First Universalist Church of Denver   

Each week participants will consider a different critical or current issue. The group will analyze at least three perspectives or viewpoints for addressing this issue. We will use the Deliberative Democracy framework to thoughtfully review each of these ideas. Topics will be selected by the group in a survey in the first session. Class members are encouraged to bring open minds and analytical thinking to our discussion-oriented class.

The course will have speaking, reading, and writing. The primary objective is to teach enough vocabulary and expressions that you can begin to speak and understand others who speak Spanish. We will build a community of safety together, where everyone is praised for trying to communicate and there is no room for criticism. It is difficult to learn another language, making it necessary for everyone to be patient with one another. We can laugh together while we all make mistakes!

Required text: Dorothy Richmond, Practice Makes Perfect Spanish Verb Tenses, Fifth Edition

With powerful new telescopes, scientists are making observations that challenge our theories of the cosmos. Each week we will meet a different telescope, discussing why it was built, how it was developed, and what makes it special. Then we will review the key discoveries it helped make and how those confirm or disrupt our current understanding of the universe. The telescopes include the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the early universe and exoplanets; Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), dark energy and dark matter; Vera C. Rubin Observatory, a 10-year survey of the universe; Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe (SPHEREx); Euclid Space Observatory, dark energy and dark matter; Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), viewing the universe at radio wavelengths; Nancy Roman Grace Telescope. Prior knowledge of cosmology is not required, as we will review the underlying cosmological principles at an introductory level.

Bitcoin has been called everything from "digital gold" to "a passing fad." What's the truth? This class offers a clear, non-technical introduction to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies—what they are, how they work, and why they've captured so much attention.

Together, we'll explore whether this technology could reshape money or simply fade away. We'll explore what money is and how it has evolved over time from commodity money (seashells, coins, paper) to electronic money (wire transfers, credit cards, and peer-to-peer transfer such as Venmo and Zelle), and then explore digital currencies. We'll explore whether Bitcoin is an investment asset, a speculation, or an emerging technology—or all of the above.

Bitcoin has been called everything from "digital gold" to "a passing fad." What's the truth? This class offers a clear, non-technical introduction to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies—what they are, how they work, and why they've captured so much attention.

Together, we'll explore whether this technology could reshape money or simply fade away. We'll explore what money is and how it has evolved over time from commodity money (seashells, coins, paper) to electronic money (wire transfers, credit cards, and peer-to-peer transfer such as Venmo and Zelle), and then explore digital currencies. We'll explore whether Bitcoin is an investment asset, a speculation, or an emerging technology—or all of the above.

This is a discussion of the current week's events in the first hour. Dick will do the first week overview. Then the facilitators would like two people in class to volunteer each week to do an overview of the week before. The second hour will be a discussion of a specific topic. The facilitators of this class express a progressive point of view on American politics. They welcome conservative or other points of view and encourage discussion as part of our learning experience.

This is a discussion of the current week's events in the first hour. Dick will do the first week overview. Then we would like 2 people in class to volunteer each week to do this overview of the week before. The second hour will be a discussion of a specific topic. The facilitators of this class express a progressive point of view on American politics. They welcome conservative or other points of view and encourage discussion as part of our learning experience.

Overexploitation of ground-water aquifers occurs worldwide. The Atlantic and Coastal Plains Aquifer in the U.S. exemplifies recent trends to rely more on ground water. Emerging topics include undersea fresh-water aquifers, how ground-water pumping is altering the rotation of the earth, and geoengineering to mitigate climate change. These are some of the emerging issues to be discussed in this course. As water scarcity becomes more acute—by 2030, fresh-water demand may exceed supply by 40%. Water-supply contamination and water-management issues are affecting drinking-water supplies in rural areas. A case study in the Guanajuato state in Mexico will involve water-supply contamination, regulatory conflicts, and frustrations by local community activists to resolve this issue. Mitigation of climate change using geoengineering may help reduce freshwater demands. Some of the proposed geoengineering methods include the three broad categories (1) carbon dioxide removal (CDR); (2) solar radiation management (SRM) and (3) earth surface interventions such as glacial geoengineering and ocean heat management.

This class will be based on the format of dialogue, which exemplifies the heart of democracy. The facilitators propose to discover together with participants what constitutes a deep and resilient democracy. A sample of some questions that will be considered is as follows: What virtues does democracy require of individuals, members of institutions, and society at large? What inspiration and practical advice will we be able to offer ourselves and our grandchildren as a consequence of our exploration? The facilitators leave you with this quote by Buckminster Fuller: "You can never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete."

Required text: John Keane, The Shortest History of Democracy, The Paperback Edition

Each week a foreign film will be viewed, followed by a class discussion. Before each class, the facilitator will send to participants the name of the film that will be shown in the next class. None of the films will have been shown in the facilitator's prior classes.

This course will be a combination literature and history class. The book we’ll read is Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 novel "It Can’t Happen Here." Lewis was the first American recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. He’s well-known for such novels as "Main Street," "Babbitt," "Elmer Gantry," "Arrowsmith," and "Dodsworth." In his 1930 Nobel acceptance speech, Lewis warned that in America, literature was stifled by a “standardization of thought,” and he criticized publishers, critics, and readers who resisted frank portrayals of American life.

In addition to reading Lewis’s book, we’ll take a close look at the history of 1930s America. The 1930s in the United States (in the shadow of the Great Depression and global political upheavals) saw a wide range of extreme political personalities and movements. Among the individuals we’ll examine are Father Coughlin, Huey Long, William Pelley, and Francis Townsend. We’ll also focus on social movements such as the National Union for Social Justice, the American Liberty League, the Silver Legion of America, the German American Bund, America First, Share Our Wealth, and the Communist Party USA.

