OLLI News from Bradley University
 
contents
April 9, 2019  
membership
OLLI's Transition to a Membership-Based Program

After more than a year of thoughtful consideration by the Executive Committee, OLLI at Bradley will charge a $5 quarterly membership fee beginning with our Fall 2019 programs.

The Bernard Osher Foundation, which has provided $2 million in endowments to recognize our OLLI as a program of national distinction, encouraged our transition to a membership-based program.  Membership can promote a stronger sense of community and belonging, and also provide an additional revenue stream to further develop, broaden, and sustain our OLLI at Bradley.

The membership fee will bring our OLLI into alignment with the Foundation's best practices.  OLLI membership fees at other institutes in the Midwest range from $45 to $600 per year, but we have decided that $5 per quarter is sufficient to satisfy the Foundation's guidelines and to meet our needs.  The fees generated each quarter will be used to fund our new offerings and offset costs that impact all OLLI activities (such as producing the quarterly brochures and distributing the weekly newsletters).

Here are some advantages to becoming an official OLLI member this Fall:
  • Only OLLI members will have access to our quarterly programming, including classes, learning trips, study groups, and OLLI Originals (special events such as after hours, cinema programs, theme dinners, and more).
  • We will have more flexibility to develop new offerings, such as Lunch and Learns, Workshops, and Breakfasts with the Experts.  Many of these programs will have higher seating capacities than most of our other events, so more members can enjoy the new learning opportunities.
  • We will be able to deliver additional benefits to OLLI members, including discounts at the Bradley Bookstore, the Bradley Theatre, and other member-only perks offered by our community connections (e.g., discounted prices for symposiums and deals from other organizations).
     
  • The affordable fee will enable us to better determine the needs and interests of our members and to deliver programs to meet them.
     
  • The fee - only $5 per season - will produce an additional source of revenue for our new offerings, offset costs that impact all OLLI activities, and allow us to sustain the current prices for classes, study groups, and trips.
Watch this weekly newsletter for more information as the Fall season approaches.  If you have any questions, please contact OLLI Director Michelle Riggio at mriggio@bradley.edu or (309) 677-3900.

Thank you all for your continuing support of our lifelong learning community!

lunch
Lunch During Classes - Options Everywhere!  

Wondering what to do for lunch during OLLI Classes?  We've got options!

Everyone is invited to join our buffet luncheon every Wednesday in Ballroom B from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.  If you haven't already purchased your tickets, stop by the OLLI registration desk before 9:00 a.m. each Wednesday, and buy your ticket for $10.75 per day.  Here's what's coming up on the menu: 
  • April 10 * Italian chopped salad with pasta, onion, black olives, tomato, cucumber, and three dressings on the side * Italian wedding soup * Roasted pork loin with mashed potatoes and gravy * Carrot cake with cream cheese icing 
  • April 17 * Caesar salad with parmesan, croutons, tomatoes, and Caesar dressing * Chicken tortilla soup * BBQ pulled pork sliders * Vanilla cupcakes 
  • April 24 * Baby spinach salad with onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, and raspberry vinaigrette * Minestrone soup * Sweet and sour chicken with Asian vegetables and steamed rice * Angel food cake with strawberry topping 
For those wishing to eat elsewhere, visit one of the cafes of the Michel Student Center Marketplace on the first floor.  Stop by Chick-fil-A, Moe's Southwest Grill, Marketplace Deli, or Tossed, or select ala cart items at P.O.D. (Purchase on Demand) Market.

You can also visit restaurants near campus where cuisines vary from American to Vietnamese.  Want to pack your own lunch?  Then join us in Ballroom B, or take your lunch outside to enjoy our beautiful campus.

Call Bonnie or Gwen if you have any questions about lunch during Classes: (309) 677-3900.
building
Choose OLLI on Bradley's First 'Day of Giving'

The Bradley family is coming together for "Building Bradley," a 24-hour day of giving to thank those who have helped build the Bradley we all know and love.

OLLI was chosen as one of the "teams" to amp up excitement for this day, and we know you'll love this easy way to donate - just click on  bradley.edu/bb and visit the OLLI TEAM page.

There, you'll see all of the  ambassadors (OLLI members and Continuing Education staff) who are ready to tell you how your donation to OLLI, no matter the size, makes an immediate impact on our learning community. 

Giving is fast, easy, and secure, and each donation gets us closer to our goal of a 40% donor rate.  During this 24-hour period, you'll even receive a pair of Bradley socks for a gift of $25!  

Thank you for your support of OLLI and our home, Bradley University!
coke
May Photography Trip Has Openings

Photography with Coke Mattingly

Thursday, May 16
11:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Downtown Peoria
Level 2 Learning Trip

Don't miss this chance to learn about photography with our expert and frequent instructor, Coke Mattingly, as we look for subjects to photograph in natural light.  After a lunch and presentation, we'll explore the photo possibilities along the riverfront as Coke offers tips and techniques while we shoot.  Be sure to bring your camera or cell phone.  We'll look for possibilities you may never have considered.
$35 - includes lunch, gratuities, tour, and shuttle transportation

Register online, or call Bonnie or Gwen with questions: (309) 677-3900.

memories
Help us Recount our History  - Send a Memory -

Have you sent us a memory about your time with OLLI or its predecessor, the ILR (Institute for Learning in Retirement)?  

We're collecting memories to help us commemorate our 25th anniversary this fall, and you can help!   Tell us something about your experiences; share a funny or heartfelt story; let us know what OLLI or ILR has meant to you. 

