Insider
LLI
THE VOICE OF THE OSHER COMMUNIT Y
decade
~ OF ~
transformation
of transformation
decade
OLLI Presents Its 2014-2015 Theme
t
hink Vietnam, the space program, Robert F.
Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., Flower
Children, LBJ’s Great Society, Jacques Cousteau’s
Calypso, Willie Mays’ 500th home run. All of this and
more occurred during the turbulent yet transformative
decade between 1965 and 1975.
Richard Nixon was elected in 1968 and became the first
U.S. president to resign from office when he stepped
The Beatles’ appearance on The Ed
Sullivan Show in 1964 ushered in a second
British Invasion in music and fashion, and
the words “That’s one small step for man,
one giant leap for mankind” caused the
entire world to hold its breath.
down during the Watergate Scandal. Civil rights
marches and bombings rocked the nation while the New
York Times published Daniel Ellsberg’s Pentagon Papers
which revealed that the U.S. had secretly expanded
the scale of the Vietnam War by bombing nearby
Cambodia and Laos, niether of which were reported in
the mainstream media. The Beatles’ appearance on The
Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 ushered in a second British
Invasion in music and fashion, and the words “That’s
one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”
caused the entire world to hold its breath.
Barb Schliesser chairs the committee charged with
planning how the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
will recognize this remarkable decade. “Our job is to
ensure there are several courses each term pertaining
to our theme,” she explained. “We have three for fall
and we’re looking forward to more about science,
(Continued on page 3)
Three Members Elected to OLLI Council,
Pledge to Strengthen Curriculum
By Jane Hines
Insider Staff Writer
Osher National Conference
Filled with Ideas, Purpose
By Gloria Bucco
Insider Staff Writer
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
members recently elected four
associates to serve on the OLLI
Council. Selected were Nancy
Comer, Sue Schreiber and Dan
Wheeler. Marv Almy also won a
Dan Wheeler
Nancy Comer
Sue Schreiber
term and was elected as Council
Chair. All agreed that OLLI’s strong
curriculum is the backbone of the organization and pledged they will work to strengthen it.
Over 250 members of
Osher Lifelong Learning
Institutes across the country
met recently in Carlsbad,
Calif., for the organization’s
9th National Conference.
Among the attendees were
Georgianne Mastera
Dee Aguilar, OLLI at UNL
coordinator, and Georgianne Mastera, vice chair
of the Advisory Council.
“We need to expand learning opportunities related to course offerings and this might entail
special events, travel and partnering with community organizations,” Comer said. Wheeler
concurred. “We need to keep OLLI a primarily volunteer-driven organization with continuing
emphasis on finding multiple ways to address learning and fellowship needs.”
“What struck me the most was how much the
attendees were incredibly willing to share,”
Mastera said. “We discussed programming,
Wheeler would like to see more possibilities with special interest groups, perhaps in music,
art and those focusing on transitional issues such as lifestyle changes, retirement and
medical alternatives. In addition, he suggested that OLLI offer formal and informal courses
on leadership development through service.
Membership diversity was a concern for both Schreiber and Comer. Schreiber knows OLLI
has worked to increase minority participation in the past, but thinks the idea “of reaching
out to be a presence and helping various organizations with special celebrations and
festivals” would certainly improve OLLI’s visibility in these communities.
Another of Schreiber’s priorities will be to maintain OLLI’s financial sustainability through
endowments and gifts.
(Continued on page 3)
IN THIS ISSUE
“I AM OLLI”
Page 5
New Leadership Course
Page 6
The Wonders of China
Page 7
An Evening with the “King”
Page 8
olli.unl.edu
402-472-6265
olli@unl.edu
College of Education & Human Sciences
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
2
OLLI Insider August 2014
Message from the Council
OLLI 2014-2015:
Time to Participate!
By Marv Almy, OLLI Council Chair
This issue of the “OLLI Insider” comes to you
at the start of OLLI’s 2014-2015 year. Recently,
we have coincided our membership and
programming year to run from Aug. 1 through
July 31.
So now is the time to renew your membership
in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and make plans to maximize your
participation and enjoyment during the coming year.
Our theme for the upcoming 2014-2015 programming year is “1965-1975:
Decade of Transformation.” There will be many OLLI courses and special
events centered on that tumultuous decade. Plan on attending as many as
you can to relive events that shaped all of us.
We have been fortunate at OLLI to see our membership double over the
past five years to nearly 1,200. While that has challenged OLLI’s curriculum
committee members and staff to come up with sufficient courses to meet
the needs of a larger membership, it also means there are many more
talented and interesting new people to meet and get to know.
This year the OLLI Council is going to implement a new “Leadership
Program” to discover, recruit and train OLLI members who are interested
in serving on OLLI committees or developing OLLI courses. If you have an
interest in becoming more involved in OLLI, please respond to the invitation
you will receive to enroll in this new program.
