Where Learning Is Fun

Story By Stacey Patton-Wallace Photos By Mike Wallace

Learning for the sheer enjoyment of it. No tests, no projects, no research papers, no grades, no stress. No way, right? However, this happens every day, Monday through Friday at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Auburn University.

OLLI’s predecessor, the Auburn University Academy For Lifelong Learners (AUALL) was founded in the early nineties.

According to the book, The First Ten Years of AUALL- 1990-2000, the fee for the first term in Spring 1990 was $50. That first term, AUALL offered four study groups: “Great Decisions: U.S. Foreign Policy,” “Physics: Entropy,” “Comparative World Religions” and “The Ascent of Man.”

Mary Burkhart, who had helped found AUALL, learned about an Osher endowment, wrote a grant and AUALL became OLLI at Auburn in 2010.

Today’s OLLI has grown a great deal since those four original study groups in 1990. This past winter term, OLLI offered students over 40 classes from to choose from. During this time, OLLI members enjoyed the following classes: Hiking, Cooking, Memoir Writing, Line Dancing, Tai Chi, Common Law, Rivers of Alabama, Literature, Learning Spanish, Contemporary Architecture, Spacecraft and American Society, England in the Late Middle Ages and many others.

Although OLLI was originally designed for adults 50 and older, anyone who is an adult is welcome to take

Where Learning is Fun History

classes.

Besides offering a large range of subjects, OLLI is incredibly affordable. OLLI members pay a yearly membership fee of $50 and just an $80 academic fee per term (fall, winter and spring).

Summer programs and fees vary. Also, in the fall, if a member pays for fall, winter and spring terms all at once, $275 will cover membership fees and all academic fees. Members may take as many courses as they wish.

OLLI also offers need-based academic scholarships to members who qualify. Recipients only have to pay the annual $50 membership fee, which can be paid in installments. OLLI at Auburn has highly qualified instructors who volunteer to teach subjects. Since OLLI doesn’t have the resources to provide financial compensation, instructors are offered a free year of membership and may take one free class per each term taught.

Dr. Terry C. Ley, professor emeritus from Auburn University and Cathy Buckhalt, an English educator who worked with Opelika City Schools, Auburn University and Southern Union, bring 81 years of combined teaching experience to OLLI. Ley and Buckhalt have been teaching Writing Our Lives (WOL), a memoir writing class, since 2004.

Ley taught at Auburn from 1974 to 2001. A former student of his once said, “Dr. Ley could read aloud a telephone book and make it interesting.”

“I still enjoy teaching,” Ley said. “Cathy and I get to continue doing something we both enjoy doing — teaching congenial, seasoned adults who are anxious to relate their stories.”

Buckhalt said that she and her students learn together.

“I love Writing Our Lives (WOL) because I still get to be a teacher, though my ‘students’ are all so skilled,” she said. “I get to share my love of storytelling and encourage others to share their stories.”

Dr. Joseph Kicklighter, professor emeritus at Auburn University, taught history for 40 years. Since 2015, Kicklighter has taught Medieval England, Medieval Europe and other history courses at OLLI.

“Dr. Kicklighter was a rock star at Auburn; now he’s OLLI’s rock star,” said Scott Bishop, OLLI’s director.

Dr. Bill Deutsch, a research fellow, emeritus, worked in the Auburn University School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences for 26 years, retired in 2013. Deutsch teaches Rivers of Alabama, Birding Basics and Ancient Life in Alabama at OLLI.

“I teach because I love sharing information I’ve accumulated through hobbies and work that I think others want to know about,” Deutsch said. “We teach and learn in a special community of folks that are there because they want to be. Our mutual learning is good for mind, body and soul.”

Kitty Frey, an occupational therapist, has worked in a variety of settings and has her own business, Moving Matters. Frey has taught modified Tai Chi and several sets of Tai Chi Qigong at OLLI for about six years.

“I felt there was a need for community programs that offered some of the best from both traditional holistic practices and updated medical research, that could be used as prevention and reduce fall risk and empower people to take an active role in maintaining or improving their health holistically — stress and pain management, improve mental focus, strength, flexibility and cardiopulmonary functions, to name a few,” Frey said.

