OLLI EVENTS
Looking for some interesting OLLI at Duke events? You are at the right place. Click on the events below or just scroll down to see all of them.
Looking for some interesting OLLI at Duke events? You are at the right place. Click on the events below or just scroll down to see all of them.
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Name Tags: OLLI Members please note, you must have your New OLLI Name Badge to attend OLLI Events. If you are NOT taking a Fall Semester Class you can pickup your new name badge at either the Bishop House (Monday-Friday from 9-4) or JRC - Judea Reform Congregation (Monday-Thursday 9-4). New Name Badges will not be mailed to any home addresses.
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Bernard Osher
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Report from the 13th Osher Annual Conference
The annual Osher Institute Conference is always a treat for OLLI members. We can meet members from other OLLIs across the country there and hear about new ideas. This year, of course, the conference was held in late October via Zoom—which eliminated the joy of face-to- face conversations but didn’t ruin the great ideas. Moderator Kelly Jean Rosenblatt kept
reminding us that many of these ideas were submitted for the conference “pre-pandemic,” and we would need either to bank them for future post-pandemic use or find a creative way to adapt them for use now.
The themes of the major presentations and panels reflected the realities that all OLLIs are sharing now: trying to find different ways to bring members together, developing new ways to use online learning, and programming more intergenerational and community activities when possible. A common thread among most of the OLLIs presenting was a desire to increase OLLI
diversity; there were sessions on how to teach about systemic racism and how to learn about diversity in one’s own particular community. One presenter stressed a key point: OLLI should be listening to other communities more than talking to them.
Among the favorite presentations—as usual—were the “Woo Hoo!” presentations: quick videos by selected OLLIs on best practices, classes, or events that they have developed. This year there were 78 candidates vying for the “Best Woo Hoo!” award. Some chapters showcased a new space they had moved into, and some reported on a foreign trip by a member group. A
number reported on intergenerational activities between OLLI members and campus/community undergraduates: “Deep Conversation Speed Dating” (Brandeis), “Spring Break Service Week” (U Cal-Santa Cruz), “Community Read” (U Mich), “Monthly Pot Luck Meals for Students Aged out of Foster Care” (U-N Tex). Saginaw Valley State U ran a summer “Camp with Your Grandchildren” program.
Events involving service to the community were also popular: making and donating hand-knit items to low-income residents was a program at NCSU, U Nev-Reno, and Dartmouth (and Dartmouth asked the whole New Hampshire area to donate “leftover” yarn bits). UNC-Asheville created and staffed a food pantry at a local low-income senior housing community. Several OLLIs offered presentations on programs featuring creative works by members. Cal State-Chico produced an evening of short plays written by members, Cal State-San Marcos self-published a writing class anthology, and U Tex-El Paso members mounted a combined art exhibit with students.
Some programs were unique. Berkshire Community College won one of the awards for its one day conference on aging/ageism. The RIT OLLI ran a 20-month study, including four in-depth surveys and professional analysis, to determine the needs of its members. U Alaska-Fairbanks ran a class on “Cultural History Through Song.” U Missouri heralded the 50th anniversary of the
moon landing with a series of events (including showing off its own piece of “moon rock”). U Rhode Island offered a class featuring one-day excursions to local places of interest, from a lobster processing factory to a craft brewery. San Diego State U offered a series celebrating 100 years of the 19th Amendment.
These exciting offerings were only some of the 78 competing! The creativity and ingenuity of OLLI members as they keep their minds active are always impressive. OLLI at Duke has done an outstanding job keeping our on-line classes top of the line. Are there other ways OLLI members can be safely engaged during these pandemic days?
The annual Osher Institute Conference is always a treat for OLLI members. We can meet members from other OLLIs across the country there and hear about new ideas. This year, of course, the conference was held in late October via Zoom—which eliminated the joy of face-to- face conversations but didn’t ruin the great ideas. Moderator Kelly Jean Rosenblatt kept
reminding us that many of these ideas were submitted for the conference “pre-pandemic,” and we would need either to bank them for future post-pandemic use or find a creative way to adapt them for use now.
The themes of the major presentations and panels reflected the realities that all OLLIs are sharing now: trying to find different ways to bring members together, developing new ways to use online learning, and programming more intergenerational and community activities when possible. A common thread among most of the OLLIs presenting was a desire to increase OLLI
diversity; there were sessions on how to teach about systemic racism and how to learn about diversity in one’s own particular community. One presenter stressed a key point: OLLI should be listening to other communities more than talking to them.
