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Our team advocates and supports area non-profits, greenways, the arts, and athletic events, and we are honored to have a part in building a community that’s a wonderful place to live, work, play – and ultimately enjoy a fulfilling retirement.
Located in Ann Arbor, we’re one of the top investment advisors in the area. We coordinate retirement strategies, assist with estate planning, select investments, and can manage your university TIAA, Fidelity, and other investment accounts without transferring assets.
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Welcome to the New OLLI Year
A Note From OLLI’s Leadership
WELCOME TO OLLI AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN!
Welcome to OLLI at the University of Michigan! Lifelong learning with others helps keep our minds sharp and our lives enriched. With staff support, your fellow members have created an enticing menu of tried-and-true programs and some new ideas to explore in a variety of formats.
Thank you to our returning members. Please share your love of OLLI and consider bringing a friend or two with you to the Fall Kickoff. For new members, welcome and we are here to help. We know this catalog can be a lot to digest. To support you, we are offering registration webinars and in person training at the Turner Senior Resource Center, in August and September (details in the catalog). In addition to taking classes, you can share your passions and expertise as an OLLI volunteer, another great way to meet new friends and make a positive impact in your community.
As you participate in these programs, we encourage your feedback and your volunteer support for the design of future programs. We hope to see you at the Fall Kick-off, Wednesday, September 4, 2024, from 9:30 am – 12:00 pm.
Enjoy!
Angela A. Bingham, OLLI Director
Terry Smith, OLLI President
OLLI at U-M
Who We Are
OLLI is a volunteer centered organization that offers programs for lifelong learners. It capitalizes on the skills, knowledge, and experience of our volunteers who plan and implement the learning programs for their peers.
Our Mission
OLLI fosters lifelong learning designed by volunteers for older adults seeking stimulating discussion, fellowship and wisdom.
The OLLI Way
As members of OLLI-UM, we value free expression of ideas. In doing so, we agree to abide by these guidelines.
◆ I will be respectful of another’s point of view.
◆ I will demonstrate through words and actions that each colleague is a person of value to be respected.
◆ I will be accountable for my words and actions.
◆ I will be an ally, I will respond, and I will act with and for others in pursuit of an organization where inclusion is valued.
Get Involved With OLLI
Any OLLI member is welcome to volunteer with us. Please reach out to explore how you can enhance your OLLI experience through active participation. We eagerly anticipate connecting with you during this year’s educational and social events, and we encourage everyone to share their creative ideas for new programming and other initiatives that will contribute to making OLLI a vital part of our members’ happy and healthy lives.
Lectures
Chairs, Jim MacBain, jmacbain@umich.edu
Katherine Woo, katherinewook@yahoo.com
Study Groups
Chair, Will Hawk, willhawk@comcast.net
Evenings with OLLI Chair, Emily Eisbruch | eisbruchs@gmail.com
Shared Interest Groups
Chair, Deb Mukherjee, debmukherjee@hotmail.com
Social Interaction
Chair, Lori Jordan, lamjordan@yahoo.com
OLLI Out of Town Chair, Mary Sherrill, marysherrill@comcast.net
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Chair, Susan Dolye, sjdoyle@umich.edu
Strategic Communications Chair, Richard Garrett, rg1614826@gmail.com
OLLI COMMITTEES
Volunteer Recognition List
We extend our heartfelt thanks to our volunteers who generously share their passions, expertise, and skills to create the incredible programming we offer. Your dedication is the cornerstone of our success!
OLLI, where learning never retires.
Ron Bogdasarian
Bev Geltner
Leo Shedden
Frances Schultz
Ron Frisch
Jerry Gardner
John Kelly
Marie Vitale
Katherine Woo
Faye Askew King
Judy Cohen
Susan Doyle
Gloria Edwards
Freddi Kilburn
Jane Spinner
Craig Ramsay
Hank Greenspan
Susan Fisher
Richard Galant
Emily Eisbruch
Tracie Engel
Linda Grekin
Helaine Reid
Miriam Shaw
Debbie Torch
Bill Roberts
Fran Weinstein
Stu Simon
Beth Spencer
Terry Smith
John Dorcey
Cliff Sheldon
Lynn Boyer
Carol Brody
Barbara Hooberman
Claire Murray
Marjorie Oliver
Susan Pollans
Claire Turcotte
Joan Homyak
Sally Mukherjee
Priscilla Parker
Mary Sherrill
Todd Grant
Wendy Mead
Deb Mukherjee
Tim Richards
Chris Siehl
Rebecca Van Dyke
Bernie Beach
Ginny Bentz
Richard Garrett
Lori Jordan
Marta Skiba
Chris Grant
Jill Binkley
John Bohn
Alice Carter
Annette Fisch
Georgiann Henritzy
Sigrid Hermon
Alice Horning
Zoe Koosis
Gerald Lapidus
Craig Stephan
Ann Tomlanovich
Lonnie Vitale
Karen Bantel
Donna Clack
Avi Eibrusch
Lily Ferguson
Mary Ellen Hoy
Larry Imerman
Carol Levin
Jim MacBain
Bette Michael
Camille Orso
Al Paas
Anne Preston
Bob Rorke
Carolyn Weiner
Cyril White
Mike Wixom
Bruce Friedman
Will Hawk
Jeff Barnett
Richard Barron
Tom Burroughs
Barbara Comai
Gregory Humbel
Linda McCrea
Barbara McLelland
Joan Nuxoll
Marjorie Oliver
Carol Pollack-Rundle
Bob Rorke
Miriam Shaw
Sylvia Shippey
Carol Standardi
Debbie Upton
Tuffin Wagner
Julie Walker
Katherine Woo
Kate Zoeger
Ron Brown
Peter Caplan
Jackie Deron
Gloria Edwards
Daniel Marquardt
Linda Marquardt
Toni McNamara
Kathleen Singer
Angela Yang
Elliot Greenberg
Gayle Harte
Kate Labore
Bonnie Gabowitz
Tom Lerchen
Kal Dutta
Linda Lake
Ronald Brown
Janet Torno
Membership Options
We provide four distinct membership options tailored to meet everyone’s needs. You have the flexibility to choose the option that best aligns with your resources, interests, and convenience. All memberships are valid for one year (August 2024 to August 2025).
BASIC MEMBERSHIP
Our Basic Membership price is $35 for the year. The Basic Membership will work like the OLLI membership in past years—i.e., you choose which lectures, study groups, shared interest groups and other events you want. Pay for each of them when you register, at the price listed for them in the catalog and on the website.
ENHANCED MEMBERSHIP
As an alternative to the Basic Membership, you can opt to purchase an Enhanced Membership, at a price of $100 for the year. You will still choose which lectures, study groups, shared interest groups, etc., you want, and register for them. However, unlike the Basic Membership, you will receive a discount of $5 for each lecture, study group, shared interest group or other event from the price listed in the catalog. The discount will be applied automatically when you register on the website.
This level of membership will be attractive to anyone who signs up for 13 or more different events during the year. The total lecture discount cannot exceed $50, and only one discount of $5 is applied to any lecture package (since the packages are already discounted).
ALL-INCLUSIVE MEMBERSHIP
The All-Inclusive Membership is the third option, at a price of $300 for the year. This option includes access to all lectures, study groups, shared interest groups and other events OLLI offers.
Here are the rules for the All-Inclusive Membership:
◆ You must register for each event you’d like to attend.
◆ You need to pay the full price for out-of-town trips.
◆ If a study group or shared interest group charges any extra fees (for example, for a book), you will have to pay the extra fee.
SCHOLARSHIP MEMBERSHIP
To ensure that everyone will be able to afford our programming, OLLI instituted a program of scholarship assistance that is self-selecting. Simply follow the instructions on the website during the payment process. This program is on the honor system. We ask that you only take advantage of it to the extent you need it. If you can pay part of the cost of a program or membership, we ask that you do so.
And because this is a relatively new system, and we need to ensure that we have adequate finances to continue our programming, we have established limits on how much aid can be requested both on a per person and aggregate basis.
MORE INFORMATION
For further information on membership options, please contact the OLLI office at 734-998-9351, or email us at olli.info@umich.edu. We’re here to help make your OLLI experience as easy and pleasurable as possible! To read or print a copy of the membership handbook please visit our website at www.olli-umich.org.
Your Guide to OLLI-UM
WHERE LEARNING NEVER RETIRES!
We invite you to become part of the OLLI-UM community of lifelong learners! Our members enjoy learning and socializing in many different ways, so we have developed a vast array of programs to meet your interests and needs.
HERE IS A QUICK GUIDE TO HELP YOU DISCOVER ALL THAT OLLI-UM HAS TO OFFER.
Lectures
Academic and professional experts speak on a wide range of cutting-edge social and political issues, science and technology, music, and the arts. Our lectures include weekly Thursday Lecture Series and monthly Distinguished Lecture Series.
Study Groups
Do you prefer to learn in small groups? Do you enjoy meeting people who share your interests? Join a study group! Have fun perusing the sixty or so study groups in this catalog and choose from a wide selection of topics.
Evenings with OLLI
Enjoy the lighter side of Ann Arbor and beyond as we explore Michigan together. Our monthly programs feature interesting people, places, and current issues within our community, as well as highlight the compelling stories of local personalities.
Social Interaction
Engaging with other members adds richness to all of OLLI’s activities. Consider OLLI your invitation to connect with other lifelong learners -- an embedded benefit of membership!
OLLI Shared Interest Groups (SIGs)
Shared Interest Groups (SIG) bring people together with a common interest for monthly meetings or activities designed by group members. There is an emphasis on community and friendship as well as enhancing skills, education, or experiences.
OLLI Out of Town In-Person and Virtual Travel
OLLI members can look forward to both in-person and virtual educational travel experiences around Detroit, southeast Michigan, and, occasionally, even further afield.
DEI Committee
The mission of the DEI committee is to diversify the OLLI membership, create a welcoming environment for all, increase awareness of socioeconomic disparities and promote social justice.
Event Registration Procedure
STUDY GROUPS AND SIGS ARE SUBJECT TO LOTTERY THIS TERM
OLLI has created a more equitable registration process that also addresses operational problems on the first day of registration. The process applies only to Study Groups and Shared Interest Groups (SIG) this term. Registration for all other OLLI offerings are not subject to lottery.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW FOR STUDY GROUPS AND SHARED INTEREST GROUPS (SIGS) REGISTRATION:
◆ The initial registration period will run from August 19 at 10:00am to September 5 at 4:00pm. You can register at any time during this period and receive equal consideration for classes that become oversubscribed.
◆ All oversubscribed study groups and Shared Interest Groups (SIGs) will be subject to a lottery to give everyone an equal chance to get in. Early registration does not increase your chances.
◆ Everyone who applies for programs that become subject to the lottery will be notified of the outcome by 5:00pm on September 6
◆ Members who are not selected will be placed on a wait list, and invited to join if space becomes available. Our goal is to issue refunds the week after the lottery.
◆ Registration for classes that are not full will still be possible after September 6.
◆ As before, you can register online or by mail. The preferred method for registration is online.
KEY DATES
Registration opens: August 19th at 10:00am
Initial registration ends: September 5th, 2024 4:00pm
Notices sent: September 6th, 2024 by 5:00pm
Offerings begin September 9th, 2024
TRAINING DATES
Do you need help with registering on the website or want a refresher on how to use Zoom?
Sign up for one of the sessions below by emailing olli.info@umich.edu to reserve your spot.
REGISTRATION TRAININGS
Wednesday, Aug 21, 2024
In-person at Turner Senior Resource Center from 1:00 - 2:00pm
Thursday, Aug 22, 2024
Virtual on Zoom from 1:00 - 2:00pm
ZOOM TRAININGS
Friday, Sep 6, 2024
Virtual on Zoom from 1:00 - 2:00pm
Monday, September 9, 2024
In-person at Turner Senior Resource Center from 1:00 - 2:00pm
LECTURE SERIES
LECTURE SERIES (CONTINUED)
― Gerry Lapidus , OLLI Volunteer
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
DEI MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of the DEI Committee is to increase the diversity of OLLI membership and create an environment that welcomes all; increase awareness of racial, social, economic, educational and health disparities experienced by marginalized communities; encourage members selfeducation and self-reflection on issues related to implicit bias; and promote positive, transformational change leading to the eradication of racial and social injustice in ourselves, the OLLI membership, and the community-at-large.
WE WILL DO THIS THROUGH:
◆ Spearheading efforts that lead to continuing awareness and education of our members on issues related to racial and social inequities through lectures, workshops, book discussions, and study groups, and encouraging members to initiate their own self-education on these issues.
◆ Working closely with other OLLI committees to ensure DEI principles are infused and integrated throughout the organization.
◆ Working as a bloc or as individuals to help influence formal and informal policies that can be implemented to effect positive change.
◆ Partnering with other organizations and committees with similar aims internal and external to U-M to collaborate on relevant programming and initiatives.
◆ Evaluating strategies wherever possible in order to identify positive and negative outcomes such that initiatives can either be continued or improved upon.
The DEI Committee has now started to identify additional partners with similar aims to determine shared interests, and together plan activities, programming and educational opportunities to expand our collective reach.
As you can see, OLLI has set in motion a thoughtful and determined process for fulfilling our DEI mission and values as outlined in our strategic plan – but we are just getting started!
With the DEI Committee’s leadership, OLLI and our programs will become richer and deeper, including understanding America’s past and current history in racism, exploring strategies for its eradication, and learning about the significant contributions which marginalized groups have made to America’s greatness.
Please join us so that all voices can be heard and represented in our community and beyond. The OLLI DEI Committee is always looking for new members; won’t you consider joining us?
DEI ENDORSED OFFERINGS:
Study Groups:
A Joyride in Memory Care –A one-person play exploring dementia and the healing power of community. Written and Performed by Rick Sperling.
“I’m Not a Racist”: An Interactive Study of Contemporary Racism and What We Can Do About It
The Psychology of Antisemitism: A Deep Dive Community Partner: Silver Linings Art Tour with UMMA
DISTINGUISHED LECTURE SERIES Alfred Gourdji
The Alfred Gourdji Distinguished Lecture Series was planned by Bernard Banet, Ron Bogdasarian, Ron Frisch, Beverley Geltner, John Kelly, Leo Shedden, Marie Vitale, and Katherine Woo, and co-chairs Gerald Gardner and Frances Schultz
OLLI’s Distinguished Lecture Series has been renamed as the Alfred Gourdji Distinguished Lectures Series in memory of our friend and colleague who was the heart and soul of the series for many years. The Series features prominent, engaging speakers from “town and gown.” It consists of eight lectures, four in the fall session and four in the winter/ spring session. Learn from well-known experts about an array of fascinating topics. Each lecture is just the beginning; a stimulating question-and-answer period follows each session.
◆ 2nd Tuesday of every month
◆ 10:00 - 11:30 am
◆ $12/day pass
◆ $50 for 4 lectures Sept. - Dec.
Programs take place in-person at: Washtenaw Community College
Morris Lawrence Building Towsley Auditorium (or nearby meeting rooms)
4800 E Huron River Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Programs will also be available live through:
Registration for Zoom only will close the day before the lecture at 5:00pm. We welcome walk-ins at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building the day of the lecture. ALFRED
The Great American Songbook
Tuesday, September 10, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Professor Brent Wagner $12 Members | $20 Non-Members
Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, and Cole Porter — these marvelous writers created so many lasting standards in the early 20th. century that the era has been termed ‘The Great American Songbook.’ These songs have been recorded hundreds of times by pop singers, jazz artists, dance bands, and even opera singers, and new generations are constantly discovering and rediscovering the depth and artistry of these mini-masterpieces. But why have these songs lasted so long? What exactly makes them ‘great’? Professor Wagner will explore the repertoire, detailing and demonstrating some of the characteristics that make these songs part of an enduring and rewarding legacy.
