GET YOUR PLAY FESTIVAL TICKETS NEXT WEEK! | |
|
The OLLI Play Festival is back this April with more laugh-out-loud plays, written, directed, and acted entirely by OLLI members.
Last year, every performance sold out and people were turned away at the door. This year, the OLLI Play Festival Committee will pre-sell tickets. Get yours early to guarantee a seat!
Advance Ticket Sales
Wednesday, April 3, 10am-12pm
Friday, April 5, 10am-12pm
Tuesday, April 9, 10am-12pm
Bradley 2 Lobby, The Social Chico
Tickets are $10 each, cash or check only. Tickets will also be sold at the time of each performance if seats are available.
For more information about tickets, contact Debbie Vermette at [email protected].
Performance Dates: April 18-21
Thursday and Sunday 2pm
Friday and Saturday 7pm
| |
GET READY FOR YOUR OUTDOOR CLASSES | |
|
We love how much members love going outdoors with OLLI! Chico State requires us to collect two additional forms for hikes and other outdoor classes. Over the past year, OLLI staff has worked with hike leaders and Chico State Risk Management on the process for this paperwork.
Chico State requires us to get a new Outdoor Liability Waiver from you each term. Even if you signed one last month, spring is a new term and it's time for a new form. We will need this form on file in the OLLI office before your class.
If you want to sign it electronically, email us at [email protected] to let us know you want to receive an Adobe Sign link. If you prefer to fill it out on paper, you can email us a scan or photo of your signed form, mail your form to us, or visit our office to fill out a form.
You will need to bring a separate copy of the Emergency Contact Information with you to each outdoor class you take and turn it in to the instructor or paperwork assistant. We want your instructor to have the most up-to-date information on the day of your hike, and Chico State requires OLLI to keep these on file for each class.
| |
LEARN ABOUT THE AGING EYE WITH AN EXPERT | |
|
Our eyes exhibit age-related changes in performance as we get older, particularly as we reach our 60s. Some of these changes are perfectly normal and don't signify any sort of disease process. And though cataracts can be considered an age-related disease, they are common in older adults and can be readily corrected with surgery.
This spring, you can learn more about common changes, as well as more serious age-related eye diseases, from local ophthalmologist Benjamin Gilbert, MD, in The Aging Eye. When we understand more about our aging eyes and what we can do as we notice changes, we can help improve our eye health and overall quality of life.
Sign up for The Aging Eye when class registration opens at 9am on April 4 to learn more about eyes from an expert.
| |
SAVE THE DATE: OLLI SPRING PICNIC | |
|
Join us for our annual potluck picnic lunch where we reconnect with old friends and welcome new learners to the OLLI community. This is a chance to eat, socialize, and even play a few rounds of bingo.
OLLI staff will be available to answer any questions about registration or the upcoming spring term, and your fellow members will be there to eat and socialize. Free and open to the public. Invite your friends!
Friday, April 12, 11:30am-1pm
Wildwood Park
Free parking and beverages. Join us!
To allow people to make the best food choices for themselves, please bring a full list of ingredients for your dish. Print out our form (pdf) or bring your own. We'll also have forms for you to fill out at the event.
| |
CATCH UP ON YESTERDAY'S ONLINE SPRING CLASS PREVIEW | |
|
Some of our instructors joined us on Zoom yesterday to give us a little taste of their spring classes. If you missed our Live-Online Spring Class Preview yesterday, you can still catch up.
Watch the recording now and get ready to register for classes on April 4.
| |
|
It is often said that volunteers are an organization's most valuable resource. For OLLI, this couldn't be more true. Our volunteers lead classes, hikes, and other group experiences. They also back instructors by providing training and regular support on audiovisual equipment in person and online. As we prepare for the spring term, classroom hosts come to mind as key components of the overall classroom experience. Ann Nikolai reached out to several winter hosts to get their take on the host experience.
"I really appreciate the opportunity to assist the instructors," said an anonymous host. "I know how much time they put into leading classes for OLLI, and if my few tasks at the start of class make their job easier, I feel like I've made a difference."
OLLI member Dave Brown hosted the first class he ever took for OLLI last term. "Being a host was fun and easy. I would definitely do it again." Dave also made a great suggestion: formally introducing the host to the class, letting members know who to look for if they have questions. Great idea, Dave!
