Osher classes for the spring semester began this week – yesterday, to be precise. I decided to take time today to show you 7 courses that began yesterday. New classes are starting every day this week – 11 on Tuesday (today), 5 on Wednesday, and 4 on Thursday. After giving you information about these classes, I’ll tell you a little bit about my connection with some of them. This will give you an idea about how the Osher program assists in the formation of community. (The course descriptions and instructor qualifications are taken from the current catalog.)
Be Your Own Williamsburg Tour Guide
(6 sessions) (30 seats available) (School of Education)
Learn all that local guides must know about Williamsburg before being licensed in the city. Starting with the road to the Revolution and Williamsburg’s unique place in it, this class will also address a broad spectrum of everyday aspects of society. After completing the class, impress your out-of-town guests when you weave together politics, fashion, militia laws, crime and punishment, religion, and more to create a picture of what life was like in colonial Virginia.
The course’s historical foundation is based on Morgan’s The Birth of the Republic. Members are expected to read the text prior to the first class.
Rebecca Ritter Kelly has a B.A. from William & Mary in theater/speech and psychology. She has an M.A. from Hampton University in museum administration and an M.P.A. in Public Administration from Old Dominion University. She has been a licensed guide in Williamsburg since 1999 and has trained individuals to become licensed guides for more than 10 years
I was a Williamsburg tour guide in 2013, the first year after I retired. The required knowledge base was extensive. You had to pass a test to get a license. The training was also detailed. And The Birth of the Republic is not an easy read.
You’ll see that a lot of our classes (including this one) are offered in the School of Education. This is a good location for us in two ways. Classroom space is often readily available — the School of Ed is heavily weighted toward graduate students, which means that classroom space is not as heavily used during the day when the Osher program needs the space. And parking is convenient, although Osher members need to purchase a William & Mary parking permit to use the spaces. This is important for our members — even those of us who are still pretty spry don’t like to walk long distances in the heat or the cold or rain or the snow or the wind.
From Colony to Commonwealth: Examinations of the Primary Sources
(3 sessions) (30 seats available) (School of Education)
It is all too easy to generalize the 18th century as the “Colonial era.” But Virginians underwent a sea of change in the last quarter of the century. Politically, socially, economically, religiously...there was not an aspect of life that was not affected to some degree by the assertion of independence and the war. Participants will have an opportunity to read, analyze, and discuss transcriptions of rarely seen documents – including government documents, newspaper ads, diaries, and personal letters – that reveal these changes.
Suggested Reading: The Revolution in Virginia, 1775-1783 by John Selby
Mark Howell is Director of Education at the Jamestown–Yorktown Foundation and has also worked at Colonial Williamsburg, the American Civil War Center, and the Library of Virginia. He is passionate about using primary documents in training and programming to evoke a sense of life in the 18th century
I took this course the first year Mark offered it. The class had only about 15 people in it, and we collaborated to analyze documents. It was interesting and stimulating. Selby’s book is an easier read than The Birth of the Republic used in the previous course.
Art Trilogy: Women in Art, John Singer Sargent, and Cats in Art
(3 sessions) (40 seats available) (Discovery 3 Classroom)
Join Muscarelle Museum of Art docents Georgianna Avioli, Patricia Rublein, and Lisa Smith as they explore themes from the realm of art. Georgianna will present “Women in Art,” examining why women’s works can be singled out from men. Patricia will survey the work and career of “John Singer Sargent – Beyond the Portraits.” These two sessions repeat from the Fall 2022. Lisa Smith will lead a new third session, “Cats in Art,” a lighthearted survey of artists’ representations of cats in various artistic roles. This familiar yet inscrutable animal is an ideal instrument in domesticity, black magic, and other untamed chaos.
Georgianna Avioli was a mathematics adjunct lecturer at William & Mary for 23 years who audited art history classes while there. She has been a docent at the Muscarelle Museum of Art for over 20 years.
I know Georgianna from seeing her in several Osher classes. A couple of years ago, I decided to take piano lessons at a local music program, and Georgianna was in my group class.
Patricia Rublein has a B.A. in art from William & Mary and served as the executive director of the Cultural Alliance of Hampton Roads. She is currently a docent at the Muscarelle Museum of Art.
Lisa Smith is a retired reading specialist at WJCC Schools who returns to her early passion for art history. She is a docent at the Muscarelle Museum of Art and a volunteer at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg.
My husband Tim is enrolled in this class. He had a lot of good things to say about it when he got home at lunchtime. I was pleased with one thing he said — one person in the class had just relocated to Williamsburg and this was his first Osher class. As I have mentioned in previous essays about Osher, we have struggled to rebound from COVID. I’m always pleased to hear about Osher members who are newcomers to the area. New retirees are what I call the “young olds.” They can usually anticipate a long period of active retirement — and Osher membership — before the aging process catches up with them. I’m no longer a “young old” — although I’m not yet an “old old.” My mobility and mental processing are still pretty good. But we need “young olds” to take up the slack when our “old olds” start to lose a step or two.
