Dear Lifelong Learner, 

Happy August! We hope your summer has been a fun and relaxing time. 

This message hopefully turns thoughts to cooler weather, fall foliage and Lifelong Learning Institute (LLI) classes. The Fall 2026 LLI term runs from October 5th - November 13 with courses exploring a number of topics including classes on ancient architectural marvels; America's first counter-culture movement; Camp Delaware; Hollywood's dark truths; watercolor paintings; the impact of light on bird behavior; passenger rail in central Ohio; the history of OWU through film and video; exploring your community; and much, much more for your consideration! 

Registration for the Fall 2026 term begins on September 1 at 9 am through September 25 at 5 pm. The $75 registration fee allows you to sign up for as many classes as you wish (and as space allows as some presenters have placed enrollment caps on their sessions.) Visit www.owu.edu/LLI to register. Please note dates of the classes as not all classes start in the first week of the Fall 2026 term and/or meet in all weeks of the term. 

Class Locations: Due to the ongoing OWU library renovation project which has closed off many campus parking spaces and the nature of some of the classes, LLI class sessions will be held in multiple locations: 

• The first floor Benes Rooms of the Ohio Wesleyan Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Avenue, Delaware.
• The third floor meeting room of Ohio Wesleyan Merrick Hall, 65 South Sandusky Street, Delaware, located behind University Hall.
• Willow Brook at Delaware Run, 3rd Floor Summit Room, 100 Delaware Crossing W., Delaware.
• Willow Brook Village, 3rd floor Terrace Room, 100 Willow Brook Way S., Delaware. 
• Strand Theatre, 28 East Winter Street, Delaware.
• Ohio Wesleyan Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky Street, Delaware

Parking for classes held at OWU is available in campus parking lots. As the OWU Main Library renovations continue, some parking spaces near the Hamilton Williams Campus Center will be unavailable. The campus map can be found here. Campus Map  Parking is available at both Willow Brook campuses.

Looking for a unique gift idea? Lifelong Learning Institute offers gift certificates which make a great gift for a birthday, anniversary or other celebration. Visit the LLI website - www.owu.edu/LLI - for more information. 

We look forward to seeing you this fall! 

Bob & Mary Holm, Co-Chairpersons
Lifelong Learning Institute Steering Committee  

Karen Crosman, Director
Lifelong Learning Institute

Fall 2026 Classes

Reel to Real: Hollywood Dark Truths

Tracey Peyton, Managing Director, Strand Theatre

Mondays, 9 am - Noon (October 26; November 2 and 9)

Class location: This class will be held each of the three weeks at the Strand Theatre, 28 East Winter Street, Delaware. 

The class is three weeks this term instead of the usual six weeks due to "Ohio Goes to the Movies" programming at the Strand earlier in October.

• Hollywoodland (R) (2026)
  Ben Affleck, Adrien Brody & Diane Lane. Director: Allen Coulter
  October 26
• The Black Dahlia (R) (2026)
  Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckert & Scarlett Johansson. Director: Brian DePalma
  November 2
• Mulholland Falls (R) (1996)
  Nick Nolte, Melanie Griffith & Jennifer Connelly. Director: Lee Tamahori
  November 9
  
  Hollywood has always told two stories: the one it sells—and the one it hides. This three-part film and discussion series explores the uneasy space where celebrity, law enforcement, media, and myth collide. Anchored in the aftermath of the final film from Spring's 2026 class where L.A. Confidential was featured, these films peel back the polished image of Los Angeles to reveal a city shaped as much by scandal and suppression as by stardom. From suspicious deaths and unsolved murders to police corruption and carefully managed public narratives, each story asks the same question: who controls the truth in Hollywood—and at what cost? As we move from the late 1940s through the 1950s, we will examine how Hollywood's "golden age" was also an era of image control—where studios, police, and the press worked in tandem to maintain illusion, even as reality threatened to break through. This is not just noir—it is a study of how myth is manufactured.

