OLLI Observer
October 28
, 2018    
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In This Issue
Carol Rogoff Hallstrom, Jacquelyn Hallum and Marvin Chambers in Spring 2018's
A Change is Gonna Come
Woo Hoo!
For the Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes National Conference (in Scottsdale, Arizona) which ended on Wednesday, October 24, OLLI directors were asked to submit one event or project at their OLLI that shows the spirit and creativity of their programs and that represents the work they are proudest of, a "Woo Hoo" moment.  The submissions of each group are read during three plenary sessions, and two "winners" are selected for each session.
We accomplish extraordinary things every day, but our theme term on race in black and white was the most ambitious project we have completed in the past 18 months. Our "Woo Hoo" was in the final group, and we were the final winners announced. Woo Hoo!

Thanks to the many people who made the term possible, beginning with Carol Taylor who suggested the term and was tenacious, thoughtful and patient in shaping it, to Herb Gunn and all of the members of the College for Seniors staff and leadership for promoting and nurturing the idea, to Dr. Gordon McKinney for suggesting that the term culminate in a community conversation, and to all of the instructors who presented "life changing" content that opened eyes, inspired insight and built relationships in our community. Thanks as always to the OLLI Steering Council and to the members of the OLLI staff who make everything happen. 

Our Lost and Found drawer at the Reuter Center is very full.  We also have been rounding up coffee cups and water bottles and putting them in the sink areas on the upper and lower levels.  

If you may have lost a jacket, cushion, notebook, bag of art supplies or any of the many things you bring to the Reuter Center, please check in the OLLI office.  On November 14, 2018, we will take all remaining items to a local donation center.

Navigating a 
Dementia Diagnosis
Part 3: Who's On Your Team: 
Long-Term Care Needs for Dementia 
Monday, October 29, 2-4 p.m.
Reuter Center 102B

 The two-hour session is free and open to individuals with a recent diagnosis or in the early stages of Alzheimer's and related dementia diseases, their families and care-partners or anyone interested in learning more about planning, resources and services that are available. Registration is strongly suggested to ensure space for all attendees.
Call 828.254.7363 for more information.

This series is sponsored by the Alzheimer's Association of WNC (www.alz.org/northcarolina). Denise Young, regional manager of the Alzheimer's Association of Western Carolina, will present, along with area experts. 
This lecture is the final lecture in the series.

  OLLI VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
 
MANNA FOODBANK TEAM
Providing Tens of Thousands of Meals a Day to Hungry People
Click here for details

MUSICWORKS!
Using Music to Teach Social Skills, Boost Academics and Build Confidence
 
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY'S ReSTORE
Changing Lives One House at a Time

VOLUNTEER NOW ... 
Make a difference

Email for more information: 
Safe Driving Program 
Tuesday, October 30, 11:45 a.m.-4 p.m.
Reuter Center Room 205
 
aarp Safe Drving 
AARP will offer a driver safety refresher course designed to help mature drivers remain safely on today's faster highways with a myriad of challenges. The four-hour course teaches valuable defensive driving techniques, highlights hazards particular to seniors and provides a refresher about the rules of the road and tips for avoiding crashes. The course is offered as a nationwide effort to keep drivers behind the wheel safely. The cost of the course is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-members. To register, contact instructor Celeste Selwyn, 828.708.7404 or email [email protected]

Medicare Information Table
Thursday, November 1, 2-4 p.m.
Wednesday, November 7,  10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Reuter Center Lobby

Until December 7, 2018, it is open enrollment time for stand-alone drug plans and Medicare Advantage plans. 
There are many changes this
year.  If you have questions or need some unbiased and accurate
 information, stop by the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) table in the lobby at the Reuter Center.

