Winter 2027 – Course Descriptions
Humanity’s Accidental History
One of the most contentious and debated questions of our time relates to the conditions affecting economic wealth and prosperity. Why do some nations achieve economic success while others remain poor? Is it the physical environment? Climate and weather? Moral and cultural mores? Historical circumstances? What explains the distribution of wealth and poverty, of winners and losers? In this course Dr. Weiner will argue that societies that became prosperous (or which remained, or were driven into underdevelopment), were beneficiaries of a series of portentous accidents. 5 Wednesdays at 2:00 p.m. March 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 in the Hopi/Hohokam (rotating) Rooms.
Presenter: Doug Weiner was professor of History at the U of Arizona from 1988 to 2022 when he retired. His Ph.D. in History is from Columbia and was a Mellon Fellow at Harvard University; he has served as president of the American Society for Environmental History. His first book, Models of Nature: Conservation, Ecology and Cultural Revolution in Soviet Russia (Indiana University Press, 1988) was secretly synopsized by the Soviet government and then officially published in Russian translation in the USSR in 1991; subsequently it won an award from Russia’s oldest scientific society, the Moscow Society of Naturalists.
Enneagram: What were they thinking? Why do they act that way?
The Enneagram, is a psychological and spiritual map of human consciousness. It defines 9 distinct personality types and how each type views and interacts in the world. Our personality is a set of habitual patterns and coping strategies built up over a lifetime. Understanding the motivation and strategies behind the behavior of each type allows us to build compassion and empathy for ourselves and others in order to become more successful in our relationships with family, friends and the community at large. Book: The Enneagram Made Easy by Renee Baron and Elizabeth Wagele. Highly recommended but not required for class. 6 Thursdays at 9:00 a.m. February 4, 11, 18, 25 and March 4 and 11 n the Hopi Room.
Presenter: Sue Burdette is a certified Enneagram teacher in the Narrative Tradition. After retiring from the corporate world as a trainer, facilitator and consultant to improve workplace communication, she now enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with others interested in understanding their own dynamic in relations to others.
Groundwater, Geology and Energy
Groundwater, geology and energy are deeply interconnected through the physical structure of the earth, the flow of fluids underground and the technologies used to extract or store energy. Geothermal energy is the most direct intersection of the three; it relies on the Earth’s natural geological heat to warm underground water which is then tapped for power or heating. In this class you will review some basic geology and how groundwater is produced from geologic materials. The role of energy in producing groundwater resources in our area will also be explained. 4 Tuesdays in February at 2:00 p.m. February 2, 9, 16, and 23 in Pusch Ridge, Catalina Vista.
Presenter: Doug Gouzie is a licensed geologist with 20 years as a college professor and an additional ten years in state/federal government and private environmental consulting.
Four Voices in the Conversation Between Humans and Nature: Marie Curie, Louis Pasteur, Rachel Carson and John Wesley Powell
Marie Curie was a Polish-born French physicist and chemist who pioneered the study of radioactivity, a term she herself coined. She became the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person ever awarded Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields.
Louis Pasteur was a French chemist and microbiologist who developed pasteurization to prevent food spoilage and created pioneering vaccines for anthrax and rabies, saving countless lives.
Rachel Carson was an American marine biologist and writer whose work exposed the dangers of environmental pollution, especially synthetic pesticides. Her landmark book Silent Spring (1962) ignited the modern environmental movement.
John Wesley Powell was an American explorer, geologist and Civil War veteran best known for leading the first official U.S. government expedition through the Grand Canyon in 1869, a landmark feat of Western exploration.
These four people overcame adversity, persisted after loss or illness, showed the courage to challenge accepted beliefs and continued the human story behind scientific change. 4 Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m., February 3, 10, 17 and 24 in the Kiva Room.
Presenter: Dave Washabau is a resident of Sun City, a LOM tour leader with his wife Karen, and a life-long enthusiast of the natural world. His college major was zoology with emphasis on wildlife and botany; for 25 years he was a practicing veterinarian.
Indigenous Arts: Two Artistic Families 2+
The Namingha Family and Helen Hardin are contemporary artists gaining great popularity. The Namingha family, Dan and sons Arlo and Michael are highly respected Santa Fe contemporary artists whose work reflects their Hopi heritage and the world of today. Helen Hardin was a trailblazing Indigenous artist from Santa Clara Pueblo. She was known for creating complex contemporary works of art that combined colorful symbols from her Native American heritage with abstract art technics and geometric patterns. 2 Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. on March 3 and 10 in the Hopi room.
Presenter: Linda Friedman and her husband retired to Tucson in 1998; she immediately joined the docent training programs at Tohoho Chul and Tucson Museum of Art. Linda gives many Art Talks though the Tucson Museum of Art and has taught several popular ILR classes in the past.
Gardening Tips for a New Planet
These three sessions will include 1) current threats and opportunities related to water supplies and how to reduce water in your landscape and home; 2) the use of rain barrels, swales, eavestroughs, good minimal drip systems and assessing your property to meet both water availability and scenic beauty; 3) xeriscaping your property, embracing many desert plants for your home landscape by using good water and soil practices to enjoy a beautiful eco-friendly desert landscape. 3 Tuesday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. January 12, 19 and 26 in the Mt. Kimball/Pusch rooms in Catalina Vista.
