OLLI Winter 2026_pageturn - Flipbook - Page 12
Mah Jongg for Novices
Tuesdays, January 13 – March 3
4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
PeoriaNext Innovation Center, 801 W. Main, Peoria
American Mah Jongg is a fascinating game of skill
and chance, with a little luck rolled in. We will
start with the basics of the game – identifying the
tiles, understanding the rules, reading the card
– and move on to actual game play with plenty
of oversight and support. This course is for the
beginner starting from scratch, but we’ll have you
tossing tiles with the best of them by the end of
the group. Join Dan Stanley, a 21- year Mah Jongg
enthusiast who has taught many opera singers to
play while waiting for a call to the stage (but you
don’t have to be able to sing to learn to play).
$45 – Facilitated by Dan Stanley, Continuing
Education staff member, and Gail Gordon, retired
teacher and Peoria Mah Jongg maven. (RG/RFs)
Seats available: 13
The Beatles: A Cultural Revolution
Tuesdays, January 20 – February 24
10:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
PeoriaNext Innovation Center, 801 W. Main, Peoria
From “Love Me Do” in 1962 to “Hello, Goodbye” at
the close of the decade, the Beatles transformed
not only music, but society and culture itself.
Their revolutionary sound reshaped the way we
think about sex, politics, art, drugs, work, and
everyday life. Together we’ll explore the lesserknown history of the band, uncovering the
cultural forces that gave rise to their worldwide
phenomenon. With the clarity of hindsight, we’ll
consider how England shaped the Beatles, and
how the Beatles, in turn, reshaped England and
the world. But this isn’t just history - it’s also
personal. What do the Beatles mean to you?
Bring your thoughts, memories, and re昀氀ections
to enrich our discussions as we dive deep into the
songs that de昀椀ned a generation. Each week, there
will be “homework” to view two 30-minute videos
and listen to 4–6 Beatles songs (accessible via a
provided Spotify playlist, online resources, or your
own music collection).
$45 – Facilitated by Don Baker, educator, tutor,
and a DJ for decades, and Bob Yonker, retired
engineer and ‘60s music enthusiast, will be
Zooming in to co-facilitate.
Seats available: 16
12
STUDY GROUPS
Kennedy vs. Nixon:
Power, Politics, and the Battle for America
Tuesdays, January 20 – February 17
1:30 – 3:45 p.m.
PeoriaNext Innovation Center, 801 W. Main, Peoria
Few rivalries in American history were as dramatic
- or as consequential - as that between John F.
Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon. Born just a few
years apart, they entered Congress together in
1946, rose from starkly different backgrounds,
and eventually faced off in the 1960 presidential
race, where the 昀椀rst televised debates and one of
the closest popular-vote margins in U.S. history
forever changed American politics. Their careers
left legacies that still shape the nation today. We’ll
go beyond the familiar headlines to uncover the
men behind the myths: Nixon, scarred by poverty
and family loss, and Kennedy, wracked by hidden
illnesses and private struggles. Together, their
stories reveal not only how power is won - and
lost - but also the human cost of ambition. From
their 昀椀rst campaigns to Watergate, we’ll revisit an
epic struggle that still reverberates more than 昀椀fty
years later.
$45 – Facilitated by Tim Burns, a former university
administrator and teacher.
Seats available: 20
President Shadid takes time for a conversation
with OLLI member Sherry Hillman during the
OLLI/AARP Legislative breakfast.
