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In our movie series, Greg and Larry have featured great male actors from the 1930s through the 50s. It is time to recognize female movie greats from the same era. We start with the original The Thin Man with Myrna Loy, followed by Rosalind Russell’s delightful performance in His Girl Friday, and then two of our favorites, Claudette Colbert from It Happened One Night and Ingrid Bergman from Casablanca.   And then we will skip forward eight years into the 1950s and include three movies with spectacular actresses from a new generation.

Join us for a term of unforgettable stars and movies, where we show these movies and then discuss them.

• 1934- The Thin Man - Myrna Loy
• 1939- It Happened One Night - Claudette Colbert
• 1940- His Girl Friday - Rosalind Russell
• 1942- Casablanca - Ingrid Bergman
• 1950- All About Eve - Bette Davis, Anne Baxter & Celeste Holm
• 1953- Roman Holiday - Audrey Hepburn
• 1958- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Elizabeth Taylor
• 1959- Some Like It Hot - Marilyn Monroe

History of the Rain by Niall Williams, tells of a young woman trying to find out about her father through the library he left behind. The Time Literary Supplement calls it, “A multi-layered, mythological retelling of the making of a family and nation.” We approach reading as discovery in a reading community; therefore, some of the reading is done in class so that, together, we encounter the text as a group. We use an approach called reader response theory, where meaning is created by the reader. For this reason, we encourage discussion and analysis as an ongoing activity during the reading. For this reason, PLEASE DO NOT START READING THE BOOK BEFORE CLASS BEGINS!

Please purchase a copy of History of the Rain by Niall Williams before class begins (required) BUT DO NOT BEGIN READING.

Join Jan, Neil, and guest speakers in exploring 298 years of various operas:

1. Perennial favorites - THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO, EUGENE ONEGIN, THE MAGIC FLUTE, MADAMA BUTTERFLY

2. Some lesser-known gems - RODELINDA, THE BALLAD OF BABY DOE

3. Two recent operas - EL ÚLTIMO SUEÑ0 DE FRIDA Y DIEGO*/2022, LILI ELBE*/2023 *Guest speakers

These operas can be seen during or soon after OLLI’s spring term, either at many local movie theaters broadcast live from the Metropolitan Opera, or onstage at Opera Colorado, Central City Opera, or the Santa Fe Opera. In Jan and Neil's class, you’ll get an in-depth education on these operas, explore the historical and social worlds in which they premiered, why they still resonate, and get some fun opera nerdery. Through videos, entertaining lectures, and lively class discussions (there are no dumb questions!), you'll feel at home whether you're an opera veteran or a deer-in-the-headlights newbie.

Art in the streets (including graffiti, murals, stickers, and paste-ups) gives voice to marginalized communities, shapes urban environments, and challenges institutional norms. This course explores graffiti and street art in the U.S. and around the world, examining their histories, motivations, and social impact. Participants will consider the rise of global mural movements, efforts to preserve and present street art, and its evolving role in activism, community identity, and social change.

This Osher Online course, offered through the Osher National Resource Center, lets you learn with fellow lifelong learners nationwide, guided by a world-class expert. OSHER ONLINE COURSES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Back by popular demand, this updated course offers a clear, engaging introduction to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it’s rapidly transforming our world. From self-driving cars to chatbots and precision medicine, we will explore how AI works, where it’s headed, and what it means for society. No tech experience needed—just curiosity! With fresh examples and timely updates, participants will gain a solid understanding of the opportunities and challenges AI presents today.

