October 2022

Bill McKibben to speak to Maine Senior Colleges. Plus, an opportunity to win one of ten copies of his book!

by Star Pelsue

November 1 @ 9:30 a.m.

SAGE Lecture:

Where Do We Stand? A Report from the Climate Battle

The Maine State Senior Colleges leadership decided over a year ago to make a statewide effort to bring the topic of climate change to our membership. Senior Colleges throughout the state have been offering a wide range of programming on the topic. Initially, the goal was to provide opportunities to learn more about climate change for the year. Within a month of our planning, we knew we needed to go beyond a single year. I hope you have been joining in your senior college offerings as well as those at other Maine Senior Colleges. If you haven’t noticed, on the Maine Senior College Network Site, Anne Cardale, Program Director, Maine Senior College Network has made it easy for us to find any information and programming that is done across the network by cleverly enlisting the help of a picture of a plover (see above!) So please check out the resources and the variety of Climate workshops, lectures, and chats. Let’s keep the conversations going.

One of the opportunities that we will have on November 1st will be an OLLI SAGE lecture with one of our country's most recognized names in environmental activism, Bill McKibben. He is a prolific author and the co-founder of 350.org network, a global grassroots movement that seeks to address and inform about the climate crisis. In 2014, biologists honored Bill's work by naming a new species of woodland gnat—Megophthalmidia mckibbeni–in his honor. You may have read one of his articles that have been published in magazines like Rolling Stone, The Atlantic Monthly, Harper’s, or The New Yorker. One might think he prefers a stage or the adrenaline of the crowds, but you would be wrong. He is happiest tucked away in a quiet room working on his next book. He spends as much time as he can outside in the Green Mountains of Vermont.

We hope you sign up for the lecture on November 1st. You can sign up through the OLLI website:

The Maine Senior College Network will conduct a drawing for 10 copies of Bill McKibben’s newest book! The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at His Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened. You must be in attendance for the drawing at the end of the lecture. We hope you will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. See you there!

If this is your first time registering for an OLLI event, you will need to create an account. Please contact OLLI at USM if you require assistance.

Email OLLI or Phone 207-780-4406

OLLI at USM

Gold LEAF Senior College presents

"The New Map of Life & Designing Yours"

with Patricia Pinto

(Starting in December)

In 2018, the Stanford Center on Longevity launched an initiative called The New Map of Life, believing that one of the most profound transformations of the human experience calls for equally momentous and creative changes in the ways we lead these longer lives. It is the culmination of the work of 10 Fellows on the key changes we will experience as people live longer and healthier lives and add 25-40 yrs to their life spans. Note - 50% of children now in kindergarten are projected to live 100+ lives.

• Class one: Provides an overview of the New Map viewing age diversity as a net positive, building longevity-ready communities, and being amazed by the impact of technology and science.

• Class two: Will focus on the intergenerational opportunities of having 5-6 living generations on families, work, and education.

• Class three: Covers century-long lives.

• Class four: Health & technology impacts over the coming years.

• Class five: Work more years with more flexibility.

• Class six: We explore ideas uncovered in the course for both individuals and communities.

Instructor bio:

In 2018, Pat Pinto began her work to disrupt misnomers about aging and to focus on people’s desires to age in place. From 2019 – August 2021, she served as the Maine AARP State President. She partnered with the State Director to further the Association’s vision, mission and strategic priorities including retirement security, health and long-term care and age friendly communities. Pat’s professional background includes 45+ years serving as a corporate executive, non-profit leader and an entrepreneur. In 2016, Pat also launched Collective Commitments, a Maine based social enterprise organization. For the past seven years, it has supported a variety of global initiatives helping disadvantaged women led businesses and entrepreneurs. She holds a BS degree in Economics and an MBA from Babson College, Wellesley, MA.

