NEWSFLASH
June 1, 2020
Take a Minute To Vote
OLLI's election of new Council members wraps up this week. Please take a minute to cast your ballot before 4:00 pm on Wednesday, June 3. If you are using a paper ballot, it must be received in the OLLI office by that time. Voting is an important way to participate in OLLI governance, and to show your appreciation and support for these members who have volunteered to join the OLLI leadership team.

If you're having trouble locating your ballot, please call (541-552-6048) or email ( [email protected] ) the OLLI office.
OLLI Annual Meeting
OLLI Annual Meeting
OLLI’s Annual Member meeting and ice cream social were planned for this Friday, June 5. Although we can’t meet in person and celebrate this year’s success, we have planned a special video presentation you won’t want to miss! It will include some important highlights and OLLI updates from Council President Pat Alexander, Curriculum Committee Co-Chair Susan Stitham and President-Elect, Larry Hunter. Look for a special email later this week!
Last Week of Spring Classes
Title: Classical Music for the Pandemic
Instructor: Peggy Evans
Description: Classical Music for the Pandemic: a look at relatively short classical music works (e.g., a movement of a symphony, not the whole work), which may speak to students at this challenging time.
Students will be contacted by email twice a week to the end of the term. Each email will include several works. Each work would be described (history, musical style, form) plus there would be links to recordings and a score (if available). The works would come from western European classical music and its several historical periods, including music for the church. Students will be encouraged to suggest works to be included and to email questions which will be answered privately or in the next class email. Students will work through this material at their own pace.
Start Date: The class is self-paced, and students may add at any time.
Distance learning methods/tools to be used: Email
Maximum number of students: Unlimited
Questions: Contact the instructor at [email protected]

Title:  OLLI Goes to the Virtual Ashland Independent Festival
Instructor:  Lorraine Vail, with Kathy Roselli, Dave Ferguson and local filmmakers
Description:  Regretfully, the 2020 Ashland Independent Film Festival (AIFF) was cancelled. Fortunately, Festival staff curated a “virtual” film festival (May 22-June 14) for independent cinema fans, and  OLLI Goes to the Virtual Ashland Independent Festival  was created. This is an opportunity to view unique films that are not likely to be shown elsewhere, plus the latest and best from our local filmmakers. The films are streamed on Film Festival Flix and can be viewed on a TV or PC. Nine full-length films and the  Locals Only  series will be discussed via Zoom. You choose how many films to view and how many class discussions to join. A brief description of the films will be available on April 30. On May 6, a Zoom meeting (optional) will provide more information and answer questions on the films and the viewing logistics.
Please note:  Enrolling in the class is a great way to express your support to AIFF and the work they do to ensure independent cinema is present in our community. The streaming channel subscription is $9.99 and a feature film rents for $7.99. Best of all, a subscription includes free access to the wonderful collection of 35 shorts, including NASA’s  CineSpace winners. A subscription is not required for the  37 short films from our community of local filmmakers and filmmaking students. If you are an AIFF member, you receive a free subscription to the channel and a number of feature film vouchers depending on your membership level.  Click here for details
Note: Although the Festival and the course have already begun, members may sign up at any time this week.
Each feature film shows one day only during a 4- to 24-hour period. The “shorts” show continuously from May 22–June 14. The nine films chosen for discussion show on May 22, 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, and June 1, 4, 5.
Five class discussions at 2:00–3:30 pm on May 24, 27, 31 and June 2, 5. The June 2 discussion is devoted to the Local Filmmakers series and four local filmmakers whose films are showing will join us.
Distance learning methods/tools to be used:  Zoom for class discussions. FilmFestivalFlix channel for viewing films (TV or PC).
Maximum number of students:  Unlimited
 Questions:  Contact the instructor at  [email protected]
Watercolor Art Salon This Friday
The May event was enjoyed so much by the participants that they are scheduling a second Salon in June. New participants are welcome to attend. RSVP below.

Event: OLLI Watercolor Art Salon
Facilitator: Charlie Noble
Description: Watercolor artists, wannabe watercolor artists! Join in for an internet art salon. We will show a piece of our work and have a positive discussion. We will discuss problems, successes and solutions of our work. A chance to come together in these difficult times from the safety of our own homes. This will be an easy-to-use Zoom event.
Date: Friday, June 5, 3:00 pm , approximately 90 minutes.
Distance meeting methods/tools to be used: Zoom
Maximum number of participants: 15
Questions: Contact Charlie at [email protected]
New Shared Interest Group Starting: Poetry
William Lawson is facilitating a poetry reading SIG for OLLI members. Once a week, poets and writers will meet online via Zoom and have ten minutes to share their poems and other writings.  Click here for more information (PDF).

Contact the Poetry Reading SIG Facilitator for more info: 
William Lawson at 541-842-0877 or   [email protected]
Start A Shared Interest Group
If you would like to start an OLLI SIG (Shared Interest Group), keep in mind that OLLI SIGs are complying with Oregon's stay-home order and social distancing guidelines and our SIGs are meeting only online at this time (email or video conferencing). If you would like to facilitate an OLLI SIG and think it would work well online, please contact Barb Barasa, SIG Coordinator, to discuss it:  [email protected]  or 541-552-9349. or 541-552-9349.

Click here to see what other SIGs are currently meeting.
Lifelong Learning Resources
Senior Planet is another source of free online fitness and exercise classes. Click here to see what they have to offer.

The Skeptics' Guide to the University is a weekly 80-minute science podcast. Click here to check it out.

More citizen science is available via these webcams on the Big Sur condor nest. Click here to check in on the condor chicks.

SharpBrains  has a list of  25 brain games  to play from testing your colors to counting to checking your stress level to optical illusions and more. You can feel your brain pumping up after a few of these games.

Brilliant offers fun challenges in math, science, and computer science. You can try it out by clicking here .

Wondering how to do it yourself? Snapguide has videos showing you how to do a wide range of activities from crafts to home repair. Click here to see all that they have to teach you.