So my message to you at the start of the year is “Participate!” Come to the
Open House at the Cornhusker Marriott on Aug. 24 to learn about OLLI
courses and programs, and socialize with fellow OLLI members. Then enjoy
OLLI to the max by:
• Enrolling in OLLI courses
• Attending OLLI special events
• Participating in OLLI travel opportunities
• Enjoying an OLLI dining event
• Joining one of OLLI’s special interest groups
But most of all, experience the joy of making new friends among the
membership and benefiting from the socialization afforded by OLLI.
,
Coordinator s Column
Implementation of Strategic
Plan Begins with Successes
By Deanna Aguilar, Ph.D., OLLI Coordinator
I would like to take this opportunity to update you, our loyal members,
on the progress OLLI has made in the past year. Many new and exciting
elements have fallen into place for UNL’s Osher Community during
the last 12 months. The OLLI Council has moved forward on a number
of initiatives resulting from implementing our new Strategic Plan. Our
membership has grown, we’ve offered a total of 151 courses and 38
special events, we’ve organized and systematized our governance, and
surpassed our fundraising objectives. We’ve hosted local trips and
international opportunities for travel, and we will continue to work in
collaboration with many community partners on outreach projects to
bring even more value to your membership.
Our new Strategic Plan has goals in four major areas:
1. Attract More Members. We want to continue increasing our
membership so OLLI can remain a viable and sustainable organization.
In the past year, our membership grew by 7 percent to 1,174.
2.Continue Offering Great Programs. We want to keep providing the
programs and events that interest current and future OLLI members.
In the last year we offered more courses than ever before. Our special
events attracted a record attendance of 2,486 people. Member Lee
Rockwell sponsored a number of trips state-side and abroad through
his company, Valden Tours. Our first trip to China in collaboration
with the Confucius Institute at UNL was a success (see a photo
collage in this issue of the “Insider”).
3. Streamline and Systematize Our Governance. The Council worked
long and hard to revise and implement OLLI’s bylaws. Part of this
revision was in response to a suggestion from members to increase the
number of elected Council participants
since OLLI’s membership has grown. In
addition, we are offering a Leadership
course this fall where interested
members can contribute their leadership
experience while exploring the concept
of servant-leadership within a memberled organization.
4.Energize Fundraising Efforts. We
want to achieve financial sustainability
and growth through revenue
generation and fund development
efforts. Thanks to our OLLI members’
response to the annual “ask” which
raised $12,000 along with sponsorships
and grants, we surpassed our $20,000
goal during our very first year of
organized fundraising. THANK YOU
TO ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND
PARTICIPATION. And a hearty “thank
you” to the Resource Development
Committee for its dedicated work.
“Our membership
has grown,
,
we ve offered
151 courses
and 38 special
,
events, we ve
surpassed our
fundraising
objectives.”
Why is the Strategic Plan so important? In September of this year, we will
submit our Annual Report to the Osher Foundation. With this submission,
we will also deliver a Special Report on disbursement of the $50,000
Osher Operating Grant we were awarded in June 2013. Should the Osher
Foundation Board of Directors deem our successes significant, OLLI at
UNL could be invited to apply for a second $1M endowment. We received
our first endowment from the Osher Foundation in 2008. This additional
investment will provide annual income to support organizational
operations, and keep membership and course fees affordable.
Thank you again, OLLI members. I look forward to another successful
year working with the Council, staff and all of you.
olli.unl.edu
402-472-6265
olli@unl.edu
3
,
What We re
Reading
Pat King: Janet Price: “Tamarack County” by William Kent Krueger
“The Great Wall of China: From History to Myth”
by Arthur Waldron
Jacquelyn Hummel: “Remember How I Love You” by Jerry Orbach
Dorothy Anderson: “Accused” by Lisa Scottoline
Randy Moody: “A Serpent's Tooth” by Craig Johnson
(A Walt Longmire Mystery) Bob Basoco: “George Norris, Going Home” by Gene Budig and
Don Walton
Karen Dienstbier: “The Broker” and “The Appeal” by John Grisham
Marv Almy:
“The Silk Road: A New History” by Valerie Hansen
to follow up the OLLI China trip.
Read a good book lately you’d like to recommend? Tell me about it so it can
be in the next issue of The Insider. Email gbucco2@unl.edu.
Osher National Conference
(continued from page 1)
fundraising and theme ideas. Everyone was
very responsive and open.”
Opera course, one suggestion was to present an
art course followed by a trip to an art exhibit.
Aguilar agreed. “It was such an enriching
opportunity to bring people together to share
new ideas, new resources and it enabled us to
work with other OLLI staff members from across
the country. What we learned will then enrich
what we do here in Lincoln,” she said.
In addition to generating enthusiasm, the
conference allows attendees to share their
concerns and problems. “There was plenty of
time to engage in conversation and opportunities
to exchange ideas,” Mastera noted. “Breaks and
meals provided the background to gain a wealth
of assistance to address particular issues.”
