This seminar will compare George Orwell’s 1984 and Yuval Noah Harari’s Nexus to explore how power operates through information. Participants will consider how surveillance, technology, communication, and control shape both fictional worlds and modern society. The class will invite discussion about what these works can teach us about freedom, truth, and life in the age of big data.

In this program, we'll explore seven of Dayton’s National Register Historic Neighborhoods: Oregon, Grafton Hill, South Park, Paul Laurence Dunbar, McPherson Town, Grafton-Rockwood-Wroe, and Kenilworth. 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.

Few people will debate the fact that when the New Golden Age of TV started, it was led by three of the greatest writers in TV history who at HBO created three of the greatest series in TV history. David Chase created The Sopranos; David Simon created The Wire; David Milch created Deadwood. This seminar will explore these three celebrated creators and their groundbreaking series.

Mah Jongg is a game played with tiles as you experience the thrill of ancient China where it began. It is a social game that allows for fun and conversation while presenting a challenge. Join us for a 5-week series of lessons. Learn, socialize, and have a great time!

Technical Sergeant Joe Girz flew 57 combat missions during World War II, as a Radio Operator-Waist Gunner in B-26 Martin Marauder medium bombers.  Flying out of Sardinia, Corsica, and Dijon, France, between August 1944 and May 1945, he and his crewmates flew bombing missions to hit specific targets in Italy, France, and Germany.  During this time, TSgt Girz kept a personal log of each of his missions while serving in the 17th Bombardment Group.  His son Tom has compiled his father’s diaries, personal logs, and official mission records into a thrilling retrospective about true patriotism, courage, and survival – not uncommon traits in those we now refer to as The Greatest Generation.  Written in the first person, these memoirs become an interesting viewpoint to tell the story of this challenging time, by placing TSgt Girz’s personal story within the greater war effort – the air and ground operations of the Mediterranean and European conflicts.

Planning a Good Death is a class designed to help normalize important conversations around living well, death, and dying. Together, we’ll explore what it means to die well—physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and spiritually. Through guided discussion and compassionate reflection, we’ll begin to break the silence around death and replace it with clarity, courage, and care. Let’s start the conversation—because a good death begins with thoughtful living.

This seminar will explore the meaning of the ancient Greek epic poem, The Odyssey. Lectures will place the content of the poem in its ancient context as well as the poem’s relevance to the modern world. We will explore the Homeric tradition, give the setting of the poem in the ancient world, and explore and explain the content chapter by chapter.

Attendees are expected to read four chapters (or Books as they are usually referenced) in preparation for each week’s discussion. The class will use Robert Fitzgerald’s translation. Students may use any translation of The Odyssey for their personal reading, though translations produced after the mid twentieth century should be preferred. The instructor will have prepared lectures based upon content, but student questions and observations will be encouraged.