Kansas State University

Registration for the spring 2016 Osher Lifelong Learning Program is now open

Submitted by Charlene Brownson

Kansas State University and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Kansas have teamed up to bring the Manhattan area the diverse content, innovative learning opportunities and quality faculty that promote lifelong learning in the community. The program in Manhattan is coordinated by UFM Community Learning Center.

The Osher Institute offers courses for participants age 50 and over that stress the joy of learning. Instructors are carefully selected for their expertise, a passion for the topic and a love of teaching. Courses generally meet weekly for two hours over a three-week period and require no homework, out-of-class preparation or testing.

To enroll, call KU Osher toll-free at 877-404-5823 or 785-864-5823 or visit its website.

2016 courses and special events: 

1. Manhattan Home Life in the 1880s
What was Manhattan like in the 1880s, what sort of homes people lived in here, the types of furnishings that were popular, clothing of the time etc. The event will delve into local 1880s community and home life through food, fashion, families, government, buildings and work. A special tour after the class of the Wolf House Museum will illustrate that period.

Cheryl Collins, Riley County Historical Museum director, has two degrees in history from Kansas State University. Corina Salas De Hugo, Riley County Historical Museum curator of collections, has a degree in interior design, with an emphasis on historic interiors, from Kansas State University. Linda Glasgow, Riley County Historical Museum curator of archives/librarian, has a degree in history from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Allana Saenger Parker, Riley County Historical Museum curator of design, has a degree in history from Kansas State University and a Master's of Art in museum studies from the University of Kansas. Marla Day, senior curator, Kansas State University Historic Costume and Textiles Museum and trustee of the Riley County Historical Museum, has two degrees in clothing and textiles from Kansas State University. Meets from 2 to 4 p.m. Fridays, Feb. 19, Feb. 26 and March 4 in the Meadowlark Hills Community Room.

2. The Generals
The Generals class focuses on three of America's most significant and influential military men. The first class will examine the life, and specifically, the military leadership of George Washington. Washington successfully and continually outmaneuvered the cream of the British army during the American Revolution. The second class examines the life, and the military genius of Ulysses Grant. Grant, a mediocre West Point student successfully led Union forces that continually outgeneraled numerous fine Confederate military leaders during America's Civil War. The final class considers the life and military acumen of Kansas' own Dwight D. Eisenhower. While not a successful battlefield commander, Eisenhower played a significant role in forging a war winning coalition of fractious allies during the Second World War. Instructor: Robert Smith. Class meets 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, March 29, April 5 and April 12 in the Meadowlark Hills Community Room.

3. Learn about "As You Like It"
Learn about Shakespeare's "As You Like It" previous to the K-State spring production. Read selected scenes, discuss artistic and historical issues involved in the play, and learn more about how Shakespeare's plays were produced in the Globe Theatre in London. For one class we will visit the Beach Museum to see the First Folio of the plays of William Shakespeare. Instructor: Sally Bailey. Class meets 6-8 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 16, Feb. 23, and March 1 at the Beach Museum of Art.

This nearly 400-year-old collection of William Shakespeare's plays will make a stop in Manhattan. Kansas State University will host an exhibition featuring a rare First Folio of the Bard's plays in during February. The folio was assembled by two of Shakespeare's actors in 1623 and is an original printing of the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays. Included are plays such as "Macbeth," ''Julius Caesar" and "The Tempest." Of 800 copies made originally it's estimated between 200 and 300 remain. The exhibition will tour all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Island. The tour is organized by the Folger Shakespeare Library, in partnership with the Cincinnati Museum Center and the American Library Association.

4. Worker Heritage: Homesteaders, Farmers, Miners, and Women!
We'll start this class by discussing the homestead era of north central Kansas, and how it provided an environment for labor and farmer organizations such as the Grange and Knights of Labor and other groups. In the second session, the course will examine the history of the forgotten Cloud County town of Minersville, unique in Kansas history as a major coal mining community with a rich labor cooperative movement. The last session will be a review and glimpse of how women helped change America. Some were the first to unionize women workers, others were outstanding women who broke the "glass ceiling." The presentation will cover stories of Mother Jones, Frances Perkins, Lucy Parsons, Susan B. Anthony and other women in the past and today.

