Last Week of Winter Term / Men's Music / Events This Week / Volunteer Thanks

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OLLI at SOU NEWSFLASH

March 8, 2021

Winter Term Ends Friday

Winter term's final week of class meetings also offers several opportunities for Conversation Connections and the Men's Apero.

Then get ready for spring! Course assignments will be sent out March 15, and open enrollment begins March 22. At that time you will be able to add as many courses as you'd like from among the dozens of courses that will have available seats, and a list of open courses will be available online. Spring term begins March 29.

Men’s Apero March 12

OLLI's Member Services Committee would like to invite all OLLI men to a “Men’s Apero” social hour (with your favorite beverage and a side of jazz) on Friday, March 12^th from 5:00–6:00pm. Grab your drink and join us on Zoom. We’ll hear a track from Wynton Marsalis’s latest album, and Miles or Monk might even drop by. This is a relaxed time to chat and get to know each other a little better. Take a quick minute to email me at [email protected] to RSVP, and I'll send you a Zoom invitation.

Hope to see you on March 12!

Bob Adams

Email: [email protected]

Not a guy or not your cup of tea? Stay tuned, more social opportunities are coming soon.

OLLI Lecture: Trends in Geriatric Care

The Rogue Valley has a significantly higher proportion of those aged 65+ than the state or the nation. In a free, public lecture on Wednesday, March 10, from 7:00 to 8:00 pm, Lee Shapley, MD, Administrator of Asante Ashland Community Hospital, will describe plans in development at Asante to address the special needs of those with multiple health conditions and medications in a multidisciplinary and holistic fashion. All are welcome to attend. To obtain a Zoom link for this program, click here.

Conversation Connections (Con-Cons) are one-time meetings on a specific topic of discussion. No preparation or teacher is required, just someone to facilitate the conversation so everyone has a chance to talk.

New Conversation Connection added:

Topic: Native American Women Change Makers
Description: “It is often the women who form the backbone of their nations. Our relatedness is our strength.” (Laura Tohe, Diné, Navaho) Native American women are often framed in terms of colonial patriarchal values, needs, and guilt that invent and distort the images of who they are. Today things are changing. Who are Native American women poets, scientists, social activists, leaders, economists, and artists? What are the challenges they face? What are their sources of strength? Who are some local Native American Women Change Makers? What are your questions about the contributions and challenges of Native American women in the history of this country?
Date: Tuesday, March 9
Time: 1:30-3:00 PM
Facilitators: Louise Parè
RSVP: Reservations are required, and honored on a first response basis. The maximum number of participants for this talk is 30, OLLI members only. Click here to RSVP by 3:30 PM on March 8.
Distance meeting methods/tools to be used: Zoom/videos
Other Questions? Contact Louise Parè at [email protected]

There are still openings for:

Topic: "Talk to Me"
Description: Ashland’s new mayor, Julie Akins, will be the guest at the next “Talk to Me” Conversation Connection. Julie has a background as a television news journalist and taught at SOU. She will be interviewed by hosts Barry Vitcov and John Ferris and by the participants. Jeff Roberts will again handle the Zoom connections. Sign up and you will be invited to submit your questions to Barry or John prior to the session.
Date: Monday, March 8
Time: 4:00-5:00 PM
Facilitators: John Ferris and Barry Vitcov
RSVP: Reservations are required, and honored on a first response basis. The maximum number of participants for this talk is 50, OLLI members only. Click here to RSVP by Noon on March 8.
Other Questions? Contact John Ferris at [email protected]

Topic: Percussion in a Pandemic
Description: Dr. Longshore will discuss what the last year has looked like for the SOU Percussion Studio, ensembles that he performs with including Caballito Negro (flute & percussion duo), Flamenco Pacifico (Spanish flamenco ensemble), Portland Percussion Group, Left Edge Percussion (SOU Graduate Percussion ensemble), and the SOU Percussion Ensemble, as well as solo composition and performance projects.
Date: Wednesday, March 10
Time: 3:30-4:30 PM
Facilitator: Terry Longshore, Chair and Professor of Music, Director of Percussion Studies, Oregon Center for the Arts at SOU
RSVP: Reservations are required, and honored on a first response basis. The maximum number of participants for this talk is 50, OLLI members only. Click here to RSVP by 3:30 PM on Tuesday, March 9.
Other Questions? Contact Pauline Black at [email protected]