Class information and registration

Dec 14th, 2022 - Feb 8th, 2023 (Meets every 2 weeks for 5 classes)

Wed from 10:00 - 11:00 am

Online and In-Person Class

$14

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Still life with Sculpture (1982), A.F. Sukhanov

OLLI

Classical Greece is calling out to MSCN members—join OLLI for a May 2023 trip

OLLI will be offering another mythic trip for its members and members of the senior colleges —from May 21 to 31, 2023 we will visit Classical Greece! Once again, we will work with AAA and Collette Tours to visit the Greek mainland, including arrival and a day in Athens and its iconic Acropolis; north to Thermpylae and Kalambaka, where we will visit the site of the ancient battle and the studio of an icon painter; on to Meteora and Archova where Byzantine monks built remote monasteries 600 years ago on limestone “towers”; back south to Delphi, one of Greece’s most important ancient religious sites; on to Olympia, where the ancient Olympics were held; through the mountains to the beautiful coastal town of Nafplio and on to Mycenae, the site of spectacular tombs and the kingdom of mythological King Agamemnon; and finally back to Athens for a free day to visit the museums, historic districts, or shops of the city. The 10-day trip includes round trip travel and transfers from Portland to Boston, 9 breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 6 delicious dinners, and a variety of meaningful, delightful activities. This is an ACTIVE trip for the go-go traveler, involving climbing up uneven, rugged paths and steps without railings and with loose stones. (This is not the right trip for members who are challenged to walk independently and for some duration.)

Trip costs and details

The cost of the trip is $4,550 (double) and $5,150 (single accommodation). The cost includes cancellation waiver and insurance, round trip transport from South Portland to Boston/Logan Airport, round trip airfare from Logan International Airport, air taxes/fees/surcharge, and hotel transfers. A brochure outlining the specific itinerary will be available soon! Be sure to join us on this fabulous escape to ancient and modern Greece! 

PS: As with our recent Iceland trip, we will arrange a fantastic pre-trip class in Spring 2023, so you’ll be infused with Greek history, literature, architecture, and cultural information, making the most of this trip for you.

Please contact OLLI if you are interested in signing up for this grand adventure!

 Phone: 207-780-4406

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Rudolph Müller - View of the Acropolis from the Pynx - 1863

SAGE at the University of Maine in Presque Isle

SAGE Cozy Mystery Book Club

The Book Club meets by ZOOM every third Wednesday of the month from 10 - 11 AM.

The fee for the semester is $5

SAGE Cozy Mystery Book Club: 

The Book Club meets by ZOOM every third Wednesday of the month from

10 - 11 AM. Fee for the semester is $5

Books are selected every four months by the club members. Members take turns leading the discussion using questions either published in the book or found online. October 19th The Four Winds by Kristen Hannah. This meeting will also include picking the books for the next four months, so plan to be there. To join, go to Cozy Mystery Book Club. 

To view the entire SAGE calendar for the Fall of 2022, please go to Sage at UMPI's online catalog

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Federico Faruffini: 'La Lectora'. (1864)

OLLI at USM

OLLI Pop-Ups are open to all senior college members!

Upcoming Pop-UP: CROSS COUNTRY COOKING: The food of many cultures is now on the table in Greater Portland, in fusion and ethnic restaurants, as well as immigrant kitchens.

Thursday, October 20| 7:00 p.m. 

with Star Pelsue and Sandy Garson

Plus, cookbooks and recipe blogs have gone wildly global. And we can, too because all the necessary ingredients are right here. Where exactly? Well, let’s dish on how we manage to make “foreign” food and chew on tips from a local, proudly Middle Eastern cook on how she can feed her family the food of her homeland.   

Location: Zoom

Virtual Book Exchange (Online)

Wednesday, October 26 | 6:30 p.m.

with Anne Cass

Come share a book(s) you've read.

Location: Zoom

View November's Pop-Ups

Access next month's information in a PDF document

How to Register for the Pop-Ups Online

Go to our registration portal

Sign in at the top of the page first. Note: you may need to create an account if this is your first visit!

After signing into the registration portal:

1. Look for "Special Events."
2. When you find the pop-up you want to register for, click on the date below the title (not on the title itself).
3. Now scroll down to find the "Add to the Cart" button.

Need Help? 

Call us at 207-780-4406

Email us at olliatusm@maine.edu

Thank you to Coastal SC for sharing the following cartoon!

Acadia Senior College

Policy matters: What the Biden administration's policies mean for Maine

October 28, 2022, 12:00 Noon, Online presentation.

This event is free and open to everyone.

