Programs and Classes
Class topics are chosen from members' suggestions to the Curriculum Committee, guided by the talents and capabilities of available members. Please see our general information section for further information.
Monday Programs
Monday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
September 28: James Larrimore, Ph.D. Nuclear Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA continues to play an important role in Iran’s nuclear development. Dr. Larrimore will start with an overview of Iranian nuclear activities from the time of the Shah, through the revolution and up to the present day, and then will describe the interactions between Iran and IAEA on international safeguards and nonproliferation. He will present his assessment of the current situation and prospects for the future.
Dr. Larrimore received a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from MIT and worked for several years at General Atomics in San Diego before joining the IAEA in Vienna, where he spent sixteen years. In 1999 he received the Distinguished Service Award from Director Hans Blix for his work in safeguards, and he has continued as a consultant on international safeguards for the decade since his retirement. Since 2001 he has served as Chair of the International Safeguards Division of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management, of which he is a Fellow and from which he has received the Distinguished Service Award. Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
October 12: Richard Leach. Solar Power 101. Albert Einstein was one of the first to demonstrate the potential for light to produce electricity when he explained the photoelectric effect. This lecture will cover some of the basic ideas behind solar energy technology. A follow-on lecture is planned for October 26.
Mr. Leach joined the Navy immediately after high school and served for 4 years on a destroyer. After leaving the service, he returned to school and graduated from Florida State with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. After working for several years in commercial and defense electronics, he left the corporate world and is now a partner in Heritage Solar. Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
October 26: Richard Leach. Current Solar Energy Systems. Continuing the discussion started on October 12, this lecture will discuss the kinds of solar systems many people are installing on their roofs. The projects that SDGE has launched will also be reviewed. Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
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Monday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
Instructor: Professor Michael Caldwell
Coordinator: Bob Johnston
In this course we will read Homer’s epic poem. A variety of issues related to the poem will be explored during the five classes: the merits of various translations; the cultural and social background necessary to fully appreciate the poem; the role of divinity in the shaping of human will; the role of war in shaping of human identity; the role of women in an arguably masculinized social milieu; and how to read the poem’s ending.
It is strongly suggested that students avail themselves of Robert Fagles’ excellent translation (Penguin Classics, ISBN 0140447946) which is also available in audio media narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi. It would also be useful to have another translation (there are many) to look at from time to time, simply for purposes of comparison with Fagles. Although the poem is divided up over the weeks of the course, it might be wise to look at the entire poem before the course starts, since each lecture will necessarily refer to material outside of that week’s reading.
October 5: Books 1-4
October 19: Books 5-10
November 2: Books 11-15
November 16: Books 16-20
November 30: Books 21-24
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Darwin and the Theory of Evolution
Registration and $10 fee is required for this series. Make checks payable to UC Regents. No visitors permitted.
Monday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
Instructor: Bruno Leone
Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
Bruno Leone is an author and lecturer on social studies and the humanities. He has been a lecturer in history at the University of Minnesota and a professor of history and anthropology at both Metropolitan State College in Minneapolis and at St. Francis College in Joliet. He is the recipient of many awards including a Fulbright Fellowship and a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship.
Wednesday, November 4: Before Evolution and Charles Darwin. Prior to the introduction of evolutionary theory virtually all theologians and scientists believed that the earth was young and that all species (including humans) continued to exist unchanged since the moment of their creation. This presentation will deal with the reasons for these beliefs and explain why and how, in the period prior to Charles Darwin’s birth in 1809, a series of discoveries caused many in the scientific community to challenge these time-honored beliefs.
Monday, November 9: The Making of a Scientist. There was little about Charles Darwin’s early life that even hinted at genius or indicated that he would one day revolutionize our understanding of the world and the place of all living things in it. This presentation will trace Darwin’s scientific odyssey from a youth who displayed a growing but unfocused fascination with nature, through his historic five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle, to his discovery of the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Wednesday, November 18: Evolution by Natural Selection. While several theories of evolution were current in Darwin’s day, his singular contribution to evolutionary thought and the science of biology was the principle of “natural selection.” After explaining natural selection, this presentation will detail the events leading up to Darwin’s discovery and describe the reasons why he waited more than twenty years before unveiling his discovery to the world’s scientific community.
Monday, November 23: The Great Synthesis – Darwin and Genetics. The one piece of the puzzle of evolution Darwin was never able to find was the mechanism that successfully explained how natural selection was passed down through successive generations of living things so as to insure the evolution of species. This presentation will explain how and why the twentieth century science of genetics gave Darwin’s theory the legitimacy it lacked in Darwin’s lifetime.
Wednesday, November 25: Evolution, Creationism and Intelligent Design. The debate over the question of “Chance or Design?” has raged since even before Darwin’s historic 1859 publication of The Origin of Species. This presentation will detail the development of the debate and outline the respective arguments existing between the proponents of Darwinian evolution and those of intelligent design, a controversy that has persisted since Darwin’s time and shows no sign of resolution.
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Monday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
Facilitator: Jo Anne Swart
Although loss is an inevitable part of life, we each approach it differently. Some endure meaningless pain, while others are fortunate enough to develop understanding and wisdom. We are capable of transforming and healing the grief we carry, and therefore we are better able to bear our time of loss. This can guide us to a more meaningful life. Join us for discussions of significant issues related to loss and begin to plan ahead for the inevitable.
Suggested reading: Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, On Death and Dying and Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and David Kessle, On Grief and Grieving
September 28: Grieving: a first step after loss. Presenter: Jo Anne Swart, R.N., Nurse Practitioner (Retired)
October 12: Mourning the death of a spouse, a family member or friend. Panel Discussion: Death as a personal and a community event.
October 26: Dealing with grief. Presenter: Saranne Wilson, LMFT, San Diego Hospice
November 9: Life after death. Panel of San Diego clergy
November 23: Preparing for one’s own death. Panel of Osher members
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Europe in the Last Half Century: the Continent at the Close of World War II
Monday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 128
Instructor: Neil Heyman, Professor Emeritus of History, San Diego State University
The conclusion of World War ll saw a devastated Europe with a scattered, scarred and embittered population. The impact of the war, and especially the course of liberation from German occupation, was so traumatic that many observers doubted any European recovery was possible. William Hitchcock’s The Bitter Road to Freedom: A New History of the Liberation of Europe describes the situation that Europeans – and their American and Soviet liberators – faced as the conflict came to an end. It provides a vivid introduction to the history of Europe – both east and west – in the remaining decades of the twentieth century.
