When the Constitution was written in 1787, the Founders viewed the U.S. Supreme Court as the weakest branch of government. Today, the Court’s decisions influence every aspect of our Nation’s life. This series of classes will explore the Court’s evolution and the judicial titans responsible for it. (Sign up for one, two or all three sessions in this series. See class #821 for Part 2 and class #832 for Part 3.) This session will consider how the Founders viewed the Court at the outset, and how the unequaled leadership of Chief Justice John Marshall transformed the Court into a powerful and respected institution. In this time he crafted groundbreaking and landmark decisions, beginning with Marbury v Madison, on judicial review of the constitutionality of the laws legislated, and on the authority of Congress and the states under the Constitution. Then in 1857 half of the country rejected the legitimacy of the Court’s Dred Scott decision overturning the Missouri Compromise, helping to precipitate the Civil War. In its immediate aftermath the Court’s prestige sank, and many of the Court’s gains under Marshall were threatened.

Now that you have participated in Zoom video calls and/or classes, move on to the next step--host your own meeting! This class will show you helpful features of Zoom so that you will be able to set up and conduct meetings or get-togethers with one or more other people. In addition, time will be spent on some of the more advanced features of Zoom. Prerequisite: Oasis "How to Use Zoom" class or experience using Zoom as a participant. Participants should have the Zoom application installed and sign in to class using a desktop computer or a tablet. The class is NOT recommended for those who only have access via a mobile cell phone.   Limit: 20    

In the third of a series of discussions of the sub-fields of philosophy, we examine epistemology, the study of knowledge. What can we know? Do we know anything? What are the means by which we acquire knowledge? Are there different kinds of knowledge? (For a related philosophy class, see class #835)

In the third of a series of discussions of the sub-fields of philosophy, we examine epistemology, the study of knowledge. What can we know? Do we know anything? What are the means by which we acquire knowledge? Are there different kinds of knowledge? (For a related philosophy class, see class #835)

As a result of an FCC ruling in 1964, FM progressive radio was born. Rock radio enjoyed a brief, shining moment in between the late Sixties and early Seventies. Richard Neer will trace the history of the medium, including colorful stories from his time at the nation's foremost free form outlet, WNEW FM in New York. The complete story is told in his memoir, FM, the Rise and Fall of Rock Radio.

Home to perhaps the oldest settled, farming civilizations and the oldest universities, India has been, and still is, crucial to the world’s trade, culture, religions, architecture and art. We will take a quick romp through some of its most famous art and architecture.

A catalogue of great music suddenly becomes the score for a Broadway Musical. From Fats Waller to the Gershwins to the Four Seasons and Carole King, the music associated with these artists has become the backdrop for a genre of musical known as the Juke Box. Learn the history of the genre and enjoy the fun these great musicals offer. This class is being underwritten by the Robin Fields Memorial Lecture Fund.

A catalogue of great music suddenly becomes the score for a Broadway Musical. From Fats Waller to the Gershwins to the Four Seasons and Carole King, the music associated with these artists has become the backdrop for a genre of musical known as the Juke Box. Learn the history of the genre and enjoy the fun these great musicals offer. This class is being underwritten by the Robin Fields Memorial Lecture Fund.

Thanksgiving is one of the enduring legends of the Plymouth Colony settlers. They never called themselves “Pilgrims” nor did any of their contemporaries. The story of Plymouth Rock is properly classified as fiction, just one more of the many myths that developed long after the founding of America’s second colony. However, there is an interesting and little known story about what really happened 400 years ago to these hardy souls. In this class you’ll learn the difference between myth and reality.

Taiwan, China and the United States have complicated relations going back almost a century that impact their relations today. This lecture will explain salient developments with a focus on why the United States is so involved with these relations and what is at stake for each government in the currently tense situation.

How often do you find yourself thinking: “I can’t stand that person!”? This workshop will provide you with an opportunity to look at conflict from a slightly different perspective and to explore new alternatives for handling conflict. Participation will offer the opportunity to understand the potential positive outcomes of conflict, the different options for approaching it, and how conflict can be transformative.

