Thursday Courses   

A Pickleball Round-Robin FUNdamentals Collective is designed for round-robin-style pickleball. This fun and active class is for pickleball players who understand and play the game. Because it is a rotation, all levels are welcome. There will be three classes of three hours each at Lithia Park pickleball courts. The round-robin is a structured form of play, with rotation at the end of each game. Players will learn format, partnering, stacking (when and how to), hand signals, types of scoring, byes and types of pickleballs. Timing and numbering of rotations will be taught in addition to safety during play. Players will experience a minimum of six timed games, and we will break for rest periods frequently. You will be an active participant and connect with your rotating partners to strategize play. This course will be taught by experienced players from Ashland Oregon Pickleball Club who volunteer their time and expertise. 

NOTE If you have mobility issues this course may not be for you. A waiver must be signed on the first day of class. There is a $3 charge for pickleballs on the first day of class. You will need a hydrating drink, a paddle, court shoes and a hat or visor. Eye protection is recommended. 

This course is designed for students who have taken the Absolute Beginners Pickleball course or who have a rudimentary knowledge of the game. It will be taught by seasoned instructors who have taught before. Expect to build on the basic game to include advanced strategy in play. We will meet at Lithia Park pickleball courts every day for five consecutive days for 1½ hours. There will be an emphasis on safety and sportsmanship. This skills-building class will focus on different types of serves; lobs; third-shot drops or “drop shots” drives; partner communication; stacking; types of scoring; and identifying Bert, Ernie and Nasty Nelson! The last day will be a fun round-robin in which players will rotate play with all other players. There will be an instructor/Ashland Oregon Pickleball Club member at each court who will be ensuring no faults and providing feedback. A waiver must be signed prior to the first class. 

NOTE: Students are expected to have their own paddle and know the basic game, such as rules/usapickleball.org, court position, basic serve, return of serve, NVZ, calling “out” balls, safety and sportsmanship. Players will need court shoes, a hat or visor, snacks and a hydrating drink. Eye protection is recommended. 

Let’s “wrap” together! We’ll make several different recipes that feature a type of wrapper, from rice wrappers to wonton skins to homemade blintzes. We’ll start with spring rolls that feature raw vegetables and other ingredients, as well as pot stickers featuring pork and minced vegetables. Last, we’ll make cheese-filled blintzes with blueberry topping, perfect for your springtime tables. Bonus recipes will be included. We’ll create together and savor the end results. I will be cooking in my kitchen while you cook at home! 
 
NOTE: Students should have basic kitchen skills and common equipment. We’ll be using a food processor and a blender. Some recipes contain gluten; a few vegetarian options will be featured.

 

This course will examine Oregon’s legal options for a humane and dignified death at life’s end. The instructor is a physician and a MAID provider and consultant. Viewpoints of students who have moral reservations about MAID will be considered. In two 90-minute classroom sessions, lecture time will be minimized. Active student participation and questions will be encouraged. Vignettes of actual anonymous patients and death situations will be presented. Situations in which requests for MAID were unsuccessful will be mentioned, along with changes to the Oregon Death With Dignity Act to be proposed to the 2025 Legislature. Related topics will include elder suicide, why MAID is not legally a suicide, overlap with hospice care and the right to refuse unwanted treatments. The voluntary stopping of eating and drinking (VSED) may be discussed. Suggestions on how to find out if your doctor, clinic or health-care facility will support your request for MAID will be offered.  

NOTE:  A wide range of experiences and knowledge among students is anticipated. Reading materials will be offered before each session along with other optional resources.

This four-week course will help you understand your digital camera and improve your photography skills. It is designed for people who enjoy photography and want to improve their understanding and skills. You’ll learn how to use your camera to create more interesting photographs. Course topics include: composition techniques; creating more engaging photographs; digital camera operation; understanding your camera’s features and settings; the exposure triangle; working with aperture, shutter speed and ISO; post-processing and enhancing your photos for greater impact. Each week you will be asked to send the instructor a photo, based on a theme, that will be shared with the class the following week. The class is designed for people who use cameras with adjustable controls, not phone cameras. To prepare, review your camera’s manual before the first class. You may need to download it from the camera manufacturer’s website. Familiarizing yourself with your camera’s basic controls and menu system will help you get the most from this course. 

 

Our lives do not come with an instruction booklet for living our life fully! This discussion course will explore the nature of reality and the purpose of life. What is reality? What are its patterns and how can we live a happier life? The course utilizes the instructor’s latest book, available free of charge. He will highlight selected portions from each chapter of his book. All of the instructor’s ideas aim toward making life better.

Oregon has been the site of rich literary offerings by lesbians. Starting in the 1970s, lesbians here began to gather and record their lives, their spirituality, their erotic experiences and their politics. In WomanSpirit magazine, Ruth and Jean Mountaingrove offered years of meditations, rituals and spiritual insights that touched women around the world. A group called the Southern Oregon Women Writers’ Group, Gourmet Eating Society and Chorus helped writers create and publish dozens of lesbian books. The “We’Moon Calendar” has showcased global women’s art and writings annually for over 40 years. Tee Corrine made lesbian sex a literary and visible celebration from her home in Oregon. Come out and enjoy discovering lesbian writing, art and publication in Oregon. There will be books to read and art to view. The course will be taught from the perspective of preserving lesbian herstory as part of the LGB cultural mosaic. No background knowledge is needed.  

NOTE: Most materials will be excerpted, scanned and distributed to the class. Full versions may be available online.

This course will provide a learning environment for understanding war culture. We will consider ways to promote critical consciousness and intellectual curiosity, and we will craft ideas for moving toward a democratic culture of peace. Students should be prepared to discuss all aspects of a war culture including strong anti-war endeavors such as “Howard Zinn on War.” “Waging peace” means learning to live with diversity instead of combating it. This course will be based on “After Empire: Myth, Rhetoric, and Democratic Revival” by Robert L. Ivie and Oscar Giner, 2024. Lecture slides will cover content from the book. Discussion questions will be provided ahead of each class session, and students will be encouraged to highlight portions of the book they would like to discuss in class. It’s a rich text. Within each chapter we will choose what we discuss as a class. Students are also welcome to arrive to class with no preparation! 

NOTE: Students should acquire “After Empire: Myth, Rhetoric, and Democratic Revival” by Robert L. Ivie and Oscar Giner.