In this Issue:
Happy Spring! | Parking and Transportation Considerations | A Word from the Director | New Genealogy Special Interest Group | Thank You, February Volunteers | In the Spotlight | Presenter Biographies | Marc Johnson Book Reception | Free Learning Opportunities on Campus
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March 20 marks the first day of spring and after a snowy February, we are hopeful that this month will bring some warmer weather and sunshine. Don't forget to "spring forward" and adjust your clocks when Daylight Savings Time begins on March 10.
We have had some excellent instructors provide a great start to the spring semester, and we are excited to begin March with Dr. Brian Hodge's course, "Music of the Baroque Period." We hope you enjoy the lineup of thoughtfully planned offerings throughout the rest of the month.
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Parking and Transportation Considerations
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As the Osher Institute and Boise State's Division of Extended Studies continue to grow, we recognize that there are days when the Yanke Building parking lot will be full. To help alleviate some frustration, please consider the following:
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Carpooling
If you and your friend, spouse, or neighbor are registered for the same offering, please consider carpooling together. Doing so will free up parking spaces and, with hope, make it easier for members to find parking.
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Reserved Parking Spaces
Osher parking permits are valid in general parking areas, including areas marked by East Commuter signs. However, Osher permits are
not valid for visitor parking areas or spots marked by reserved signs.
Boise State Public Radio and different areas within the Division of Extended Studies have reserved parking spaces that are marked by signs above each space. Please be aware of these signs and avoid parking in their reserved spaces.
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Weekly Schedules Posted
Did you know that we post weekly schedules in the front lobby and by the back door of the Yanke Building? These schedules provide a quick snapshot of which offerings are coming up and when the parking lot may be full.
Full classes are indicated by a red star with "Full parking lot" written underneath the offering title. You can also find out which offerings are full by visiting the
Osher Registration Website and checking the status of the offering you are interested in.
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ValleyRide Bus Passes Available
Boise State's Transportation and Parking Services has provided the Osher Institute with ValleyRide bus passes to give away to our members on a first-come, first-served basis. Bring your current name badge to the Osher office to get your sticker!
A valid Osher name badge with a bus sticker must be shown to the bus driver to receive a free ride. Stickers must be placed on the bottom left corner of your name badge. Visit the
Valley Regional Transit website to find a bus route near you.
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Hello, Osher members!
As I complete my first several weeks on board with Boise State University as the Director of the Osher Institute, I want to let you know what has transpired thus far in 2019. Much of the third quarter of the academic year at Boise State focuses on administrative functions: personnel evaluations, updating current department goals, drafting new goals and budget planning for the next fiscal year, and completing a new 5-year strategic plan, drafted in 2018. I’m happy to say that those tasks are completed as well as all of my Boise State orientation and training sessions. (Hooray!)
During this transition time, I’ve met with the Deans of the university, engaged with Department Chairs to discuss the Osher Faculty Grant, and have met with a number of faculty members who are currently—or will likely be—future presenters for the Institute. I’ve been able to attend to a number of community organizations including the community partners that support the Osher Institute. I am encouraged daily by the obvious support we enjoy from the university and community.
A core lesson I’ve learned over the years is that successful leadership is based on creating good relationships. In the past two months, I have met with members of our advisory board, curriculum committees, and the other volunteer-led committees. My thanks to all of these individuals for the generosity of time, talent, and energy, as you have significantly helped with the finalization of the strategic plan and preliminary development of an exciting slate of prospective topics and presenters for the upcoming fall semester.
While I’ve had the opportunity to meet many of you already, I hope to eventually meet all 1,651 members! Beginning this month, I will host a casual “coffee and cookies” session each month—you are invited to drop by and say hello. The first of these will be held
Thursday, March 14
from
12-1 p.m.
in the Yanke Building small classroom. No registration needed. I look forward to seeing you!
Here’s to a wonderful month ahead and to the first vestiges of spring in Idaho!
Dana Thorp Patterson, Director
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New Genealogy Special Interest Group
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Have you recently started researching and documenting your family history? Have you built a family tree that's missing a few lines and aren't sure how to proceed? If you are interested in genealogy and would like to collaborate with other Osher members to answer questions, discover new genealogy technologies, and share information and experiences, consider joining the new Genealogy Special Interest Group led by Osher member Thad Webster.
A planning meeting to assess interest and decide how this group could best function will take place on
Tuesday, April 9,
from
1:30-2:30 p.m.
in the Yanke Building. If you are interested in attending the meeting or would like to add your name to the mailing list,
contact the Osher office at
osher@boisestate.edu
or (208) 426-6554.
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Thank You, February Volunteers
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We are grateful for the following members who served as greeters during the month of February:
Walt and
Mary Thode,
Winston Stokes,
Steve Fields,
Mark and
Cindy Eubank,
Michael Bixby,
Bill Wortman,
Steve Ahrens,
Dennis Hayzlett,
Allie Gooding,
Sally Sherman,
Judy Thompson,
Ed Bracht,
Elizabeth Greene,
Gary Wyke,
Zoe Strite,
Sharon Abramsohn,
Martha Hays,
Darlene Stattner,
Stephanie Miller,
Mickey Vogt,
Brent and
Nancy Fricke,
Karen Barnard Martz, and Kathy Yochum. Thank you!