Create & Learn: Watercolors at the Ross!

Christopher Yates, Director, Ross Art Museum

Mondays, 2 pm - 4 pm (October 5, 12 and 19)

Class location:   This class will be held at the Ohio Wesleyan Ross Art Museum, 60 S. Sandusky Street, Delaware.

Join Director Christopher Yates in an exploration of watercolor paintings found in the Ross Art Museum Permanent Teaching Collection. Every week, we'll focus on a new painting, and you'll learn about each artist's process and technique by producing a small, watercolor copy of the masterwork. No previous painting experience is required for this hands-on activity, and all materials will be provided. We'll start with Delaware's own Sallie Humphreys, followed by Columbus luminary Alice Schille, and the internationally celebrated Andrew Wyeth.

Enrollment is limited to 25 participants. 

Everything You Wanted to Know About Memory Loss But Forgot to Ask

Dr. Douglas Scharre, MD, Neurologist Director, Memory Research Center, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center
Renee Kovesci, Program Coordinator Memory Research Center, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Monday, 4 pm - 6 pm (November 2)

Class location: This class location will be announced soon.

This class will explore:

• What is normal aging versus mild cognitive impairment
• Importance of early detection and screening of memory problems and treatment
• Latest research on memory and how interested persons can participate in research

Attendees will have the opportunity to take the SAGE (Self Administered Gerocognitive Exam) if you wish and meet with members of the research team.

My Life As…                                                  

Mondays, 7 pm - 8:30 pm except for October 19 which starts at 6:30 pm (October 12,19*)

What career path did you choose? How did you choose such a path? Hear the interesting career choices followed by distinguished individuals in diverse fields.
Class location: My Life As classes will be held on Zoom only.

October 12 - TBA

Dr. Maria McCauley, OWU Class of 1995, President, American Library Association and Director of Libraries, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, Massachusetts
October 19*  Note: This class will begin at 6:30 pm. 

LLI Potpourri                                                   

Tuesdays, 10 am - Noon (October 6, 13, 20, 27; November 10)
No class on November 3, Election Day  

Class location: The October 6 and 13 classes will be held at the OWU Hamilton Williams Campus Center, 1st Floor Benes Room. The October 20, 27 and November 10 classes will be held at Willow Brook at Delaware Run, 3rd Floor Summit Room, 100 Delaware Crossing W., Delaware

• The Future for Ohio's Older Adults with Jenny Carlson, State Director, Ohio AARP
  October 6
  In September 2025, Governor Mike DeWine announced that Ohio had joined the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities. What does this, along with the recently released AARP Longevity Economy Outlook, mean for older adults across the State as well as at the local level?
  
• These are the Times that Try Men's Souls with Dr. Barb Terzian, Cornelia Cole Fairbanks Associate Professor in the Department of History; Department Chair
  October 13
  Having declared independence, the Americans now faced war against superpower Great Britain.  In August of 1776, in a "shock and awe" show of power, the British located a naval fleet and an army in New York city.  In the first battle of the War for Independence, George Washington led his citizen-soldier Continental army against Britain's professional army on Long Island resulting in a British victory giving credence to those who said the Americans could not win the war. In December 1776, for the 2^nd time, Thomas Paine's words rallied the cause.

      In this lecture Dr Terzian will explain the relative strengths and weaknesses of the                  Americans vis a vis the British at the onset of the war, Britain's successful
      invasion ofNew York City, the disaster at the Battle of Long Island, Paine's
      inspirational  words, and the glimmer of hope the Americans could take into their
      first winter of the war encamped in Morristown NJ.

