Discover the rich history and artistry of African-Indian quilts while learning the techniques that bring these unique designs to life. In this hands-on seminar, participants will create their own quilt, exploring both tradition and creativity. No prior quilting experience is required—just a willingness to learn and enjoy the process.

Please note: attendance at the first class is essential, so only register if you are able to participate in the opening session. Also participants should bring fabric scissors.

This seminar introduces a theory of ethics based on two ethics, the Unevolved and the Evolved Ethics, and how these ethics motivate all acts and behaviors. The seminar begins by recognizing the component parts that come together to form each ethic and discussion of the whole ethic. The seminar then looks at several related subjects, such as the impact of ethics on needs and wants, and the impact of the two ethics on relationships. It also covers developmental stages of the two ethics. Finally, it closes with a discussion of the impact of ethics on leadership.

Required Text: The Unevolved and Evolved Ethics.

Join Angie as she takes you on a journey through Brisbane, Australia, which she visited in July 2025 while accompanying her husband to a conference. Known as both a World’s Fair and Olympic city, Brisbane offers a fascinating mix of history, culture, and modern vitality. Angie will share highlights of her travels, from well-known tourist attractions to hidden gems, monuments, and historical markers that reveal the city’s unique character. This seminar offers not only a travelogue but also an invitation to see Brisbane through the eyes of a curious explorer, blending personal experiences with cultural insight.

Using ENDGAME scenarios this class will instruct the students on learning how the pieces move as well as develop basic strategy using fundamental concepts. The ENDGAME is the final stage of every chess game where there are less pieces on the board, but a strong understanding of how to play decides possible victory or forced draws with your opponent. I will be using examples from my recent games as well as from classical American and Russian textbooks. We will also look at the history of chess as well as introduce famous players throughout the ages.

This seminar will cover a variety of topics including Elder Fraud and Scams, Identity Theft and The Dark Web, AI technology, and many other topics that pose a risk to our Cyber Safety. This is a fun, dynamic course with ample opportunity for open discussions, Q&A, and group participation. There will be live demonstrations, information handouts, how-to's, and useful tools intended to help attendees become aware, informed and prepared to thrive in today's cyber world.

Dayton has played an active role in the brewing business for a long time. This seminar covers stories of the early brewers, some brewing philosophies, and we'll tour some local craft brewers to hear about their ideas of the craft brewing business. We'll even brew some beer for ourselves.

In this program, we'll explore seven of Dayton’s National Register Historic Neighborhoods: Grafton Hill, Grafton-Rockwood-Wroe/Kenilworth, McPherson Town, Oregon District, Paul Laurence Dunbar, and South Park. You'll learn about the cultural significance of each neighborhood, the architectural styles of selected houses, and the men and women who lived in them.

From pulp origins to mainstream dominance, science fiction has evolved into a powerful storytelling form that explores new worlds, ideas, and ways of thinking. This course traces the genre’s growth over two centuries, distinguishing it from fantasy and myth, and highlighting key authors who shaped its direction. We will discover how science fiction reflects cultural change and reimagines the future.

Explore the fascinating world of Albert Einstein’s theories—no math or science background required. This course introduces key ideas like time travel, warped space, black holes, and gravitational waves, all in accessible terms. We will discover how modern science continues to confirm Einstein’s predictions and why his work remains a source of wonder for both scientists and science fiction fans.

Have you ever wanted to go into the back of beyond just to see what was there, making your own path in the wilderness? If some people did not do this, humans would not have spread out of Africa and over the world. Starting in the 10th century CE various men and women were adventurous enough to sail beyond the known boundaries and discovered new continents - the Americas. This seminar will look at the lives of the people who pioneered the exploration of the northern part of the Americas, meeting the people who had settled it in prehistory, discovering what was there, cataloging it, and encouraging others to follow in their footsteps footsteps. Some of the names you will be familiar with and other you may not know. Come explore North America with them.

Are you apprehensive of climate change, “the climate crisis,” or conflicting claims of urgency and solutions? Do you want to better understand the breadth, depth, and implications of climate change, and identify effective and productive ways to help promote a sustainable global environment? Let’s explore together. Some topics we may consider:

• What is climate? Why is a global perspective important?
• What part do terminology and semantics play in our perceptions of, and responses to, issues related to climate change?
• Climate perception, science, popular culture, and policies – sorting ‘em out.
• What can I do to make a difference?

We will not be advocating specific approaches or “solutions.” Through a conversational style and visual learning aids, the goal is a broad awareness to help you chart your personal course for positive climate action.

The title of this class is a bit of a misnomer. It assumes that most of the participants may never serve on an actual jury, so the goal of the class is to discuss methodologies for improving small group decision making. A few of the Rules of Evidence will be used to enhance one’s ability to analyze the reliability of factual assertions. A side benefit is that after participating in the class, students will have a deeper understanding of news articles about trials and will enjoy critiquing TV shows and movies featuring trials. An extra bonus is that students will have the option to sit as jurors in a University of Dayton School of Law Mock Trial.

This interactive training will help participants understand where their implicit biases come from and what they can do to ensure they are looking at situations through an inclusive lens. The National Conference for Community and Justice of Greater Dayton (NCCJ) staff work hard to create a safe environment where participants feel heard, included, and safe. To assist with this, we start with a personal agreement and incorporate small and large group discussions.