Yuko Hanson was new to hosting, too, last winter. "It was exciting to be useful to OLLI in some way. OLLI is a window to a world I wouldn't experience if I stayed home, and it has made me a part of a larger community that gives meaning to retired life." Yuko also volunteers at the OLLI Annex office, our satellite office at The Social Chico.
Denise Smith volunteers once a week in the OLLI office and hosted a class for the first time recently. "It's a great way to meet and greet every person each class session," she said. "Hosting a class for which you're already registered is such a great way to volunteer, without adding an extra commitment to your life."
Please complete the OLLI Volunteer Sign-up form if you'd like to learn more about hosting a class for OLLI this spring – or have an interest in volunteering in another way. Classroom hosts also get pre-registration privileges. And thank you to all of our volunteers who help keep OLLI thriving!
| |
SUBMIT YOUR FALL CLASS PROPOSAL BY APRIL 8 | |
|
OLLI is founded on classes led by members. As a member, you get the chance to share your knowledge, skills, or interests with other members when you teach a class for OLLI. Whether you've led an OLLI class before or want to try it out for the first time, we invite you to submit a fall '24 class proposal.
The fall term runs September 9-November 15, and our class proposal deadline is April 8. The deadline is early so we can release the catalog in July.
Want to teach online but don't have a Zoom account or a teaching space? No problem! We can start your Zoom meetings for you, get you a Zoom account at no cost, or provide you with space and a computer in the OLLI office to teach your class.
Submit a fall '24 class proposal now or contact us for more information at [email protected] or 530-898-6679.
Pictured: Robin Dizard teaching a class. Photo by Matt Bates, Chico State.
| |
CAMPBELL FAMILY DUO BUILDS COMMUNITY | |
|
In 2018, Dana Campbell joined OLLI instructor Cheryl Tyree to co-teach a series of estate planning classes. At the time she worked in Cheryl's firm. A few years later, Dana, who studied law later in life, took over for Cheryl and hung her own shingle, Dana L. Campbell Attorney at Law. In 2020, her daughter Tara started law school right here in Chico at Cal Northern School of Law and joined her mom's firm part-time. Tara will sit for the bar exam this summer! But this isn't the first time mom and daughter have teamed up as professionals.
"Before I practiced law, I was CFO of a local non-profit," Dana shared over breakfast at Beatniks in early March. Several years later, Tara wound up in the same position, at the same company! "We probably talk shop too much when we're with friends and family," Tara laughed, "but I feel fortunate to have such a great mentor in my mom and to share similar career goals and trajectories." Dana is also the perfect student partner for the bar exam, having passed it in 2017. "Preparing for this exam can be isolating," Tara explained. "My mom's recent experience and study tricks are all still fresh in her mind, and they've been invaluable aids to my own process."
Tara started co-leading OLLI classes with Dana two years ago. "One of the things my mom and I love most about OLLI is the very nature of this lifelong learning program. We're more like conversation facilitators than teachers, learning from each other from the unique experiences each member bring to class." Last year, Dana L. Campbell Attorney at Law became an OLLI Gold Sponsor.
Dana reflected on the reasons behind the shift they both made from accounting to law. "We have the opportunity in our practice to help our neighbors; to help families," she said. "Our clients come to us for guidance about the the things that matter most to them, and we have the opportunity to hear their stories and guide them to the answers with our knowledge and expertise, but also with compassion."
Tara agreed that the opportunity to build community is what drew her to follow her mom into law. It is also what gets her excited about OLLI. "I think it's the one thing in my life that makes me wish I was older," Tara exclaimed, referring to the OLLI 50+ age requirement. OLLI is continually enriched by local businesses, like Dana L. Campbell Attorney at Law, that share their expertise and passion for what they do.
Look for Dana and Tara in the OLLI Spring '24 Catalog and register for their Estate Administration when registration opens on April 4.
| |
|
OLLI is partnering with the UC Master Gardeners of Butte County to co-sponsor gardening workshops that will take place in Bradley 2 at The Social Chico. All workshops are free; registration is required. As an OLLI member, you are warmly invited to register for these workshops taking place in a familiar classroom.