Among the favorite presentations—as usual—were the “Woo Hoo!” presentations: quick videos by selected OLLIs on best practices, classes, or events that they have developed. This year there were 78 candidates vying for the “Best Woo Hoo!” award. Some chapters showcased a new space they had moved into, and some reported on a foreign trip by a member group. A
number reported on intergenerational activities between OLLI members and campus/community undergraduates: “Deep Conversation Speed Dating” (Brandeis), “Spring Break Service Week” (U Cal-Santa Cruz), “Community Read” (U Mich), “Monthly Pot Luck Meals for Students Aged out of Foster Care” (U-N Tex). Saginaw Valley State U ran a summer “Camp with Your Grandchildren” program.
Events involving service to the community were also popular: making and donating hand-knit items to low-income residents was a program at NCSU, U Nev-Reno, and Dartmouth (and Dartmouth asked the whole New Hampshire area to donate “leftover” yarn bits). UNC-Asheville created and staffed a food pantry at a local low-income senior housing community. Several OLLIs offered presentations on programs featuring creative works by members. Cal State-Chico produced an evening of short plays written by members, Cal State-San Marcos self-published a writing class anthology, and U Tex-El Paso members mounted a combined art exhibit with students.
Some programs were unique. Berkshire Community College won one of the awards for its one day conference on aging/ageism. The RIT OLLI ran a 20-month study, including four in-depth surveys and professional analysis, to determine the needs of its members. U Alaska-Fairbanks ran a class on “Cultural History Through Song.” U Missouri heralded the 50th anniversary of the
moon landing with a series of events (including showing off its own piece of “moon rock”). U Rhode Island offered a class featuring one-day excursions to local places of interest, from a lobster processing factory to a craft brewery. San Diego State U offered a series celebrating 100 years of the 19th Amendment.
These exciting offerings were only some of the 78 competing! The creativity and ingenuity of OLLI members as they keep their minds active are always impressive. OLLI at Duke has done an outstanding job keeping our on-line classes top of the line. Are there other ways OLLI members can be safely engaged during these pandemic days?
Let’s Share What We’re Reading as We Stay at Home
Many OLLI members are no doubt using our stay-at-home time to get some reading done.* As a life-long bookaholic, I am always interested in getting book recommendations from friends. So I’d like to suggest that we start sharing what we’re reading during the pandemic – and hopefully beyond – on the OLLI at Duke Member page.
For years, I have been sharing brief book reviews on Facebook. I’ve noticed that during the pandemic, these reviews have been generating more comments and discussions among my friends, with lots of people recommending books they’ve just read or have enjoyed immensely in the past.
Here are a three of my recent mini-reviews:
*A line in The Glass Hotel, Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel, that made me laugh out loud was when she wrote that a spy who was in prison “was using his life sentence to get some reading done.” I could relate, given our current circumstances.
Jeanne Yocum
Many OLLI members are no doubt using our stay-at-home time to get some reading done.* As a life-long bookaholic, I am always interested in getting book recommendations from friends. So I’d like to suggest that we start sharing what we’re reading during the pandemic – and hopefully beyond – on the OLLI at Duke Member page.
For years, I have been sharing brief book reviews on Facebook. I’ve noticed that during the pandemic, these reviews have been generating more comments and discussions among my friends, with lots of people recommending books they’ve just read or have enjoyed immensely in the past.
Here are a three of my recent mini-reviews:
- A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-torn Skies of World War II by Adam Markos with Larry Alexander is one heck of a read. My friend (and fellow OLLI member) Janet Lipman told me she had given this book to her father, who flew in WWII. I thought Bob [my husband, a retired naval aviator] might like it so I gave it to him for his birthday last month. Based on his review, I decided to give it a try. I found it a very compelling book. The heart of the story is an encounter between a badly damaged B17 bomber and a German fighter plane that doesn't go as anyone would have expected such a meet-up would. But the major part of the book is given over to the amazing story of Franz Stigler, a German pilot who managed to survive over 800 missions. If you like aerial combat stories, you will love this book. And even if that's not your thing but you like seeing how someone can maintain his humanity in the midst of slaughter, you'll find this book a good read.
- The Long Call is the first in a new series by major-league mystery author Ann Cleeves, who has written the Shetland and the Vera Stanhope series. Other than seeing a few episodes of Shetland on PBS, I had not read/seen her work before. Well, I'm all in now! I absolutely loved The Long Call, which launches what she is calling her Two River series. The lead detective and his team are all interesting characters that you want to spend more time with and get to know better. The setting in the coastal villages and towns of North Devon is interesting, the pacing is excellent, and you're kept guessing all the way along. What more can you ask from a mystery writer?