• A Look Back at Ohio Wesleyan Via Films and Videos from the 1950's to 1980's: Presented By Someone Who Was There!!! - Part 1 with Bob Holm, OWU Class of 1960, Retired Vice President for University Relations, Ohio Wesleyan University and LLI Steering Committee Co-Chair
  October 20
  
• A Look Back at Ohio Wesleyan Via Films and Videos from the 1950's to 1980's: Presented By Someone Who Was There!!! - Part 2 with Bob Holm, OWU Class of 1960, Retired Vice President for University Relations, Ohio Wesleyan University and LLI Steering Committee Co-Chair
  October 27
   
• November 3 – no class due to Election Day

• Part II - Sherwood Rowland, OWU 48' The Mastermind with Dr. Irvin Drew, retired Dean, El Camino College, OWU Class of 1966
  November 10

     How one man, Sherwood Rowland, became a triple threat as the mastermind of
     Environmental Science, Politics and Policy and created the greatest Global
     environmental victory in the history of the world. In the end, he expressed 
     success in the least egotistical way possible: "I believe that as a Scientist, if you
     discover a problem, then you have an obligation to do something about the
     problem".  He succeeded brilliantly and absolutely.  This is the story of how
     he did it. 

Without a Net: Ancient, Medieval and Renaissance Architectural Marvels and Their Engineering Secrets

Carol Neuman de Vegvar, Professor Emerita, Art History, Ohio Wesleyan University 

Tuesdays, 2 pm - 4 pm (October 6, 13, 20, 27; November 10
Wednesday, 2 pm - 4 pm (November 4)

Class location: This class will be held each Tuesday at Willow Brook at Delaware Run, 3rd Floor Summit Room, 100 Delaware Crossing W., Delaware except for the Wednesday, November 4th class to be held in OWU Hamilton Williams Campus Center, 1st Floor Benes Room.  

When we look at the surviving architectural wonders of the past, what often awes us is their overall impact, achieved by seemingly mysterious means. But understanding how these buildings were constructed, the engineering behind the special effects, can pull back the curtain of time to reveal the skills of master masons, their names often lost to history but their magical-seeming edifices still on view today.

October 6 - Keeping It Organic: building with mud and plant materials; and
                   Building for Keeps: permanent media
October 13 - Just One Thing on Top of Another: post and lintel
October 20 - Minding the Gaps: the arch and the vault
October 27 - High and Mighty: going Gothic with rib vaults and flying buttresses
November 4 - What Goes Around: there's no place like (a) dome
           Note: This is the only session in this class to take place on Wednesday.
November 10 - Practical Magic: highways and fortifications

Emerson, Thoreau and Their Concord Circle: America's First Counter-Culture Movement

Dr. Stephanie Tingley, Professor Emeritus of English, Youngstown State University

Wednesdays, 10 am - Noon (October 7,14, 21, 28; November 4, 11)

Class Location: This class will be held at Willow Brook Village, 3rd Floor Terrace Room, 100 Willow Brook Way S., Delaware

Our class will center on the small town of Concord, Massachusetts (where the Battle of Lexington and Concord began the American Revolution in April, 1775—remember the "shot heard round the world"?) during about 40 years (roughly 1820-1860) when an extraordinary cluster of American writers, thinkers, and activists lived there at the same time. For a brief time, pre-Civil War Concord was the center of groundbreaking literary, religious, philosophical, political, and reform activity which had wide-ranging influence far beyond this small village outside of Boston. The names of many of the writers, philosophers, and reform movement leaders associated with this place will be familiar to you: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Bronson and Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne. We may also spend a little time with three more important American writers who lived elsewhere, but were deeply influenced by the Concord group who were their contemporaries: Walt Whitman, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson. Concord Circle friendships and rivalries make for fascinating reading and discussion.

Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman

Lee Lowenfish, Author
Bob Holm, OWU Class of 1960, Retired Vice President for University Relations, Ohio Wesleyan University and LLI Steering Committee Co-Chair

Wednesday, 2 pm - 4 pm (October 14)

Class Location: This class location will be announced soon.