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Every month,
Osher News highlights offerings that still have space available for members to register. The following offering takes place during the month of March.
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Confucianism in China: A Short History - Second Offering
Due to robust interest, we are pleased to announce the repeat of Dr. Jeff Kyong-McClain's lecture, "Confucianism in China: A Short History." Members on the waitlist for the original offering were notified via email in January.
For almost 2,000 years, Confucianism served as the key doctrine by which elites in China understood everything from grand concepts like the nature of the universe and humanity's place in it, to practical ones, such as how to govern the state, the family, and one's own life. This lecture will introduce the key philosophers, texts, and doctrines of Confucianism, as well as examine ways in which the doctrine evolved over time in response to changing social conditions in China. It will also examine the introduction of competing philosophical systems in China, such as those of Buddhism, Christianity, and eventually, nationalism and communism.
Presenter: Dr. Jeff Kyong-McClain
, Co-Director of the Confucius Institute, University of Idaho
Date and time
: Tue., Mar. 26, 1:30-3:30 p.m.
by calling Customer Services at (208) 426-1709.
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Get to know our presenters by visiting the
Presenter Biographies page on the Osher website. All biographies are listed in alphabetical order by the type of presentation given. Simply click on the presenter's name to reveal their biography.
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Marc Johnson Book Reception
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Osher presenter Marc Johnson’s new book,
Political Hell-Raiser: The Life and Times of Senator Burton K. Wheeler of Montana
, will be released this month by the University of Oklahoma Press. Not only is the book a political biography of a major American figure in the period between the World Wars, but is also a story of how the U.S. Senate has changed since Wheeler’s day (1923-1947)—and not always for the better.
To mark the publication, Marc is hosting a reception next month on
Tuesday, April 9 at 5:30 p.m.
It will be held in the reception area on the 17th floor of the Zions Bank building in downtown Boise. Wine and non-alcoholic refreshments will be available, and Rediscovered Books will be on hand with books for sale. No RSVP necessary. Parking is on your own.
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Marc Johnson's course, "How History Happens" still has space available for members to register. Visit the
Osher Registration Website to register online or call Customer Services at (208) 426-1709.
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Free Learning Opportunities on Campus
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Public Culture Initiative Events
Join Boise State's School of the Arts' Public Culture Initiative as they welcome filmmaker Amanda Stoddard to campus. Both events are free and open to the public. If you have any questions,
please contact Jacky O'Connor at
joconnor@boisestate.edu
. Learn more about Amanda Stoddard by reading
this Boise State Update article
.
Sunday, March 10 at 6 p.m. - Idaho premiere of
Quiet Heroes, a film depicting one doctor's fight against stigma, shame, and ignorance through the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the heartland of America's west. Co-director and producer Amanda Stoddard will introduce the film in the Micron Business and Economics Building
Skaggs Hall of Learning (map). Parking is available in the Brady Garage for an hourly fee.
Monday, March 11 at 6 p.m. - Join Amanda Stoddard (
Quiet Heroes) as she sits down with Boise State film professor Rulon Wood to discuss directing and producing documentaries. The discussion will take place in the Student Union Building Lookout Room, and an audience question and answer session will follow. Parking is available in the Lincoln Garage for an hourly fee.
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Hemingway Literary Center Events
Friday, March 15 at 6 p.m. - Dr. Steven Olson-Smith, professor at Boise State University, will present, "White Whale Rising: Source Origins and Artistry in
Moby-Dick" in the Student Union Building Berquist Lounge. A reception will follow with light refreshments. Parking will be available in the Lincoln Garage for an hourly fee.
Friday, March 29 at 12:10 p.m. - The second Literature for Lunch book discussion will be held at the Boise Public Library in the Bingham Room on the third floor. Nathaniel Philbrick's
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex will be discussed. Participants are encouraged to have read the book prior to attending.
In the Heart of the Sea is available at Rediscovered Books and at the Boise State Bookstore in the Student Union Building.
These events are free and open to the public. If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Cheryl Hindrichs at
cherylhindrichs@boisestate.edu or (208) 901-5500.
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Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Boise State University
Phone: (208) 426-OLLI (6554)
Email: osher@boisestate.edu
Website: osher.boisestate.edu
The Osher Institute at Boise State University operates within the Division of Extended Studies. It is a membership-based lifelong learning program offering non-credit, college-level offerings for intellectually curious adults over age 50.
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Osher Institute Advisory Board
Chair: Ben Simko
| Ralph Bild | Russ Centanni | Carol Delaney | Bae Emilson
Chuck Folkner | Susan Gibson | Dennis Hall | Merilee Marsh | Mike Merz
Virginia Rivers | Gary Robb | Sheri Robison | Nancy Roehrkasse
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Osher Institute Staff
Director:
Dana Thorp Patterson |
Program Coordinator:
Jamie Lundergreen
Assistant Program Coordinator:
Holly Goldgrabe |
Student Office Assistant:
Makayla Muilenburg
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