Study groups are eight weeks in length, unless otherwise listed. Each study group is limited by the size of the room and the wishes of the leader, with a maximum number of 40. Study groups are held in Kirby Plaza (KPlz), AB Anderson Hall (ABAH), and Sports Health Center (SpHC). All classes are filled based on members’ priority choices. March 1 is the deadline for early registration. Oversubscribed study groups are determined, and members are notified if waitlisted. Remember to list your study group choices in priority order when you register. (Four week classes each count as one class.)
Additional registrations received after March 1 will be placed in open classes or added to the waiting lists.
Note carefully on your fee statement the starting date, time, and location for each study group.
Note special times and/or dates indicated by an *.
There are two ways to register: Register online or download a printable pdf.
Duluth Public Schools (001) 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Study group content will consist of a district overview and the superintendent’s vision, as well as specific department presentations within the areas of student achievement and behavior, educational programming and technology, and school district business and operations. Format will include lecture, video, and discussion/participant engagement.
Bill Gronseth is the superintendent and on the leadership team for the Duluth Public Schools.
Singing for Joy (002) 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Add music to your life! We will study and sing Broadway musicals, spirituals, and the classics.
Nancy Neilson is a US member and music director at Glen Avon Presbyterian Church.
Strengthening & Stretching (003)
9:00-11:00 a.m. (Class is limited to 11 participants.)
This class will use the Stronger Seniors workout program that focuses on improving the body, mind, and spirit of seniors citizens and those with limited mobility or recovering from injury/illness. Members can choose to stay for one or two hours.
Dick Florey is a US member who continues to use this class and others as a tool to recover from rotator cuff and back surgery.
* 2013 Power of Story (004) 1:00-3:00 p.m.
(First 4 weeks) (Class is limited to 15 participants.)
Participants will tell a story of five minutes in length about each decade of life. Stories may be prepared in
writing, in thought, or in spontaneous reaction to the memories of others.
Myrna Matheson is a US member and retired elementary teacher who has facilitated several study groups on the writing or telling of personal stories. She believes that more telling and listening to the stories of others could promote world peace.
* An Introduction to Roman History and Archaeology (005) 1:00-3:00 p.m. (First 4 weeks)
The study group will introduce the members to the essential features of ancient Roman society from its legendary beginnings to its transformation into the medieval world. The format is a combination of lecture and discussion, augmented by digital presentations as appropriate to the specific topics under investigation.
Thomas S. Burns is a retired professor of Roman History and Archaeology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia (as of 2011). He has authored seven books in the field of Roman antiquity and has been honored by university and national groups.
* Spring Comes to the Northland (006)
1:00-3:00 p.m. (2nd 4 weeks)
Explore the awakening of birds, bugs, plants, fungi, flowers, and wildlife of Northern Minnesota with Larry Weber. This class will meet April 29, May 6, May 13, and a final session with an all day trip to Crex Meadows near Grantsburg, WI on May 17th. The day trip is open to all US members, look for the signup sheet in the green books.
Larry Weber is a US member and biologist-naturalist with 40+ years of teaching experience.
* Your Spiritual Poems and Discussion of the Spiritual Poetry of Jane Whitledge (007) 1:00-3:00 p.m. (Second 4 weeks)
What is spiritual poetry, and why bother? Duluth poet Jane Whitledge’s new collection of spiritual poems will be a focus of discussion. The class will provide a forum for sharing the original spiritual poems of class members and inquiry into the nature of spiritual poetry with a listening ear.
Larry Spears is an interested consumer of poetry with a listening ear.
* How Universal are Human Rights? (008) 1:00-3:00 p.m. (First 4 weeks)
What are human rights? Where did they come from? Why do we have them? When did they first appear, and can they be enforced? Can we lose them? Do they change over time? This study group will explore all aspects of human rights.