Some specific ideas included providing
scholarships for students studying particular
topics who would then present an OLLI course
on what they learned. Another idea was pairing
food with courses and events such as an exercise
class followed by a healthy breakfast or a film
about food followed by a dinner highlighting the
dishes mentioned in the picture. Similar to what
we are already doing with our Metropolitan
decade of transformation
(continued from page 1)
politics and literature during the upcoming
year.”
Fall Term 1 will feature a number of courses
including “American First Ladies in a
Transformative Decade.” This three-part
course will look at Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon
and Betty Ford through C-SPAN footage in
collaboration with the White House Historical
Association.
“The U.S. Supreme Court, Love It or Hate It:
Decisions from the ‘60s and ‘70s” will explore
several of the landmark decisions made during
this era in the areas of free speech, separation
of church and state, and illegal discrimination.
“Faith Questions the Vietnam War” will
discuss the question, did religion play a role in
the Vietnam War?
In addition, possible trip locations are under
advisement by Lee Rockwell at Valden Tours.
San Francisco is a possibility which will include
a nod to the Haight-Ashbury scene.
Special events will also highlight the period.
An October symposium is being planned
concerning the cultural aspects of the decade.
Another Sunday afternoon movie series is also
a possibility.
One special event you won’t want to miss will be
“An Evening with the King” on Thursday, Oct. 2
at The Knolls. Award-winning Elvis Presley tribute
artist Matt Joyce will belt out the toe-tapping
songs Elvis made famous during his later career
accompanied by all the glitter and hip swiveling
we associate with the King. Maybe even a pair of
“blue suede shoes?”
So be on the lookout for our special 1965-1975
theme logo on all things specifically designed to
follow this interesting subject.
OLLI at UNL sends two people to the conference
each year: a staff member and a volunteer. For
more information on the 2014 event, you can go
to the OLLI National Resource Center at usm.
maine.edu/olli/national/index.html and click on
“OLLI Conference News.” You will find conference
videos, workshops and a virtual resource table.
Insider
LLI
THE VOICE OF THE OSHER COMMUNIT Y
August 2014 olli.unl.edu
Published twice yearly by the Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute at the University of
Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
College of Education and Human Sciences
125 Home Economics
P.O. Box 830800
Lincoln, NE 68583-0800
402-472-6265
olli@unl.edu
OLLI Newsletter Committee
Leta Powell Drake
Jeanne Kern
Jane Hines
Kathleen Rutledge
OLLI Coordinator: Deanna Aguilar
Insider Editor: Gloria Bucco
Gbucco2@unl.edu 402-472-6418
4
OLLI Insider August 2014
OLLI’s Alvin Saunders Johnson
Hall of Fame Symposium
a Huge Success
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s Alvin Saunders
Johnson Symposium, the brainchild of OLLI members
Lee Rockwell and Jerry Petr, attracted nearly 100
participants and everyone attending agreed it was
a great success. It featured such renowned speakers
as former Senator and Governor Bob Kerrey; Wesley
Wofford, artist and sculptor of the Johnson bust;
Dennis Mihelich, chair of the Nebraska Hall of Fame
Commission; Don Walton, political columnist at the
Lincoln Journal Star; Deanna Aguilar, OLLI at UNL
coordinator, and Oliver Pollack, professor emeritus,
University of Nebraska Omaha. Everyone enjoyed the
stimulating question and answer sessions after each
presentation in addition to the hearty luncheon. Alvin
Saunders Johnson, a native Nebraskan and founder
of New York’s New School, was inducted into the
Nebraska Hall of Fame on May 30, 2014.
and
Artist Wesley Wofford
st
the Alvin Johnson bu
Photos by Gloria Bucco and Jeanne Kern
Lois Pasco (l
eft) and Ma
From left: Micha
el Felicko, Sharon
Felicko,
Connor Felicko, w
ho are related to
Alvin
Saunders Johnso
n and traveled fr
om
Milton,
Delaware to atte
nd the OLLI Sym
posium and
Johnson’s induct
ion into the Hall
of Fame.
rge Young
kwell
nd Lee Roc
eft) a
Jerry Petr (l
Former U.S. Sen.
Ned Sharp (left)
ers
and Dick Vautrav
Roger Casteel (left)
and Jay Schmidt
From left: Lee Rockwell,
Wesley Wofford,
Kay Rockwell, Odyssey W
offord
From left: Lois Biles, Jean Muraialdo
and Jacque Eldal
arp, Lynn
From left: Ned Sh
Marv Almy
Bob Kerrey
Darling,
From left: Martha Ga
dberry, Jane Hood,
Sharon Cheney, Virg
inia Knoll
olli.unl.edu
402-472-6265
olli@unl.edu
5
I AM OLLI
Priscilla C. Grew: Museum Master
Dinosaur sightings for the average person are few and very far
between, however, Priscilla Grew, a brand new Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute member, sees them every day. And not simply
dinosaurs but also mammoths, mastodons, “tuskers” and just plain
elephants. That’s because Grew is director of the University of
Nebraska State Museum in Morrill
Hall which houses the skeletons of
four dinosaurs plus many, many more
fossils that represent Nebraska’s
diverse ancient past.