As told in Branch Rickey: Baseball's Ferocious Gentleman, author Lee Lowensfish
outlines that by the time Branch Rickey (1881–1965) an 1904 Ohio Wesleyan
graduate, finished with baseball, he had revolutionized the sport—not just once but
three times. As the mastermind behind the Saint Louis Cardinals from 1917 to 1942,
Rickey created the farm system and by signing Jackie Robinson and other black
players, he single-handedly thrust baseball into the forefront of the civil rights
movement. His book offers an intriguing, richly detailed portrait of a man whose life is
itself a crucial chapter in the history of American business, sport, and society. This
class will portray Mr. Rickey's journey through a video lecture given by Mr. Lowenfish
(who is unable to travel to Ohio Wesleyan due to knee surgery) in July 2026 at the Chautauqua Institution with additional recollections of Branch Rickey from Ohio Wesleyan 1960 graduate, Bob Holm.

Raise Your Spirits

Wednesdays, 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm (October 7, 21, 28)
Note: There is no class on October 14

Travel to locations to tour and learn about the unique operations of breweries and a winery and sample their offerings. 

Note:  Visit www.owu.edu/LLI for class locations. 

Enrollment is limited to 35 participants.

LLI Potpourri

Thursdays, 10 am - Noon (October 8, 15, 22, 29; November 5, 12)

Class Location: This class will be held at Willow Brook Village, 3rd Floor Terrace Room, 100 Willow Brook Way S., Delaware

• The Greater Middle East: Arabia to Afghanistan with Dr. Larry Wilson, retired President of University of North Carolina, Asheville
  October 8
  Faculty member, dean, provost and president of several U.S. universities, including UNC Asheville, Larry Wilson worked in the the Middle East for 24 years, living there for 13 of those years. In this session, Dr. Wilson will discuss the history of this part of the world and focus on current conditions, including the dominance of the Taliban since Western allies left the country in August 2021.
• How Light Affects Bird Behavior: Insights from the 2024 North American Solar Eclipse with Dr. Dustin Reichard, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences; Department Chair, Ohio Wesleyan University
  October 15
  The North American Total Solar Eclipse in April 2024 provided a rare natural experiment to test the effects of light on bird behavior during the early breeding season. April is an especially interesting time for birds in the midwestern United States. Many are engaged in peak levels of song, courtship, and territoriality while others are in the middle of their migration. In this class, Dr. Reichard will discuss what his team learned from studying birds during the 2024 eclipse, a research project that was published in 2025 in one of the top scholarly journals in the world, Science.
• Help Wanted? What's Going on in the Job Market Today? with Dr. Bob Gitter, Part-Time Emeritus Professor in the Department of Economics & Business, Ohio Wesleyan University October 22
  Workers nowadays are worried about their jobs and paychecks.  Employers are also concerned about what they have to pay their workers as well as even finding qualified ones.  In this presentation we will look at how artificial intelligence, changing demographics, increasing monopoly power, decreasing union strength as well as other changes have impacted employment, unemployment and wages in the United States.
• How I Use (and Don't Use) AI with Sean McCulloch, Professor in the Department of Mathematics & Computer Science, Ohio Wesleyan University
  October 29
  The rise of AI has led to many new tools and services, as well as many opinions about how to use them.  In this talk I will briefly discuss how modern AI and Large Language Models work, and their strengths and weaknesses.  Using myself as an example, I will discuss ways in which using AI has helped me in my teaching, as well as ways I do not use it.  Additionally, I will discuss my current thinking on how I discuss AI with my students, and my thoughts on using it to learn.  We will also touch on some of the ethical issues inherent in using modern AI.
• All Aboard: Central Ohio's Efforts to Reestablish Passenger Rail with Liz Webb, Principal Planner, Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission
  November 5 
  For decades, Central Ohio has been one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States without passenger rail service. However there is significant momentum as local and federal partners move from conceptual frameworks toward concrete engineering and design to close this gap and strengthen the region's long-term connectivity and economic competitiveness.
  As the region's primary advocate for enhanced connectivity, the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) will share more about the work between local communities and federal partners while coordinating the technical planning necessary to integrate Central Ohio into the national rail network.
• Camp Delaware, Ohio with Mark & Francine Butler- Community Arts Network
  November 12
  Camp Delaware invites audiences on an immersive journey through American history, focusing on the powerful story of the 5th United States Colored Infantry Regiment. This documentary explores the regiment's formation, mustering, training, and battlefield experiences, centering on Camp Delaware in Delaware, Ohio, where these brave soldiers prepared to fight in the American Civil War. Through authentic speeches from key political figures of the era, personal letters from the troops, and evocative music from the period, Camp Delaware captures the strength and courage that fueled these soldiers' dedication to freedom and justice.
  