Hitchcock’s acclaimed book is available from the San Diego Public Library. It can be purchased from Amazon in a hardback edition (ISBN 13:978-0- 7432-7381-7; ISBN 10 0-7432-7381-8). Kindle and audio versions are also available now, and a paperback edition may be ready in time for the fall quarter.
September 28: Introduction, Prologue, Chapters 1-2
October 12: Chapter 3
October 26: Chapters 4-5
November 9: Chapters 6-7
November 23: Chapters 8-10, Conclusion
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Monday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 128
Facilitator: Irwin Rosen
Instructor: Irwin Rosen, Associate Professor of English (Retired), University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire
The New York Times calls Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises “an absorbing, beautifully and tenderly heartbreaking narrative … It is a truly gripping story, told in lean, hard, athletic prose … magnificent.” More than any of Hemingway’s other books, The Sun Also Rises is like a Russian novel with characters who go through all the requirements that love demands, but cannot be in love. From the stripped-bare emotions between Jake Barnes and Lady Brett to the bull fights, the intricacies of which will become clear even to the novice, this book (which I keep on my desk along with Go Down, Moses by Faulkner to read again and again) may be the best American novel. Come to class prepared to discuss your favorite passages.
October 5: Chapter 1 – Chapter 8
October 19: Chapter 9 – Chapter 13
November 2: Chapter 14 – Chapter 17
November 16: Chapter 18 – End
November 30: Discussion of the book’s importance
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Tuesday Programs
Master Class Series I
Ancient Egyptian History: The Pharaohs
Registration and a $10 fee is required for this series. Make checks payable to UC Regents. No visitors permitted.
Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
Instructor: David Miano, Ph.D.
Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
Dr. Miano is a lecturer in the History Department at UC San Diego, specializing in the ancient world and biblical studies. He recently received his Ph.D. from UC San Diego, his thesis being “Shadow on the Steps: Time Measurement in Ancient Israel.” He is one of the senior editors of Biblical Historian. This series of lectures follows previous classes on the Hebrew Bible and on the New Testament, presented during the 2008-2009 academic year.
September 29: The Old Kingdom. The earliest days of Egypt will be covered, including the emergence of an Egyptian state under Narmer, the first pharaohs, and the great pyramid builders: Djoser, Snefru, Khufu and others.
October 13: The Middle Kingdom. This lecture will examine the chaos that resulted from the demise of the Old Kingdom and the rebirth of Egyptian civilization under the reigns of a new line of princes from Thebes.
October 27: The New Kingdom. This class will consider the Hyksos invasion of Egypt, their subsequent expulsion, and the rise of a powerful and expansionistic military government under the great conquerors, such as Thutmose III and Rameses.
November 10: The Late Kingdom. The weakening of Egyptian power will be reviewed. This period includes Egypt’s last hurrah under its final native rulers and its subjugation by foreign powers such as Assyria and Persia.
November 24: The Ptolemies. This final lecture concerns Hellenistic Egypt, the period when the Macedonians held sway and when a synthesis of Egyptian and Greek cultures occurred, from the conquest of Alexander the Great to Cleopatra.
*Subject to change
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Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 128
Instructor: Mike Thompson
During the fall and winter quarters, we will be discussing the Civil War, reading James M. McPherson’s magnificent Pulitzer Prize winning book, Battle Cry of Freedom, which, twenty years after its original publication, is still proclaimed the single best one-volume history of the period. This study integrates social, political and military events from the immediate aftermath of the Mexican War through the sectional strife of the 1850s, the secession movement, and the war itself. The book is widely available in paperback as part of the Oxford History of the United States series (ISBN13: 9780195168952 or ISBN10: 019516895X). During the fall, we will read the first half of the book, the balance in the winter quarter.
Information regarding Civil War Course.
Due to the larger than anticipated attendance for the Civil War Course, there will be two time slots for the remaining classes. For those who wish to attend you can select the day and time most convenient to you. The text we will be reading remains James McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom.
One slot will be on Mondays at 1 PM meeting in Room 128
10/19 Chapters 3-5
11/2 Chapters 6-8
11/16 Chapters 9-11
11/30 Chapters 12-14
The alternative time will be Tuesdays at 10AM in Room 134
10/13 Chapters 3-5
10/27 Chapters 6-8
11/4 Chapters 9-11
11/24 Chapters 12-14
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Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
October 6: Elizabeth Yamada. Once Upon a Time in America – Eleven Concentration Camps. Elizabeth Yamada will talk about her personal experiences as a Japanese American before and during World War ll. After December 7, 1941, Executive Order 9066 required Japanese American families from California to be transferred to internment camps throughout the United States. Elizabeth and her family were sent to Poston, Arizona. She will describe her years in that camp and will tell the story of Clara Breed, the librarian who stayed in contact with the dispersed San Diego families. Mrs.Yamada received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a California Secondary Teaching Credential. She taught English at San Diego High School and joined the landscape architecture firm, Wimmer Yamada and Associates, in 1976, becoming a partner/owner, retiring in 1995. Coordinator: Jim Mayfield
October 20: Mary Boyle, Ph.D. This Is Your Brain on Stimulants: The Neuroscience Behind Cognitive Enhancing Drugs. Some argue that the proliferation of drugs which heighten the user’s capacity to remain alert and productive for extraordinarily long periods provides benefits which our consumer society should welcome as neurological equivalents to plastic surgery. But some raise concerns about the ethics of neuroenhancers. They wonder what unintended consequences those extended hours of potential productivity might impose on our cultural values and our sense of meaningfulness. Dr. Boyle is a lecturer in UC San Diego’s Department of Cognitive Science. She explores the relationship between the mind and brain with particular emphasis on how the mind is altered by chemical and physical changes in the brain. Coordinator: Nancy Hatch
November 3: Ric Bainter. Peacemaking and Nation-building in the Balkans. More than a decade after the end of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, Bosnia remains under international supervision, Kosovo has become independent of Serbia, Croatia is well on its way to joining the European Union, the country of Macedonia doesn’t have an official name, and a prominent indicted war criminal remains at large. Results of efforts by the international community to maintain peace and stability in the region have been mixed. This lecture will examine some of the successes and failures and look at prospects for the future of the region. Ric Bainter has worked in Bosnia since January, 2000. He currently serves as legal counsel to the Office of the High Representative, an office created to oversee implementation of the peace treaty. Coordinator: Barbara Leondar