Grew decided to join OLLI after
she was approached by member
Ed Schmidt who invited her
to participate on the Science
Subcommittee. “I accepted and then
joined OLLI,” Grew said. “I haven’t
taken any classes yet but a while
back I gave a lecture about Santa
Fe and Los Alamos.” Grew recalled
that at the time of her lecture, OLLI
was still SAGE and she was amazed by
her students. “Everyone was riveted with attention and
taking notes. It was a very good experience,” she remembered.
Grew is planning to retire soon from the museum and as a professor
in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. She recently
learned she was awarded the honorary title of emeritus professor.
Grew plans to stay on in Lincoln and one of the main reasons is access
to OLLI courses.
“OLLI offers a range of subjects that maybe circumstances have
prevented people from studying in the past,” she explained. “They can
take a short course and then explore further on their own.”
Grew described OLLI as “an incredible
resource for the community and absolutely
essential.” She also noted how she and others
have used it as a plus for recruiting potential
faculty members to Lincoln.
“Others wish they had an OLLI at their
university,” she said. While traveling or
attending conferences “I’m often asked if
Lincoln has an OLLI, and when I say ‘yes’ my
colleagues are jealous. Sometimes we take OLLI
for granted, but putting together these vibrant
programs takes a lot of work.”
Once she retires, Grew hopes to become more
involved in OLLI. One course she may consider
teaching is “Geology of the National Parks.”
“OLLI was built by volunteers and shows what a volunteer organization
can put together. OLLI is a treasure, like the museum,” she added.
- Gloria Bucco
s
Electric Vehicles Class Pose sla
Te
with Instructor Don Cox’s
Osher Lifelong Learning
Institute Donors
Thank you to all who have generously and graciously
donated to OLLI enabling us to continue our work.
Because of you, we have surpassed our $12,000 goal for
the 2013-2014 fiscal year. Gifts as of June 30, 2014
Friend: Up to $49.99
Jackie Hummel
Dorothy C. Anderson
Thomas and Kathleen Conroy
Ronald and Mary Lahners
Thomas L. and Lucinda J. Seidl
Gayle and Mary Starr
Susan N. Wick
Scholar: $50-$249.99
Charles W. and
Lois H. Bowmaster
Ronald J. and S.B. Goble
Jean E. Henderson
Jane R. Hood
Leta Powell Drake
Sue Schreiber
Clare V. and Roberta E. Sward
Norman R. Simon
Charles and Gail Bachinski
Richard A. and Susan C. Boswell
Tom and Nancy Ernst
James and Margaret Minary
Bob and Dottie Shapiro
Ned Sharp and Marynelle Green
Anna R. Hopkins
Cathryn A. Kieffe
Academic: $250-$499.99
C.V. and Patricia L. Nelson
Benefactor: $500 +
John H. and Karen A. Flowers
Sheryl K. Snyder
Keith Larson
Students in Spring Term 4’s Electric Vehicles course had the
opportunity to learn about past and present electric vehicles,
their evolution and today’s most promising alternatives to gasguzzling automobiles. Discussed during the course were battery
electric vehicles including electric motors, power controllers,
drive trains and batteries. Students also had an opportunity to
see examples of electric cars like this Tesla. From left to right:
Lana Novak, Roger Barber, George Bullard, Brad Dwiggins,
John Flowers, Jim Carrier, Jim Cook, Alan Worth, Rob
Jones, Joe Seewald, Steven Petersen, Jay Schmidt, Barbara
Schliesser, Barbara R. In the driver’s seat: Don Cox, retired
professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University and
OLLI class instructor. Photo by Gloria Bucco.
6
OLLI Insider August 2014
New Leadership Course
To Be Offered
A new course has been added to Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s Fall
1 roster. It is called “Servant-Leadership Seminar: Putting the Needs
of Others First.” Its goal is to acquaint members with the servant-leader
concept while familiarizing them with OLLI leadership opportunities.
“Not only do we want the course to give people a chance to put names
to what they do and see, but also to provide an opportunity for the
exchange of examples and experiences so we can determine what
members can do for each other,” explained Dan Wheeler, an OLLI
member and one of the course facilitators.
The course is designed specifically for members who would like to
explore the concept of “servant leadership.” The servant-leader focuses
primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities
to which they belong. She or he shares power, puts the needs of others
first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. This
class will define these concepts and others related to the fundamentals
of servant leadership.
“The first session will revolve more around OLLI, what the organization
does and who the members are,” Wheeler said. “We’ll explore what
pathways members can take to express their leadership and participate
in OLLI at a deeper level. The second and third sessions will focus on
servant leadership and what forms that takes within an organization.”
Servant leadership emphasizes humility, trust and caring. “We want our
members to get the most out of their participation in OLLI,” Wheeler
added. “There are so many avenues members can explore such as
creating courses, facilitating courses, participating on committees and
even running for council office.”
The course is set for Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.,
and Friday, Sept. 12 and 26, from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. It will take place
at NET and it is free although registration will be required.
