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OLLI at UNC Asheville Observer--
Cabin Fever Edition
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Thanks so much, Bill LaRocque, for two cartoons this week! Bill has done an amazing job of chronicling our life in quarantine and allowing us to laugh at ourselves.
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Math, Science, and Technology
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| German anthropologists in 1932 |
We sometimes think of science as objective, but time and again we learn that bias creeps in. For decades researchers have agreed that race is a social construct rather than a biological reality, but scientific justifications of racism and racial bias in scientific studies remain surprisingly strong.
In her 2019 book
Superior: The Return of Race Science Angela Saini, a scientific journalist and broadcaster, looks at the ways the concept of race has been studies and explores the current "revival" of race science and the the persistent use of racial categories in genetics and medicine. You can
click here to listen to an interview with Saini from TV Ontario. You can hear or read a
transcript of Saini's interview for the NPR program "Code Switch." This is a complex issue, as Saini indicates. She notes "
The thing is, race is real in society. It's real in politics. It's real in the ways that we treat each other. It's visceral because we have made it visceral in our everyday lives, and it has a biological impact because of that. Racism impacts people's bodies. It impacts people's minds. It affects how they live and how they grow.
"So I think all researchers, if they're going to invoke race, have to be really knowledgeable about where these ideas come from and how they are using race. Are they using it because they're studying the effects of racism and discrimination, or are they using it as a biological entity in itself? And if they're using it as a biological entity in itself, then they had better be sure exactly how they define it.
In 2018, to come to terms with a history of racist coverage, National Geographic published
"The Race Issue" to "mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination" by exploring the "meaning of race in the 21st century." The issue includes an article titled
"There's No Scientific Basis for Race. It's a Made-Up Label." The authors of this
article from Science argue that "the use of biological concepts of race in human genetic research- so disputed and so mired in confusion-is problematic at best and harmful at worst. It is time for biologists to find a better way." They conclude, "Phasing out racial terminology in biological sciences would send an important message to scientists and the public alike: Historical racial categories that are treated as natural and infused with notions of superiority and inferiority have no place in biology. We acknowledge that using race as a political or social category to study racism and its biological effects, although fraught with challenges, remains necessary. Such research is important to understand how structural inequities and discrimination produce health disparities in socioculturally defined groups. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine should convene a panel of experts from biological sciences, social sciences, and humanities to recommend ways for research into human biological diversity to move past the use of race as a tool for classification in both laboratory and clinical research. Such an effort would bring stakeholders together for a simple goal: to improve the scientific study of human difference and commonality. The committee would be charged with examining current and historical usage of the race concept and ways current and future technology may improve the study of human genetic diversity; thus, they could take up Dobzhansky's challenge that "the problem that now faces the science of man [sic] is how to devise better methods for further observations that will give more meaningful results" (21). Regardless of where one stands on this issue, this is an opportunity to strengthen research by thinking more carefully about human genetic diversity."
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Languages, Literature and Writing
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"It was a dark and stormy night . . ."
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| "The Death of Chatterton" by Henry Wallis,1856 |
The beagle Snoopy in the old Peanuts comic strip sometimes fancied himself as
"The World Famous Author," and would begin his novels with the phrase "It was a dark and stormy night." The phrase is the first in a very long sentence that opens Edward Bulwer-Lytton's 1830 novel
Paul Clifford and was once cited by
Writer's Digest as the "literary poster child for bad story starters." In 1982 the English department at San Jose State University began to sponsor a
Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, that "challenges entrants to compose opening sentences to the worst of all possible novels."
Barricaded Bards
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| A number of this week's "remembrances of things past" are inspired by smell and taste. Jay Jacoby associates his father with the scent of licorice Sen-Sen candy (meant to "banish" cigarettes and bourbon from the breath). |
We have been enjoying the poetry of OLLI members throughout throughout this challenging time, thanks to Barricaded Bards, members of OLLI's poetry groups who have been finding ways to stay connected while we have to be apart.
