Whether you’ve led a class in the past or could be convinced to lead one for OLLI for the first time, we hope you’ll submit a Spring '23 Class Proposal.

You could offer a single presentation in an area of interest or expertise, or facilitate up to 10 weeks of discussion, activities, and lectures. OLLI instructors are our most valuable resource, and we are beyond grateful to the volunteers who keep OLLI going.

Submit a Spring '23 Class Proposal now or contact us for more information at [email protected] or 530-898-6679.

Pictured: Dr. Joni Samples teaching a class. Photo by Jennifer Bartlett.

OLLI members get a special discounted lunch price of $7.50 at The Social Chico's main cafeteria.

The OLLI lunch hour has been changed to 11:30am-12:30pm, Monday-Friday. This is a perfect time to meet friends before, after, or between classes and share a meal together.

Credit/Debit Cards only at the cafeteria, located in the Social Central Building, facing W. 3rd Street. Due to COVID-19, The Social Chico cannot accept cash. (This also applies to Café 1400, located near the Bradley 2 classroom.) Weekend dining is permitted, too; however, the OLLI discounted rate does not apply.

"I went into the office two weeks ago to sign up for two classes; I walked out with six on my schedule!" Nancy O'Brien, new member, seated with classmates at The Social Chico cafeteria, said last week.

As a longtime OLLI member, instructor, and former staff member, I know that what happened to Nancy isn't all that unusual. Let's face it, there are a lot of classes to choose from – indoors or outdoors; live-online or face-to-face – or both!

When I answered the phones for OLLI, I would encourage members to have lunch at The Social Chico. "Invite a friend along," I'd say, "or, better yet, reach out to someone you don't know, someone who shares your interest for the class in which you're both enrolled, but who is hard to get to know during a lecture room. The cafeteria is a great environment for making friends and getting to know your classmates better. You may also learn about other classes you find interesting.

"But watch out," I'd warn you. "You may end up enrolling in more classes than you originally had in mind. It happens all the time!"

Susan Levine has led classes for OLLI for more than a dozen years. She was the all-knowing member services representative for OLLI from 2012 to 2020.

And those interventions are working! In August, Chico residents used about 11 percent less water than in August 2020. In July, Chico saw a savings of 13 percent compared to July 2020, nearing the Governor’s call to reduce water use by 15 percent. Markey said that the majority of household water use takes place outside, and he provided tips for ways to conserve:

Markey also shared areas of prohibited water use, including watering outdoor landscaping that causes runoff onto adjacent properties or paved areas, washing vehicles with a hose that doesn’t have a shutoff nozzle, not repairing leaks within five days of notification, and using a hose to wash your driveway and sidewalks.

A big shout-out to Evan Markey for taking time to answer our questions and for continuing to support OLLI. For more information on rebates, tips, and conservation information visit drought.calwater.com. To learn more about how Cal Water is adapting to climate change, visit calwater.com/esg.

Black Women’s Equal Pay Day 2022 was yesterday, September 21. Black Women’s Equal Pay Day marks how many additional days into this year a Black woman has to work to catch up to the amount of money a white, non-Hispanic man made last year. Black women are paid 58 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men. OLLI reached out to Chico State faculty members for thoughts on this issue.

Chico State Professor Lateasha Meyers explained that the "wage gap is rooted in historical injustice and those injustices have real material consequences today." Her colleague in the Department of Multicultural and Gender Studies Professor Robert De'Von Jiles further explains, "Black women experience what Black feminist Frances M. Beal calls 'double jeopardy,' which means they experience simultaneous discrimination based on their race and gender identities. In the workplace, double jeopardy results in lower wage paying jobs, reduced hours, being overlooked for promotions and raises, not being hired, or being laid off at higher rates than other employees."

"Addressing the gap requires a multifaceted approached rooted in understanding the inequalities Black women face which are connected to racialized and gendered experiences," Professor Meyers says. "Some of the ways this gap could be addressed are by providing pay transparency and clear guidelines on pay expectations, and annual audits to analyze pay inequalities that exist within businesses. Companies could provide ongoing training for all employees on hiring bias. Additionally, asking questions such as: Who is getting promotions? Who is considered the 'right fit' for your company versus those who are not? These things need to be evaluated often to expose unconscious biases companies have."

"But it takes people in power imagining and creating equitable work environments for all employees regardless of their race and gender identities," Professor Jiles adds. "It takes people with power in workplaces incorporating practices of equitable and fair treatment in their daily lives."

Mark Yourek, pictured, is a business professional who has worked for major corporations in the United States and around the world. This fall, he is leading a five-session class on Zoom to examine questions about capitalism in China.

Many Americans are only dimly aware that capitalism is alive and well in "communist" China. But China is now an overwhelmingly capitalist country, emerging as a formidable rival to the United States. How is China doing it? In this course, we compare the US and Chinese models of capitalism and government, their respective strengths and weaknesses, and the factors that may determine the long-term future of each country. Which will be stronger? Which will be more stable? Which will be more influential?

Watch the recording of Mark's first full class and sign up today to join us on Thursdays at 10am on Zoom.

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, and it begins this year at sundown on September 25. Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, begins ten days later at sundown on October 4. Together Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are known as The High Holidays. The High Holidays are the most important holidays in Judaism, when Jews engage in a process of teshuvah, meaning "repentance" or "return."

Rosh Hashanah traditions include attending services and hearing the shofar, eating apples with honey for a sweet new year, and performing Taschlich, a ceremonial casting off of sins into running water. Yom Kippur is a more solemn holiday when many Jews spend the entire day at services, communities engage in the communal confession of sins, and adult Jews whose health permits it fast from all food and drink as well as many other activities of normal daily life.

Attend local services at Congregation Beth Israel or Chico Havurah.

Shana tova and gut yontiff to all our Jewish members!

Author, publishing executive, and Grammy-nominated record producer Rick Bleiweiss, pictured, is the featured presenter for the OLLI Community Speaker Series on Thursday, October 13, 3-4pm.

Rick Bleiweiss shares lessons learned in his roles as a senior executive in a publishing company and as a published author, including information and advice about publishers and publishing, literary agents, query letters, audiobooks, writing, and more.

Free and open to the public! Register now to get the Zoom link in your email, or check the OLLI website the day of the event to join.

Spring Class Proposals Due

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.