November 17: Seema Sueko. Changing the World Through Story. .Seema Sueko is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Mo’olelo Performing Arts Company, a socially conscious, community focused, Equity theater company. Now five years old, Mo’olelo’s mission is to produce original stories by contemporary playwrights and lesser-known stories by master playwrights. As the first resident theater company at the La Jolla Playhouse, its production of Good Boys, directed by Sueko, lit up the Forum for two brilliant weeks in June. Born in Karachi, Pakistan, and raised in Hawaii, Sueko holds an M.A. in international relations from the University of Chicago, is a member of Actors’ Equity, and was named one of the “50 people to watch in 2005” by San Diego Magazine. Coordinator: Ilene Hubbs
December 1: Professor Richard Seymour. Is the Wave Climate Changing Too? A Look at the Future of Ocean Waves. In the last decade, waves on the west coast have been more frequent and energetic than in the previous decade. This could be random variation or it could be the result of a global climate change. This talk will examine some significant changes in what drives these big wave events, and will conjecture on the importance of this to surfers, sailors and coastal property owners
Dr. Seymour graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1951 and earned a Ph.D. in 1974 from the Scripps Institute for Oceanography. He holds an appointment as head of the Ocean Engineering Research Group at SIO where he studies wave mechanics and measurements. He has also been involved in the engineering of off-shore floating platforms and in ocean energy conversion projects. Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
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Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 128
Coordinators: Michael Gray, Robert and Aurora King, Myron Joseph
Join us and experience the pleasure of recalling and sharing some aspects of your life’s experience by reading to us short (no more than fifteen minutes) written presentations (prose or poetry) that describe, express or are inspired by your memories of the past. Think of your life as a gold mine and start unearthing the nuggets. Our families or we have come from many countries and have traveled many different routes to reach this stage of our lives. Our shared memories give us an opportunity to learn and appreciate the many different backgrounds our lives represent and the joys and sorrows that we have experienced.
Although we do not critique your writings, your written presentations will give you valuable experience in expressing yourself. Our presenters welcome questions and comments that they may have stimulated and the outcome is a better understanding of who we are. We urge you to read a contribution whenever you feel ready to do so, but you will enjoy the wealth of experience that is uncovered in our sharing of the past.
October 6, October 20, November 3, November 17, December 1
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Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
Coordinator: Barbara Leondar
October 13: Howard Jacoby. Inside China’s Corrupt Factory System. The book The China Price by Alexandra Harney reveals the remarkable corruption of Chinese manufacturing in the words of the people doing the corrupting: workers themselves who want more hours in violation of national labor law, managers who must cut corners, local owners who bribe factory inspectors and government officials, honest inspectors who do cursory inspections so they can make a living, local officials who ignore Beijing, U.S. retailers who say they look but really turn a blind eye. The author’s sources got her inside the factories and adjacent worker dormitories. Howard Jacoby will distill the essence of the book and add perspective from “outside” expert observers of the China scene.
October 27: Jack Samuels. Neurotoxins in Our Food. The literature indicates that more than 25% of the people in our country experience adverse reactions from the food ingredient “monosodium glutamate.” Many are unaware of the causes of their reactions to this food because its toxic component is hidden under many names. This presentation will provide information about monosodium glutamate that will surprise many. The dangers of aspartame will also be covered, as will the failure of federal agencies to safeguard the health of consumers. Jack Samuels, a former hospital administrator and investment banker, is co-founder and president of the Truth in Labeling Campaign, a non-profit organization providing information and help to those concerned about monosodium glutamate.
November 10: Douglas Webb. Estate Planning: Advantages and Disadvantages of Wills and Trusts. After graduating from California Western Law School, Webb spent two years as Deputy District Attorney followed by two more years in a local law firm. Since then he has devoted thirty years to private practice, preparing hundreds of wills and trusts as well as litigating in those areas. He has experience both as a Pro Tem Judge and as an arbitrator in civil and criminal matters.
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Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 128
Instructor: Barbara Greer
Join us for lively discussions of plot, character, humor, culture, and examples of outstanding new Southern writers. Our book is New Stories from the South – 2008, ISBN 978-1-56512-612-1. This class is illustrated for you on the board, and we have “break treats.”
October 6: The Unnecessary Man by Robert Drummond
October 20: So This Is Permanence by Stephanie Soileau
November 3: The Great Speckled Bird by Clyde Edgerton
November 17: Back of Beyond by Ron Rash “Suck It” by Merritt Tierce
December 1: Wretch Like Me by R. T. Smith
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Modern and Contemporary Authors
Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 128
Instructor: Phyllis Rosenbaum
Our two novels for the fall quarter are recent works of award-winning novelist Marilynne Robinson. Her book Gilead received the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and has inspired critics to match its lyrical and meditative prose. The Christian Science Monitor describes Gilead as "a quiet, deep celebration of life that you must not miss." In its review The Washington Post gives it the highest accolade: "So serenely beautiful and written in a prose so gravely measured and thoughtful that one feels touched with grace just to read it." We will also be reading Robinson's latest novel Home, a companion piece which narrates the events of that novel, but within the framework of a different family history and different perspectives. We will be using the Picador edition, ISBN 0-312-42440-X. The paperback edition of Home will be available September 1 (ISBN 9781594133466).
September 29: Read Gilead, pp. 3-119.
October 13: Finish Gilead.
October 27: Readings in Home to be announced.
November 10: Finish Home.
November 24: Discussion of the relationship between both novels.
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An Invitation to Anthropology
Premiere Class
Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
Instructor: Sandra Joss, Ph.D.
