Spring 2026 Term

The Spring 2026 term of the Lifelong Learning Institute of OWU kicks off March 16! Featuring 10 courses on a variety of topics, including a film series; local, state and national history; immigration; world religions; TV game shows; a virtual (Silk) Road trip; introduction to South Korea and much more for your consideration!

Courses are taught by volunteers, including professors, practitioners, and others in a non-competitive environment, with each class meeting for approximately two hours. Join the community of lifelong learners 55 and older for the exciting classes presented below.

The term begins March 16 and ends April 24. Registration for the Spring term begins February 6 and ends March 6. Most classes will be held in the 1st floor Benes Room of the Ohio Wesleyan Hamilton-Williams Campus Center with some classes scheduled in other campus classrooms or nearby community locations. Class locations will be confirmed in communication from the Lifelong Learning Institute office before the term begins. The campus map, including parking locations, can be found here - Campus Map | Ohio Wesleyan University.  

Lifelong Learning Institute gift certificates are available and make a great gift for a birthday, anniversary, or other celebration. (See tab to the right for more information).

Be sure to join our email list to be kept up-to-date on LLI happenings.

We look forward to seeing you this spring! 

Oscar Potpourri

Tracey Peyton, Managing Director, Strand Theatre

Mondays, 9 a.m.- noon (March 16, 23, 30; April 6*, 13, 20*)
*Class time will run until 1pm on April 6 and 20

Class Location: This class will be held each week at The Strand Theatre, 28 E. Winter St., Delaware.

Oscar Potpourri will look at the performances of Glenn Close, Val Kilmer, and the film L.A. Confidential, asking why each failed to receive the Oscar recognition many believe they deserved. It explores factors such as studio campaigning, genre prejudice, internal competition, and the politics of awards seasons. These cases illuminate the gap between lasting cultural impact and immediate awards validation. Two Oscar surprise films will also be shown. The Oscars will be broadcast on March 15 - so watch and see who wins.

• History of the Oscars and Let's Talk about Last Night (2026 Oscars are presented on March 15.)
  March 16
• Fatal Attraction (R) (1987) - 1:59 
  Glenn Close, Michael Douglas, Anne Archer
  March 23
• Oscar Surprise
  March 30
• Tombstone (R) (1993) - 2:10*
  Kurt Russell, Sam Elliott, Val Kilmer, Bill Paxton
  April 6
• Oscar Surprise
  April 13
• LA Confidential (R) (1997)  2:18*
  Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger
  April 20

Embracing the Past to Understand the Present: Three Defining "Moments" in Ohio (and American) History

Becky Cornett, Ph.D., community volunteer leader and guest presenters

Mondays, 2 pm - 4 pm (March 16, 23, 30; April 6, 13, 20)

Class Location: This class will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center first-floor Benes Rooms.

• Retracing Native American History in the Ohio Country from the Ancients to Today 
  March 16 and 23
• Beyond the Underground Railroad: Ohio's Complex Response to the "Slave Power" and Black Equality
  March 30 and April 6
• Key Players and Issues of the American Revolutionary Era (including the Ohio Country)
  April 13 and 20

LLI Potpourri

Tuesdays, 10 am - Noon (March 17, 24, 31; April 7)

Class Location: The March 17th class will be held on Zoom with the other classes to be held each week at Willow Brook at Delaware Run, 3rd Floor Summit Room, 100 Delaware Crossing W., Delaware 

• What to do about immigration? with Dana Bucin, Esq. OWU '02, partner, Harris Beach Murtha law firm
  March 17
  Ms. Bucin will explain latest developments in immigration policies and enforcement, from a comprehensive perspective to touch business immigration, employment immigration as well as temporary and permanent humanitarian statuses, detention and removal defense in the age of heightened immigration enforcement, with a discussion of the path forward towards short-term assistance to targeted populations and long-term advocacy for immigration reform. 
• It's Common Sense to Declare Independence with Barbara Terzian, Associate Professor in the Department of History, Ohio Wesleyan University
  March 24
  From the "Shot Heard Round the World" to Declaring Independence, Professor Terzian picks up the 250-year-old story of the 13 British Colonies, on their path to declaring independence.
• Alzheimer's Research  New Advances in Alzheimer's Treatment and Building Brain Healthy Habits with Dr. Rose Beeson, Associate Professor at the University of Akron and geriatric and mental health educator for the Alzheimer's Association
  March 31
  This program provides an overview of how current Alzheimer's treatments work, who may be a candidate, and what to expect regarding benefits, side effects, and availability. It also reviews the 10 Healthy Habits for Your Brain, featuring insights from the latest research, including recommendations from the US POINTER Study. 
• Introduction to South Korea: History, Politics, and the Economy with Dr. J. Young Chio, Associate Professor of Politics and Government; East Asian Studies Program Director, Ohio Wesleyan University 
  April 7
  The class will cover a brief history of South Korea, its political and economic achievements, and inter-Korean relations. It will also address major political, economic, and security challenges it faces today including North Korea's nuclear development.