Each Friday, one poet-participant proposes a topic to give poets a specific incentive to write.
The topic for this week's Barricaded Bards was suggested by
Wendy
Wieber
: "
Write a poem about one of your first memories from infancy or childhood."
Click here to read the work of ten Barricaded Bards. Thanks to all of our bards for sharing their talents and also for opening up some of their past for us.
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Upcoming Online Programs
from AARP Western Region
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Business, Law and Finance
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Supreme Court Decision about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)
Last week the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 vote, upheld decisions by lower courts that would have dismantled the DACA program that gave temporary legal status to
qualified individuals brought to the U.S. as children if they graduated from high school or were honorably discharged from the military, and if they passed a background check. You can click here for the report from National Public Radio's Nina Totenberg. Her report contains a number of links that include responses from a wide range of people who have been affected by the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act, known as the DREAM Act and also from those who wish to dismantle the program.
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Gadgets to Keep You Healthy
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Does wearing a smart watch lead to better health outcomes?
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Sometimes it's hard to focus on health and wellness without thinking of the implications of the pandemic, so it was interesting to
read on Health Tech Zone's website that companies remain hard at work creating products that can help us track everything from how well we are brushing our teeth to how quickly we are eating our food. It seems that using a "wearable" fitness tracker to measure activity or sleep may not have long-lasting effects on people's health outcomes (
this 2016 report indicates some of the reasons for the success and limits of these devices), but many of the articles indicate that this kind of data can be valuable to understanding the behaviors that lead to positive outcomes.
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As we assess the response of various governments to the global pandemic and its economic impact, we have been hearing a great deal about Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the New Deal as a response to the economic hardships of the Great Depression. FDR established the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933 as part of his New Deal to combat high unemployment and put young men to work on environmental conservation projects. According to
this 2010 article from History.com, "
Under the guidance of the U.S. Forest Service, the
National Park Service
and the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, CCC employees fought forest fires, planted trees, cleared and maintained access roads, re-seeded grazing lands and implemented soil-erosion controls." While the program established racially segregated camps for African Americans and while trade unions argued that skilled laborers should have preference in hiring, the program enjoyed great public support. It was discontinued in 1942 as more resources were needed for the war effort, but the work the corps achieved made possible our network of state and national parks and still serves as a model to engage young people in community engagement and conservation.
Here's hoping that from our current challenges we find ways to generate good ideas to make the most of the talent and energy of young people.
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Member-Driven and Member-Led
Bill's weekly cartoons n the "Cabin Fever" edition of the OLLI Observer have proven a useful way to share a laugh and realize that we are "all in this together." He has addressed the new importance of grocery shopping, watching the seasons change, haircuts, pets, and the start of classes. Like the best cartoonists, Bill has helped us to face challenging subjects with a sense of humor.
This week, as we hold our annual "changing of the guard" meeting, our steering council will hear from Bill, about how he has managed to find and share humor as we adapt to new ways of working, learning, and community. When we gather we will celebrate the talent and energy that Bobbie Rockwell, Tom Hofmann, and Paula Massey have contributed to elevate our work and inspire us to keep trying new things. We will thank Erik Vedeler, who in his year as chair has created bridges between OLLI members and UNC Asheville undergraduates, work that will continue. I particularly appreciate Erik's unfailing optimism and the scientific objectivity he brings to every task he undertakes.
We will welcome Julie Snyder as our new chair, Sam Harben as our new chair elect, Annie Houle as our new secretary, and Laura Nugent as the new chair of our hospitality committee. We welcome members at large Jane Callis, Brad Fuller, and Sushen Huang. The work of all of our OLLI committees has changed over the course of the past three months, and none of us could have foreseen last June how our year would end. Since March we have met weekly via Zoom, and every week we have faced challenges together with care to make sure that OLLI continues and emerges with new tools and resources for a changing environment.