Inspired by the 2024 FX mini-series Shōgun, this course explores Japan’s transition from civil war to peace between the 15th and 18th centuries. We will examine the rise of key unifiers, the roles of diverse social groups (like merchants, peasants, women, and outcasts), and the era’s political, cultural, and artistic shifts. For fans of the series or those new to Japanese history, this course offers a rich, accessible introduction.

In this seminar, we will read and discuss three of Kurt Vonnegut’s most influential novels: Cat’s Cradle, Sirens of Titan, and Slaughterhouse-Five. Through Vonnegut’s blend of satire, humor, and pathos, we will examine the absurdities of human behavior, the fragility of belief systems, and the enduring search for meaning in chaotic times. The seminar will be conducted in a discussion-based format, encouraging thoughtful engagement and exchange of ideas. Enrollment is limited to 12 participants to ensure a lively and interactive conversation.

In this popular writing seminar, you’ll learn craft techniques to write and revise the life stories you want to get into print for your family, friends, and maybe even the public! Part of our seminar is an evening where friends and family are invited to come and hear you read from your work. Craft lessons include story structure, description, dialogue, and revision. You’ll learn to give and receive constructive critique in a supportive and encouraging setting. Being in a room with other writers and hearing their stories will spark your creativity and give you more and more story ideas. This is for new and experienced writers. We’re in this together. If you’re new to writing, by the end of the seminar, you’ll be able to say, “I am a writer.” The proof will be in the digital collection of stories we publish at the seminar’s end. I’ve moderated this seminar more than ten times and am always delighted by the variety and quality of the stories. As an additional new challenge this year, we’ll try writing some 100-word stories.

Lesser-Known American Wars of the 19th Century’ will begin with the Barbary Wars of 1805-1815, and continue on with the War of 1812, the Mexican American War of 1846-48, and the Indian Wars running thru most of the century. We'll close with the Spanish-American War of 1898. We’ll skip the Civil War, well covered in other UDOLLI courses, and which would merit several whole courses on its own.

This will be a very different course from our previous ‘20th Century Wars’ offering, with heavy ethical undertones. Whereas 20th century American wars were largely—not totally—defensive in nature, wars of the 19th century clearly featured the US as the aggressor. Other nations had possessions that we coveted, and under the banner of ‘Manifest Destiny’ we set out to forcibly take them. The purpose of the 19th century wars was mainly conquest, and together the wars make for a morally dubious story.

This 4-week course will explore the national and local literacy challenges depicted in the documentary Sentenced, and then will focus on Montgomery County, Ohio. The course will address the root causes of literacy issues, barriers to overcoming them, and actionable solutions that can make a tangible difference. Through the documentary and supplementary readings, students will gain a deeper understanding of the socio-economic, educational, and systemic issues related to literacy.

Explore the evolution of American conservation from the 19th century to today. This course goes beyond national parks to examine how urban reformers, scientists, women activists, and Native communities shaped the movement. Through diverse stories and landscapes, we will gain a deeper understanding of how Americans have fought to preserve—and define—the natural world.

Using the rock and pop music we'll take a trip, year by year, from 1974 thru 1979. We'll review the top songs and albums from each year and listen to many of them as we travel thru our memories. We'll also look back on some of the cultural happenings: of the time (e.g., Saturday Night Fever) and looking back in time (e.g., Grease).

Explore the noir novel through Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon, Raymond Chandler’s The Big Sleep, and Sara Paretsky’s Indemnity Only. From hardboiled detectives navigating gritty cityscapes to Paretsky’s feminist reimagining of the genre, this course traces the evolution of noir fiction. Film clips from classic adaptations will highlight the genre’s impact on both literature and cinema.

In Fall of 2022 nearly seventy UDOLLI members chose to enroll in what some later described as an emotional yet intellectually and morally challenging seminar. Participants were asked to listen with intentionality to a range of stark, up-close, and personal interviews with the homeless, the mentally-ill living on the streets, prostitutes, the drug and alcohol addicted, victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse and childhood trauma; and those who have experienced generational trauma within dysfunctional families. This was not an easy seminar, yet nearly every participant stayed until the end of the six weeks and with all having been challenged to reflect upon the human condition through a different moral and philosophical lens.

While this class will reprise a few interviews from the 2022 seminar, 90% of the earlier seminar is refreshed with new interviews conducted in the last year. Each interview has the visual ability to draw us deeply into the shared personal stories. Seminar participants will be invited to grapple with and perhaps better understand the basic humanity and turning points in life that led to these individuals’ circumstances.

Let’s be honest, many well-intentioned people even within our own families are prone to immediate judgment toward “those people” living on the fringes of our society. Yet our Judeo-Christian traditions proclaim a God who radically loves all people; a God that meets people in their present conditions. New Testament narratives confront us with a radical preacher named Jesus who was drawn -- not to the rich and well-positioned -- but to those marginalized and made invisible by society. Moreover, Biblical scholars tell us that this Jesus confronted and challenged conventional attitudes toward the broken and the lost. Together, the critical questions we will ask in his seminar are: How do we make sense of the human condition where so many among us are marginalized, unseen, broken, and often on a path to self-destruction? Where is God in all of this, if at all? Does God really care and do we really care? And as the late rock star Tina Turner once sang “what’s love got to do with it?” Seminar will be limited to 50 participants so as to encourage class conversation.