciate classical music. However, these books don’t always highlight the specific tools a composer uses to move the music forward. Having worked as a composer for 40+ years, Tim has formulated a perspective that may enhance your understanding of classical music. Composers use a fixed set of tools: rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, and texture; but each of the tools is not always used equally. By listening to musical examples from Chopin to Ravel, he will highlight which parameter the composer used to propel the music. Come, take a listen!
Tim Kloth, while in high school, studied composition at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Majoring in composition, he earned a B.M. at Capital University, an M.M. at the Eastman School of Music, and a DMA from the University of North Texas. After having taught at VCU, UVA, and the University of Arizona, he is now retired from the Fairfax County Public Schools where he specialized in Orff Schulwerk.
September 28: Congressional Oversight in American Democracy – An Apolitical Look at the Jan. 6 Committee
Eric Thorson, David Buckley.
1 session
The conflict between the executive branch and Congress has reached an unprecedented level of discord. Our Constitution’s carefully designed system of checks and balances is a pillar of American democracy. This class offers an apolitical discussion of the development and production of the Jan. 6 Committee Hearings, i.e., the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol.
Eric Thorson was the chief investigator of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations; chief investigator of the Senate Finance Committee; and inspector general of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Department of the Treasury. He coordinated over 20 congressional hearings, including Russian organized crime in the United States and conduct issues in the Internal Revenue Service.
The guest instructor is Mr. David Buckley, staff director of the Jan. 6 Committee and former inspector general of the Central Intelligence Agency.
September 29: Geography and Warfighting in Vietnam
Paul Severance.
1 session
This presentation will address the principal physical geographic aspects of the Battle of the Ia Drang Valley in November 1965 (America’s first major engagement in Vietnam) and the Battle of Khe Sanh January-July 1968, both considered to be “defining” military operations that occurred during the Vietnam Conflict.
The lecture explores the array of geographic factors, principles, and influences involved in the planning, execution, and outcomes of these two major operations. The analysis will extend to climate and weather, topography, jungle conditions, and micro-terrain and infrastructure. The lecture will also consider strategic and operational imperatives driving military operations in Vietnam. The underlying foundation of this presentation is that geography is a “First Principle” in the planning, resourcing, and execution of major military operations. 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam – likely a significant historic moment for many Osher members.
Paul Severance taught strategic geography at the National Defense University for 23 years. He focused on analysis of the broadest dimensions of physical and human geography on the inception, planning, and execution of strategic U.S. endeavors in the international arena
October 2/9/16: The Architecture and Times of English Medieval Cathedrals
Jan Smith
3 sessions
English medieval cathedrals are among the most magnificent buildings in England, embodying earthly and spiritual power. Offering a glimpse of heaven on earth, the medieval master builders created stunning places of worship that remain standing after nearly 1,000 years.
This course will cover the beginnings of Christianity in England, basic cathedral architecture and terminology; characteristics of Anglo-Norman, English Early Gothic, Decorated Gothic, and Perpendicular Gothic cathedral architecture; and introduce the struggles between Rome, the English Clergy, and the English monarchy.
Jan Smith, M.B.A., taught higher education business courses. Upon retirement, she became a docent at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. She studied art history at the Glassell School of Art and the Women’s Institute of Houston, and medieval church architecture through the University of Oxford’s continuing education program.
October 3/10/17 The Disappearing Islands of the Chesapeake Bay.
Jim Griffin.
3 sessions
Jim's course from last Fall, The Virginia Peninsula from a Watershed Perspective, examined the problem of sea level rise and subsidence in the Chesapeake Bay. While last Fall’s course is not a prerequisite for this class, the new course looks at these twin issues in greater detail and explores the geologic history of the Bay and the land subsidence and sea level rise that is changing the future of islands there.
We will also briefly discuss how these factors affect the bay’s shoreline and that of the major cities that surround the bay. The focus is on Tangier Island; however other islands and coastal areas will also be discussed.