Bill said that he wasn't sure that most people know enough about how OLLI works to see the humor in the cartoon featured above. I will admit that it is among my favorites. As I see that car of good ideas and energetic people careening in my direction, I am reminded that our organization thrives because of the talent, good ideas, energy, and sometimes even the impatience of people who have a true sense of ownership of this community. Especially as we are all scattered, it has been challenging to build consensus and to feel that I am hearing from those who have different ideas about the direction we ought to take. I have been grateful to people who have shown up at our "Leadership Is In" meetings every other week to touch base. I see and hear from people who don't always attend our face-to-face meetings, and it has been nice to realize that although we are apart, we still contribute something to people's lives While it is too often my job to ask questions or to explain reasons a great idea is hard to implement, I welcome and am sustained by the ideas of the steering council and of all of you who take the time to write with new ideas or questions. Our work right now seems overwhelming at times, but it has been invigorating and so many people have stepped forward that we seem daily to illustrate what it means to be a community of teachers and learners.
In our most recent strategic plan, we outlined three broad directions: to create a more diverse and inclusive community, to cultivate and increase resources, and to create a more adaptive organization. These are still directions we want to follow. We know that we are on very long paths with all of them and that we struggle differently with each. And we are hopeful that our online classes will reach new audiences, that our members and other funders will continue to contribute the variety of resources that sustain an evolving community, and that we continue to adapt and incorporate what we have learned to meet new challenges in the years ahead.
I have been director, first of the NC Center for Creative Retirement and then of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute for ten years now. I have served under three chancellors and three provosts. No one who was on staff at the Reuter Center when I arrived is still on staff. I have been particularly grateful for the ways in which Hannah Furgiuele, Herb Gunn, Frankie Keller, and Jacqueline Lowe, four people doing the work of six, have adapted and risen to every challenge in our not normal new normal and have managed to face (and conquer) every challenge with intelligence and flexibility. I have worked alongside a wide range of talented volunteer leaders who have taught and challenged and inspired me to do my best work.
OLLI has grown along with Asheville, and Asheville itself is struggling to assess what kind of community it will be in this new enviroment. OLLI may be in a new phase when our membership will evolve and change and where the kinds of courses and programs we offer may be different. Our greatest challenge is to think through creative ways to connect and to continue to meet the needs of those for whom OLLI was primarily a place to meet new people, to play cards or to sing, activities that are simply not safe at this time.
So the work continues. Let's hit the road together and make things happen, and know that our home, our community, has been here all along.
Catherine Frank
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This Day in Sports by
College for Seniors Instructor Larry Griswold
June 24, 1968: After striking out with the bases loaded in his first at bat against the Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers outfielder Jim Northrup hit
back-to-back grand slam home runs on consecutive pitches. Five days later he became the first player to hit three grand slams in one week, and
in game 6 of the 1968 World Series he hit another one. He is one of only two players to hit two grand slams in one game and another in the World Series.
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Mo'ne Davis at the 2014
Little League World Series |
Birth date of Mo'ne Davis, the first girl to pitch a shutout in Little League postseason history, and the first girl to pitch and win a game
in the Little League World Series. Her three-hit shutout over Newark, Delaware, on August 10, 2014, put her Philadelphia Taney Dragons team in the eight-team
U.S. World Series, and her eight-strikeout, two-hit effort on August 15 led Taney to a 4-0 win over Nashville in the opening game. She is now a student-athlete
at Hampton University in Virginia.
Have you wondered what the landscape of intercollegiate athletics will look like this fall and beyond? Click here to watch a recording of a June 17 webinar with UNC Asheville Director of Athletics Janet R. Cone, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham, and North Carolina A&T's Athletic Director Earl M. Hutton III. Larry Griswold, formerly with Sports Illustrated and sports history instructor at the College of Seniors, moderated.
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The Sisters Garden, Gimghoul Road, Chapel Hill |
How Does Your Garden Grow?