Coordinator: Barbara Leondar
Anthropologist Sandra Joss is a member of the San Diego Independent Scholars. For 25 years she was an officer at the World Bank, working on development projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. She has an M.S. in development management and a Ph. D. in anthropology (socio-cultural) from American University in Washington, D.C.
This series of lectures will introduce the discipline of anthropology and its key notions of culture and identity, illustrated by a case study in Dr. Joss’ area of expertise: Australian indigenous artists and their issues of identity.
October 6: What Is Anthropology? What does anthropology study, and why? What is the history of the discipline? What do anthropologists do and what are their tools? What is ethnography and what are the characteristics of an ethnographic study?
October 20: The Concept of Culture. What do we know about the central theme of anthropology – the culture concept? How has this concept been understood from the 1860s to today? What is culture and how do people come to share it?
November 3: Cultural Identity. What is identity? What is the historical and social context for identity formation in Aboriginal Australia? Why are the terms “post-colonialism” and “authenticity” important in discussing cultural identity
November 17: Case Study Part I – Urban Aboriginal Artists of New South Wales, Australia. This lecture contextualizes Aboriginal Australia to provide insight into the indigenous population. It will examine Aboriginal “traditional” life; the ethno-history and impact of colonization in New South Wales; and the Aboriginal art produced within these contexts.
December 1: Case Study Part II – Urban Aboriginal Artists of New South Wales, Australia. Who are these artists, and where do they live? How do the artists of mixed Aboriginal heritage see themselves, or form their identities? Can artists of mixed Aboriginal heritage show “authentic” representations of Aboriginal people?
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Tuesday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
Coordinator: Nancy Hatch
November 24: Beth Accomando. Japanese Anime and Manga Films: Not Just for Kids Anymore. Beth Accomando, KPBS film critic, will discuss current issues in film. Accomando studied film at UC San Diego and has been a film critic for twenty years, beginning at KPBS in 1987. For the past twelve years she has been covering independent and international cinema for National Public Radio’s (NPR) Morning Edition and Public Radio International’s (PRI) The World. She has also received eleven southwestern area Emmy Awards in the categories of producing, writing and sound design for promotional spots as well as national Promax and Telly Awards.
Theatre Rehearsal Date:
Tuesday, September 29
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Wednesday Programs
Greatness and Collapse of the Chinese Empire, 1368-1900
Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
Instructor: Lester Bilsky, Professor Emeritus of History, University of Arkansas at Little Rock
The Ming (Chinese) dynasty and Qing (Manchu) dynasty brought the Chinese empire to its height of organization and power by the end of the 18th century. Westerners, who arrived in China during late Ming times, initially had no significant impact on the empire. But beginning in the early 19th century, the West undermined, defeated, and humiliated China, leading to the collapse of imperial authority and control by regional warlords.
Wednesday, September 30: The Ming and Qing Dynasties, 1368-1795. The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) established China’s fully realized Neo-Confucian bureaucratic order. The Qing (1644-1911) prospered by accepting the Ming system. The Manchus achieved China’s greatest political and territorial control by the end of the Qianlong emperor’s rule in 1795.
October 7: How the Empire Worked. A close examination of the functioning and dysfunctioning of fully integrated political, economic and social systems.
October 14: Foreigners in China, 1500-1800. Western trade from the arrival of the Portuguese in 1514 to the end of the 18th century. Growing Western trade. Chinese controls on that trade.
October 21: Ascendancy of the West, 1800-1860. The impact of the Seven Years’ War and the Industrial Revolution on the West’s China trade. The Opium and Arrow Wars and ensuing “unequal treaties.” Establishment of Shanghai and other “treaty ports.”
October 28: Rebellions and Regional Leaders, 1850-1900. The Taiping and other rebellions. The rise of regional leaders. The “self-strengthening” movement. The Sino-Japanese War. “Slicing the melon.”
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Master Class Series II
Darwin and the Theory of Evolution
Registration and $10 fee is required for this series. Make checks payable to UC Regents. No visitors permitted.
Monday and Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
Instructor: Bruno Leone
Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
Bruno Leone is an author and lecturer on social studies and the humanities. He has been a lecturer in history at the University of Minnesota and a professor of history and anthropology at both Metropolitan State College in Minneapolis and at St. Francis College in Joliet. He is the recipient of many awards including a Fulbright Fellowship and a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship.
Wednesday, November 4: Before Evolution and Charles Darwin. Prior to the introduction of evolutionary theory virtually all theologians and scientists believed that the earth was young and that all species (including humans) continued to exist unchanged since the moment of their creation. This presentation will deal with the reasons for these beliefs and explain why and how, in the period prior to Charles Darwin’s birth in 1809, a series of discoveries caused many in the scientific community to challenge these time-honored beliefs.
Monday, November 9: The Making of a Scientist. There was little about Charles Darwin’s early life that even hinted at genius or indicated that he would one day revolutionize our understanding of the world and the place of all living things in it. This presentation will trace Darwin’s scientific odyssey from a youth who displayed a growing but unfocused fascination with nature, through his historic five-year voyage on the HMS Beagle, to his discovery of the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Wednesday, November 18: Evolution by Natural Selection. While several theories of evolution were current in Darwin’s day, his singular contribution to evolutionary thought and the science of biology was the principle of “natural selection.” After explaining natural selection, this presentation will detail the events leading up to Darwin’s discovery and describe the reasons why he waited more than twenty years before unveiling his discovery to the world’s scientific community.
Monday, November 23: The Great Synthesis – Darwin and Genetics. The one piece of the puzzle of evolution Darwin was never able to find was the mechanism that successfully explained how natural selection was passed down through successive generations of living things so as to insure the evolution of species. This presentation will explain how and why the twentieth century science of genetics gave Darwin’s theory the legitimacy it lacked in Darwin’s lifetime.
Wednesday, November 25: Evolution, Creationism and Intelligent Design. The debate over the question of “Chance or Design?” has raged since even before Darwin’s historic 1859 publication of The Origin of Species. This presentation will detail the development of the debate and outline the respective arguments existing between the proponents of Darwinian evolution and those of intelligent design, a controversy that has persisted since Darwin’s time and shows no sign of resolution.