This Osher Online course, offered through the Osher National Resource Center, lets you learn with fellow lifelong learners nationwide, guided by a world-class expert. OSHER ONLINE COURSES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Baseball is back at OLLI! Each class session will have one or more guests talking about their area of baseball knowledge. The topics will vary widely, and there will always be time for Q&A. This will be an informative and entertaining class about our National Pastime. Separate from the class itself, class members will be able to go on a free private group tour of our outstanding Coors Field. While the class topics are subject to change depending on the availability of guests, these are the sessions currently planned.:

• A panel discussing baseball in general and the Rockies' evolving future
• Baseball, according to Charles Schulz and the Peanuts gang (this should be fun!)
• What “baseball analytics” is, and how it and technology have changed baseball
• Colorado-born players who made it to major league baseball; 117 and counting!
• The history of baseball cards (and do you still have yours?)
• Manny Randhawa discussing his book The Blake Street Bombers

Borderlands tells the powerful history of the Hispanic Southwest, stretching from Spain's earliest explorations of the Americas to Mexico's settlement of the northern frontier that became today's American Southwest. Through vivid storytelling, author Angel Vigil traces the evolution of Hispanic life—from the Mexican Revolution through the Bracero labor program to the rise of the United Farm Workers and the Chicano movement. It celebrates the culture's deep traditions in art, music, food, and language, and the unbreakable value placed on family. It honors the patriotism of Latinos who have served our nation in every war and contributed leadership across every field. Borderlands showcases the lives of Hispanic leaders who through perseverance, resilience, and faith have contributed to America's success. Interactive discussion will be encouraged.

Recommended Book: Borderlands, Living in Two Worlds – the Story of Hispanics in the American Southwest

Mike Holmes is offering this multifaceted course that helps the bridge student to develop play of the hand techniques and defense strategy. This online course is for individuals with some bridge experience or those who have been absent from bridge for a while. Each class the students will engaged with supervised play on either play of the hand or defense strategy. After the hand has been played, the facilitator will lead a discussion and demonstration of the important strategies leading to success with each hand. This course is taught on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

There is a $20.00 non-negotiable or refundable fee for this class. The fee goes to offset the app fees so students can play bridge online and postage to mail a book to the students (there is no text for this class). Failure to pay the fee will result with you being dropped from the class. Students will pay the instructor directly via check or Zelle.

Between the years 600 BCE and 50 CE, Judaism experienced a profound transformation: first from its exposure to Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian culture, and next from the effects of Hellenization, including Greek philosophy and science. Alexander the Great conquered most of the Middle East by 320 BCE and his successors extended Greek language and culture throughout the region. These cultural shocks engendered such religious ideas as the struggle between heaven and hell, carried out by angels and demons, life after death, and new concepts of the cosmos. These ideas gave birth to new religious communities such as Qumran (of the Dead Sea Scrolls) and later Christianity. By 200 CE Judaism had purged most of these ideas, but they survived within Christianity, Gnosticism and Greek Mystery religions. This course will explore these events from earliest Israel and how they affected the development of Christianity.

Recommended Reading: The Crucible of Faith, Phillip Jenkins

Apeirogon, a shape with a countably infinite number of sides, tells an epic story rooted in the real-life friendship between two men united by loss. Bassam Aragon is Palestinian. Rami Elhanan is Israeli. When Bassam and Rami learn of each other's stories, they recognize the loss that connects them and they attempt to use their grief as a weapon for peace. This compelling hybrid novel, published in 2021, is crafted out of a universe of fictional and nonfictional material. Colum McCann, renowned Irish writer, crosses centuries and continents stitching together time, art, history, nature and politics in a tale both heartbreaking and hopeful. If you enjoy a challenging, unforgettable read, join me as we look again at these incredibly complex issues that continue to haunt us all. Please come with an open mind and heart.

This class will be a combination of lecture, video, and discussion, with discussion questions emailed each week.

Required Text: Apeirogon, a novel by Colum McCann

The Colorado Front Range faces numerous environmental challenges that impact living in Colorado. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the products we use, and the recreation sites we visit all face environmental challenges we need to understand. This 4-week presentation-discussion course using a zoom format will provide a foundation for understanding the scientific principles, health impacts, and mitigation options for Front Range environmental challenges, including:

• Is the Suncor refinery the largest polluter in the Denver metro area?
• Is radon infiltration of homes a serious health risk?
• Why does the Front Range fail to meet federal air quality standards?
• Are ‘forever’ chemicals and microplastic contaminants a drinking water threat?
• How safe are Rocky Mountain Arsenal and Rocky Flats after Superfund cleanup?

