All Life is Learning - November 2024 | �� Michigan University

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at ��

All Life is Learning - November 2024

Director's Note

Volunteer Extraordinaire

Earlier this year, Ms. Sharon Wade, our Events Committee Co-Chair, was nominated to receive a Daily Point of Light Award, which “honors individuals making a meaningful impact through volunteer service. Established by President George H.W. Bush in 1989, this award recognizes those who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community service, improving the lives of others through dedicated and selfless efforts. Recipients come from diverse backgrounds and sectors, united by their passion for making a positive difference.”

An image of Sharon Wade being awarded for her Volunteer service.

Sharon is officially the 7,882^nd person to be honored by the Points of Light organization. about Sharon’s dedication to serving our community, and when you get a chance, please congratulate her!

Well done, Ms. Sharon Wade—you deserve this honor and recognition!

Warmly,

Toni Woolfork-Barnes, Ed.D.
Director, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at ��

Events

A wide angle view of the 2024 Taste of OLLI event.

Annual Meeting

Calling all members—mark your calendars and plan to join us for OLLI’s Annual Meeting, which will be held on Wednesday, November 13 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the . This is the perfect opportunity to hear about the amazing things our OLLI has done this year, all while socializing, having fun, and enjoying refreshments with your lifelong learning community! Please make sure to so we will have an accurate attendee count and can plan accordingly.

Year-End Appeal

We Need YOU!

The generous contributions of our members are invaluable lifelines for our scholarship fund, programming, and overall operations—and by participating in OLLI at ��’s Year End Appeal campaign, you can help support our organization in an incredibly meaningful way. As you think about year-end giving, please consider maximizing your impact with a gift from your IRA! Making a donation directly from your IRA both creates a lasting impact on our lifelong learning community and is one of the most tax efficient ways to support your favorite charities.

This type of gift, called a , allows individuals 70½ or older to donate up to $105,000 per year, tax-free, from an IRA to a qualified charity like OLLI at ��. While an IRA is also a smart way to save for retirement, there are tax implications when you take your Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) and when your assets pass to heirs. However, if you’re subject to an RMD, your gift to OLLI will count toward that distribution.

By gifting from your IRA, you can:

See the difference you’re making today with an immediate impact.
Pay no income taxes on the gift—the transfer doesn’t generate taxable income or a deduction.
Satisfy all or part of your required minimum distribution (RMD); to count toward your 2024 RMD, your gift must be completed by December 31.

Take advantage of this opportunity to make a tax-free impact before the year ends!

You can also OLLI at �� as a beneficiary on your retirement account. It costs you nothing today and can be done by completing or updating the beneficiary form through your plan provider.

Explore all the ways that you can support OLLI by visiting wmualumni.org/gift-planning or calling the �� Office of Gift Planning at (269) 387-8791!

Curriculum

A member of OLLI in a photography class taking pictures of a still setup.

Check out some of the courses that still have seats open below and discover what other learning opportunities we have planned this November by !

Diversity Under the Dome—Valerie Marvin, Mon. 11/4, 1 to 3 p.m. CHHS Room 1093 Valerie Marvin, Mon. 11/4, 1 to 3 p.m. CHHS Room 1093
Mute Witness: The History and Future of Kalamazoo's First Baptist Church Building—Matthew Claus, Wed. 11/6, 1 to 3 p.m. CHHS Room 1093
GIGY: Advance Health Care Planning—Hilary Kerr, Tues. 11/12. 10 a.m. to Noon. Milestone Senior Services
Inside the NFL's Third Team on the Field—Ron Winter. Thurs. 11/14 and 11/21, 1 to 3 p.m. CHHS Room 2089
Live Music and Discussion: African Influence on American Old Time Tunes—Howard Steiner and Guest Speakers, Mon. 11/25, 5 to 7 p.m. Portage Zhang Senior Center, Lower-Level Activity Room

Special Interest Groups (SIG)

Do you have a special interest? You should create a SIG!

Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are one of our many members-only benefits, offering a unique opportunity for those in our lifelong learning community to engage with others who share a common interest. These groups are established, facilitated, and run by OLLI members who are passionate about certain topics, and the vitality of the group depends upon the active participation and commitment of its own members. Meanwhile, the OLLI office assists with promoting information about SIGs and registering participants.