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Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
December 2: Professor Steven Cassedy and Coral MacFarland Thuet. Putting Together a Popular Song Arrangement. Pianist Steven Cassedy (Professor of Literature and Associate Dean of Graduate Studies at UC San Diego) and premier San Diego jazz vocalist Coral MacFarland Thuet (Adjunct Professor at San Diego State University) will perform popular selections by American composers and talk about how musicians arrange and perform popular music. Last April Professor Cassedy and Ms. MacFarland Thuet presented a series at the Lawrence Jewish Community Center on Jewish Composers on Broadway and in Popular Song. Coordinator: Reed Sullivan
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Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
Facilitator: Darlene Palmer
September 30: Do the Right Thing (1989). What begins as an uproarious comedy evolves into a provocative, disquieting drama as director Spike Lee chronicles trivial events that bring festering racial tensions to the surface on a sweltering day in a largely black Brooklyn neighborhood. After a number of minor misunderstandings – and an effort to boycott the local pizza parlor - a young man (Bill Nunn) lies dead, the pizzeria lies in ashes, and the racial schism is wider than ever.
October 14: Frozen River (2008). On a Mohawk reservation on the Canadian border, Ray Eddy (Melissa Leo, in an Oscar-nominated role) teams with a widowed tribe member Lila Littlewolf (Misty Upham) to smuggle illegal immigrants into the United States. Although the work provides the women with much needed money, each trip puts them in danger. How long will their luck hold before the authorities close in? Charlie McDermott co-stars in this drama nominated for multiple independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature.
October 28: Up the Yangtze (2007). When the Three Gorges Dam makes life hard for the Yu family, daughter Yu Shui must take a job aboard a cruise ship where she enters into a dizzying microcosm of modern China. Meanwhile, her parents face the rising waters of the Yangtze. Chinese-Canadian filmmaker Yung Chang’s beautifully photographed film of China’s peasant life and cultural upheaval was nominated for Best Documentary for the Independent Spirit Awards.
November 25: The History Boys (2006). Nicholas Hytner, Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour reprise their Tony-winning roles in this engaging film version of Alan Bennett’s play chronicling a rowdy group of boys on their way to higher education. On a quest to attend either Oxford or Cambridge, the teens grapple with the intricacies of university entrance exams and admissions, ultimately learning as much about the education system as they do about academics.
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Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
October 7: Professor Michael Provence. History and Prospects for Arab-Israeli Resolution. The Arab-Israeli conflict enters a new phase with two new players on the scene: the Obama Administration and the Netanyahu-led government. The conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan have not made things simpler. Indeed, it is more urgent that we see a light at the end of the tunnel. Professor Provence will discuss these developments.
Professor Provence received his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 2001. He is currently a member of the UC San Diego History Department where he specializes in Middle East history and serves as Director of the Middle East Studies Program. His current research focuses on colonial rule, resistance and nationalism in the Arab Ottoman successor states of Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Jordan and Iraq. The Arab-Israeli conflict is a frequent subject in his classroom. Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
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Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
Coordinators: Florence Schaps, Frank Reinhard
October 21: The Deal, written by Frank Reinhard and Moe Carson, and inspired by a Patricia Highsmith thriller. In a café, a man and a woman meet by chance. They seem to have problems in common. To resolve them they agree to help each other. Is this a conspiracy drama, a hilarious comedy, or maybe both? Come and judge for yourself. Directed by Frank Reinhard. Caution: This play is R-rated. You must be 17 or older to attend.
November 4: Lovers and Other Strangers by Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna is a humorous and at times ludicrous examination of the battle of the sexes. A hit on Broadway, the play is a realistic but comic portrayal of interlocking short stories dealing with couples, their foibles, infidelities, and sex life. Expect lots of smiles and some genuine belly laughs. Directed by Sid Freeman.
December 2: Sunset Boulevard is one of the best films ever made about Hollywood. It is a powerful study of Norma Desmond, a silent film star doomed to tragedy because she cannot accept the reality that the motion picture industry has passed her by. The 1950 movie received Academy Award nominations for its major stars as well as for Best Picture. The script has been adapted for the stage by Al Korobkin, who will also direct the production.
Tuesday, September 29
Wednesday, November 18
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Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 128
Instructor: Sylvia Auerbach
We write essays giving opinions and critiques, essays about past (or current) romances, family relationships, and other interesting topics. We bring copies for the class, read them aloud, and offer suggestions, additions, other viewpoints. Ms. Auerbach, author of books, magazine and newspaper articles, may suggest where the pieces might be published.
October 7, October 21, November 4, November 18, December 2
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Wednesday, October 7 at 1 p.m. in Classroom 120
Coordinator: Henrietta Farber
Even if you have taken this class before, you will want to repeat the experience because so much is new. Join us as we “research” the UC San Diego campus with a combination of lectures, discussions, and field trips. We will do some walking on all dates except for the initial orientation meeting
October 7: Orientation. The six colleges will be featured in an overview of the campus using maps and brochures. Orientation materials will be distributed. Meet in Classroom 120.
October 21: Campus Loop Bus Tour. We will travel on the free shuttle bus, getting on and off to view some of the Stuart Collection sculptures, the “secret garden’” and other locations. Meet on the patio.
November 4: Central Campus. Marshall, Muir and Revelle Colleges will be discussed, as well as the Center for Library and Instructional Computing Services (CLIC), more of the Stuart Collection, Craft Center and Women’s Center. Meet on the Patio
November 18: North Campus. RIMAC, the Super Computer Center, Institute of the Americas, Graduate School of International Relations, International House, Rady Graduate School of Management, and the Great Hall will be today’s topics. Meet on the patio.
Monday, November 30: Scripps Institute of Oceanography. The Scripps shuttle will take us along the shore to the research center. Meet on the patio.