Required text: Sinclair Lewis: It Can't Happen Here, copyright 1935

Imagine a memoir in 17 syllables all about beauty and endings, the two greatest topics in literature. Personal stories are so relevant today, but how to take a different, exciting, simple, and approachable path, both for writer and reader? Poetry is the answer! Many Asian forms in particular, such as the familiar haiku, are conducive to pithy statements that embody far more than the actual words, an unexpected impetus to the memoirist ready to share sparkling bits of experience, but perhaps not a full book. This class bridges reading, appreciation, discussion, and a generative writing workshop to create mini-memoir poems. Presentations first offer a wide-ranging variety of poetic and short poetic prose works for analysis and inspiration; second, explanations of structure, style, punctuation (or not), and how to find the “right words” to begin the path toward valuable experiential memoir; and third, end with composition and time to share and appreciate creative efforts with participants.

As with so many aspects of life, women have traditionally been marginalized by men. The field of music, and for our purposes, jazz, is no different. This course is designed to bring women out of the shadows of the patriarchy and discover their immense talent, not only as singers (the most traditional role) and swingers, but as instrumentalists, composers, and bandleaders. We will explore the origins of jazz beginning in the 19th century and the evolution of this African-American art form through the women who influenced it. Instruction will be multi-media, including PowerPoint presentation, audio, and video. All sessions are designed to stimulate interaction with participants, including commentaries, questions, and perhaps even relating personal experiences.

European empires followed their quest for raw materials into a new world. The advent of the Industrial Revolution transformed that quest into a new appetite for more power. The Road to Imperialism traverses revolutions, philosophical shifts, and global wars. Join Shellie on this road, from 1700-1890, that leads us to the modern world.

Drawing on two decades of portfolio management and retirement advising, this OLLI course shows what truly works—and what doesn't—when your savings need to last. You'll get practical, real-world lessons on simple rules for building a resilient investment portfolio, income strategies, spotting and avoiding high-fee investments that underperform, and examples of mistakes that have cost retirees time and money. The emphasis is on usable steps and plain-English explanations you can evaluate for your own situation. We'll also explore a mindset shift that reduces stress about market swings by reframing decisions around income needs, time horizons, and tolerable risk instead of daily price movements. Along the way, Eric will introduce a few lesser-known asset types and professional techniques—explained so they're understandable and actionable—that can play a thoughtful role in retirement planning when used appropriately. Bring your questions and specific scenarios; the session is designed to leave you more confident and better prepared to make practical investing choices for retirement.

The 1930s were a decade of uncertainty and dramatic change in the US and throughout the world. In this course, we will use Timothy Egan's book The Worst Hard Time as a jumping-off point to explore many of the events that defined the 1930s. A few of the topics we will touch on include: the Dust Bowl, the stock market crash, the New Deal, economic protectionism, American isolationism, the westward migration, and the effects of the depression on everyday life and family dynamics.

Required text: Timothy Egan, The Worst Hard Time

The art of a culture often reflects its values, concerns, struggles, and preoccupations. This truism is especially accurate when it comes to the birth of our world in the tumultuous years of the Renaissance and Reformation. The art of Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, and Albrecht Dürer—to name only a few—is a crucial window into the birth pangs of our world. In this course we will delve into the emergence of our world and explore how the artists' eyes help us to understand, appreciate, and explore the challenges, opportunities, and anxieties that continue to shape our lives today.

How much do you really know about the American Indian? Where did the American Indian come from? What about the wars between the American Indian and the white man? What are some of their ceremonies, and what is a powwow? What happened at boarding schools? Have you ever seen an American Indian opera with its story of song and dance? Learn the influence of American Indian music and jazz shared in a film titled Spirit. See the facilitator's examples of American Indian art forms, such as paintings, weavings, pottery, and jewelry. Bring your examples of American Indian art to share with the class. Who were code-talkers of World War I and II? View and learn of American Indian poverty versus wealth through casinos. This information will be shared using PowerPoint presentations, DVDs, discussions, and your impressions of what you may or may not know about the American Indian.

Join us for an engaging literary journey through brief, captivating lectures on the rich history of short forms of literature. This class is designed for participants to dive deep into the art of concise expression, primarily through the reading and writing of short literary constructs. You'll have the opportunity to share your insights and discoveries in lively small group discussions, within a collaborative learning environment.

Our focus on brevity will invite you to experience and contribute to the literary legacy of the shortest forms—including sentences, maxims, aphorisms, anecdotes, couplets, quatrains, characters, captions, comments, notes, and tweets.

Our rich reading list features timeless works, including Sei Shonagon's enchanting "The Pillow Book," Benjamin Franklin's clever "Poor Richard’s Almanac," and Ambrose Bierce's sharp and witty "The Devil’s Dictionary."

Embark on this exploration of literature’s succinct forms and discover the power of words in their most concise and transformative expressions!

Required texts: They are all Dover Thrift Edition paperbacks, and the total cost of the six books is $30: The Pillow Book of Sei Shonagaon ($5), The Devil’s Dictionary of Ambrose Bierce ($5), Wit and Wisdom from Poor Richard’s Almanac ($4), Women’s Wit and Wisdom: A Book of Quotations ($5), Book of African-American Quotations ($8), Music: A Book of Quotations ($3)