- In A Long Petal of the Sea, Isabel Allende covers a wide swatch of history that takes us from the Spanish Civil War to the exile of Spanish war refugees to Chile and then to the Allende years and the Pinochet dictatorship before finally ending up in the 1990s, where a family secret hidden for 50 years are finally revealed. This will not go down as my favorite Allende novel, but even so, it is worth your time. You will learn about a forgotten piece of history in which Chilean poet and sometimes diplomat Pablo Neruda arranged for a ship to carry 1,200 Spanish refugees to Chile from France, where they had fled to escape the horrors of Generalissimo Franco (who is still dead, by the way). You will also learn of the concentration camps set up by the Pinochet regime in Chile and the horrors committed there. And you will learn how love brought people through these horrible times. BTW, a long petal of the sea is how Neruda described his homeland.
*A line in The Glass Hotel, Emily St. John Mandel’s new novel, that made me laugh out loud was when she wrote that a spy who was in prison “was using his life sentence to get some reading done.” I could relate, given our current circumstances.
Jeanne Yocum
OLLI Foodie Lunch Group Gathers to Enjoy Eating Adventures
It’s a well-kept Durham secret is that the Duke Marketplace student dining facility in the East Campus Union, just across the parking lot from Bishop House, is open to all. A group of OLLI foodie lunch groupers congregated on the front porch of Bishop’s House and then marched to the Union entrance on the Quadrangle. The members were struck by the classic beauty and towering ceilings of the space. A half-dozen menus posted high on the wall spelled out the day’s fare at multiple stations. Fresh and natural are consistent themes. This writer enjoyed a bowl of a homemade, delectable chicken-and-rice soup. We carried a selection of wings, salads, chocolate cake, etc., to our table and everyone ate well.
Then on March 11, more than a dozen members of the Foodie Lunch SIG assembled in the warm sunshine just outside the entrance to one of Durham’s largest and most extensive vendors of Mexican foods, La Superior Carniceria. After saying our
hellos, we wandered through the stacks of unfamiliar goods, fanciful piñatas hanging from the ceiling, sacred icons for sale in a niche, and then through an array of fresh foods, tempting specialties at attractive prices. Specialty cheeses, a custom butcher,
fresh and frozen seafood, Mexican and domestic produce, a tortilleria where both corn and flour tortillas are baked, and a bakery that prepares a tempting selection of pastries and breads were on our stroll.
At last a member grumbled gently that it was time to eat. The food service displays a constantly changing menu with a panorama of offerings. When you see what you want, step to the English-speaking cashier, order, and pay. Have a seat and display your assigned number. A server soon appears with your meal. Don’t forget the extensive toppings bar. Muy mucho caliente! We had a grand time and ate well and learned a lot. Don’t forget to buy a nosh before you leave.
These friendly outings will resume when it is safe enough. To add your name to the SIG email list or view the future lineups, head to our website. Any OLLI member is welcome. Register at: https://foodiefieldtrips.weebly.com
It’s a well-kept Durham secret is that the Duke Marketplace student dining facility in the East Campus Union, just across the parking lot from Bishop House, is open to all. A group of OLLI foodie lunch groupers congregated on the front porch of Bishop’s House and then marched to the Union entrance on the Quadrangle. The members were struck by the classic beauty and towering ceilings of the space. A half-dozen menus posted high on the wall spelled out the day’s fare at multiple stations. Fresh and natural are consistent themes. This writer enjoyed a bowl of a homemade, delectable chicken-and-rice soup. We carried a selection of wings, salads, chocolate cake, etc., to our table and everyone ate well.
Then on March 11, more than a dozen members of the Foodie Lunch SIG assembled in the warm sunshine just outside the entrance to one of Durham’s largest and most extensive vendors of Mexican foods, La Superior Carniceria. After saying our
hellos, we wandered through the stacks of unfamiliar goods, fanciful piñatas hanging from the ceiling, sacred icons for sale in a niche, and then through an array of fresh foods, tempting specialties at attractive prices. Specialty cheeses, a custom butcher,
fresh and frozen seafood, Mexican and domestic produce, a tortilleria where both corn and flour tortillas are baked, and a bakery that prepares a tempting selection of pastries and breads were on our stroll.
At last a member grumbled gently that it was time to eat. The food service displays a constantly changing menu with a panorama of offerings. When you see what you want, step to the English-speaking cashier, order, and pay. Have a seat and display your assigned number. A server soon appears with your meal. Don’t forget the extensive toppings bar. Muy mucho caliente! We had a grand time and ate well and learned a lot. Don’t forget to buy a nosh before you leave.
These friendly outings will resume when it is safe enough. To add your name to the SIG email list or view the future lineups, head to our website. Any OLLI member is welcome. Register at: https://foodiefieldtrips.weebly.com