Stairways to Heaven: Four Ways of Being Religious in Global Perspective

Dr. Blake Michael, Professor of Religion, Ohio Wesleyan University 

Tuesdays, 2 pm - 4 pm (March 17, 24, 31; April 7, 14)

Class Location: This class will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, first-floor Benes Rooms.

In the religions of the world, there are four common paths of religious practice. 

• The path of action includes ethical, ritual, and institutional deeds
• The path of thought incldues beliefs, doctrines, philosophies, theologies, creeds, cosmologies, etc.
• The path of emotion explores the spiritual value of love, devotion, adoration, eroticism, and even fear.
• And the path of embodiment focuses on ascetic exercises, healing techniques, wellness, and wholeness.

This course will explore each of those approaches within several of the world's major religious traditions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and others.

LLI Potpourri

Tuesdays, 7pm - 9pm (April 14, 21)

Class Location: This class will be held each week at Willow Brook at Delaware Run, 3rd Floor Summit Room, 100 Delaware Crossing W., Delaware

• AMAZING BIRDS VIII, More Birds From Around the World with Richard Vail, Bird Lover
  April 14
  This program takes a trip around the world to see truly spectacular birds. Beautiful birds will appear on the big screen, accompanied by information provided by the presenter. The program will showcase birds from Africa, India, South America, Australia, and several other locations. The birds' colorful feathers will simply amaze anyone who is not an established avian expert. The program is intended for the audience to enjoy and appreciate the incredible avian variety that surrounds us.
• Adventures Across America, with Jason Brooke, traveler and historian
  April 21
  250th Anniversary Special: From the graves of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence and all US Presidents to the beauty of our National Parks, Monuments, and Memorials. From the hallowed fields of Gettysburg to the oily water above USS Arizona, we'll walk the footsteps of the people and places that define our United States of America. 

Getting to Know You

Colleen Huckabee, Maribeth Eiken and Bob and Mary Holm, class facilitators and Lifelong Learning Institute Steering Committee members

Wednesdays, 10 am - Noon (March 18, 25; April 1)

The Lifelong Learning Institute draws an engaged and enthusiastic audience each term but doesn't provide many chances to get to know one another. This class is designed to connect in a fun way. Through exploration of various topics, participants will learn more about each other and share aspects of one's own story. Based on attendee input, the group may explore shared interests to discover common hobbies and experiences, dive into childhood and more recent memories, and perhaps inspire fellow classmates to embark on new adventures such as travel. The three-session class will also pursue developing specific interest groups, reflective of survey results from attendees from the fall class. Last fall's participants as well as new attendees are welcome. Join the class and get to know your fellow LLI students. Give it a go!

LLI Potpourri

Wednesdays, 10am - Noon (April 8, 15, 22)

Class Location: The class location will be announced soon.

• TBA
  April 8
• TBA
  April 15
  TBA
• Can You Play Your Way to a Sharper Brain? with Dr. Kira Bailey, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology; Neuroscience Program Director, Ohio Wesleyan University
  April 22
  Improved executive functioning is on a lot of minds lately, with constant ads for supplements, technology, and quick tricks claiming to boost brain power. In this lecture, you will learn how we assess executive functions in and out of the lab and learn to differentiate science from science fiction when it comes to claims of improving the brain. I will share opportunities to participate in my lab's ongoing endeavor to shape executive functioning skills through video games and non-invasive brain stimulation. So, can you play your way to a sharper brain? Let's find out together!