Brent Wagner is the Arthur Thurnau Emeritus Chair, and Robertson Emeritus Professor of Musical Theatre, UM’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance. He was chair of the Department of Musical Theatre for 32 years and is credited with building the department into one of the top musical theatre programs in the world. Before joining the Michigan faculty in 1984 he
taught at Syracuse University. He has directed musicals and revues throughout North America, from off-Broadway in New York to the Banff Center in Canada. He has collaborated with Sheldon Harnick on numerous projects, including the world premiere of A Wonderful Life, and his recent musical Dragons, both of which were staged at the University of Michigan. Among many responsibilities, Mr. Wagner also directed the Senior Showcase, presented annually in New York City.
SPONSORSHIP
This lecture series is sponsored by the Martin Family Foundation.
Diet, Exercise, and Brain Health: Latest Research Findings
Wednesday, October 9, 10:00 – 11:30 am (please note date change)
Professor Eva Feldman
$12 Members | $20 Non-Members
This talk will review scientific research findings on the effects of different diets on brain health and cognition. Second, the talk will address research findings on the effects of exercise, and how different types of exercise--including aerobic, high-intensity interval training, and resistance training--affect brain health and cognitive functioning.
Eva L. Feldman MD, PhD is James W. Abers Distinguished University Professor, and Russell N. DeJong Professor of Neurology at Michigan Medicine
A neurologist and neuroscientist, she has devoted her career towards understanding the etiology of neurological disorders and developing new treatments. Dr. Feldman is Director of UM’s ALS Center of Excellence, and the NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies. She is annually listed in Best Doctors in America, and a Past President of the Peripheral Nerve Society and the American Neurological Association (ANA). She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine Council, the Association of American Physicians, and a Fellow of the AAAS. Her work is internationally recognized, with more than 500 published articles, 70 book chapters, and greater than 55,000 citations.
SPONSORSHIP
This lecture series is sponsored by the Michigan Medicine-University of Michigan-Geriatric Center.
What Happened on November 5, 2024
Tuesday, November 12, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Professor Michael Traugott
$12 Members | $20 Non-Members
This lecture will summarize the results, the key voting patterns and voter rationale for the November 5, 2024 U.S. Presidential election.
Michael Traugott, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at the University of Michigan, and Research Professor Emeritus, Center for Political Studies, at UM’s Institute for Social Research. Prof. Traugott
studies campaigns, elections, voting behavior, the use of polls to construct news, and survey methodology. He is active in the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR), having served as president of both organizations. Professor Traugott is a frequent resource for journalists interested in discussing American political campaigns and government operations, and he’s given several excellent OLLI-UM lectures in past years.
Ann Arbor and Dexter Bicentennials: Two Cities Bound By History and Circumstance
Tuesday, December 10, 10:00 - 11:30 am
Russ Collins
$12 Members | $20 Non-Members
In February 1824, the site for “Annarbour” was staked out by two scoundrels: John Allen and Elisha Rumsey. That same year Samuel Dexter, an impressive individual from a prominent early-American family, also settled land on the Huron River. Both Ann Arbor and Dexter sought to be the home of the University of Michigan. Now, in the 21st Century, Dexter and Ann Arbor are wonderful places to live and work. My talk will relate this surprising tale of two cities for the bicentennial.
Russ Collins has served for over 40 years as the Executive Director/CEO of the non-profit organization, now known as Marquee Arts, which restored and operates Ann Arbor’s treasured Michigan Theater and State Theatre. In 2008 Collins founded a national association for independent cinemas – the Art House Convergence. In 2012 he started Ann Arbor’s Cinetopia Film Festival. Collins was raised and educated in Ann Arbor. His honors include recognition for “Outstanding Contributions to Historic Theater Preservation” by the League of Historic American Theatres. Collins is on the air locally as co-host of Cinema Chat on WEMU radio.
Image: Courtesy of the Washtenaw County Historical Society
THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES: DYNAMIC MEXICO
The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of OLLI-UM or the University of Michigan.
Take an in-depth look at four different themed topics during OLLI’s Thursday Lecture Series. The topic areas are Country, Law and Politics, Science and Technology, and Arts and Literature. Each topic area consists of 4-5 lectures with expert speakers who cover a wide range of aspects of the given theme. Programs are from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. on Thursdays. Each 60-minute lecture is followed by a stimulating 30-minute Q&A session.
◆ 10:00 - 11:30 am
◆ $12/day pass
◆ $50/5-week series
◆ $40/4-week series
Programs take place in-person at:
Washtenaw Community College
Morris Lawrence Building Towsley Auditorium
4800 E Huron River Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Programs will also be available live through:
Please note: registration for Zoom only will close the day before the lecture at 5:00pm. We welcome walk-ins at Washtenaw Community College’s Morris Lawrence Building day of the lecture.
Thursday Lecture Series: Dynamic Mexico
September 19 – October 24, 2024
Join us for a comprehensive exploration of modern Mexico! This five-part lecture series dives deep into the country’s rich history, its evolving role in global migration, the intricacies of its political landscape, its economic ties with the United States, and the enduring beauty of its architectural heritage.
Committee Members:
Bruce Friedman, Al Paas, Anne Preston, Craig Ramsay and co-chairs, Larry Imerman and Katherine Woo
Following the final lecture, savor the vibrant flavors of Mexico at a special luncheon.
Immerse yourself in the rich culinary traditions as you enjoy a delicious meal accompanied by enchanting Mexican music. This series offers a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of modern Mexico, its people, and its place in the world. Don’t miss it!
Lunch is not included in the package price or day pass and will be charged separately.
THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES
Democracy in México: Race, Revolution, and Redemption
September 19, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30am
Dr. Carlos Hernandez
$12 Members | $20 Non-Members Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live on Zoom.
Today’s keynote address, “Democracy in México: Race, Revolution, and Redemption,” offers a preview of Professor Hernández’s next book project, provisionally titled the same as this lecture. The talk is the first in this year’s speaker series on Mexico. In this lecture, Professor Hernández will examine the history of democracy — as an idea and as an institution — in Mexico, from the early nineteenth century to the present. What can Mexican history can teach us about the relationship between revolution and democracy and about multiculturalism and the state, about the relationship between the past and present? Professor Hernández will walk us through the Mexican Independence War, Mexico’s long nineteenth century, and the Mexican Revolution of 1910 (and its afterlives) to reflect on these questions.
Dr. Carlos R. Hernández is an Assistant Professor of History at Wayne State University, where he maintains a dual appointment at the Center for Latino/a and Latin American Studies. A bilingual and binational historian of Mexico, Professor Hernández earned his Ph.D. in Latin American and Caribbean History from Yale University in May 2020. He joined the faculty of Wayne State in Fall 2022 after serving as the A. Kenneth Pye Visiting Assistant Professor of History at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. Professor Hernández also holds a M.A. in Latin American and Caribbean History from the University of Florida, and a B.A. in Political Science and English from Texas A&M University. His published scholarship has appeared in multiple flagship journals, and he is currently completing a book manuscript on the history of tourism and development in Cancún, Mexico.
Beyond the Border: The Evolution of Mexico-U.S.
Migration in a Transnational Perspective
September 26, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30am
Prof. Lauren Duquette-Rury
$12 Members | $20 Non-Members
Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live on Zoom.
Beyond the Border details the history of Mexican emigration to the U.S. and its social, economic, and political consequences for Mexican development and democracy. The talk will examine the causes of emigration over time, historical trends in border crossing and settlement patterns in North America, changes in the structural demand for immigrant labor and contemporary migratory challenges in the current political climate, including how criminal violence and vigilantism shape Central American migration through Mexico.
Professor Duquette-Rury’s research focuses on international migration, vigilantism, democracy, and citizenship. Her first book, Exit and Voice: The Paradox of Cross-Border Politics in Mexico explores how migrant remittances transform local democracy and development. Her second book, The Right to Remain: Naturalizing Under Threat in the Age of Immigration Enforcement, examines how the threat of deportation affects immigrants’ propensity to become citizens through naturalization in the US. She received her PhD from the University of Chicago.
Mexico in the Global Economy
October 10, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30am
Prof. Christy Thornton
$12 Members | $20 Non-Members
Speaker will be presenting on Zoom only.
How does Mexico fit into North America today, and into the global economy more broadly? This lecture will cover the recent history of Mexican trade and investment with special emphasis on the relationship between Mexico and the United States. It will trace how questions of security, markets, and labor have changed in recent decades, and pay close attention to the connections between the licit and illicit economies that bind North America together.
Christy Thornton is an Associate Professor of History at New York University. She was previously tenured in the Department of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University, where she was also the Co-Chair of the Program in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latinx Studies. She is the author of Revolution in Development: Mexico and the Governance of the Global Economy (University of California Press, 2021).
Clientelism in Mexican Elections
October 17, 2024, 11:00am – 12:30pm
Please note the time change
Dr. Joy Langston
$12 Members | $20 Non-Members
Speaker will be presenting on Zoom only.
Clientelism, the exchange of goods and services for political support, has always mattered in Mexican elections, but has become more noticeable with democratization in 2000. In many ways, Mexican clientelism has become a complex mobilization operation that continues after the electoral cycle ends. The governing Morena party has been able to centralize some of its clientelist operations.
Dr. Joy Langston, a Professor of Political Science at Colegio de México’s Center for International Studies, focuses on political parties, clientelism, electoral violence, and federalism within the Mexican political landscape. Her book, Democratization and Authoritarian Party Survival, explores how the former hegemonic PRI party survived democratization. She has published extensively on Mexican politics and is currently researching how clientelism has evolved over the past 70 years. She earned her Ph.D. from Duke.
REMAINING THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES FOR 2024:
Limitations on the Exercise of Free Expression
October - November 2024
Emotional Architecture
October 24, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30am
Prof. Yojairo Lomeli
$12 Members | $20 Non-Members Speaker will be presenting in-person and streamed live on Zoom.
The presentation will lay out the complex architectural landscape and connection to the arts given its history with colonialism as Mexico’s leading architects, past and present, seek to find an architectural language that most deeply embodies the place and culture of Mexico.
Freedom of expression is a standard aspiration in modern democratic societies. At the same time, there is a general realization that some limitations of free expression are necessary. This series will examine the challenges involved in setting limits while protecting the vital principle of free expression. The series will deal with disinformation and misinformation, social media regulation, limiting access to books in libraries, hate speech, campus protests, and cancel culture, among other issues
SPONSORSHIP
Yojairo Lomeli is a MexicanAmerican producer of architecture, drawings, welds, models, photographs, thoughts, sketches and furniture. From Detroit, Michigan, Yojairo studied at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and earned a Master of Architecture in 2015. Yojairo began his teaching career joining the faculty at the University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. He was awarded the Donna M. Salzer Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017 and 2018 and again in 2021 and 2024.
This lecture series is sponsored by the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan.
“The Alumni Association of the University of Michigan is proud to sponsor this program and support the ongoing education of Michigan alumni.”
For further information, please visit: alumni.umich/education-gateway/
THURSDAY LECTURE SERIES
CONVERSATIONS NEW PROGRAM!
Conversations aims to provide OLLIUM members with a reprieve from digital devices and the outside world, offering opportunities to explore edgy and occasionally controversial topics that broaden our horizons and deepen our understanding. We’ll interview distinguished faculty members who are captivating and sometimes controversial. They are all helping shape the future through their interaction with students, our future leaders. Through interviewstyle discussions, we will feature a diverse array of guests, including individuals with real-world expertise, who delve into subjects and issues that have a personal impact on us.
The interview will be one hour long with 30 minutes for audience Q & A.
◆ 10:00 - 11:30 am
◆ $12/session
Programs take place in-person at:
Washtenaw Community College
Morris Lawrence Building Pond Room
4800 E Huron River Dr. Ann Arbor, MI 48105
The views expressed are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of OLLI-UM or the University of Michigan.
Sex, Intimacy & The Senior Citizen
September 17, 2024, 11:00am – 12:30pm*
*Please note the time change $12 Members | $20 Non-Members In-person only
Think seniors are trading in their libidos for knitting needles? Many health professionals have been pushing a PG-rated version of seniors as asexual. Today we’re busting that myth wide open. Buckle up as we explore how Certified Sex Therapists are proving that when it comes to romance, age is just a number.
Sara Zocher is a clinical social worker and an AASECT certified sex therapist. She obtained her MSW from the University of Michigan and has worked as a therapist in both mental health and sexual health. Sara is passionate about helping individuals on their path towards pleasure, joy, connection, and intimacy.
Swarm and Destroy: How Cheap Killer Drones and Their Reliance on Artificial Intelligence are Revolutionizing Warfare and Rewriting the Rules of Engagement
October 18, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30am $12 Members | $20 Non-Members In-person only
Prepare to navigate the treacherous waters of modern warfare as we explore the rise of drone swarms. This interview lifts the curtain on these controversial weapons, revealing both their tactical allure and chilling potential. We’ll grapple with the moral minefield of deploying these automated hunters and examine the thin line between innovation and Pandora’s box. Can we halt these relentless aerial armies, or are we locked in a high-stakes arms race? Brace yourself as we learn about battlefields of tiny, cheap, yet lethally intelligent machines. The face of war is changing - are we ready for the consequences?
Frederic S. Pearson, Ph.D., is a professor of political science and former director of the Center for Peace, and Conflict Studies at Wayne State University. A native Detroiter who spent 20 years teaching at the University of Missouri in St. Louis, Dr. Pearson received his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, having done his undergraduate work at Oakland University. In 2000 Dr. Pearson was designated a conflict resolution consultant to the U.S. Commission on National Security/21st Century in Washington. In 2007 he lectured to the UN staff on global conflict and to an EU seminar on arms and civil war; and in 2014 presented a peacemaking workshop to joint Palestinian-Israeli trauma treatment professionals in Jerusalem. Dr. Pearson has twice hosted Middle East Partnership Initiatives with undergraduate students from across the Arab world for training in civic engagement.
Ahmed Nabil is a Ph.D. Candidate, and Former Egyptian Diplomat. He is broadly interested in regional security theories, especially in the Middle East, civil wars, diplomacy, and military technology. Ahmed has gained professional experience as a diplomat for 12 years. He has served in different interesting positions such as in Libya (2009-2012) and was an eyewitness of the first Libyan civil war, and in Washington D.C. (2014-2018). Ahmed examines in his dissertation the impact of UAVs on civil wars, military and political dynamics.
Together, they offer a comprehensive discussion that navigates the evolving landscape of warfare, from the ethical dilemmas posed by drone swarms to the strategic implications of advancing military technologies.
Insidious Influences: The Effects of PACS, SUPERPACS and Lobbying in Government Today
November 19, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30am $12 Members | $20 Non-Members In-person only
Examine with us the world of lobbyists, billionaires, and corporations as PACS and SUPERPACS funnel money into campaigns drowning out the voices of individual citizens. Steady yourself for the shocking truth how “Dark Money” manipulates elections and government policy from the shadows. Think your vote matters? Think again.