This course is for students with PC, not Mac, formats. It is for advanced beginners or intermediate computer students. It is for students who have recently purchased a new computer with Windows 10, or have upgraded from Win 7 or 8 to Windows 10, and would like to learn about the features that are new to Windows 10. Our course will cover the following subjects: the two halves of the Start Menu, using the pre-installed apps that come with Windows 10, the Windows Store, System Restore and restore points, searching in Windows 10, backing up your computer, Windows Updates, privacy, the Action Center, Smart Screen, File Explorer, and much more. Limit: 10

(This program is more of a concert than a class.) The lute, mandolin and Spanish guitar each have a timeless sonic beauty. In this hour we will enjoy these family-related string instruments and their unique personalities. Musical treats from the Medieval world, the Renaissance and the Baroque era will give this hour a special richness. You will also enjoy musical gems from Spain and Brazil.

When the Constitution was written in 1787, the Founders viewed the U.S. Supreme Court as the weakest branch of government. Today, the Court’s decisions influence every aspect of our Nation’s life. This series of classes will explore the Court’s evolution and the judicial titans responsible for it. (Sign up for one, two or all three sessions in this series. See class #810 for Part 1 and class #832 for Part 3.) This session will discuss how during the Gilded Age the Court, packed with railroad and other corporate lawyers, protected property rights of big corporations and rejected claims of racial minorities, and workers. The intellectual and moral leadership came from prescient dissents from Justices Harlan and Holmes. In the 1930s the Court acquired a new home of its own, began to accept New Deal laws regulating businesses, and survived FDR’s effort to undermine its independence by packing the court with additional appointees. In 1954 the Court issued its decision in Brown v. Board of Education under the new leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren. The decision has perhaps had the most impact of all Court decisions on the average American, but it tested anew the Court’s ability to ensure acceptance of its decisions.

When the Constitution was written in 1787, the Founders viewed the U.S. Supreme Court as the weakest branch of government. Today, the Court’s decisions influence every aspect of our Nation’s life. This series of classes will explore the Court’s evolution and the judicial titans responsible for it. (Sign up for one, two or all three sessions in this series. See class #810 for Part 1 and class #832 for Part 3.) This session will discuss how during the Gilded Age the Court, packed with railroad and other corporate lawyers, protected property rights of big corporations and rejected claims of racial minorities, and workers. The intellectual and moral leadership came from prescient dissents from Justices Harlan and Holmes. In the 1930s the Court acquired a new home of its own, began to accept New Deal laws regulating businesses, and survived FDR’s effort to undermine its independence by packing the court with additional appointees. In 1954 the Court issued its decision in Brown v. Board of Education under the new leadership of Chief Justice Earl Warren. The decision has perhaps had the most impact of all Court decisions on the average American, but it tested anew the Court’s ability to ensure acceptance of its decisions.

The many Native American sites that have been found in Washington, DC, ranging from the White House to a Native village on Capitol Hill, are unmarked. This leaves a casual viewer to overlook the several thousand years of history before the city was built. In this class, Dr. Lione will present what he has collected on the Native history of the city. He also will discuss how this history might be rightfully celebrated.

On an ebb tide, nearly 100 skeletons of WWI-era wooden steamboats seem to rise from the waters of a small embayment on the Potomac River. This presentation will explain the history of these watercraft and how they ended up in Maryland. While these form the nexus of the Mallows Bay - Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary, many other historical, cultural and natural elements contribute to the first new Sanctuary in 20 years.

Thoreau was a writer, teacher, editor, lecturer, abolitionist, scientist, and political activist. Author of 20 volumes, Thoreau’s fame is based on two works: Walden, a book on simple living within nature, and “Civil Disobedience,” an essay about peaceful resistance to injustice. His scientific writings anticipated modern-day environmentalism; his political essays influenced Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Learn more about this controversial man from Concord and why his powerful words and deeds still inspire some and infuriate others.

In January 1942, Nazi submarines launched Operation Paukenschlag, or “Drumbeat,” a campaign to defeat the United States on its own shores. Even as u-boats attacked Allied ships, cities from Boston to Galveston refused to impose blackouts, creating a neon shooting gallery along the East Coast and into the Caribbean. Vessels backlit by the onshore lights were easy targets. By that summer, U.S. General George Marshall warned that the German attacks were so serious that they “threaten our entire war effort.”

In January 1942, Nazi submarines launched Operation Paukenschlag, or “Drumbeat,” a campaign to defeat the United States on its own shores. Even as u-boats attacked Allied ships, cities from Boston to Galveston refused to impose blackouts, creating a neon shooting gallery along the East Coast and into the Caribbean. Vessels backlit by the onshore lights were easy targets. By that summer, U.S. General George Marshall warned that the German attacks were so serious that they “threaten our entire war effort.”