GIVE THE GIFT OF FRIENDSHIP THIS VALENTINE'S MONTH! | | |
There are just a few days left to celebrate connection, kindness, and the joy of lifelong learning this February. When you give a gift of $26 or more before March 1, OLLI will mail a heartfelt card made by an OLLI artist to a friend, classmate, or instructor of your choice.
Honor someone who makes your learning journey meaningful while supporting the community that brings us together. Your gift helps fund scholarships, enrich classrooms, and sustain the programs that make OLLI feel like home.
Each card will contain a standard message:
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Dear Sally,
Ann Nikolai has made a donation to OLLI in your name as a token of appreciation for you this Valentine’s Day.
Enjoy this piece of art by OLLI artist __________.
| | | MEMBER BENEFIT: SOCIAL MEETUPS | | |
Stay connected and have fun between terms with social meetups. Spring social meetups begin on Sunday, March 15, just after winter classes end. A benefit of your membership is that you get the calendar of each week's meetups emailed to you at 8am on Sunday mornings during the meetup session.
Past social meetups have included outings to the movies, reading groups, support groups, indoor ping pong, museum tours, board games, origami practice, and art projects. Social meetups are not just social; some instructors keep their regular classes going all year. For members thinking of teaching an OLLI class, social meetups are a great place to test out new ideas. And social meetups aren't just for members – we invite you to bring your friends to meetups to give them a taste of what OLLI is all about.
Social meetups are very easy to organize. All you have to do is pick a day, time, and place, and then fill out the form to get it on the weekly calendar.
| | OLLI PLAY FESTIVAL AUDITIONS TODAY AND TOMORROW | | |
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to be on the stage? Now is the time to find out! Audition for the annual OLLI Play Festival and discover the fun and magic of acting this spring.
Auditions
Thursday, February 26, 1-4pm
Friday, February 27, 1-4pm
Gordon 1 at The Social Chico
All plays are written, directed, and acted by members. Join the fun!
For more information, contact Pam Loyd at pamloyd@icloud.com.
| | WINTER COMMUNITY SPEAKER SERIES | | |
Save the date for our Winter Community Speaker Series on Thursday, March 5.
Asa Mittman will join us for a talk that argues that maps are not natural, neutral documents that display information in straightforward, objective, scientific ways, but are instead rhetorical and ideological documents that shape our understandings of the world around us and our place within it. We will look at maps from the Middle Ages through the present to see how all their elements work together to shape our experience and understanding of geography. In doing so, we will talk about what maps are for, which it turns out is much more complicated than getting from point A to point B!
Asa Simon Mittman is a professor of art and art history at Chico State who has been studying maps and images of monsters for 25 years. He has authored three books, most recently Cartographies of Exclusion: Anti-Semitic Mapping in Medieval England (2024), and three dozen articles and book chapters; edited five volumes; and delivered dozens of invited lectures and conference talks on these subjects.
Thursday, March 5, 3-4pm
Free and open to the public! A hybrid event – join us in Bradley 2 at The Social Chico or on Zoom. Check the OLLI website the day of the event for the Zoom link.
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This spring the OLLI Membership Team is hosting a weekly Brown Bag Luncheon for New Members. "As a newcomer to Chico since November, I started looking for ways to meet new people," said new member Karen L. McCready. "I took advantage of the $50 Chico OLLI membership to get myself oriented. The weekly Wednesday Brown Bag Lunch works beautifully for me."
Karen continued, "The facilitators made me feel right at home immediately. I've been meeting new people at each meeting and talk flows easily without a specific agenda. I've learned so much about the area, getting answers to all those newcomer questions, and am inspired to join some of the classes when I have more time. The lunches are a great way to launch into a new life in Chico."
"I would encourage new members to attend the Brown Bag Lunches," fellow new member Linda Cruces said. "I enjoy these sessions and plan to enroll in more classes now." Bring your lunch and get to know the Membership Team and new members like Karen and Linda each Wednesday of this term at 11:45am in Bradley 1 at The Social Chico.
Pictured: Karen and Linda getting to know each other at the Brown Bag Luncheon.
| | JOIN US FOR THE SPRING CLASS PREVIEW ON MARCH 26! | | |
The Spring Class Preview is a chance for you to learn about spring classes, plan your schedule, and hear from some of our volunteer instructors. It's also a chance to socialize with other OLLI members and friends. Plus OLLI's volunteer Hospitality Team will again bring delicious treats for you to enjoy.
The Spring Class Preview is a great time to introduce a friend to OLLI. Remember, when you refer someone you know to OLLI and they also join, you both get to register early for classes this spring. The deadline to confirm this with the OLLI office is the same day as the Spring Class Preview. Bring your friend with you, and you can let us know there!
Spring Class Preview
Thursday, March 26, 10:30am-Noon
Presentation begins at 11am
Chico Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Avenue, Chico (map)
Free parking, coffee, and snacks!
Photo by Matt Bates/Chico State.
| | MEET A MEMBER: GRACIE NANEZ AND ANNE PERRY | | |
If you're a dog owner living in California Park, chances are you've met Gracie Nanez and Anne Perry, pictured with rescue dogs Willow and Stella. They frequently walk dogs for their neighbors and claim to know the names of the dogs they encounter. They're not as familiar with owners' names.