The course includes some general science; however, no science background is required or assumed. Discussions will also include how political and economic factors impact environmental perceptions.

Frank Lloyd Wright designed nearly 1,000 buildings and helped define modern architecture. This course explores highlights of his practice, from Prairie houses to Fallingwater and the Guggenheim Museum, alongside lesser-known projects like affordable housing and city planning. We’ll examine how Wright’s work reflected cultural shifts in technology, science, and politics, offering a deeper understanding of his lasting influence on architecture and modern design.

This Osher Online course, offered through the Osher National Resource Center, lets you learn with fellow lifelong learners nationwide, guided by a world-class expert. OSHER ONLINE COURSES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Explore the expressive and flowy world of watercolor. This 8-week course is designed for those who are new to watercolor or would like to strengthen their foundational skills. Participants will learn essential watercolor techniques through step-by-step demonstrations and hands-on practice. Topics include washes, wet-on-wet and wet-on-dry techniques, layering, blending, and creating textures. You will also gain a deeper understanding of how water, pigment, and paper work together—key to painting with confidence. Each class encourages experimentation, creativity, and personal expression. No prior watercolor experience is required. Come ready to relax, explore, and enjoy the process while discovering the joy of watercolor painting.

Required Materials: Supply List will be provided in advance to all participants. But here are basics supplies like 100% cotton 140lb Paper, Brushes round fine tip #2, #6, #10 or #12, watercolors, Paper Towels, Pencil, Eraser, Sharpener, Ruler.

Science is full of surprises. Dyes, accidentally discovered, launched the modern pharmaceutical industry. A failed experiment opened the door to new physics. Discoveries are never just facts. They are moments of creativity, struggle, and chance with far-reaching consequences. In this course, we will explore the human side of science, tracing breakthroughs in biology, chemistry, physics, and more. We will ask not only what was found, but how and why it matters.

This Osher Online course, offered through the Osher National Resource Center, lets you learn with fellow lifelong learners nationwide, guided by a world-class expert. OSHER ONLINE COURSES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Bridge Basics and Beyond (Mike Holmes) in partnership with Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI West) is offering "Improving Your Bidding Judgment." This online course is for individuals with some bridge experience or those who have been absent from bridge for a while. The class begins on March 25, 2026. This is an eight-week course taught on Wednesdays starting at 9:30 a.m. and finishing at 11:30 a.m. There is not a textbook for this class and notes will be provided by the instructor. This course is designed to help the student make good decisions for opening the bidding in various positions at the bridge table. Classes will have lecture and discussion along with playing sample hands to demonstrate the topics covered.

There is a $20.00 nonrefundable fee for this class. The fee goes to offset the app fees so students can play bridge online and postage to mail a book to the students. Failure to pay the fee will result in you being dropped from the class. Students will pay the instructor via check or Zelle.

Throughout his 1000-day presidency, John Kennedy pursued peace through a broad spectrum of initiatives. He saw a connection between learning and leadership and sought to use military deterrence, diplomacy, and soft power in novel ways. In this course, we will explore how his character and life experiences were the origins of those efforts. We will evaluate his powers of persuasion by listening to key speeches, and we will assess his successes and failures and their relevance to today’s world.

This is an Osher Online course, offered through the Osher National Resource Center, lets you learn with fellow lifelong learners nationwide, guided by a world-class expert. OSHER ONLINE COURSES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Science has answered many questions, but we are still just scratching the surface on understanding the human brain. Nevertheless, one thing becomes clearer with each new discovery: the brain is massively powerful! This is the third part of Dutch's Neuroplasticity series. In this 4 week course, participants will learn how breathing and stress affect our brains. We'll learn several breathing drills and discuss ways to mitigate stress to improve brain performance. We will take a "deep dive" into the mighty cerebellum and explore concepts and drills to improve performance of this crucial brain area. We will also explore how the cerebellum helps with balance and learn cerebellum drills to improve balance. Each class is half lecture and half brain-based exercises. Modifications for exercises will be available to make them accessible for everyone. It is not necessary to attend these classes in order. You can start here with Part III!