Email your story to olli@bradley.edu o r submit your OLLI memories  online

insider
OLLI Insider: Your Questions Answered

Dear OLLI Insider,

I had such a great time at OLLI classes last week.  All of my friends are jealous! I'd really like to show them how much fun OLLI is.  Can I bring my friend to class next week to see what it's all about?

Signed,
Friendly Fran


Dear Friendly Fran,

We are delighted you had a great time at OLLI last week.  We encourage members to bring a friend to enjoy OLLI classes for one day at no charge.  If you have a friend who has never been to OLLI classes and would like him or her to attend as your guest for one day, please contact our office at (309) 677-3900.  Please try to give us at least one day advanced notice, so we can provide your guest with a name badge and a list of available classes.

Sincerely,
OLLI Insider


OLLI Insider
  is a weekly article that addresses questions from our members.  If you have a question about OLLI you'd like featured in an upcoming edition, please email  continue@bradley.edu .
wow
WOW Wants Your Recyclables

World of Wonder (WOW), a summer camp coordinated by Continuing Education and designed for gifted and talented students, is asking for your recyclable items.  WOW teachers are coming up with creative activities to challenge campers' higher order thinking processes, and they have developed this list of recyclable supplies that will help them with their program.  

We welcome the donation of any of these items:
  • cardboard tubes from paper towels, toilet paper, wrapping paper
  • rinsed 2-liter bottles
  • clean medium-sized plastic jars (for example, peanut butter jars)
  • shoe boxes
  • cereal boxes
  • rinsed soda cans
  • rinsed soup cans
  • empty water bottles
  • CDs
  • buttons of any size
  • screws, washers, nuts, or bolts of any size 
If you are able to share any of the items on this list, please bring them to Spring classes, and drop them off at the registration desk.  Or you can deliver them to the Continuing Education building (corner of Main and University streets) any time between 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday.

Thanks for your help!
upcoming
Upcoming OLLI Events

April 2019
May 2019
April 9, 12:30 p.m., Learning Trip Committee Meeting , Peoria Next Innovation Center
May 1, 8:00 a.m., Summer Registration Social, Bradley University Michel Student Center
April 10, 17, 24, OLLI Classes , Bradley University Michel Student Center
May 8, 9:00 a.m., Meeting to Wrap-up Winter and Spring Classes, Begin Fall Curriculum Brainstorming, Peoria Next Innovation Center
April 18, 9:00 a.m., Study Group Committee Meeting , Peoria Next Innovation Center
May 8, 15, 29, 9:00 a.m., Curriculum Committee Meeting Peoria Next Innovation Center



hilltop 
Hilltop Happenings
 
Scholar to Address Impact
of Lincoln's Peoria Speech

Lincoln in Peoria: A Lawyer's View
Wednesday, April 10
7:00 p.m.

This program will feature noted Lincoln scholar and historian Guy Fraker who will discuss how Lincoln's famous Peoria speech vaulted the then-obscure lawyer into the thick of national politics and crystallized his thoughts on slavery and abolition. This free program is sponsored by the Friends of Bradley University Library and is open to the public.  For more information, call the library's Special Collections department at (309) 677-2822.
Super Brain Summit Returns to the Hilltop


Super Brain Summit
Friday, April 26

OLLI members are invited to the fourth annual  Super Brain Summit, where keynote speaker Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, M.D. will discuss trauma history and define how trauma is remembered in mind, body, perception, and action.  He will be joined by Amy Serin, M.D. who will talk about the neuroscience of stress.

This one-day conference offers multiple viewing options plus a discounted registration fee for OLLI members.  For more information, visit the  Super Brain Summit website, or contact Debbie Devine at (309) 677-2820.  You may also  register online.


Construction Update:
Convergence Center on Track 
for Summer Move-In

As the weather warms, construction on Bradley's Business and Engineering Convergence Center is heating up too!  Over the past 30 days, crews have been installing limestone and terracotta on the exterior of the building, and if you look at the east side of the east wing, you can see what the building will look like upon completion. The penthouse was erected on the west wing demonstrating the full height, magnitude, and impressiveness of the new building. Steel framing was also erected to bridge the gap between the east and west wings.

During the next month, you can expect to see a flurry of activity, and the site will start to look more and more complete.  The project is  on track for faculty and staff to move in this summer, and we will be ready for students this fall. 
beyond
  Beyond the Hilltop
 
   'Peoria Speaks' Program Considers

Legalization of Marijuana

Legalization of Marijuana - What to Consider
Thursday, April 11
6:00 p.m.

Monica Hendrickson, Public Health Administrator at Peoria City/County Health Department, will share information from a recent national conference she attended regarding how various states have dealt with the issue of legalizing marijuana. The floor will then be open to further discuss the topics she introduces. 

Funding for Peoria Speaks is being provided by Illinois Humanities through their Illinois Speaks program which is aimed at strengthening the democratic process through community dialogues across the state of Illinois.  The program is free and open to the public.  For more information, contact the Peoria Public Library at (309) 497-2186.

Program Series Concludes with Baby Boomer Ball

Baby Boomers Ball
Saturday, April 13
6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

NEA Big Read/Peoria Reads will wrap up its community reading of Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant? with  a Baby Boomers Ball featuring live music of the 60s and 70s performed by local acoustic guitar duo Random Strangers. Dance, sing, and enjoy light snacks and beverages.  Prom or hippie-themed attire is encouraged!

For more information about this free program, contact the Peoria Public Library at (309) 497-2186.
KeepUp
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