Raise Your Spirits

Wednesdays, 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm (March 18, 25; April 8)

Tour and learn about the unique operations of a brewery, winery and other spirits as well as sample their offerings. Each class will be held at a different location which will be announced soon.

Enrollment is limited to 35 participants.

• March 18 - TBA

• March 25 - TBA 

• April 8 - TBA 

TV Game Show Fun - Part 2

Thursdays, 10 am - Noon (March 26; April 2, 9, 16)

Garry Nemeth, TV Game Show Instructor

Class Location: This class will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, first-floor Benes Rooms.

We will look at the various TV game shows that have entertained us for the last 60+ years: Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Family Feud, Password and others. We will have the opportunity to play simulated versions of some of these games. Taking part 1 of this class in Spring of 2025 is NOT required. Prizes and a few surprises!

Virtual (Silk) Road Trip: a journey across the history of the Islamic world and its architecture

Carol Neuman de Vegvar, Instructor/tour guide for the journey, Professor Emerita, Fine Arts, Ohio Wesleyan University

Thursdays, 2 pm - 4 pm (March 19, 26; April 2, 9, 16, 23)

Class Location: This class will be held each week in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center, first-floor Benes Rooms except for the April 9th class which will be held in OWU Merrick Hall, 3rd floor classroom.

The Silk Road was a major arterial of trade and intercultural connection from the Bronze Age onward. Not a single highway but rather a dendritic system of caravan routeways joining cities from China to the Mediterranean (or vice versa) like pearls on a mesh of strings, the Silk Road served as the core pathway for the mobility of people, ideas, and objects across Asia. Other routeways also played important roles in the connectivity that gave the Islam world its unity and diversity: the sea routes across the coasts of east Africa/south Asia and across the Mediterranean, and the trans-Saharan caravan tracks of western Africa. Travelling with the speed and flexibility of digital imagery rather than by road or ship, our journey this term will not always be geographically or chronologically linear, but will explore thematic continuities and variations across the architecture of the Islamic world. Please buckle your seatbelts and be sure your tray tables are in the upright and locked position! 

• Presence and prestige: early Islam in Mecca, Jerusalem and Damascus
  and
  Guests of the Umayyads: a visit to Khirbet al-Mafjar
  March 19
• Signature cities, signature styles: Abbasid Baghdad, Samarra, mosques, minarets
  and
  Bending the rules: mausolea and shrines 
  March 26
• Doing it our way: regionalism in Seljuk Iran, Anatolia, Yemen
  and
  World city: Cairo through the ages
  April 2
• Invaders or heirs? Mongols and Timurids
  and
  Buildings as easels: Safavid Iran
  April 9
• Way out West (and South): North and West Africa
  and
  Al'Andalus: Islamic Spain
  April 16
• It's Istanbul, not Constantinople: Ottoman Turkey
  and
  Mughal India: the Taj Mahal and its backstory
  April 23

America: Her Presidents and Her History

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

Fridays, 9:30 am - 11:30 am (March 20, 27; April 3, 10)

Class Location: All class sessions will be held in the OWU Hamilton-Williams Campus Center 1st floor Benes Room except for the March 27th class which will be held in OWU Merrick Hall, 3rd floor classroom.

• George Washington and Mt. Vernon - Part 1 
  March 20
• Thomas Jefferson and Monticello - Part 2
  March 27
  These two sessions will offer a pictorial presentation of the homes of both Presidents Washington and Jefferson, as well as a background of both of these remarkable men. Historical icons for many Americans, yet controversial in they were both large owners of enslaved people. Truly, founding fathers of our country. How should we remember them? Images of the grounds and rooms inside these great mansions will be shown along with the background and facts surrounding their building and design.
• Presidential and White House Trivia
  April 3
  How many U.S. presidencies have there been?  Which president got married in the White House?  Who was our youngest president?  This talk takes you through some of the most unusual and little-known facts about our Commanders in Chief, and the house they lived in.  From George Washington to Donald Trump, the audience will participate and learn about our more famous U.S. Presidents, as well as many of their quirks and habits.  A great way to learn about and better understand our "Chief Executive Officers."
• American History Facts and Trivia
  April 10
  Facts and trivia about American's early days right up to and including President Trump.  Look to lots of audience participation as well as educational facts and knowledge about our great country.  Fun, entertaining, and most interesting.