If you would like an individual appointment to assist with enrollment in
a plan, please call the Council on Aging of Buncombe County at 828.277.8288. 
Tell them you are
a member of OLLI to be scheduled for an appointment at the Reuter Center 
November 12-15.
Astronomy Club of Asheville 
Thursday, November 1, 7 p.m.
Reuter Center Manheimer Room
 
 
How Big is a Black Hole?
presented by  Stephen Danford
UNC Greensboro
 
Dr. Danford will talk about the observable characteristics of black holes and their exceedingly strange nature. He'll discuss how they fit in with our various theories of gravity, paying some attention to those gravitational theories proposed by Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein. He'll end by looking at some fascinating questions: If black holes exist somewhere in our universe, how big are they and can we see them?  Are they useful to us in any way, or are they merely theoretical possibilities, forever undetectable because of their small size and dark nature?

The Astronomy Club of Asheville meets at the Reuter Center the first Thursday of each month (except January and July) at 7 p.m., with an interesting lineup of speakers and topics.  OLLI members may attend club meetings and star gazes with club members on hand to advise and assist them in the basics of astronomy and the techniques of observing celestial phenomena.  
For more information on the Astronomy Club of Asheville and for complete information about upcoming programs, visit astroasheville.org.
Sierra Club 
Thursday, November 1, 7 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville
1 Edwin Place
Corner of Charlotte and Edwin Streets

"Citizen Science:
 What You Can Do to Help Our Water and Urban Trees and Have an Impact on 
Other Environmental Protections"
Alison Ormsby, UNC Asheville professor of environmental studies, along with a panel from Environmental Qualitly Institute and the Treasured Trees program for Asheville/Buncombe County, will discuss how you can help.

Contact: Judy Mattox,  judymattox@sbcglobal.net , (828) 683-2176
 Free and open to everyone.
Stand Up Comedy 
at the Reuter Center
Saturday, November 10, 7 p.m.
Reuter Center Manheimer Room


Join host Randy Robins and OLLI's Stand Up Comedy Class in a performance that will regale an adult audience with wit and mirth.

This event is free and open to everyone. 
Meditation SIG
"Walking and Moving Meditation"
with Ginny Goodin
Monday, November 12, 4:15 p.m.
Reuter Center Room 120
Ginny Goodin

Upcoming Meditation SIG Events 
Monday, November 26, 4:15 p.m.
       Billy Zansky will orchestrate a "Sound Meditation" at Skinny Beats Drum Studio, AVL
Monday, December 10, 4:15 p.m.
       Steve Stevens will focus on "T'ai Chi Chih and Meditation"

All OLLI members are welcome, and no previous meditation experience is necessary.

Meditation SIG contact:  Sally Ekaireb
History Book Lovers 
Special Interest Group
Friday, November 9, 1 p.m.
Reuter Center Room 207

In November the group will read
The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey by Candice Millard. It chronicles Teddy Roosevelt's 1913-14 harrowing and soul-searching trip along the Amazon River.

All OLLI members who have read the book are welcome to attend.  For more information contact  [email protected]

Death 
Café
Friday, November 16, 5 p.m.
Reuter Center Lower Atrium


"Death Café" is an engaging gathering that includes storytelling and conversation about a topic that too often alienates people in our death phobic culture. At Death Café, participants break into small groups of five or six people and discuss personal stories related to the death of loved ones, loss of jobs, relationships or marriages or loss or death of parts of ourselves. These programs are facilitated by Karen Sanders, Greg Lathrop and Sa'id Osio from Third Messenger. Find out more at deathcafe.com
Reuter Center Singers Concert
Sunday, November 18, 3 p.m.
Biltmore United Methodist Church
  376 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
Reuter Center Singers
20th Year Anniversary Concert 
Part II:  Celebrating Our Heritage
With 20 years as a singing organization, this concert "Celebrates Our Heritage" through music drawn from past concerts.  Eight different mass settings will be performed including the opening movement of Rutter's Requieum, Vivaldi's Gloria and the closing of the Ray's Gospel Mass. Patriotic favorites and fresh new selections will celebrate the fervent desire for a welcoming society, honor the sacrifices of so many to uphold the founding ideals of this country, sustaining us through the present times.  These selections will include "America, the Beautiful," "America, the Dream," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor," and more.
 The Reuter Center Singers are directed by Chuck Taft and accompanied by Nora Vetro. 
Seating is limited, and admission is free.
Donations are welcome.
Men's Wisdom Works, 
An OLLI SIG for Men
Each of MWW's 15 groups is comprised of 8-12 men.  Groups meet at various times & places twice a month for two hours to discuss issues of personal importance.
Groups socialize over breakfast, lunch, happy hour and activities
Men on the waiting list will either be added to existing groups, or we will form a new group if numbers suffice.
 
