Academic Connections Online Registration

Each course will meet in the Tempe Connections meeting room next to the Connections Café on the Main Floor of the Tempe Public Library.

SEMESTER MEMBERSHIP FEE

There is a mandatory $15 one-time-per-semester fee for membership in the Osher Lifelong Institute at ASU. This fee entitles you to discounts, access, and opportunities. If you have not previously registered as an ASU Osher member this semester, please click to add your Membership Fee to the cart before you sign up for classes below. You will receive your membership card on the first day of classes. For more information about member benefits, call 602-543-6440.

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SPRING 2012 COURSES

The People and the Physics behind the Atomic Bomb
Instructor: Dr. Richard Jacob, ASU Professor Emeritus
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Mondays, Apr. 2, 9, 16, 23
(4 weeks)

You don’t have to be a nuclear physicist to appreciate the story and science behind the Manhattan Project. Essential nuclear physics will be explained in clear, non-mathematical terms and how discoveries by Oppenheimer, Fermi, Bohr and others led to the development and use of the first nuclear weapon.

Southwest Art and Architecture
Instructor: Allen Reamer
10:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. – Wednesdays, Mar. 7, 14, 21, 28, Apr. 4
(5 weeks)

Explore the art and architecture of the three major Southwest societies: the Anasazi, the Mogollon and the Hohokam. Study will continue with other early cultures, such as the Fremont, Sinagua, Mimbres and move on to the later art of the Hopi, Zuni, etc.

Arizona’s Progressive Roots: The War on Big Business 1890 – 1920
Instructor: Dr. David Berman, ASU Professor Emeritus
10:30 a.m. – noon – Tuesdays, Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28
(4 weeks)

Contrary to its current conservative Image, Arizona was once a hotbed of progressive reform. Over a 30 year period starting in 1890, examine this activity as well as the leading political and corporate figures caught up in the struggle to curb the influence of large corporations. The effort brought about some key reform, but also raised issues about democracy and the role of government.

Religion in the Modern World
Instructor: Dr. Keith Crudup
Part I - 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Tuesdays, Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, Mar. 6
(5 weeks)

Examine social and cultural factors that have undermined the relative hegemony of religion in the pre-modern world. Utilizing the secularization thesis as a working model, explore the significant role that religion plays in relationship to the challenges and opportunities of modernity and post-modernity. To discern the viability of this model, case studies will be considered.

Religion in the Modern World
Instructor: Dr. Keith Crudup
Part II - 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Tuesdays, Mar. 13, 20, 27, Apr. 3, 10 (5 weeks)

Explore the tenacious tendency of religion to find expression, even considering the secularization model previously investigated. Case studies will include a sample of New Religious Movements (NRMs), the rise of Fundamentalisms, the New Age movement, and certain activities that may not on the surface appear religious.

Latin Jazz
Instructor:Jesse Joaquin Parker
12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – Tuesdays, Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28, Mar. 6
(5 weeks)

Learn how Latin music and American jazz are linked and how they developed independently, as well as, together. Trace the lineage of Dizzy Gillespie’s trip to Havana and his ambition to unite these musical languages. Learn about the style developments and how jazz musicians from Latin America have integrated jazz with their cultural music and vice versa.

Understanding New Media
Instructor: Joe Hewitt
10:30 a.m. – noon – Thursdays, Feb. 9, 16, 23, Mar. 1, 8
(5 weeks)

Do you cringe when someone mentions Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, or “in the Cloud?” Does buying online make you tense? Do you feel bewildered about texting? Don't be intimidated! Learn about safe browsing, streaming media, social networking, and many other facets of computer usage. Share your challenges and get your questions answered.

Film Genius Woody Allen: Writer, Director, Actor Extraordinaire
Instructor: Fred Linch

Sorry-this class is full.  Please call Rebecca Bond at 480-350-5490 for options.

Explore the multi-faceted creative force of Woody Allen, a true master of American film and human comedy. Be ready to view both his best-loved classics and not-so-well-known films to discover what makes him tick and how he puts together elements to reflect his unique point of view.

Shadows in the Dark: The Art of Cinematography
Instructor: Fred Linch
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Thursdays, Mar. 15, 22, 29, Apr. 5, 12
(5 weeks)

What creates an unforgettable memory on screen? The secrets lie with the cinematographers, of course! These masters of light bring the director's vision to the screen. Explore the fascinating history of this 116-year-old art form with a guest cinematographer each week. You’ll never see a film in the same way again!

Pillars of Society, Fallacies of Argument
Instructor: Dawn Penich-Thacker
10:30 a.m. to noon – Tuesdays, March 20, 27, April 3, 10
(4 weeks)

Rhetorical fallacies are flaws in argument, errors in logic, or emotional ploys, so why and how are they so often used in contemporary society and politics? Because they work. Examine the ways logical, ethical and emotional fallacies are exploited in contemporary politics to persuade voters and what we can do to withstand them.

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