The War of 1812-Crucible of Controversy: Capitol Attacks and Lewis Cass 

with Rochelle Balkam 

April 5, 2022, Tuesday 

10:00 am – 12:00 pm 

$10 



In the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 attack on the US. Capitol, we heard references to the last attack by the British being during the War of 1812. What we don't hear is that it was in retaliation for the Americans attacking the capitol in York (present day Toronto.) 

Another omission is the role that Lewis Cass played in the war. It was he that saved the day when Territorial Governor, William Hull, surrendered Detroit to the British, the only U.S city captured by a foreign enemy. It was Cass that initiated the ""round robin"" which removed Hull from command. Cass' name has been tarnished in recent years and has been removed from a government building in Lansing. 



Step by Step-Michigan Women March 

with Rochelle Balkam 

April 19, 2022, Tuesday 

10:00 am – 12:00 pm 

$10

In a 1995 speech, Martha Griffiths, the "mother of the Equal Rights Amendment" said, "America was born out of the anguish and pain of women,...[ While there are war memorials to] men who died killing other men, [there is] nothing for the women who died bringing forth a nation."

U.S. Representative and Lt. Governor Griffiths, was just one of the Michigan women from Native American women to the current Governor who have contributed in every field and enriched us as a state. Some of these lives have been memorialized with statues and in history books, but many live on in the attic of history. Every family has a woman who made a difference.



Martha Griffiths also had the last word, "All I want to be is a human and American and have all the same rights and I will shut up."

Veridian: Sustainable Development we Need for 2050 Being Built Today

with Matt Grocoff 

May 20, Friday 

12:30-2:30 pm 

$10

Veridian at County Farm in Ann Arbor, Michigan is nestled on County Farm Park with 130 acres of woods, trillium-lined trails, gardens and playgrounds. It is targeted to be one of the nation’s first mixed-income net zero energy communities. It will be 100% all-electric, powered by solar with no gas lines or combustion appliances of any kind.

*This Study Group will be held at a TBD location near County Farm Park. There will be a walk-through of the farm after the lecture. 



Art History II: Bronze Age Art in the Eastern Mediterranean 

With Molly Lindner 

March 8 – April 12, 2022, Tuesdays

2:30-4:00pm

$35



Dr. Lindner offers a six-part series on ancient and medieval art. 

Art History II begins with the architecture and wall paintings of New Kingdom Egypt's magnificent temples and tombs. Elsewhere in the Bronze Age, the Cretan palace cultures thrived with robust trade. Despite the vivid wall paintings and exquisite jewelry, Crete's domination of mainland Greece is reflected in the legend of the Minotaur, Theseus, and Ariadne's rescue from the labyrinth. As Crete's influence waned, Fortune smiled on the militant Greek cities like Mycenae until the sun was smothered by volcanic ash, causing famine and starvation. Forced to leave their cities to search for food sources in the western Mediterranean, Greek art memorialized the heroism of the Trojan War.  



The Charcoal Project: Fighting Climate Change with Sustainable Biomass Fuel Options in East Africa 

with Sylvia Herzog 

April 6, 2022, Wednesday 

10:00 – 11:30am 

$10

"Access to energy for clean cooking is a daily challenge for 2.7 billion people around the world. Access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG7). Despite recent advances in promoting alternative fuel sources, wood and wood charcoal remains the mostly available household energy source for over 80% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa. Sylvia Herzog, Director of The Charcoal Project, will discuss how this dependence affects the environment, and the importance of addressing this issue for climate change and women’s health, as well as the solutions that TCP works on to address this issue. Betty Zizinga Kaddu is an entrepreneur based in Kampala, Uganda, who has worked with TCP for several years to improve her business, Best of Waste Limited. Betty will discuss her business and how the company works to provide clean fuel solutions, empower women, and have a positive impact on climate change. Sylvia Herzog, Director, The Charcoal Project 

The Charcoal Project (TCP) is a US-based non-profit focused on finding solutions to unsustainable production and consumption of wood fuels around the world. Sylvia Herzog has been with TCP since 2010, and is responsible for running day to day operations, including working with entrepreneurs in East Africa and managing TCP’s research projects. Prior to coming to TCP, Sylvia worked in banking and private equity. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, with a BA in Economics, an MBA and a Master of Public Policy and currently resides in New York. Betty Zizinga Kaddu, Founder and Managing Director, Best of Waste Limited (BOW), Uganda 

BOW was incorporated in 2015 to manufacture sustainable charcoal briquettes as a clean cooking fuel for households. Betty Zizinga Kaddu founded the company to provide access to clean cooking fuel for households in Kampala, Uganda, that rely on wood fuels for their daily energy needs. She is a Chartered Accountant by profession, holds a Post Graduate Diploma in Taxation and Revenue Administration, and a Bachelors of Statistics degree." 



Genesis: Where It All Began 



with Ken Phifer 

April 6 – May 4, 2022, Wednesdays 

10:00am – 12:00pm 

$30

Genesis is the first book of both the Jewish and the Christian Bibles. It is a book that resonates throughout the remainder of both of these Bibles. Its stories and themes also have a prominent place in the Muslim sacred text, the Qu'ran. Rev. Phifer will describe how and why the book was written, by whom, and some of the meanings that have continued to play important roles in western civilization.

The course is primarily lecture, with ample opportunity for participants to ask questions and offer their own insights. Reading all or part of Genesis before the class would be helpful.

Ken Phifer is the senior minister emeritus of the First Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Ann Arbor, where he served for 25 years. He is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Chicago Divinity School. He is the author of three books, several dozen articles, and has taught OLLI courses for many years. 



Altered States – Exploring Hypnotic Trance



with Mike Murray 

April 13 – May 18, 2022, Wednesdays 

10:00am – 12:00pm 

$35 

What is Hypnosis? Is it just a lot of hocus pocus or a powerful healer? What is trance? Is all hypnosis self-hypnosis? Is Mindfulness Meditation a form of self-hypnosis? These are just a few of the questions we’ll cover as we explore this fascinating subject. We’ll look at the history of hypnosis and focus on its many expressions today, particularly on the hypnotic techniques of Dr. Milton H. Erickson and some of those who studied with him.

Mike Murray is a clinical psychologist. He practiced hypnotherapy for several decades. He has successfully used self-hypnosis to make some important changes in his own life.