Topic: Black Lives Matter – What's it all about?
Description: Maya Angelou said, "I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better." Are you realizing that there's much to learn about the experiences of Black, Indigenous and other people of color, and looking for an opportunity to ask questions in a safe, respectful setting? Join OLLI volunteer instructor Lorenzo Taylor, Marvin Woodard, SOU's Multicultural Resource Center Coordinator, and janelle wilson, Associate Dean of Students, for a friendly, open, conversation with an opportunity to get answers to your questions. Participants will given the opportunity to submit questions in advance if they wish and during the gathering.
Date: Thursday, March 11
Time: 1:00-2:00 PM
Facilitators: Marvin Woodard and janelle wilson
RSVP: Reservations are required, and honored on a first response basis. The maximum number of participants for this talk is 15, OLLI members only. Click here to RSVP by 3:30 PM on Wednesday, March 10.
Other Questions? Contact Pauline Black at [email protected]

If these topics don't resonate with you or fit your schedule, stay tuned for other options, or host one yourself. It's easy to hold a Conversation Connection on a subject of your choice. To find out more, please contact Volunteer Coordinator Pauline Black at [email protected]

Coffee Klatch with Larry and Rob

All OLLI members are invited to grab a cup of coffee/tea and join Rob Casserly, OLLI Assistant Director, and Larry Hunter, OLLI Council President, for an informal, free-form conversation about all things OLLI. There's no agenda, just friends and cohorts getting together to talk. The Zoom link will be emailed to registrants approximately 15 minutes beforehand. Click here to RSVP.

Monday, March 15

11:00 am – Noon

Spring is Volunteer Appreciation Season

Heartfelt Thanks to Rebecca Hawkins!

Thank you so much for being such a stellar example of a Course Host during Marc Ratner's class on the plays of Euripides. You consistently went the "extra mile," not only in assisting Marc with his Zoom issues but also in providing all the links to dramatic productions (films) of the plays we were reading. These assists, plus your cordial, patient attitude formed a large part of what made this course so pleasurable and fun.

Take a moment to thank an OLLI Volunteer!

Everywhere you look, there's a volunteer in front of the screen or behind the scenes putting their skills, time, and enthusiasm into making our OLLI outstanding. Has a volunteer made your OLLI experience particularly delightful? Click here to tell us who you'd like to thank and why, and we'll share your comments in a future NewsFlash and on Facebook.

Council Nominations Welcome

Do you know someone would be a good candidate for the OLLI Council? Nominate them, or nominate yourself! Get involved in OLLI governance. To learn more about this rewarding role, email Lorraine Vail, Leadership Development and Recruitment Committee (LDRC) Chair, at [email protected].

Wildfire Forum

The Ashland City Council will hold an Almeda Wildfire Forum on Wednesday, March 10, at 6 pm via Zoom. The forum will include highlights from the Community Survey conducted after the Almeda Fire, a live Q&A with the City Council and staff, top takeaways on what the City is doing to improve our emergency response, and action steps you can take to be ready for fire season. Click here for more information.

Free Lifelong Learning Opportunities

OLLI volunteer instructor Lorenzo Taylor's spring OLLI course was highlighted in SOU's News with a link to his interview on JPR last week. Click here to listen in. Want to learn more, but not sure you'll get into his course? Consider joining Lorenzo and others at the Conversation Connection on Black Lives Matter on March 11 at 1:00 pm. See above for more information. Click here to sign up.

Learn more about little known aspects of women's history with these free presentations on female pirates offered by Royal Museums Greenwich on March 9 and 15. Click here to learn more, and be sure to note the time difference.

OLLI volunteer instructor and Council member Irv Lubliner is featured in this news article about the success of the book of his mother's writing, and his presentations to OLLIs throughout the country about the work. Click here to learn more.

The Los Angeles Times invites you to attend a virtual book club with Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen on his new book The Committed on Wednesday, March 10, 7:00 pm PST. Click here for a free ticket.

Thursday, March 11, at 7:00 pm PST, join Betty LaDuke and the Friends of Hannon Library for Art, Community, and Social Justice: Reflecting on the Challenges of 2020. To register for this Zoom webinar, visit bit.ly/MarchEvent2021

The Aspen Institute hosts free lectures and panel discussions on a wide range of topics from personal to global issues. Click here to see what's coming up this week.