Richard L. Hall, Ph.D., is a distinguished professor of political science and public policy, renowned for his expertise in American national politics. His extensive research encompasses topics such as congressional participation, campaign finance reform, and health policy. He is currently authoring a book on interest group lobbying’s impact on Congressional policy making. He’s revered for his seminal work “Participation in Congress” (1996) which won the Richard F. Fenno Prize. Honored with the 2020 Barbara Sinclair Award, among others. Professor Hall brings a wealth of experience from Capitol Hill to his role at the Ford School.
OLLI’S NEW PITCH LINE
So, you have an idea you’d like to talk about and develop? How to do that?
1) Start by sending your idea to OLLI’s new Pitch Line at: ollipitchline@umich.edu
2) Type I have an idea in the subject area. Pitch your idea in 50 words or less and include your name and contact info. You’ll get a call within three business days to talk about your idea and how you can move it to the next step.
OLLI IS OPEN TO NEW IDEAS FOR BRINGING MEMBERS TOGETHER TO LEARN AND CONNECT.
There are dozens of ideas, of course:
◆ Start up an OLLI theater group.
◆ Bring together a few of OLLI’s jazz musicians to form a combo.
◆ Connect and facilitate a partnership between OLLI and your favorite nonprofit.
◆ Take the lead in connecting OLLI with a UM class that would tackle a community project together.
◆ Establish OLLI’s first barbershop quartet.
◆ Are you an avid hiker, cyclist, kayaker, golfer, swimmer, photographer, knitter, quilter? Consider bringing your passion to the OLLI Pitch Line.
◆ Have you thought about intergenerational programming with children at our local public schools or students from U of M?
◆ Have you thought about connecting with U of M faculty regarding a research project on aging?
◆ Do you have a story to tell?
OLLI OUT OF TOWN
IN-PERSON TRAVEL:
Spend an educational day or more with OLLI-UM friends at noted sites around southeast Michigan and even further afield as we include an international travel opportunity. Trips vary in cost and length of time.
A Visit to Eastern Market: “Come Hungry, Leave Happy Strolling Culinary Tour”
Tuesday, September 24, 2024
8:00 am. Boarding begins
8:30 am. Bus departs Meijer Lot
5:30 pm. Return to Meijer Lot (time approx.)
Cost: $151
Location: Meet at Meijer Parking Lot, 3825 Carpenter Rd., Ypsilanti
(Please note: Payment due in full upon registration; but no later than September 10th. Price includes gratuity for driver, tour manager and speakers’ donation.)
Join our OLLI group for a visit to Detroit’s Eastern Market area, named for the 19th-century market operating on this site for 130 years. The district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974. The market was transferred from Detroit city management in 2006, and now operates through a public-private partnership with the Eastern Market Corporation. Eastern Market is the largest historic public market district in the United States, and the Eastern Market farmers’ distribution center is the largest open-air flowerbed market in the United States. There are more than 150 food and specialty
businesses. On a typical Saturday market day, this area is bustling with as many as 45,000 visitors in a day and is one of America’s most original destinations for fresh produce, meats, baked goods, flowers and local art.
In order to leisurely enjoy this area, OLLI purposely selected a Tuesday for our market day experience. On this Tuesday, our group will have fun, enjoy food, take in the art, culture and music as we hear about the “revitalization efforts” underway for this dynamic Detroit attraction.
Top Image: Shed 2 at Eastern Marketby Michael Barera
Upon arriving in Detroit, we will pick up our director at the Eastern Market where we will receive a tour of the district by bus. We will hear about the current and future development of the market area and food access. We will experience award winning public art from “murals in the market festival” to include growing murals/public art, the ‘Keep Growing Detroit’ community garden, and the D-cut greenway.
After a brief break, we will begin our strolling and eating tour at the market enjoying a variety of appetizers as we walk. Here we will divide into guided groups to visit specialty shops, vendors & farmers sheds, and an array of unique historic specialty stores. A seated lunch in a shed is planned with specialty pizza, salads (from Supino), and fresh fruit from vendors. After some time to shop and/or relax, we will start our afternoon with a visit, tour, and presentation at the Food Accelerator (an arm of the Eastern Market partnership). Before boarding our bus in the afternoon, we will partake of dessert from Mitsos’s Greek (fresh donuts) and Twins Nuts and Spices (nuts/chocolate mix).
We will end our Market Day visit with a bus tour of Historic Brush Park as we learn about development, connection to the Eastern Market and the rising cost of housing in this area. After thanking Linda Yellin (tour director), we will depart for Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti.
Please remember to wear comfortable footwear for our full day of walking/strolling, and our hops on & off our tour bus. You may want to consider bringing cool bags/small coolers for storage of your purchases on the bus.
Exploring Hispanic Culture, Traditions, Art, & Food in Southwest Detroit
Wednesday, October 9, 2024
8:00 am. Boarding begins 8:30 am. Bus departs Meijer Lot 5:30 pm. Return to Meijer Lot (time approx.)
Cost: $162
Location: Meet at Meijer Parking Lot, 3825 Carpenter Rd., Ypsilanti
(An optional pickup location at the Detroit International Welcome Center may be arranged by contacting the OLLI office.)
(Payment due in full upon registration but no later than September 25th.)
Let’s explore Southwest Detroit in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Our OLLI group will pick up our tour manager at the Welcome Center in southwest Detroit, where our narrated bus tour will begin. We will hear about the history, culture, art, music, contributions of Hispanics to the city and state. Our first stop is ‘the HoneyBee Market.’ Here we will enjoy a brief presentation by staff members while we enjoy snacks, an array of Mexican cheeses, unique Mexican fruit, and freshly made chips, salsa, and guacamole. At the conclusion of our market stop, we will hop back on the bus for a tour of neighborhoods, historic churches, and local sites like the Michigan Central Station.
Our group will lunch at a local Mexican Restaurant where various options will be available. Your paid lunch will include nonalcoholic beverages, but specialty beverages and alcoholic drinks can be ordered/paid at the restaurant. For dessert, we will visit a Mexican bakery and enjoy the visual & tasty delights of the array of baked goods. Churros for all are included for members of our group.
In the afternoon, we’ll visit the Cultural Garage for a tour and speaker presentation. Since its founding in 2011, this nonprofit arts education center and community organization has made its mission to uplift the cultural traditions and social justice issues of Hispanics living in Southwest Detroit. It’s done so in a number of ways, but perhaps most visibly by way of their public art projects. Cultural Garage has been recognized locally and statewide with the Kresge Arts awards.
Our tour ends at the Welcome Center where we bid farewell to Linda Yellin, our tour director. After a rest stop, we board our bus to head back to Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti.
Please remember to wear comfortable footwear. The trip cost includes gratuity for tour manager and driver, the donation to the Cultural Garage, goodies at the HoneyBee market, churros at the Mexican bakery, lunch and bottled water.
A Visit to Meadow Brook in Rochester Hills, Michigan
Wednesday, October 30, 2024 8:45 am. Boarding begins
9:15 am. Bus departs Meijer Lot
6:00 pm. Return to Meijer Lot (time approx.)
Cost: $152
Location: Meet at Meijer Parking Lot, 3825 Carpenter Rd., Ypsilanti
(Payment due in full upon registration; but no later than September 30, 2024.)
Gather with OLLI friends for a visit to ‘all things’ Meadow Brook set on the rolling hills of Oakland’s University 1400-acre campus in Rochester Hills. First our group will have a meal and a tour of the mansion at Meadow Brook Hall. Meadow Brook Hall is the historic home built by Matilda Dodge Wilson, widow of automobile pioneer John Dodge. Built between 1926 and 1929 for $4 million, Meadow Brook Hall represents one of the finest examples of Tudorrevival architecture in America.
After our lunch and docent-led mansion tour, our group will be off to the Meadow Brook Theatre for a matinee performance of “Strangers On A Train.” Enjoy this Michigan premiere of the Alfred Hitchcock classic live on stage! A mystery by Craig Warner that is based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. Two strangers meet on a train, thinking they can say anything while chatting. Bargains are made to murder an unfaithful wife in exchange for the elimination of a hated father. One stranger takes the bargain seriously and one does not; or so we may think?
After the performance, we will load onto our motorcoach for our ride back to our pick-up site. Please plan to wear comfortable footwear for this very full and active day.
OLLI OUT OF TOWN
VIRTUAL TRAVEL:
Spend an educational hour online as you visit various geographic locations. The one-hour virtual tour program will be followed by a half-hour Q&A. This offer of programming is intended to encourage your interest in travel and venturing outside the local area.
The cost of one event is $20, or $50 for a package of 3.
OLLI Out of Town is offering virtual programming in the afternoons from 3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
The Iconoclast on Fifth Avenue — The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Friday, October 18, 2024, 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm $20 | Online
Controversial and iconic, Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1959 Guggenheim Museum stands as one of the twentieth century’s most important buildings and a New York City landmark. Its nearly two-decade gestation and contentious design process form a notorious narrative that encapsulates the unconventional life and career of this iconoclastic, quintessentially American architect. More than half a century since its opening, both New Yorkers and visitors have engaged in ongoing debates about its meaning and merits as a museum. As Wright once expressed in a letter regarding the design, “The whole thing will either throw you off your guard entirely or be just about what you have been dreaming about.”
Our presenter for this virtual tour is John Kriskiewicz, a native New Yorker with a degree in architecture from Pratt Institute. He has taught courses focusing on architectural and city planning history at Parsons School of Design, The
Cooper Union, Fashion Institute of Technology, Stern College for Women, and Manhattan College. John has designed travel programs and lectures for many of New York City’s institutions and corporations including Road Scholar/Explore New York. He admits to a special affinity for New York’s extensive infrastructure as well as its Mid-Century Modern heritage. His published writings include articles in The New York Times, Architectural Record, and Yale School of Architecture’s publication Constructs.
Travel Through Finland
Friday, November 8, 2024, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
$20 | Online
The end of the road on any continent is a bucket list item for many travelers. This is especially true for motorcyclists. The ride to Nordkap on the arctic Barents Sea takes one through the Baltic States, Lapland’s Rovaneimi - the alleged hometown of Santa, and to the northern most point in Europe. A great way to return is island-hopping along the Norwegian coast, with spectacular scenery, scores of bridges, ferries and tunnels up to 27 km long. It can also be staggeringly expensive unless you learn to cook and sleep on the ground. John spent 6 weeks making a big circle around Scandinavia on a 25 year old motorcycle. In a land where a gallon of gasoline and a pint of beer both cost $12, John ate plenty of reindeer stew and ramen noodles cooked up beside the road. He got a little cold, a little wet, and forever seduced by Scandinavia’s fjords, islands, and mountain passes. Find out what you may be missing as our OLLI group joins John Deikis on this exploration of Finland.
John Deikis, our presenter, caught the travel bug working on an ocean-going ship in the 1960’s. He later spent a year wandering to the southern tip of South America, Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, the North Cape of arctic Europe, and the Cape of Good Hope in Africa. Interrupted by an unexpected adulthood, John returned to traveling when he retired from a career as a clinical psychologist 10 years ago. His preferred mode of travel now is by motorcycle and he has ridden in every state and Canadian province, most European countries, Latin America and Egypt.
Anyang: China’s Ancient City of Kings – Tour the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art
Join a docent-led tour of the 2024 special exhibition Anyang: China’s Ancient City of Kings, featuring artworks excavated from the capital of the ancient Shang Dynasty (ca. 1250 BCE–ca. 1050 BCE), the source of China’s earliest surviving written records and the birthplace of Chinese archaeology. This exhibit of remarkable artifacts includes jade ornaments, ceremonial weapons, bells, chariot fittings and bronze vessels. Learn about the advanced technology of bronze casting, explore intricate and sophisticated designs of ritual objects, and discover famous “oracle bones.”
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art is home to more than 46,000 objects from the Islamic world; the ancient Near East; South, East, and Southeast Asia; and the United States. Located in Washington DC, the Smithsonian institution is the world’s largest museum, education, and research complex with twentyone museums and the National Zoo. The institution was founded in 1846 with funds from the Englishman, James Smithson (1765-1829) according to his wishes “under the name of the Smithsonian Institution, an establishment for the increase and diffusion of knowledge.” As the first art museum of the Smithsonian, the Freer Gallery of Art, combined with the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, has a hundred-year legacy of preserving, exhibiting, and interpreting exemplary works as the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.
Longwood Gardens: A Longwood Christmas
Friday, December 13, 2024, 3:00 – 4:30 pm
$20 | Online
Experience the magic of A Longwood Christmas! During this festive season, prepare to be amazed as our OLLI group is extended an invitation to ‘virtually’ explore the wondrous spaces of Longwood Gardens at its holiday best. Our group will experience many decorated spaces… marvel at ‘select’ how-didthey-do-that displays … and enjoy spectacular beauty at every turn.
A living & expanding expression of its 1920’s founder, Pierre S. du Pont, Longwood Gardens covers 200 plus acres located about an hour west of Philadelphia. At its’ beginning in the early 1960s, the holiday display included a modest 1,000 poinsettias indoors and a small Christmas Tree Lane in the parking lot. Nothing compares to the growth of Longwood’s Christmas display. On site attendance soared as more features were added and by 1984 there were 81 trees outdoors with 60,000 lights. Today, as many as 300,000 guests enjoy an extravaganza of 400,000 lights, 200 concerts, dancing fountains, and superb floral displays –just the sort of spectacle that Mr. du Pont loved.
Our virtual stroll will be led by Jim Sutton, Associate Director, Display Design as our group is guided through paths outside decorated with hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights and the historic Main Conservatory, where magnificently decorated trees, thousands of poinsettias, and fragrant flowers transform Pierre S. du Pont’s fabled glass house into a holiday wonderland. Our discussion will be facilitated by Timothy Gould, Director of Continuing Education, Longwood Gardens.
EVENINGS WITH OLLI
Evenings with OLLI (EWO) offers fascinating Wednesday Evening Programs at the Kellogg Eye Center Auditorium, 1000 Wall St., Ann Arbor, MI 48105.
Attending Evenings with OLLI is a perfect way for pre-retirement friends or new folks to get to know OLLI, including meeting current OLLI members. As always, the first OLLI program is free to any non-member. These presentations are in-person only, with light refreshments available prior to each program.
Michigan Central Station: Rebuilt by Ford
Wednesday, September 18, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
$12 members / $20 non-members
In-person only
5:30-6:00 p.m. - refreshments and networking 6:00-7:30 p.m. - program
Michigan Central Station was originally a train station in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, which opened in 1913. It was used as a train station until it closed in 1988, then went through several owners and years of decay. It became an example of Detroiwt’s downfall as the city went through bankruptcy in 2013. But then, Ford Motor Company bought the building and started its renovation in 2018. What had been an example of decay is now an example of hope and the rebirth of Detroit, the building reopened in June 2024. In this presentation, Kristen Nyht - who was the senior project manager of the design team charged with renovation of the Michigan Central Station – will share the history, photos, and stories from the renovation.
Kristen Nyht brings a clear vision, inventive design concepts, and a deep technical proficiency to each project she’s involved in for Fishbeck, a Michigan-based architecture and engineering company. She was the senior project manager of the design team charged with renovation of the Michigan Central station. She is a Past President of AIA Michigan, and her community service and advocacy work includes the Neighborhood Institute, the Legacy Land Conservancy, and the City of Ann Arbor Planning Commission
Fill ’er Up—With Sunshine!