Larry Spears is a retired attorney, court administrator, legal counsel for mentally ill hospital patients, a non-profit organization founder, and a non-profit organization founder with the goal of helping political leaders build agreements on difficult public policy issues. He is a long-time observer of globalization and the development of international law.
Seated Stretching (009) 8:00-9:00 a.m.
(Tuesday and Thursday)
This seated stretching exercise class is designed to help seniors develop strength and enhance ability to function in everyday life. It increases flexibility and strengthens both abdominal and back muscles.
Cheryl Jonason is a US member who enjoys the benefits of the workout.
Drawing Ideas–Realism to Abstraction with the Integration of Rellevant Art History (010) 8:30-10:30 a.m.
This study group will center around the discipline of basic drawing. It will include design ideas, themes, techniques, and the use of pencil value. We will progress to color, from monochromatic to the full use of the color spectrum. Each class session will begin with a lecture and discussion of relevant art history utilizing the computer and overhead projector for pertaining image examples.
Tom Rauschenfels was a secondary public school art teacher in the Hermantown Community Schools for 35 years. He taught all the art disciplines: painting, ceramics, printmaking, sculpture, and the related art histories associated with each discipline. Tom has an MA in studio drawing and painting.
Our Global Ocean (011) 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Today we know less about our oceans than we do about the surfaces of other planets hundreds of millions of miles away. The Nobel Conference, held at Gustavus Adolphus College in October of 2012, invited a group of oceanic scientists and ecologists to present their research and recommendations to a lay audience of adults and students. During this study group, each meeting will showcase one presentation from this conference, followed by group discussion.
Tom Boman is a retired UMD professor with strong interests in taking care of our environment.
Evolutionaries (012) 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Evolutionaries will be based on discussion of a book by the same title that is recommended reading for the class. Study group topics include how world views have changed and impacted the evolution of culture, consciousness, and spirit.
Hal Moore has a full theological education and has taught several courses at the university-level on the topics of science and religion.
Tai-Chi (013) 9:00-10:00 a.m. (Tuesday and Thursday)
Tai-Chi is an ancient Chinese exercise. It is a type of martial arts that helps relieve stress, increase flexibility and balance, as well as improve cardiovascular fitness.
Hilja Nast is a US member and has been studying and teaching Tai-Chi for over 20 years. She has studied Tai-Chi in Canada under Master Moy.
Memory into Memoir (014) 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
A memoir doesn’t have to be formal or fancy. It’s simply a collection of remembering. It consists of bits and pieces from life, to form a treasure only you can give to those who come after you. This study group will help you to begin writing about your life. We’ll spend lots of time writing (both in and out of class), reading, and commenting on works in progress. You’ll be given helpful tips and skills as you examine where you’ve been.
Claudia Cohen taught English in Duluth for 32 years and is a lifelong reader, writer, learner, and lover of words.
Violin Virtuosos (015) 11:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m.
This is a course about some of the outstanding violinists in history, as well as violinists in the 20th century with which Ann Anderson has studied. Some of the greats included in this study group include Paganini, Ysaye, Kreisler, Heifetz, Menuhin, and Perlman. In addition to these greats, many orchestral concermasters such as Josef Gingold and Normal Carol will also be included.
Ann Anderson is a former professional violinist with the New Orleans Symphony, the Indianapolis Symphony, the Metropolitan Opera National Co., the Aspen Festival Orchestra, and the American Arts String Quartet. In addition, she is retired from UMD after 43 years of teaching violin, viola, piano, and conducting the UMD orchestra. While at UMD, she also developed a string chamber orchestra, which toured in Europe.
Colorado Plateau (016) 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
This study group will consist of lecture and photography of the Colorado Plateau. Lectures, questions and answers, slides, and activities will be included.
John Moeller is a US member who is a hiker and traveler who has an interest in biology and geology.