Look for it in your Fall 1 catalog.
ll
A
y
b
d
a
H
s
a
W
e
im
T
And a Good
A combined total of 675 people
attended OLLI/LCP Radio Active
Players’ per formance of “Guys and
Dolls Sr.” recently at the Lincoln
Community Playhouse. LCP’s Executive
Director Morrie Enders persuaded
Music Theatre International to modify
the 1950s Broadway hit specifically for
seniors. The show’s central theme is
still present, but the music, lyrics and
dialogue were shortened. The cast was
also allowed to have scripts on stage
so the actors didn’t have to worry
about memorizing lines.
Photos by Morrie Enders
Doxtator,
Stark, Robert
y
lo
e
D
:
ft
le
e,
m
Front row, fro
ft: Karen Joyc
le
m
o
fr
,
w
ro
cond
etcko
Tom White. Se
ddard, Barb H
to
S
b
o
B
,
ss
ra
g
Marjorie Snod
dley.
a
e
and Floyd H
Can You Write
a Novel in
Six Words?
Ernest Hemingway did. Here’s what
he wrote: “For Sale. Baby shoes. Never
worn.” It’s more about the imagination
A very young Ernest
than the text. Why not give it a go?
Hemingway, age 23.
If you create a six-word novel
and send it to the OLLI Insider
(gbucco2@unl.edu), we will print
it in the next issue.
From left: Eileen Tous
saint, Marilyn
Peterson, Marty Minch
ow, M.J. Dunn, Deb
Miller (in red dress an
d horned hat), Karen
Joyce, Marjorie Snodgr
ass, Barb Hetcko,
Dorothy Westphal an
d Rosalie Duffy.
Smile!
You Belong
to OLLI
Archie Devore has been a member of
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for
seven and a half years. He loves the
variety of courses and the opportunity
to interact with other members.
Archie Devore
Photo by Gloria Bucco
olli.unl.edu
402-472-6265
olli@unl.edu
7
The Wonder
and Marvel
that Is Today’s
China
When 21 Osher Lifelong Learning Institute members toured China this
spring, they were struck by many things: how green the landscape, how
good the food, how 5-star the hotels, how great the strides that China
has taken.
OLLI partnered with the
Confucius Institute at UNL
to offer eight weeks of
courses in Chinese culture,
followed by the 11-day trip to
Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai
in May. Almy said it added
greatly to the value of the trip
to have done some homework
ahead of time.
By Kathleen Rutledge,
Insider Staff Writer
nd
Haffey try their ha
Kathryn and Tom
aphy.
at Chinese calligr
Both he and Horacek
commented on the excellence
of the guides. “They were all proud of their country, very optimistic. They
were patriotic Chinese,” Almy said.
Horacek appreciated the personal stories they told, about such things as their
family history and their children. She learned, for example, that many Chinese
choose an English name for their children, along with a Chinese name. One
student she met had chosen the name “Emily,” another was “Billy” and a third
said he chose “Abel” because it was the first name on the list.
The group in Tian’an Men Square
Marv Almy marveled “that China has taken 8 million people out of
poverty and put them into the middle class.” He said the infrastructure
development in China was impressive. In Xi’an, he observed, they found a
metropolis the size of New York City out in the middle of China, with mile
after mile of towering apartment buildings and eight-lane highways.
Although nothing is set, there is talk that Confucius is interested in putting
together another tour. It sounds like this year’s alumni would endorse that
idea enthusiastically.
Photos by Jane
GrabensteinChandler and
Ray Meints
Wendy Horacek remarked on the contrast between China’s modern
features yet its strong reliance on manual labor, such as “an old man
digging a hole with a pick” or workers hauling trash without benefit
of garbage trucks, or men with hand carts removing debris from
construction sites.
Robin Goracke (in gray shorts) and Janet Price
(in denim jacket) listen as a guide explains the
history of Beijing’s Forbidden City.
A little boy with a Chinese flag
happily poses for a picture in
Tian’an Men Square.
Left to right: Pauline Osentowski, Sha
ron Lieske, Wendy
Horacek, Jane Grabenstein-Chandle
r in Shanghai with
the Oriental TV Tower in the backgr
ound.
OLLI members walk on China’s Gre
at Wall.
8
OLLI Insider August 2014
KING
AN EVENING WITH THE
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute continues its popular Dining Series on
Thursday, Oct. 2, at The Knolls with a special meal featuring several
dishes from the 1960s and 1970s. The evening will begin with a cash bar
at 5:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at 6. Then get ready to rock and roll
with the one and only King, “Elvis Presley!” Award-winning Elvis Tribute
Artist Matt Joyce will perform many of the King’s most popular songs
along with the hip gyrations and sexy voice we happily associate with the
1950s and 1960s legend. Be there or be square. Cost is $40 per person.
Reservations and payment due by Monday, Sept. 22. This includes the
cost of dinner and nonalcoholic beverages. Wine and other alcoholic
beverages will be available at an additional cost. If you have any special
dietary concerns, please call the OLLI office at 402-472-6265.