To learn more or to sign up on our wait list contact: Patrick Irwin at [email protected]
Men at an MWW gathering.

Bulldog Athletics
November 1 - 30, 2018
UNCA Bulldog
Friday, November 2
Swimming and Diving vs. Gardner Webb
Justice Center Pool, 5 p.m.

Volleyball vs. Hampton
Justice Gym, 6 p.m.

Saturday, November 3
Volleyball vs. Campbell
Justice Gym, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, November 6
Volleyball vs. USC Upstate
Justice Gym, 6 p.m.

Thursday, November 8
Men's Basketball vs. St. Andrews
Kimmel Arena, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, November 21
Women's Basketball vs. Davidson
Kimmel Arena, 4:30 p.m.

Sunday, November 25
Women's Basketball vs. Wofford
Kimmel Arena, 2 p.m.

Men's Basketball vs. Furman
Kimmel Arena, 4 p.m.
Dear OLLI Members,
We have a busy week coming up, particularly Friday, November 2, when you can begin the day viewing the art inspired by OLLI poets in Barbara Mueller and Debbie Reynolds' course Creating Art from Poetry in Triptych Format and then during Fab Friday  hear from master storyteller Lloyd Arneach, who will share "Cherokee Legends and Insights." You will have to make some hard choices in the afternoon.  Will you enjoy some "Midday Music with Pan Harmonia," join the discussion in "The Forum" or learn more about "Financial Strategies in Retirement." You can end the day with the Whole Foods/Plant Based Living SIG's guest speaker Dr. Garth Davis, author of Proteinaholic.  Many thanks to our Fab Friday planning committee, our instructors and our SIG leaders for offering such varied programming to our membership.

We are excited to announce some staff changes and additions.  Pascale Couturier Armstrong, who has done a wonderful job as our Member Relations Coordinator, will move to the position of College for Seniors Program Assistant. She and all the members of our staff have graciously taken on multiple duties during this time of transition.  Jacqueline Lowe will join us November 1 (although her first couple of days will be in sessions to learn more about university employment) as the Facilities and Communications Coordinator.  Since Pascale is vacating her position, we have an opening for our Member Relations Coordinator. We will accept applications through November 4 and then hope to fill that position by the end of the year so that we can enter the new year ready to take on new challenges. 

Next week will also be a busy one, culminating in displays and readings, the OLLI Art Bazaar and a stand up comedy show right here in the Reuter Center with members of Randy Robins' Fall 2018 course participants. And while there are lots of ways to spend your time indoors, we hope you will take some time to read Tom Hearron's story about our popular Hiking Special Interest Group under the leadership of Lee Orowitz and Lori Postal.

Finally, we had an inspiring time at the Osher National Meeting, October 22-24 in Scottsdale, Arizona.  We are excited to implement some new ideas and were honored that our own Theme Term on Race in Black and White was chosen as one of the more inspiring projects submitted by the 122 OLLI programs around the country.
 
Thank you for all that you do to model creative retirement,
Catherine Frank
Executive Director


 Check the links here to see OLLI and UNC Asheville current events:
 
calendar
Today
The Autumn Players Readers Theater 
Love, Loss and What I Wore
by Delia and Nora Ephron, Directed by Martin May 
Sunday, October 28, 2:30 p.m.

Composed of a unique medley of stories, some bittersweet, others poignant and laugh out loud funny, this play presents a psychological look at women - their often fraught relationships with their mothers, the men who did them wrong and the clothes that mattered to them in key moments of their lives.

The Autumn Players is a troupe of seasoned actors dedicated to taking the theatre experience into the community. Readings of great literature by experienced performers can spark deep understanding and kindle lasting interest. As words jump from the page with conviction and emotion, stories come to life. 
 Tickets are $7 at the door. 