Nuernberg, My Home Town (017)
1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Nuernberg is a place of one thousand years of written history: Medieval Free Imperial City, Europe’s Treasure Chest of Art, center of trade and industry, the world’s toy emporium, and the birthplace of bratwurst. It is a place where a stigma was derived from a twelve year period of extremist politics, Nazi party ralleys, anti-semitic race laws, war and destruction, and international war crime trials. The new Nuernberg has transformed itself into a very modern city while keeping century-old tranditions and flair.
Leonore Baeumler is a US member and will share her experiences and information through talks, discussions,
pictures, and films.
Geology of Minnesota and the Great Lakes Region (018) 1:30-3:30 p.m.
We will first summarize Earth’s geological “time-scale” and the “Big Picture” of Earth’s history and development. Then we will look at the geological history of Minnesota and the Great Lakes region from the oldest to the youngest (Archean to Anthropocene).
Dick Ojakangas graduated from UMD’s Department of Geology in 1950. After the U.S. Air Force, a Fulbright in Finland, and graduate schools at the University of Missouri and Stanford University, he returned to teach at UMD in 1964, retiring in 2002.
Senior Forum—Thursdays (019) 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Participants will engage in a questioning approach to explore topics of their choice, focus on productive dialog, and deepen their own philosophies. This class encourages participation and an exchange of ideas.
Joe Giesen is a US member and has spent 41 years in education, first as an English teacher and later as a high school principal. He enjoys listening and participating in discussions raised in philosophy.
Strengthening & Stretching (020) 9:30-11:30 a.m. (The class is limited to 11 participants.)
This class will use the Stronger Seniors workout program that focuses on improving the body, mind, and spirit of seniors citizens and those with limited mobility or recovering from injury/illness. Members can choose to stay for one or two hours.
Dick Florey is a US member who continues to use this class and others as a tool to recover from rotator cuff and back surgery.
* Duluth Trail Connections (021) 9:30-11:30 a.m. (Second 4 weeks)
This course will be comprised of several guest speakers who will present and discuss the hiking trails, bikeways, and “bridging the gaps” in Duluth’s trails. The course will feature mid-class “chalk talks” that will discuss the planning options, as well as time to study the maps and photos of local trails. Should spring arrive in a timely manner, the class will try to get outdoors to walk and talk, and perhaps even shoot some video of the four sites identified for future trail connections.
Dan McClelland is a US member and has worked as a landscape designer, including 18 years with the Glensheen/Congdon estate. Dan also worked for the US Forest Service, and enjoys planning urban landscapes that bring people out to Duluth’s urban wilderness.
Newborn Wildlife (022) 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
There will be showings of BBC videos of young animals’ survival.
Tim Sundquist is a US member and provides technology assistance in the US classrooms.
Film Noir–It’s A Bitter Little World (023) 12:00-2:00 p.m.
There will be a film each week with ample time for class discussion. The films selected represent the American Film Noir period between 1946-1959. The films emphasize different elements of film noir: deceit, doom, strong Femme Fatales, and an abundance of shadow rooms, bleak souls, and low-life characters.
Paul Chialastri is a US member and lifetime resident of Superior. He graduated from Superior Cathedral High School in 1969 and received a B.S. degree in History from University of Wisconsin-Superior in 1973. After 21 years of working at New Page Paper Mill, he retired in 2010. Paul has been a film buff since childhood and has a particular fondness for the Golden Age of Hollywood. Film Noir is a specific area of film that he enjoys.
Great Decisions (024) 12:00-2:00 p.m.
The course content is designed by the Foreign Affairs Association of New York and is coordinated by the
Minnesota International Center. There will be DVD for each topic and much time for discussion. This study group is new for 2013!
Ronald Anderson is a retired social worker who has been interested in foreign affairs and news events for most of his life. He is interested in history and how great powers develop and how they lose favor.
* African American Poetry (025)
12:00-2:00 p.m. (First 4 weeks)
This study group will be a presentation of various contemporary African American poets. The class is designed to be interactive with specific themes of the human experience such as love, death, and society.