Wednesday, October 23, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
$12 members / $20 non-members
In-person only
5:30-6:00 p.m. - refreshments and networking 6:00-7:30 p.m. - program
How on earth does the sun move a car? How is a solar car race structured? Do all the cars leave at the same time, or are they sent off in smaller groups? What’s different about driving a solar car? Does it travel on busy roads with semis and other traffic? Learn the answers to these questions and much more when EWO presents “Fill ‘er Up—With Sunshine!” on October 23, 2024.
The University of Michigan Solar Car Team includes over 100 students, reflecting at least fifteen different majors, whose mission is to design, build, and race solar cars. The team is entirely student-driven (pun intended), and has racked up championships in both American and international races.
Members of the team will share highlights of preparing the current car. Hear about their adventures and experiences in the 2024 American Solar Challenge, racing across the U.S. on nothing but ingenuity and the power of the sun.
Experience The Joy of Singing –Harmony Choir of Ann Arbor
Wednesday, November 20, 6:00 - 7:30 pm $12 members / $20 non-members In-person only 5:30-6:00 p.m. - refreshments and networking 6:00-7:30 p.m. - program
Did you ever sing in a choir? Might you be curious about what that experience is like? The Harmony Choir of Ann Arbor will appear at Evenings with OLLI on November 20. The 40-voice group has been bringing joy to residents of senior living communities and extended healthcare facilities in the Ann Arbor area since 2016. Conducted by Annie Rose and accompanied by Rosalie Koenig, Harmony will perform for us many of its favorite pieces, including Broadway favorites, American standards, and folk songs from around the world. You may likely find yourself singing along! Members of the choir will share with us their own personal experiences of singing in the choir… the euphoria of blending voices in harmonious unity, the sense of belonging, and the exhilaration they feel when they see audience members’ faces light up, as they recall songs they sang in years past. You may even decide you want to join Harmony yourself!
SHARED INTEREST GROUPS OLLI
A (SIG) unites individuals with shared interests who aim to pursue these interests continuously through structured meetings and activities primarily determined by group members. The SIG focuses on fostering a sense of community and friendship among its members while also striving to improve their skills, education, and overall experiences.
FOUR TYPES OF SIGS:
◆ Fields of Study: Dive into Literature, Politics, Science, History, etc.
◆ Arts and Tech: Painting Outdoors, Explore Apple OS, Android, ChatGPT, etc.
◆ Experiential Learning: Engage in Theater Nights, Culinary Tours, etc.
◆ Playful Activities: Enjoy Bridge, Scrabble, Ukulele, Hiking, Biking, etc.
A SIG IS DIFFERENT FROM A TRADITIONAL STUDY GROUP
◆ A SIG may be any reasonable shared activity, consistent with OLLI values.
◆ A SIG continues throughout the year and is not time-boxed as for a study group.
◆ Members of the SIG are assured of on-going membership, until they decided to terminate their SIG membership.
◆ Members of the SIG perform local governance within the SIG: agreeing on topics and scope, structure, meeting schedule, etc.
GET ADVENTUROUS AND START A NEW SIG!
An OLLI SIG can be initiated by members based on a specific ongoing interest or activity, such as bicycling or nature walks, which may not be covered by a traditional study group. Alternatively, SIGs can also be formed for the purpose of socializing and collectively learning, providing a regular gathering opportunity for like-minded individuals.
Interested in starting a new Shared Interest Group (SIG)? Please contact OLLI Assistant Director Ryan Luttermoser at: lutterrj@med.umich.edu
A Group for Novel Writers led by Chris
Siehl
Meets every other Friday starting 9/22 from 3:00 - 5:00pm Fee: $70 | Virtual Only
Have you ever thought about writing a novel or short story? Perhaps you’ve even jotted down notes for one. If so, this group may be for you. We are a small group focused on writing novels. We are different from memoir-writing groups; also, from creative writing groups. Most writers working on novels will benefit from being part of a small writing community, regardless of where they are in the writing process or what genre of fiction they prefer. We critique each other’s work in a supportive and constructive manner. The group is kept small, with a limit of eight members.
Chris Siehl cmsiehl@gmail.com
The Future
of Healthcare in the U.S.
led by Jeff Barnett and Steve Geiringer
Meets the first Wednesday of the month from 1:00 - 3:00pm Fee: $70 | Virtual Only
Healthcare is undergoing radical changes. Consider robotic surgery, immunotherapy for cancer, the staggering cost of new drugs, whole genome sequencing, detailed imaging of the brain, walk-in clinics in drug stores, and telemedicine. Participants in this SIG will consider one aspect of such changes each month and discuss the consequences for their families and on a national basis. Health practitioners in all fields, not just physicians, are encouraged to register for the SIG in order to enrich the discussion with their personal expertise and knowledge.
Steve Geiringer sgrehabdoc@gmail.com
Jeffrey Barnett jlbarn@comcast.net
The Schmoozery: At Our Age, In This Age led by Hank Greenspan
Meets every Wednesday from 1:00 - 2:00pm Fee: $70 | Virtual Only
A free-flowing discussion that develops organically. There are no set topics, but we often schmooze about family, work memories, friendship and other key relationships, core hobbies and current commitments, legacy, faith traditions, optimism and pessimism regarding the future, etc. We avoid cliches and, as comfortable, candidly share our thinking, questions, curiosities. Regular members include many who are or have been teachers, healthcare providers, or both and more. The Schmoozery began early in the pandemic and has kept going.
Hank Greenspan hgreensp@umich.edu
Current Events led by Tom Longworth
Meets every Tuesday from 3:00 - 5:00pm Fee: $70 | Virtual Only
On a weekly basis, this group will discuss all contemporary events that are of interest, including but not limited to domestic, international, political and academic developments that are of current and historical significance. What is discussed depends on the group’s members. Our conversations are civil, and no topic or perspective is off limits.
Thomas Longworth tenniscarol@comcast.net
A Study of Ethics led by Stu Simon
Meets the first Wednesday of the month from 1:00 - 3:00pm Fee: $70
Virtual now, potentially becoming Hybrid
The Ethics SIG has been meeting monthly since 2020. Our discussions, facilitated by SIG members, focus on contemporary issues that pose ethical questions. Research for our topics is drawn primarily from internet-based resources. The SIG members choose future topics by vote. All new members are provided with background material on major ethical theories, as well as guidelines for facilitating discussions.
Stuart Simon stuart341@gmail.com
CURRENTLY FULL SIGS:
Syd Kaufman Mystery Authors Book Club led by Wendy Mead and Timothy Richards
The Syd Kaufman Mystery Authors Special Interest Group offers those who share an interest in mystery novels an opportunity to explore the work of mystery writers who may be new to them. We select a different mystery author to read and to discuss each month. While we often disagree in our assessments of authors, our discussions are informative, lively, friendly and often accompanied by laughter.
Wendy Mead wendymead@mac.com Tim Richards tfrichards@gmail.com
Literary Short Fiction led by Deb Mukherjee
Please
This Shared Interest Group is a gathering of literary short fiction aficionados, who enjoy close, critical and joyful readings of classic as well as contemporary short story masterpieces pulled from The New Yorker and other wellregarded anthologies. This SIG meets about half the year - typically 8-10 contiguous weeks at a time, followed by 10 week long breaks.
Deb Mukherjee debmukherjee@hotmail.com
OLLI READS
Anne Curzan speaking on her most recent book Says Who? A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words.
Monday, September 30th | 10:00am - 11:30am
Cost: $12
In-person: The Pond Room, Morris Lawrence Building, WCC
Anne Curzan is the Geneva Smitherman Collegiate Professor of English, Linguistics, and Education at the University of Michigan. She is an expert on English usage and the history of the English language, including changes we’re seeing and hearing all around us. She describes herself as a fount of fun linguistic information about the English language, which she enjoys sharing online and on the weekly radio show “That’s What They Say” on our local NPR affiliate Michigan Public. Her TED talk “What makes a word ‘real’?” has more than 2 million views on the national TED talk site. She is also a copy editor who has years of experience balancing careful writing and effective speaking with an openness to variation and change in language. She speaks to audiences across the country about how to use our words wisely and which language peeves are worth worrying about (including whether it’s okay to end a sentence with a preposition like that).
O LLI STUDY GROUPS
Research indicates that discussing topics learned from reading or lectures is one of the most effective methods for retaining information. Furthermore, engaging in discussions with a diverse group of peers often leads to insights that may not arise otherwise.
Study groups come in various formats, but they typically consist of small groups, typically ranging from 6 to 30 participants. In many study groups, the leader presents material and facilitates discussions afterward. Alternatively, some groups engage in ongoing discussions throughout the session, with the leader serving as a moderator. In certain cases, both the leader and group members take turns presenting material and leading discussions.
Image: Mask of Agamemnon by Xuan Che
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Gallery Walks: Husbands and Wives
(Rivera & Kahlo/Stieglitz & O’Keeffe)
We will explore the tumultuous marriages of two sets of groundbreaking artists. Painter Georgia O’Keefe wed photographer Alfred Steglietz in 1924. Painter and cultural icon Frida Kahlo married the leader of the Mexican muralist movement, Diego Rivera, twice--first in 1929 and again in 1954. Each affected the other in important and unexpected ways. None of them would have achieved what they did without the other.
Michael Kapetan is a semi-retired sculptor who holds a UM MFA degree in sculpture and a Harvard BA degree in art history. He is currently working for St. Mary’s Campus Chapel and the UM Hospital Chapel. Gallery Walks is a continuing series of talks on the lives and works of very interesting artists, architects, and craftspeople.
Day/Time: Fridays, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Dates: October 25 - November 15 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Michael Kapetan
Location: Virtual
Cost: $32
Museums Should be Braver
As part of the 2024 OLLI lecture series “The Arts as Catalysts of Social Change”, UMMA Director Dr. Tina Olson focused on the special obligation of university museums to seek the truth, bring forth ideas that may be controversial, and engage in moral action. This series of three inperson tours will explore the Museum’s recent purchases and exhibits as it has acted on these obligations. Additional works will be included which also give voice to UMMA’s commitment to courage as it challenges convention.
Tour leaders Linda Bennett and Lynn Boyer are active and experienced docents at UMMA (University of Michigan Museum of Art) and enjoy exploring the museum with community members and friends. They are especially interested in highlighting works of art that offer conversation and comparisons.
Day/Time: Sundays, 1:00 - 2:00pm
Dates: October 6, 13, 20 (3 Sessions)
Instructors: Linda Bennett and Lynn Boyer
Location: UMMA
Cost: $22
Art History II: Bronze Age Art in the Eastern Mediterranean
This study group is the second in a six-part series on ancient and medieval art taught by Dr. Molly Lindner. Art History II explores art and architecture of the Bronze Age in the eastern Mediterranean, as well as the surprising sophistication of the era’s technology. Leading to robust trade among the diverse cultures was the mining and smelting of ores, and the casting of bronze weapons and sculptures. In particular, the Cretan palace cultures thrived with robust trade with Egypt. The vivid wall paintings and exquisite jewelry of Crete reflect a colorful and passionate society, but Cretan domination of mainland Greece is reflected in the cruel legend of the Minotaur, Theseus, and Ariadne’s rescue from the labyrinth. As Crete’s influence waned, the militant Greek cities like Mycenae flourished and are known for their elaborate burials and fortifications, and their aggressive wars with Troy. We will read from Homer’s epic, The Trojan War, about the war and fall of Troy.
Dr. Molly Lindner received a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan. Her book, Portraits of the Vestal Virgins: Priestesses of Ancient Rome, was published by the Univerity of Michigan Press in 2015.
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 2:30 - 4:00pm
Dates: September 17 - October 22 (6 Sessions)
Instructor: Molly Lindner
Location: Virtual Cost: $42
Monday Painters
Calling all artists to join, share, learn, improve, and explore. Bring your art materials, and choose your subject, be it a landscape, a portrait, flowers, or an abstract. We come together for camaraderie and to encourage the improvement of our art skills. The group has experienced artists as well as novices. Each Monday Zoom session we will choose an art goal of our own making and are encouraged to share progress the next week. The sessions include an instructional video tailored to the group. We paint together in person every first Friday morning of each month. The group will have meet-up outing opportunities to explore community art shows, museums, and events together.
Mixed Sessions:
Virtual every Monday from 1:00 - 3:00pm
In-person the first Friday of each month from 10:00am - 2:00pm
Dates: September 16, 2024 - September 8, 2025 (60 Sessions)
Instructor: Kathleen Alfonso
Location: Virtual (Mondays) and Jewish Community Center (Fridays)
Cost: $95
The Artist Later in Life: Creativity and Innovation
This class will focus on the life and work of four artists: Titian, Goya, Picasso, and Stella. It has been suggested by some art historians that the creativity of artists wanes in their later years. In this class, we will not only view great works of art produced by these four artists in their 70s and 80s, but we will also consider them within a biographical and historical context.
Helen Weingarten has been a docent at the University of Michigan Museum of Art for over 15 years, while also teaching art history and art appreciation for students across the lifespan. Helen is an emeritus associate professor in the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She has studied art history and literature since her undergraduate years at Cornell University and has continued to pursue these interests during her many travels around the world.
Day/Time: Monday, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Dates: November 4 (1 Session)
Instructor: Helen Weingarten
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
CURRENT EVENTS, LAW, POLICY AND POLITICS
How
Disinformation
is Sabotaging America
We will read and discuss Attack From Within by UM law professor Barbara McQuade. The author is also a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, as well as a co-host of the podcast #SistersInLaw. She previously served as US Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. McQuade identifies the myriad ways that disinformation is infecting the US and countries around the world. The book delves into the disinformation tactics that past and present authoritarians have used to gain and keep power: disenfranchising critics, taking over media, manipulating courts, and plans to bring back” the good old days” (ie MAGA). She goes on to show how disinformation in the US exploits the Constitution and poisons social values. In her concluding remarks, McQuade discusses overcoming fear, demanding truthful leaders, the role of the American people, healing our divisions, and political reconciliation. Please
read the introduction and Chapter 1 for the first session.
Gerry Lapidus has conducted OLLI book discussions for many years. The classes are informal and conversational.
Day/Time: Mondays, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Date: September 23 - October 28 (6 Sessions)
Instructor: Gerry Lapidus
Location: Virtual Cost: $42
Walled In/Walled Out: Political and Social Implications of English as an Official Language
We will compare U.S. policy to that of other countries, like Canada, and discuss the positions taken by such organizations as the ACLU and the Linguistic Society of America. In addition to a history of the movement and the situation in states that have adopted an official English policy (NOT Michigan!), we will explore the interesting cast of characters involved, including the somewhat offbeat Senator S.I. Hayakawa among others.
We will compare US policy to that of other countries like Canada; organizations like the ACLU and the Linguistic Society of America have taken positions on this issue. Our study will evaluate the ways in which citizens are “walled in or walled out” in elections and elsewhere based on the status of English as an official language.
Alice Horning is a retired faculty member in Linguistics and Writing & Rhetoric at Oakland University. She has been teaching for OLLI since 2020.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Date: October 16 - November 6 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Alice Horning
Location: Virtual Cost: $32
STUDY GROUPS
“I’m Not a Racist”: An Interactive Study of Contemporary Racism and What We Can Do About It
Racism looks different today than it did during the last century. Overt racism has declined – most people know enough not to say something racist, at least in public. But racism is still alive and well, and underlies many of the issues we face today. This very interactive group will explore contemporary racism at the personal and social levels. Each session will include exercises and other activities to promote discussion and self-reflection; some sessions will have guests. Because it can be difficult to talk about racism, we will create a safe, non-judgmental community within the group. Recommended book: Uprooting Racism by Paul Kivel. At the end of the study group, the participants will take away a deeper understanding of racism today, and what they can do for racial justice.