CFS Instructor Farley Snell

College for Seniors 
Deadline for Proposals for Spring 2019
Thursday, November 1 
 
At the heart of the College for Seniors program are dedicated volunteer instructors. While many instructors are retired academics, others with no formal teaching background have successfully facilitated learning experiences centered on their areas of passion, interest or expertise. 

Hit the Trail: OLLI's Hiking SIG
by Tom Hearron
 
Ever hear someone say, "Go take a hike"? At OLLI that's a popular activity, due in large measure to Lee Orowitz and Lori Postal, two of the coordinators for OLLI's Hiking SIG.
Creating Art Inspired by Poetry Open House
Friday, November 2, 9-11 a.m., Reuter Center Room 230


Creating Art Inspired by Poetry in Triptych Format 
is a College for Seniors course taught by Barbara Mueller and Debbie Reynolds this fall. Participants listened to poets read and then created their artistic responses. 
Drop in this week, read the poetry, enjoy the artistic responses, and meet the artists.
Free and open to everyone.
Fab Friday Lecture
"Cherokee Legends and Insights"
Friday, November 2, 11:30 a.m.- 1:15 p.m.
Reuter Center Manheimer Room

Noted story-teller Lloyd Arneach is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. He was born and reared on the Cherokee Reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina, where he learned his first legends from two storytelling uncles. Lloyd presents his stories in a style that is humorous, informative and extremely moving. His stories range from the "old stories" of the Cherokee to contemporary stories he has collected. Lloyd has told stories in Washington DC, at the Kennedy Center, the National Folklife Festival, and the opening of the National Museum of the American Indian.  He was also on the bill at the Winnipeg International Storytelling Festival in Canada, and more than a hundred festivals, schools, universities, pow-wows, theaters and other venues throughout the United States.  Come hear this revered story-teller as he shares his love of Cherokee history and culture and takes us with him on a journey of the imagination.

Fab Friday programs are free and open to everyone
This is the final Fab Friday program of the Fall 2018 season.  
Six new programs are planned for Winter 2019. See the winter catalog for more details.

The Forum Special Interest Group
Friday, November 2 1-3 p.m., Reuter Center Room 205  
Topic: "Can Liberal Democracy Survive Populism and Populist Demagoguery?" 
 
   The Forum encourages a free-flowing dialogue designed to enrich and expand participants' thinking on topics ranging from changing demographics of retirees to  nuclear disarmament.

SIG contact: Beth Johnson, [email protected]
Midday Music with Pan Harmonia  
The Art of It
Friday, November 2, 1:30 p.m.
Reuter Center Manheimer Room

Discover the visual artists who inspired Johannes Brahms, and his influence on Czech composer Bohuslave Martinu, with flutist Kate Steinbeck.
This event is free and open to everyone

To find out more about Pan Harmonia, including information about how to purchase tickets for performances, visit  https://panharmonia.org
Financial Strategies in Retirement Special Interest Group
Friday, November 2, 1:30 p.m., Reuter Center 205
 
  " Demystifying and Clarifying the New Reverse Mortgage"   
Paul Donohue, Guest Speaker

Paul has a 40-year career in finance and  specializes in assisting retirees with leveraging home ownership to help navigate the challenges of income  
planning and asset preservation. He has built three successful companies in his career and has also been the president of the North Carolina Association of Mortgage Professionals.  As founder of Abacus Mortgage Training and Education, Paul has trained over 40,00 mortgage professionals nationwide.
Paul will be reprising his presentation on this topic from earlier in the year with some new twists.

The meeting is open to all OLLI members.  Email/call Kate Beatty for further information at  [email protected]  or 828-231-7710.  

Whole Foods / Plant-Based Living Special Interest Group
Friday, November 2, 3:15- 5 p.m., Reuter Center 206
 
Dr. Garth Davis.
 