Treasure Jenkins has had a passion for poetry since her formative years. As an undergraduate she completed several poetry and creative writing courses. She has written poetry throughout her life and has continued the study of poets and poetry while in graduate school.
* How 20th Century War Shaped America (026) 12:00-2:00 p.m. (Second 4 weeks)
A question that will be posed in this course is: What is the history and continuing influence of WWI, WWII, the Cold War, and current conflicts? The answers have a profound effect on many aspects of American politics, culture, and technology.
Jerry Sandvick has a BS and MA from North Dakota State University, has completed doctoral work from the University of Minnesota, has 32 years of teaching at University of Minnesota-Lake Region Collect, and was a professor and dean of Liberal Arts at North Hennepin Community College.
Seated Stretching (027) 8:00-9:00 a.m.
(Tuesday and Thursday)
This seated stretching exercise class is designed to help seniors develop strength and enhance ability to function in everyday life. It increases flexibility and strengthens both abdominal and back muscles.
Cheryl Jonason is a US member who enjoys the benefits of the workout.
* Duluth Parks (028) 8:30-10:30 a.m. (1st 4 weeks)
Guest speakers will be invited to present information about Duluth’s parks. Sessions will include the history of Duluth’s park system, invasive plants and insects and the challenges they present, and damage sustained from the 2012 flood, and how volunteers help preserve the park systems. The format will be lecture, powerpoint presentations, and class discussions.
Barry Wolfe is an active US member who has always had a love of the outdoors.
* Local Women in Politics (029)
8:30-10:30 a.m. (Second 4 weeks)
Duluth has a rich and varied history of women’s organizations and political activism. This four-week study group will feature women in politics, their history, and the sharing of stories, facts, and myths.
Tina Welsh is a US member whose career has been dedicated to women’s issues and political activism.
Senior Forum (030) 8:30-10:30 a.m.
Using guidelines outlined by Christopher Phillips in his book, Socrates Café: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy, participants will engage in a questioning approach to explore topics of their choice, focus on productive dialog, and deepen their own philosophies. This class encourages individuals’ participation, and you’ll enjoy the exchange of ideas.
Margaret Cleveland is a US member and retired nurse who is forever impressed with the depth of discussion that occurs during Senior Forum.
WWI: The War to End all Wars (031) 8:30-10:30 a.m.
This study group looks at the Great War, WWI, also called “the war to end all wars.”
Fred Sippel was born in 1944 and grew up in a typical mid-sized Minnesota town. Fred fell in love with history as early as the fifth grade and received a Masters degree in History from the University of Minnesota. He taught American History for 42 years.
Tai-Chi (032) 9:00-10:00 a.m. (Tuesday and Thursday)
Tai-Chi is an ancient Chinese exercise. It is a type of martial arts that helps relieve stress, increase flexibility and balance, as well as improve cardiovascular fitness.
Hilja Nast is a US member and has been studying and teaching Tai-Chi for over 20 years. She has studied Tai-Chi in Canada under Master Moy.
Eleanor Roosevelt: A Remarkable Woman (033) 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
(Study group will not meet March 28 or April 4).
This class will be a combination of lecture, videos, and discussion. Questions and comments from the group are encouraged.
Mary Lewerenz is US member and retired Duluth teacher with a special interest in American history. The First Ladies of America have become a particular focus for her.
Re-Connecting with the Animate Earth (034) 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
We are beings of the Earth. The Earth is a more-than-human matrix which has shaped our bodies, minds, senses, organs, and is alive and as intelligent as we are. Our community is also the natural landscape in which we find ourselves immersed, along with the other beings that inhabit this same space. This study group will explore how to rediscover an animalistic perspective: seeing nature as a community of subjects and reinhabiting our vibrant, sensing animal bodies.
Loni Coppin is an animist who has had a long practice of listening to the Animate Earth. She daily seeks the company of non-human beings.