Greg Stephens, instructor of technology management at Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus, is researching the history of Kansas farm organizations. Tom Fleming has taught social science at Bethany College and the University of Texas, and English in the Salina school district. Debi Aaron, an officer with the Kansas Anthropological Association, has researched the history of Minersville for more than 20 years. Dee Boyd has spent over six years as a technical writer and has led worker and communication training. Bob Storer is a representative for the Working Kansas Alliance. Storer has retired after 36 years with Kansas railroads; he continues to work with the alliance and the teamsters on labor issues. Joan Ratzlaff has worked in both public and private sectors for more than 40 years, and has worked toward fair treatment in the workplace. Class meets from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesdays, April 6, April 13 and April 20 in the Meadowlark Hills Community Room.

Special Events:

1. Underground Railroad sites in Riley and Wabaunsee Counties
The Underground Railroad was a lifeline for slaves yearning to be free, even in Kansas, the Free State. On this journey, we'll visit significant sites and learn who played important roles during this period. The event will explore the famous Beecher Bible, Rifle Church, the Strong Farm, meet Capt. Mitchell, Reverend Blood and others who helped to make Kansas a free state. This adventure will place you in the shoes of enslaved African Americans, slave owners and abolitionists as you learn the true meaning of strength, courage and endurance experienced.

Richard Pitts, executive director of the Wonder Workshop, is the author of "A Self-guided Tour of the
Underground Railroad in Kansas" and executive producer of the documentary "The Kansas Underground Railroad."

The event will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, April 8:
9 a.m. — Coach picks up Meadowlark Hills residents.
9:15 a.m. — Coach departs Town Center parking lot west of Dillard's in Manhattan
The $75 fee includes transportation, presentation, admissions and lunch.

2. William Shakespeare's "As You Like It"
In "As You Like It," the heroine Rosalind flees persecution in her uncle's court accompanied by her cousin Celia to find safety and eventually love in the Forest of Arden. They encounter a number of memorable characters, including the court fool, Touchstone and the melancholy Jacques. Featuring some of Shakespeare's most famous and oft-quoted phrases, "All the world's a stage" and "A fool! A fool! I met a fool in the forest...," this play remains a favorite romantic comedy among audiences around the world. This production is part of a semesterlong series of campus and community events honoring the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death. "As You Like It" is sponsored by the K-State School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and directed by David Mackay. The event begins 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 28, in the Mark A. Chapman Theatre, Nichols Hall, 702 Mid-Campus Drive. Admission is $15. This production complements the three-part Osher Institute course being offered by Sally Bailey in February at the Beach Museum of Art.

1. Historic Fort Riley tour
Fort Riley, established in 1853, is one of the Army's oldest and continuously garrisoned posts. The tour will include a visit to the historic main post will consist of a guided tour of the U.S. Cavalry Museum, which chronicles the history of the horse-mounted branch of the service from 1775 to 1950; a guided tour of the 1st Infantry Division Museum, the Army's oldest and most storied division; and a tour of the historic Custer House restored to its original 1870s look. We'll also take a walking tour of the Main Post featuring landmarks such as St. Mary's Chapel, the old trolley station, the historic Cavalry Parade Field, and the gravesite of "Chief," the last cavalry horse of the Army. We'll even stop for lunch on post.

Robert Smith, director of the Fort Riley Museum, has a doctorate in history from K-State and has published numerous articles on military history.

The tour will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m Friday, April 15:
9 a.m. — Coach picks up Meadowlark Hills residents
9:15 a.m. — Coach departs Town Center parking lot west of Dillard's in Manhattan
The $65 fee includes transportation, admissions and lunch.

To register, go online or call toll free 877-404-5823. More information is available online.