Thursday Programs
Thursday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
October 1: Professor James Moore. Primates and Humans: Evolution, Altruism, War. Research on chimpanzees has led to a “demonic males” model for the evolution of human aggression. There is much support for such a model, but a socioecological perspective emphasizes that our aggression is not obligate, and that the flip side is unparalleled altruism and peacefulness. This presentation will expand upon themes developed in Dr. Moore’s 2008 Osher lecture. He is an associate professor in UC San Diego’s Department of Anthropology. His research focuses on the socioecology of savanna chimpanzees and human evolution. Coordinator: Nancy Hatch
October 15: John Marelius. The Changing Face of California Politics. California has changed from a fairly reliable Republican state in elections for president, governor and senator to a fairly reliable Democratic one in less than two decades. The reasons are many, but they include migration into, out of and within the state. This comes at a time when both major political parties are purging themselves of their more moderate members and at a time when a fast-growing segment of the electorate, especially younger voters, chooses not to affiliate. John Marelius is a political writer for the San Diego Union Tribune. Coordinator: Jim Mayfield
October 29: Professor Ernest Silva. Skin in the Game: Philip Guston, Paul Thek and H.C. Westerman, Representation and Poetic Narrative. Dr. Silva will give a visual lecture on the above named artists and other artists who have worked post WW ll. The emphasis is on narrative strategies that are hybrids / accretions of visual images akin to memory, archetype and poetry. The art works considered are seen as visual languages that can be read simultaneously as literal, metaphoric, emotive and commentary. All of the artists discussed work in a terrain that combines reference to art history, lived experience and vernacular culture to address the viewer in a way that is direct and accessible. Coordinator: Bob Johnston
November 12: Andrew Donohue. The New Media: voiceofsandiego.org. The paper newspaper appears to be a vanishing breed and alternative ways of getting the news are being developed. voiceofsandiego.org is one of these. It is an independent, non-profit, online only newspaper with a professional staff that focuses on in-depth and investigative reporting on local quality of life issues, and a pioneer in a burgeoning nationwide movement of non-profit newsrooms seeking to fill gaps and provide competition in the post-newspaper world.
As editor of voiceofsandiego.org, Andrew Donohue oversees content, including daily news coverage, investigative projects and outside contributions. He has won national awards for investigative reporting and feature writing. Donohue also co-hosts voiceofsandiego.org radio, a weekly public affairs program. Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
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Thursday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
Facilitator: Burt Levine
Drama, pathos, debate, frustration, humor – it’s all there in your daily paper or periodicals. We bring the news to life as our members’ panel selects noteworthy items and issues for audience review and discussion. One of Osher Institute’s most popular classes, your views are welcomed, whether you already have an opinion or are looking for one.
October 8, October 22, November 5, November 19, December 3
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Peer Perspectives—Dialogue Past, Present, and Future
Thursday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
Coordinator: Joyce Quintana
Peer Perspectives is a discussion group with diverse points of view. Lively debates help us to know one another in a family-like atmosphere. Sitting in an informal circle, we discuss everything and anything. Some subjects are announced in advance but up-to-the-minute topics are saved for discussion in the round. In the past we have dealt with everything from the boomer generation to economics to relationships with grown children. In the process we become good friends.
October 1, October 15, October 29, November 12, November 26: No Class, holiday
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Thursday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 128
Instructor: Françoise Shah
Conversational French for beginners is a starter course designed for students interested in learning simple syntax, vocabulary and grammar of this beautiful language, along with some aspects of the culture. Françoise Shah, born in France, received a master’s degree from the Conservatory of Music in Paris. She taught music in her homeland for two years and later, upon emigrating to the U.S., she taught both music and French in Pasadena for nearly a decade.
October 1, October 8, October 15, October 22, October 29, November 5, November 12, November 19
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Thursday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 128
Instructor: Frank Kelly
In the fall quarter participants will be reading and discussing Nikolai Gogol’s Dead Souls. We will be using the Vintage Classics edition (ISBN 978-067977644-4). “Ever since its publication in 1842, Dead Souls has been celebrated as a supremely realistic portrait of provincial Russian life and as a splendidly exaggerated tale; as a paean to the Russian spirit and as a remorseless satire of imperial Russian venality, vulgarity, and pomp.” (end notes). The New York Times Book Review praised the translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky: “Lively and witty, keen in the pursuit of Gogol’s elusive, protean metaphors.”
October 1: Introduction and translators’ note, pp. vii-xxiv; Volume 1, Chapters 1-5, pp. 5-109
October 15: Volume 1, Chapters 6-10, pp.110-220
October 29: Volume 1, Chapter 11; volume 2, chapters 1-2, pp. 221-300
November 12: Volume 2, Chapters 3-end, pp. 301- 393
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Thursday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
Coordinator: Jack Holtzman
October 8: Professor Margaret Schoeninger. Evolution of the Human Diet. The presentation will bring together evidence from several areas in addressing the question of why we aren't apes or monkeys, and why we have such a propensity for obesity. Prof. Schoeninger will present information on nonhuman primate diets, human and nonhuman digestive physiology, modern human foragers and our fossil relatives. Currently a professor in the UC San Diego Anthropology Department, she has held positions at UCLA, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Harvard, and the University of Wisconsin. She has many publications on subsistence strategies, with applications to behavior and ecology in anthropological contexts. She has participated in archaeological, paleontological, and ethnographic fieldwork projects in North America, MesoAmerica, Pakistan, India, Kenya, and Tanzania.
October 22: Vicky Newman, M.S., R.D. Fighting Cancer with Your Fork. As the Director of Nutrition Services for the UC San Diego Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Ms. Newman manages the dietary intervention and assessment components for a number of clinical trials. The largest of these studies is the Women's Healthy Eating and Living Study, which is examining the effects of diet on recurrence of breast cancer. She is Associate Clinical Professor, Family and Preventive Medicine at UC San Diego. She has specialized in women's nutrition for more than 30 years, including an active role in setting statewide practice guidelines for nutritional care of women in California.
November 5: Professor Kim Griest. Update on How Dark Matter and Dark Energy Control the Structure, Expansion, and Fate of the Universe. Dr. Griest will review the dark matter that controls the formation and workings of the galaxies and large scale structure in the universe, and the more recently discovered dark energy, which dominates the mass of the universe and controls its fate. He will discuss the theories and experiments showing that these mysterious substances exist and the upcoming experiments to uncover their natures. Dark energy is particularly baffling at this time.
