OLLI at USM Newsletter January 2013
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15 New to OLLI at USM? Check us out at www.usm.maine.edu/olli January 2013 Profile Important OLLI Barbara Bardack Winter Term Dates Winter classes begin on Enthusiasm is the right word Tuesday, Jan. 8. for Barbara Bardack Spring catalogs will be mailed and on-line by the Barbara Bardack’s lifelong love for acting has inspired middle of January. an enthusiasm that has enlivened her career as a teacher, Spring class lottery will be a gardener, and now as the coordinator of OLLI Night held Feb. 6. Out. A Brooklyn native, she earned “Those years ranged from an associate’s degree in adver- teaching poor Appalachian tising from the University of students around Newport, New York at Farmingdale on Kentucky, to working in Cin- Long Island. She then went into cinnati’s inner city public the advertising business on schools, where I could witness Madison Avenue. She later be- firsthand the drug culture came a television makeup artist around the housing projects. I WEATHER CLOSINGS and worked on the inaugural likewise taught in Catholic If USM is closed, OLLI is broadcast on WNDT Channel schools and a private school, also closed, and THERE 13 (now WNET) starring Ed- where I was more of a social WILL BE NO CLASSES. For ward R. Murrow. director.” During those years the most current information she earned a master’s degree call the USM Storm Line at Following her marriage, she in reading from Xavier Uni- moved to Philadelphia, where 780-4800 for a recorded versity, where she taught in message. she continued in advertising the graduate school. and insurance as a promotional writer and designer. Then it was “All the time I was using my a move to Cincinnati, where she love for acting — that started decided to go back to college. in high school — to inspire With a degree in reading from the students to become in- Northern Kentucky University, volved in reading.” she was launched on a 30-year career as a reading specialist. Continued on page 6 In this issue: Notes from Susan—OLLI Movers and Shakers— One Book/One Community—Did It!—OLLI Night Out— Passages—Walking Club—World Affairs Council Sponsorship January 2013 Page 2 NOTES FROM SUSAN Happy New Year! I’ve decided that this year, instead of making any sort of resolutions, which I would probably break by February, I’m going to celebrate being another year older. With age comes wisdom, or at least some life lessons worth paying attention to. It’s never too late to learn something new. Step out of your comfort zone. Try something you’re not proficient at just for the fun of it. Nobody cares if you fail, except you. Get over it and have fun! Be flexible and resilient. Life will always throw you curve balls. Choose your battles carefully. Be sure taking a stand is worth the frustration and energy needed to see it through. Avoid toxic people, and if you must deal with them, keep your contact at a minimum. They drain your energy. There are so many positive, energy-giving people just waiting to meet you. It’s never too late to make new friends, and friends and family are our most valuable asset. And if there’s something that you’ve always wanted to do…what are you waiting for? Travel? Move? Write a book? Get a tattoo? Use the good china? It’s time to start checking off your Bucket List. The clock is ticking, and there’s so much living to do! Wishing you a happy and contented 2013. —Susan Morrow, Assistant Director for Program OLLI Movers and Shakers: Kali Lightfoot When Kali Lightfoot took the reins as director of the Senior College at USM in October 2000, she brought with her 21 years of experience in Elderhostel program management. A native of Michigan, Kali has a B.A. from Western Michigan University and an M.S. in Physical Education and Outdoor Education from the University of Washington. Her early career included teaching and coaching positions in Washington and Michigan. But un- doubtedly her most interesting experience was as a wilderness ranger for the U.S. Forest Service in the Mt. Adams Wilderness Area in Washington State. For three seasons she walked the mountain terrain for five and sometimes ten days at a time, generally keeping an eye on any human activity that might endanger the pristine nature of the wilderness. In January 1979, Kali was hired as New England Regional Director of Elderhostel. In seven years the region grew from 27 summer-only Elderhostel sites to 115 sites offering programs year-round for 14,000 participants. She moved on to other jobs either within, or somehow associated with, Elderhos- tel. Her favorite job was Director of Elder Programs for World Learning, where she worked with Ex- periment