OLLI Extra Credit
Adventures Above and Beyond
On an OLLI trip in Massachusetts, Mary Christiansen discussed politics with two locals and observed how great
it was to be able to talk reasonably and calmly about national issues. Then she asked if the day’s beautiful weather
was typical for October. One said last year it snowed on Halloween, the other said, no, it did not. That soon led to a
very loud and impassioned argument. Mary tiptoed away. Politics, yes; weather, no.
Marynelle Greene, Sue Guild, Marie Hitz and Joyce Vannier have
been biking together for years. In October they plan to bike South
Carolina. Last summer they biked the Trestle Trail near Des Moines and
stayed at a log cabin bed and breakfast. Rich Kern recently took a birding tour with Bird Treks to southern
Florida. On a bridge which the rare yellow warbler (Cuban race) was
known to frequent, Rich used his tablet to produce a warbler call.
Instantly the bird appeared and perched on the bridge railing. Rich
sounded the call again, and the bird landed first on his shoulder and
then, identifying the source of the sound, on the tablet itself. Everyone
was delighted. When the call was silenced the bird flew off thinking
he'd frightened away the “virtual” intruder.
Do you have a tale to tell? If so, contact Gloria Bucco at
gbucco2@unl.edu so your “Extra Credit” story can be included
in the next newsletter.
Rich Kern with the
yellow warbler
olli.unl.edu
402-472-6265
olli@unl.edu
9
OLLI News Briefs
REFER A NEW
MEMBER –
Get Free
Ice Cream
The Osher Lifelong
Learning Institute’s Membership Committee
has devised a new way to encourage and
reward current OLLI members who refer new
members.
New lines have been added to the
OLLI Registration Form indicating who
recommended OLLI to the new member or
how the new member heard about OLLI. If
a current member’s name is noted, Nadine
Ault, OLLI staff assistant, will send out a
Thank You note to the current member with
a coupon for a free ice cream at the UNL
Dairy Store.
“We know that many if not the majority of new
members are referred by existing members,”
explained Dick Vautravers, membership
committee chair. “So the Committee
thought a small token would show our
appreciation and remind OLLI members to tell
their friends.”
Both the current member and the new
member will also be congratulated
in a Friday Happenings note, and the
information will be recorded and tracked for
marketing purposes.
OLLI Adds New
Communications Staff
Member
OLLI’s New Nonfiction
Lending Library Is
Gloria Bucco
is the new
communications
associate at
Osher Lifelong
Learning
Institute at the
Gloria Bucco
University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. Bucco will be writing
for all of OLLI’s catalogues, newsletters,
advertisements and website. She will also
assist with the marketing of special events
and write the weekly Friday Happenings.
Bucco has a master’s in Journalism and
Mass Communications from UNL and a
bachelor’s in Journalism from University
of Colorado-Boulder. She has worked in
newspapers and magazines as an editor
and reporter for 30 years. She also has a
bachelor’s degree in Education from Rowan
University in New Jersey.
“We are so pleased to have Gloria
on board. We’re confident her unique
skill set will add to OLLI’s image as a
member-friendly and member-engaged
organization,” said Deanna Aguilar, OLLI’s
coordinator.
When OLLI was still SAGE
and Deanna Eversoll was
director, she accumulated
a large number of books
dealing with retirement,
longevity and learning.
Deanna’s husband Duane
recently donated all of
these books to OLLI.
Rather than having
them gather dust in a box or closet, we
have decided to start an OLLI Nonfiction
Lending Library. OLLI member Linda
Schmechel learned about the new library
and dropped off a few more books in July.
The books will be placed in a bookcase (as
soon as we get one) and will be available
to all members. Just sign it out and bring it
back whenever you please – no time limits.
Some titles include: “Learning as a Way of
Being,” “Other Cultures, Elder Years,” “From
Age-ing to Sage-ing,” “The Art of Growing
Older,” “The Longevity Strategy,” “The Spirit
of Retirement,” “Ecological Psychology,”
“Children and the Transition to the Market
Economy,” “Games of the North American
Indians” and “A History of the Balkans.”
There are many more and if you have a
book or two at home on these topics or
other nonfiction topics that you would
want to donate and share with the OLLI
membership, please bring them in for our
brand new Lending Library! And many
thanks to Deanna and Duane Eversoll,
and Linda Schmechel.
Growing
OLLI Instructor Profile: PHYLLIS ERICSON
Phyllis Ericson’s family history is her passion.
And she knows something else as well: all
families have stories. She also understands that
if these stories aren’t written down, after two
or three generations they will be gone -- lost
forever to the inexorable passage of time. That’s
why each year, Phyllis offers several courses to
OLLI members about tracing family trees, and
collecting and writing down stories. During Term
2, she will be teaching “Climbing Your Family
Tree: British and Irish Histories.”
“If we don’t remember their names and stories, they will be forgotten
forever,” Phyllis explained of our ancestors. Tracing family histories
and writing family stories is a way to keep the memories of our distant
forebears alive, she added.