Meta Mendel-Reyes is a retired professor and organizer, who has been involved in many campaigns for social justice, including fighting for farm workers’ rights. She has taught many interactive workshops and classes on racism and anti-racism.
Day/Time: Mondays, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: September 23 - October 14 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Meta Mendel-Reyes
Location: Jewish Community Center Cost: $32
Climate Change: Humanity’s Moment
This study group consists of an interactive PowerPoint presentation on causes and solutions to climate change, including actions we can take as individuals, institutions, and communities via the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The IRA/BIL provides funding and policy support for a variety of initiatives to revitalize the US energy system, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and advance environmental justice. Book: Humanity’s Moment: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope by Joelle Gergis (2023, Island Press).
Jacqueline Goodman is a certified leader with the Climate Reality Project (founded and chaired by VP Al Gore), Washtenaw County. She is also a co-facilitator with Third Act Educators (founded by Bill McKibben, which organizes people over age 60 to work on climate, democracy and racial issues). Dr. Goodman is Professor Emerita in Sociology, SUNY/ Potsdam College, and retired Department Head and Professor, Women and Gender Studies Department, EMU.
Day/Time: Thursdays, 4:30 - 5:45pm
Date: September 19, 26 October 3, 17 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Jacqueline Goodman
Location: Virtual Cost: $32
Disruptions That Have Shaped Today’s World
We will read and discuss Fareed Zakaria’s Age of Revolution: Progress and Backlash From 1600 to the Present. He describes how three revolutions in the past – The Eighty Years War or Dutch Revolt, the French and the Industrial Revolution – set the stage for our current revolutions. They are globalization, technology, identity and geopolitics. Zacharia believes globalization and technology led to identity-based populism and are responsible for today’s geopolitics. He believes that the liberal international order can be revived and populism contained. He suggests a series of policies and programs towards these goals. Please read the Introduction and Chapter One for the first session.
Gerry Lapidus has conducted OLLI book discussions for many years. The classes are informal and conversational.
Day/Time: Mondays, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Dates: November 11 - December 16 (6 Sessions)
Instructor: Gerry Lapidus
Location: Virtual Cost: $42
The 2024 Election: Preview and Summary (The Polarized Politics of America)
This four-session lecture discussion class will present a preview and summary of the 2024 U.S. election. Two sessions will take place before the election and two sessions will follow it. Weeks 1 & 3 will focus on the presidential election; weeks 2 & 4 will focus on the elections for the U.S. House, U.S. Senate, and prominent state races. Discussions will include candidates (Biden as incumbent, Trump and the MAGA movement),
parties (the nature and impact of Republicans and Democrats), and issues (the economy, abortion, immigration, foreign affairs). The policy implications of the campaigns and elections, including their effect on democratic practice in America, will be discussed.
Charles Monsma is Professor of Political Science, Emeritus, at Eastern Michigan University, where he served as Director of the Institute for Community and Regional Development. He received his M.P.A. in Public Administration and his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 10:00am - 12pm
Date: October 23, 30 and November 13, 20 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Charles Monsma
Location: Washtenaw Community College
Cost: $32
Current Issues and the Supreme Court: An Update on Recent Decisions
Recent Supreme Court decisions have placed the court at the center of today’s polarized political process. Constitutional debates are generally seen as partisan and ideological issues, although they are argued in legal terms. Conservative and liberal interpretations are often presented in terms of “originalism and textualism” versus the concept of “a living Constitution.” This study group will focus on both the legal and the political contexts of recent Supreme Court decisions. The most prominent cases this year related to abortion rights, gun rights, voting rights and gerrymandering, presidential powers (immunity?), and the powers of executive agencies (the Deep State?). Earlier decisions on additional topics continue to affect our political scene, both nationally and at the state and local levels. This lecture discussion class will focus on the legal and political status of these issues rather than on the merits of the
respective positions. The vital role of citizens in the Constitutional process will be emphasized. Those who have attended Constitutional study groups with this group leader before are welcome to attend, as are those who are new to this series of offerings.
Charles Monsma is Professor of Political Science, Emeritus, at Eastern Michigan University, where he served as Director of the Institute for Community and Regional Development. He received his M.P.A. in Public Administration and his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Date: September 18 - October 9 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Charles Monsma
Location: Washtenaw Community College Cost: $32
Pundits, Polls & Politics! The ’24 Election!
The 2024 Election is here! How can we make an informed choice? Let’s review POTUS approval history; explore how better quality voter polls are done; discuss major election issues; and identify party positions. We’ll review the current polls, and do some in-class survey exercises, such as a typical Corporate Assessment Model (CAM), on the choice for president. CAM is an assessment tool to rank the issues and the candidates. We will wrap up with a class electoral vote prediction of each state. Be one of the one-intwenty voters who actually decide the election. A cell phone and some familiarity with QR codes is helpful but not required. This is a non-partisan discussion. Join us!
Doug Stowell is a consumer and political polling veteran in both U.S. and EU Markets. His career includes Market Research Director for the Xerox Corp., U.S. Clients Director for the U.K. polling firm NOP, Ltd in London and Senior Polling Executive for Wirthlin Worldwide in Washington, D.C.. He launched Market Resource Associates in 2008 and conducts opinion polls on U.S. and global issues. He is a member of the Furman University OLLI in Greenville, SC and conducts ZOOM programs for more than 80 groups nationally. This is his fourth quadrennial election program.
Day/Time: Thursday, 2:00 - 4:00pm
Date: October 24 (1 Session)
Instructor: Doug Stowell
Location: Virtual Cost: $12
FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Chinese 3
Students will continue to study basic Chinese structure, patterns and templates. Students will also learn about Chinese history and geography.
Angela Yang retired from medical research at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Life Sciences Institute – University of Michigan. She enjoys watercolor painting and likes to promote healthy Chinese cooking.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 10:00am – 12:00pm
Date: September 25 - December 11 (11 Sessions)
Instructor: Angela Yang
Location: Virtual Cost: $42
Chinese 8
Advanced participants will continue to enjoy making Chinese sentences related to their daily lives and special topics. They will continue to practice their abilities in Chinese conversation as much as possible.
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 11:00am – 1:00pm
Date: September 24 - December 10 (11 Sessions)
Instructor: Angela Yang
Location: Virtual Cost: $42
GROUP FACILITATION
How To Lead an OLLI Multi-Session Study Group
Will you be leading a multi-session OLLI Study Group this Fall, or are you thinking of doing that sometime in the future? This three-hour seminar is designed to build your confidence. Topics to be covered included planning for your sessions, creating a participative atmosphere, handling group dynamics, and facilitating virtually using ZOOM. This seminar will model all techniques taught, and all class material will be provided. No outside study is required.
Stu Simon, former chair of the Study Group Committee, has offered this seminar to OLLI members for many years. This free seminar is IN PERSON only.
To register, please email us at olli.info@umich.edu since this offering is scheduled before registration opens on 8/19.
Day/Time: Friday, 9:00am – 12:00pm
Date: August 16 (1 Session)
Instructor: Stu Simon
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: FREE
HISTORY AND CULTURE
Formation of Islamic Culture
Rising from the background of Greece, Rome, the Holy Land, and Persia, Islamic culture melded together aspects from each. We will see how this happened and then examine some of the Arabic, Persian, and Turkish contributions. Topics for discussion will include the Qur’an, art, law, economic aspects, and cultural exchanges both with Europe and Asia.
Rudi Paul Lindner taught at the university level for fifty years. His courses included the histories of the Silk Road, the Mongols, the medieval Near East, Byzantium, medieval Europe, modern astrophysics and cosmology. A native of California, he was abducted by aliens as a child and hopes someday to return home.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 2:30 - 4:00pm
Date: October 16 - 30, November 6
(4 Sessions)
Instructor: Rudi Lindner
Location: Virtual Cost: $32
Día de los Muertos: Remembering and Honoring Lost Loved Ones
Although American culture has adopted the use of sugar skulls for Halloween, they are actually an important symbol for the Mexican celebration of life, Dia de los Muertos, which occurs around the same time of the year. Please join us to learn more about this Mexican tradition and the significance of its beautiful symbols.
Mary E. Silva-Garza is Mexican-American, originally from Houston, TX. She is a performer, educator, activist, and small-business owner. Mary holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts (DMA) from the University of Michigan. Despite living and traveling all over the world, Mary has always enjoyed finding ways to celebrate her Mexican culture, and sharing it with others–from food and traditional celebrations, to her dissertation work.
Day/Time: Wednesday, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: October 16 (1 Session)
Instructor: Mary E. Silva-Garza
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $17
House Sitting: Travel the World and Your Lodging is Free
Learn the nuts and bolts of how to get started and succeed at house sitting anywhere in the world. Stay for a few days or a few months. No money changes hands between travelers and homeowners. You stay for free. Additionally, we’ll sprinkle in inspirational stories from our 15 years of experiences that illustrate how house sitting has changed our perception of ourselves and the world.
Josie Schneider and Conrad Knutsen have traveled the world for 15 years as house sitters.
Conrad is a retired research scientist who spent 30 years at the University of Michigan. Josie retired from the Ann Arbor Observer in 2021 and is now an author.
Day/Time: Tuesday, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: September 24 (1 Session)
Instructors: Josie Schneider, Conrad Knutsen
Location: Washtenaw Community College
Cost: $12
Harriet Tubman, the Cobahee River Raid, & Black Freedom during the Civil War
Perhaps half a million slaves escaped to the Union Army during the war, and in the end the war itself liberated nearly four million. But Harriet Tubman’s achievement on the Combahee River 150 years ago was unique. And it wasn’t just her singing of “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” that alerted the 756 escaping enslaved that was unique; it was the largest raid of enslaved from seven wealthy plantations along the Combee River, SC. All on the night of June 12, 1863.
We will use a National Archive video interview with the author, Dr. Edda Fields-Black, a History prof. at Carnegie Mellon. Her 2024 book is Combee: Harriet Tubman, the Cobahee River Raid, & Black Freedom during the Civil War You need not read the book, though you may want to view its wonderful photos in its center. These two afternoon sessions will hear the video presentation of Dr. Fields-Black tell this wellresearched story, and we’ll discuss the dramatic courage of Harriet, and the unique challenges that this Combee Raid held. It is a dramatic story that brings attention to her multiple roles well beyond her UR conductor missions that freed about 100, mostly family, and her many roles as spy, pilot and a woman (and a civilian at that) played a decisive role in planning and carrying
out a military operation. Soft date for Tubman to adorn the $20 bill is 2030.
Barb Cherem became interested in Black history and authors as an English teacher at Romulus High School in 1970, when demands for more diverse curriculum closed the high school twice. Having just graduated from UM, she was shocked at how the requirements for her degree in English had only included study of white male authors from Britain and the US. Since then, she has become a self-styled learner, with much fascinating & lesser known American history & literature a main focus. She has led many study groups for OLLI.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: November 6 - 13 (2 Sessions)
Instructor: Barb Cherem
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $17
What I like so much about OLLI-UM is new knowledge, meeting new people, making friends and volunteering with purpose.”
― Ann Tomlanovich, OLLI Volunteer
STUDY GROUPS
HISTORY AND CULTURE
The People’s Art: Folkways in the Russian Empire
Throughout the history of the Russian people, unnamed folk furnished their homes, wove their cloth, and carved their tools. Equally unnamed artists embellished these necessary items in distinctive ways, creating a colorful world of the decorative arts. This series of four sessions highlights the most important of these folk forms: wood working, textiles, print and posters, and lacquer boxes.
As the education outreach coordinator at the Museum of Russian Art, Carol Veldman Rudie uses her college teaching skills to research and to present background to Russian art and culture. She earned her MA from the University of Minnesota and subsequently did further graduate work that included art history. Sharing her love for the visual, performance and literary arts motivates her involvement with TMORA.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 2:00 - 3:30pm
Date: September 25 - October 16 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Carol Veldman Rudie
Location: Virtual Cost: $32
Ann Arbor’s Walking SmartTours
Please join me in exploring Ann Arbor’s SmartTours which celebrates the bicentennial of the founding of Ann Arbor in 1824. In all, there are 15 tours of Ann Arbor with 177 tour sites. Each tour site includes a photograph and narrative describing its significance to Ann Arbor. In this study group we will attempt to cover 4 of these walking tours. Instead of trying to read your smartphone as we walk these tours, I will provide the narrative and point out the building /site that is being referenced on the tour. Please join me as we walk around Ann Arbor and understand the significance of buildings that we have passed by many times. You should be capable of walking a minimum of two miles before embarking on these tours.
*Note - first class meets in a classroom
Will Hawk retired from the Information Technology industry after 35 years. At present Will serves as a very active volunteer for OLLI and enjoys using technology to assist seniors with everyday tasks. As a lifelong learner Will has many interests including hiking and yoga.
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Dates: September 24, October 1 - 22 (5 Sessions)
Instructor: Will Hawk
Location: First session is at Turner Senior Resource Center, remaining sessions on-site Cost: $37
What Sort of Elder do you Wish to be?
Do you carry images of aging inherited from your parents’ generation that are outdated? What sort of images do you hold – that of William Shakespeare (Is second childishness and mere oblivion; sans teeth, sans eyes,…) or of Arthur Brooks (From strength to Strength)? Do you aspire to be a “juicy crone”, or perhaps as the Hindu men who take a new name after retirement, a “forest dweller”. Jung had said we become more reflective as we age, and thereby more introverted. Do you honor that evolving self?
This class will explore varied stage theories and works of literature on what this “Third Chapter” of life can be. Erikson posited an 8 stage theory in the 1950s that still holds water in terms of the transcendence over time to an “Integrated” self, the psycho-social task of later years—“Integrity” over despair. There are unique and particular tasks for the elder in American culture. Have you given thought to this unique stage and forging what being an “elder” means to you? What sort of Ancestor do you want to be?
Barb Cherem – Educator over 50 years, 25 in P-12 (H.S. English and Special Ed.) and 25 in Higher Ed. (Ed Leadership and Teacher Preparation)
Bernie Beach – Nurse and health administrator over many decades, Mindfulness coach and Osher organizer of social outreach.
Both have created and taught many Osher courses on diverse courses and book topics, as well as this popular course last April.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: September 25 - October 23 (5 Sessions)
Instructors: Barb Cherem, Bernie Beach
Location: Washtenaw Community College
Cost: $37
HOBBIES, GAMES, AND SPORTS
The Love, Lure, and Lore of the Laundry Line
Revive memories of days gone by when laundry was always hung to dry outdoors -- when folks “went online” without the internet! In this lively presentation, there will be washday history, issues of feminism, along with the sociological, psychological, cultural, physical, and ecological aspects of using the clothesline rather than the energy guzzling dryer. You will view the clothesline with fresh eyes, and learn how “solar drying” may be kinder to our environment. Get a peek into Anne’s 40-year collection of laundry memorabilia and consider sharing your own personal stories. You may end up with a laundry list of things to think about, but you won’t be left hanging, because she will pin things down for you and try to remove any hang-ups you may have about outdoor drying!!
STUDY GROUPS
Clothesline Historian & Hobbyist, Anne Lawrence is an alumna of Tufts University in Psychology and Education. She enjoyed a 20 year career at Brandeis University as Administrator of the Near Eastern & Judaic Studies Dept. before retiring and moving to Ann Arbor, where she has been happily sharing her hobby with folks all over the area.