These books are recommended, not required: The Tell-Tale Brain by Ramachandran, and Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, by Nestor

How much of who we are is shaped by the places we live and experience? This course invites reflection on the psychological and emotional relationships between people and their environments. Drawing on psychology, geography, architecture, and design, we will explore environmental psychology and how physical environments shape behavior, cognition, identity, and memory. Using place-based methods, we will discuss concepts such as place attachment, identity, and cognitive maps. We will reflect on memory, home, trauma, displacement, and nature’s role in well-being.

This Osher Online course, offered through the Osher National Resource Center, lets you learn with fellow lifelong learners nationwide, guided by a world-class expert. OSHER ONLINE COURSES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

Siberia covers three quarters of Russia’s territory but is home to only a quarter of its population. Yet its role in shaping Russia as a vast and wealthy empire is profound. In this course, we will explore Siberia’s economic significance, indigenous cultures, and history as a penal colony, along with its importance for climate change, environmental issues, and Russian-Chinese relations. We will also consider Siberia’s role in both the rise and possible fragmentation of Russia.

This Osher Online course, offered through the Osher National Resource Center, lets you learn with fellow lifelong learners nationwide, guided by a world-class expert. OSHER ONLINE COURSES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE.

The Frozen River is one heck of a good historical mystery novel. Author Ariel Lawhon takes us into the 18th century world of midwife Martha Ballard who cares for the women and babies of Hallowell, Maine. She also investigates a gruesome murder, protects rape victims, fights against a warped justice system, and challenges egotistical doctors.

This a well-written story of a real-life, smart, strong feminist in an era when women were treated as far less than equal. It’s also a cautionary tale about those men who demean, dishonor and try to destroy women.

Join us as we explore complex societal themes that are as vital today as they were 250 years ago during America’s infancy. Some scenes are very painful and some characters despicable. Yet there is great moral courage and heroism in this novel.

We’ll read about 60 pages for each class and send out discussion prompts each week to help create respectful, spirited class conversations.

Required Text: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, and G. K. Chesterton . . . or should we say Hercule Poirot, Lord Peter Wimsey, and Father Brown?

These authors and their famous detectives were all part of a period called “The Golden Age of English Detective Fiction.” The period covers the years between the two world wars, so this fiction was published after Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes mysteries, but represented a unique trend all its own.

We will read short fiction by six authors and watch dramatizations of their detectives. That approach allows us to discuss and compare depictions by the authors vs. interpretations by subsequent screenwriters and directors.

The objective is to contemplate why the “Golden Age of English Detective Fiction” occurred when it did and produced the kind of fiction it did. We will be guided in that venture by reading mystery writer P.D. James’s book Talking About Detective Fiction.

The Peace Education Program is an innovative series of video-based workshops that invite you to explore personal peace and your inner resources for wellbeing. The course includes short video excerpts featuring author and peace educator Prem Rawat’s international talks, facilitated reflection time, individual exercises and the opportunity for group interactions. The sessions cover ten themes, among them Peace, Inner Strength, Dignity, etc.

Rather than describing or defining personal peace, the program aims to empower participants to reach their own understanding.

The facilitators’ role is to support the activities, interactions and reflection times, helping each workshop to run smoothly.

This course will be offered over five weeks, in weekly two-hour sessions. A complimentary course workbook will be given to each participant. For more information about the Peace Education Program, please visit https://tprf.org/peace-education-program/

Cultural symbols are everywhere — on our screens, in our politics, throughout our communities and in our own stories. They’re ancient, powerful, and multiplying precipitously; they quietly shape our choices, identities and collective imagination. Symbols guide, warn, inspire and/or divide us. But they speak a language older than words.