"It's like when we delivered to regulars on our FedEx routes," Anne commented. "We brought treats for the dogs. We knew their names – the people, not so much."
Gracie and Anne met at FedEx and moved to Chico after retiring. It didn't take long for them to join OLLI, enrolling in Fitness for Lifetime Mobility. They have continued to enroll in classes that emphasize movement, and in April, they'll join other OLLI members on a tour of Italy, realizing one of their post-retirement dreams. "We'll be dipping our toes into the travel experience," Gracie said.
Their other activities include getting together with Gracie's sister and her grandchildren, volunteering at PAWS, hiking with friends, and gardening. For their garden, Anne went straight for flowers. Gracie gave veggies a try but claims the garden is too small to accommodate them. Now they explore opportunities to buy local produce and recently discovered Garden Creek Farm in Durham.
In the fall, they'll sign up for more OLLI classes, continuing to make the most of their retirement.
| | LEARN THE HISTORY AND ENGINEERING OF THE PYRAMIDS | | |
Towering above the desert sands for over 4,000 years, Egypt's pyramids remain some of the most iconic and enduring symbols of human ingenuity. This March, you can join geologist Nicola Richmond from OLLI at University of Arizona for The Pyramid Age: How Ancient Egypt Reached for the Sky.
In the class, you'll get to take a close look at the engineering techniques used to build these colossal structures, the workers who labored to bring them to life, and the religious beliefs that gave them purpose. Along the way, the class will explore enduring mysteries – including a still-unexplained void inside the Great Pyramid, detected by modern scanning technologies.
Whether you're fascinated by ancient engineering, intrigued by pharaohs and the afterlife, or just want to better understand one of the world's greatest architectural traditions, register now for The Pyramid Age: How Ancient Egypt Reached for the Sky and look through a window into a civilization that quite literally moved mountains.
| | TRAVEL AND LEARN WITH OLLI | | |
Travel Information Session
Want to know more about our upcoming trips? Have questions about what Collette does? Join us for a travel information session to learn more, complete with captivating slides of the areas we'll be visiting and information about our first small group tour.
Monday, March 16, 1-2pm
A hybrid event – join us in Bradley 2 at The Social Chico or on Zoom. Check the OLLI website closer to the event for the Zoom link.
| | Spotlight on New York City, Fall '26 | | |
Start spreading the news! This extended Spotlight on New York City tour makes the most of a single hotel stay to explore Manhattan and Brooklyn. Experience the best of the "Big Apple" from Rockefeller Center to Greenwich Village and across the Brooklyn Bridge. Your 7 days and 8 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
Book by March 2 for discounted rates! View the Spotlight on New York City full itinerary (pdf).
| | Discover South Pacific Wonders, Fall '26 | | |
Experience Queenstown, cruise Sydney Harbour, and discover the wonders of Aboriginal culture on this incredible journey through New Zealand and Australia. From the ethereal beauty of New Zealand's glacial fjords to the tropical splendor of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, enjoy the best of the South Pacific. Your 18 days and 28 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the Discover South Pacific Wonders full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.
| | Wonders of Thailand, Winter '27 | | |
Delve into a land where bustling modern cities, ornate ancient temples, and stunning jungle beaches coexist. Uncover the beautifully balanced mosaic of old and new, metropolitan, rural, and coastal in Thailand. Your 16 days and 24 meals of this small group tour will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the Wonders of Thailand full itinerary (pdf) and book now to reserve your space.
| | Newly Announced! France Magnifique Discovery, Spring '27 | | |
From the royal Palace of Versailles to the enchanting streets of Paris, grab a baguette and rendezvous with the best of France. Bask in the rich history, culture, and romance of these celebrated cities and charming towns. Your 12 days and 16 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the France Magnifique Discovery full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.
| | GET FREE COUNSELING FROM CHICO STATE GRAD STUDENTS | | |
Could you use a little help to feel better? Is there something you need to work through? Chico State's Counseling Training Clinic (CTC) offers free individual, family, and couples counseling to community members as well as Chico State students, staff, and faculty. It also gives you a chance to help the next generation of therapists get real-world experience during their training.
The CTC still has space for couples and individuals in their schedule this semester. Their counseling is provided by advanced marriage and family therapy graduate students, supervised by licensed department faculty. Their services are free and confidential, and they meet all the professional and ethical standards for the field.
Contact the CTC at ctc@csuchico.edu or 530-898-5149 or visit their website for more information.
| | RAMADAN KAREEM AND EID MUBARAK! | | |
Ramadan is a month-long religious observance that began this year at sundown on February 17. During Ramadan, one of the central religious practices of Islam, Muslims fast from dawn until dusk. The pre-dawn meal is called suhur and the meal to break the day's fast is called iftar.
At the end of Ramadan, Muslims celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which begins this year at sundown on March 19. Eid al-Fitr observations and celebrations include giving to the poor and needy, special prayer services, wearing new clothes, and eating dates and other sweet foods.
The greetings for your Muslim friends are "Ramadan Kareem," meaning "Have a generous Ramadan," during Ramadan and "Eid Mubarak," meaning "Blessed Eid," on Eid al-Fitr.
| | BUTTE COUNTY MUSEUM WEEKEND | |
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If you have something to say, a photo to share, or a question to pose to the editor, you can submit information using our OLLI Newsletter Submission form.
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