Phyllis is past president of the Lincoln-Lancaster Genealogical Society and
has been pursuing her family’s British and Scandinavian ancestors for
over 30 years. She has published “The Larsen Family – Danish Pioneers
to Marion County, Kansas 1875” tracing over 700 descendants of her
second great grandparents. She and her husband have traveled across
the U.S. and to Denmark, Sweden, England and Scotland in search of their
ancestors.
Phyllis has been teaching OLLI courses for a number of years and
especially likes the convenience of a computer lab right down the hall from
her classroom. “I love being able to use the computer lab,” she said. “It
gives my students hands-on experience and I am able to tailor each course
to their particular computer and research skills.”
Phyllis’ vision is to “research the past and present for the future.” she noted.
10
OLLI Insider August 2014
OLLI Would Like to Extend a Great Big
THANK YOU
to All Our 2013-2014 Instructors
Molly McPherson
Jerry Parsons
Peter Mayeux
Richard Dienstbier
Ed Zimmer
Lincoln Rose Society
Nancy Coren
Jim Budde
Ralph Schaber
Juan Paulo Ramirez
Ashley Hussman
Bruce Burns
Jennifer Van Winkle
Vicki Train Harris
Jane Williams
Thomas Lynch
Peggy Jones
Mark Hull
Edward Schmidt
Dave Titterington
Dan Wheeler
Dick Dienstbier
Alice Henneman
Wes Sime
Sharon Cheney
Gayleen Bradley
Jeannine Bryant
Gary Chalupa
Houston Doan
Kristine DykemanSchoening
Bob Grundman
Patty Kreifels
Lisa Mansur
Doug McCallum
Robbie Nathan
Cindy Pelan
Mary Ann Stallings
Debbie Way
Bill Avery
Jack Gould
Ken Haar
Randy Moody
Adam Morfeld
DiAnna Schimek
Robynn Tysver
Jan Vermeer
Don Walton
John Clark
Bill "Speedy" Smith
Joyce Smith
Dennis Mihelich
Gene Budig
Amy Miller
Oliver Pollack
Wesley Wofford
J. Robert Kerrey
Lucy Adkins
Anne Alston
Grace Bauer
Stephen Behrendt
Becky Breed
Kwame Dawes
Carolyn Ducey
Erika Hamilton
Twyla Hansen
Marianne Kunkel
Marjorie Saiser
Suzanne Wise
Liqing Guo
Lei Liu
Lucas Sabalka
Carl Eskridge
Chris Buetler
Karen Amen
Kathy Campbell
Christy Hargesheimer
Jeanne Nazario
Cheryl Orosco
Dr. Chuck Gregorius
Dr. Tom Stalder
Dr. Les Spry
Dr. John Tra[[
Dr. Eli Chesen
Dr. Tdd Orchard
Robert Haller
Jackie Bates
Lori Molzer
Vanessa Gorman
Doug Ahlberg
Sheryl Rinkol
Mike Tobias
Ann Tschetter
Gail Miller
Warren Urbom
David Landis
Bob Ripley
Kay Rockwell
Andrea Faas
Fayrene Hamouz
Marilyn Schnepf
Don Cox
De Tonack
John Keller
Newell Decker
Jordan Messerer
Geoffrey Friesen
Lynn Wake
Anne Lenz
Prairie Life Center Staff
Kathleen Uhrmacher
Nancy Hicks
Leta Powell Drake
Ruth Raymond Thone
Laureen Riedesel
Kari Ronning
Eileen Wirth
JoAnn Feuss
Judi Cook
Wil Hass
Susan McClain
Dennis Hanneman
Morrie Enders
Tom Casady
Dennis Molfese
Kim Russel
Darcy Tromanhauser
Robert Jeambey
Duane Eversoll
Dave Thomssen
Rebecca Wingo
Lori Kowal
Meghan Winchell
Peter Longo
Sara Crook
Tim Borstelmann
Sue Burzynski Bullard
Michelle Carr Hassler
Lee Rockwell
Carrie Christensen
Lance Todd
LeEtta Sprackling
Barbara Carlson
Steve Beal
Charlene Engberg
Kim Hachiya
Lindsay Rogers
Dick Spearman
Mary K Stilwell
Phyllis Pearlman
Janet Price
Georgia Jones
Clark Potter
Judy Keetle
Joel Geyer Tekla
Ali Johnson
Margaret Jacobs
Andrew Jewell
Chantal Kalisa
Rebecca Franciscus
Amy Nofziger
Stacie Ray
Jerry Dieichert
Scott Young
Lori Seibel
Aubrey Mancuso
Martha Hakenkamp
Becky Gould
Beatty Brasch
Rick Carter
Kate Bolz
Rajeana Harris
LuAnne Finke
Kim Todd
Brent Van Winkle
Betty Orr
Robert Chambers
Jim Hewitt
Roger Lempke
Dennis Pavlik
Sandra Slater
Connie Deterding
Jonathan Gregory
Marin Hanson
Christine Nelson
Dr. Bruce Bavitz
Dr. Paul Hansen
Dr. James Jenkins
Dr. John Reinhardt
Dr. Ernest Sigler
Marilyn Schempf
Ed Schmidt
Le Etta Sprackling
Karen Janovy
James Garza
Harry Tompkin
Hal Allen
Jacque Sholz
Michael Hoff
Thomas Farrell
Scott Anderson
John Bailey
Mark Foxhall
George Green
Brad Hansen
Bob Houston
Hank Robinson
Robin Splindler
Richard Sincovec
Arthur Zygielbaum
Kevin Wailes
Dennis Florom
Laurie Gregg
Tom Davlin