Dr. Griest, Professor of Physics at UC San Diego, has published many papers on dark matter and dark energy, as well as on other topics. He was co-chair of the NASA/DoE Joint Dark Energy Mission, an upcoming satellite mission to explore dark energy. He is on the Astronomy and Astrophysics Advisory Council which oversees all astronomy and astrophysics done by NASA, the NSF, and the DoE.
November 19: Laura Nathanson, M.D. Your Doctor: Trust, but Verify. That is an excellent motto for checking out your own physicians and hospitals. Everybody tells you that you should get a copy of your own medical records, but nobody tells you why, or how, or what to do with them. This discussion will answer these questions by working through the process with actual medical records as examples. Dr. Nathanson’s latest book, inspired by events here in San Diego that eventually led to her husband’s preventable death (from complications of cancer treatment) is What You Don’t Know Can Kill You. Her other books are The Portable Pediatrician, Kidshapes: A Guide to Helping Your Kids Control Their Weight (Preventing Childhood Obesity), and The Portable Pediatrician’s Guide to Kids. Dr. Nathanson also wrote a monthly column for Parents magazine. She has retired from a full-time practice at El Camino Pediatrics in Encinitas but has continued her career as a writer
December 3: Professor Dilip V. Jeste, M.D. Neurobiology of Wisdom. Dr. Jeste will summarize the concept of wisdom as described from ancient to modern times. There are several similarities between the ancient conceptualization in the Bhagavad-Gita and modern western concepts. Wisdom may be viewed as a uniquely human, complex trait with several specific subcomponents: social decision making, pragmatic knowledge of life, emotional regulation, self-reflection, pro-social behaviors, tolerance of diverse values, and acting in the face of uncertainty. Neuroscientists have mostly stayed away from studies of wisdom. Dr. Jeste will discuss a putative neurobiological model of wisdom, involving optimal balance among more primitive brain regions (limbic system) and newer ones (prefrontal cortex). Dr. Jeste holds the Estelle and Edgar Levi Chair in Aging. He is Director of the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, and Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UC San Diego. He is also the Director of a UC San Diego center focusing on psychosis in late life. He has published 9 books and more than 550 articles, and has received many prestigious honors.
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Thursday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 128
Instructor: Phyllis Rosenbaum
Very few lovers of poetry have not been touched by the beauty of the sonnet. During the fall quarter we will trace the evolution of the sonnet in British and American literature, beginning with Renaissance masters of the genre and looking at contemporary variations. In one of his sonnets, Wordsworth pays tribute to the form:
In truth the prison, unto which we doom
Ourselves, no prison is: and hence for me,
In sundry moods, 'twas pastime to be bound
Within the Sonnet's scanty plot of ground;
Pleased if some Souls (for such there needs must be)
Who have felt the weight of too much liberty,
Should find brief solace there, as I have found."
Poetry packets will be available in the office for $1.00, and will contain a list of readings for each meeting.
October 8, October 22, November 5, November 19, December 3
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Friday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
October 2: Professor Steven Cassedy. Russian Classical Music at the Turn of the Twentieth Century. Russian classical music in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries ranged from the conservative and romantic, as in the case of Rachmaninoff, to the trend-setting and avant garde, as in the case of Stravinsky and Scriabin. As early as the 1870s, Modest Mussorgsky was pushing musical boundaries with compositions such as Pictures at an Exhibition. This presentation will explore the tension between musical conservatism and musical experimentalism in Russia from Mussorgsky to Scriabin. It will include performances from the piano.
Coordinator: Reed Sullivan
October 16: Jane Via, Ph.D. Roman Catholic Woman Priest. Dr. Via is the first Roman Catholic woman priest in the United States presiding over a fully functioning Roman Catholic parish. Her founding and development of the thriving Mary Magdalen Apostle Catholic Community here in San Diego is a fascinating story of courage and perseverance in the face of Vatican and Diocesan disapproval and obstruction. Dr. Via has a Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Marquette University, is a former tenured Professor of Theology at the University of San Diego and is currently a Deputy District Attorney for the City of San Diego. Coordinator: Dan Dinan
October 30: Mary Kalafut, M.D. Stroke Prevention and Treatment. Understanding the risk factors is essential to minimize the likelihood of a stroke. This talk will discuss how to reduce the risks and will also describe the most recent advances in stroke treatment. Dr. Kalafut is a neurologist who served her residency at UCLA, followed by a vascular neurology fellowship there. She currently practices at Scripps Clinic where she is co-director of the vascular laboratory. She serves as Director of the Stroke Program at Scripps Green Hospital. Coordinator: Dick Dahlberg
November 13: Jay Foley, Executive Director, ITRC. The Explosive Growth of Identity Theft. The Identity Theft Resource Center, a San Diego-based non-profit organization, was established in 1999 to support victims of identity theft and to broaden public understanding of this activity. In addition to victim services and consumer education, ITRC works in partnership with other groups and agencies involved in the battle against this crime. Among ITRC’s sponsors are the U.S. Department of Justice, the California Consumer Protection Foundation, and the San Diego District Attorney’s Office. Jay Foley travels throughout the nation to provide training for businesses, consumers, and law enforcement. He has appeared before state legislatures and the U.S. Congress to recommend new protections against identity theft and he has participated in numerous forums with the President’s Identity Theft Task Force. Coordinator: Jim Mayfield
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Friday at 10 a.m. in Classroom 129
Instructor: Fran Zimmerman
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, operettas pervaded the stages of Europe and America, enchanting audiences with their fanciful stories, gaiety, romance, and luscious melody. Some have dismissed these works as sentimental and frivolous. Yet in 1905 Gustav Mahler cut short a symphony rehearsal to rush off to see The Merry Widow, later expressing his admiration for Lehar's genius. We will talk about how the operetta evolved from its Eastern European roots, and how it developed in different countries. What were its special characteristics? Who were its great composers and its lyricists (some great, some not so great)? What composer of classical music wrote an operetta to ease his depression? (It worked.) What composer's operettas were considered scandalously erotic in their day? (He was French, of course.) What were the historical contexts in which they came to write these musical treasures? We will see and hear some of the best operettas on film. (No charge for anyone caught singing along!)