  Experience history through the words of Ohio Governors William Dennison and David Tod, Secretary Edwin Stanton, and President Abraham Lincoln, as well as through the impactful recruitment work of John Mercer Langston and the heroic actions of Medal of Honor recipients Milton Holland and Powatan Beaty. Each narrative and historical detail brings the struggles and triumphs of the Colored Troops vividly to life.

Explore Your Community

Thursdays, 2 pm - 4 pm (October 8, 15, 22, 29: November 5, 12) 

Location: Each session will be held at the address provided below

Learn more about interesting resources in our community. You may have heard about them, possibly even visited, or perhaps are new to the community and have not experienced the locations before. Staff at each location will share programming highlights and other interesting facts about their respective organization.

Note: The terrain at some sites will be uneven and not on a paved surface. At some sites, participants can expect steps, some changes in elevations and require some walking. 

• Stratford Ecological Center, 3038 Liberty Rd, Delaware
  October 8
• Boardman Arts Park, 154 W. William St., Delaware
  October 15
• Methodist Theological School of Ohio Seminary Hill Farm, 3081 Columbus Pike, Delaware
  October 22
• Deer Haven Park, 4183 Liberty Road, Delaware (The entrance sign to this park reads Havener Park & Deer Haven Park)
  October 29
• Labyrinth at Ohio Wesleyan
  The labyrinth is located close to the northeast corner of OWU University Hall, 61 South Sandusky Street, Delaware. (Look for "Lifelong Learning Institute" posted signs directing to this outdoor site)
  November 5
• Delaware Water Plant, 3080 US Route 23
  November 12
  Note: Enrollment for the November 12th class is limited to 25 participants.  If more registrations are received, a second tour of the Delaware Water Plant will be scheduled on November 19 and registrants over the initial 25 registrants received will be notified.

Understanding US Immigration - Its History and Laws

Van Young, Historian, President of Griswold History Study Group, Worthington

Fridays, 9:30 am - 11:30 am (October 16, 30; November 6, 13)
Note: There is no class on October 23

Class Location: All four classes will be held in OWU Merrick Hall, 3rd floor meeting room, 65 South Sandusky Street. Nearby parking lots are across Henry Street at the OWU Selby Football Field, 45 South Henry Street, and behind the OWU Schimmel Conrades Science Center, 90 South Henry Street.

• The History of U.S. Immigration, Parts 1 and 2
  October 16 and 30
  Immigration has shaped America from its earliest settlements, but the story of who came, why they came, and how they were received is far more complicated than many of us realize. This two-session program follows the American immigration story from colonial settlement and the great Irish, German, Asian, and Southern and Eastern European migrations through Ellis Island, exclusion and national quotas, refugees, and the landmark immigration reforms of the twentieth century. Along the way, we will explore how generations of newcomers transformed America - and how Americans repeatedly struggled with the question of who should be allowed to enter and become and American.
• U.S. Immigration Today
  November 6 and 13
  How does the U.S. immigration system actually work - and why is it so difficult to understand? This two-session program moves beyond political slogans to examine today's major pathways into the United States, including family- and emplyment-based immigration, temporary visas, green cards, naturalization and citizenship, refugees, asylum, and unauthorized immigration. We will also explore border enforcement, deportation, the roles of Congress and the president, and some of the diffucilt policy choices facing the country today - giving participants the information and context to reach their own conclusions about one of America's most consequential and debated issues.