In Chapel Hill in one of our historic districts, sisters Bernice Wade and Barbara Stiles cultivated a garden that became a landmark. The sisters had grown up in Arizona and said that they treasured a honeysuckle vine that grew on their chimney, and every year held a neighborhood party to celebrate when it bloomed. Sister Bernice moved to the house in 1944 and created her first garden. Over the years, first Bernice, then her twin Bernice, planned during the winter, pored over seed catalogs and then created a garden that had interest at any season. At some point they started putting out a sign that said "The Garden is Open," giving people permission to enjoy the beauty of the place the sisters created together. Both sisters lived to be more than 100, and they agreed that "as long as we have the garden, we'll never be lonely." You can for a
video about the garden and the sisters from UNC TV's NC Now program.
I know many OLLI members are dedicated and experienced gardeners, but some of you may also be looking to get started. With this
free "how-to" course from Garden Tutor and the inspiring story of the sisters, even I may move from binge-watching "Britain's favorite gardener Monty Don" on Netflix and begin to enjoy the meditative and connecting power of plants.
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Voter Suppression
If you want a deeper dive (although the course was created in 2016), you might enjoy
"U.S. Voting Access and Fraud" which includes a
Brief history of the right to vote in U.S. and will answer questions about "
How ballot access has been expanded and reduced in last 150 years," "
Why have issues of access and fraud become so politicized?" and "
What do voters need to know in 2016 election" that will still be relevant in this election. The course was designed by Davidson College professors Susan L. Roberts and Andrew J. O'Green.
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The Meaning of Art
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Artist Judy Chicago in front of her work "The DInner Party" |
As part of a series in the NY Times philosophy section The Stone,
artist Judy Chicago answered the question What Does Art Have to Do With the Coronavirus?:
We need to wake up. Artists can sound the alarm." Chicago acknowledges that
not all art is worthy but that "when art is meaningful and substantive, viewers can become enlightened, inspired and empowered. And this can lead to change, which we urgently need."
We have recently been confronting the intersection of art and social change and justice. It is interesting to contemplate the ways in which Chicago was part of the change in feminism and to think about the art that will result from the current movement for racial justice.
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Choral Groups in the Time of Pandemic
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Read about Jane Hall (pictured here) and choruses in England that may have been among the first groups with COVID-19 in the UK. |
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Religion and Philosophy
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Buddhist monks in Thailand pray at Phleng temple
amid the COVID-19 crisis, May 11, 2020.
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This article, "How do Buddhists handle coronavirus?
The answer is not just meditation" from National Public Radio's "The Conversation" suggests that some statements from prominent Buddhists including the Dalai Lama, emphasize that "this pandemic calls for meditation, compassion, generosity and gratitude. Such messages reinforce a common view in the West of Buddhism as more philosophy than religion - a spiritual, perhaps, but secular practice associated with
mindfulness, happiness and stress reduction
." The author, Pierce Salguero, notes that Buddhists practice includes healing rituals, talismans, and prayer that have been important in response to Covid-19.
If you would like to explore Buddhism further, you may be interested in this free online course "Buddhism Through Its Scriptures" designed by Charles Hallisey, Yehan Numata Senior Lecturer on Buddhist Literatures Professor, Harvard University, and doctoral student in Buddhist Studies Alexis Bader. The course description reads, "Through a combination of carefully selected readings, both scriptural and informational, as well as exposure to various forms of Buddhist practice such as art, devotional acts, and literary works, you will learn how to interpret, reflect upon, and apply the teachings of the Buddha to your own life and deepen your understanding of Buddhism."
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Join OLLIChat, the replacement for OLLITalk.
OLLIChat is an online community where OLLI at UNC Asheville
members may share information of common interest with each other. It is designed to look and function like the old OLLITalk.
Introducing OLLIChat Companion
Several times a week, the volunteers at OLLIChat send entertaining content to our subscribers - humor, old movie clips and games. The service is free. Please email
OLLIChatAVL@gmail.com
and a volunteer will reply.
To get started, send an email to
OLLIChatAVL@gmail.com
, and the OLLIChat volunteers will send you an invitation.
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Stay Connected
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