Facilitator: Susan Puluska is a Sun City resident and active with ILR Samplers; the course will utilize presenters from both the Watershed Management Group and Tucson’s Master Gardening program.
Reconstruction: The Attempt to Build an Interracial Democracy in America
This four week course is a follow up to last years “Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War” but is not a necessary pre-requisite to “Reconstruction”. It covers the post-war period through the establishment of Jim Crow in the 1890s, and how Congress and President Grant attempted to establish an interracial democracy through legislation and constitutional amendments. It also examines the extended effort of southern Whites to overthrow Reconstruction governments, re-establish white supremacy and eliminate Black voting and includes the centrality of women in advocating equal rights for Black people. 4 Fridays at 2:00 p.m. February 5, 12, 19 and 26 in Hohokam.
Presenter: Richard Schneirov, a Sun City resident, is a retired professor of history from Indiana State University where he taught for 33 years and has lectured and published on the period from the period from the Civil War through the late 19th century.
The Great American Songbook: Rodgers and Hammerstein
The music of the 1920s through the 1950s has been called ‘the Great American Songbook’. The music of Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and Hollywood of that era will live on and be played forever! Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II were an important composer/lyricist team of that era. In this course, participants will hear about their lives, careers, shows and songs. We will also have a sing-a-long of some of their most popular tunes, accompanied by a keyboard. Join the fun, learn about these influential musical geniuses and sing songs like “the Sound of Music”, “People Will Say We’re in Love”, “The Lady is a Tramp”,
“Some Enchanted Evening” and many others! 3 Mondays at 2:00 p.m., March 1, 8 and 15 in Hopi.
Presenter: Jim Williams, a long-time Sun City resident and a regular ILR presenter since 2008, is also a talented musician, having studied piano and the organ for many years; he also has read extensively on American popular songs of that era. Additionally, he is the author of 3 books on Oro Valley, including his most recent detailing Sun City’s 40 year history.
Flying 101
All of us have flown in an airplane, some commercial, some private but very few of us understand the basics of flight and how airplane operations are managed. In this course you will learn 1) how an airplane can get into, and stay in the air, even when weighing several tons; 2) how airplanes in flight keep from running into each other; 3) how airplanes get from one place to another without getting lost; 4) how the Air Traffic Control system works and 5) how both commercial and private flights keep significantly impressive safety records. 5 Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 in Hopi.
Presenter: Chuck Stump is a regular ILR presenter and LOM tour leader covering all aspects of aviation. He worked for many years at the Cessna Aircraft Company and more recently has volunteered as a docent at the Pima Air and Space Museum.
Reader’s Theater
Do you remember a time when the family gathered around the radio listening to Burns and Allen, Fibber McGee and Molly, The Whistler, The Shadow, etc. These old time radio broadcasts were fun and entertaining. Now you can be part of that fun by joining Reader’s Theater each week where we will take turns reading various scripts and giving voice to the different characters. No audience, no performance anxiety, just a lot of fun. 4 Mondays at 9:00 a.m. in February, 1, 8, 15 and 22.
Presenter: Randy Myerson is a long-time Sun City resident, a member of the ILR Board and chairs its tech committee. He previously chaired the curriculum committee and regularly volunteers to teach an ILR course. He had an extended professional career in New York state in pediatric dentristry.
Camp Naco 2+
Or Fort Naco, was one of the last forts built by the United States in continental territory and is the only remaining border forts out of several constructed during the Mexican Revolution. It is located several miles west of the town of Bisbee and very close to the Mexican border.
Subsequent to Pancho Villa’s attack on Columbus, NM in 1916, Naco was constructed as a staging area for American troops protecting the border. Fort Huachuca assigned African-American Buffalo Solder units from 1911 to 1921. It has had an amazing history with extensive buildings that recently have been restored . An aside. One mile northwest of Naco is the location of an extraordinary archaeological dig…a mammoth kill site, where clovis points (spear heads) were discovered in 1952 dating back at least 10,000 years. The course will cover the history of the border region from prehistoric times through the conflicts that shaped the border into the 20th century. 2 Mondays at 2:00 p.m. February 8 and 15 in Hopi with an optional trip to Naco, Feb 22.
Presenter: Rebecca Orozco is a 3rd generation resident of the border in Cochise County, retired from Cochise College and the U of A as history and anthropology instructor. After fires destroyed 5 buildings in the Camp in 2006, Becky worked to get the property transferred to the city of Bisbee and then got it listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012 which subsequently got it named one of the 11 most endangered historic places in 2022. Becky headed a project to gain a major grant which resulted in 8.1 million dollars and now oversees its restoration.
Two Giants of the 60s and 70s Rock Scene: Roy Orbison and Neil Diamond
Roy is best known for his operatic voice, tragic life and dark glasses. We will look at his life beginning with his first band in west Texas, his short time at Sun Records, his most successful period at Monument Records from 1960-64 and his part in the supergroup, the Traveling Wilburys. Neil Diamond is one of America’s greatest singer-songwriters with sales of over 50 million records in the U.S. alone. He is a member of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. “So Good! So Good! So Good!” 2 Mondays at 2:00 p.m. March 22 and 29 in the Hopi Room.
Presenter: Alan Kruse has been teaching popular ILR classes for several years, leads tours for the downtown Presidio and at one time had his own Arizona tour company (Kruse tours). He is wild about rock ‘n’ roll.