OLLI Fall 2026_pageturn - Flipbook - Page 27
thinking about anatomy, botany, astronomy,
engineering, architecture, warfare, philosophy, and
painting. You will learn about his life as a bastard
son, a gay man, and a distractible perfectionist.
The class presents excerpts from Isaacson’s
biography, Ken Burns’ Leonardo series, Leonardo's
notebooks, and the instructor's photos of his last
home and grave site. Man, myth, genius? Or is it
all just marketing? You decide.
$30 – Class instructor is Judy Harris Helm, Ed.D., a
frequent OLLI presenter who recently completed
the Smithsonian World Art History Certificate
Program.
Remember the Ladies:
Women in the American Revolution
The historic record of the American Revolution
is brief concerning the plight of women in
the colonies. Yet the revolutionary years were
challenging for women, as well as for men. In this
class, we will compare the plight of four different
groups of women, each of whom experienced
the revolution through a different lens. Patriot,
Loyalist, free and enslaved African, and Native
American women alike faced existential
challenges about their place in America, either
pulled toward the English throne or pulled
forward into a new American government.
Whether most of them had independence for
women on their minds is unclear; the supremacy
of men wasn’t questioned. However, their stories
document the women’s issues that are addressed
many years in the future.
$30 – Class instructor is Becky Sisk, PhD, RN, CNE,
nurse educator, and frequent OLLI instructor.
Travel Photography for Everyday Explorers
This class is designed to help passionate travelers
capture stunning images, even without a
professional background. We’ll discuss practical
tips for shooting while on tour groups, focusing
on how to navigate crowds, make the most of
limited time, and quickly capture memorable
moments. You’ll also learn essential editing
techniques to enhance your photos with
beginner-friendly tools, bringing out the best
colors and details effortlessly. Finally, we’ll cover
creative ideas on what to do with your images
once you get home, from organizing and sharing
them in albums or social media to creating your
photos as artwork that preserve and showcase
your travel memories beautifully.
$30 – Class instructor is Don Samford, a frequent
OLLI instructor and tour group traveler.
● 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. _____________________________
American Music?
Exploring a Musical Melting Pot
America is often described as the "melting pot" for
people who have settled here from throughout
the world. Perhaps one can refer to the music we
hear today as being from a "musical melting pot."
Musical creativity in America begins before the
colonial times and continues today. The result of
this creativity is an amazing and wonderful body
of work including every type of music imaginable:
songs, keyboard pieces, symphonies, concerti, film
music, electronic music, and more! We’ll examine
the sources of our music and find out if there is
such an entity as "American Music." Surely, there
must be!
$30 – Class instructor is Michael Dicker, Emeritus
Professor of Bassoon, Illinois State University, and
frequent OLLI instructor.
Electric Dreams vs. Diesel Reality:
CityLink’s Fleet Transition
Join CityLink for an honest conversation about
the real challenges of switching to an electric fleet
in Peoria, and why our diesel fleet continues to
dominate. The transition of the Greater Peoria
Mass Transit District (CityLink) from a legacy diesel
fleet to battery-electric buses marks a major shift
in public transit. While “electric dreams” provide
immense ecological advantages, they must
balance against the “diesel realities” of capital costs
and infrastructure overhauls among other factors.
We’ll talk about charging issues, battery setbacks,
mechanic training hurdles, and reliability struggles.
We will also cover what’s worked well with our
diesel and hybrid buses, their dependability, easier
maintenance, and consistent performance. This
balanced discussion explores the practical tradeoffs of going electric and there will be plenty of
time for questions and local insights.
$30 – Class instructors are Kofi Kisseh, City
Link General Manager; Ken Boddie, Director
of Technical Operations; ShamRA Robinson,
Assistant Director of Operations; and Steve Risch,
General Foreman.
CLASSES
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