From COVID relief to student loan forgiveness to investments aimed at addressing climate change, the Biden administration has advanced substantial policies that are helping Maine's people, economy, and environment. In this talk, Garrett Martin, President and CEO of the Maine Center for Economic Policy, will focus on the impact of the Biden administration policies on the state of Maine, paying particular attention to how these policies have helped Mainers recover from the COVID pandemic and leave us better positioned to tackle future challenges.

Garrett Martin combines his commitment to providing credible and rigorous economic analysis with his passion for advancing economic justice as President and CEO of the Maine Center for Economic Policy. MECEP has been at the forefront of successful efforts to boost incomes and increase access to health care for hundreds of thousands of Mainers.

Garrett has extensive experience in economic research, policy development, community economic development, and philanthropic fund management. He is a Truman Scholar and holds a master’s degree in public affairs from Princeton University with a concentration in economics and public policy analysis.

Click to register for this event at Acadia Senior College or send an email 

Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Jordan Pond, Acadia National Park, Maine, USA, 2009

by Brian W. Schaller

Lucky Turtle

by Bill Roorbach

Published by Algonquin Books 2022

Pages 404 Price $27.95

Reviewed by Pat Davidson Reef

The book "Lucky Turtle" by Bill Roorbach is written for the brave of heart because it deals with teenagers and their search for identity. As many of you know, one size does not fit all. Each teenager lives in their own world and searches for meaning and an adjustment to life, which is not an easy journey. The characters in this book are not conventional, but their search for love, acceptance, and understanding touches us all. Do not be fooled (or turned off) by their colorful language because underneath their anger is inner dignity and a search for values they can respect.

Cindra Zoeller is a 16-year-old girl sent to a reform camp in Montana instead of jail after being involved in an armed robbery. The location is called "Camp Challenge" and is run by cruel and inhumane people. The professional leaders of the camp should be in jail themselves. Cindra meets Lucky Turtle, who drives a truck for Camp Challenge. They fall in love and run away into the Montana hills, where nature is not as hypocritical as civilization. As the tale unfolds, their love story is as compelling as their love of nature.

"Lucky Turtle" is a fictional work, but many parts come from the author's real-life experiences as a teenager when his mother sent him to live with an uncle in Montana. 

Later in life, Roorbach taught at Ohio State University for years but always loved Maine. He said in an interview," I gave up a tenured position on the faculty in the graduate school at Ohio State University to come to Maine." He and his wife Juliet, an artist who went to the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, decided they wanted to live here. In the 1990s, they moved to Maine, where Roorbach got a job at the University of Maine in Farmington and bought a home in Farmington. Later he taught at Colby College English and Creative Writing, but now he writes in their current home in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. He and his wife brought up their daughter here and have lived in Maine for over 30 years. Nationally known, his books deal with universal issues and different geographic locations. However, after living here for 30 years, he is considered an important Maine author. Other novels he has written include:" The Girl Of the Lake" "The Remedy for Love" and" life Among Giants."

The title of his current book," Lucky Turtle," came to the author in a dream but also came from a boy he once knew in his youth called "Kills." The author felt Kills never had a chance in life, but in the book he gives him a chance by creating Lucky's character. Many of Kills' characteristics are found in Lucky. Writing about Lucky (in a way) brings respect and redemption to his friend Kills.

Lucky shares with Kills (in part) a heritage. The name "Lucky Turtle" comes from Asian culture, meaning good luck, and a turtle is a symbol of endurance and strength. These are the qualities that Cindra loves in Lucky. 

Together Lucky and Cindra fight for dignity and respect in a mad world that labels them as difficult.

Like John Steinbeck's book "Of Mice and Men," Roorbach weaves a story around dispossessed people searching for dignity and survival in a world that alienates them.

Survival is another central theme of the book. Nature is a catharsis and a healing force. Most important of all is the theme of love and how it grows between two young people and its impact on their decisions.

I recommend the book. The dialogue is realistic and natural reflecting the angst of troubled teenagers in today's world. The description of nature is beautiful—the plot surprises in pivotal places. The characters are believable. The story is compelling and moving. The book brings meaning out of the chaos surrounding young people and what they are searching for in a world that never stands still.

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