Day/Time: Monday, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: September 30 (1 Session)
Instructor: Anne Lawrence
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
Wine 101
This seminar is for those who enjoy wine but feel intimidated by their lack of knowledge about it. Learn lots of practical “how’s” about wine: making wine, reading a label, using a corkscrew, opening champagne safely, tasting, matching with food, shopping for wine, storing wine, and more. This will be an interactive lecture/discussion. The presenter is Martin Friedburg, whose 25-year career in the wine industry included Sales Manager at two Michigan wineries, ownership of an Ann Arbor wine importing and distribution company, and serving as a wine judge. Wines will not be tasted at this event.
Day/Time: Monday, 3:00 - 5:00pm
Date: November 4 (1 Session)
Instructor: Martin Friedburg
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
Beer 101
This seminar is for those who love beer and want to know more about it, particularly in light of the huge proliferation of beer styles in recent times. Learn basic beer terms, the history of beer, the classic ingredients of beer, beer styles, and the difference between commercial beers and microbrews. This will be an interactive lecture/discussion. The presenter is Martin Friedburg whose 25-year career in the beer and wine industry included ownership of an Ann Arbor beer/wine importing and distribution company. Beer will not be tasted at this event.
Day/Time: Monday, 2:00 - 4:00pm
Date: November 11 (1 Session)
Instructor: Martin Friedburg
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
The Metaphysics of Baseball
Explore how America’s favorite pastime serves as a mirror to the human condition - a microcosm of life’s larger philosophical questions. Through readings, reflections and discussions we’ll delve into the heart of baseball, uncovering how its rhythms, rituals, and lore echo the deepest metaphysical inquiries about fate, free will, and the nature of reality itself. This study group is suitable for baseball aficionados for whom baseball is not merely a sport but an ineffable experience of metaphysical import. A typical session may include some mandatory Tigers Talk, some essential viewing of MLB highlight reels and selected readings from the book: Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game, by John Sexton.
Deb Mukherjee has been facilitating study groups for many years, but he has never played baseball in his life. He grew up playing cricket. Nevertheless baseball is his most cherished sport.
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 3:30 - 5:30pm
Date: September 10 - October 15 (6 Sessions)
Instructor: Deb Mukherjee
Location: Virtual Cost: $42
What Makes a Good Photograph?
In a world awash with images, this is our question. The creative process starts with the reality in front of us and leads to a mental image as we click the shutter. What is important? Is there a story to be told? Is there a mystery or puzzle, or emotion? What is beautiful? What is not? How does composition affect the picture’s impact? The material will concentrate on black and white photographs with examples from famous and not so famous artists. Together we will discuss why one photograph is preferable over another.
An amateur photographer since high school, George Lavoie has had a long-time interest in photography, cameras, and images, as well as art in general. He has been a member of the Ann Arbor Camera Club and served on the board for a number of years.
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 6:00 - 7:30pm
Date: October 22 & 29 (2 Sessions)
Instructor: George Lavoie
Location: Washtenaw Community College Cost: $17
Home Maintenance
Would you be interested in learning from an expert about preventive maintenance you can do in your own home? Perhaps you want to get an idea about what you might try to do yourself before calling a professional. This class was requested by some of our OLLI members. Our instructor will be Steve Bredernitz, who has taught this topic since 2004 at WCC.
Steve has also run his own home remodeling business (Bredernitz Services, LLC), known for quality work, focusing on kitchens, bathrooms, basements, windows, and doors.
Due to the limited time for this class, Steve will not be able to address specific individual maintenance problems.
Day/Time: Tuesday, 10:00 - 11:30am
Date: November 19 (1 Session)
Instructor: Steve Bredernitz
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
LITERATURE, POETRY AND DRAMA
Shakespeare’s Italy
Italy influenced, and can be found in, many of Shakespeare’s plays. In these sessions, we will examine how and perhaps why this locale becomes his focal point. Locations, sources, the lost years, characters and more will be investigated through a survey of related plays, including, but not limited to, The Taming of the Shrew, The Merchant of Venice and Othello. These plays are subject to change based on the Stratford Festival 2025 offerings.
After teaching collegiately for over 25 years, Robert Lamphear now teaches only life-long learning courses on Shakespeare. He has attended the Stratford Festival for over 55 years.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 2:00 - 4:00pm
Date: October 2 - 23 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Robert Lamphear
Location: Virtual Cost: $32
Literature’s Philosophical Content
The course will use literary texts to reflect on selfidentity, reality vs. illusion, self and others, forms & causes of alienation and the self as bodily. We will read and discuss Ionesco’s play Rhinoceros in light of Kierkegaard’s ideas on the individual and the crowd, Kafka’s The Metamorphosis, Beckett’s Waiting for Godot & Camus’ Myth of Sisyphus. Participants may use any edition of these texts. I’ll be using the Grove Press editions of Ionesco & Beckett & the Bantam ed. of Kafka. Camus is available on Kindle. I’ll send a link for short readings by Kierkegaard.
Kathleen Wider is a Emerita Professor of Philosophy at the University of MichiganDearborn. She taught interdisciplinary courses using literary and philosophical texts for many years. She has published extensively on the nature of the self and consciousness.
Day/Time: Mondays, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Date: October 21 - November 25 (6 Sessions)
Instructor: Kathleen Wider
Location: Washtenaw Community College
Cost: $42
The Poetry of Song
This study group is informed by, but not based on, Lars Eckstein’s book: Reading Song Lyrics Study group members will first read and discuss some of the entries in the debate on similarities between poetry and song lyrics initiated by the decision to award Bob Dylan the Nobel Prize in Literature. This debate illuminates the similarities and differences between these two forms of literature. The following sessions will be devoted to sharing and discussing songs from writer/performers such Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot; as well as those of more contemporary artists. The range of materials will be determined by the interests of group members.
Richard Garrett has been an OLLI member since 2020. He has led several groups dealing with subjects such as current events, the intersection of science and society, and current academic research on a variety of fields. Most recently, he led a discussion of the book: Black Folks, The Roots of the Black Working Class Richard, a long-time fan of popular music, became interested in poetry in 2020.
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 3:00 - 5:00pm
Date: October 22 - November 26 (6 Sessions)
Instructor: Richard Garrett
Location: University Commons Cost: $42
The Art of the Subtext: Beyond Plot
We’ll use Charlie Baxter’s book of that name. Each week we will read and discuss a chapter from Baxter’s book for half the class. During the other half we will discuss examples brought in by participants, either from their own writing or from some other text they find interesting. The book is available on Amazon.
Sharon Quiroz has a Ph.D. in English and has taught lots of courses for OLLI.
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 10:00 - 11:30am
Date: October 16 - November 20 (6 Sessions)
Instructor: Sharon Quiroz
Location: Washtenaw Community College Cost: $42
An Afternoon with Medea
Euripides’ Medea: witch? femme fatale? cold-blooded killer? or wronged woman driven over the edge? This study group will consider why we remain so fascinated by her. After a brief introduction, we will read the play aloud. Participants may choose to be readers or audience only. At the end we’ll
discuss our interpretations of her and consider how the play might be staged today. We will be using the Dover Thrift Edition of the Rex Warner translation. Copies may be purchased on Amazon for $2.99 (or a printout may be obtained from the OLLI office a week ahead). It is essential that we all read from the same edition.
Marilyn Scott has a background in classics and theater, and has led numerous OLLI Study Groups.
Day/Time: Monday, 1:00 - 400pm
Date: December 2 (1 Session)
Instructor: Marilyn Scott
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center Cost: $12
Wars, Women and Honor: The Roman Plays of Shakespeare
Together we’ll study Coriolanus, Julius Ceasar, and Antony and Cleopatra, focusing on Shakespeare’s views on politics, war, honor and corruption. Any text of the plays will do, but the Arden Shakespeare series is highly recommended for its extensive notes and background material.
Day/Time: Fridays, 2:30 - 4:30pm
Date: September 20 - November 8
(7 Sessions, no class on October 4)
Instructor: Marilyn Scott
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center Cost: $42
STUDY GROUPS
Who Was William Shakespeare?
In these six lectures, we’ll look at the longstanding question of who wrote the most glorious plays and poems in the English language. We’ll try to think like an Elizabethan, setting aside our 21st century sensibilities, we’ll study the evidence from the first folio, other contemporary playwrights and authors, the Stratford connection, and the deep familiarity displayed in the plays with Italy, medicine, classical literature, and the law.
Michele Roberge holds a BA in English Literature from St. Mary’s College and a MA in theatre from the University of Michigan. She has worked in producing and presenting theatre for 40 years in California, and taught Shakespeare for OLLI at Cal State Long Beach for 17 years.
Day/Time: Fridays, 1:00 - 2:30pm
Date: October 11 - 25 and November 1 - 15 (6 Sessions)
Instructor: Michele Roberge
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $42
I’ve learned so much from OLLI programs over the past several years. At the same time, I’ve met wonderful people and enjoyed the collaborative work as an OLLI volunteer.”
― Emily Eisbruch, OLLI Volunteer
STUDY GROUPS
MUSIC, THEATRE AND FILM
Families Around the World: Discussion of International Feature Films
This class uses films for discussions about human relationships. During each of 4 sessions we will discuss one film, focusing on discussion questions and film segments selected by the class leader. Pending availability for home viewing, we will discuss: Tokyo Story (1953, Japan), My Life as a Dog (1985, Sweden), Wadjda (2012, Saudi Arabia) and Belfast (2021, Great Britain). Participants can view the whole film at home and/or ponder the discussion questions before each session. We will look at what is universal, what is different about these families, and how they help us think about the world and our own families.
Arlene Weisz is a lover of films and other visual arts. She is a retired social worker and social work professor who enjoyed using films as part of teaching about families for 20 years.
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 1:30 - 3:30pm
Date: September 17, October 15, 29 and November 12 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Arlene Weisz
Location: (Hybrid) Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $32
LITERATURE, POETRY AND DRAMA | MUSIC, THEATRE AND FILM
Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love & Other Masterpieces Of Color In Film
Three film masterpieces with expressive use of color:
◆ Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood For Love (2000) used sumptuous cinematography and vibrant color to tell a story of memory and romantic longing. It is considered one of the greatest films ever made. (In Cantonese with English subtitles.)
◆ Alfred Hitchcock’s classic mystery Vertigo (1958). Also considered one of the greatest films ever made.
◆ Todd Haynes’s exploration of race and social conventions in Far From Heaven (2002).
Scheduled films are subject to change, as streaming service availability may change. Each film will have two online meeting sessions: a presentation meeting on a Friday, and a discussion meeting the following Tuesday. Watch the film at home in between the two meetings. The films are available to rent online (such as Amazon, YouTube, Apple TV), or accessed through a streaming service subscription (such as Max, Criterion, Starz).
George Ferrell is a retired business executive (human resources and data analysis) and teacher (algebra and calculus), with a life-long fondness for mystery novels. Thanks to Cinema Guild, Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor’s plentiful movie theaters, and the VCR and DVDs, he’s been devouring films as well. A few years ago he had a little idea about a study group about detective mystery films, featuring Miss Marple. Since then he has shared more than 40 films in his study groups.
Day/Time: Tuesdays & Fridays, 1:00 - 2:30pm
Date: (6 Sessions)
Film 1: Friday Oct. 18, Tuesday Oct. 22
Film 2: Friday Nov. 1, Tuesday Nov. 5
Film 3: Friday Nov. 15, Tuesday Nov. 19
Instructor: George Ferrell
Location: Virtual
Cost: $42
A Joyride in Memory Care
A one-person play exploring dementia and the healing power of community. Written and Performed by Rick Sperling.
Native Ann Arborite Rick Sperling portrays a multitude of characters in this one-man play about his mother’s journey through memory care. Sperling, an award-winning playwright, director and actor, is best known for founding and leading the internationally-acclaimed Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit from 1992 to 2019. In A Joyride in Memory Care, we see Sperling witness his dynamic mother Doris – a trailblazing teacher, youth and arts advocate and educational reformer – lose her once powerful voice to the devastation wrought by dementia. Yet, in the midst of this trauma, Sperling discovers deep beauty, dignity and humor among these incredible people living out their last days in a brave new world. A Joyride in Memory Care is a testament to the transformational power of joy and community, especially in the darkest of days. The play runs approximately one hour, without intermission, and is followed by a discussion with the playwright/performer and some of the real-life people portrayed.
SPONSORSHIP
This offering was brought to you by the DEI Committee.
Day/Time: Sunday, 6:00 - 7:30pm
Date: September 29 (1 Session)
Instructor: Rick Sperling
Location: Washtenaw Community College
Cost: $17
RELIGION, PHILOSOPHY, AND SPIRITUALITY
Understanding Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman’s brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our “two minds”-the rational and the emotional--and how they together shape our destiny. Emotional Intelligence discusses the effects of emotional literacy on the most important areas of our lives: relationships, family, work, school, and health. These chapters include numerous studies and examples on how emotional competencies affect one’s ability to be an effective spouse, parent, and grandparent, manager, teammate. We’ll discuss the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and how they determine our success in relationships.
Mike Murray has conducted classes for OLLI for the past 15 years, focusing mostly on ways to handle stress, embrace positive emotions and enjoy life as we age.
For centuries, artists, architects, and designers have relied on mathematical principles, sometimes unknowingly or subconsciously, to enhance their art and design. We will examine examples from antiquity to modern abstract painting to understand how the artist uses the principles of mathematics, focusing on the Golden Ratio, composition, perspective, frieze patterns, symmetry, tessellations, fractal designs and more. No special knowledge of mathematics or art is required.
Joan Jones is a retired Professor of Mathematics from EMU and a watercolor landscape artist. She has taught a number of study groups for OLLI.
Day/Time: Wednesday, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: November 6 (1 Session)
Instructor: Joan Jones
Location: Jewish Community Center Cost: $12
Cable and Satellite TV vs. “Cutting the Cord” – What is Right for You?
Lately, many people have made the decision to cancel their cable, satellite, or AT&T television service. This is known as “cutting the cord.” Jim Keen will discuss the issues surrounding cutting the cord, to help you decide if it is something that is right for you. Additionally, Jim will explore the various streaming services and devices that are available no matter what you decide. What is involved with cutting the cord? What options in programming are available? What devices would you need? Can you save money? Whatever your needs, Jim will help make sense of this complicated conundrum.
Jim Keen holds a B.A. in communications and an M.A. in educational studies from the University of Michigan. He currently owns and operates Keen Focus Technology Tutoring.
Day/Time: Wednesday, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Date: September 25 (1 Session)
Instructor: Jim Keen
Location: Jewish Community Center
Cost: $12
Book Discussion of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
In this course we will discuss Sean Carroll’s book, The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself, claims that our knowledge of natural laws enable us to explain everything we experience in the universe. He calls this perspective “poetic naturalism.” It is poetic because there are multiple ways one can describe the natural universe. He elaborates his ideas to address topics such as cause and effect, uncertainty, theology, and more. Carroll doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but science enables us to address all ideas. In this group, we will discuss his compelling philosophy
and science that he argues brings beauty and goodness to the world.
Wayne Aldridge is a retired faculty member of the Departments of Psychology and Neurosurgery at the University of Michigan. He is a neurophysiologist with interests in brain mechanisms of motor control and motivation.