Wendy Cleveland, who taught middle and high school English for 30 years in Ithaca, New York, teaches poetry at OLLI. Cleveland has also taught with fellow OLLI member Dr. Ken Autrey, professor emeritus at Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina.

“Ken is an excellent teacher and mentor,” Cleveland said of Autry, who taught English.

“… I enjoy teaching and the joy of nudging folks who want to learn to write poems but fear this mysterious genre.”

Dr. Roger D. Launius, who teaches Spacecraft and American Society at OLLI, was chief historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). In addition, Launius has written or edited numerous articles and books on historical subjects.

OLLI’s students are as diverse as the instructors. Betty Corbin, who has been an OLLI member since 2009, has taken many different classes; a few of her favorites include Birding, Yoga, Writing Our Lives and Line Dancing.

“I have met lots of nice people and have enjoyed learning about new topics,” Corbin said. “Participating in OLLI classes has added a lot to my life.”

Sandy Halperin has taken numerous classes at OLLI for 13 years.

“I enjoy the teachers, who are incredibly gifted and love what they are teaching,” Halperin said.

She also enjoys her classmates because they’re interesting, diverse and always offer rich perspectives on whatever is being taught, she said.

Gail McCullers joined OLLI in 2002. McCullers also served on OLLI’s Executive Board in several leadership positions.

“I have been quite varied in my class choices —

history, music, psychology, philosophy, religion, writing, science, etc,” McCullers said. “My favorite class is Writing Our Lives.”

Bill Lee, who joined OLLI six years ago, said that he has become a much better writer since he’s been taking a writing class each week. Lee has written over 100 short stories or essays and a 175-page genealogical family history book.

“My grandchildren enjoy some of my stories, and they’re some of my best critics,” Lee said.

When Bill Wilson moved to Auburn 15 months after his much-loved wife Annie’s passing, a friend suggested that he join OLLI. Since he was an English major, he decided to join Ed Hornig’s class, Short Stories of Appalachia. Besides enjoying the stories, Wilson gained something even more precious from this OLLI class. Her name is Charlotte.

A four-member team of dedicated professionals ensures that OLLI runs smoothly, which has been challenging during the pandemic. In March of 2020, just as Scott Bishop became OLLI’s director, COVID shut down everything. Suddenly, instructors had to learn how to use Zoom on a webinar.

“Mike Akins, who is the chair of the technology committee, really stepped up,” Bishop said. “He and many IT people trained us.”

Bishop said that OLLI’s greatest challenge during the pandemic has been trying to maintain a sense of community while members are learning virtually instead of face to face.

“However, if there’s any silver lining to COVID, it would be that Zoom has allowed us to reach people wherever they are,” he said.

Since OLLI is a nonprofit, one of Bishop’s primary duties is fundraising. The revenue generated by OLLI’s classes doesn’t cover the costs of running the program. OLLI has an organized Advisory Council and several other committees, including a curriculum committee, which is made up of volunteers. Bishop said that he works closely with those committees to plan OLLI’s path.

OLLI is now conducting free workshops once a month for dues-paying members, Bishop said. The member only pays for the required materials. Past workshops have included: card making for Valentine’s Day, learning to dye fabrics with indigo and roasting coffee beans at home in a hot air popcorn popper.

Barbara Daron, OLLI’s program coordinator, has worked with OLLI for 10 years. Daron works with the curriculum committee to chose and coordinate courses. Daron also coordinates public programming such as the Brown Bag Lunch and Learn, receptions and other events. Daron’s greatest joy is working with instructors and students.

“Our teachers love what they do, and our students have a passion for learning,” Daron said.

Cheri Lumpkin, who started working with OLLI in August of 2021, is in charge of Instructor Support and is the communications specialist. Some of her duties include setting up the technology and furniture for classes; helping the instructors and helping run the classes. In addition, she writes and distributes the weekly OLLI Digest online and manages the Facebook page.

Danell LaPread, who has worked with OLLI since the beginning, is the registrar and office manager. If anyone has a question about OLLI, LaPread is ready to help at 334-844-3146.

OLLI classes are now almost all face-to-face. Classes are conducted at Sunny Slope and its Annex at 1031 S. College St. and Pebble Hill at 101 S. Debardeleben St. in Auburn. With highly qualified instructors, extremely low costs and a broad spectrum of classes with no grading, what’s not to love at OLLI?