Utmost Good Faith: American Indian Treaties and the Loss of Tribal Lands East of Mississippi River (035) 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Study group content will include international law, the relationship between the American Indians and the United States, the formation of the United States, and the history of Indian policy and treaties.
Jim Robinson is a US member and has led many study groups.
Ancient Mysteries, Myths, and Legends (036) 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
The study group will cover topics such as the Black Dead, the Rosetta Stone, Big Foot/Sasquach, Stonehedge, the Loch Ness Monster, Atlantis, zombies, voodoo, UFO’s, witches, and ghosts. These are typically passed down from past generations, and make us wonder where the history stops and the fantasy begins.
Joan Varda is a US member and retired teacher who has researched ancient mysterties, myths, and legends through many sources including books, classes, DVD’s, and videos.
Great Books (037) 1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
This course is a reading-study-discussion group. Participants are to read the selection before the assigned class discussion date. Using guidelines from the Great Books Foundation, we share perspectives, questions, insights, and surprises, and become a “community of minds.” This session’s book will be the second half of Great Conversations 1 from the Great Books Foundation. The first part of the text was used during Winter 2013.
Kathleen Risku has a lifelong love of reading, thinking, and intellectual discussions.
Murder and Mayhem (038) 1:30-3:30 p.m.
Each week will be devoted to a different English TV murder mystery. The film will be stopped at critical moments for class discussion on “who done it?”
John Collins has led several different classes for US. He especially enjoys leading the Murder and Mayhem series.
Humor Literature (039) 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
We will look at the genre of humor literature and the function it has in society. Looking at various humor writers, we’ll identify key aspects of humor writing and suggest further readings outside of class. We’ll watch some video of Billy Collins, who uses humor to convey his poetic truths. We will crack wise.
Al Kammerer teaches Humor Literature online through the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Required reading:
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain
ISBN-10: 1593081391, ISBN-13: 978-1593081393
The Devil’s Dictionary, by Ambrose Bierce
ISBN-10: 0486275426, ISBN-13: 978-0846275420
The Pleasantries of the Incomparable Mullah Nasrudin,
by Idries Shah ISBN-10: 014019357X, ISBN-13:
978-0140193573
Art Studio (040) 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. (Class size limited to 20.)
Group members may work in the medium of his/her choice. The leader will provide demonstrations in water-based oil with a concentration of portraits and figures, demonstrating the under-painting method used by the Dutch and Flemish masters. If study group members wish, they may bring water-based oil or oil using non-toxic mediums such as walnut oil.
Dale Lucas has been a lifelong artist and has concentrated in oil painting since retirement from his position as managing attorney at Legal Aid Service. He has studied with some of the most prominent artists of the region and country, and maintains a studio in his home as well as sharing a studio with several artist friends in downtown Duluth.
Skiing & Hiking (041) 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Each week we have the opportunity to be out on a different ski trail. Everyone is able to ski at their own pace, with other members who enjoy all that winter offers. Also enjoy the opportunity to be in Duluth’s parks and trails. Hiking Duluth trails gives a chance to explore several areas of Duluth with the added benefit of getting to know those of us with similar interests.
Lou Anne Seifert loves being out on the ski trails enjoying winter in Duluth, as it is one of her great pleasures!
NRRI (042) 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. (Second 4 weeks)
Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) was established during the early 1980s recession to put University brain-power to work to strengthen Minnesota’s economy. Of course, the institute’s applied research model is as relevant today as it was almost 30 years ago, and it has led our scientists and engineers down some interesting paths. Find out about unique research geared to Minnesota’s natural resources-based industries and the sustainability of those resources.
June Kallestad coordinates and writes all public relations news releases, stories, and promotional materials for NRRI. She is also the media contact and coordinator for all media with the researchers and training researchers. June provides public tours, general displays, and coordination of special events for NRRI.
University of Minnesota Campuses