Marc Shkolnick
Becky Finegan
Phil Heckman
Scott Clark
Marcy Graybill
Meredith McGowan
Joe Holmquist
Susan Levine
Scott Stanfield
Deb Arenz
Kevin Hanrahan
Ken Gobber
Phil Schwadel
Bob Stoddard
Simon Wood
Eric Berg
Christina Hoyt
Graham Herbst
Justin Evertson
Bob Henrickson
Anthony Bushard
Michael Cartwright
Tom Phillips
Bill Wehrbein
Jerry Weber
Lindsey Remmers
Maggi Thorne
John Ingram
Cathryn Cortesa
Patrick Ledwidge
Rodney Verhoeff
Anna Verhoeff
Ken Cavanaugh
Jerry Obrist
Bob Hutkins
Paul Read
Matt Stinchfield
Jason Head
Nicole Battelle Van Hook
Karen Kunc
Toney Redman
Joe Ruffo
Aaron Sober
Linda Stevens
Pastor Karla Cooper
Pastor Steve Mason
Pastor Barb Smisek
Pastor Larry Joffet
Pastor Susanna
DesMarais
Pastor Major Jamie
Pennington
Pastor Mark Ebert
Pastor Tom Barber
Father Lyle Johnson
Pastor Harry Riggs
Ali Raymond
Priscilla Grew
Thomas Berg
Kimberly Barrett
Paul Kwiatkowski
Karen Miller
Chris Phipps
Melissa Tubbs Loya
Rabbi Craig Lewis
John Gilsdorf
Farida Ebrahim
Fred Nielson
Betty Stevens
If we have inadvertently excluded your name, please
call us immediately so we can correct the mistake and
recognize your contribution in Friday Happenings.
olli.unl.edu
402-472-6265
olli@unl.edu
11
OLLI Antics
On a bitterly cold winter’s day, UNL historian Dr. Thomas Berg
was teaching an OLLI class on the Revolutionary War. The
attendance was so large the only place available was in the UNL
Animal Science Complex, which also houses cows, pigs and horses.
The heating system had been disconnected during remodeling.
The room was so cold that OLLI students wore their coats and
hats. Berg’s wicked sense of humor was evident when he said that
he was “quite comfortable” wearing his usual attire of a Hawaiian
shirt and shorts, because he was “so full of hot air.”
As he taught his portion of the “Got Milk?” course, Dr. Paul
Kononoff paused to observe, “This is an amazing group! You
are taking real notes. Nobody is texting! And,” he added, looking
around, “you all showed up!”
On OLLI’s October 2012 New England trip, the guide announced
the Freedom Trail we’d be walking is 2 ½ miles long — “but it’s
downhill all the way.” A voice from the rear of the bus rang out:
“So are we.”
Opening the bluebird nesting box, Dave Titterington stepped back
so the line of OLLI birders could see the baby birds. He looked
out…then down. The first viewer in line was Anne Vidaver — who
was too short to be able to see inside.
Final Thought
“Learning without thought is
labor lost; thought without
learning is perilous.”
Do you recall a funny instance during an OLLI course or event?
If so, contact Gloria Bucco at gbucco2@unl.edu so your “OLLI
Antics” story can be included in the next newsletter.
Confucius
551-479 B.C.
LLI at UNL
Curiosity never retires
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
at the
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Focusing on the wisdom of experience
and a passion for learning.
Isn’t It Time YOU Belonged to the Osher Community?
OLLI concentrates on the interests and curiosity of those over 50.
OLLI provides high-quality, high-appeal learning experiences,
special events and travel opportunities for its members.
OLLI offers five terms throughout the year.
No homework; no tests!
OLLI members receive special discounts from our partners.
OLLI gives you the opportunity to become part of a vibrant
community of interesting people.
Follow YOUR path. Join OLLI.
olli@unl.edu • 402-472-6265 • olli.unl.edu
College of Education & Human Sciences
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Non Profit
US Postage
PAID
UNL
Thank you for your contribution to OLLI!
Special thanks to each donor! Your support has allowed us to keep OLLI’s promise to
promote lifelong learning for older adults!
Remember, the reasons to contribute to OLLI are as simple as...
- Assurance for the future
- Budget realities
- Costs
For more information, contact Dee Aguilar at daguilar2@unl.edu, 402-472-9891, or visit olli.unl.edu.