Dr. Garth Davis, author of Proteinaholic
Guest Speaker  

The Whole Foods/Plant-Based Living SIG meets on varied Fridays, at 3:15 p.m.  The organizers of this group provide information and support for anyone interested in following a more plant based diet along the lines of Dean Ornish, Caldwell Esselstyn, Joel Fuhrman, Neal Barnard, John McDougall, Michael Greger and T. Colin Campbell. For more information contact Bonnie Wheeler, 330.321.1360, [email protected]

SIGS are free and open to all OLLI members.
World Affairs Council
Tuesday , November 6, 7:30 p.m.   
Reuter Center Manheimer Room     

 "The New Silk Road: China's Influence 
and Expansion into Africa" 

Lina Benabdallah is an assistant professor of politics and international affairs at Wake Forest University.  Her research and observations have been featured in The Washington Post, New York Times, The Atlantic, The New Republic, as well as in academic journals.  She recently joined the Chinese in Africa/Africans in China network as an executive board member.   At Wake Forest she teaches courses in international relations and African Studies. 
The World Affairs Council (WAC) presents lectures and discussions to advance international awareness and foster Western North Carolina's global ties.  Meetings offer a lively line up of topics and compelling presenters.  OLLI members receive a discount on WAC annual membership fee.  These lectures are free to WAC members and students and $10 at the door for all other participants.  For more details about programs click here to consult the WAC website.

Hearing Loss Association of America
Wednesday, November 7, 10:15 a.m.
Seymour Auditorium, Care Partners Campus
68 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville

Guest Speaker Taylor Sands
Senior Consumer Outreach Manager 
at MED-EL 
(A global technology company that carries out research in the field of hearing loss and develops and manufactures implantable hearing systems) and  speech pathologist

Sands will present an overview of innovations
for those with sensorineural, conductive, mixed hearing loss or partial or single-sided deafness.
Click here for more information.
For more information, please call Ann Karson, 828-665-8699

Art and Poetry by OLLI Members
Thursday and Friday, November 8 and 9

During the week of the OLLI Art Bazaar, two College for Seniors poetry shows are on display.
The poets in the CFS Fall 2018 course An Encounter Making Art into Poetry will have an Open Gallery on Thursday, November 8, 2:30-4:30 p.m. and Friday, November 9, 9-10 a.m. in Reuter Center Room 206
Come look at what OLLI poets have put to paper, inspired by the visual work of  OLLI artists.

On Friday, November 9, 10 - 11 a.m., Reuter Center Room 206, participants in the Spring 2018 course Poetry in Black and White will hold a poetry reading.  During this course, participants read poems by black poets and then wrote their own poems in response, touching on topics such as slavery, white privilege, lynching, reparations and African American history.


OLLI Art Bazaar 
Friday, November 9, 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.
Saturday, November 10, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Reuter Center Lower Level

"Don's Peach" by John Fischer
The OLLI Art Bazaar offers a chance to get a head start on holiday shopping, with painting, fiber arts, photography, jewelry, scarves, handmade soaps and lotions, cards and paper art, pottery, stained and fused glass, wood art, turned wood bowls and more, presented for display and sale by more than 40 members of OLLI.
The bazaar will be sweetened with home-baked cookies available for sale, along with snacks and beverages.

Some reflections by OLLI Art Bazaar artist John Fisher
Since I was very young, I have admired others' artistic crafts-the beauty of the creation as well as how it was constructed. Although I took a few art classes in high school, career and other pursuits pushed artistic endeavors to the back shelf. After I retired in 2010, I took an art class at AB Tech which touched a bit on colored pencil, ink, and watercolor. I was attracted to the challenge of watercolor. I love the way watercolor works, the transparency of the colors; the way the colors flow and blend. I have taken a few more classes, but am mostly self-taught. I have no particular dominant subject interest but get a lot of inspiration from travels. It's always as if a subject speaks to me, or sometimes seems to physically grab me, and I start to imagine how its story can be conveyed onto the paper.


Entrance to the OLLI Art Bazaar at UNC Asheville's Reuter Center is free and open to everyone 

The Food Equity Initiative of 
UNC Asheville
Food Drive
Through November 9, 2018
Reuter Center Upper Lobby

The mission of the Food Equity Initiative is to deliver healthy food to students, faculty and staff who are food insecure. All food that is collected at OLLI will be distributed via pop up pantries located on campus, in an effort to alleviate the strong presence of food insecurity on the UNC Asheville campus. 