in International Living sites offering Elderhostel programs in a number of foreign countries. In 2000 she was selected as half-time director of Senior College at USM. The other half was to be spent developing other senior colleges in Maine. In 2001, USM’s Senior College became the first Osher Lifelong Learning Institute because of a generous endowment from the Osher family. The OLLI name was adopted by the Senior College Board at the time, chaired by Wally Nutting. In 2004, the Osher Foundation chose USM to house the National Resource Center (NRC) for Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes with Kali as its first Executive Director. Continued on page 3 January 2013 Page 3 ADVISORY BOARD OLLI Advisory Board Dick Sturgeon, Chairman Pat Muzzy, Vice Chair The winter season is upon us — I hope you all are well pre- Joy Larrabee, Secretary pared for it! Some may be hoping for an open winter similar to Joan Aldrich, Education Chair last year’s, and others who don’t mind the white stuff may be Tim Baehr, Communications Chair hoping for snow. In either case, I want to thank those who have Bob Bahm, SAGE Chair Claire Knox, Nominating Chair chosen to enroll in one or more of our winter term classes. I Henry Warren, Resource Develop- expect you will find them stimulating and enlightening. mentChair Kathleen Sutherland, Community At the invitation of the Osher Foundation, I was able to repre- Chair sent our OLLI at the National OLLI Conference in Colorado Tim Byrne last month. There were 250 people at the conference represent- Lenore Fleming Susan Gesing ing 117 OLLI programs in the USA. It was a stimulating expe- Judith Harris rience. Stephen Jenks Paula Johnson I learned that we are one of the largest and most successful Jack Lynch OLLI programs in the country, as we provide to our members a Rich Machlin number of opportunities and courses that others do not. By the Denney Morton same token I learned that many other OLLI programs have more diverse course schedules and course offerings than we do. OLLI members are invited to attend Advisory Board meetings, which usu- This is an area the Advisory Board is planning to address. If ally take place on the second Friday of you have thoughts about this please contact me or a member of the month. Check with the OLLI of- the Education Committee. fice for time and place. Please contact —Dick Sturgeon, Chair the chair if you wish to address the Board. [email protected]; 773-3174 WEB SITES Lightfoot (cont’d from page 2) Maine Senior College Network www.maineseniorcollege.org Kali emphasizes that her office helps to connect the 115 OLLIs OLLI National Resource Center in all 50 states to share ideas and experiences. Each operates inde- www.osher.net pendently and is structured differently: the Foundation wanted to OLLI at USM fund a wide variety of program models. But all keep in touch www.usm.maine.edu/olli through a monthly newsletter, national conferences, and a website OLLI NEWSLETTER (www.osher.net) — “stealing,” she says, “great ideas from one OLLI Office: another all the time.” Wishcamper Center 210 P. O. Box 9300 Even in difficult university times, OLLI membership is growing Portland, ME 04104-9300 10 to 15 percent a year nationally, currently at 112,000. Growth is Phone: 207 780-4406 or aided by the fact that we are a transient nation. “OLLI is important 1-800-800-4876 not only for its excellent educational programs, but also as a net- TTY 1-207-780-5646 work for newcomers to a community to make new friends.” Fax: 207 780-4317 E-mail: Kali pays high tribute to the “amazing support” that the San [email protected] Francisco-based Osher Foundation provides for the NRC at USM. Don King, Editor The USM-based NRC works closely with them as “Osherland Jo Morris, Layout Editor East.” Tim Baehr, Managing Editor In addition to her duties as Resource Center Director, Kali and Please send newsletter material to the OLLI Office, via our e-mail. Dead- the NRC staff coordinate the Maine Senior College Network line for submission is the 15th of (www.maineseniorcollege.org). OLLI at USM is a valued mem- the month before the newsletter is ber of both the statewide and national networks. published. January 2013 Page 4 Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2013 Snow date: Feb. 28 American Nations: Colin Woodard Program Schedule Why have Americans struggled so long to 8:30 a.m. Check-in and morning coffee/tea, define the right relationship between indi- 102 Wishcamper. Kindly arrive promptly vidual liberty and the public good? Why are there increasingly contentious debates 9 a.m. Keynote Address: Colin Woodard over which political party is defending American values and which is undermining 10 a.m.