This course will examine cultural symbolism and uncover how profoundly it influences us. We’ll trace the journey of symbols from prehistoric markings and sacred icons to the hyper-speed imagery of the digital age and AI. In honor of America’s 250th birthday in 2026, we will spotlight some American iconic symbols.

Through selected readings and guided discussions, we’ll deconstruct powerful symbols from business, politics, pop culture and America’s history, revealing why some images unite us, while others separate us. Join me in decoding the language of symbols and how they help us make sense of ourselves, each other, and the culture we share.

Explore how the ancient practices of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are being reexamined through the lens of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) in this unique and timely course. With over 5,000 years of clinical tradition and more than 10,000 randomized controlled trials conducted since 1975, TCM remains one of the most widely practiced and studied systems of medicine worldwide.

Today, researchers at leading institutions like Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes of Health are leveraging AI to unlock the complex, whole-person effects of TCM. Unlike conventional approaches that focus narrowly on single conditions, TCM addresses the body, mind, and spirit as an interconnected system. Multifaceted interventions — such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, Tai Chi, and Qigong — impact multiple physiological and psychological domains at once, posing a challenge for traditional research methods.

Artificial intelligence offers powerful new tools to analyze these complex interactions, helping scientists better understand how TCM promotes prevention, resilience, and self-healing. We will explore how AI is transforming research in whole-person health and how universities, including the University of Denver, are pioneering studies that combine lifelong learning, integrative medicine, and advanced analytics to improve health outcomes in aging populations.

Whether you are curious about natural ways to enhance your well-being or eager to understand how ancient wisdom meets modern technology, this course will provide you with a rich foundation. Learn how TCM and AI together are shaping the future of health — and how these innovations can help you lead a healthier, more vibrant life.

Recommended Readings: Beinfield, Harriet, and Efrem Korngold. Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine. New York: Ballantine, 1992.

Why do so many Americans love their guns? How do we reconcile the proliferation of firearms and their use with the trauma and death they cause? How did a nation built on muskets and expanding frontiers become a country awash in modern firearms? Why do efforts to enact gun control laws spark such emotional and political division? How did the one-sentence Second Amendment become a defining flashpoint of American identity?

These questions lead to the central one this course will explore: Should regulation of gun possession and use be more stringent? What might such a path forward look like?

This eight-week course draws heavily from Robert J. Spitzer’s The Politics of Gun Control (9th ed.), not required. Tom Mauser, father of Columbine victim Daniel Mauser and a gun safety advocate, will be a guest speaker. We will use lecture, video, guided discussion, and interactive learning to examine legal, historical, and cultural forces shaping America’s gun debate.

Robert Putnam's book, "The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again," uses quantitative data and trusted economists such as Thomas Piketty and Raj Chetty to track four trends shaping America from 1900 to 2020. Exploring income inequality, political partisanship, social capital and cultural narcissism, Putnam offers at times counter intuitive insights to explain the unique transition from individualistic "I" to the communitarian "We" and back again in the past 120+ years. All of this is further complicated by the perpetual factors of race and gender. The book also explores the forces which cracked the cohesion starting in the mid-1960s. These began with increasing individualism and greed and evolved into tribalism. Still optimistic, Putnam encourages us to take inspiration and instruction from a period of despair much like our own.

The book, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again, is required. On Amazon, the paper book is $12.59, and the Kindle version is $9.99.

A New York hedge fund (Alden Global) purchased the Denver POST in 2010 and then began to systematically reduce its budget and sell the building it had occupied for over a hundred years. Another large corporation (Nexstar) owns a controlling interest in TV networks that offer local programming and may make changes with little concern for accurate reporting. Radio, TV, and print news media in Colorado will change over the next few years. A few large corporations may soon own and control news sources. Let’s explore what this could mean for our access to news.

What does the First Amendment say about protecting access to news sources? What is disinformation and misinformation? Does the truth still matter? Where do you get your news? How confident are you in what you read and hear? How much difference will it make to our grandchildren who owns and controls their news?