All non-perishable food items are welcome, but staples like flour and sugar and protein-rich items like peanut butter, canned tuna and beans are especially welcome. Nutrient fortified cereals and granola bars are also handy for college students on the go.  Please bring donations to the Reuter Center and place them in the barrel that is located in the upper lobby.  

STEM Lecture
"Searching for Plastic Man: 
From the 'Vis Medicatrix Naturae' to Regenerative Medicine"
By Dr. Steve Rinsler
Wednesday, November 14, 4:30 p.m.
Reuter Center Room 206

Most current medicines for common diseases are aimed at specific targets.  Unfortunately their effectiveness is limited, and they often produce significant adverse effects.  For chronic noninfectious conditions, they generally require continual administration for long periods or the lifetime of the patient.  Even in the treatment of infections, the development of resistance has shattered the belief in the 'magic' of antibacterials and antibiotics.

So the need for a better approach to therapeutics has been obvious.  Over the past fifty years, new technologies and concepts have set the stage for treating diseases by utilizing approaches based on "systems biology." These involve the use of patient cells and/or adjunctive agents that work with the normal mechanisims of the organism.  They offer the promise of great effectiveness in many commoon chronic diseases without the need for long term treatment or many adverse effects.  One type of systems medicine is "regenerative medicine." This lecture will survey the biological basis and current status of regenerative medicine.


Introduction to Transgender and Non-Binary Identities
Friday, November 16, 10 a.m. to Noon
Reuter Center Manheimer Room

Equality North Carolina's 
Ames Simmons
Transgender North Carolinians often face prejudice, discrimination and violence based on their actual or perceived gender identity or expression. Equality NC's nondiscrimination work has focused on workplace and employment protections, equal access to health care and housing, public accommodations and safe school environments. Ames Simmons, Policy Director for Equality North Carolina, will be leading a workshop which will provide information regarding gender identify and expression, gender transition and the gender spectrum; pronoun etiquette; and best practices for interacting personally and professionally with transgender people. There will be plenty of time for questions, so don't miss out on this opportunity to learn more about your fellow North Carolinians.

This workshop is sponsored by OLLI's Inclusion Committee and is free and open to OLLI members.  
Travel Special Interest Group (SIG)  

Italy by Mark Smith
Friday, November 16, 2-3 p.m.
Namibia by Woody Eisenberg
Friday, November 16, 3-4 p.m.
Reuter Center Room 206

OLLI's Travel SIG meets 
the third Friday of the month, 2-4 p.m.  


Contact for the November presentations: 
Kathleen Buehner, [email protected]

The aim of this group is to share and solicit information on travel; to share past experiences of travel; to assist individual members' efforts in planning for independent travel, joining a tour group or using the services of a travel agent. Also, the group hopes to reach out for travel companions and to discuss pros and cons of traveling alone or with a companion.
Symphony Talk
 Friday, November 16, 3 p.m.
Reuter Center Manheimer Room

The November concert will feature Bates' Mothership, Ellington's New World A-Comin', Gershwin's Variations on "I Got Rhythm," Ellington's Harlem and Gershwin's An American in Paris with piano soloist Aaron Diehl.

This program is a celebration of American composers Bates, Ellington and Gershwin, who share the spirit of innovation, re-imagining what orchestral music can be through their own passions and experiences. Aaron Diehl, a classically trained pianist and composer and a staple of the New York jazz scene, joins the orchestra for Gershwin's Variations on "I Got Rhythm" and Ellington's New World A-Comin'

Symphony Talks are an entertaining and educational way to hear about the music to be performed at upcoming Asheville symphony Orchestra (ASO) Masterworks Concerts.  The program begins with a presentation by Chip Kaufmann, who talks about the life and times of the featured composers.  Darko Buturoc, ASO's music director, appears with the soloist for the performance to talk about ways to listen to the music and about how the orchestra prepares.
To find out more about the performance, including information about purchasing tickets, click here to visit the ASO website.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute | 828-251-6140 | [email protected] | http://www.olliasheville.com
Reuter Center, CPO #5000
UNC Asheville
One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804