October 9: Jacques Offenbach. La Vie Parisienne (plus highlights from La Belle Helene, Orpheus in Hades, La Perichole)
October 23: Johann Strauss. Die Fledermaus (plus highlights from The Gypsy Baron and Oscar Straus' The Chocolate Soldier)
November 6: Franz Lehar. The Merry Widow (plus highlights from Fritz Kreisler's Apple Blossoms)
November 20: Victor Herbert. Naughty Marietta (plus highlights from Sweethearts, Mlle. Modiste, Babes In Toyland, The Red Mill, The Fortune Teller)
December 4: Rudolf Friml. Rosemarie (plus highlights from The Firefly and The Vagabond King)
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The Italian Renaissance: A Cultural History
Friday at Classroom 128
Instructor: John-Raphael Staude, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Buckinghamshire College, England
October 9: Introduction. After considering continuities and discontinuities in medieval and Renaissance society and culture, we will discuss the beginnings of the Renaissance in 13th and 14th century Italy.
October 23: Renaissance Literature, Arts and Artists. We will discuss the works of the writers Dante, Petrarch and Boccaccio and artists such as Massacio, Alberti, Bruneleschi, Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo.
November 6: Renaissance Philosophy and Moral Thought. We will discuss the philosophies of Aristotelianism, Scholasticism, Neoplatonism, Humanism and Occultism, and the histories and political theories of Machiavelli and Guicciardini.
November 20: Renaissance Religion, Morality and Culture. We will consider the Church and Rome in the Renaissance, as well as the cultivation of courtly manners and the politics of spectacle.
December 4: Renaissance Science and Philosophy of Nature. We will consider Nicholas of Cusa, Johannes Kepler, Paracelsus, Giordano Bruno and Galileo Galilei and the struggle between science and religion in Renaissance Italy
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Peer PresenterFriday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
October 2: Elaine Olds. San Diego Artist: Neil Shigley. Neil Shigley’s images have been described by Mark-Elliott Lugo, curator of the San Diego Public Library’s Visual Arts Program, as “contemporary, visually powerful, and technically stunning.” Shigley teaches drawing and illustration at San Diego State University. His work has been exhibited locally, nationally and internationally. We will view a recording of Lugo interviewing Neil Shigley. It will feature descriptions of techniques and the artist’s motivation for a series of large-scale prints from his “Invisible People” series, portraits of homeless men and women, and also some more abstract figurative prints that reflect German Expressionist influences.
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Friday at 1 p.m. in Classroom 129
Coordinator: Reed Sullivan
End your week with some delightful and varied live music presentations by talented local artists and professionals.
October 9: Begin the fall with pianist Lee Galloway performing jazz and contemporary music. Well known to San Diegans, Mr. Galloway has performed in both solo and chamber music settings. Of his five music CDs, Soothing the Soul has been a continual best seller, while his recording of the Pachelbel Canon hit the top of the charts in the year 2000. He has performed as featured guest artist for NBC television and has been a musical advisor for CBS television.
October 23: We welcome back the talented and enthusiastic Music Professor from the University of San Diego, Ms. Angela Yeung. We have enjoyed many presentations from Ms. Yeung and her students in recent years. She is planning a piano, violin, and viola trio (in which she will perform) to offer a variety of classical music. These gifted young performers are characterized by beautiful melody and lively presentation.
November 6: From the San Diego State Music Department comes The Artemis Duet comprised of violinist Cristina Zankiz and violist Valeria Romero, both Masters of Music in Performance majors. Natives of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, where Ms. Zankiz is the first Fulbright Scholar in music and Ms. Romero is an SDSU scholarship winner, they will perform a program entitled From Classical to Latin, including works from the baroque and classical styles. They will follow with genres of Latin American music such as the tango and waltz, and with folk songs such as cueca, cumbia and taquirari.
November 20: UC San Diego guitarist Colin McAllister returns with a program of music for classical guitar ranging from the 16th century to the present. His program will include Spanish vihuela music, a lute suite by Bach, a classical-period Theme and Variations by Fernando Sor, a tonal piece by the Cuban Leo Brouwer, and a new experimental work by UC San Diego alumnus Juan Campoverde. Colin McAllister has performed throughout the United States, Europe and Mexico. He is a Lecturer in Music and director of the guitar program at UC San Diego where he earned his DMA degree.
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Saturday, September 12: New Member Open House, 9:30 – Noon. Bring all the friends who have been asking what happens at Osher. The Membership Committee will serve them a continental breakfast, explain how the program works, and explore the benefits of membership. Everything you ever wanted to know about Osher will be revealed. Coordinator: Elaine Olds
Saturday, October 24: Huntington Library Tour. An easy outdoor one-hour walking tour will cover the world renowned galleries and gardens of the Huntington Estate in San Marino. After the eleven o’clock tour, members may lunch at the Café and then return to explore the Estate at their own pace. The self-serve Café, open from 11:00 to 4:00, has a lush patio overlooking the Shakespeare Garden, and offers a variety of sandwiches, salads, soups and pastries. (Cash and credit cards are accepted, but not personal checks.) The cost for the Estate Tour is $22. An additional cost for bus transportation and gratuity will be announced when determined. Checks should be made payable to the UC Regents. Coordinator: Vivian Leahy
Friday, October 30: A Halloween Potluck Lunch will be shared on the Extension patio at noon, preceding the General Membership Meeting at 1 p.m. Watch for the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board. Volunteer to bring your favorite dish to serve eight or pre-pay $7 in the Osher office. Coordinator: Marilyn Brown
Friday, December 4: Let’s celebrate the upcoming winter holidays at our always popular Holiday Luncheon. We’ll be eating at the Admiral Kidd Club located at the Naval Fleet Anti-submarine Warfare Base (FASW) on Harbor Drive and enjoy breathtaking views of San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline. Later we’ll be entertained by J2, a duo pairing vocalists Jay Berman and Janet Hammer with Berman at the piano. They promise seasonal favorites by Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, the Gershwins and more. Watch for details of the price and menu. Coordinators: Joyce Quintana (luncheon) and Reed Sullivan (music)