You can join a SIG by signing up for it as you do with courses. OLLI’s current SIGs are:

Readers Theatre Comes Alive—Wednesdays, 1 to 3 p.m.,
Introduction to Film—Dates TBA. near the Crossroads Mall in Portage
German Conversation—Fridays, 10 a.m. to noon, location varies
EDISON: The EDucation IS ON - Resident Scholars—Dates TBA,
Pétanque, French outdoor game—Mondays during warm weather, 10 a.m. to Noon,

If you would like to establish a new Special Interest Group, simply submit a SIG Proposal Form. Among some of the topics that have been suggested as SIGs are Photography, Book Club, Dinner (or Lunch, group) and a Spanish conversation group. While a SIG can begin at any time, promotion in mailers and digital catalogs follows the Course Proposal Form deadlines listed below. Please call Shannon at the OLLI office, (269) 387-4157, if you are interested in starting a new SIG.

Deadline dates to submit SIG information to the OLLI office:

April 1 for Fall semester
September 1 for Winter/Spring semester
December 1 for Summer semester

Volunteers

Volunteers are the backbone of OLLI, and nearly a third of all members are committed to helping our lifelong learning community thrive through their invaluable contributions! OLLI’s first volunteers were its founders—a small group of emeriti �� faculty who turned their vision into an innovative program. On the founders’ solid foundation, our dedicated volunteers have helped secure funding, build OLLI’s curriculum, recruit members, host events and trips, evaluate effectiveness, and so much more. Whether a sense of duty or other forces inspire people to volunteer, the rewards usually outpace the contribution, and one significant return OLLI volunteers receive is the pride they feel knowing they’re empowering our organization to grow and improve. As Muhammad Ali and Shirley Chisholm have both been credited with saying, “service is the rent we pay for our space on earth,” so if you’re ready to take action and make a major impact, join our robust volunteer team! Just call the office at (269) 387-4157 and we’ll find the perfect fit for you!

Travel

You may remember that in 2023, OLLI at �� and Premier World Discovery developed a relationship designed to help to expand our travel program. They really are committed to ensuring that you have an exceptional experience, and over the next several months, we will further introduce you to Premier and the many advantages of traveling with this company.

Let’s start by answering the question, “why should I travel with OLLI at �� and Premier World Discovery?” Premier World Discovery provides excellent customer service, takes all of the worry out of extended travel planning, and much more! Here is what you can look forward to and some of the benefits of traveling with this outstanding organization:

Round trip airport transfers between one designated location in Kalamazoo and the GRR airport
Tours include airfare from GRR and all air taxes and fees
Deluxe accommodations and transportation provided while on tour
Fully guided excursions led by the Tour Director
Daily breakfast, welcome, and farewell dinners included
Baggage handling between hotels and motorcoach
Daily sightseeing along with ample free time to explore
Optional Travel Protection available (must be purchased with initial deposit)
Final document briefing two weeks prior to your departure to answer questions

Check out the OLLI trip website to see what trips are planned for next year. We will be adding more, so stay tuned!

Wellness Moment

Caution! Coronary Event Season Ahead

Tyler Norman, Ph.D.
Manager of Corporate Outreach
ACSM Exercise Physiologist
NCFI Corporate Fitness Specialist
West Hills Athletic Club, ��

Here we are approaching Thanksgiving, the holiday season, and all the ups and downs that go with it. It is the season of gluttony, sloth, and added stress, particularly if family is involved. Sadly, determined that Christmas Day is the number one day of the year for cardiac deaths, and the last week of December is the most prevalent week of the year for cardiac deaths.

As is often in life, the things we love about the holiday season are not always good for our health. We overeat, overdrink, and skip workouts because we are so busy bearing the stress of shopping, party planning, family logistics, traveling, holiday cards, and more. Because of this, we forget to drink water and are probably not getting our normal allotment of sleep. Put that all together, along with a coronary risk factor or two, plus an increase in colds, flu, and covid (all of which weakens our immune system) and BAM.