Day/Time: Thursdays, 2:30 - 4:00pm
Date: October 24 - November 14 (4 Sessions)
Instructor: Wayne Aldridge
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $32
Hungry, Hungry Caterpillars: Can the Monarch Butterfly Be Saved?
Remember the wonder and excitement of watching orange monarch butterflies dancing across the garden or even over a field of wildflowers? Is it possible to imagine a world without such delight for our children’s children? Over the past 25 years, the Eastern monarch population has declined by a shocking 90%. The precipitous fall of the monarch population is largely due to the loss of its native habitat and the milkweed it depends on, as a result of human use of land, pesticides, and climate change. Should the monarch disappear, much more than their beauty would be lost. Monarchs pollinate wildflowers and contribute to a healthy ecosystem. Birds and insects have important relationships with them.
Retired educator Carolyn Siebers has been a nature lover with a fascination for butterflies and birds since childhood. For the last four years, she has been raising monarchs (772 at last count) in her home in the summer months and releasing them to make their two- thousand-mile flight to Mexico to survive the winter.
Day/Time: Friday, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: September 13 (1 Session)
Instructor: Carolyn Siebers
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
STUDY GROUPS
iPhone Basics
Struggling to navigate your iPhone? Never fear help is here! You will learn how to make the most of your iPhone. Learn how to navigate the phone, understand settings, notifications, security features and so much more. You will learn the following: Setting up your iPhone, Navigating your iPhone, Finding and Managing Apps, Using notifications, Understanding iPhone settings, Location settings and what they mean, Keeping your iPhone secure.
Will Hawk retired from the information technology industry after 35 years. At present Will serves as a volunteer for OLLI and enjoys using technology to assist seniors with everyday tasks. As a lifelong learner Will has many interests including hiking and yoga.
Day/Time: Wednesday, 3:00 - 5:00 pm
Date: September 25 (1 Session)
Instructor: Will Hawk
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
Emergency Apps for Your iPhone
In this class, you will learn about some of the best emergency apps for your iPhone to help you prepare for and stay safe during emergencies. You will discover how these apps can provide you with useful information, alerts, tools, and navigation in critical situations. This class covers how to use emergency apps included with your iPhone like Medical ID, Find My Device and Check In, how to use the American Red Cross Emergency app, how to use the FEMA emergency app
Day/Time: Wednesday, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: October 9 (1 Session)
Instructor: Will Hawk
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
Apple Notes for iPhones
The built-in Notes app on iPhones offers you the ability to keep, organize, and find information in a convenient and functional application. We’ll explore how to use Notes starting with the basics, then learn how to format and edit text in a note. This class covers:
◆ Find, set up, and use Notes
◆ Format and edit text in a note
◆ Use the “Share” icon in many Apple apps to send information to the Notes app
Day/Time: Wednesday, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: November 6 (1 Session)
Instructor: Will Hawk
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
The Many Hidden Worlds of Quantum Mechanics
Quantum mechanics is an extremely accurate mathematical description of matter in our universe, but its conceptual interpretation continues to be a matter of discussion. We’ll watch 24 lectures by Professor Sean Carroll describing the “many worlds” interpretation, his currently preferred choice, and comparing it with other more widely taught approaches. Professor Carroll had outlined his approach this past fall at U of M’s Saturday Morning Physics, and detailed it in his book, Quanta and Fields: The Biggest Ideas in the Universe, which was published this May.
Dick Chase worked 27 years as a research physicist for Ford and taught physics at undergraduate and graduate levels. At OLLI, he has hosted 26 science study groups and led 5 book discussion groups.
Day/Time: Tuesdays, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: September 17 - December 10 (12 Sessions)
Instructor: Dick Chase
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church
Cost: $42
SOCIAL SCIENCE
The Inside Story of the Ted Kaczynski Papers
Many university archives contain famous alum’s, but what happens when the alum is infamous? Such is the case of Theodore Kaczynski, also known as the Unabomber, who was a mathematical prodigy and an academic rising star before he decided to live off the grid, go on a 17-year bombing spree in which 3 people were killed, and later became a convicted felon. Learn the history of how and why the Ted Kaczynski’s Papers came to be part of the University of Michigan Library’s Joseph A. Labadie Collection after his arrest in 1996 including his correspondence with curator Julie Herrada who reached out to him to acquire his papers. Also learn how the papers are used for research, what is included and excluded in the collection and some of the challenges along the way.
Julie Herrada is the curator of the Joseph A. Labadie Collection which is part of the Special Collections Research Center at the Hatcher Graduate Library where she collects and manages holdings related to international social protest movements, curates exhibits, and assists students and researchers from all over the world. Julie holds a MLS degree with a Certificate in Archival Administration from Wayne State University. In 2017 she presented an OLLI lecture: Discovering Radical History in the Joseph A. Labadie Collection.
Day/Time: Friday, 10:00 – 11:30am
Date: September 27 (1 Session)
Instructor: Julie Herrada
Special Collections Research Center
Hatcher Graduate Library South 913 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Cost: $12
TED Talks
TED is a non-partisan organization recognizing that “ideas change everything.” TED hosts remarkable speakers addressing a wide array of topics. The video recordings of these talks have been viewed more than 30 billion times. In each session we will view two TED talks and discuss what we saw. I will choose the talks for the first day, but class members will choose topics for later sessions from a list of several titles I have reviewed. I encourage class members to bring their own TED talk suggestions for our first session to assure we have the broadest possible range of topics to discuss.
Lee Pizzimenti is a Professor of Law Emerita at University of Toledo.
Day/Time: Mondays, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Date: September 16 - October 14 (5 Sessions)
Instructor: Lee Pizzimenti
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $37
Introduction to Ayurveda - The Science of Life!
Ayurveda - an elegant and intelligent 5000 year old science that helps us to know and understand ourselves more fully. Ayurveda literally translates as “the science of life” and can help us to celebrate our unique nature! Ayurveda can help us live in sync with our true nature, honor and develop our strengths, hone in on our specific challenging areas of life and health, learn how to redirect less than helpful patterns we might have, and so important, how to maintain balance when things go off course. Join me to learn more about this time tested wisdom and how to apply it in your everyday life!
Laurie Dean is curious and passionate about learning. She has been studying Yoga and Ayurveda for over 25 years, and teaching it for over 20. She loves sharing the wisdom of both sciences!
Day/Time: Monday, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Date: October 28 (1 Session)
Instructor: Laurie Dean
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
Ayurveda Kitchen Pharmacy - Look Into Your Kitchen Cabinet to Create Better Health and Immunity!
From an Ayurvedic perspective, spices are the first line of defense to help us create good health and immunity! Your kitchen cabinet and the spices in there have potent medicinal power! Spices are rich in minerals, antioxidants and nutrients. Learn how to incorporate the healing power of spices into your cooking and understand the power your spice jars have!
Day/Time: Monday, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Date: November 4 (1 Session)
Instructor: Laurie Dean
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $12
The Psychology of Antisemitism: A Deep Dive
Rather than a history of antisemitism, this study group will get us into the psychological “guts” of antisemitism. Drawing on imagery of “the Jew” from a range of sources – across different cultural and historical contexts – we ask: Who is this “creature” as represented? What specific fears and phobias do representations of Jews draw upon? The format will involve engaged participation with the images and their implications.. It is frankly not comfortable work. But it is necessary if we are to move beyond more superficial discussions of the phenomenon.
Hank Greenspan is a psychologist, oral historian, and playwright who has been teaching and writing about the Holocaust –as both scholar and dramatist – for nearly five decades.
Day/Time: Monday, 1:00 – 3:00pm Date: October 7 (1 Session)
Instructor: Hank Greenspan
Location: Virtual Cost: $12
Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age
Flourishing as we age is an ideal for older women. Please join Sigrid Hermon and Bernadette Beach in a book discussion of Women Rowing North: Navigating Life’s Currents and Flourishing As We Age by Mary Piphe, who describes older women’s transition into later life and its challenges, skills, and relationships. The book focuses on the themes of facing change with growth, adaptation, and resilience; refocusing on self during aging; and intention and gratitude to support positive aging. The book presents a holistic view of aging
for older women by outlining specific emotional skills, connections, and perspectives that help create a positive outlook during their transition into later life.
Bernadette Beach and Sigrid Hermon have facilitated several classes and book discussions together through OLLI.
Day/Time: Mondays, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Date: October 21 - November 11 (4 Sessions)
Instructors: Bernadette Beach and Sigrid Hermon
Location: Jewish Community Center
Cost: $32
Change a Habit, Change Your Mind
We all have habits we want to change, but which persist despite our intentions. Changing habits seems to require a lot of effort, and most of us have few tools to help us succeed. In this project-based group, we’ll explore the science of habit formation. For four weeks, we’ll explore techniques based on current professional guidance. We’ll launch individual experiments using the methods of participantobservation research. As we set this in motion, we’ll go deeper, to add practices suggested by an exciting new theory of habit change. We’ll then go our separate ways for a few weeks, coming together for a fifth meeting where we will discuss our observations, outline preliminary findings, and reflect on the power of peer support on habit and learning.
STUDY
Kate LaBore is a cultural anthropologist, educator, and life-long learner. Her current passion is promoting emotional wellness among those coping with caregiving, loneliness and isolation, and health and mobility challenges. She has been practicing selfdirected neuroplasticity (meditation) for nearly 50 years.
Day/Time: Thursdays, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: September 26, October 3, 10, 17 and December 5 (5 Sessions)
Instructor: Kate LaBore
Location: Washtenaw Community College Cost: $37
Defeating Your Demons of Distraction: Decreasing Stress and Increasing Productivity
Research suggests that an average of 2 hours are lost daily due to distractions. For senior citizens, distractions are even more time-consuming. Notwithstanding previous accomplishments and competencies, many older adults find it more challenging to focus attention, remember, and get things done. The day goes by, and they ask, Where did the time go, and what got done? Are distractions sabotaging your efforts to feel productive? Are you left feeling unfulfilled and unproductive at the end of the day? Lurking around us are forces--labeled demons--that interrupt our flow of attention and psychic energy. This seminar provides practical, step-by-step strategies to help you rid your life of formidable distractions triggered by technology, an unruly mind, others, or fatigue.
Geraldine Markel, Ph.D. is an educational psychologist and principal of Managing Your Mind Coaching and Seminars. As author, her books provide research-based strategies to enhance performance and decrease stress for
those in corporate and academic settings. She served as faculty in the School of Education, University of Michigan, and has co-authored four books on learning and performance for adults and adolescents with ADD and/or learning disabilities. Her most recent book is, Actions Against Distractions: Managing Your Scattered, Disorganized, and Forgetful Mind
Day/Time: Wednesdays, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: October 16, 30 (2 Sessions)
Instructor: Geraldine Markel
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $17
Everyone Has a Story to Tell
Whether you want your grandchildren to learn your story or wish to interview others, join us in learning how to prepare the person you want to interview, develop the right set of questions using the Biographical Data sheet, and manage difficult moments that may arise in the interview. Also learn how to select the right recording equipment, save your recording in a transcript, and, if you choose to, save your transcript in an archive.
Jim Cameron is the president of the Michigan Oral History Association and received the Historical Society of Michigan’s History Hero Award for 2023. He is the author of Voices Over the Valley and Tales Come Alive! He is currently working on his third book. Jim taught social studies at Saline High School and served as the social studies consultant for the Michigan Department of Education for eight years.
Day/Time: Mondays, 10:00 - 11:30am
Date: November 4 - 18 (3 Sessions)
Instructor: Jim Cameron
Location: Turner Senior Resource Center
Cost: $22
WRITING
Writing Our Stories
Participants will learn how to tell the stories of their lives and those of their ancestors. We will meet weekly, and each participant should be prepared to read a story they have written.
Jan Price calls herself a “very amateur memoirist” who has written her story after being motivated by an OLLI class. She has been teaching Memoir Writing for 10 years.
Day/Time: Fridays, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Date: September 20 - December 13 (no class on 11/29, 12 Sessions)
Instructor: Jan Price
Location: Virtual
Cost: $42
Poetry Writing Workshop
Please join me for a workshop on writing our own original poems. We will discuss what is a poem and where poets might find topics. Also, we will work on writing exercises as well as on writing original poems that we’ll share with each other to get the benefit of an audience response. Bring a notebook and a pen. For the first session, please write a five-word memoir describing yourself. We’ll read these aloud as we introduce ourselves to each other at the start of our first meeting.
Ginny Bentz is a former English teacher who has taken to writing poems as a hobby. It’s become an engaging part of her retirement. She’s happy to share what she has learned, and is looking for companions interested in developing, writing, and discussing original poems. We all have things to say, and putting them into a poem is satisfying for writer and audience alike.
Day/Time: Mondays, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Date: October 7 - November 11 (6 Sessions)
Instructor: Ginny Bentz
Location: University Commons
Cost: $42
Memoirs and Personal Essays
This group meets every week from September to June, except for holidays. There are no specific assignments. Writers strive to find their own subject matter and stylistic voice. Each week, several of us read our work aloud, and others respond to its content, structure, and clarity. The important thing is to write well enough to interest others and to clearly convey our ideas. Everyone is expected to read regularly and to respond constructively to class members’ work. One may participate in person or online. Eleanor Linn has led this group since 2014. She is a published author.
Eleanor Linn joined this group in 2007 when it was led by Helen Hill, who originated its successful format. She has continued writing and reading her work to the group, in addition to leading it. Her pieces include an extended memoir about Central Afghanistan, which is now, among other places, in the UNESCO Afghan Archives, and a collection of essays about Wave1.5 Feminists, who were born between 1900 and 1920.
Day/Time: Thursdays, 2:15 - 4:15pm
Date: September 19, 2024 - June 26, 2025 (40 Sessions)
Instructor: Eleanor Linn
Location: (Hybrid) Turner Senior Resource
Center or Virtual
Cost: $80
Writers Unlimited
Participants read their original written work to the group and receive constructive criticism (everything from correcting spelling and punctuation to suggestions for extension of the theme). The genre may be short story, novel, memoir, essay, poetry, or any form you can make up. Note that this study group meets year-around with time off for holidays
Jerry Janusz, a retired mathematician from the University of Illinois, has led this study group for more than ten years.
Day/Time: Fridays, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Date: September 20, 2024 - September 12, 2025 (48 Sessions)
Instructor: Jerry Janusz
Location: Virtual
Cost: $95
STUDY GROUPS SPONSORSHIP
“Thank you for your dedication and teamwork in the development of great study groups to offer our OLLI members.” — Ann Tomlanovich
Study Groups Meeting Locations
1) Turner Senior Resource Center 2401 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (734) 998-9353
2) University of Michigan Museum of Art 525 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (734)764-0395
3) Washtenaw Community College 4800 E Huron River Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (734) 973-3300
4) Trinity Lutheran Church 1400 W Stadium Blvd #5353, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 (734) 662-4419
5) University Commons 817 Asa Gray Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (734) 332-1221
6) First Presbyterian Church 1432 Washtenaw Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (734) 662-4466
7) Jewish Community Center 2935 Birch Hollow Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 (734) 971-0990
Photo: Newberry Hall, Dave Parker, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
STUDY GROUPS IN ALPHA ORDER
STUDY GROUPS BY DAY OF THE WEEK
Racist”:
In/ Walled Out: Political and Social Implications of English as an Official Language
2024 Election: Preview and Summary (The Polarized Politics of America)
(CONTINUED)
Harriet Tubman, the Cobahee River Raid, & Black Freedom during the Civil War
The People’s Art: Folkways in the Russian Empire 9/25 52 What Sort of Elder do you Wish to be? 9/25 53 Shakespeare's Italy
60 Cable and Satellite TV vs. “Cutting the Cord”–What is Right for You? 9/25 61
Book Discussion of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself 10/24 61
Basics 9/25 62
Apps for Your iPhone
Notes for iPhones
Defeating Your Demons of Distraction: Decreasing Stress and Increasing Productivity
Día de los Muertos: Remembering/Honoring Lost Loved Ones
62
Women and Honor: The Roman Plays of Shakespeare
Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love & Other Masterpieces Of Color In Film 10/18 59 Who Was William Shakespeare? 10/11 58 Hungry, Hungry Caterpillars: Can the Monarch Butterfly Be Saved? 9/13 61 The Inside Story of the Ted Kaczynski Papers 9/27 63
STUDY GROUPS BY START DATE
Día de los Muertos: Remembering/Honoring Lost Loved Ones
Wong Kar Wai’s In The Mood For Love & Other Masterpieces Of Color In Film
Women Rowing North: Navigating Life's Currents and Flourishing As We Age
Book Discussion of The Big Picture: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself
Pundits, Polls & Politics! The ’24 Election!