The Muscarelle is a gem of an art gallery affiliated with William and Mary. It is currently closed for extensive renovation and expansion, but its website provides lots of opportunities to learn about previous exhibits, ongoing lectures and workshops, and a variety of special projects. Check it out here https://muscarelle.wm.edu/virtual/
“And What Do You Think You’re Listening To?” A Composer’s Toolbox
(1 session) (40 seats available) (School of Education)
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, you will learn to listen for which parameter the composer used to propel the music.
Suggested Readings:
Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts by Leonard Bernstein, Edited by Jack Gottlieb.
Marsalis on Music by Wynton Marsalis.
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 D.M.A. from the University of North Texas. Having taught at VCU, UVA, and the University of Arizona, he is now retired from the Fairfax County Public Schools specializing in the Orff Schulwerk method for music education.
Yoga and Meditation
(4 sessions) (25 seats available) (Williamsburg Landing)
Yoga is a segment of an ancient educational and remedial tradition that is valid, relevant, and supportive in a new millennium with ever-growing health and well-being concerns. Athletes use it to tone muscles and increase flexibility. Executives rely on it to de-stress. Doctors prescribe it for everything from sore backs and respiratory problems to chronic fatigue. This course will focus on gentle yoga postures and the importance of progressive breathing as well as an introduction to the healing benefits of sound meditation. Bring a mat or blanket to use on the floor and wear comfortable clothing.
Indira Ghosh was a lecturer in physical education and yoga at Loreto College, Calcutta, India. She has conducted and participated in yoga and meditation seminars across the globe. She taught yoga in the Midwest through area universities, hospitals, and community centers. She is also an orthopedic nurse and teaches yoga and meditation in Williamsburg
This class is being offered at Williamsburg Landing, an upscale continuous care community in Williamsburg. Osher has offered classes at this facility (and other similar places in town) to make course opportunities accessible to people who no longer drive or have other mobility issues but still want to be active.
German Conversation Table
(12 sessions) (20 seats available) (Wightman Cup Room, Kaplan Arena)
Informal discussion of topics of interest, newspaper or magazine articles. Conversation is conducted in German with help from the instructor.
Judith Taddeo grew up in Bonn, Germany. She was a former member of the German Foreign Service and is currently working as a professional technical and legal translator. She has a B.A. in linguistics with an emphasis on bilingualism as well as language acquisition in children.
There are also “conversation tables” for other languages – Spanish, French, Italian, and Hebrew. The facilitators of these conversation tables are either native speakers of the language or teachers who taught the language in the public school system. These conversation tables meet every week for the 12-week semester. I sat in on the French conversation table once a few years ago. I was able to understand much of what was being said, but I didn’t participate much except to nod knowingly once in a while.
The Three Marys: Mary Boleyn, Mary Tudor, & Mary Tudor Queen of Scots
(3 sessions) (30 seats available) (Zoom, Blackboard)
This Blackboard course explores the lives of three women: Mary Boleyn, the sister of Anne Boleyn and a mistress of Henry VIII; Mary Tudor, the sister of Elizabeth I of England; and Mary Stewart, Queen of Scots and a cousin to Elizabeth I. Each Mary has a module in this fully online course and lasts one week. Participants will enjoy brief articles, video and movie clips, and narrated PowerPoint presentations to view on their own schedule within each week. Participants are expected to participate in the discussion board by answering 1-2 questions per week by typing in a text box on Blackboard.
The class has one Zoom meeting at the start of the course and another during the last week so that participants get to know each other.
Debbie Misiag has a B.A. in history from California State University, Fullerton and an M.A. from Johns Hopkins. She has taught undergraduate and graduate students in person, online, and in hybrid format, and has presented to professionals at many national and state conferences. Debbie was an elementary school teacher and administrator and developed numerous professional learning opportunities for her staff.
Debbie is a good friend of mine. She has pioneered the use of blackboard technology for the Osher Program here in Williamsburg. She is also president of the Williamsburg Area Genealogy Society, a group that grew out of a genealogy class I offered for Osher five years ago. We have been meeting monthly since then and now have more than 50 members.
Blackboard is a format that is used regularly in university classes. It became very popular during the pandemic, as everyone had to figure out how to offer engaging classes in virtual settings. Debbie has pioneered the use of the Blackboard platform for Osher; the reaction of our members has been very positive.
I didn’t sign up for any of these classes. But if the past is any predictor, these classes were fully enrolled and people were glad to get back to school. I don’t know if anyone had special “first day of school clothes” or not, but I suspect some did.
I love the Minions. Oh, right; I love Osher, too. My classes start next week.
An excellent article, Karen. Thank you! I’m registered for all the Zoom classes. My first class is tomorrow. I can’t wait!