Soil Health
Wednesday, April 10, 3:30-4:45pm
These three simple processes are key: no till; no bare soil; and no herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers. We'll show you how soil health, plant health, and people's health are all connected.
Register Now
| |
|
One of the benefits of your OLLI membership is the ability to attend lectures from across the country through OLLI USA. Many of the 125 OLLI programs across the country share their lectures by doctors, musicians, and other experts in the field for you to join on Zoom.
OLLI at the University of Arizona invites members from OLLIs across the country to join them for Climate and the Deep Blue Sea with Joellen Russell. Delve into the fascinating intersection of oceanography and climate science, gaining valuable insights into the current state of our oceans and their pivotal role in the broader climate system.
Joellen Russell is an oceanographer, climate scientist, and professor at the University of Arizona. Her research uses robot floats, supercomputers and satellites to observe and predict the ocean's role in climate and the carbon cycle. She is the modeling lead for the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling project (SOCCOM), and she currently serves as Chair of the NOAA Science Advisory Board’s Climate Working Group.
Monday, April 8, 1pm Pacific Time
Register now to receive Zoom information.
| |
MARCH 31 IS CESAR CHAVEZ DAY | |
MEET A MEMBER: ANTHONY PORTER | |
|
Last summer, OLLI member Anthony Porter offered a poetry class featuring essays in three poetic forms: pantoum, zappai, and free verse. "I think I learned more than my students," he said, referring to the lessons he learned about structuring a writing class that offers enough time for members to explore a new form and not feel rushed.
Since 2015, Anthony has taught writing to prisoners in High Desert State Prison in Susanville, which he considers by far to be the most useful work he's done. "Creating the right environment to facilitate deeper thinking and reflection is my goal when I'm working with prisoners and it's rewarding to share the discoveries they make through writing."
Fellow OLLI member Margaret Swick introduced Anthony to OLLI a few years ago and while one-off lectures suit him best, he has been enjoying Dick Kennedy's cartooning course a lot. "Dick has a way of awakening everyone's inner artist," he said. Look for Anthony's poetry class in the fall.
| |
TRAVEL AND LEARN WITH OLLI | |
|
Travel Information Session
Want to know more about our upcoming trips, including our two newly announced trips to Costa Rica and Greece? Last month, Collette representative Jay Fehan joined us for a travel information session. Watch the recording now.
| |
Tropical Costa Rica, Winter '25 | |
|
Experience the paradise of lush forests and stunning waterfalls, rumbling volcanoes and endless coastlines in Costa Rica. Take in tranquil views of Arenal Volcano, visit the Cano Negro nature preserve, experience the Monteverde Cloud Forest's lush canopy, and relax on sandy beaches. Your 9 days and 13 meals will be guided by seasoned tour guides from Collette.
View the Tropical Costa Rica full itinerary (pdf) and book now for discounted rates.
| |
Exploring Greece and Its Islands, Spring '25 | |
Memorials of World War II, Fall '24 | |
APRIL IS AUTISM ACCEPTANCE MONTH | |
|
Autism Acceptance Month aims to go beyond simple awareness and toward a world that accepts autistic people and puts them at the center of their own lives and needs. Organizations such as the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) work to make our society more inclusive for autistic people, as determined by the autistic community itself.
Another place to learn about the perspectives of autistic people this Autism Acceptance Month is Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture. Ought publishes scholarly and creative work that explores autistic culture. From issues focused on the internet to comics by autistics, the journal aims to break down barriers in conversations about autism.
| |
RAMADAN KAREEM AND EID MUBARAK! | |
|
Ramadan is a month-long religious observance that began this year at sundown on March 10. During Ramadan, adult Muslims who are physically able to do so eat a pre-dawn meal called suhur, fast from dawn until dusk, and break the fast with a meal called iftar.
At sundown on April 9 this year, Ramadan comes to an end with the holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Eid al-Fitr's joyful traditions include a prayer service, new clothes, charitable donations, and feasting.
The greetings for your Muslim friends is "Ramadan Kareem," meaning "Have a generous Ramadan,” during Ramadan and "Eid Mubarak," meaning "Blessed Eid" on Eid al-Fitr.
| |
HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE?
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.
| | | | |