If you would like to avoid your holiday being marred by a coronary event, here are some tips.

First and foremost, do not neglect physical activity. ACSM recommends 30 minutes of moderately vigorous exercise daily, and it is one of the best stress relievers available to us. So, get your exercise and you will be better equipped to handle the relative that causes you chest pain—we all have one.
Use moderation, but still enjoy yourself. The idea of moderation is more important over the holidays because of all the outside influences that we normally do not deal with, which can add stress. I am big on stress management because I am convinced it was the catalyst for my father’s massive coronary event (which ironically occurred on December 31).
Recognize warning signs and take action. Knowing the warning signs of a coronary event, and immediately taking action no matter how embarrassing it may be, could be the difference between life and death. Minutes count.
Remember to stay hydrated. Alcohol and caffeine have a diuretic effect, often causing dehydration, so try to drink at least half your bodyweight in ounces of water per day.
Be sure to get adequate sleep and stick to your meds. It is easy to drop these two things down the priority list over the holidays, but as we know, that is the time we really should not slip up.
Know that you have an added risk if you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, a family history of heart disease, are a smoker, are overweight, and if you are a man over 45 years of age or a woman over 55 years of age.

So, on that positive note—happy November!

A Life Well Lived

Coming Together to Discuss What is a Life Well Lived

A note of thanks and appreciation for everyone who attended the A Live Well Lived – Kalamazoo kick-off event! There were approximately 90 community members in attendance, joining together to view the screening of film producer Sky Berman’s “Lives Well Lived” film. Attendees also participated in discussions about what “a life well lived” meant to each person. The discussion was rich, engaging, and thought provoking! Below are some of the pictures from the event.

OLLI Cares - Fill A Trunk

A collage of OLLI Trunk event celebrating donations.

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of you who came out on a beautiful Saturday to donate to our six worthy organizations: Kalamazoo Drop-In Child Care Center, YWCA, Housing Resources, Inc., Seita Scholars Program at ��, Kalamazoo Literacy Council, and Ministry with Community. We look forward to this event each year and greatly appreciate all of you making it a major success with your generous donations!

PS – we found a pair of glasses that were included along with the OLLI Cares donations. If you’re missing yours, please call the office at (269) 387-4157.

Kalamazoo Literacy Council

We are excited to invite you to the annual Adult Literacy Research and Training Symposium, hosted by the Kalamazoo Literacy Council, on Friday, December 13, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the  on the campus of �� Michigan University.

This year’s theme is “50 Years of Empowerment Through Literacy,” and the symposium brings together educators, tutors, and literacy advocates dedicated to improving adult literacy and exploring innovative strategies. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage in informative sessions, share best practices, and network with fellow professionals and community members who are passionate about promoting literacy for all.

Whether you’re an educator, volunteer, or simply interested in the topic of adult literacy, this symposium offers valuable insights and a platform for collaborative learning.

Highlights of the Day:

Hear firsthand how the KLC promotes its mission of empowering adults to reach their full potential
Learn about multigenerational strategies in early childhood education
Get tools and tips for effective goal setting with adult learners

Registration Details:

This is a free event. For questions or to register for the symposium, please contact Kito at (269) 382-0490 ext. 4786 or @email.

Don’t miss this chance to be part of an important conversation and contribute to the success of adult learners in our community. We hope to see you there!

What is the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute?

The program was initiated under the auspices of the �� Emeriti Council and ��x. OLLI offers intellectually lively and culturally appealing learning experiences. We accomplish this by focusing on intellectual stimulation, personal growth, social engagement and enrichment. Read more

What do we do?

We offer short courses for one to four weeks. Sessions are usually two hours long. Travel programs are also a part of our offerings. There are no tests and no required homework, just exploring lots of interesting topics.

In the near future we will offer courses in different formats -- noon hour discussions, several sessions in one week, and more evening courses. OLLI courses and activities are developed and produced by its members with the support of the staff of ��x.

We need your ideas for course topics and instructors. Let us know your suggestions. Call the OLLI office at (269) 387-4157 or send an email. The curriculum committee will review all suggestions.

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