Jim says the idea for this course comes from the excellent book by Earl Swift, Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island, which he read on the suggestion of an Osher member from the prior class
October 23/30/Nov 6 Documenting the American Revolution
Holly Mayer
3 sessions
American revolutionaries wielded words as weapons to destroy old orders and tools to construct new ones. What did they want and why? Course members will review the contexts and aims of Revolutionary-era documents to engage with those who wrote them. The course will begin with the Declaration of Rights and Grievances of the Stamp Act Congress in 1765 and trace the escalating protests to the Declaration of Independence in 1776. It will follow with the interaction of revolutionary rhetoric and actions in the construction of states, through their own constitutions, and the nation in the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution of the United States.
Holly Mayer earned a Ph.D. in history at William & Mary and retired as professor emerita at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. She was also a visiting professor at the U.S. Army War College and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She served in the U.S. Army Reserve and has authored books and articles on 18th-century American social and military history
October 25/Nov 1/Nov 8 Constitutional Crises: The Chaotic Presidential Elections of 1800 and 1876
Michael Kerley
3 sessions
The presidential elections of 1800 and 1876 stressed the Constitution like no other elections in our history. These elections highlighted several flaws in our presidential selection process, particularly in the Electoral College. In this course, we will examine the candidates and campaigns. We will also look at the peculiar methods that were used to resolve those elections and at the longer-term ramifications of each. We will see how these elections impact the process we currently employ to choose our nation’s chief executive officer — and put into historical context current controversies over America’s presidential selection process.
Michael Kerley has a J.D. from George Washington University and a B.A. in government from Notre Dame. He practiced securities and insurance law for 35 years, and now teaches classes on the origin and structure of the Constitution for various lifelong learning programs.
November 15/29/Dec 6 1777: The Revolution’s Year of Decision.
John Rogers
3 sessions
Early 1777 found the Continental Army in winter quarters in Morristown, NJ – cold, hungry, and discouraged. Victory at Trenton had raised morale but could not dismiss the fact that 1776 had been a year of defeats and retreats with little prospect of improvement in 1777. Could they endure another year like 1776? Could the Revolution survive another such year?
For the British, 1777 had been a year of victories (other than Trenton) but had frustrated in the inability to destroy the American Army and thereby ending the rebellion. Would additional troops and more aggressive campaign plans for 1777 bring the decisive victory before the French could openly join the Americans in their revolution?
The French were secretly aiding the Americans and were contemplating openly joining them in their war against Britain. But would the Americans ever be able to fight and defeat the British? Before making such a momentous decision, the French wanted evidence of American battlefield success. They continued their covert aid and watched and waited.
1777 would prove to be a critical year for all concerned – a year of decision.
John Rogers is a retired vice president of a Fortune 500 company. He has extensive experience in corporate and military instruction. He is a lifelong student of history.
December 5: After the Gavel Falls: An Introduction to the Department of Defense Clemency and Parole Process
Thomas Shubert
1 session
A key but little-known component of the Uniform Code of Military Justice system is the Department of Defense’s (DoD) clemency and parole programs. Administered by the Services (Air Force, Space Force, Army, and Navy-Marine Corps), the Clemency and Parole Boards assist in executing clemency, parole, transfer to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, return-to-duty authorities, and mandatory supervised releases. The Boards’ clemency authority is separate from a commander’s post-trial power to modify findings and/or sentence of a court martial.
The course provides an overview of the DoD’s clemency and program process. Learners will also experience the decision-making process itself by evaluating factors in several case studies in an interactive class discussion.
During 47 years of federal service, both military and civilian, Thomas Shubert served in a variety of positions to experience handling diverse issues and relationships: as an Air Force pilot; a political-military affairs officer; air attaché; legislative liaison for Secretaries of Defense and the Air Force; OSD policy as county director for European and Southeast Asian countries; and developmental and education programs. He ended his career as director of the security protection directorate, Air Force Review Boards Agency, chair of the Air Force Clemency and Parole Board, as well as president of the Personnel Security Appeal Board.
It’s going to be a fun — and informative — semester. If I am not a lot smarter by the end of this semester, it will be my own damn fault.
😎