Gallery Walks: Husbands and Wives (Rivera & Kahlo/Stieglitz & O'Keeffe
Harriet Tubman, the Cobahee River Raid, & Black Freedom during the Civil War Dr. Edda Fields-Black, Carnegie-Mellon History professor and author
NOTES
Thank You to our Big Hearts for Seniors Sponsors 2024!
U-M Health Advantage
Barden Family
LifeChoices & EHM Senior Solutions
Victors Care
All Seasons Ann Arbor
Atlas Home Safety
Atria Park of Ann Arbor
American Roads, LLC
Balfour Ann Arbor
Bank of Ann Arbor
Bassett Murray Law Group, PLLC
John and Kathleen Beilein
Care At Home Private Care, LLC
Chalgian & Tripp Law Offices
Dennis Crowley and Anita Clos
Detroit Windsor Tunnel, LLC
Kris and John Evangelista
James G. and Carol Ann Fausone
Martin Family Foundation
Michigan Medicine – University of Michigan –Geriatric Center
Blue Compass RV
Brookhaven Manor Senior Living
U-M Health Department of Community Health Services
Fox Run
Home Instead
Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor Foundation
Michigan G.R. and M.A., LLC
Molina Healthcare
Old National Bank
Provision Living
Retirement Income Solutions
Jana Smith
Sparrow Market
Trinity Health Senior Communities
Make a Gift to OLLI-UM
We each have our own reasons for enjoying OLLI! Whatever your OLLI passion, your financial support can make a difference in ensuring that OLLI continues to flourish and expand.
IF THEN
◆ OLLI was there for you when you needed it most this year...
◆ you appreciate OLLI’s low fees and scholarships to those in need…
◆ you are proud of how OLLI responded during the pandemic so members could stay connected…
please consider making a donation to OLLI. No amount is too big or too small.
OLLI-UM ANNUAL FUND (HELPS WITH TODAY’S NEEDS!)
While OLLI receives generous in-kind support from UM, a gift to the OLLI Annual Fund ensures membership and events remain affordable and available to all. While OLLI members and volunteers provide a strong foundation of skills, annual support from donors is needed to maintain and grow operations and meet the needs of our community. Donors contributing $100 or more annually are listed on the OLLI Donor Honor Roll. Sponsorships of lectures also support the Annual Fund and sponsors are included on the Honor Roll listing.
FRIENDS OF OLLI-UM ENDOWMENT (HELPS SUSTAIN OLLI’S FUTURE NEEDS!)
The Friends of OLLI Endowment was created to ensure OLLI will continue to enrich the lives of others well into the future. Endowment funds are key to ensuring the flexibility of OLLI to respond to current and future needs such as technology, space, programs and access.
HOW YOU CAN GIVE:
To contribute online by credit card please go to: giving.umich.edu/give/med-osher.
To contribute by mail please see the registration form in the center of the catalog.
CONSIDER
◆ Making an outright donation to the annual fund or endowment
◆ Sponsoring a lecture or lecture series or sponsoring study groups (new!)
◆ Making a donation in honor or memory of a friend or loved one
◆ Pledging a gift over three-five years
Click on the Donate Now button on the weekly OLLI emails - takes you right to the donor page.
To make a gift or for more information, please contact: Janet Torno, OLLI Development Chair, at jtorno@comcast.net.
◆ Making a qualified charitable distribution from your IRA to satisfy your annual required minimum distribution (RMD)
◆ Naming the OLLI Endowment Fund as a beneficiary of your retirement account and/or as a bequest in your estate or revocable living trust
◆ Donations may be specified for membership or scholarships for all OLLI offerings
TO ALL NEW MEMBERS
A Warm Welcome to OLLI from the Social Interaction Committee! We’re Glad You’re Here!
FALL KICKOFF AND WINTER OPEN HOUSE!
Free! Meet other members! Bring a friend!
Fall Kickoff: Wednesday, September 4, 2024 from 10am-12pm
Winter Open House: Friday, January 10, 2025
Washtenaw Community College, Morris Lawrence Bldg.
Doors open at 9:30am
NEW MEMBER MEET AND GREET
You’ve got questions? We’ve got answers!
Thursday, September 19, 3-4:30pm
Turner Senior Resource Center
VOLUNTEER ORIENTATIONS
Want to feel a part of the action? Volunteer and get to know people in the process. OLLI programs are run by OLLI members! Dates TBD | Turner Senior Resource Center
VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION!
Come to a smaller gathering that allows us to say thank you for your work as a volunteer!
Wednesday, September 25, 3:30-5pm
Turner Senior Resource Center
SUMMER PICNIC - JUNE 2025!
Celebrate with OLLI at our annual summer picnic. Enjoy a catered meal in the fresh air at a nearby park with outdoor games and activities.
Email the Social Interaction Committee: ollisocialinteraction@umich.edu
We Are OLLI!
FALL KICKOFF
Date: Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Time: 10am — 12pm (doors open at 9:30am)
Location: WCC Morris Lawrence Building
* Free and open to the public
* Light refreshments * Guest speaker
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN MUSEUM OF ART (UMMA): UMMA.UMICH.EDU
UMMA offers programs that cater to a range of interests--from exhibition-related lectures to lively musical concerts.
August 31, 2024 - January 26, 2025:
“Hey, We Need to Talk” by Philippa Pham Hughes
This fall, UMMA will transform into an Ann Arbor City Clerk’s Satellite Office, a onestop-shop for anyone looking to vote in Ann Arbor. Social sculptor Philippa Pham Hughes’ related exhibit aims to strengthen democracy through art-driven dialogues that repair the social fabric of our country. Featuring a vibrant wallpaper of 50 state flowers designed by artist Ouizi (Louise Jones), the exhibition symbolizes national unity and the diverse beauty found across America.
THE HEALTH & FITNESS CENTER AT WASHTENAW COMMUNITY COLLEGE: WCCFITNESS.ORG
The Health & Fitness Center is a state-of-the-art facility offering a wide variety of services that are designed for all fitness levels, including includes an indoor track, two salt-water pools, saunas, steam rooms, whirlpools and locker room amenities.
MyFitRx Program
MyFitRx pathways are designed to help improve the level of physical activity in individuals living with chronic disease, managing medical conditions or who need additional support. We offer ten specialized MyFitRx pathways designed to support your health and fitness goals.
ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARY (AADL): AADL.ORG
An AADL library card provides access to hundreds of thousands of physical and digital items in our collection, from books, movies, CDs, online newspapers, audiobooks, musical instruments, board games, art prints, telescopes.
MARQUEE ARTS: MARQUEE-ARTS.ORG
Marquee Arts is the new name for the Michigan Theater Foundation. The Michigan Theater shows independent films and stage productions and hosts musical concerts. The State Theatre, down the street, is an Art-Deco style cinema.
WASHTENAW COMMUNITY COLLEGE - EMERITUS SCHOLARSHIP:
The Emeritus Scholarships are specifically designed to provide educational opportunities for individuals who are residents of Washtenaw County and are aged 65 years and older.
WCC FALL ENRICHMENT CLASSES
(NEW) Swing: Jitterbug Dancing, Oct 28-Dec 2, 7-8pm
Join the Jitterbug class (aka Single Step Swing) for a fun introduction into Swing.
Wines: Really Good Ones You’ve Never Tried, Sep 19, 6-9pm
Treat your palate to atypical wines and learn about less familiar wine regions.
Drawing: Fundamentals of Botanical Drawing in Colored Pencils, Sep 17–Oct 22, 3-5pm
Learn how to draw botanical subjects with colored pencils in this relaxing practice of connecting with the colors of nature.
ANN ARBOR CIVIC THEATRE (A2CT): A2CT.ORG
A2CT, established in 1929, exists to offer opportunities for the members of the community to participate in all aspects in theatre.
Upcoming Fall A2CT Events:
October 4-13, Curse of the Starving Class by Sam Shepard and directed by Glenn Bugala
December 6-15, Uncle Vanya by Anton Chekhov and directed by Wendy Katz Hiller
A2CT Improv in the studio the 3rd and 4th Saturdays of each month
PTD PRODUCTIONS: PTDPRODUCTIONS.COM
Since 1995, PTD is committed to nurturing the cultural growth of our community by providing live theater, and to encouraging everyone to participate onstage and behind the scenes.
November 14-23, 2024: A Very Shakespeare Christmas by P.S. Drake (directed by Laura Bird)
Failed Hollywood actress Eleanor is home for the holidays and down on her luck. She receives a magical copy of “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare” that sends her, and those around her, down a rabbit hole of the Bard’s most famous works in this holiday romantic comedy with an Elizabethan twist.
THEATRE NOVA: THEATRENOVA.ORG
Theatre NOVA is dedicated to raising awareness of the value and excitement of new plays and new playwrights in a diverse and expanding audience.
Dec. 6, 2024 - Jan. 5, 2025: THE ELVES AND THE SCHUMACHERS TWO: CHANUKAH BOOGALO, by Carla Milarch & R. MacKenzie Lewis - World Premiere
Bring the whole family to laugh, boo, hiss, and sing in this over-the-top evening of heroes and villains, funny songs, and extreme merriment - a mixed-up mash-up of musical comedy slapstick, vaudeville, and fun.
Turner African American Services Council (TAASC)
About Us
The Turner African American Services Council (TAASC) is a crucial program under Community Health Services, dedicated to improving the health and wellness of underserved older adults of color. Established in 1992 under the sponsorship of the University of Michigan Geriatrics Center, TAASC is an organization of educators, healthcare and social service providers, and community and church leaders that strives to bridge the gaps between the community and local healthcare providers. By fostering partnerships, TAASC aims to enhance access to health education, wellness resources, and healthcare services for diverse older adults.
The vision of TAASC is to create a community where underserved older adults of color can receive the highest quality of healthcare and achieve an optimal quality of life. This reflects the organization's commitment to addressing health disparities and ensuring that all community members have the resources and support they need to thrive.
Our Programs
U-M
Wellness
Health
Coordination
Cultural
Intergenerational
Partnerships
Mild Memory Loss
The Elderberry Club (Elder, Barely)
The first of its kind in Michigan designed exclusively for women with mild memory loss. This group comes together each week for support, discussion, friendship, creative expression, education and community service. It is a unique sisterhood, born in change and grounded in friendship. They hope to inspire & encourage other women who are living with memory loss to join them every Tuesday!
MindWorks
Provides a safe, positive, strength-based environment which allows participants to learn, share, and engage together. Based on camaraderie, mental exercise, memory techniques, humor, and community engagement, this weekly group hopes to meet the unique needs of individuals who are newly diagnosed with cognitive change.
These groups are not drop-in programs. Due to demand and our preference for a smaller group experience (under 8 members in each group), we encourage you to call and set up an appointment to meet with staff. Once you are registered, attendance arrangements can be made. Program fees vary by group and are based on a sliding scale.
Moderate Memory Loss
Silver Club Day Enrichment Program
We offer a safe, structured activity based environment for older adults that is tailored to the individual needs of people with moderate memory loss. Our mission is to help people feel that they can still take part in meaningful activities and succeed. Monday-Friday, 10:00am-3:30pm (includes lunch)
Ann Arbor Meals on Wheels
AAMOW seeks to reduce hunger and food insecurity in a culturally responsive manner for the homebound in the Ann Arbor area who are unable to shop and prepare complete nutritious meals for themselves because of their health.
Our Expertise and Services
AAMOW provides a variety of hot, cold, and liquid meal options that clients are able to choose from based on their preferences and needs.
Meals are delivered to clients at their homes
Monday - Saturday with an extra meal on Saturday for Sunday.
Sta are available to provide additional support that includes addressing tangible needs through AAMOW’s personal care items pantry and connecting folks to other community supports.
With the help of more than 250 volunteers, AAMOW delivers over 120,000 meals each year to 430+ clients, 97% of whom report that AAMOW helps them stay at home and live independently.
parent, spouse, neighbor, or anyone else.
• Social outings o er a chance to relax, have fun, and connect with a community of people who understand.
• Educational programs help you learn more about caregiving and caring for yourself.
• No worries about leaving your loved one alone: respite care is available during every activity to ensure they are safe and comfortable!
• Want more? Try an individualized care-planning consultation……or home chore and handyman services!
We are looking for caregivers willing to share thoughts and experiences in focus groups to help improve the program. Participants will be compensated for their time. Contact us to join a caregiver activity or focus group! Caring for a loved one? Want some
All O erings are FREE! Contact us for more information.
SUPPORT OUR OLLI, SPONSOR A LECTURE!
Do you have a special interest in one of our upcoming lecture topics? Do you want to honor someone special to you? Then please consider becoming a sponsor of one of OLLI’s lectures or other programs through the OLLI Lecture Sponsorship Program! As OLLI expands its programming to meet member need, donations are critical to OLLI’s sustainability for today and into the future.
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
• Sponsor an Individual Lecture for $500-one sponsorship per lecture
• Sponsor an entire Thursday Lecture Series (6 lectures) for $2,500
Interested? Contact Ryan Luttermoser at (734) 998-9351 or lutterrj@med.umich.edu
“OLLI has been a big part of my life for the past 7 years. I first started attending classes that stimulated my curiosity and expanded my views on subjects new to me. Facilitating classes is also great fun, which led to volunteering with this fine organization. A great way to broaden my retirement.” ~ Bernie Beach
• Ballroom Dance
• Creative Writing
• Fitness and Well-Being
• Food, Drink and Cooking
• Foreign Languages
• Gardening
• History and Culture
• Painting
• And More Make Washtenaw Community College your home for lifelong learning. Visit wccnet.edu/ enrichment-classes.
trust.
Choosing a Medicare plan is a big decision, but it doesn’t have to be, especially when you choose a plan that is owned by providers you know and trust.
With University of Michigan Health Advantage (HMO-POS) and PHP Medicare Advantage (PPO) plans, you have access to a statewide network of care at Michigan’s top health systems and many benefits that go beyond Original Medicare such as:
Dental from Delta Dental, hearing from TruHearing, and vision from EyeMed at no additional cost to you
Flex card with a generous allowance you can use at CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General, Meijer, Walgreens, Walmart, and many more retailers on approved health and wellness items like bandaids, toothpaste, and vitamins
Extra benefits like gym memberships, transportation services, meal benefits, and more
