OLLI at Aquinas offers a range of courses taught by professors from area institutions and professionals from diverse disciplines. A broad spectrum of topics is presented each year, covering everything from the arts and humanities to science and philosophy. Our curriculum reflects the wide-ranging interests of our students, as well as important and timely topics being addressed by other cultural and research institutions in the greater Grand Rapids area and beyond. In addition, we offer opportunities for cultural and study tours and courses to enrich your lifestyle.

January Sampler Classes are HERE! Call 616-632-2430 to register (credit card only).

Sampler Session: January 12-23

Painting Miniatures, Mondays, 9:30 AM-11:30 AM, with Shirley Wells

• Learn to create miniature paintings in watercolor by minimizing detail and focusing on shapes and color. Frame it and hang it, or send it to a friend on a greeting card!

Abelard and Heloise: A Historic Love Story, Tuesdays, 9:30 AM-11:30 AM, with William Levitan

• Explore the dramatic love story between 12th century philosopher and theologian Abelard and his student Heloise. William Levitan’s new translation carefully renders the artful elegance of the original letters.

Horticulture Therapy: The Healing Power of Plants, Tuesdays, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM, with Betsy Brown

• Learn simple ways that therapeutic horticulture or plant therapy can benefit your mind, body, and spirit. This hands-on class with a master gardener will cover design, materials, and the positive effect of plants.

Riding the Economic Wave, Tuesdays, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM, with Yatin Bhagwat

• In this tumultuous economic time, analysts are wondering if the new “global economy” is already passe. Professor Bhagwat will help students understand the current financial landscape and what brought us to this point.

Exploring Justice through Biblical Ideals, Wednesdays, 9:30 AM-11:30 AM, with Rev. James Vander Schaaf

• What is justice and how can it best be served? Students will explore the deep roots of justice and its original restorative purposes, allowing students to consider contemporary issues through the lens of history.

Einstein, Buber, and Herschel: God, Wonder, and Awe, Wednesdays, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM, with Rabbi Al Lewis

• Join us for a fascinating discussion of these three great thinkers and how their various philosophies intersect. How does their work challenge us to ask questions about how and when we most experience God?

Sing Away the Blues, Thursdays, 9:30 AM-11:30 AM, with Roger Gilles and Dan Royer

• How did America’s songwriters and musicians respond to the Great Depression? Focusing on jazz and popular music, this class will explore ways in which the music reflected the population’s miseries and its hope for a better future.

Healthy Relationships and Positive Communication, Thursdays, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM, with Dave Weinandy

• Healthy communicators get their point across as well as motivate others to want to interact with them. You will learn how to communicate as accurately as possible, increase listening ability, and resolve conflict easily.

The Sound of Days Gone By: Old Time Radio Shows, Thursdays, 1:30 PM-3:30 PM, with Bill Seeger

• Take a trip back in time with radio enthusiast BIll Seeger as he reminisces about the golden age of audio. He’ll play excerpts from some favorite genres, discuss how radio changed in light of new technology, and show samples of the various radios he’s collected over the years.

Visit the Members Page to see our current Members-Only courses!

 

 
Sneak Peek: Check out some of the classes that will be offered for the February session! Registration begins January 5. Look for the full course catalog in your mailbox soon!

Forty Acres and a Mule: The Reconstruction Era in America, Mondays, 1:30-3:30 PM, with Scott Stabler

• Reconstruction marks a controversial time in history. Many see the post Civil War period as a failure in American governance, but what critics didn’t realize was what an enormous task reconstructing the United States really was.

Unearth the History of Roman Arabia, Tuesdays, 1:30-3:30 PM, with Dr. Ben Dolinka

• This course will examine the Roman Province of Arabia, from its beginning as a client kingdom of Rome in 63 BC through the years of crisis in the 3rd century AD.

Your Stories and the Next Generation’s Questions: God, Faith, and Worship Today, Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 AM, with Sister Mary Kay Oosdyke

• Explore the deep and probing questions that many of us face throughout our lives, and how these questions shape our spiritual lives and thoughts.

Exploring Bent Space, Thursdays, 9:30-11:30 AM, with Michael McDonald

• The hyperbolic model of the universe requires space itself to bend. We will construct the lines, triangles, circles, and polygons of hyperbolic space using a drawing compass and ruler.

More to come later… just a taste now to whet your appetite for our February offerings!